(1) From old Egypt have come the fundamental esoteric and occult teachings which have so strongly influenced the philosophies of all races, nations and peoples, for several thousand years. Egypt, the home of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, was the birthplace of the Hidden Wisdom and Mystic Teachings. From her Secret Doctrine all nations have borrowed. India, Persia, Chaldea, Medea, China, Japan, Assyria, ancient Greece and Rome, and other ancient countries partook liberally at the feast of knowledge which the Hierophants and Masters of the Land of Isis so freely provided for those who came prepared to partake of the great store of Mystic and Occult Lore which the masterminds of that ancient land had gathered together.

(1) Or this thing may likewise be explained as follows: Dæmons preside with a guardian power over arcane mysteries, and this in so remarkable a degree, because the orderly distribution of things in the universe is primarily contained in dæmons. For the parts of the universe remain in order, because the beneficent power of Osiris continues sacred and undefiled, and is not mingled with any opposing error and perturbation. The life of all things likewise remains pure and incorruptible, because the occult vivific beauties of the productive principles in Isis do not descend into body which is born along, and is the object of sight. But all things continue immoveable and perpetual, because the course of the sun is never stopped. And all things remain perfect and entire, because the arcana in the adytum are never disclosed. Hence, in those particulars in which the whole of things possesses its safety, I mean in arcana being always preserved occult, and in the ineffable essence of the Gods, never receiving a contrary condition; in these, terrestrial dæmons cannot endure, even in words, to hear that they subsist otherwise than they do, or that they become profaned; and on this account threatening language has a certain power when employed against them. No one, however, threatens the Gods, nor is such a mode of invocation addressed to them. Hence with the Chaldeans, by whom words used to the Gods alone are preserved distinct and pure, no threats are employed. But the Egyptians, mingling dæmoniacal words with divine signatures, sometimes employ threats. You have, therefore, an answer to these doubts, concise indeed, but I think sufficiently free from error.

(10) I stand on thy wall, directing my navigation. I see the way towards thee. I gather myself together. I am the man who puts a veil on thy head, and I am uninjured. I am the great magician; thy eyes have been given me, and I am glorified through them. Who is he who goeth on his belly? Thy strength is on thy mountain; behold, I march towards it, and thy strength is in my hand. I am he who lifts the strength. I have come and I have taken away the serpents of Rā, when he rests with me at eventide

(4) From the land of the Ganges many advanced occultists wandered to the land of Egypt, and sat at the feet of the Master. From him they obtained the Master-Key which explained and reconciled their divergent views, and thus the Secret Doctrine was firmly established. From other lands also came the learned ones, all of whom regarded Hermes as the Master of Masters, and his influence was so great that in spite of the many wanderings from the path on the part of the centuries of teachers in these different lands, there may still be found a certain basic resemblance and correspondence which underlies the many and often quite divergent theories entertained and taught by the occultists of these different lands today. The student of Comparative Religions will be able to perceive the influence of the Hermetic Teachings in every religion worthy of the name, now known to man, whether it be a dead religion or one in full vigor in our own times. There is always certain correspondence in spite of the contradictory features, and the Hermetic Teachings act as the Great Reconciler.

(2) In ancient Egypt dwelt the great Adepts and Masters who have never been surpassed, and who seldom have been equaled, during the centuries that have taken their processional flight since the days of the Great Hermes. In Egypt was located the Great Lodge of Lodges of the Mystics. At the doors of her Temples entered the Neophytes who afterward, as Hierophants, Adepts, and Masters, traveled to the four corners of the earth, carrying with them the precious knowledge which they were ready, anxious, and willing to pass on to those who were ready to receive the same. All students of the Occult recognize the debt that they owe to these venerable Masters of that ancient land.

(3) There is no portion of the occult teachings possessed by the world which have been so closely guarded as the fragments of the Hermetic Teachings which have come down to us over the tens of centuries which have elapsed since the lifetime of its great founder, Hermes Trismegistus, the "scribe of the gods," who dwelt in old Egypt in the days when the present race of men was in its infancy. Contemporary with Abraham, and, if the legends be true, an instructor of that venerable sage, Hermes was, and is, the Great Central Sun of Occultism, whose rays have served to illumine the countless teachings which have been promulgated since his time. All the fundamental and basic teachings embedded in the esoteric teachings of every race may be traced back to Hermes. Even the most ancient teachings of India undoubtedly have their roots in the original Hermetic Teachings.

(1) The blood of Isis, the virtue of Isis; the magic power of Isis, the magic power of the Eye are protecting this the Great one; they prevent any wrong being done to him

(24) I come daily through the house of the god in Lion form, and I pass forth from it to the house of Isis the Mighty, that I may see glorious, mysterious and hidden matters, even as she hath caused me to see the divine offspring of the Great One

(2) Hence, on all these accounts, they are adapted to more excellent natures. Take away, therefore, entirely those suspicions of yours which fall off from the truth, viz. “ if he who is invoked is either an Egyptian or uses the Egyptian language .” But rather think that as the Egyptians were the first of men who were allotted the participation of the Gods, the Gods when invoked rejoice in the Egyptian rites. Again, however, if all these were the fraudulent devices of enchanters, how is it possible that things which are in the most eminent degree united to the Gods, which also conjoin us with them, and have powers all but equal to those of superior beings, should be phantastic devices, though without them no sacred operation can be effected? But neither “ do these veils [by which arcana are concealed] originate from our passions, which rumour ascribes to a divine nature .” For beginning, not from our passions, but, on the contrary, from things allied to the Gods, we make use of words adapted to them.

(676) 2007 To say: Thy water belongs to thee, thine abundance belongs to thee, thine efflux belongs to thee, 2007 which issues from Osiris. 2008 Collect thy bones; arrange thy limbs; 2008 shake off thy dust; untie thy bandages. 2009 The tomb is open for thee; the double doors of the coffin are undone for thee; 2009 the double doors of heaven are open for thee. 2009 "Hail," says Isis; "(come) in peace," says Nephthys, 2009 when they see their brother at the feast of Atum. 2010 These thy libations, Osiris, are in Busiris, in Grg.w-b(.f ); 2010 thy soul is in thy body; thy might is behind thee; remain chief of (or, master of) thy powers. 2011 Raise thyself up, N., 2011 travel over the southern regions; travel over the northern regions; 2011 be thou powerful over the powers that are in thee. 2011 Thy spirits, the jackals, are given thee which Horus of Hierakonpolis has given to thee. 2012 Raise thyself up, N., be seated on thy firm (or, copper) throne. 2012 Anubis, who is chief of the divine pavillion (s-ntr), has commanded 2012 thy purification with thy eight nm.t-jars and (thy) eight `b.tjars, which come from the s-ntr. 2013 Thou art a god who supports the sky, who beautifies the earth. 2013 The mnt.t-woman laments for thee; the great min.t mourns for thee; 2014 arms agitate for thee; feet tremble for thee, 2014 when thou ascendest as a star, as the morning star. 2014 He comes to thee, his father; he comes to thee, Geb; 2015 take his hand, let him sit upon the great seat; 2015 let him unite with the two mt-lakes of b.w; 2015 purify his mouth with natron on the lap of Mnti-'irti; 2015 purify his nails, upper and lower. 2016 Let one do for him what thou didst do for his brother, Osiris, . on the day of counting the bones, 2016 of making firm the sandals, of ferrying over the lake Rd-wr. 2017 To thee come the wise and the understanding; 2017 thou art called to the southern 'itr.t-palace; 2017 to thee come (the gods of) the full northern 'itr.t-palace, with a salutation. 54. TEXTS OF MISCELLANEOUS CONTENTS,

(1) We take great pleasure in presenting to the attention of students and investigators of the Secret Doctrines this little work based upon the world-old Hermetic Teachings. There has been so little written upon this subject, not withstanding the countless references to the Teachings in the many works upon occultism, that the many earnest searchers after the Arcane Truths will doubtless welcome the appearance of this present volume.

(6) The Osiris N is dumb and deaf for the Strong one is Rā, the puissant of stroke, the Almighty one, who washeth in their blood and walloweth in their gore

(2) The purpose of this work is not the enunciation of any special philosophy or doctrine, but rather is to give to the students a statement of the Truth that will serve to reconcile the many bits of occult knowledge that they may have acquired, but which are apparently opposed to each other and which often serve to discourage and disgust the beginner in the study. Our intent is not to erect a new Temple of Knowledge, but rather to place in the hands of the student a Master-Key with which he may open the many inner doors in the Temple of Mystery through the main portals he has already entered.

(4) I have been given the diadem of the great goddess which is on the head of the shadow, and on the figure of the living gods. I have made my way ... my enemy is brought to me; he is given me and he will not be rescued from my hand; he will dwindle away in my possession, before the circle of gods of Osiris in his festival, when the inhabitants of the Amenta ... in his name of

(1) Let us, therefore, now discuss another species of doubts, the cause of which is occult, and which, as you say, is accompanied with “ violent threats .” But it is variously divided about the multitude of threats. “ For it threatens either to burst the heavens, or to unfold the secrets of Isis, or to point out the arcanum in the adytum, or to stop Baris, or to scatter the members of Osiris to Typhon, or to do something else of the like kind. ” Men do not, however, as you think, threaten by such words as these the sun or the moon, or any of the celestial Gods; for if they did, more dire absurdities would ensue than those which you lament. But, as we before observed, there is a certain genus of powers in the world which is partible, inconsiderate, and most irrational, and which receives reason from another, and is obedient to it; neither itself employing a proper intelligence, nor distinguishing what is true and false, or what is possible or impossible. A genus, therefore, of this kind, when threatenings are extended, is immediately coexcited and astonished, because, as it appears to me, it is naturally adapted to be led by representations, and to allure other things, through an astounded and unstable phantasy.

(366) 626 To say: O Osiris N., stand up, lift thyself up; 626 thy mother Nut has brought thee forth; Geb has wiped thy mouth for thee. 626 The Great Ennead avenge thee; 626 they put for thee thine enemy under thee. 627 Carry thou (him who is) greater than thou, said they to him, in thy name of "He of the Great Saw Palace." 627 Lift (him up who is) greater than thou, said they, in thy name of "He of the Great Land Nome." 628 Thy two sisters Isis and Nephthys come to thee; they heal thee 628 complete and great, in thy name of "Great Black," 628 fresh and great, in thy name of "Great Green." 629 Behold, thou art great and round like the "Great Round"; 629 behold, thou are bent around, and art round like the "Circle which encircles the nb.wt"; 629 behold, thou art round and great like the "Great Circle which sets." 630 Isis and Nephthys protected thee in Si�t, 630 even their lord in thee, in thy name of "Lord of Si�t"; 630 even their god in thee, in thy name of "God." 631 a. They adore thee, so that thou shalt not (again) withdraw from them, in thy name of "Dw-ntr" (or, "divine Dw"); 631 they take care of thee, so that thou mayest not (again) be angry, in thy name of "Dndr.w-boat." 632 Thy sister comes to thee, rejoicing for love of thee. 632 Thou hast placed her on thy phallus, 632 that thy seed may go into her, (while) it is pointed like Sothis. 632 Horus the pointed has come forth from thee as Horus who was in Sothis. 633 Thou art pleased with him, in his name of "Spirit who was in the Dndr.w-boat"; 633 he avenges thee, in his name of "Horus, the son, who avenges his father."

(4) Hermes, which is the name of my forebear, whose home is in a place called after him, doth aid and guard all mortal [men] who come to him from every side. As for Osiris’ [spouse]; how many are the blessings that we know Isis bestows when she’s propitious; how many does she injure when she’s wrath! For that the terrene and the cosmic Gods are easily enraged, in that they are created and composed of the two natures.

(1) The doubts also that follow in the next place require for their solution the assistance of the same divinely-wise Muse. But I am desirous, previous to this, to unfold to you the peculiarity of the theology of the Egyptians. For they, imitating the nature of the universe, and the fabricative energy of the Gods, exhibit certain images through symbols of mystic, occult, and invisible intellections; just as nature, after a certain manner, expresses invisible reasons [or productive powers] through visible forms. But the fabricative energy of the Gods delineates the truth of forms, through visible images. Hence the Egyptians, perceiving that all superior natures rejoice in the similitude to them of inferior beings, and thus wishing to fill the latter with good, through the greatest possible imitation of the former, very properly exhibit a mode of theologizing adapted to the mystic doctrine concealed in the symbols.

(11) Thou navigatest through the sky every day, thou leadest him (Rā) to his mother Nut, where he sits living in the Amenta, in the boat of Rā, every day. Thou art with Horus in order that the protection of Rā may be behind thee; and the glorious power of Thoth may cling to thee and the health of Isis be within thy limbs

(9) The gods who are in heaven, they see the Osiris N , they present to him their adorations as to Rā