(178) The Oracles of the Gods declare, that through purifying ceremonies, not the Soul only, but bodies themselves become Worth) of receiving much assistance and health, for, say they, the mortal vestment of coarse Matter will by these means be purified." And this, the Gods, in an exhortatory manner, announce to the moat holy of Theurgists.

(67) But those waters shall in those days serve for the kings and the mighty and the exalted, and those who dwell on the earth, for the healing of the body, but for the punishment of the spirit; now their spirit is full of lust, that they may be punished in their body, for they have denied the Lord of Spirits and see their punishment daily, and yet believe not in His name.

(36) 28 Thou purifiest (thyself); Horus purifies (himself). Thou purifiest (thyself); Set purifies (himself). Thou purifiest (thyself); Thot purifies (himself). 28 Thou purifiest (thyself); the god purifies (himself). Thou purifiest (thyself); thy ka purifies (himself). Thou purifiest (thyself); thy god purifies (himself). 28 Thou also purifiest (thyself); it is thou who art among thy brothers, the gods. 29 Thy natron is on thy mouth; thou purifiest thy bones, (and) all. Equip thyself with that which belongs to thee. 29 Osiris, I have given to thee the eye of Horus to equip thy face therewith; adhere (to it). 29 One pellet of natron.

(1) Moreover, that which purifies souls is perfect in the Gods; but in archangels it is anagogic. Angels alone dissolve the bond of generation. Dæmons draw souls down into nature; but heroes lead them to a providential attention to sensible works. Archons either deliver to them the government of mundane concerns, or the inspection of material natures. And souls, when they become apparent, tend in a certain respect to generation. Farther still, consider this, also, that you should attribute everything which is pure and stable in the visible image to the more excellent genera. Hence, you should ascribe to the Gods that which in the image is transcendently splendid, and which is firmly established in itself. That which is splendid, but is established as in another thing, you should give to archangels; but that which remains in another to angels. To all these, therefore, you should oppose, that which is rashly borne along, is unestablished, and filled with foreign natures, the whole of which is adapted to inferior orders.

(1) When, [then,] the soul’s departure from the body shall take place,—then shall the judgment and the weighing of its merit pass into its highest daimon’s power. And when he sees it pious is and just,—he suffers it to rest in spots appropriate to it. But if he find it soiled with stains of evil deeds, and fouled with vice,—he drives it from Above into the Depths, and hands it o’er to warring hurricanes and vortices of Air, of Fire, and Water.

(452) 841 To say: O N., stand up, that thou mayest be pure, that thy ka may be pure. 841 Horus purifies thee in b.w. 842 Thy purification is the purification of Shu, thy purification is the purification of Tefnut, 842 thy purification is the purification of the four spirits of the houses, 842 C. when they rejoice in Buto because thou art pure. 842 Thy mother Nut purifies thee, the great protectress, she protects thee. 843 "Take to thee thy head; thy bones are united for thee," says Geb. 843 "Effaced be the evil which is with N., destroyed shall be the evil which is with him," says Atum. 22. A MISCELLANEOUS GROUP,

(83) Thou must know that I do not suck it out from the dead or mortal reason, but my spirit qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with God, and proveth or searcheth the Deity, how it is in all its births or genitures in its taste and smell: And I find that the Deity is a very simple, pure, meek, loving and quiet being; and that the birth of the Ternary of God generateth itself very meekly, friendly, lovingly and unanimously, and the sharpness of the innermost birth can never elevate or swell itself into the meekness of the Ternary, but remaineth hidden in the deep.

(3) "O Shem, they are deceived by manifold demons, thinking that through baptism with the uncleanness of water, which is dark, feeble, idle, and disturbing, the water will take away sins. And they do not know that from the water to the water there is bondage, error, unchastity, envy, murder, adultery, false witness, heresies, robberies, lusts, babblings, wrath, bitterness. . . . Therefore, there are many deaths that burden their thoughts. For I foretell it to those who have understanding. They will refrain from the impure baptism. And those who have understanding from the light of the spirit will not have dealings with the impure rubbing. And their heart will not grow faint, nor will they curse, nor will they give honor to the water. Where the curse is, there is the deficiency. And the blindness is where the honor is. For if they mix with the evil ones, they become empty in the dark water. Where the water has been mentioned, there is nature, and the oath, and the lie, and the loss. For only in the unconceived spirit, where the exalted light rested, has the water not been mentioned, nor can it be mentioned.

(471) 920 To say: N. is the being of a god, the son of a god, the messenger of a god. 920 N. comes, and N. purifies himself in the Marsh of Reeds, 920 N. comes down to the field of Kns.t. 921 The Followers of Horus purify N. 921 they bathe N., they dry N., 921 they recite for N. the chapter of the right way, 921 they recite for N. the chapter of those who ascend for life and joy. 922 N. ascends to heaven for life and joy. 922 N. embarks (descends) for life and joy into the boat of R`; 922 N. commands for him those gods who transport him. 923 Every god shall rejoice at the approach of N., 923 as they rejoice at the approach of R`, 923 when he comes forth on the eastern side of the sky, in peace, in peace.

(4) Mine eyes he loosed, and said: "Direct the nerve Of vision now along that ancient foam, There yonder where that smoke is most intense." Even as the frogs before the hostile serpent Across the water scatter all abroad, Until each one is huddled in the earth. More than a thousand ruined souls I saw, Thus fleeing from before one who on foot Was passing o'er the Styx with soles unwet. From off his face he fanned that unctuous air, Waving his left hand oft in front of him, And only with that anguish seemed he weary. Well I perceived one sent from Heaven was he, And to the Master turned; and he made sign That I should quiet stand, and bow before him. Ah! how disdainful he appeared to me! He reached the gate, and with a little rod He opened it, for there was no resistance. "O banished out of Heaven, people despised!" Thus he began upon the horrid threshold; "Whence is this arrogance within you couched? Wherefore recalcitrate against that will, From which the end can never be cut off, And which has many times increased your pain?

(35) 27 Thou purifiest (thyself); Horus purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. Thou purifiest (thyself); Set purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. 27 Thou purifiest (thyself); Thot purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. Thou purifiest (thyself); the god purifies (himself). One pellet of natron. 27 Thou also purifiest (thyself)--thou who art among them. One pellet of natron. 27 Thy mouth is the mouth of a sucking calf on the day of his birth. 27 Five pellets of natron of the North, Wadi Natr�n (st-p.t)

(2) But it is evident, from the effects themselves, that what we now say is the salvation of the soul. For the soul in contemplating blessed spectacles, acquires another life, energizes according to another energy, and is then rightly considered as no longer ranking in the order of man. Frequently, likewise, abandoning her own life, she exchanges it for the most blessed energy of the Gods. If, therefore, the ascent through invocations imparts to the priests purification from passions, a liberation from generation, and a union with a divine principle, how is it possible to connect with it any thing of passion? For an invocation of this kind does not draw down the impassive and pure Gods, to that which is passive and impure; but, on the contrary, it renders us, who have become passive through generation, pure and immutable.

(11) This I ask Thee, O Ahura! tell me aright; how to these your (worshippers) may (that Piety once again and evermore) approach, to them to whom O Lord, Thy Faith is uttered? Yea, I beseech of Thee to tell me this, I who am known to Thee as Thy foremost of (servants); all other (Gods, with their polluted worshippers), I look upon with (my) spirit's hate .

(12) When the Hierarch has finished these things, he places the body in an honourable chamber, with other holy bodies of the same rank. For if, in soul and body, the man fallen asleep passed a life dear to God, there will be honoured, with the devout soul, the body also, which contended with it throughout the devout struggles. Hence the Divine justice gives to it, together with its own body, the retributive inheritances, as companion and participator in the devout, or the contrary, life. Wherefore, the Divine institution of sacred rites bequeaths the supremely Divine participations to them both--to the soul, indeed, in pure contemplation and in science of the things being done, and to the body, by sanctifying the whole man, as in a figure with the most Divine Muron, and the most holy symbols of the supremely Divine Communion, sanctifying the whole man, and announcing, by purifications of the whole man, that his resurrection will be most complete.

(2) We must rather, therefore, say, that sounds and melodies are appropriately consecrated to the Gods. There is, also, an alliance in these sounds and melodies to the proper orders and powers of the several Gods, to the motions in the universe itself, and to the harmonious sounds which proceed from the motions. Conformably, therefore, to such like adaptations of melodies to the Gods, the Gods themselves become present. For there is not any thing which intercepts; so that whatever has but a casual similitude to, directly participates of, them . A perfect possession, likewise, immediately takes place, and a plenitude of a more excellent essence and power. Not that the body and the soul are in each other, and sympathize, and are copassive with the melodies; but because the inspiration of the Gods is not separated from divine harmony, but is originally adapted and allied to it, on this account it is participated by it in appropriate measures. Hence also, it is excited and restrained according to the several orders of the Gods. But this inspiration must by no means be called an ablation, purgation, or medicine. For it is not primarily implanted in us from a certain disease, or excess, or redundance; but the whole principle and participation of it are supernally derived from the Gods.

The FUMIGATION from MANNA. HEAR me, O Goddess! whose emerging ray Leads on the broad refulgence of the day; Blushing Aurora, whose celestial light Beams on the world with red'ning splendours bright: Angel of Titan, whom with constant round, Thy orient beams recall from night profound: Labour of ev'ry kind to lead is thine, Of mortal life the minister divine. Mankind in thee eternally delight, And none presumes to shun thy beauteous sight. Soon as thy splendours break the bands of rest, And eyes unclose with pleasing sleep oppress'd; Men, reptiles, birds, and beasts, with gen'ral voice, And all the nations of the deep, rejoice; For all the culture of our life is thine. Come, blessed pow'r! and to these rites incline: Thy holy light increase, and unconfin'd Diffuse its radiance on thy mystic's mind. Next: LXXVIII: To Themis Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXVI: To Mnemosyne, or the G... Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXVIII: To Themis » Sacred Texts | Classics

(2) Now, amongst the profane, some illogically think to go to a non-existence; others that the bodily blending with their proper souls will be severed once for all, as unsuitable to them in a Divine life and blessed lots, not considering nor being sufficiently instructed in Divine science, that our most Godlike life in Christ has already begun. But others assign to souls union with other bodies, committing, as I think, this injustice to them, that, after (bodies) have laboured together with the godly souls, and have reached the goal of their most Divine course, they relentlessly deprive them of their righteous retributions. And others (I do not know how they have strayed to conceptions of such earthly tendency) say, that the most holy and blessed repose promised to the devout is similar to our life in this world, and unlawfully reject, for those who are equal to the Angels, nourishments appropriate to another kind of life. None of the most religious men, however, will ever fall into such errors as these; but, knowing that their whole selves will receive the Christ-like inheritance, when they have come to the goal of this present life, they see more clearly their road to incorruption already become nearer, and extol the gifts of the Godhead, and are filled with a Divine satisfaction, no longer fearing the fall to a worse condition, but knowing well that they will hold firmly and everlastingly the good things already acquired. Those, however, who are full of blemishes, and unholy stains, even though they have attained to some initiation, yet, of their own accord, have, to their own destruction, rejected this from their mind, and have rashly followed their destructive lusts, to them when they have come to the end of their life here, the Divine regulation of the Oracles will no longer appear as before, a subject of scorn, but, when they have looked with different eyes upon the pleasures of their passions destroyed, and when they have pronounced blessed the holy life from which they thoughtlessly fell away, they are, piteously and against their will, separated from this present life, conducted to no holy hope, by reason of their shameful life.

(268) 370 To say: N. washes himself, R` appears, the Great Ennead sparkles; 370 the Ombite is high as chief of the 'itr.t-palace; 371 N. puts humanity off from him as a limb; 371 N. seizes the wrr.t-crown from the hand of the Ennead. 371 Isis nurses him, Nephthys suckles him, 372 Horus takes him by his fingers (to his side), 372 he purifies N. in the lake of the jackal, 372 he makes, the ka of N. clean in the lake of the D.t. 372 He rubs down the flesh of the ka of N. and his own 372 with that which is near R` in the horizon, that which he (R`) took, 373 when the two lands beamed and when he bared the face of the gods. 373 He brings the ka of N. and himself to the great palace, 373 after offices (?) were made for him and the mtt was knotted for him. 374 N. leads the imperishable stars, 374 he ferries over to the Marshes of Reeds, 374 the inhabitants of the horizon row him, the inhabitants of b.w navigate him. 375 N. is very capable (mighty), his arms will not desert him; 375 N. is very excellent (foremost), his ka comes to him (to his aid).

(6) "Hearken, therefore, that I may discourse with you concerning the soul according as I have said: The five great rulers of the great Fate of the æons and the rulers of the disk of the sun and the rulers of the disk of the moon breathe into that soul, and there cometh out of them a portion of my power, as I have just said. And the portion of that power remaineth within the soul, so that the soul can stand. And they put the counterfeiting spirit outside the soul, watching it and assigned to it; and the rulers bind it to the soul with their seals and their bonds and seal it to it, that it may compel it always, so that it continually doeth its mischiefs and all its iniquities, in order that it may be their slave always and remain under their sway always in the changes of the body; and they seal it to it that it may be in all the sin and all the desires of the world.

(63) Thus spake the Lord of Spirits: 'This is the ordinance and judgement with respect to the mighty and the kings and the exalted and those who possess the earth before the Lord of Spirits.'