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The Egyptian Heaven and Hell · 69 of 96 · tr. E.A. Wallis Budge

Chapter 17 (part 2)

In each sepulchre is an "image" of Ra, i.e., a human head, a hawk's wing, and a hind-quarter of a lion, and these appear to be symbols under which the god was worshipped in and around Annu, or Heliopolis. On the left of AFU-RA are eight gods and four goddesses, whose duty it is to accompany his Boat, and to escort the souls and shadows of men through the Division, and to provide the spirits with food and water. Next is the p. 151 monster serpent "AM-KHU," i.e., "Eater of the Spirits," whose duty it is to devour the shadows of the dead, and to eat up the spirits of the foes of Ra; from his back spring the heads of the Four Children of Horus, and they come into being when they hear the voice of AFU-RA. Beyond these are four Osiris forms, "which stand though they are seated, and move though they are motionless," and nine serpents armed with knives, which represent the ancient gods, TA-THENEN, TEMU, KHEPERA, SHU, SEB, ASAR (OSIRIS), HERU, APU, and HETEPUI. These gods had faces of fire, and lived in the water of TATHENEN, and they only came to life by virtue of the words of power of AFU-RA, who is now to be regarded as KHEPERA. Footnotes 150:1 See above, p. 66.
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Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology

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

Deities are described with human characteristics such as hands, forms, and the ability to speak or salute.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

The text mentions the need to hack APEP (chaos/serpent) in pieces, establishing an opposition between order and chaos.

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Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The path is explicitly called the 'secret path of Amentet,' indicating divine concealment.

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Divine Lighttheology

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

The passage focuses on the Sun-god Afu-Ra, his transformation into the living Sun-god, and the journey towards the Mountain of Sunrise.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

[auto] The passage explicitly references the Book Am-Tuat, a primary Egyptian text dedicated to guiding the deceased through the underworld.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

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

Salvation or participation in divine offerings is granted specifically to 'he who knoweth' the path and names.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The path is described as the 'secret path of Amentet,' implying esoteric knowledge reserved for those who know it.

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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 Hour-goddess is named MESPERIT-AR-AT-MAATU, explicitly invoking Maat, the Egyptian principle of truth and cosmic order.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

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

The text structures the realm using specific numbers such as four classes of beings, six hours, and a five-headed serpent.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

Afu-Ra salutes the spirits and entreats them to hack Apep, representing direct address or petition.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

[auto] The mention of the Kingdom of Osiris implies a guided passage or journey of the soul to an afterlife realm.

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

A serpent is described as belching fire into sepulchres, indicating fire as a ritual or divine element.

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Sacred Namestheology

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

The text states that knowing the names of those on the secret path allows one to partake in offerings and receive gifts.

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Theurgypraxis

Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.

Knowledge of names and forms is presented as a means to engage with the gods and receive offerings, fitting the definition of ritual engagement.

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Related passages · 4 parallels
neoplatonism|Iamblichus: On the Mysteries|Chapter XXI
“I think, therefore, that all who are lovers of the contemplation of theurgic truth will acknowledge this, that the piety which pertains to divine natures ought not to be exercised towards them partially or imperfectly. Hence, since prior to…”
Shared concept: Theurgy — Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone. (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)
christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 2, Section 1g
“Their ultimate nature, which they possess in their own original being, is beyond Mind and beyond all Being and Knowledge. 203 203 Even the Differentiations finally lead us up into the Undifferenced Godhead Where they transcend themselves.…”
Shared concept: Divine Hiddenness — The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father. (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)