Egyptian Divination
Most of the work I recite here comes from the following book:
Book: Ancient Egyptian Divination and magic
AUthor: Eleanor L. Harris
Review:
This book is well written taking you through the steps of working with Divination and magic in the Ancient Egyptian way of things. It's focus is on contact with the Divine and as such see Divination as a sacred tool. It discribes and give advice on how to perform these divination acts. A must read for all.
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ses Ie en sesit
Unbolting the door of concealed
things.
Divination was considered a form of magic in ancient
Egypt, not a separate practice, as in contemporary magic. Ancient Egyptian
divination tools and techniques are quite different from the tarot cards and
astrology used today and can be used today with success.
The Leyden Papyrus can be of great value to you. It is
the latest known papyrus written in "demotic" script, which is a
business script used on documents from about 700 A.D. forward. It includes very early
Coptic words - "coptic" being the original native Egyptian script.
The manuscript dates from the third century A.D., and contains information on magic and medicine. The contents of the papyrus are
thought to be much older than the actual date it was written by a scribe. Its
discussion of magic includes techniques for divination and it was a main source
in my research for the techniques presented here. The Leyden Papyrus briefly
discusses medicine and ancient herbalism.
What is
Divination?
Divination is the act of gaining insight into a
present situation or question and thereby offering an indication of how the
outcome of the situation may be controlled or manipulated by the inquirer.
Divination gives you
direction on how
to achieve a particular goal, or what actions you can take to prevent an undesirable outcome. No
matter what your question, you are
given insight by which you
can prepare for
and take advantage of any situation. You determine the outcome of your own
future.
Divination is like a compass on which the symbols
are guideposts to direct you on
the road of life.
In ancient Egypt, divination was not used as a tool for
self-exploration, as is often encouraged in contemporary divination practice.
The Egyptian magician's primary goal was to seek answers about current
situations for the purpose of making changes. Divination can be used to predict
the future, find objects and people, and read fortunes from dreams, visions, omens,
and other divinatory implements. Through it, you can acquire spiritual and
magical development. It is both an art and a skill. Proficiency depends on your
natural psychic abilities and regular practice.
How and Why Does Divination
Work?
When you note the hieroglyphs and created gods of ancient
Egypt, it is clear that the ancient language of magic was expressed in images,
objects, and symbols. This is also true for divination. A script or a magical
spell is a symbolic act conducted in an altered state of consciousness.
In divination, energy is projected
through the symbol image, or object, and examined by your intuitive and psychic
mind to gain awareness. Actual divination systems, tools, and props are merely
objects of focus for the magician. A divination system such as the tarot acts
as a lens and a channel through which you can tap into the deeper levels of
your psychic mind.
When you begin a divination, your mind shifts as you
use images, objects, and symbols as focal points to occupy your consciousness.
A shift of consciousness can lead to deeper levels of trance, which can open
your psychic awareness, paranormal senses, and clairvoyant abilities. Through
the trance state, you are able to connect with other beings, energy currents,
shapes, and thought-forms. As you will note in reading the divination script
here, each phase of the ritual coaxes the conscious mind to concentrate,
allowing deep levels of the unconscious mind to unfold. Gradually, a trance
state is achieved.
...........
Egyptian
Divination Purpose and Methods
The Egyptians practiced divination for two purposes:
to inquire about the present and obtain useful information to make changes to a
situation, and to beg or threaten for answers and assistance from a god to make
desired changes to current circumstances. Thus the magician compelled the
god(s) to do his or her will. The primary methods used in ancient Egyptian
divination were trance; mediumship; fire, water, and oil scrying; dream and
dream interpretation; and oracles.
The following is an outline of the preparations
required once a divination is planned.
1. First, prepare yourself. It is stated in papyri
that the magician must be pure for three days, and specifies celibacy and
"purity from every abomination."
2. Locate a secret place to divine. This is defined
as a dark, clean recess. It is specified often that the recess face east or
south.
3. Gather all required divination tools. Commonly, the
tools were: natron-water to purify the location, a new white lamp (ora lamp
without red color; a vessel or bowl can be used instead of the lamp), a clean
linen wick, lamp oil or kerosene, vegetable oil to pour in vessel or bowl.
frankincense, natural ink to write magical symbols
or words of power onto the linen wick, eye-paint to place into your eyes to
assist in seeing invoked deities, and, at times, a crude brick to set the lamp
upon.
Magicians usually practiced divination in secret, at
night or at dawn. It was, thought that at these times the psychic currents were
strongest.
• Place the eye-paint into your eyes when you are
ready to inquire of the lamp in any lamp-divination.
• Invoke a specific god, or say a spell over the
lamp. If you use eye-paint, you will see the god standing behind the lamp.
• Depending upon the divination purpose and script, repeat
the spells either seven or nine times.
• If an answer is not forthcoming, threaten that the
god's lamp, will not be lit, and will be filled with fat instead of oil.
The script is recited seven or more times so that
the conscious mind can concentrate on the work at hand. A trance state is
induced. For this reason, it is very important that you follow the script
specifications to obtain the best results. Depending upon the script, a god
mayor may not be invoked. One reason for a god not to be summoned is that the
god Souchos dwelled in the liquid oil of the lamp.
There are a number of gods that may be invoked. The
Leyden Papyrus tells us that the word "compeller" within the
script refers to the invoked god who compels the gods to do the magician's
will.3One of four gods was usually invoked: Anpu, The Opener of the Ways,
Tehuti, Chief Over The Mysteries, Pshoi, a Graeco-Egyptian god of Destiny, or
Khons, a Moon god called upon in Moon divination. Any deity to whom you feel attuned with can be invoked.
While it seems true that Egyptian scribes recorded and tested excellent scripts
to be used "as is" without alteration, you may achieve the best beginning results
by working with gods and goddesses that appeal to you.
Divination forms:
Here are some of the forms noted. Remember there were a variety of different forms of divination used. SOme of the divination forms mentioned here also had variations on it, expecially the vessel inquiries.
(Note: these are not links but sub headings which is still under construction as I am sourcing out new material to post here)
Divination Scripts
Concentratin and visuallization
A vessel inquiry of the Lamp
Avessel inquiry of Anpu
Moon Divination
Dream Divination
Horoscope,tarot and Numerology
For a deeper insight into each please purchase the book noted above
