Egyptian Healing;
Magic and Medicine - NFT
Main idea:
To create a powerful multi-layered field that will integrate all the best magical, alchemical, medical systems of ancient Egypt. Integration of all healing powers of ancient EgyptProject Objectives:
- Restoration, healing and enhancements of the body and one’s energy system based on the best Egyptian systems (and their practical energy application)
- Integration of magical traditions of Egypt, knowledge of the secret papyri. Access to knowledge of Egyptian medical secrets (and their practical energetic application)
- Direct connection with the gods and artifacts of Egypt that can assist in the healing of various diseases
- Egyptian energetic pharmacology (and its practical energetic application)
- The magical concept and power in magic of Heka
- Improvement of ‘Ka’; activation and amplification - human vitality and magical abilities
- Magical facial balm from the Captain (the Captain will pick and blend himself, based on the most ancient recipes of Egypt)
- Being the Magician as in Being the Healer
Ancient Egypt is a wonderful and mysterious country. The walls of temples, columns, steles, household items and papyruses, covered with inscriptions, have preserved the memory of the Egyptian civilization. Through the deciphering of all these inscriptions the world has been presented with one of the brightest pages of the ancient history of mankind. The inquisitive gaze of the scientists revealed an unusually high level of knowledge of the ancient Egyptians in many fields, in medicine, in the magical arts. Intensified interest of Egyptians to medicine, purposeful and scientific approach to diseases, rather complicated recipes of medicine preparation - all this amazes the contemporaries.
In the ancient world, the Egyptians were well known for their medicine: Homer talks about it in The Odyssey. Herodotus adds that both Cyrus and Darius, rulers of the Persian Empire, had Egyptian physicians. Knowledge of medicine in ancient Egypt dates back at least 3,500 years from three primary papyri: the Ebers, Edwin Smith, and the gynecological papyri of Kahun. Many of the instructions in the papyri parallel modern medical procedures and contain remedies using hundreds of ingredients.
Egyptian medicine was based on a vast array of plants and other materials that are now recognized as having pharmaceutical properties. It was in Ancient Egypt that the unique methods of action on the human body, which would only become known many millennia later, originated.
Ancient Egyptian medicine is the oldest documented medical system. Existing without much change from the 23rd century BC to the beginning of the Persian invasion in 525 BC, it was so perfect that the achievements of doctors of those times could not be surpassed by Europeans for many centuries. Egyptian healers believed that disease should be treated with specially made medicines, recognized the healing power of massage,
all of the above, of course encompassed; within the touch of magic.
Many European and Western Magical Traditions owe their origins to the Arabian schools of magic, which had their roots in the Nile Valley; in the “cradle of magic”, that is, in Egypt.
Magic appeared along with the act of creation, and in fact gave this power of creation itself, so the concept of heka is the most important part of this project.
Heka was believed to have been present at the creation of the world and was the generative force that the gods used to create life. Since magic was an important aspect of Egyptian medical science, the physician summoned Heka to practice. In medicine, the laws of nature, personified by the gods, were used to heal the patient.
Magic provided a personal relationship with the gods that connected the individual with the divine. Thus, Heka can be seen as the primary form of spirituality in ancient Egypt, regardless of the era or the gods most popular at any given time. Heka was venerated throughout Egyptian history from the earliest times until the Ptolemaic dynasty (332-30 B.C.) and in Roman Egypt. Heka has always remained an invisible force,
in continuum acting behind and through the visible gods.
Heka is the god of magic and medicine in ancient Egypt, as well as the personification of magic itself. He is, in the mind’s eye, the most important god in Egyptian mythology, but he is often overlooked, or not to be seen, as his presence was so pervasive that it made him almost invisible to 19th- and 20th-century Egyptologists. He is mentioned in medical texts, magical incantations and spells, but his name does not appear in the most famous myths, and the ancient Egyptians considered him a force behind the gods, whose names and stories became synonymous with Egyptian culture.
Later, Heka was usually depicted as a man grasping two snakes wriggling around him. This symbol was later borrowed by the Greeks and associated with the god of medicine Asclepius, only now the snakes were not wrapped around the god himself, but his staff. According to the Egyptologist Richard H. Wilkinson, " Heka was considered a god of inestimable power," who was feared by the other gods.
In ancient Egypt, the collective word for the deities; the gods and goddesses,
be ‘neteru’,
of which, being a personified extension of ‘neter’,
in turn; developed into our current word for ‘nature’.
One can view the word, the world, of ‘neter’ in one’s own time’s vision,
so too as the timeless ‘cosmic principles’;
’the laws of nature’ directing in flow;
being gods and goddesses,
personified in deified form, by the extended hands reaches of the neter,
structuring the essence in nature;
of each as in all, inherent
The word Heka can mean several things, each of which brings to our understanding the complexity of ancient Egyptian magic (described below).
Egyptian Magic and the Power of Heka
These days most people do not associate magic with medicine, but for the ancient Egyptians the two disciplines were accompanied all-in-all; as one and the same. The Ebers papyrus (circa 1550 BC), one of the most complete medical texts extant, states that medicine is as effective with magic as magic is effective with medicine. Since disease was believed to have a supernatural origin, the best remedy was supernatural protection. Diseases were caused either by the will of the gods, an evil demon, or an evil spirit, the infinite laws of nature,
and incantations against these demons and spirits (or seeking help from the gods) were a common means of treating illness throughout Egyptian history.The Egyptians saw magic as part of the natural world. This magical power - Heka, which is often translated as “fearful power” (or great power) - and is seen as a gift from the God Ra, who, gave people magic as a weapon to protect themselves from the influence of dangerous events. Magic is therefore seen as a means of protection in life against fate and protection against human evil. Heka is also described as the “ba” (soul or manifestation) of the sun god. He was the energy that made possible the creation of acts of magic as an extension of the creative process.
Heka also has inherent magical energies (mana or the will of the Creator) that are contained within the living. Different beings are perceived as possessing different amounts of “heka” (magical energy). In addition to the fact that the term “heka” is the specific energy that is needed to perform a healing magical act, Heka was also a god. Or perhaps it would be more correct to say that he was the center that personified divine magic.
Heka and Maat always exist by interaction, they are complements of themselves. The connection between Heka and Maat is very strong. Heka is the “controller of the House of Natural Law”. Natural Law is a function of Maat, so this means that the function of magic as part of the normal functioning of the universe is within the power of the deity of magic.
Heka is perceived as the manifested power of every ritual act. In this context, heka is the intention of the act: cause, act and action itself. For example, any amulet or talisman, an image that is given meaning and then consecrated is the will of Heka. He is not only the god who consecrated the image, but it is his power that rests on the creation of the image. Another name for the god Heka was “God Ka,” referring to the nature of the soul.
The word “Heka” also means “enhancing the activity of Ka, animating Ka.” The Egyptians believed that increasing the power of this vital soul-aspect, was the principle by which magic worked. The ancient Egyptians believed that by enlivening Ka with the god Heka, they could influence other gods to obtain protection, healing and transformation, in endless manifestation. Health and the integrity of being were sacred to Heka.
Heka can be seen as the creative forces or life-giving energies of the Ka-essence of the soul, connecting objects, creating new forms of things. The symbols resonate with the universe as a subtle tapestry of energy that the magician must learn to read if he/she wants to make magic work effectively. To this end, Heka trained the priests in the art of developing their Ka.
“Ba” is everything that makes a person unique, the sum total of the mind, feelings and emotions, as well as the concept of personality. The Egyptians believed that inanimate objects also had “Ba” their own unique character. Ka - in the religion of the ancient Egyptians - the spirit of man, a being of the highest order, an embodied life force.
Historians define Ba and Ka as the spirit, the soul. But we must keep in mind that both they and we would be fundamentally wrong in trying to understand the Ba and Ka through the prism of Christian stereotypes.
Others reference the Ba as the “celestial soul”, influencing the essential achievement of an activated, and greatly amplified Ka.
Egyptian doctors (known as heka priests) did not try to deceive the patient with some sleight of hand, but called upon real powers to cure him. This practice (heka) called upon the deity who made the healing resolution possible, as well as other gods who were thought to be especially useful for the procedure of curing any illness.
Amulets, were an important element in medical magic. For example, amulets of the djed, ankh, scarab, wadj, and many other Egyptian symbols were usually worn for protection or to invoke the aid of a deity, but the power through which he acted and through which one could communicate with her was Heka. Magical practices, such as reciting a certain spells or incantation before going on a trip or simply fishing, all invoked the power of Heka, regardless of which other deity was invoked.
In the magical formulas of the Pyramid Texts he takes the form of the serpent Duat (of the lower world). In a later epoch he takes an anthropomorphic form and appears as a man holding two snakes in each hand. In another aspect he is called the “Lord of Oracles and Revelations” and the “One who foretells the future”. His mediator on earth is a priest, a magician, and “possessor of sacred powers.” His main function was to transmit the energy of the heka from the deity to other priests, members of the Royal House, the sick, and the maimed.
To cure the sick, the Egyptians used Pehret medicinal formulas. This magic was used to perform rituals in Egyptian temples; the priests used it in their daily lives as well. These magical rituals, together with traditional medicine, evolved into a set of activities aimed at healing not only the body but also the soul. Magic was also used to protect against evil deities, ghosts, demons and sorcerers, which the Egyptians believed were the cause of disease, misfortune, poverty and infertility.
Egyptian magic worked through the use of three elements, namely; the word, action, and material.
Actions were an important element because they served to harness and control magical energy. Such actions included various magical rituals, and certain gestures that were used as a means of protection.
The ingredients used in magic were varied, including milk, water, garlic, blood, and many others that were used in rituals and in various spells to increase the power of the magician. Since only a specially trained priest could use the power of prayers or magical words, the words were soon carved into the amulet, thus giving double power.
There were many different amulets, some of them were strictly regulated, both in image and form, and in the material from which it is made. Besides, any ring, pendant, jewelry or other similar object on which was inscribed the name of the god, his emblem or image, became a protective amulet, and its power lasted as long as the material was not destroyed or the image or inscription was not erased. Among them are the amulet Aba (heart), the sacred scarab, the buckle of Isis, Wuajet (Eye of Horus), Ankh, the Amulet of Nefer, the Snake’s Head, Menat and many others.
The Words of Power of the Egyptian tradition are sacred words with special powers, and therefore were hidden from laymen.
The priests, “possessors of sacred powers”, played a special role. They were the guardians of the Divine Power, and could pass it on to objects - “sanctify/fill.”
“Words of power” could also be written on a papyrus, which was placed along with the amulet on the deceased, and had the purpose of subjugating the gods to the power of the deceased so that he could force them to do his will. The magic of speech used for thousands of years in funerary rites and recorded in the “Book of the Dead” reflects the importance given to the word in the religious ideas of the ancient Egyptians. The name Rin of a person, spirit or deity was endowed with a special magical power, being a hidden part of his essence. Knowledge of the true name gave power over its possessor.Egyptian spells worked on three levels - the word, the action, and the place where the spell was uttered. To distinguish them from normal speech, spells had to be recited by a priest using the correct tone and accurate pronunciation. The sound, rhythm in the verbal form of the spell enhances the power of the word, with repetition as an important factor in ensuring the proper accumulation of magical energy, or “heka.”
Heka is usually translated as “magic,” but it is a much larger concept. Another translation of heka is the magical sense of speech (Magical Voice). It was vital to the priests to qualitatively increase Ka and Ba, or Ka for Ba, to improve vocal abilities. This took them years of study. Understanding the concept of “heka” allowed the Priests to learn: the more heka you had, the greater your ability to do magic.
The magical arts of the Egyptians consisted of two types: magical arts that worked for the good of the living or the dead (ritual, funerary magic), and magic that was used with negative intentions, such as curses. A magician could heal the sick or bring destruction upon enemies. The Egyptians used magic as considered reasonable to protect and empower their livelihood. As with every spiritual and magical system, the practitioner’s purpose determines the magic with which he works, in a positive or negative sense. In situations that challenge our opinions, morals and ethics, we try to proceed carefully. Our definition is solely ours, for no matter what course of action we take, there will always be people who agree or disagree with it. Actions taken in response to life’s trials and tribulations cannot always be analyzed and classified as positive or negative, white or black. There is a gray area that requires attention to its possible consequences. Like the ancient magicians, some people have the ability to create or destroy. Performing responsibly, through faith and wisdom, one must contemplate the results and consequences that their magic will cause. It is for this reason that Egyptian magic is considered complex and powerful, because it forces one to define oneself, to know oneself, to discover the secrets within, and to confront the dark areas of the psyche and subconscious, and it also enables the individual to transform himself.
Ka - The Energetic Double: Life-Force Body
Heka is a magical force. Heka is the energy possessed by all things, not only humans, or any of the living, but also Gods. The word heka also means - engage, strengthen, make your ka work. Ka; being the life force of a person.
Ka, one of the nine aspects of the soul; historically referenced as the energetic double of the Ket, the physical body (as another soul-aspect). The energetic double, inverted to the physically seen, touches common topics of negative entropy, of perfected blueprint; the original seed-idea; in relation to genesis, in contrast to the imperfect complexities of matter, that of the ket. The pharaonic goal of initiation, to activate and amplify the ka to such enhancements it overrides the nature of the ket, being influenced by the ba, in the royal house referenced to Isis, the “celestial mother” of the Pharaoh.
That is, Heka can be understood as amplifying the magical power of one’s energy body, as complete healing. If a person has a lot of magical energy, then any word spoken or written by him has an enormous power of realization and quickly comes true. The priests of Egypt developed entire rituals to amplify the ka, to increase the life energy. According to the beliefs of the ancient priests, Heka could be accumulated just like a modern battery accumulates electricity. The more power a person had, the more healing magic he could create.
Heka was usually depicted as two raised hands and two snakes wrapped around each other. Perhaps because it is through the hands that energy is transmitted…
for example; if you need to heal a sick person, yourself,
or to charge an amulet with magical power.
Patrons of Egyptian Medicine
Many myths tell of deities who taught people healing. The main gods of the divine child’s negentropic path were Thoth; the god of wisdom,
and Isis, the goddess of motherhood and fertility among her many divine titles.
Thoth created writing, mathematics, astronomy, religious rituals, music, and most importantly, a system for curing diseases by natural means. He is credited with the most ancient medical treatises.
Isis, the consort of Osiris and performer of his revival to conceive Their Child, was considered the originator of the magical foundations of healing and the patroness of children. Medicines bearing the name of Isis are even mentioned in the writings of the ancient Roman physician-pharmacist Galen. Isis’ son, Horus, also possessed the art of healing. Women (and women in childbirth) in the ancient Egyptians were protected by the lion-headed Sekhmet, too the eternal protectress of the Pharaoh,
and newborns were guarded by the goddess Taweret; every newborn Egyptian, regardless of social status, lay next to a small statue of Taweret,
who also gatekept the in-flux of the celestial North, repelling “evil forces” before entrance.One of the most revered deities was Anubis. The Egyptians believed that it was he who taught them the rules of embalming. Although the basics of embalming have been lost, their effectiveness is evident. After passing through the millennia, the bodies of the dead were preserved without losing their outlines. In ancient times, it was believed that by preserving a person’s appearance, the doctor helped his soul, which was carried into the afterlife. The embalming procedure was very complicated, and therefore only the most experienced physicians were allowed to embalm.
Embalming also required the use of various reagents, which indirectly contributed to the birth of ideas about the chemical nature of the reactions. Moreover, it is believed that the name “chemistry” itself was derived from the ancient Egyptian name Kemet, often translated to ‘black soil’ (in reference to the slit of the fertile banks; potent as mold, post an inundating Nile River).
In ancient Egypt, many advances in medicine were associated with the name of the mortal-becoming-god; Imhotep. Temples were built in honor of Imhotep, in which the priests healed those who suffered from various ailments, following his instructions. Antique manuscripts mention a temple in Memphis where people came from afar in the hope of getting rid of their ailments. The pilgrims prayed before the statue of Imhotep, offered sacrifices and spent the night in the temple.
Museums around the world have a rich collection of images of the Egyptian healer. In the English Institute of the History of Medicine named after G. Wellcome, there are 48 statuettes of Imhotep, in the State Hermitage Museum there are 9 bronze and 1 faience figurine. A typical bronze statuette of Imhotep can be seen in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. It is 14.5 cm in height and is believed to have been created in the 7th and 6th centuries B.C. Imhotep is depicted seated (the legs have been lost) with a short pleated vestment on his belt and three rows of necklaces made of pipes and lotus petals on his neck. In his hands he holds a scroll of papyrus with the inscription “Imhotep”. For a long time it was thought that Imhotep was a mythical image created by popular imagination. Some Egyptologists argued that Imhotep was a certain hypostasis of the god Ptah, caused by the need for new deities embodying the manifestation of intellectual abilities. And a prominent Egyptologist of the last century F. Zimmermann proved that Imhotep was the result of deification of the formula “im-hotep” - “walking in the world” - frequently mentioned in the texts.
Other reasoning sources recall the reversed play of Imhotep’s name, related to Ptah, descending from the Heavens onto Earth, dreaming with the universe; creating with the Word;
further imaging the idea of Imhotep’s ascension into the Heavens from Earth, enhancing the legend of him once being mortal, in now God-Eternal; in healing and of medicine.On closer examination of the documents associated with the name of Imhotep, Egyptologists have obtained much evidence that Imhotep was a real person, an amazingly talented and multi-talented man. Forty-eight centuries ago Imhotep was an “ordinary” mortal, a contemporary of third-dynasty Pharaoh Djoser. Then Imhotep is a demigod, that is, a man to whom the gods granted immortality. And a few centuries later, for almost three millennia, he is revered as a full-fledged god. From the 4th century AD begins a period of gradual oblivion of Imhotep, and only after the deciphering of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs in the 19th century Imhotep’s name gradually begins to revive from oblivion. All Imhotep’s ranks are listed on the statue of Djoser in the memorial temple of the pyramid.
Papyri - Sources of Information about Ancient Egyptian Medicine. Pharmacology
Before the deciphering of the Ancient Egyptian writing, the only sources on the history of Ancient Egypt and its medicine were the information of the Greek historian Herodotus, set forth in the Ancient Greek language, and also the works of the Greek writers Diodorus, Polybius, Strabo, Plutarch. Numerous ancient Egyptian texts on the walls of the pyramids, tombs and papyrus scrolls remained “incomprehensible” to researchers for a long time. The study of the ancient Egyptian texts began relatively recently, after the French scientist J.F. Champollion solved the mystery of the Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. The first report was made on September 27, 1822, in front of a meeting of French scientists. This day is considered the birthday of the science of Egyptology. Champollion’s discovery was associated with the study of the inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone, found by an officer of Napoleon’s army in 1799 while digging trenches near the city of Rosetta in Egypt.
The earliest medical treatises were written on papyri. The most complete information on Ancient Egyptian medicine which has survived to our day is provided by two papyri - the great medical papyrus of H. Ebers (Georg Ebers, a professor of Egyptology at Leipzig University, had a unique document in his possession in 1862) and the papyrus of E. Smith.
The most extensive information is provided by the great medical papyrus of Ebers (16th century B.C. ), found in Thebes. Many of the herbal ingredients are still unknown due to difficulties in translation. The papyri mention many medicinal plants. Among them are the familiar onions and aloe, the herb DiaDia is mentioned, which has analgesic and hypnotic properties. The Egyptians knew mandrake by this name. The art of obtaining sleeping pills and painkillers from the root of mandrake later passed from Egypt to Greece. Opium was also used for pain relief.
The Egyptian physicians had the first description of the brain. They had an interesting concept of the human cardiovascular system - the theory of “channels” that carried air, water and blood through the body like the Nile. If the channels were blocked - the fields along the dried up river would wither, meaning the body or part of it would become diseased.
“The beginning of the mysteries of the physician is knowledge of the course of the heart, from which the vessels go to all the organs of the body, for every physician, every priest of the goddess Sekhmet, every spell-caster, touching the head, the back of the head, hands, palms, feet - everywhere touches the heart: from it the vessels are directed to every part of the body…”,
is written in the Ebers papyrus.The Ebers papyrus contains prescriptions for medicines for smoothing wrinkles, removing moles, coloring hair and eyebrows, and enhancing hair growth. As an example, a recipe for an ointment for hair growth is given:
“Claws of a greyhound, flowers of date palm, donkey hooves boiled in oil until tender, rubbed and rubbed into the head.”It should be noted that the above recommendations are not as ridiculous as they seem at first glance. It is now established that hooves, horns and claws are composed of horny substance, high in sulfur compounds, which release sulfur compounds during heat treatment. And sulfur is invariably included in various modern medicines for hair growth. Only to obtain sulfur now there is no need to burn or boil horns and hooves.
The paper describes the characteristics, causes, and treatment of mental disorders such as dementia and depression. The ancient Egyptians viewed mental illness as a combination of blocked channels. The Egyptians also saw the causes of disease in the invasion of certain entities. Both medicines and various magical techniques were used to exorcise them. The scroll contains a section on birth control, how to determine whether a woman is pregnant, and several other gynecological matters. In addition to scientific and medical advice, the tractate contains many magical formulas that are supposed to aid in the success of treatment. There are also astronomical observations in the papyrus. The Ebers papyrus is a kind of “medical encyclopedia” of the ancient Egyptians.
The basic information on surgery is contained in the papyrus of Smith (c. 1600 B.C.). The 4.68-meter-long ribbon records the anatomy and surgery of the ancient Egyptians, describing 48 cases of traumatic injuries to the skull, brain, cervical vertebrae, thorax, and spine and their methods of healing.
OTHER PAPIRUSES:
Chester Beatty’s medical papyri, dating back to 1200 B.C., focus on the treatment of anorectal (rectal-related) diseases with cannabis. This may be the earliest mention of the medical use of cannabis.
The Berlin Medical Papyrus, also known as the papyrus of Bruges, dated 1570 - 1069 BC (New Kingdom era), contains knowledge of contraception, ovulation and fertility, and determining pregnancy by the color of eyes, face and female breasts.
The Leydonian Magical Papyrus (circa 3rd century B.C.) deals with magical healing techniques.
The papyrus of Hurst (written during the New Kingdom) describes ways to treat infections of the urinary tract and digestive system.
The Cahun Medical Papyrus (c. 1800 B.C.) deals with pregnancy and conception.
The London Medical Papyrus (c. 1782-1570 B.C.) offers ways to treat burns, eye diseases.
to @Ugninis for idealization and design,
to @El_Capitan_Nemo for realization, in touching magic
so too; for the whole team, joining with in-journey