Escaping Osiris ENG

8/13/2019 Escaping Osiris ENG

1/42

Escaping Osiris

O Osiris the king,who goes forth by night !

by Wim van den Dungen

74

", ing eferkare, am Osiris who goes forth by night#"$yramid %e&ts ' (ate )th ' )th Dynasty ' * +7+d#

"(ord of -.. /en, at the head of the %wo (ands as a who.e !01e2 who comes in peace !


2/42

(ord of the 3.ooming of the 1eart !"1ymn to Osiris ' ste.a ' th Dynasty ' 3ritish /useum

"1ai. Osiris, son of ut ! 0###2Whose awe -tum set in the heartof men, gods, spirits and the dead# 0###2ing of gods, great power of heaven,

ru.er of the .iving, king of those beyond !"1ymn to Osiris ' 5te.a of 5obek'iry ' th Dynasty ' (ouvre

ntroduction

6+Evi. or the end of the o.den -ge#68%he suffering of Osiris#69:eassemby and reanimation of Osiris#641orus, the avenger of his father#

6;%he restoration of Osiris#6%he ascension of Osiris#67Offertory and -ssuming the godform of Osiris#+6Osirian faith ? a#

%he first Egyptian $yramid %e&ts appear in the )th Dynasty, in the undergroundchambers of the tomb of ing Anas 0ca# 897= ' 894= 3


3/42

successors, $haraohs %eti, $epi , /erenre ? $epi 0ca# 8876 ' 886; 3


4/42

:es 3ark of /i..ions of Iears, ascends with a .adder or f.ies as a bird, sacred smoke or agrasshopper#

%he .ight.and of :e, fountain of reCuvenation and end.ess power, is a continuing cyc.e ofrenewa. 0in neheh'time2, aperpetuum mobileat the core of 0ste..ar2 .ight# 1ere, thepowerfu. 5a'energy of the universa. 1eka'fie.d can be harvested# %he .atter is due to theautogenic activity of the so.e creator god -tum#

"un"J the unmanifested sameness of everything is not .ight F

"-tum" J unmanifested .ight diffused in un F

"-tum'heprer"J the unmanifested, first occurrence of eterna..y recurrent .ight F

":e" J the manifest presence of -tum as .ight on the primordia. "hi.."#

Grosso modo, this 1e.iopo.itan ideo.ogy of the divine king was 5o.ar, ste..ar ? nationa.,comp.ementing the conte&tua., regiona. and variab.e (unar spiritua.ity of the commonEgyptians#

Hor good reasons, emp0+>=>2 and (esko0+>>>2 doubt whether, in the $redynastic andthe historica. periods, 1e.iopo.itanism was shared by the vast maCority of un.etteredEgyptians# %he opposite seems to be true#

"emp has suggested that Egyptian re.igion, as we know it from the forma., state'approved written te&ts, is an inte..ectua..y manipu.ated construction of the historicperiod, most .ike.y of the midd.e or .ate O.d ingdom 0###2 to promote the divinity of theking of Egypt#"(esko, +>>>, p#9+#

%he concept of 1orus 0the E.der2 as the maleru.er of the sky, symbo.ica. of the divine

king himse.f, is rather specu.ative 0top'down2 than natura. 0bottom'up2# ndeed, this ideais the ideo.ogica. counterpart of the po.itica. unification of Apper 05outhern2 and (ower0orthern2 Egypt# 1assan0+>>82 points to the assimi.ation by the ma.e king of the powerof the great 0cow2 goddesses at the beginning of the $haraonic $eriod, in particu.ar in theEar.y Dynastic 0Wi.kinson, 866+2# (esko0+>>>2 conCectures that up unti. appro&imate.y9666 3


5/42

resurrection of the king0during and after .ife2, whereas the .atters ascension remained5o.ar and spiritua.iGing, as the architecture of the tombs of Anas and his successorstestify 0cf# the orthern shaft directed to the "mperishab.e" circumpo.ar stars2#

n this .ast fami.y of gods and goddesses, the god 5eth p.ayed the bad boon# 1e enviedhis brother and being the strongest of the gods, murdered him to c.aim the throne ofEgypt# Hrom this moment on, creation was divided and chaos starts to .eaks in, endingthe o.den -ge# What fo..ows is the age of mankind, in "nomina." time, when the batt.ebetween 1orus and 5eth rages, pushing the choice between, on the one hand, a peacefu.throne or, on the other hand, the dominion of conscious evi.# (ocking horns with hiswicked, powerfu. and perverted unc.e, 1orus, the avenger of his father, is fina..yvindicated by :e, who, at first, had decided in favour of 5eth# -t the end of the day,1orus is enthroned as the Custified king of Egypt# 1e then descends into the Duat, thenetherwor.d, and brings his (eft Eye of We..ness to Osiris, who, fu..y restored by it, isab.e to rise to his heaven in the Duat# %here, he is enthroned as the king of the dead,estab.ishing a Curisdiction of his own, separate from all other deities#

-nd what about the commoners K -s the king .ooked at his father, the roya.s and those

part of the administration of the state .ooked at the king# 3ut, they and the maCority ofthe i..iterate fo.k 0c.inging to the (unar faith K2, had no other way than "to hide"# -snobody e&cept the divine king had a "3a" 0the dynamica. princip.e enab.ingspiritua.iGation2, everybody was dependent on his ascension, efficiency and goodwi.. 0inheaven2# %o be buried near the king was a privi.ege and even after the Osirification of theroya. hereafter, as given in the Anas te&ts, only $haraoh was "Osiris the king"# Lust as inthe O.d ingdom, Egyptian civi.iGation happened in and around the capita. /emphis, inthe $yramid %e&ts, a.. spirtua.iGation circumambu.ated the divine king#

3y the /idd.e ingdom 0ca# +>9= ' +7;> 3= ' +>9=3


6/42


7/42

5econd.y, these deities were easier to approach, for their mytho.ogica. form resonatedwith the universa. archetypes 0genetic constituents2 processing the spiritua. evo.ution ofhumanity J mother, father ? chi.d# ntroCected, these idea. standards were beyond thereach of ca.amity and eterna.iGed the hope of a good after.ife in terms of Osiriss perfectkingdom of the dead#

%hird.y, Osiris was the hope of everyman# 1is resurrection from the dead proved beyonddoubt that there was life after deathCust as there was a new f.ood every year, a newhe.iaca. rising of 5oped, 5irius 0the reek 5othis2, the brightest stationary star of sis atthe hee. of the conste..ation Orion, symbo.ic of Osiris and bringer of the ew Iear andthe new grain ###

n the O.d ingdom, on.y the divine king was certain to survive physica. death# 1e roseto the sky and sat together with his father :e in the .atters go.den bark, merging with :eas a god# obody e&cept the "great house" had a spiritua. princip.e of moti.ity 0a "3a" orsou.2 effectuating the transformation from sou. to spirit 0"-kh"2# 3y means of the EasternhoriGon 0"akhet"2, his "3a" reached the upper sky a.one and its gods tremb.ed when theysee him coming, for he enters as "power of powers" and "image of images" 0cf# >, p#+4;#

1ence, at best, commoners cou.d cherish the hope to be resurrected as was Osiris# %he.atter had procured for himse.f a separate legislationor "office", name.y that of king ofthe beautifu. West# n a strict sense, this is not the ".and of the dead", but a possib.ep.ace of g.ory for the dead# %hose sou.s who cannot enter, eventua..y, by .ack ofsustenance, s.ow.y perish# Osiris rea.m is the kingdom of the Custified deceased J a holyfamily saved from chaos by a good king# n his dark kingdom, his nob.e servants wou.d.ive out the best of their .ives on Earth for a.. of eternity, and its heaven was fi..ed withthe best of the best, resemb.ing the e&ce..ence of .ife on Earth#

Iet, Osiris was a king and monarchs need to be served# Hreedom was sti.. dependent onstatus and power, and was not a given, for knowledge of the Duatwas indispensab.e#5erving Osiris was deemed the highest spiritua. state attainab.e for a.. Custified humans,the "Osiris "# -.though the rich and powerfu. cou.d afford the magica. mechanics tofeed the "a" gratifying the "3a" 0igniting the process of spiritua.iGation2, they were notsure to enter the 5o.ar 3ark of /i..ions of Iears# ndeed, even for them, u.timatespiritua.iGation was futi.e and a nob.e ro.e in the ho.y fami.y of Osiris was the second'best
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/cannibal.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/cannibal.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/aten.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#mhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/cannibal.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/cannibal.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/aten.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#m


8/42

so.ution# Even the dead king had to pass through the Duat, but, un.ike everybody e.se,cou.d a.ways escape Osiris or comp.ete.y identify with him 0in ecstatic, this-liferitua.sand trance'.ike activities ' cf# the 5ed Hestiva., the Osireon, the Dramatic :amesside$apyrus ' ayd.er, 866;2#

-.though by the ew ingdom, the dead dec.ared to be gods presenting themse.vesbefore Osiris, the power 0"sekhem"2 of their divinity was a.ways sma..er than thedominion of Osiris, whom even the gods 0and even :e2 feared# 1e had procured forhimse.f a kingdom in the hidden p.ace and cou.d never .eave it# (ikewise, the deities ofthe Duat and the b.essed dead were bound to its darkness# f, in the /idd.e ingdom,funerary theo.ogy had been trying to .earn about the Duat or hidden chamber, by theew ingdom they knew# 3ut on.y .iterate peop.e cou.d rest assured never to mishand.ethe Osirian mechanics and cause their sou.s to be annihi.ated or perpetua..y chained#ndeed, this very operationa. know.edge, "proven a mi..ion times" was restricted to thevery few# t was high.y esoteric and "initiate" materia.#

%his .eaves us with the comp.ementarity of a two'tiered heaven J

+# )- %1E /OOJ the 0.ower2 sky of Osiris J the u.timate state of human b.essedness isto .ive the .ife of an "Osiris ", with a court, humb.ing servants and a kingdomsituated in the vast darkness of the Duat 0.ike creation is a bubb.e of moisty airsuspended in chaos2# Even the sma..est offer made with a sincere heart during earth.y.ife might be enough to be he.ped by sis or Osiris, and so the commoners madesurethe holy family would notice them.%his economy is inc.usive of everyman, butconditiona., e&cept for $haraoh ' the Eye of 1orus F

8# ED %1E 5AJ the 0upper2 sky of :e J the sky of Osiris and the sky of :e arepro&imate, and after the highest spiritua.ity of servitude has been fu.fi..ed, the "3a" ofthe deceased is transformed, in the horiGon, into an "-kh" of :e, sai.ing, among theother pure beings of .ight, on the 3ark of :e, i..uminating the beings of day and night,inc.uding the deities and the Custified b.essed dead of Osiris 0who otherwise s.eep2# %he

sacred know.edge regarding this spiritua. evo.ution was for the very few and, whenfirst written down 0cf# the $yramid %e&ts and the -mduat2, portrayed in the tomb ofkings on.y# %his economy is e&c.usive of everyman, reserved to the deities 0as the kingand his high priests2 and unconditiona. ' the Eye of :e#

Everywhere peop.e cou.d pray to Osiris, for indeed 5eth, in his rampage, had scatteredparts of Osiris dismembered bodyall over gypt J his .eft .eg in the first Apper Egyptiannome, his right in the si&th, his Caw in the third, his ear in the tenth (ower Egyptiannome, his head in -bydos 0and /emphis !2, his backbone in 3usiris, etc# 5uchomnipresence may e&p.ain his popu.arity, but a.so signa. his particu.ar, uniBue function inthe Egyptian pantheon, to wit J the sacred body of nobility within creation0or "sah"2, thedivine matter ofthe dark! eclipsed "un at night0cf# the ew ingdom -mduat2#

n 5pe.. +48 of the ew ingdom 3ook of the Dead, Osiris is given times 8 "names ofthe god Osiris in every p.ace wherein he chooses to be"# %hese are enumerated in a great.itany, showing the e&tent of his popu.arity, for he was deemed omnipresent# Osiris wasnot on.y a "netCer" or "god", but had a.so been a "nesu" or an earth.y "king", a.beit in the"o.den -ge", when the gods ru.ed, and their se.f'possessed power 0"sekhem"2 wasomnipotent and devoid of evi. and chaos 0"isefet" and "un"2# %his was before the time ofhumanity, initiated by the murder of this god#
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#nhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/nun.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#nhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/nun.htm


9/42

Hor the common Egyptian, Osiris was a good king, a Cust ru.er who generated .ife,prosperity and hea.th for a.. those in his retinue,in this life and in the next.Of course,they had to be his servants and dedicate their eterna. e&istence to him and him a.one0e&cept for the brief moments the 3ark of :e passed during the night2#

"0###2 Osiris'in'his'every'p.ace#Osiris'in'his'p.ace'in'the'(and'of'the'orth#Osiris'in'his'p.ace'in'the'(and'of'the'5outh#Osiris'in'every'p.ace'where'his'a'wishes'to'be#Osiris'in'a..'his'ha..s#Osiris'in'a..'his'creations#Osiris'in'a..'his'names#Osiris'in'a..'his'ho.dings#Osiris'in'a..'his'risings#Osiris'in'a..'his'ornamentations#Osiris'in'a..'his'stations# 0###2"3ook of the Dead, papyrus of u, th nome2has been proposed# n the Ear.y Dynastic $eriod, Osiris is notattested by name# %heparing of 1orus and 5eth, essentia. in the .ater Osiris myth, is given from the midd.e ofthe Hirst Dynasty 0ca# 8>66 3


10/42

ho.ding a crook and a f.ai., and wearing a doub.e'p.umed crown# n DCedet, near DCedu,the sou. of Osiris was thought to dwe.. in the sacred ram, worshipped as ":am'(ord'of'DCedet", the reek "/endes" 0according to $indar, the :am had intercourse withwomen2# t was a powerfu. symbo. of strength and virility# %he Egyptian word for "ram"was "ba", but "3a" a.so meant "sou."# n -bedCu 0-bydos2 in Apper Egypt, Osirissuperseded hentiamentiu# %his god of the -bydos necropo.is, the "Horemost of theWesteners" 0who ousted Wepwawet, or "%he'Opener'of'the'Ways"2 is mentioned onsea.s of $haraohs Den and Maa of the Hirst Dynasty 0ca# 9666 ' 8=66 3


11/42

be seen in a.most any museum where Egyptian obCects are to be found# t is the raisondtre for the most common performative utterance in Egyptian funerary re.igion, theoffertory#"1are, +>>>, p#+#

n the $yramid %e&ts, .arge.y written in a pre'rationa. mode of cognition, there areunreso.ved tensions between the sa.vic paths offered by Osiris and :e, as we.. as

between certain themes crucia. to both myths# Worse, in a few iso.ated spe..s, we readhow Osiris is to be kept out of the tomb 0cf# supra2 ! %hose who wish to enter the domainof :e, are prone to escape from the kingdom of Osiris and they offer supp.ications toencounter no resistance when trying to rise and reach the sky of #e.

n these utterances 0spe..s, hymns, prayers etc#2, the "o.d" traces of the dark,subterranean, "enterred" (unar 0night.y2 Osiris 0predating the Dynastic $eriod2 confrontthe .ight of the 5o.ar "roya." :e and in the ritua., a functiona. integration occurs# Otherissues, such as the obvious importance of 5eth in the roya. ascent 0ho.ding, togetherwith 1orus, the ".adder of the sky"2 hand in hand with him murdering Osiris, are .eftuntouched# %he mechanica. addition of "Osiris" to the te&ts betrays a rewriting of the

"o.d" 1e.iopo.itan corpus, origina..y .arge.y dedicated to :e 03reasted, +>782# nthe $yramid %e&ts, the process of Osirification had a.ready reached the stage of maturityand automatism#

n written form, the o.dest form of the name "Osiris" appears for the first time in thepyramid of Anas, with growing prominence during the ne&t mi..ennium and more# %hehierog.yphs used are a seat 0M+2 or "ws" and an eye 0D42 or "ir", making "wsir", "Asir" or"Osiris"# Osiris, the one with an "eye" 0a verb meaning "to make", "to do"2 on the"throne" of Egypt, or "he who makes the throne" 0cf# 3udge, +>79, referring to Erman2,was the embodiment of the "sou." or "3a" of the nation, both in its parts as in genera.,both in this .ife as in the ne&t# 1is ear.y integration in the roya. canon focused on -tum':e, is a c.ear mark of his popu.arity, even in the (ate O.d ingdom, and points to the

supportive 0accommodating2 ro.e of the popu.ar, (unar faith in the new roya. ideo.ogy#ndeed, as king of the dead, Osiris guaranteed the reign of his son 1orus, the first nameof every earth.y monarch# -.though roya. theo.ogy was mascu.ine and 5o.ar, thepresence of (unar, darker and feminine Bua.ities was not reCected, but 0at first2 poor.yintegrated in the overarching 1e.iopo.itan theo.ogy#

"O Osiris, take away a.. those who hate ing Anas and who speak evi..y against hisname#"$yramid %e&ts, * +#

n the /idd.e ingdom 0ca# +>9= ' +7;> 3


12/42

king had been Custified, by the /idd.e ingdom, in princip.e everybody who cou.d pay forthe ritua.s cou.d be transformed into an "Osiris "# Even a poor wretch cou.d be saved ifthe "sou." had a "house" 0i#e# a tomb or a coffin2 and a few spe..s were known#

%he /idd.e ingdom >>, p# >+

n the ew ingdom 0ca# +;9> ' +67; 3>;2, his function invo.ved the "midnight mystery"or "-rs obscura" of theDuat# Osiris he.ps to regenerate the dynamic power of :e 0eterna. moti.ity2, and sobecomes integrated in the cyc.e of :e J Osiris is the $body$ left in the Duat.

Hina..y, in the $to.emaic $eriod 096; ' 96 3


13/42

-s soon as, throughout the variety of Osirian myths, an "Egyptian prototype" isdiscerned, a series of "dramatic moments" or a seBuence of crucia. events emerge# %herecord suggests a human ta.e, a recogniGab.e story'.ine, moving from a state ofgoodness and p.enty, to a state of evi. and want, to return to a state of greater goodnessand ever.asting happiness# %hese narrative features give the Osirian myth "a strongersense of uniBueness and .inearity, than for instance, the rising and setting of the sun orthe stars"01are, +>>>, p#+;2# %he irreversible episodes of the Osiris myth theassassination, dismemberment, scattering, reassemb.y, reanimation, resurrection andcoronation of Osiris# 1is murder on.y takes p.ace once, and the Egyptians were re.uctantto address the issue direct.y# %here is no perpetual repetition, but an ever.asting "fina."state J Osiris, king of the Duat, is for ever and ever the same 0even after -tum destroysthe wor.d ' cf# Egyptian eschato.ogy2#

the (unar $hases and the /ystery of Osiris

/eaning of the (unar $hases

EW /OO+th Muater N sis ? ephthys

darkness at its ma&imum, initiation of e&terna.phase, gathering of impu.se

th Muater N 1orus -vengingsustained efforts to ma&ima.iGe cyc.e, the meansto do so manifest

HA(( /OOth Muater N 1orus ? Osiris ing

.ight at its ma&imum, rea.iGation of intent,initiation of interna. phase, cu.mination ofimpu.se

)th Muater N 5etwithdrawa. of the .ight, sustained efforts toe.iminate components
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#hhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/hidden_chamber02.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#hhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/hidden_chamber02.htm


14/42

-.though proCected upon the (unar cyc.e for commemorative reasons, the .egend ofOsiris has no "interna." cyc.e, but represents a linear processdefined by a c.earbeginning and a fina. end# %his process may be repeated, but each time the same .inearseBuence is run through# %his remarkab.e difference with the -tum':e cyc.e and itswide.y discussed neheh'time 0eterna. recurrence2, coup.ed with his enduring popu.arity,mystery and magic, make Osiris an outstanding factor in the Egyptian pantheon, for in away all deities except Osiris share in the "olar fate of rise and fall# %hey are part ofeterna. repetition, whereas Osiris gives ever.asting sameness 0dCedet'time2#

n the 1e.iopo.itan Ennead, the dramatis personaeof these myths be.ong to the .astgeneration of gods J Osiris, sis, ephthys and 5eth# %he conditions of order 0-ir, .ife'5hu' and Water, truth '%efnutN/aat'2 as we.. as the generative powers of "sky" 0ut2and "Earth" 0eb2 are a.ready in p.ace# %he .ast generations introduces human affairs,a.beit in a "divine" format 0a "o.den -ge" when the gods reigned on a mythica. Earth2#

%he dynamism between these anthropomorph divinities, who act .ike fami.y members,foca.iGes on 1orus, the son of Osiris and sis, the avenger who triumphs over his evi.unc.e 5eth, the reCuvenator of Osiris, who resurrects his father and becomes the Custified

king of Egypt, source of unity and peace# %aking into consideration many known sources,the fo..owing picture emerges J

Osiris is the good king of EgyptJ the god'king Osiris .ives on Earth and estab.ishesa.. good things, he brings civi.iGation to Egypt and is .oved by a.., e&cept 5eth andhis gang, those who wish to usurp the throne of Egypt by sheer might F

Osiris assassinated, dismembered and scattered J Osiris is tricked ? ki..ed by hisbrother 5eth, his body dismembered and scattered a.. over Egypt F

Osiris reassemb.ed and reanimated by sisJ his wife and sister sis reco..ects hisbody 0e&cept his penis2 and revivifies it with the he.p of the gods F

Osiris inseminates sis who gives birth to 1orusJ before the s.umbering Osirismoves to the netherwor.d, sis, the reat 5orceress, is ab.e to take his seed andgive birth to 1orus F

Osiris avenged by his sonJ a.though persecuted and sodomiGed by 5eth, 1orusgrows up with the he.p of sis and prepares to avenge his father by fighting 5eth0.oosing his .eft eye but crushing 5eths genita.s2# 1e triumphs over his evi. unc.e,who henceforward is forced to carry Osiris F

Osiris restored by 1orusJ his (eft Eye made we.. by %hoth, 1orus is dec.ared ingof Egypt and descends into the Duat to bring the Eye of We..ness to his father, soas to restore him comp.ete.y 0turning him into a supportive god of the Cust2 F

Osiris ascends as "king of the dead"J Osiris reassemb.ed, reanimated and fu..yrestored by 1orus, ascends to the sky 0of the Duat2 and is enthroned as its kingfor ever and ever# n this capacity, he Cudges the dead and nobody is ab.e to movefurther without being Cudged by him# 1e is the guarantee, on yonder side ofe&istence, of reCuvenation and an eterna. .ife featuring the best of this .ife# 1is isthe perfect kingdom of darkness#


15/42

ote that Osiris escapes, .ike the precreationa. un, the cyc.ic and end.ess repetitions of:e and the other stars, most of them rising and setting in accordance with the .aw ofeterna. recurrence initiated by -tum'heprer# Osiris thus re.ates to un, to theprimordia. waters of precreation, deemed .imit.ess, inert, dark, .ife.ess and g.oomy# unpree&ists creation and is separated from it# %he kingdom of Osiris is part of creation, butseparated from its Earth and sky#


16/42

numinous, mystica. peak'e&perience have been summarised as fo..ows 0cf# $ahnke ?:ichards, +>78, in %art, +>7;2 J

+# unityJ the nomina. distinctions between both obCect ? subCect disso.ve F8# noetic Bua.ity J a conscious state, capab.e of contemp.ative, intuitive thought F

9# space'time'shiftJ everything happens in the perpetua. "now" F

4# parado&a.ity J the e&perience invo.ves the conCunction of both opposites F

;# ineffabi.ityJ the essence of the e&perience can not be verba.ised F

# tempora.ityJ this state is on.y e&ceptiona..y permanent 0deification2, one movesbackwards, to sett.e at the nomina. .eve. without .oss of memory#

3esides these, mystico.ogy confirmed the three'tiered nature of the process of spiritua.emancipation 0cf# the "scala perfectionis"2 J

+# purificationJ proper preparation to the spiritua. operation demands physica.,

psycho.ogica., socia. and mora. discip.ine and is often operationa.iGed as sensoricreduction, typica. EE'freBuency patterns and the invocation of archetypa., sacredimages and sounds 0cf# neurotheo.ogy2 F

8# tota.iGationJ the actua., direct e&perience of the "totaliter aliter", radica. otherness F

9# actiona.iGationJ the fusion with the Divine, eventuating a "return" to the wor.d, bringsan outstanding increase in ethica. awareness, unconditiona. compassion and a directaction changing the wor.d for the better#


17/42

the "pure" form of 5o.ar worship a..ows us to work out the inner dynamics of the this-lifemysteriese&c.usive.y ce.ebrated by $haraoh in his roya. cu.t, "mysticism" being definedas the direct e&perience of the Divine#

"0-kenaten2 J%he words of :e are before thee, 0'''2 of my august father,who taught me their TessenceU, 0###2 them to me# 0###2

t was known in my heart,opened to my face, understood 0'''2

0:amose2 J"%hy monuments sha.. endure .ike the heavens, for thy duration is .ike -ton therein# %hee&istence of thy monuments is .ike the e&istence of the heavens F thou art the On.y One ofT-tonU, in possession of his designs#"3reasted,866+, ** >4;'>4 ' tomb of the viGier :amose ' origina. .ost ' -khenaten Custifying -tenism to :amose byreferring to his persona. ? e&c.usive mystica. e&perience ' 3easted notes J "%hese accompanying inscriptions are direct.ybe.ow the upper row, depicting the decoration, and be.ong with a .ower band connected with the same incident# %hey areon.y in ink and very faded F be.ieve my copy of them is the first made# %hey have never been pub.ished#" 0p#9=>2

-tenism reCects the "hidden" and the "dark", and so cannot e&ist together with Osiris and-mun# t e.iminates the "hidden" side of :e, returns to the e&c.usive worship of the.ight.and of the doub.e horiGon 0cf# :a'1orakhety2, and reCects a.. possib.e netherword.yinterpretation by e.iminating the Duat and bringing the sky on Earth, name.y in-khetaten, -khenatens 882, "mystery" imp.ied "vo.untarydeath", a "psycho.ogica. death" e&perienced before actua. physica. death# %his "deadposture" pre.udes spiritua. rebirth or "peret'em'heru" J going out into the day ###Hor Wente0+>=82, the ew ingdom -mduat and 3ook of ates bring "the future intothe present", so that rebirth"cou.d have been genuine.y e&perienced in this .ife now"#-ndthis, most .ike.y through initiations 0for the priests2, festiva.s, pi.grimage ? persona.piety# n these .atter conte&ts, Osirian faith a..owed non'roya.s to have direct spiritua.access to the Duat, the wor.d of magic and of the dead# %he 3ooks of the etherwor.dare usua..y very e&p.icit about this, but Egypto.ogy has yet to take them serious# Ofcourse, on.y a sma.. e.ite had the necessary education ###

"1e who know these words wi.. approach those who dwe.. in the etherwor.d# t is veryvery usefu. for a man upon Earth#"-mduat, conc.uding te&t of the 5econd 1our#

"%he mysterious


18/42

East of the 1idden


19/42

the "nomina." ego 0defined in terms of three spatia., one tempora. and one semioticdimension2 and "enters" the rea.m of the 1igher 5e.f, i#e# a si&th'dimesiona. witnessingfocus of consciousness, a..owing for the direct perception of obCective spiritua. rea.ities,hidden from ordinary consciousness as dream.ess s.eep is hidden from waking 0indeed sofar hidden, for 5ocrates to compare the former with physica. death2#

:emark J

%he use of capita.s in words as "-bso.ute", "od" or "Divine", points to a rationa. conte&t 0i#e# how these appear in atheo.ogy conducted in the rationa. mode of thought ' cf#cognition,neurophi.osophy? theonomy2# 1ence, when thesewords are used in the conte&t of -ncient Egyptianante'rationa. thought0which, as a cu.tura. form, was mythica., pre'rationa. ? proto'rationa.2, this restriction is .ifted# 1ence, words such as "god", "the god", "gods", "goddesses", "pantheon"or "divine" are not capita.iGed#

6+ Evi. or the end of the o.den -ge#

Osiris is heir to the throne of eb, and so the king of the %wo (ands#

"ebs heir 0in2 the kingship of the %wo (ands# 5eeing his worth, he gave 0it2 to him# %o.ead the .ands to good fortune# 1e p.aced this .and into his hand# ts water, its wind, itsp.ants, a.. its catt.e, a.. that f.ies, a.. that a.ights, its repti.es and its desert game# 0-..that2 were given to the son of ut, and the %wo (ands are reCoicing !"reat 1ymn to Osiris, ew ingdom, ste.a


20/42

When 5eth murdered Osiris, the o.den -ge on Earth ended# o .onger wou.d Egypt beru.ed by the gods, but by their offspring# %he re.ationship is however not incarnationa.0:e wou.d not incarnate in 1orus the king2, but genetico'magica.# n Osirian faith, theconception of 1orus is magica., but invo.ves sis ? Osiris 0cf# infra2# n 1e.iopo.itanism,:e overshadowed his highpriest to impregnate the mother of the future king, the "son of:e"# %he wor.d is a.ways on the brink of desaster, for a.though 5eth 0after 1orus wasvindicated2 was condemned to carry Osiris and assist :e 0in the 7th 1our of the -mduat2,he neverthe.ess continued to be a dangerous god, associated with natura. and mora. evi.#%o know where he is and what he is doing is better than to send him in the desert andturn ones back to him# -s the "netCer" of a.. dark desires and disruptive emotiona.states, his presence teaches one to ho.d desires in check and by doing so understandtheir overa.. evo.utionary process# -.ways wi..ing to cause havoc, 5eth remains the friendof evi.doers#

68 %he suffering of Osiris#

"Iou 0(adder of the god2 have come seeking your brother Osiris, for his brother 5eth hasthrown him down on his side in yonder side of 0the desert of2 ehesty#"$yramid %e&ts, * >78#

"sis cries out to Iou 0king /erenre2, ephthys ca..s to Iou# %he reat /ooring'postremoves 0any2 impediment for Iou as 0for2 Osiris in his suffering#"$yramid %e&ts, * =78#

"Wepwawet opens a way for me, 5hu .ifts me up, the 5ou.s of On set up a stairway forme in order to reach the above, and ut puts her hand on me Cust as she did for Osirison the day when he died#"$yramid %e&ts, * +6>6#

"%o say J %he dCed-pi..ar of the Day'bark is re.eased for its (ord, the dCed'pi..ar of theDay'bark is re.eased for its protector# sis comes and ephthys comes, one of them fromthe West and one of them from the East, one of them as screeching fa.con, one of themas a kite# %hey have found Osiris, his brother 5eth having .aid him .ow in edit F whenOsiris said J et away from me !, when his name became 5okar# %hey prevent Iou fromrotting in accordance with this your name of -nubis# %hey prevent your putrefaction fromdripping to the ground in accordance with this your name of Lacka. of Apper Egypt# %heyprevent the sme.. of your corpse from becoming fou. in accordance with this your nameof 1orus of 1aty#%hey prevent 1orus of the East from putrefying# %hey prevent 1orus(ord of $atricians from putrefying# %hey prevent 1orus of the Duat from putrefying# %heyprevent 1orus (ord of the %wo (ands from putrefying, and 5eth wi.. never be free fromcarrying Iou, O Osiris#"$yramid %e&ts, ** +8;; ' +8;=#

%he Egyptians avoided to address the murder of Osiris direct.y# n the same way, theyoften refused to ca.. 5eth by his name, and instead ca..ed him J the ma.evo.ent, the evi.one, the adversary, the enemy, the rebe. ### n the same way as they, to neutra.iGethem, occasiona..y modified, suppressed or rep.aced 0by anodyne substitutes2hierog.yphs deemed dangerous in sensitive areas of the tomb 0.ike the sarcophagus
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#shttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#s


21/42

chamber2, the Egyptian scribes avoided to invoke the most terrib.e of events 0the end ofthe o.den -ge2 as we.. as the name of the cu.pit# %he ru.es of sympathetic magic taughtthem so# everthe.ess, the suffering of Osiris was terrib.e# %o be tricked, drowned, foundand then cut into scattered pieces, makes the point of 5eths terrib.e powers of seductionand crue.ty#

n $.utarchs account, 5eth became envious of Osiris and secret.y measured his body# 1emade a beautifu. chest to these measurements# 3ringing it to the banBueting ha..,everbody was p.easured at the sight of it# 5eth promised that whoever fitted inside cou.dhave it as a gift# Everybody tried, but on.y Osiris fitted in# When he .ay down inside, 5eths.ammed the .id and sea.ed it with .ead# 1e cast it into the i.e and it was carrieddownstream to the great sea# sis was so for.orn, that her tears caused the i.e to f.ood0the night when the i.e rose is known as the "ight of the %eardrop"2# %he coffin hadwashed ashore on the $hoenician coast at 3yb.os and taken root in a tamarisk tree, setup as a co.umn in the pa.ace of the king# -fter many tria.s, sis brought the body ofOsiris back to Egypt# t is at this point that 5eth seiGed it again and dismembered it into+4 parts# 1e scattered the severed .imbs a.. over the .and and threw his penis into thei.e# n this way, the body of Osiris became one with the soil of gypt.

69 :eassemby and reanimation of the body of Osiris#

"sis and ephthys have seen and found Iou ###"$yramid %e&ts, * ;=4#

"0 have seen !2 says sis# have found !, says ephthys, for they have seen Osiris onhis side on the bank X###Y# -rise X###Y my brother, for have sought Iou#"$yramid %e&ts, ** 8+44 ' 8+4;#

"Iour two sisters sis and ephthys come to Iou 0so2 that they may make Iou ha.e#"$yramid %e&ts, * 8=#

" 0###2 there has been done for him what was done for his father Osiris on that day of re'uniting the bones, of making good the so.es, and of e&tending the feet#$yramid %e&ts, * +9=#

"ephthys has co..ected a.. your members for Iou in this her name of 5eshat, (ady of3ui.ders# 05he2 has made them ha.e for Iou, Iou having been given to your mother utin her name of 5arcophagus# 5he has embraced Iou in her name of


22/42

her .oya. assistant in a.. matters, especia..y regarding the reassemb.y and mummificationof the body of Osiris#

n near.y a.. iconographic representations of the myth, sis and epthys are mentionedtogether and appear .ikewise# %his points to the comp.ementarity of both archetypes andto the inter.ocked nature of these two natura. differentia.s# %here is no wa&ing withoutwaning and vice versa# %he task of these wai.ing sisters is doub.e J on the one hand, theyseek and find the +4 parts of the body of Osiris, with the e&ception of the penis, and onthe other hand, they make the body hea.thy, imp.ying its organic reunification# %his byembracing him#

n this stage of the myth, the iconography of the body of Osiris is typica.# -.waysdepicted anthropomorph, his body is wrapped in mummy bandages from which his armsemerge to ho.d the crook and the f.ai.# %hese are the emb.ems of kingship of the .iving1orus, and of Osiris, the king of the dead# %he body of Osiris has become a ritua. obCect,moreover, it is a ta.isman 0a consecreated obCect charged with magica. intent2# Whenreanimated by sis, the body is in a "vegetating" condition and represented .ying on afunerary bier# %he pha..us was carefu..y bound up to simu.ate erection 0cf# -tum

masturbating the wor.d in to e&istence2#

n the c.assica. story recorded by $.utarch, sis and ephthys went searching for a.. theparts of the body of Osiris# Whenever they found one, they performed funerary ritua.sand erected a tomb# 3ut sis cou.d not find his ma.e member# Anfortunate.y, thrown intothe i.e, it had been eaten by the i.e


23/42

"O Osiris king %eti, mount up to 1orus, betake yourse.f to him, do not be far from him#1orus has come that he may recogniGe Iou# 1e has smitten 5eth for Iou bound, and Iouare his a 0of 5eth2# 1orus has driven him off for Iou, for he swims bearing Iou, he .iftsup one 0Osiris2 who is greater than he in Iou, and his fo..owers have seen Iou, that yourstrength is greater than his, so that they cannot thwart Iou#"$yramid %e&ts, ** ;= ' ;==#

"1orus has cried out because of his Eye, 5eth has cried out because of his testic.es, andthere .eaps up the Eye of 1orus, who had fa..en on yonder side of the Winding Waterway,so that it may protect itse.f from 5eth# %hoth saw it on yonder side of the WindingWaterway when the Eye of 1orus .eapt up on yonder side of the Winding Waterway andfe.. on %hoths wing on yonder side of the Winding Waterway# O Iou gods who cross overon the wing of %hoth to yonder side of the Winding Waterway, to the eastern side of thesky, in order to dispute with 5eth about this Eye of 1orus J wi.. cross with Iou upon thewing of %hoth to yonder side of the Winding Waterway, to the eastern side of the sky,and wi.. dispute with 5eth about this Eye of 1orus#"$yramid %e&ts, ** ;>4 ' ;>#

With 1orus, "1e upon high", a.. possib.e Enneads or companies of deities "e&isting" in the"Gep tepi" or Hirst %ime, are comp.eted# 3oth 1e.iopo.itan, 1ermopo.itan and /emphiteschemes eventua..y end up with 1orus as king of the physica. universe# 1e is the "+6th",crowning actua.ity, the system of "sky", "Earth", "Duat" and "horiGon" 0what .aterBaba.ists wou.d ca.. "O.am ha'-ssiah", with its "/a.kuth" or "kingdom"2# -nd so, 1orus isthe .iving king of Egypt, the "great house" or "$haraoh" of the %wo (ands, both a .iving1orus and the uniBue son of :e# -s such, he offers /aat to his father, and as 1orus hekeeps the .and pacified# 1e is the reat Eye that sees it a.., the abso.ute Witness withinactua., re.ative and abyssima. e&istence 0a wor.d constant.y at the edge of the yawningspace ca..ed "chaos"2#

%he Egyptian te&ts about the conf.ict between 1orus and 5eth are dispersed over severa.

different periods and form a mass of disCointed e.ements# n %he


24/42

magica.2 kingship# ndeed, on.y the .iving 1orus guarantees, year after year, a "goodi.e" 0or adeBuate f.ooding, i#e# not too much and not enough water2, conceived asoriginating in the cave of 1apy and surging up from the Duat# 3ut, the f.ood and theinundation, as in effect a.. waters, were assimi.ated to un#

n the story to.d by $.utarch, sis hid her chi.d in the marshes of the De.ta# %he highreeds of the river god 1apy protected him from 5eth# When he grew up, he cha..engedhis murderous unc.e to morta. combat# %his cease.ess, monumenta. dua., .asting foreighty years and hinted at in a.. canonica. te&ts, was never fina.# 1orus .ost his .eft eyeand 5eth his testic.es# -t the end of the day, the tribuna. of the gods had to decide whohad won# %hey gave one part to 5eth and another to 1orus, but this did not sett.e thematter, for 1orus c.aimed the throne of Osiris, who had been king over the who.e ofEgypt# Eventua..y they ceded the throne of Egypt entire.y to 1orus and so was Osirisavenged and /aat restored# 1owever, the "weary" Osiris had yet to be fu..y restored ###

6; %he restoration of Osiris by 1orus#

"What Iou 0Osiris king Anas2 have eaten is an Eye, and your be..y is rounded out with it#Iour son 1orus has re.eased it for Iou that Iou may .ive by means of it#"$yramid %e&ts, * +>8#

"1orus has set for Iou 0Osiris2 your foe under Iou that he may .ift Iou up# Do not .et goof him ! Iou sha.. come to your 0former2 condition, for the gods have knit together yourface for Iou# 1orus has sp.it open your eye for Iou that Iou may see with it in its nameof Opener of :oads# Iour foe is smitten by the chi.dren of 1orus, they have madeb.oody his beating, they have punished him, he having been driven off, and his sme.. isevi. ###"$yramid %e&ts, ** 48 ' 49#

"%o say J O Osiris king %eti, stand up ! 1orus comes and c.aims Iou from the gods, for1orus has .oved Iou, he has provided Iou with his Eye, 1orus has attached his Eye toIou# 1orus has sp.it open your eye for Iou that Iou may see with it, the gods have knitup your face for Iou, for they have .oved Iou# sis and ephthys have made Iou ha.e,and 1orus is not far from Iou, for Iou are his a# /ay your face be we..'disposed tohim ! 1asten ! :eceive the word of 1orus, with which Iou wi.. be we.. p.eased# (isten to1orus, for it wi.. not be harmfu. to Iou# 1e has caused the gods to serve Iou#"$yramid %e&ts, ** 6> ' ++#

"%o say J O -tum, this one here is your son Osiris whom Iou have caused to be restoredthat he may .ive#"$yramid %e&ts, ** +7#

"1orus has revived Iou in this your name of -ndCeti# 1orus has given Iou his strong Eye#1e has given it to Iou 0so2 that Iou may be strong and that every foe of yours may fearIou#"$yramid %e&ts, ** +4#

"1orus has caused the gods to mount up to Iou, he has given them to Iou 0so2 that theymay make Iou i..umine your face# 1orus has set Iou in front of the gods and has causedIou to take possession of every thing that is yours# 1orus has attached himse.f to Iou


25/42

and he wi.. never part from Iou#"$yramid %e&ts, * +9#

"%o say J %he sky ree.s, the Earth Buakes# 1orus comes ! %hoth appears ! %hey raiseOsiris from upon his side and make him stand up in front of the %wo Enneads#"$yramid %e&ts, * >;#

n the te&ts, we often read how Osiris went away, fe.. as.eep and died# 1is sa.vation isdescribed in comp.ementary terms J he came back, he awakened and .ives again# When1orus resuscitates his father 0as it were empowering the vegetative sou. of Osiris withthe Eye2, the .atter recogniGes 5eths rea. nature and does not .et him escape# 5eth, theinertia of Earth, is put underneath the ferti.e, b.ack Earth of Osiris, and has to carry the.atter#

n the )th Dynasty, it was custom to make a figure of Osiris as a mummy from a.inen bag stuffed with corn# When watered, the corn sprouted through the meshes of thebag ### Osiris was seen to grow# Osiris, the dead king, was mummified and descendedinto the Duat# %here, he is the inert, potentia., vegetative power of nature# 1e ishe.p.ess, and embodies inert, dormant, passive potentia.# 3y restoring Osiris, 5eth is

made inert and subservient to his brother, who becomes an effective spirit of .ife#

-fter 1orus vanBuished his enemies and ascended to the throne of Egypt, he visits hisfather in the Duat 0proof of the ecstatic this-liferitua.s invo.ving the netherwor.d Kcf#ayd.er, 866;2# 1e brings him the good news, name.y the re'estab.ishment of /aat,the order of things# %o his father, 1orus brings the orth wind 0the prevai.ing wind inEgypt, which coo.s and hera.ds the annua. inundation2 and his Eye of We..ness# 1e a.soopens his mouth# %his is done with an adGe, representing the reat 3ear, a conste..ationof 5eth# %hen Osiris becomes one with the sou. of the origina. Osiris# 1e can send out his3a and set himse.f in motion# 1is vegetative state is overwon, and Osiris becomes fu..yaware and who.e again#

We see how the body of Osiris is subCected to three crucia. transformations# n the te&ts,these registers are often mi&ed and cross'referenced J

+# dismemberment, scatteringJ death ? dispersa. of the actua. body of Osiris F8# reassemb.y, reanimationJ ritua. constitution of the mummy of Osiris, the "sah" F

9# restoration, spiritua.iGationJ restoration ? transformation of the 3a of Osiris#

%he restoration brought by 1orus, a..owed the "sah" 0the mummy of the body of theorigina. Osiris2 to be fu..y restored to hea.th and ready for its ascension 0thetransformation of the 3a of Osiris into an -kh, a .uminous, effective spirit2# %his was

effectuated through the Eye of 1orus, at work on three registers 0a.ready in p.ace at thetime of the $yramid %e&ts2 J

+# sum tota. of offeringsJ a.. possib.e stuff p.aced on the tab.e of offerings F8# offer of offerings 0offertorium2J the Eye as the standard for a.. possib.e offerings F

9# offer of communion 0canon2 J the "embrace" as communion with the Eye#
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#nhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#n


26/42

%he power 0"sekhem"2 of the WedCat Eye, coup.ed with the magica. "5a" of the :itua. ofOpening the /outh, raised the animated but vegetative, weary Osiris 0horiGonta.2 to fu..waking consciousness 0vertica.2, preparing him for his fina. Courney to heaven, the p.aneof the -khu, the $antheon and the .uminous spirits#

%he king, in mystica. embrace with the Eye, was addressed as "Osiris ing ", and bythe /idd.e ingdom, everyman cou.d be an "Osiris "# #

"%o say J O Iou gods of the West, gods of the East, gods of the 5outh, gods of theorth ! %hese four pure reed'f.oats which Iou set down for Osiris when he ascended tothe sky, so that he might ferry over to the firmament with his son 1orus at his fingers,so that he might bring him up and cause him to appear as a great god in the firmament,set them down for me, king Anas !"$yramid %e&ts, ** 44 ' 4;#

":aise yourse.f, O Osiris, for 5eth has raised himse.f, he has heard the threat of the godswho spoke about the gods father 0Osiris, father of 1orus2# sis has your arm, O Osiris#ephthys has your hand, so go between them# %he sky is given to Iou, the Earth is given

to Iou, and the Hie.d of :eeds, the /ounds of 1orus, and the /ounds of 5eth# %he townsare given to Iou and the nomes assemb.ed for Iou, says -tum, and he who speaks aboutit is eb#"$yramid %e&ts, ** >6 ' >+#

"O 1eftenet, mother of the gods ! ive me your hand, take my hand and take me to thesky, Cust as Iou took Osiris to the sky#"$yramid %e&ts, * +4+>#

"%he doors of the sky are opened#%he doors of the firmament are thrown open for Osiris#1e goes forth at dawn and bathes in the Hie.d of :eeds#"$yramid %e&ts, * >=4#

"3eho.d, he has come as Orion, beho.d, Osiris has come as Orion ###"$yramid %e&ts, * =+>#

"O Osiris king %eti, Iou are a mighty god, and there is no god .ike Iou#"$yramid %e&ts, * +>#

-s an -kh, the .uminous spirit of .ife and rebirth itse.f, Osiris the king ru.es over the Duatand represents a specia. dispensation within the order of nature ordained by the gods#
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/wedjat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/wedjat.htm


27/42

Once seated on his throne, he is ab.e to send his sou.s to his .iving son 1orus, the king ofthe %wo (ands# %his wi.., year after year, trigger a "good i.e" and hence materia. p.entyfor Egypt# %his fi..s the granaries of the temp.es and stimu.ates the divine king to erectmonumenta. testimonies of the presence of the gods on Earth# - cyc.e of p.enty hascome true and the %wo (ands are at peace and prosperous#

67 Offertory ?


28/42

of his son, destroyed 0as he was2 by 5eth, but restored 0as he was2 by %hoth 0whoassisted sis2# %he Eye of 1orus is therefore the "ka" of a.. possib.e offerings, theoffertory of gyptian religion.

ndeed, to the e&ce..ent Buantity of the first register, a Bua.itative connotation orsub.imation is added J each and every act of offering is conceived as the .ikeness of1orus giving his Eye to Osiris 0or of $haraoh offering /aat to :e2# %he variety ofe&ce..ent physica. offerings are so many manifestations of the same filial principleJ as1orus, a son vindicates and restores his father, i#e# the effect returns to the cause toperpetuate the generative cyc.e, for a spiritua. father wi.. effective.y co'effect the successof his son ###

%he canon, or third register, e&p.ains the fina. task of the Eye# Osiris, becoming one withthe Eye of 1orus, eats the body of 1orus as we.. as its vita. a'power, name.y the Eye as"offer of offerings" 0cf# the second register2# Each time the king assumes the ro.e ofOsiris, he embraces the Eye, the body and a of 1orus, and has his sou. restored andready to be spiritua.iGed# %his .eve. is re.ated to the sou., the "3a"# 3ecause Osirisconsumes the Eye, he is ab.eto set himself in motion, i#e# his spiritua. princip.e of

moti.ity and transformation 0or sou.2 is activated# %his .ast effect of the Eye a..ows Osiristo transform his 3a into an -kh, and rise as a .uminous spirit# -s an -kh, Osiris is ab.e tosend his 3a and cause a "good i.e"#

3esides being proCected upon the (unar cyc.e, this process a.so refers to the 5othic year#%he Egyptian ca.endar had +8 months and 9; days, divided in 9 seasons of 4 months of96 days p.us five epagomena. days associated with ut and the birth of her chi.dren0Osiris, 1orus, 5eth, sis ? ephthys2# %he first month was ca..ed "-khet" or"inundation"# t is the season when the i.e was in f.ood 0mid Lu.y to mid ovember2#"$royet" or "springing forth" was the time in which .and emerged to be p.anted 0midovember to mid /arch2, and during "5homu" 0"deficiency"2 the .and dried up andharvest was necessary 0mid /arch to mid Lu.y2# Hu.. f.ood capacity was reached by-ugust 0in the 5outh2 and by 5eptember 0in the orth2# n the 5o.ar ca.endar, the ewIear and the month of "-khet", inundation, began on the +>th of Lu.y#

Hor a period of 76 days before the 5ummer so.stice of Lu.y, the stars of Orion 0"5ah","%he 3uried One" or Osiris2 had been invisib.e and now reemerged in the (unar night sky#nfunerary theo.ogy, this wou.d be the time taken to transform the corpse into a mummy0or "sah"2, a magica. ta.isman or interphase between the wor.d of the .iving and therea.m of the dead# On.y after this period, cou.d the :itua. of Opening the /outh beperformed#

%he first sighting, before its disappearance in the g.are of a brightening dawn, of the star

5irius, the nose of the reat Dog, the brightest fi&ed star of the night sky c.ose to theconste..ation of Orion 0Osiris2, was the sing.e most important event in the Egyptianca.endar# %his he.iaca. rising of the "Dog 5tar" or 5opdet 0sis2 on the horiGon, about thetime of the 5ummer so.stice, was awaited by a..# t hera.ded the steady rise of the i.e#Hor nature synchroniGed this appearance with the 5ummer so.stice and the inundation,and so offered anexusfor ante'rationa.proCections ? identifications# %he i.e began torise on "%he ight of the %eardrop", commemorating the event of sis discovering Osiris*sdeath# 1er sorrow precipitated the rise of the i.e# During this period of surging waters,sis and ephthys seek the dead body of Osiris, af.oat in them# %hey find it and bring it
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/ba.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/cognition.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/ba.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/cognition.htm


29/42

ashore#

"Osiris was drowned in his water# sis and ephthys .ooked out, behe.d him, andattended to him# 0###2 %hey heeded in time and brought him to .and#"/emphis %heo.ogy, .ines 8'9#

%wo weeks after the f.oods reached their fu.. height in the De.ta, the waters wou.d begin

to subside# %he -utumn so.stice of 5eptember marks the .engthening of night and thegradua. retreat of Orion in the sky# %he ru.e of the powers of darkness 05eth2 wasincipient# 5ynchronous with the abating i.e, returning to its bed by ovember, the firstcrops cou.d be p.anted to be harvested by /arch, when the river dropped to its .owest#

On the 8;th of ovember, the festiva. of the Weeping of sis and ephthys was he.d#3oth sisters weep because Osiris died, but a.so because his body, once found, is againtaken from them by 5eth and this time cut into +4 pieces 0cf# the waning Buaters of the(unar cyc.e2# n the month that fo..owed, these pieces are retrieved and the mummymade and animated# -t the end of these ritua.s, Osiris, as a mummy, an empowered"doub.e" of the actua. body, e&ists in a vegetative, Buasi dormant state# everthe.ess,

before .eaving for the Duat, Osiris, with his magica. penis made by his wife, inseminatessis ###

-ccording to $.utarch, sis "at the Winter so.stice gave birth to 1arpocrates, imperfectand premature.y born, amid p.ants that burgeoned and sprouted before their season"0Deside et Osiride, ;2# 1e a.so adds J "Hor this reason they bring to him as an offering thefirst'fruits of growing .enti.s, and the days of his birth they ce.ebrate after the springeBuino When the peop.e hear these things, they are satisfied with them and be.ievethem, deducing the p.ausib.e e&p.anation direct.y from what is obvious and fami.iar#"

%he fo..owing seBuence is suggested J

5ummer 5o.sticeJ the Egyptian ew Iear J sis ? ephthys beweep the death ofOsiris, seek his body a.. over the .and of Egypt and sis finds it in 3yb.os F

-utumn EBuino& J after 5eth dismembers the body of Osiris, found by sis, the.atter reassemb.es and reanimates the mummy of Osiris F

Winter 5o.stice J sis "embraces" the mummy of Osiris and gives birth to 1orus F

5pring EBuino& J the vindication and coronation of 1orus is ce.ebrated and the.atter brings his Eye of Osiris, who ascends to the heaven of the Duat, bringing thef.ood#

Hor -ssmann0+>>82, Egyptian cu.t was based on a tripartite distinction, name.y betweenaction, iconic representation and recitation# n the dai.y ritua., this corresponded to three.eve.s of symbo.iGation J 0a2 the priest officiating before a statue 0action2, 0b2 the kingofficiating before a god 0representation2, and 0c2 a god conversing with a god 0.anguage2#:egarding the .atter, it shou.d be remarked that as sacred communication cannot takep.ace between a god and a human being, the gods ro.e is p.ayed by the king, who inturn is represented by the priest#

On.y in the very short -marna period0ca# +9;9 ' +99 3


30/42

-mun, were ousted# -marna spiritua.ity represents the "purest" historica. form of1e.iopo.itanism, one c.ose to monotheism# n the O.d ingdom, :e had a.ways been partof a conste..ation of deities# n the vision of -khenaten, this conte&t was e.iminated# %heking himse.f officiates, not to a statue, but to the ".iving -ten"# On the .eve. of .anguage,this reCection of intermediary symbo.ism goes hand in hand with the reCection of themagica. power of .anguage#

3ut by the time of 5eti 0ca# +8>6 ' +87> 3 ' +8+9 3


31/42

massacres"# Why K 3ecause Osiris, even under norma. circumstances, cou.d disp.ay, notun.ike $.uto, great crue.ty# /oreover, his guardians were a.so Cai.ers# s the Duat a prisonK

"### Osiriss bodyguards, who protected the god against 5eth and his rebe. band and wereinvested with a.. sorts of powers, were a.so charged with guarding the ba'sou.s of a.. thedead, ma.e or fema.e# %hey according.y strove to prevent them from f.ying off# (iberationfor the ba meant escaping the uncertainties of the kingdom of the dead ###"/eeks ? Havard'/eeks, +>>7, p#+4=#

n the -mduat, the dormant sou.s of the deceased and the inhabitants of the kingdom ofOsiris eager.y awaited the dai.y passage of the 3arBue of the 5un# Hor a brief moment,they awoke and saw the .ight# %hey e&isted in the id.e hope of spending eternity in :escompany, the u.timate rea.iGation, but cannot f.y off ! 3oarding the 5o.ar bark andascending to the sky, was escaping the dangers and abuses of the Osirian kingdom# 3utto do so, incredib.e obstac.es had to be faced and by'passed# n this, magicp.ayed acrucia. ro.e# %hepataphysics of magicru.ed the universe, inc.uding the kingdom of Osiris#%he .atter had been given a Cudicia. dispensation, but not a variant onto.ogy# Without

powerfu. (unar magic, a.. was .ost# 1ence, many books of the underwor.d add that theknow.edge they contain, proven a mi..ion times, is beneficia. to the dead and the livingalike.

-symmetry between the two spiritua. economies is at hand# %he system is a hierarchy,with the Duat as the intermediate step .eading up to the sky of :e# %he (unar systemprovides to be an interphase connecting sky and Earth# %he Western horiGon gives accessto the Duat, and the .atter .eads to the Eastern horiGon, the p.ace of transformation#1ere, the sou. is transformed into a spirit 0from 3a to -kh2, rising to the sky as a.uminous spirit in the company of :e in the sky#

We encountered four fundamenta. spiritua. stations J

+# station of housing the doub.e 0a2J keeping in mind this .ife and the ne&t 0cf# thesapienta. tradition2, the fundamenta. task of the .iving is to make preparations fordeath ' the tomb is the house of the a, the vita. imprint of the deceased in termsof his or her energy and its form F

8# station of keeping the heart 0b2 pureJ the .iving are priests and have to performdai.y offerings ' this is a persona. responsibi.ity re.ative to physica. vita.ity 0a2 ?socia. c.ass# /ind, conscience ? wi.. may advance a person far beyond the .atter F

9# station of the sou. 03a2J (unar, ref.ective magic 0(rs Obscura2 J the Duat and thekingdom of Osiris ' inner psycho.ogy, imagination, the unconscious, thedreamwor.d F

4# stage of the spirit 0-kh2J 5o.ar mysticism and creative magic J the sky and therea.m of :e, reached after the transformation of the 3a in the Eastern horiGon#

%he archetype evoked by the myth of Osiris is bi'po.ar J on the one hand, Osiris is thegood king of the dead, who, regenerated by the Eye of 1orus, assures his son king 1orusa "good i.e", and on the other hand, he is the stern ru.er of the kingdom of the deadand its secret s.aughter houses and pits of fire# f the weighing of the heart is suggestiveof his Custice, his whimsica. crue.ty is the irrationa., "dark" side of the /oon# Osiris is the
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#mhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/heka.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/hidden_chamber02.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/saa.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/saa.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#mhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/heka.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/hidden_chamber02.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/saa.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/saa.htm


32/42

kingdom of the common dead! not of +haraoh and his favorites.%hese e.ect onlytransitthe Duat and are transformed in the Eastern horiGon to merge with :e# -s Osirisa.ways stays in the unconscious wor.d of shadows and regenerative archetypes, he is aformidab.e power, nobody, e&cept $haraoh, escapes#

6> -ssuming the godform of Osiris#

"O king Anas, Iou have not departed dead, Iou have departed a.ive 0to2 sit upon thethrone of Osiris, your -ba'scepter in your hand, 0so2 that Iou may give orders to the.iving, your (otus scepter in your hand, 0so2 that Iou may give orders to those whoseseats are hidden#"$yramid %e&ts ' * +94#

n a nonfunerary interpretation 0cf# ayd.er, 866;2, these te&ts 0a.though found in atomb2 e&p.ain how the ecstatic, living1orus departs to the Duat# On Earth, he sits uponthe throne of Osiris 0as the vindicated ru.er2, and grasps two sacred sceptres in either

hand# With the sceptre of authority and consecration 0"ab-", .ater a.so "s&m", "sekhem"2,1orus, .ord of the %wo (ands, ru.es the .iving, and with the (otus'staff, he ru.es the dead0the (otus being a symbo. of rebirth2# 1e departs a.ive#

"t wou.d seem that the destination of the king is the rea.m of the dead, but he isCourneying into it a.ive#"ayd.er, 866;, p#868#

n Egyptian re.igion, assuming a god or goddess form invo.ved a transformation 0"pr"2#3y transforming the speaker into a specia. creature 0.ike the 3enu bird, or a kite2, a godor a goddess, magica. spe..s offer a by'pass# n this higher state, the magician undergoesthe semantic fie.d and the typica. process of the archetype at hand, and benefits from

this momentary resonance with "pure" power# , the identification is more dramatic and, interesting.y, the .iving Osiris isintroduced J

"O -tum, this one here is your son Osiris whom Iou have caused to be restored that hemay .ive# 1e .ives ! %his king .ives ! 1e is not dead, this king is not dead ! 1e is notdestroyed, this king is not destroyed ! 1e has not been Cudged, this king has not been

Cudged ! 1e Cudges, this king Cudges !"$yramid %e&ts ' * +7#

%his affirmation is made twe.ve times to maCor deities such as -tum, 5hu, %efnut, eb,ut, sis, 5eth, ephthys, %hoth, 1orus, the reat Ennead ? the (esser Ennead andrepeated twe.ve more times to twe.ve manifestations of Osiris# n his ro.e of Osiris, kingAnas escapes the fate of being Cudged, for he is not yet dead, but on.y in a dead posture#
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#nhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#nhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#nhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#nhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/amduat.htm


33/42

n this form of Osiris, the king is himse.f the Cudge# 3ut the semiotic is doub.e, for evendead, the son of :e cannot be Cudged#

n his ritua. ro.e of Osiris, the king receives the Eye of 1orus and is reCuvenated# 1e isab.e to awake, turn around and move as himse.f again# 1e eats and returns to himse.f#

"-wake, king Anas ! %urn yourse.f about, king Anas ! 5o shout ! O king Anas, stand upand sit down to a thousand of bread, a thousand of beer, roast meat of your rib'Cointsfrom the s.aughter'house, and bread from the Wide 1a..# %he god is provided with agods offering, king Anas is provided with this bread of his#


34/42

the horion

lightland of the transformation of the 'a# " $

'riahJ 4 ' ; ' creation

Water " (e

heaven of )siris

kingdom of )siris

Duat ' rea.m of the 3a

* " + " ,&etirah J 7 ' = ' >formation

Air " -au

.eb/ the Earth

* 0ons of (orus

realm of b 2 3a

4 " 5 " 6 " 17AssiahJ +6manifestation

Earth " (e

%he assumption of the godform of Osiris serves severa. goa.s J

rep.enishing king.y powers J because the f.ow of time dep.etes the energy of .ife0the o.den -ge of p.enty, or "Gep tepi", being past2, the .iving 1orus regu.ar.y

reassures the protection of the gods over himse.f and Egypt# -.. the forces areinvoked to keep the sacred order of /aat# %hree main moments are J 0a2succession 0death and funera. of the predecessor and the enthroning of the new1orus2, 0b2 annua. confirmation 0through symbo.ic death and rebirth2 and 0c2periodica. reCuvenation 0after 96 years or ru.e or at the age of 96 a 5ed festiva.was he.d2# Each time, the "sah" of Osiris p.ayed an essentia. ro.e, representing themagica. condition of the body prior to its reCuvenation 0thanks to the Eye of1orus2# t was the most appropriate godform for the king to reenact, for Osiris hadbeen a .iving king, had died, had been mummified, reanimated and resurrected F

preparation for physica. deathJ after its destruction and dismemberment 0firsttransformation2, the transformation of the scattered body of Osiris into a mummyoccurs# %his change is crucia. to bui.d an interphase between this wor.d and the

Duat# %he "sah" is the actua. body, a.beit in a new symbolic ,imaginal unity.%heactua., bio.ogica. unity was e&p.icit.y destroyed by 5eths scattering# %he mummy,"sah" ormagical body of Osirisis reanimated by sis, activated by the :itua. ofOpening the /outh and restored by the Eye of 1orus# %his third transformationspiritua.iGes the "sah" and enthrones Osiris as the universa. spirit of .ife# %oassume the death'posture is a way to prepare onese.f for what is the inevitab.econc.usion of physica. .ife J the death of the body 0of the actua. Osiris, cf# firsttransformation2# t is a way to a.ready acBuaint onese.f with the e&traordinarymagica. wor.d of Osiris 0in his second and third transformations2 F

enhancement of magica. powerJ as sub.unar magic is (unar, the rea.m of Osiris is

a necessary step on the way to master the secrets of creation# /arsha.ing theref.ection of the 5un, the /oon represents the imagina., invisib.e ? si.ent F theunconscious rea.m comp.ementing the conscious bri..iance of the 5un and itsspiritua. economy 0:e2# %he mind 0%hoth2 is a.so (unar, for in tune with the tidesand dependent of the rhythms of the Earth# %he 5o.ar magician is a protector ofthe Cust order of things# 1is supreme ritua. is the Offering of /aat to :e, thenatura. orders of things to their u.timate, creative source# 1is ro.e is deterministicand monarchic# %he (unar magician, .ike a hea.er, is a restorer of /aat# Demonsare part of creation and the divine order# %hey are ca..ed "a yawning space"0chaos2 because their functioning is inimica. to .ife and its photonic patterns# %he


35/42

(unar ro.e brings in uncertainty and individua. free wi..# magination constitutesthe rea.m of freedom and opportunity, comp.ementing the unchanging, recurrentcyc.e of the 5un and its eterna.iGations# 3oth are the two sides of the same magic F

(unar i..uminationJ to gain tota. freedom in the dream wor.d, is nothing .ess thana comp.ete understanding of the conditions 0variab.es, constants, parameters2pertaining to the ego# During his coronation, Osiris comes to himse.f as himse.f#

-fter three transformations of his physica. body, this process is tota. and spiritua.#%he rea.m of Osiris has to be crossed before, in .ight.and 0in the horiGon2, thehuman sou. is transformed into a divine spirit#

+6 Osirian faith and =;, p#+>7, my ita.ics#

E.sewhere, the crucia. difference between Egyptian and reek initiation and re.igion cameto the fore#

n the reek mysteries, the after.ife was depicted as a rea.m of shadows and any hope ofindividua. surviva. was deemed ephemera.# obody escaped destiny, e&cept the deitiesand the .ucky few e.ected# %he .atter "escaped" from the wor.d and its sordid entropic

fate, misery and possib.e "eschaton" J a wor.d'fire invoked by these wrathfu. deitiesthemse.ves, unforgiving of mans tragi'comica. sins, but ab.e to recreate the wor.d in awhim ! Escape from this fated comedy was offered through the mysteries# %hey wou.derase the cause of the heaviness of the sou. and its attachment to Earth, and, for$ythagoras and his schoo., end the cyc.e of metempsychosis, the successive return of thesou. in other physica. bodies#

Egyptian initiations, un.ike the reek, were not meant to re.ease the app.icant from theso.id chains of the wor.d and its destiny, Buite on the contrary# %he Egyptians maintaineda series of ritua.s aimed at "a constant.y renewed regeneration" 01ornung, 866+, p#+42#-t best, the reeks 0.ike the Egyptians2 induced the point of death in order to g.impseinto its darkness, to "see the goddess" and renew 0cf# the death posture2# 3ut they had

no "science of the 1ades" as in the -mduat# %he active continuity between .ife and deathfound in Egypt, contradicts the c.osed and separated interpretation of the reeks,fostering "escapism" 0the "body" as a "prison" out of which one needs to escape2# nEgypt, no "new" .ife was necessary# Death cou.d bring "more" .ife# Hor both .ife and theafter.ife depended on identica. conditions J offerings F either direct.y to the deitiesthrough $haraoh or indirect.y to the a of the deceased# f dua.ism fits the reeks,triadism is Egyptian#

f reco':oman cu.ture introduced a negative view on Earth.y e&istence, one ca..ing for a
http://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#bhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/peret_em_heru.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#hhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#bhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/peret_em_heru.htmhttp://www.maat.sofiatopia.org/egyptbiblio.htm#h


36/42

movement away from physica. .ife, fostering a disincarnate return to the wor.d of ideas0as in $.atonism2, introducing a maCor c.eavage between, on the one hand, the ante'rationa.ityof the cu.tures of -ntiBuity and, on the other hand, rationa. reek thought,then Ludeo'


37/42

nstead, .inguistics, semiotics and symbo.ism enab.e us to identify standard .iterarythemes through time, .ike the e&traordinary birth of a hero or a god, his return from thedead, the consumption of transformed stuff, the sending of the he.ping hand etc# %heya.so aim to identify obCective cyc.es and their synchronous timing and semiotic para..e.s0cf# synchronous proCections on the (unar and 5te..ar cyc.es2# %he stronger these themesresonate, the more .ike.y that the o.dest strand contains the origina. freBuency#

On the other hand, skepticism 0disguised as 1e..enocentrism2, negating the possibi.ityitse.f of a powerfu. mediating and genera. impact of Egyptian cu.ture, in particu.arits re.igionandwisdom, on a.. cu.tures touching the /editerranean, in particu.ar thereek, is refuted by the evidence discussed e.sewhere#

"t is crucia. to the difference of


38/42

the sky of :e and communicate top'down by way of their sou.s ? doub.es# odscommunicate with gods# 1umans hide or acBuire godhood#

With this e&traordinary notion of the ncarnation of od in a human being,


39/42

1orus is born of the magic of sis ?


40/42

etc#

"1orus has comp.ete.y fi..ed Iou with his Eye in this its name of ods Offer#"$yramid %e&ts, ** +4#

%aking these and other incompatib.es into consideration, ponder for a moment on the


41/42

3e satisfied and worshipfu., O (iving Ha.con, (ord of the %wo (ands, (ord of the ob.es,(ord of the common fo.k, (ord of the 5eat of :e, (ord of gods, through the offeringswhich this son of yours brings to Iou, this Worshipfu.ness of yours, this a of yours, this1eka of yours, this $tah of yours, this 5hu of yours, this %hoth of yours, this abundanceof yours upon Earth# /ay Iou be content and worshipfu. with them# /ay your a becontent with them, and Iour heart be content with them for ever#"race before a /ea. ' %emp.e of Edfu 0gird.e'wa..2#

s there a semiotic resemb.ance between the second part of the


42/42

%hen he tru.y is the .ord of the %wo (ands J 1orus for the .iving 0East2 and Osiris for thedead 0West2, 1orus of the orth and 5eth of the 5outh#

Escaping Osiris ENG

Documents

Transcript of Escaping Osiris ENG