As we come forward into this vibration here, we wish to continue our thoughts that concern the subject of ancient Egyptian magick. At this time, due to the current energies and the energies that are soon to be incoming from the various regions of the outer reaches of space, we wish to speak about things that are relevant to our theme, but also that are relevant to the “mindset” of the ancient Egyptian priests and priestesses.
Let us begin by saying that the world you are living in at this time could not be more far removed from the world of the ancient Egyptians. Yes, night and day still come; the Sun and Moon still rise and set; people still live and die. But the societal and cultural and religious environment could not be more different one from the other. This makes it very difficult for the modern-day spiritual seeker to achieve the same results that the ancient Egyptian magicians did. We do not mean for this thought to discourage you, but we do mean to give you a good idea as to what you can accomplish these days in your modern society and culture. We feel the need to also bring up how what we just said affects the other kingdoms of life, particularly the animal and plant kingdoms.
Let us begin by saying that the world you are living in at this time could not be more far removed from the world of the ancient Egyptians. Yes, night and day still come; the Sun and Moon still rise and set; people still live and die. But the societal and cultural and religious environment could not be more different one from the other. This makes it very difficult for the modern-day spiritual seeker to achieve the same results that the ancient Egyptian magicians did. We do not mean for this thought to discourage you, but we do mean to give you a good idea as to what you can accomplish these days in your modern society and culture. We feel the need to also bring up how what we just said affects the other kingdoms of life, particularly the animal and plant kingdoms.
There was a time -- and this fact is an integral part of the way all tribal peoples think and have thought for ages of time -- when animals could speak…literally. A clean and open line of communication existed between animals and humans. Some of the communication was telepathic, but we do not want you to think that there was verbal communication too. Members of the Egyptian Priesthood had a “special” relationship with animals, including birds and reptiles, and the communication that took place between the two. The animals informed the priests and priestesses of their inherent power. For example, the cobra would have explained in detail, perhaps to a group of priests or even to an individual priest, about the true nature of serpent energy and power. Human beings feared creatures such as the cobra. That fear demanded respect between the ordinary person and the serpents. But when it came to members of the Priesthood, it was a different story. There were times when a single or a group of cobras would come to a designated place within the Temple -- this happened most often at temples like the major Temple of the Sun in Heliopolis -- and not unlike the Hopi snake priests, the priests had no fear of being in the company of the serpents. These meetings were looked forward to by the priests and were important for both the humans and the serpents teaching one another about the powers inherent within both. The serpents taught the humans; humans taught the serpents. Each understood that the humans possessed powers that the serpents -- and all other animals -- that humans did not. Both had the common sense to recognize that one lacked the other could provide and vice versa. This meant that the sharing of the knowledge of the powers could and did help in the accomplishment of magikal feats. An example concerns cobra venom. When cobra venom is taken into the human body it, of course, causes great harm and death. But if that venom was collected -- and the serpents gave of it willingly to the priests -- it was kept for the purpose of an antidote when a person came to the temple for a healing from a cobra bite. In this way, a deadly substance became a healing substance. It was also known that just a drop or two of serpent venom was a powerful ingredient to add to polstices that would be placed on the human flesh. The venom acted as a soothing, healing agent for burns, particularly severe sunburns, ailments of the skin, and things of that sort. So, there was this communication between animals and humans. Humans taught the animals; animals taught humans. This relationship benefited all that existed.
But the time came -- and it is a very complex subject as to why this time came at all -- when the line of communication between animals and humans was broken. The thirst for power on behalf of the humans who began to turn away from the wisdom of the serpent, the wisdom of the leopard, the wisdom of the ibis, came at the time when humans no longer believed that they needed the wisdom of the animals. They came to take the attitude that the “priestly” nature was quite enough to sanctify their human knowledge without any help or input from the animals. As a result, the line of communication, as we said, was broken. It was not until several thousands of years later, among the earliest Native Americans of the Americas, that the line of communication was once again restored. Sadly, in these modern times, that line has been broken all over again, with few exceptions. (Some of the tribal peoples in various parts of the world still experience that type of communication.) So all of what we have said points out some of the major differences between the people of those times long past and these current times and you.
Another distinct difference between then and now is that a priest or priestess had to go through a course of training that could take in excess of a dozen years to complete. Rarely was a man or woman intelligent or intuitive enough for this kind of length of time to be shortened. Today the majority of spiritual seekers do not honor even the idea of an apprenticeship. One can enter into conversations with others of a like mind, read books, and/or attend workshops and seminars, and think that this is quite sufficient to qualify them as a full-fledged shaman! As a result, the power in the workings of the sacred formulas of the long gone past has been greatly diminished. One cannot accomplish any feat of magick without detailed knowledge and experience, both of which require time. Like an internship, apprenticeship gives the seeker the opportunities necessary to put the knowledge they have learned into successful practice. This is “practical magick,” you see.
Today, it is acknowledged by many spiritual seekers that one cannot be a shaman or a magician or medicine person without proper training. But they are the exceptions and not the rule. They know the dangers of being a “dabbler.” They know the pitfalls open to those who do not know the complete or true meaning of the magickal formulas and incantations. So the quality of magick practiced by ancient magicians is simply no longer available today. The exceptions are rare and can only be found among the shamans of tribal peoples, most of whom live a life that is secluded from the eyes of the world. Perhaps the time will come when the line of communication between humans and members of the other kingdoms will once again be established. But this cannot and will not occur until all spiritual seekers recognize and honor the value of apprenticeship, the value of being taught by individuals who are truly qualified, and how to properly use the power inherent in the knowledge that is gained.
Still another thing that separates your times from the times of the ancient Egyptians priests is that the “veil between the worlds” was thinner then than it is now, making supernatural power much more accessible than it is today. You have all heard of the “invisible barrier” that separates the visible, tangible world or dimension from the invisible, intangible worlds. Today, you tend to think of the tangible and intangible worlds to be separate and different. This was not so with the ancient (and some modern day) shamans, priests, and priestesses. As a result of seeing these worlds as completely different, the mindset of the modern spiritual seeker approaches those worlds as being different. We will go so far as to imply that there was no veil in ancient times between the worlds. They saw and honored no barrier between the worlds. As a result, the psychic eye could not only see into the invisible worlds and could walk between those worlds. Priests and shamans had one foot in each world, and both were equally accessible to them, and they were equally “at home” in both.
In addition to what we just said, the priests knew no limitations such as those even serious spiritual seekers of today encounter. Today’s seekers expect to encounter the veil between the worlds. They expect to encounter it and this is because it is simply a given that it exists. Thus, the mind of today’s seekers and those of ancient Egyptian apprentices operate very differently. With all these differences, it becomes clear that the magick that you read about in books today, the experiences that are written and spoken about cannot be accomplished easily today. Thus a journey begins. It is a journey to learn how to overcome the limitations the modern spiritual seeker and would-be shaman faces.
The first step the modern spiritual seeker must employ in order to alter the current mindset regarding the veil between the worlds is to cease thinking of it as an inhibiting barrier. In addition, know that in ancient cultures worldwide the people knew that there were certain times of the year when the powers inherent within the inhabitants of the other realms was more accessible than others, because the powers were stronger and more intense than at other times. It was these times when special ceremonies such as those performed to ensure a bountiful harvest or to bring rain were performed. They were reserved for these times. These special times were times when the power was there for the taking, so to speak, to the experienced and the apprentice priests and priestesses. These times have actually “imprinted” on the unconscious mind -- and memory -- of all human beings. This knowledge is still practiced by the Wiccas, Native Americans, and members of all earth-based, pagan religions to this day. This is a good thing, for it helps to preserve this knowledge of time in the conscious mind of many.
The Wiccans refer to the four holy days of the year as Sabbats. These are February 2, sometimes called Candlemas; Beltane, May 1; Lammas, August 2; Hallowmas, October 31. Of course different cultures the world over have different names for these special days, but the dates are the same. Other special celebration times were the solstices and the equinoxes. These were honored particularly for honoring and making offerings for the “gifts” of the Sun and Moon. These Sabbats and equinoxes and solstices were sacred or holy days. They were days that required cooperation between humans and the inhabitants of other realms, usually referred to as the “Spirits.” Modern seekers must remember that on these days the “veil” is thinner, so to speak, and the power is more intense and more easily accessible. These are the times that you are more likely to experience the power so well known to the ancient Egyptians and other magick-oriented societies down through time. Just follow the formulas, invocations, and incantations and see what results you achieve. If positive results manifest, let’s say a healing occurs, then you will know that the time this happened is the time when your energy is compatible with the energies and Spirits associated with that day.
Another time when magikal practice is more likely to be successful is the time of the Full Moon. This is a time that is good for attracting to yourself the things you need and the things you desire. Of course, what you need must always take precedence over what you desire. When one does magick for what one needs, and that need is fulfilled, then one can work magick for what one desires. Needs must come first; that is the Law of the Universe.
Earlier when we talked about the communication between animals and humans, we neglected to say that there was also an open line of verbal communication between humans and plants, although that communication was not as refined as that between humans and animals. Plants have one primary goal with human beings, that being that plants aim to nourish and heal. This has been so since humans and plants have been on Earth, the plants being much older than humans. There are also animals that the plants aim to nourish and heal. Humans in times long past, with few exceptions in today’s modern world, knew which plants nourished them and which ones could heal, as well as those that could do both. They also knew about the plants that were hallucinogens and how to use their power in a positive and constructive manner... How did they know this? The plants told them. An example of this in modern days is seen with the unique work of Dr. Edward Bach, the developer of the Bach Flower Remedies. The plants “spoke” to Dr. Bach.
In some Egyptian temples there was what you would know as greenhouses, where the sacred plants that were used for magikal purposes and plants that were healers of the human body were cultivated. The average people did not ingest or use those plants without the sophisticated knowledge of a priest or priestess. In today’s world, many spiritual seekers as well as ordinary people are keenly aware of the positive use and effects of various plants and herbs, including roots and barks, and this is good. There are also many who are aware of how effective and useful such practices as Tai Chi and yoga are to the human body. Well, this knowledge was known by the ancient magicians and they knew how necessary this was to successful magikal practice. No successful magician or shaman ignores the value of proper diet, exercise, and so forth. In fact, some of these were actually designed to be of use in magickal practice. People who leave out any of these things from their daily lives will fall short when it comes to working feats of magick.
Among spiritual seekers today, there is a growing number who realize that the practices we have spoken about are indeed necessary to not only a healthy way of living, but also to healthy and successful spiritual practices. Because of a tremendous interest in Native American traditional ways of living, thinking, and practicing their religious ceremonialism, particularly in America and Europe, this will help the progress of a re-opening of a line of verbal communication between humans, animals, and plants to once again be the way of things. Because of the shift that will occur within human consciousness, as well as in the consciousness of the other kingdoms of life, in the year 2012, we will go so far as to say that the broken line of communication will be closer to being non-existent than it has been in a very long time. Until this time comes, you should remember that when you read or hear about shamans all over the world and what they are capable of doing, that kind of success is highly unlikely among spiritual seekers today, with rare exceptions. Rather than to think that you should just give up because your chances of success are sorely limited, [that] would defeat your purpose. Just keep in mind that there are things that you can do to help insure that your failures will not be 100% by any means. Seek to communicate with animals telepathically, for that is the only way to communicate, for most, at this time. Do the same with plants. In time, you will become quite adept at this form of communication and, when the time is right, you will have gone a long way to experiencing the ultimate success of verbal communication.
When we come together again, we will discuss the ancient Egyptian’s method of spirit communication. So be it. God bless yourselves.
Originally published September 2, 2007.
(C) Copyright Page Bryant, 2007 & 2014. All Rights Reserved. Image courtesy of Fotolia.com.