Eternal Egypt: Ancient Rituals for the Modern World

by J Reidy Richard J Reidy, Richard J Reidy

Overview

Eternal Egypt: Ancient Rituals for the Modern World is the first comprehensive collection of important temple rituals performed throughout Egypt during the time of the pharaohs. The author presents seven key rites from official temple records and ancient esoteric texts for personal or group use.

This guidebook also:

- presents rituals in a form designed to assist initiates in restoring the ancient rites of Egypt;
- provides for modern usage, key ritual texts coming solely from authenticated ancient sources;
- contains easy to follow commentaries and background information on each ritual, including symbolism and mythology not previously available in one book;
- gives text with commentary for the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony;
- offers practical information for conducting these rituals in today's world.

Formerly only available to the scholar and professional Egyptologist, these ritual texts reveal the deeply spiritual understanding of humanity's relationship to divinity that characterized the ancient Egyptian sense of the sacred.

This is a practical intermediate level text for those wishing to worship the great deities of ancient Egypt in as authentic a manner as possible, and by so doing tap into the great spiritual heritage that sustained Egyptian culture for over three thousand years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440192463
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/05/2010
Pages:	364
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Richard J. Reidy earned a Master's of Divinity degree in 1979. He is the founder of two temples in Northern California dedicated to researching, restoring, and enacting the authentic rituals of ancient Egypt. The author is a sought-after speaker on the Egyptian religious tradition and its legacy for modern times.

Read an Excerpt

Eternal Egypt

Ancient Rituals for the Modern World

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By Richard J. Reidy

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Richard J. Reidy
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4401-9246-3

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Chapter One

The Morning Ritual in the Temple of Amun-Ra

Introduction

Eternal Egypt: Ancient Rituals for the Modern World bears the additional and important subtitle A Book of the Emanations of Ra, or, as the ancient Egyptians themselves would have said, the "Bau-Ra." I have adopted the translation "Emanations of Ra" in keeping with the preferred phrasing of several eminent scholars-Blackman, Fairman, and Gardiner. Two other Egyptologists of note, in trying to approximate the meaning of the expression, translate it as "manifestations of Ra's power" and "the all-powerful effectiveness of Ra's power." The Egyptians were referring to the collections of hymns and ritual texts used in worshipping the gods and maintaining the order of the cosmos in the face of the forces of chaos threatening to destroy it.

The words and rituals were themselves endowed with immense power, the very power of the creator god Ra. Significantly, their composition was ascribed to the god Djehuty (Thoth), who was himself the "Tongue of Ra" and "Lord of the Divine Words." In these sacred texts, collectively referred to as the "Bau-Ra," the priests "could lay their hands on the elemental force the god Ra had set in motion to create the universe." The rites and rituals and the spoken and written words accompanying those rites were a cosmic force, not simply lovely or emotionally moving religious services for the edification of onlookers and participants or even for pleasing the gods.

With the foregoing in mind, I venture to offer you a labor of love from the rich legacy that the ancient Egyptian priesthood has left us. It seems appropriate to begin with a rendition of that central ritual act that marked the beginning of each day in every temple throughout the entire land of ancient Egypt. Other rites and rituals were intended for special occasions (e.g., coronations, royal anniversaries, crises, death) or for calendar events (lunar, seasonal, or festal commemorations). This one rite, the daily temple liturgy, was the central act of service to the god or goddess.

It also seems appropriate to present the daily rite as it was celebrated on behalf of the chief god of the Egyptian pantheon, Amun-Ra, whose main temple was at Iunu (Heliopolis). It was this city that "exercised in early times a very far-reaching religious and political influence." In the words of Aylward Blackman:

Heliopolitan influence on Egyptian worship is to be recognized not only in the uniform cult of all divinities, but also in numerous cult-accessories and in the very constitution of the priesthood; furthermore, in the temple structures themselves and the views which the Egyptians entertained about them.

As you read through the following ritual you are likely to derive the most benefit by approaching it as you would any great work of art, be it literature, painting, music, or dance-a work from another era and another culture. The deep beauty and the even deeper meaning will not reveal themselves to the casual observer. It is not only that the tonal quality of the ancient texts is so strange to our modern ear, but the mindset, the worldview revealed in the texts, is even now, after well over a century of archaeological discovery and analysis, only partially understood. As you read through the various Utterances which accompany specific ritual actions questions are bound to arise. You can use these questions as a springboard to discover more fully the rich meaning of the divine mythic world of ancient Egypt, a world that inspired and shaped that civilization for over three thousand years. The Notes and Bibliography may assist in locating scholarly texts of interest. Those books in turn can guide you to still other works that will help you in reclaiming the spiritual treasures of Egypt.

In this ritual and the ones following it the names of the gods and goddesses are transliterated from the ancient Egyptian language. Since many readers will only be familiar with the spellings of divine names as given by Greek and Roman writers, those classical names will appear in brackets after the ancient Egyptian transliteration; for example, Heru [Horus] and Djehuty [Thoth]. Other words, such as names of cities, will also appear in both forms. The original land we call Egypt was referred to by its people as Kemet, that is, the Black Land because of its fertile black soil. Those of us who practice this ancient faith usually refer to ourselves as Kemetic pagans or Kemetic Reconstructionists.

At some point one or another Utterance or action may touch your heart in a personal way. Adopt it. Make it your own. Use the words and ritual actions as your own special means to connect with the god or goddess you are drawn to. You can call upon Djehuty, the Lord of Divine Words, to help you in crafting the words so they honor that god or goddess in a manner faithful to the original intent of the ancient priesthood. Your hard work will pay off. The Netjeru [gods] are not to be outdone in generosity. The "Emanations of Ra" reach across the ages, calling once again to a revived pagan spirit to pronounce the words of power, the power of this great god himself, a power that can restore the Balance and reconcile the Polarities of existence, a power that daily can defeat the hostile forces of chaos. We have a role to play in this great divine/human drama. The ancient rites show us the way.

San Francisco, 4 August 2002 Rising of Sopdet (Sirius), Festival of the Opening of the Year RICHARD J. REIDY

Commentary on the Morning Ritual in the Temple of Amun-Ra

The following daily ritual honoring Amun-Ra is based on a number of liturgical texts-inscriptions found on the walls of the temple built by Seti I at Abydos, as well as in an important papyrus from Thebes, known as the Berlin Papyrus (no. 3055). The modern language translations used as the basis for the present rendition are the French text in Le Rituel du Culte Divin Journalier by Alexandre Moret. For purposes of comparison the reader also may wish to consult an English text in The Book of Opening the Mouth by E. A. Wallis Budge. [Budge's work includes a translation entitled "The Ritual of the Divine Cult," which presents the ritual texts for the daily rite in the temple of Amun-Ra in Thebes.] Moret's translation is the more reliable.

Two more texts that have been used frequently in compiling the present work are Religious Ritual at Abydos by A. Rosalie David, which deals with the extensive temple inscriptions at Abydos, and, second, Hieratic Papyri in the British Museum edited by Alan H. Gardiner. This last work includes a translation and commentary of "The Ritual of Amenophis I," which presents the daily cult ritual of offerings performed in the temple of Amun-Ra at Karnak. Whereas the Berlin Papyrus is concerned primarily with the opening of the shrine and the preparatory toilette of the god, the Amenophis ritual focuses mainly but not exclusively-on the food offerings, the divine banquet as it were, with its attendant ceremonies (i.e., purifications, libations, censings, etc.). The present effort, then, tries to reflect all key points of ritual from the Karnak Liturgy, the Abydos Liturgy, and the Theban Liturgy, based on the available texts.

In undertaking the present work, I have attempted to retain as much of the original ritual as possible. With very few exceptions I have been able to compile the series of ritual formulae reflecting each essential liturgical action performed by the priests of ancient Egypt in the daily morning service to Amun-Ra. My intention is to offer a rite that actually can be adopted for use by contemporary adherents of this ancient religious tradition, enabling them to worship this important deity in a manner and spirit completely consistent with authentic ancient Egyptian practice. This has, however, resulted in several ritual actions being omitted due to a variety of reasons. For example, the original text calls for ritually assembling a brazier, lighting it, and then grilling select meats on it. For practical reasons including time constraints I have omitted this portion of the ritual. The recitations accompanying these actions do not add anything of significance to the overall rite; instead, they simply repeat ideas that are expressed elsewhere in the ritual. In addition, we know that offerings of cooked meat were also offered without the actual grilling taking place before the deity. Textual analysis indicates that the critical element was and is the actual offering and not its preparation.

A second example of the need to edit a given text occurs when the ritual papyrus presents more than one Utterance or Spell for the same ceremonial act. Some of these clearly were intended for special feast days; others appear to be alternative recitations. Very often they are presented in the papyrus with no explanatory remarks as to when they were to be used. (No doubt the Egyptian priests themselves would have known exactly when to use one or the other text.) They might be titled simply "Another Chapter" or "Another Hymn." But their content indicates that they were intended as alternate texts to the specific rite immediately preceding them. In constructing the following ritual I occasionally have taken the liberty of combining portions from several of such closely related "Chapters." In doing so I attempted to exercise a thoughtful and very conservative editorial discretion, seeking to be faithful to the original thoughts, mindset, and wording of the ancient liturgists and preserving all the most significant elements of each Utterance, but always with an eye to how any Utterance actually contributed to the overall movement of the entire rite being enacted.

My intent was to strike a balance between blindly copying a text word for word and, on the other hand, molding a more "user-friendly" redaction that persons of a modern Western mindset could more readily embrace. For example, the ancient Egyptians had a very wide array of mythical events to which they could make reference. Modern man no longer possesses the intimate, detailed knowledge of those myths. Hence, our comprehension of them is frequently quite limited, not unlike watching a movie in black and white from the silent era of films. We lack, as it were, the color and the sound that could make them vital and compelling to the modern mind. It was my considered decision to offer to the reader a rendition of texts that captures the essential mythic referents that had been normative from the time of the Old Kingdom Pyramid Texts down through the great Ramesside era. In practice this meant that occasionally interesting but redundant items as well as presently incomprehensible references would be sacrificed for the sake of brevity and clarity-brevity because contemporary Kemetic worshippers do not possess unlimited time for dauntingly lengthy rituals, and clarity because we want to avoid the pitfall of "not seeing the forest for the trees." The ancient liturgical composers luxuriated in florid and profuse verbal "bouquets" in their sacred utterances. Nothing was to be spared when it came to praising the gods. Terms like "opulent" or "lavish" come to mind.

Contemporary Western minds are often ill-prepared for such a rich diet of allusions, honorific titles, and genuinely mystical pronouncements. But that does not mean we should adopt a cavalier attitude when editing a text, chopping or cutting at random just to boil it down to some colorless, tasteless broth that might be palatable to contemporary taste. The present rendition of the divine rites is a first attempt, a tentative offering. Hopefully it will be improved upon over the years as more and more is learned about the rich spiritual legacy of ancient Egypt.

Nevertheless, I believe an ancient Egyptian priest would both recognize and be comfortable with each element in the version presented here. No attempt has been made to include sentiments or concepts from any other religious or spiritual tradition, ancient or modern. This project has not been in any way an exercise in eclectic syncretism. On the contrary, I have striven to make certain that the words, although in English, reflect in each and every instance an authentically Kemetic theological and liturgical vision as well as being firmly based upon the actual ancient ritual texts.

May Amun-Ra be pleased with this offering to his Ka!

The Morning Ritual

UTTERANCE BEFORE THE CLOSED DOORS OF THE TEMPLE

The priest or priestess addresses the assembled deities of the Temple and asserts his/her innocence. As will occur repeatedly in the rite, the ritualist identifies him/herself with one or another Netjer. This is a strategy found throughout Egyptian ritual and magic. The ritualist's claim to be a specific Netjer (god) or Netjeret (goddess) puts him/her within a divine context, an otherworldly milieu that enables him/her to interact with deity on an equal footing. At the same time the priest/ess remains human, asserting his/her ritual and moral purity. There is no contradiction between being fully human and fully divine. This insight is central to the Kemetic religious vision.

At the first sign of dawn, or as close as possible to the dawn's first light, the priest/ess and all assistants proceed in silence to their assigned places before the closed doors of the Temple Chamber. All bow, touching the palms of their hands to their knees.

The priest/ess raises his/her hands in adoration (the dua or praise position), with arms held out to about shoulder height, with palms of the hands facing outward. The following shall be said:

"O you Netjeru [gods] of this temple, you guardians of the great portal, great Netjeru of mysterious abode, who sanctify the god in his shrine, who consecrate his oblation, who receive the offerings in his presence in the Hall of the Ennead: I have made my way and I enter into your presence. I am one of you. I am Shu, the eldest son of his father, the senior wab [pure] priest of Amun-Ra. Do not repulse me on the god's path. My feet are not impeded. I am not turned back from the court of the great portal so that I may conduct the divine service, that I may present offerings to him that made them, that I may give bread to Amun-Ra. I have come on the way of the god. I have not shown partiality in judgement. I have not consorted with the strong. I have not reproached the lowly. I have not stolen things. I have not diminished the constituents of the Eye of Ra. I have not disturbed the balance. I have not tampered with the requirements of the Sacred Eye. O Council of the Great Netjer [god] in this temple, behold, I have come to you to offer Ma'at to the Lord of Ma'at, to content the Sound Eye for its lord. I am Shu; I flood his offering table. I present his offerings, Sekhmet consorting with me, that I may adore Amun-Ra at his festivals, that I may kiss the earth so great is his majesty, that I may endow his image with life. I am pure. I am purified."

THE FIRST CEREMONY The Chapter of Striking a Fire

Standing before the closed doors, the priest lights the candle or oil lamp. As he does so the following shall be said:

"Come, come in peace, O glorious Eye of Heru [Horus]. Be strong and renew your youth in peace. It shines like Ra in the double horizon, and the power of the enemy of Ra hides itself straightaway before the Eye of Heru, which seizes it and brings it and sets it before the seat of Heru. The word of Heru is Ma'at by reason of his Eye. The Eye of Heru destroys the enemies of Amun-Ra, the Lord of the Throne of the Two Lands, in all their places. I am pure."

The priest hands the lighted taper /oil lamp to an assistant who holds it in readiness until the moment when all will enter into the Temple Chamber.

THE SECOND CEREMONY The Chapter of Taking the Censer in the Hand

In this and in the following Ceremony the priest addresses an inanimate object as if it were able to hear and respond. This is not an example of an animistic mindset, but rather indicates the Egyptian insight that all creation possesses a certain innate and unique intelligence due to its being an emanation of deity-created and sustained by a Divine Intelligence that gives form to all creation.

As the priest takes up the censer in his hand the following shall be said:

"Homage to you, O censer of the Netjeru who are in the following of Djehuty [Th oth]. My arms are upon you like those of Heru, my hands are upon you like those of Djehuty, my fi ngers are around you like those of Anpu [Anubis] who is at the head of the divine hall. I am the living servant of Ra. I am the wab [pure] priest. I am pure. My purifi cations are the purifi cations of the Netjeru. I am pure."

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Eternal Egypt by Richard J. Reidy Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Reidy. Excerpted by permission.
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Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments....................ix
Part One: Temple Rituals For Today....................1
CHAPTER ONE....................13
The Morning Ritual in the Temple of Amun-Ra....................13
Introduction....................15
Commentary....................18
The Morning Ritual....................21
Appendix A. Items Needed for the Morning Ritual 4....................6
CHAPTER TWO....................51
The Nighttime Ritual of the Mystical Union of Ra with Ausir....................51
Introduction....................53
Commentary....................55
The Nighttime Ritual....................64
Appendix B. Forms of Ra from the Litany of Ra in the Tomb of Seti I....................82
Appendix C. Image of the Tripartite Form of Ra in the Tomb of Seti II....................86
Appendix D. Items Needed for Celebrating the Nighttime Ritual....................87
CHAPTER THREE....................89
Two Transfiguration Liturgies for the Radiant Spirits of the Blessed Dead....................89
Introduction....................91
Commentary for The Beautiful Feast of the Western Valley....................95
The Annual Ritual....................102
Appendix E. Items Needed for Celebrating the Annual Ritual for the Beautiful Feast of the Western Valley....................122
Commentary for the Great Recitation Ritual....................123
Appendix F. Items Needed for Celebrating the Great Recitation Ritual for Transfiguring the Ka spirit of the Blessed Dead....................145
CHAPTER FOUR....................147
The Book of Overthrowing Apep....................147
Introduction....................149
Commentary....................158
Prologue....................162
RITUAL I: The Ritual for the Overthrowing of Apep....................163
RITUAL II: The First Book of Felling Apep, The Foe of Ra....................174
RITUAL III: A Rite for Overthrowing the Foes of Ra....................178
Appendix G. The Creation Prologue (Abbreviated Version)....................183
Appendix H. Items Needed for Conducting Rituals for the Overthrowing of Apep....................184
Part Two: Rituals from the Temple of Ra....................185
Introduction....................187
Rising With the Sun....................197
Morning Rite for Bathing....................199
The Apotheosis Rite for Bodily Members: Divine Identifications of the Parts of the Human Body....................201
General Rituals for the Netjeru....................203
General Rituals from the Temple of Ra....................207
General Rituals: Three Examples....................238
**General Rite Honoring Sekhmet**....................240
**General Rite Honoring Sutekh**....................253
**General Rite Honoring Djehuty**....................268
Appendix I. Items Needed for the General Rituals....................282
The Opening of the Mouth: A Ritual of Transformation....................283
Theology of the Sacred Image....................283
Sacred Image and Cult....................288
Background and Context for this Translation....................290
Understanding the Elements of the Ritual....................292
The Opening of the Mouth Ceremony- Vivifying the Image of a Netjer/Netjeret....................306
Appendix J. Items Needed for the Opening of the Mouth....................322
Works Cited....................323
Notes....................331