I read a novel by someone who said she was writing about a past life in Egypt and she mentioned a mental network the priests had. Did anything like that exist? Well, memetically? Certainly. Also through their understanding of the omniscience of the Ka, so important point, thank you.
Heka is gnostic in nature, and likely was a heavy influence on Greek Gnosticism. In Heka, one of the reasons you work to awaken the Ka is that it shares in the omniscience of the gods. Not only could the Heka discern the proper condition for Maat at any given time, but they could even foresee future incidents of chaos and set down guidance to provide for that.
Mystics of all traditions seem to seek “union” with their gods. In Heka, they seek union and also individuation. There were rites for establishing oneself as an “elder” on the council of Maat, sort of a demigod if you will, but it did require purification to rid yourself of excessive Isfet or disorder.
Like the Greek “Titan.” Yes, becoming like a hero god to your descendants, and well, your entire culture. It’s what makes Heka spooky to orthodox thinkers. The equal reverence shown to the self as well as the gods.
The animistic imagery associated with alchemy also arose in part from the view of Egyptian Heka. The action of even the smallest things arose from their Ka, and alchemy was just awakening the Ka of that herb or animal part. So the description of watching the fire or the mixture as if it were a creature was likely heavily influenced by Heka.
What we know of Heka is mostly what it has left as traces either in the Egyptian culture and their ancestral ruins, or in the influence they exerted through contact with other cultures, like the Greeks and Romans.
As I awaken the Ka, do I also imprint my intention on it for a desired outcome to enact a change I want? Ah, interesting question. Heka works more like cabalism. In cabalism, you practice the meditations and rituals that reveal the various sephiroth to you, and through your having witnessed and come to understand those levels of reality, you gain insight into how best to influence and gain from “ordinary” reality. In Heka, through walking the path of Osirus or Horus, and thus awakening those parts of your personal Ka, you gain insight into the parts of the world they govern, and thus influence over them.
So more about finding it in the world and drawing it to you? Finding the sense in you and seeing the “unseen” in the world, and thus by seeing the infrastructure being able to interact with and influence that.
So perhaps an example. Name something you would seek to understand and thus get a handle on? Inter relationships with people. Ah, this would be one of two paths. The path of Isis or that of Osirus. The two blend into each other, and by initiation into the path as well as enacting the rites of let’s say Isis, you awaken the omniscience of Isis in your own Ka. You come to know as she knows.
It’s fully within the spirit of the original Heka to reconstruct and elaborate upon it as there were many traditions and they all arose as observation of the world seemed to require. And as for the Hekau, well we all have innate conceptual associations anyway, so like dream messages you can describe your understanding of one of the many gods and thus attune yourself more to that god.
I was thinking you could use a modern icon/person/character in the same way. You indeed could, as long as this image allowed for Maat. It couldn’t effectively be used if it denied the unity of the Ka.
They had dream temples, not unlike the Greeks, though perhaps being less “urban” about things. In fact, the cynic “dogs” could easily be seen as Heka aligned with Anubis.
Dogs? Yes, it was a symbol in cynic philosophy. They believed much of human establishment and behaviour was unnatural and foolish, full of hubris. They believed real wisdom was found in nature and human nature. Though they were originally called dogs by other philosophers, they liked and adopted the name, and even started barking at those who they felt were just engaging in empty intellectual pretense.
The cynic “dogs” as Heka aligned to the dog god of death? Interesting thought, no?
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~