Wiccan Rede * Summer 1982 by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki
Egyptian magic is in a class on its own. Unless one is fully conversant with its complex system of God Forms and Mythology a full scale ritual is out of the question, even if you are lucky enough to have a fully equipped temple. However, it is possible to adapt some of the methods to produce a ritual that is both emotionally satisfying and true to type.
The mysteries of the ancient Land of Khem are as rich and varied as its beliefs. It holds a special place in ritual magic andit is more mentally orientated than its counterparts in other Traditions. The Orphic, which we will try next, is a joyous exaltation of mind, body and spirit. The Celtic as deep and mysterious as an underground stream of sweet water. But the Egyptian is more concerned with the life of the spirit than that of the mind and body, and the ancient priests sought to endow that part of themselves with power rather than the physical. They reached a very high level in this work and the rituals they used are still in part available to us, but for our purposes at the moment they are too advanced. We need something that will for a short while bring us into contact with one of the loveliest of the Archetypal Figures of the Egyptian Mysteries.
We will use the God Form of the Great Mother Isis. I have chosen this for two reasons, the form is easy to build up in the mind, and as one of the aspects of the great Feminine Principles it is readily available to us even after such a great length of time. It is also one of the safest to use for a beginner, like all mothers, the Great Mother is inclined to be indulgent with Her children when they reach up to touch Her.
The ritual is for a man and a woman working together, and it is one adapted from a much longer one that was once part of the grade rituals of the Priesthood of Isis. In the old script it is called the “Meeting of Mind with Mind”. In it the priestess takes the Presence of Isis for a short time to enable her companion priest to make a contact with the Goddess. It takes a lot of practice and some preparation, but if you are persistent the meeting will be effected. There is nothing dangerous in it, you cannot come to any harm greater than a headache.
Prepare your place of working by first making sure you will not be disturbed. A clean sheet will be needed to be the Temple floor. A small table covered with a white cloth for an altar, and either blue or orange candles for you will be working in the sphere of the mind; three of them, for three is the number of the Mother. If you can use incense without disturbing others, use Kyphi if you can obtain it, or make up one using pine resin and lavender.
The altar Light can be a small nightlight in, if possible, a heat resistant glass bowl. Because the Mother is a Chalice for Life, the Light for Her is always in a container. Thus symbolising the Divine Child within the Mother. Having bathed and dressed (white or blue robes if you have them, if not just clean clothes) light the incense and get it glowing. In this ritual the four quarters are guarded by four God forms in a specific order, not the God Forms of the original ritual, which would mediate too powerful a presence, but enough will be generated for our purpose. Horus, the son of Isis in the East, opposite in the West is Hathor, another aspect of Isis the Egyptian counterpart of Venus. In the North Nepthys the sister of Isis, sometimes seen as Her Dark aspect, and in the South Anubis, the Jackal of the Desert.
Both priest and priestess stand in front of the altar, the priestess to light first the centre Light and then the candles from its flame. Both raise the arms and speak:
THOU WHO ART THE MOTHER OF ALL THINGS, WHOSE SON IS THE SUN, COME FROM THY FAR OFF PLACE AND WALK AMONG US WHO ARE THY CHILDREN. COME FROM THE HALLS OF ON TO BE OUR TEACHER AND OUR GUIDE. LOOK WITH FAVOUR UPON SHE WHO IS THY PRIESTESS AND MAKE HER THY GARMENT, AND UPON HE WHO WOULD BE THY PRIEST OPEN THE STAR CENTRE OF ISIS TO HIM
The priestess now takes her place in the East facing the West (note, if she is as tall as the priest a chair may be needed for her to sit on during the ritual, it is important that she can be lower than the priest by at least half a head or more). The priest opens the Temple thus: stand with feet together and arms outstretched behind the priestess and facing the East. Say:
LIGHT OF THE EAST FILL ME WITH THY RADIANCE THAT I MAY OPEN THIS PLACE OF LIGHT
With the forefinger point to the East, building in the minds eye a point of light from which grow concentric circles in a continuous stream.
TO THE EAST IS SUMMON HORUS, THE HAWK OF THE SUN, TO GUIDE AND GUARD THIS PLACE OF WORKING
Move to the South and repeat the sigil without lowering the hand.
TO THE SOUTH I SUMMON ANUBIS WHO WALKS IN BOTH THE LIGHT AND THE DARKNESS WITHOUT FEAR, THE JACKAL OF THE DESERTS OF THE MIND, BRING TRUTH TO THIS PLACE OF WORKING
Move to the West, and making the same sign, say:
TO THE WEST I SUMMON HATHOR, LADY OF JOY AND BRINGER IN OF LIFE, TO MAKE THIS PLACE OF WORKING FRUITFUL AND FULL OF JOY
Move to the North and after making the sign, say:
IN THE NORTH I SUMMON NEPTHYS THE COMFORTER, THAT SHE MAY BRING BOTH COMFORT AND STRENGTH TO THIS PLACE OF WORKING
The priest now takes his place behind the priestess, she if sitting rises during her prayer and resumes her seat at the end of it.
GREAT ISIS, BEHOLD THY HANDMAIDEN WAITS FOR THY PRESENCE, MAKE ME THY GARMENT FOR A SHORT SPACE OF TIME, A HALL WHERE GODDESS AND PRIEST MAY MEET MIND TO MIND, THAT HE MAY KNOW THE MIND OF THE MOTHER WHICH WILL AWAKEN IN HIM THE KNOWLEDGE OF THY ETERNAL PRESENCE IN THE HEART OF EVERY MAN. MAKE HIM FREE OF THE STAR CENTRE THAT IS THE HOUSE OF ISIS. MAY THY PRESENCE WITHIN ME BE MY OWN REWARD.”
Sitting or standing the following instructions are the same. The priestess raises both hands palms outward, thumbs on a level with the ears. The priest places his hands on hers, his palms covering the backs of her hands. The priestess now crosses her arms (the priest hands still following hers) on the upper part of the chest. The priest thumbs should now be touching the pulse beats on either side of her neck, if you cannot feel them right away just move the thumbs slightly until you do.
Make yourself deeply conscious of those pulse beats, let them become a beat in the mind. After doing this ritual a few times you will find your heart and pulse beats attuning to the same rhythm. The priestess must now, with eyes closed, go deep within herself, let her imagine a vast Hall deep within the head in the region of the pituitary gland. See it as a great Hall full of silvery light. Here she must build up the Presence of the Goddess, this will take some practice and no teacher in the world can show you how, it must come from your own desire to experience if for real. When this is done, await the coming of the priest.
For his part the priest must now, through his will, extend a thread of light from his pineal centre, down through the back of the priestess”s head into the Hall prepared for his meeting with the Goddess. When this has been established he must then push his consciousness along the thread until he stands in the Hall himself. Here is that place called by the priests of Egypt the Star Centre, the Hall of Isis. Here a contact can be made if the desire and the dedication is there. This contact is very personal and will differ from person to person, sufficient to say that when it happens you will know beyond any doubt that is has occurred. You will also “know” when it is time to withdraw, there will come a moment when you know for certain that the presence is no longer there. It is time to withdraw, do it slowly or your priestess will end up with a migraine.
Once within your own centre of awareness, make sure that your partner is fully into herself. Do this by a pre-arranged signal between you, a whispered word or slight pressure of the hand. Slowly uncross the arms moving together until they are in the original position. The priest takes his hands from hers and they both return them to their sides. Wait for a moment, relax and find your feet on the physical plane, you have been through quite an experience, the reaction the first time can be one of a temporary fatigue.
Both in turn now offer thanks. The priestess:
GREAT MOTHER I THANK THEE FOR WHAT THOU HAST GRANTED TO ME THY HANDMAIDEN, IT IS MY DELIGHT TO BE THY GARMENT AND TO SERVE THEE IN THY PURPOSE, TO THEE MY PRAISE AND MY SERVICE
The priest:
FOR THY GIFT OF THIS MEETING WITH THEE I GIVE THANKS GREAT ISIS TO THEE MY PRAISE AND MY SERVICE
Both turn and face the East:
PRAISE BE TO THAT WHICH IS GIVEN TO ALL MEN THE LIGHT BY WHICH WE MAY FOLLOW AND BE LED. PRAISE BE TO THAT LIGHT WHICH IS LIT IN THE HEARTS OF ALL MEN AND BY WHICH WE MAY COME TO THE HALLS OF OSIRIS RISEN
The priest may now close the Temple, using the same sigil and words with which he opened, except instead of summoning, he now gives permission to depart to the God Forms. Lastly he faces the altar and declares the Temple closed, and the lights are put out. It is essential that you both have something to eat and drink after this ritual, you have opened centres within you that may never have been opened before.
This is not a very easy ritual, and it can take a few times of performing it before you get much result, on the other hand you may get something right away. It can bring about a very great rapport between you and you partner so choose that partner carefully. It tends to open up the telepathic centres also, and will certainly bring about a better recognition between the priest and his Anima. Worked with dedication and a genuine desire to contact the Goddess it can bring about an unforgettable experience.
