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The Egyptian Heaven and Hell · 64 of 96 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 15 (part 2)

Immediately before the shrine is the Flame-goddess NESERT. Before and behind the shrine are twelve gods, at the head of the first company being HERU-UR, or "Horus the Aged." HERU-UR addresses the god in the shrine by the names "Osiris" and "Khenti-Amenti," and declares that he has performed the magical ceremonies which have made KHENTI-AMENTI to be the "Governor of the Tuat," to such purpose that the spirits of the blessed ( khu ) look upon him with awe, and the dead, i.e., the damned, ( mit ) are in terror of him. Here we have the proof of the existence of the belief that Osiris was enabled to travel safely through the Tuat by means of the spells, and incantations, and magical formulae, and words of power which were uttered by HERU-UR. The Twelve gods who are in front of the shrine ascribe praise and dominion to KHENTI-AMENTI, and declare that his son Horus has restored to him his crown, and crushed his p. 143 enemies, and made strong OSIRIS-KHENTI-AMENTI. To these AFU-RA makes no answer, but he calls upon Horns to avenge him on those who work against him, and to cast them to the Master of the lords of the pits, so that they may be destroyed. Now the pits here referred to are four in number (vol. ii., p. 137), and they are filled with fire; into these the enemies of the god are cast, and the keepers of them are adjured by Horus to watch and tend the fires. Who the plotters against the god may be it is impossible to say, but it is quite clear that one portion of the FOURTH DIVISION OF THE TUAT was a fiery hell wherein all the wicked were consumed. It is interesting to note that of the beings who are to the left of the Boat of AFU-RA Horus is the only one whom the god addresses. The Kingdom of Khenti-Amenti-Osiris According to the Book of Gates
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Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

[auto] Deities are depicted with specific physical forms such as jackal-headed gods, mummied figures, and serpents.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

Ra is associated with the sun, and the Lake of Living Uraei contains flames used against enemies.

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Divine Providencetheology

Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.

Ra actively orders doors to open and allots sustenance to beings with broken souls.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The passage explicitly discusses texts and scenes guiding the soul through Egyptian Underworlds to ensure the body rejoins the soul after death.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

[auto] Salvation and bodily integrity are secured through specific knowledge of pictures and divisions rather than mere cultic participation.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

The deities are portrayed as active agents who speak, move, eat, and interact dynamically.

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Maat Cosmic Ordercosmology

The Egyptian principle of truth, balance, and right order underlying both the cosmos and human conduct; the parallel to Zoroastrian asha and Greek dike.

The structured progression of hours, gates, and holy lakes reflects the Egyptian principle of cosmic order and truth.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

Specific numbers like twelve hour-goddesses and nine sepulchres structure the cosmological divisions.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] It describes the specific path AFU-RA takes through the Underworlds, navigating around certain kingdoms without entering them.

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

The Living Uraei preserve flames within their lake to hurl at the enemies of Afu-Ra.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

The Lake of Life is described as holy, keeping the souls of the dead at a distance.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

Divine names such as Afu-Ra and Khenti-Amenti are invoked with authority in the narrative.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The god travels through successive divisions of the Tuat toward the eastern part of heaven.

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Related passages · 6 parallels
western_esoteric|The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite)|Page 38 (part 2)
“The attempt to propitiate the Deity by means of prayers, sacrifices and abstinence, and thus to obtain the Divine assistance for the successful consummation of hideous offences and preposterous or impossible undertakings, is, of course, mad…”
Shared concept: Sacred Names — Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice. (derived)
neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter III
“According to another order, however, he arranges the God Emeph prior to, and as the leader of, the celestial Gods. And he says that this God is an intellect, itself intellectually perceiving itself, and converting intellections to itself. B…”
Shared concept: Maat Cosmic Order — The Egyptian principle of truth, balance, and right order underlying both the cosmos and human conduct; the parallel to Zoroastrian asha and Greek dike. (derived)
neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter VIII-av
“It is well observed by Ficinus, in lib. i. Eunead. ii. Plotin. “that the fire which is enkindled by us is more similar to the heavens than other terrestrial substances. Hence it participates of light, which is something incorporeal, i…”
Shared concept: Ritual Fire — Fire as medium of divine presence. (derived)
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Shared concept: Divine Providence — Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity. (derived)
theosophy|The Secret Doctrine|Page 18 (part 6)
“Starting from this, it becomes easy to understand how nature herself could have taught primeval mankind, even without the help of its divine instructors, the first principles of a numerical and geometrical symbol language.* Hence one finds…”
Shared concept: Numerical Mysticism — Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality. (derived)
neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 67
“Section 6 6. For, as the ancient teaching was, moral-discipline and courage and every virtue, not even excepting Wisdom itself, all is purification. Hence the Mysteries with good reason adumbrate the immersion of the unpurified in filth, ev…”
Shared concept: Ritual Purity — The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine. (derived)