AUSAR

Osiris (Asir) was the first son of Geb and Nut and the brother of Set,Horus (the elder), Isis and Nephthys. He was one of the most prominent gods of the Heliopolitan Ennead, but his worship pre-dated the development of this fairly complex philosophy. AlthoughAtum was installed as the head of the Ennead by the priests of Heliopolis, Osiris was considered to be the king of the underworld, and is the only deity who is referred to simply as "god". This gives us some indication of his prominence and popularity.

The oldest religious texts known to us refer to him as the great god of the dead, who once possessed human form and lived upon earth. After his murder by Set he became the king of the underworld and presided over the judgment of dead souls. In order to enter his kingdom, the deceased had to undertake a perilous journey (aided by spells and amulets) to the hall of judgment where their heart was balanced against the feather of Ma'at (justice or balance). It is important to distinguish this from the Christian view of judgment. The ancient Egyptians were a pragmatic people. A person was not expected to be perfect, just balanced. An example of this is the "negative confession" (in which the deceased listed all of the evil things he had not done during his lifetime, i.e. "I never murdered anyone") which indicates that it was more a case of convincing Osiris that you deserved admission rather than passively awaiting judgment.

As Osiris had been a good and beneficent ruler during his lifetime, his presence in the underworld no doubt gave the people great comfort. Furthermore, the only barriers to entrance were those relating to the journey to the hall of judgment and the preservation of the body (in which the Ba resided) and your name. The spells needed to pass through Duat (the underworld) were described in great detail in the pyramid and coffin texts, "the book of coming forth by day" (also known as "the book of the dead") and the "book of gates". A decent burial combined with these spells pretty much guaranteed you would be welcomed into a blissful existence which bore a striking similarity to the ancient Egyptian's everyday life (shorn of any problems such as illness).

Osiris was also a god of agriculture. This may seem rather strange as he was dead, and technically infertile. However, it actually makes a lot of sense when you consider the death and rebirth inherent in the agricultural cycle of planting and harvesting grain. Every harvest, the god was symbolically killed and his body broken on the threshing room floor, but after the inundation life would return to the land and the crops would grow again. Legend held that the ancient Egyptians had been cannibals until Osiris developed agriculture and he and Isis persuaded them to cease that unpleasant habit. There is no evidence that the ancient peoples were in fact cannibals, but the myth underlined the notion that Osiris brought order from chaos and established the culture which formed the basis of their successful and durable civilisation.

Osiris was usually depicted as a mummified king, complete with the ceremonial (curved) beard, crown, flail, and crozier. His skin is generally green or black, to represent the fact that he is dead. He usually wears the white crown of Upper Egypt (the south) or the Atef crown (the white crown with a plume of feathers on each side and a disc at the top). The feathers on the Atef crown are thought to represent Djedu (Busiris), the cult center of Osiris.

SEKER

Sokar (also known as Seker and in Greek, Sokaris or Socharis) was the Memphite god of the dead, but he was also the patron of the workers who built the necropolis and the craftsmen who made tomb artefacts and of those who made ritual objects and substances used in mummification.

The meaning of his name is unclear. It may be derived from the term "skr" (meaning "cleaning the mouth") mentioned in the Coffin Texts and in writings relating to the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony (one of the funerary rituals). However, others suggest that it relates to the phrase "sy-k-ri" ("hurry to me") which was the cry for help uttered by Osiris to Isis, and others suggest it means "the adorned one". He was known by the epithet "he of Rosetau". This refers to the area around the Giza pyramids, but also related more generally to any necropolis and to the entrance to the underworld. He is also known as the "lord of the mysterious region" (the underworld) and the "great god with his two wings opened" - referring to his origins as a hawk deity.

Memphis was the primary cult centre of god. On the 26th day of 4th month of akhet (sowing), the festival of Sokar (Choiak) was held there. Egyptians performed the rituals of hoeing the earth and driving cattle, implying that Sokar was also an agricultural deity, and a huge statue of the god was carried around on a Henu barque (a boat with a high prow shaped like a horned oryx and a funerary chest). By the Middle Kingdom, the festival incorporated Osirian aspects of festivals in Abydos, and by the New Kingdom, the festival had expanded to Thebes, where it rivalled the great Opet Festival. It is thought that the festival celebrated the rebirth of Osiris and stressed the continuity of Pharonic power.

He was initially worshiped as a totem, and then as a personified hawk or falcon. However, during the Old Kingdom he was generally depicted on a throne with Was (power) sceptre and an Ankh (life), and by the New Kingdom he was depicted hawk-headed mummy with Was sceptre (representing power), a flail and a crook. He usually stands on a funerary mound (which may represent the primeval mound) and wears a sun disc, cows horns and the regal cobras (similar to the Atef-crown), although in certain situations he wears the White Crown. As a falcon deity, he is often related toHorus, and wears the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt.

From the middle kingdom he was merged with Ptah. Ptah-Sokar represented the soil and its power to create life. As Ptah was considered to be the patron of artisans, Sokar became specifically the patron of goldsmiths. Soon after, Sokar became associated withOsiris as the composite deity, Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. This composite deity represented the three aspects of the universe: creation, stability, and death. In the New Kingdom Period, in the Book of the Dead, Sokar unites the forms of Osiris and Ptah. Ptah-Sokar became Sokar-Osiris (the nocturnal sun during the fourth and fifth hours of the Amduat). The priests of Sokar retained the same titles as the Memphite priests of Ptah had used during the Old Kingdom, but now they almost always refer to the high priests of Heliopolis. Ptah-Sokar-Osiris is generally depicted as a mummiform hawk bearing the regalia of kingship. However, he was also represented as pygmy with a scarab beetle on his head (representing Kheper). It is thought that these images of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris were the source of the deity called Pataikos by Herodotus. Although Ptah-Sokar was married toSekhmet, Sokar was sometimes linked to Nephthys.

BASTET

Bast (known as "Bastet" in later times to emphasise that the "t" was to be pronounced) was one of the most popular goddesses of ancient Egypt. She is generally thought of as a cat goddess. However, she originally had the head of a lion or a desert sand-cat and it was not until the New Kingdom that she became exclusively associated with the domesticated cat. However, even then she remained true to her origins and retained her war-like aspect. She personified the playfulness, grace, affection, and cunning of a cat as well as the fierce power of a lioness. She was also worshiped all over Lower Egypt, but her cult was centred on her temple at Bubastis in the eighteenth nome of Lower Egypt (which is now in ruins). Bubastis was the capital of ancient Egypt for a time during the Late Period, and a number of pharaohs included the goddess in their throne names.

Her name could be translated as "Devouring Lady". However, the phonetic elements "bas" are written with an oil jar (the "t" is the feminine ending) which is not used when writing the word "devour". The oil jar gives an association with perfume which is strengthened by the fact that she was thought to be the mother of Nefertum (who was a god of perfume). Thus her name implies that she is sweet and precious, but that under the surface lay the heart of a predator. Bast was depicted as a cat, or as a woman with the head of a cat, a sand cat or a lion. She is often shown holding the ankh (representing the breath of life) or the papyrus wand (representing Lower Egypt). She occasionally bears a was-scepter (signifying strength) and is often accompanied by a litter of kittens.

NEFERTEM

Nefertum (Nefertem, Nefertemu) was originally considered to be an aspect of Atum. According to one version of the creation story of the Ennead in Heliopolis, Nefertum (translated as beautiful Atum, or perfect Atum) was born from a blue lotus bud which emerged from the waters of Nun at the beginning of creation. Atum represented the sun and so Nefertum represented the sunrise. He cried because he was alone and his tears created humanity. It was thought that he was born with every sunrise, matured into Atum during the day before passing into the world of the dead every sunset. The cycle of birth in the morning and death every evening (as the sun travelled through the underworld) represented the daily struggle between Chaos and Order (Ma'at).

When Atum was absorbed by Ra (Atum-Ra), Nefertum came to be considered as a seperate deity, still closely associated with the newborn sun. Then Ptah was promoted to the chief national god and proclaimed the ultimate creator, and Nefertum was described as his son by either Sekhmet or Bast (both "Daughters of Ra"). However, as the son of Ptah, he also became patron of the cosmetic and healing arts derived from flowers. Thus, Nefertum was seen as both an aspect of the sun god, and also his grandson.

He was most closely associated with the blue lotus, a flower with narcotic properties. According to one legend, he brought a bouquet of beautiful lotuses to the aging Ra to ease his suffering. As a result, he was described in the Pyramid Texts as "the lotus blossom which is before the nose of Re". Nefertem was linked both to the pleasant scent of the lotus flower and to its medical properties (which were well known to the ancient Egyptians). He was also associated with a number of the Egyptians favourite flowers, such as rose, geranium and cornflower. In fact, he could be described as the archetypal aromatherapist.

SEKHMET

Sekhmet (Sakhmet) is one of the oldest known Egyptian deities. Her name is derived from the Egyptian word "Sekhem" (which means "power" or "might") and is often translated as the "Powerful One". She is depicted as a lion-headed woman, sometimes with the addition of a sun disc on her head. Her seated statues show her holding the ankhof life, but when she is shown striding or standing she usually holds a sceptre formed from papyrus (the symbol of northern or Lower Egypt) suggesting that she was associated primarily with the north. However, some scholars argue that the deity was introduced from Sudan (south of Egypt) where lions are more plentiful.

She was often closely associated with Hathor (the goddess of joy, music, dance, sexual love, pregnancy and birth). In this partnership, she was seen as the harsh aspect of the friendly Hathor. A temple was constructed by Amenemhet II to Sekhmet-Hathor at Kom el Hisn (Imau in the western Delta) in which she and Hathor are referred to as the "Mistress of Imau". Imau was situated near a branch of the Nile that has since shifted eastwards, but in ancient times the town was right on the edge of the desert on the route to the Libyan frontier. Clearly it was hoped that Sekhmet would protect the border.

Sekhmet's main cult centre was in Memphis (Men Nefer) where she was worshipped as "the destroyer" alongside her consort Ptah (the creator) and Nefertum (the healer).

Sekhmet was represented by the searing heat of the mid-day sun (in this aspect she was sometimes called "Nesert", the flame) and was a terrifying goddess. However, for her friends she could avert plague and cure disease. She was the patron of Physicians, and Healers and her priests became known as skilled doctors. As a result, the fearsome deity sometimes called the "lady of terror" was also known as "lady of life". Sekhmet was mentioned a number of times in the spells of The Book of the Dead as both a creative and destructive force, but above all, she is the protector of Ma'at (balance or justice) named "The One Who Loves Ma'at and Who Detests Evil".

KHPR

In its most ancient and sacred interpretation, the scarab represents the nine subtle bodies of man:

1) the Ren, or vibrational name identifying the DNA codes of the individual’s physical body, which is located symbolically at the mouth of the scarab.

2) the Khat, being the second of the three physical bodies. It carries the charge for and incorporates within it, the entropic matter of the flesh. On the scarab this is located symbolically at the center of its ‘belly’.

3) the Ka, which is the etheric double of the physical body. This is an incorporeal duplicate of the corporeal form, which can emulate that form in body, mind and emotions, yet it can also anticipate the evolutionary path of the body, drawing it into a greater revolution upon the spiral of Light-incorporated matter. This movement is nevertheless limited to the willingness of the whole spiritual entity to make that evolutionary leap. The circumference of the scarab, defined by its folded legs, represents the Ka.

4) the Ab, which is the first of the three emotional-mental bodies, is the Mind at the center of the Heart. . It is the ‘Eye of the Lion’, where the Beast (lower mind-emotion) meets the Royal Sun (heart-mind). This ‘Sacred Heart’ of Spiritualized Intelligence is to be found at the point on the back of the scarab, where the two wings come together, forming a triangle in-between the closed wings.

5) the Ba is the ‘Sou 21a2 l of the Heart’. This is the aspect of the emotional body that is able to move beyond its own evolutionary form, thus assisting the Ka to re-create itself within the higher paths of evolution. The Ba projects through the ‘borderlands’ of the personal experience and into the realm of impersonal unification with the All. The wings of the scarab are the Ba-points on this beetle.

6) the Khaibit, which means ‘shadow’, is the last of the three emotional bodies. The Khaibit is the ‘Rectifyor’ of the emotions. It discerns and judges the degrees of dissolution of lesser self and the vivification of Greater Self. It can be harsh on the lower emotions, but is a guardian of the Balance of Maat (the Egyptian archetype of Justice) within the nine-fold human experience. It is through the Khaibit that the Lords of Karma govern over the soul. The eyes of the scarab hold the power of Khaibit.

7) Sekem is the Vital power contained within the three spiritual bodies. It is the vitality of the human experience in its process of identifying and moving towards supernal ecstasy. It is not the supernal itself, but that which registers the existence of the supernal into the physical-emotional bodies. Thus to the ancients of Lemuria and Atlantis, it was known as the ‘Proclaimer’. The Egyptian archetype ‘Sekhmet’ derives her name from this vital body. The activity of the ‘humming’ beat of the scarab wings personifies the Sekem (whereas with the ‘Ba’, it is the wings outstretched and ready for flight).

8) the Sahu is the Spiritual Body created from the ‘Words of Power’. It is built through conscious invocation and in its lesser form is strongly based in personal self-identity; yet in its greater presence is orchestrated by planetary and universal service to the Light. It is the Sahu that was utilized and called upon to create archetypes in the Temples of Old. Through the Sahu, so the soul may unify its being with the hierarchies of Masters, Angels, and other Superior, Radiant Intelligences. The face is the region on the scarab that symbolizes the Sahu, for it is on the human face that the Light Programs of the Higher Heaven (theMetatronic realm) are encoded into the human form.

9) the Kuhu is the Spiritual Soul. This is the ‘Radiant Garment’, or Higher Self that contains the Language of Light necessary to lift the soul to an exalted state within the Higher Heaven. It is immortal. We find the Kuhu upon the back of the scarab, revealed only after the wings have parted and are raised to the sky. It is the ‘Lakta Chakti’ of the Hunoras, a tribe of peoples in what is now India, contemporary with the latter era of Atlantis. The Lakta Chakti is the Light which burns from the center of the ‘Atuma’ or central sun of the body in a nova, transforming the physical form into a radiant expression of the Divine. We could also call this dynamic of the parting of the wings to reveal the Kuhu.

The Grand Architect

Ptah (Pteh, Peteh) was one of the triad of Memphis along withSekhmet (or Bast) and Nefertum. When Memphis became the capital of Egypt, Ptah became the ultimate creator who made everything including the gods of the Ogdoad of Hermopolis and the Ennead of Heliopolis and was given the epithet "He who set all the gods in their places and gave all things the breath of life". Ptah was worshipped throughout all of Egypt, but his primary cult centres were in Memphis and Heliopolis. He was so popular in Egypt that it is said that the name "Egypt" itself derives from a Greek spelling of the name of a temple in Memphis; "Hwt-kA-ptH", which means "the temple of the Ka of Ptah".

He is often described as an abstract form of the "Self-Created One", who made the universe either by the wish of his heart (sometimes associated with Hathor or Horus) and by his tongue (or speech, identified with Thoth and Tefnut). Alternatively, you could argue that he was more directly in control of creation than either Ra or Atum). He was the patron of sculptors, painters, builders and carpenters, and other craftsmen and was thought to have invented masonry. In fact, he may have formed the template for the idea of god as the great architect which is so popular in Masonic mythology and some branches of Christian theology, or as the Book of the Dead puts it, "a master architect, and framer of everything in the universe". However, it is also worthy of note that some versions of the legend stated that Ptah created the heavens and the earth while Khnum fashioned the people and animals on his potter's wheel, although it is still implied that Ptah created Khnum.

He was also a god of rebirth who was sometimes credited with creating Opening of the Mouth ceremony which restored life to the deceased (although it is also associated with Anubis and Wepwaet). He was also the patron of the second month of the Egyptian calendar, called Paopi by the Greeks.

Ptah was a great protector of Egypt. According to myth, he saved the town of Pelusium from the Assyrian invaders. the bowstrings and shield handles of the enemy, destroying their weapons and sending them home in a panic. The Shabaka stone records that Ptah helped  as the "Ba" (one of the parts of the soul) of Ptah. However, in later times, the Apis was associated with him only while it was living and associated w. Herodotus wrote that the Apis bull was conceived from a bolt of lightning, it was black with a while diamond on his forehead, the image of a vulture on his back, double hairs on his tail and a scarab