Last night listened to Diana Kreikamp’s presentation on The Amduat: the Great Awakening, for the Magical Woman’s Summer Salon. which is also the title of her book. See link below for recording.
Amduat Salon7 Recording
I learned how this important ancient text brings together two important threads of Egyptian magical religion – the cult of sun god Ra & cult of underworld deity Osiris. At the midnight hour of Sun’s journey, when he makes the transition and begins his regenerations. Here he meets with Osiris, and the two cults merge.
Later, when the existential threat comes in the form of personification of “evil”, the snake Apophis. The still frail sungod needs strong protections, which he gets from Goddess Isis and also her companion, the “Elder Magician” who use their magick to ward off the threats.
Then, as now, different people were supporters of the cults of different deities, all of whom are part of the drama in some way. The ancient Sethians, viewed the “Elder Magician” as an avatar of Seth.
Members of mystery cults identified with these underworld myths, looking for their true selves in the unconscious. Is there really the basis to the idea of an ancient mystery cult of the living, made up of priests and scribes? The archaeological evidence indicates this to be the case.
I also explored this phenomenon as background to “Isis goddess of Egypt & India”
Such ancient mystery cults in temples are mentioned in Great Hymn to Osiris as well as in other places.
“Praise to thee, Osiris! Thou Lord of eternity, king of gods! Those with many names and lordly of being! With mysterious ceremonies in the temples” Great Hymn of Osiris / Hymn of Amenmose
These were the precursors to the famous mystery cults of the classical world, a lively account of one dedicated to Isis & Osiris is found in Apuleius’s novel “The Golden Ass”.