FATTAIL (FAT-TAILED) SCORPION: Power of Life and Death

The most dangerous of the Scorpions are Members of the Fattail Scorpion Complex (Family: Buthidae Genus: Androctonus). The toxicity of the venom from these Scorpions equals that of a Cobra, and is just as deadly. Called “The Mankillers,” Members of Fattail Scorpion Complex have the ability to paralyze the heart muscles of a person in a few minutes. Moreover, They possess extremely large stingers to inject their lethal venom with.

 The eighteen Members of this Complex live in northern Africa and the Middle East. Unfortunately for people in these regions, these deadly Arachnids like to live in brick homes, especially in the wall cracks. Other places that you will find Them are under stones or in the steep slopes of sand dunes. Aggressive and bellicose in nature, Fattail Scorpions are difficult to eradicate from human settlements. This makes Them doubly dangerous. For these reasons, people have had to abandon their homes. Moreover, local hospitals keep, on hand, the antidote for the venom of Fattail Scorpions. However, because of their fearsome reputations, foolish people want to keep these Arachnids as pets. Local authorities usually dissuade such idiots from doing so before they endanger everyone else.

In Ancient Egypt, Fattail Scorpions were representatives of the Goddess Selket (Serqet). Depicted with a Scorpion on her head, Selket helped with the rebirth of the Newly Dead in the Egyptian Underworld. She would give the “breath of life to them.” (Her name, Serket hetyt, means “She causes the throat to breathe,” thereby describing the effects from the sting of a Scorpion.) Selket was one of the Four Goddesses protecting Tutankhamen in his tomb. If beseeched, She would also protect the living from the stings of Fattail Scorpions.

A king of the Predynastic Period of Upper Egypt has been depicted with a Scorpion sigil. “King Scorpio,” as he was called, entered into public imagination via the various popular movies that depicted him. Although his actual standing is hotly debated amongst Egyptologists, they did find ivory tags depicting Scorpions. These tags, belonging to King Scorpio, seemed to be for royal purposes. His choice of Fantail Scorpion probably reflected his desire to rule over his enemies.

Because of the deadly sting of Fattail Scorpions, ancient Egyptians often asked the Goddess Isis to protect them. Since Isis had a Scorpion Escort to protect Her against the God Set, people believed that her worshipers would not be harmed. Moreover, She had healed a child bitten by one of her Escort. Therefore ancient Egyptians had spells preventing a sting from a Scorpion that included a depiction of a Scorpion without a stinger and with an invocation to Isis.

Since They hold the power of life and death, Fattail Scorpions inspire fearsome awe in people. The Ancient Egyptians understood that because Fattail Scorpions protected Isis and her Son, Horus. Meanwhile, Selket, the Scorpion Goddess, eased the transition of the Dead into their new lives in the Underworld. Remember to responsibly use the terrifying power that Fattail Scorpions possess in your life.

Fattail Scorpions’ Teachings Also Include: 
Kingship
Transmutation
Journey into the Underworld

Archetypes in Myths: Isis and Osiris (Egypt)

 

Read Myth at Ancient Egypt (new window) 

This myth details how Osiris became the Ruler of the Underworld. It also features the transformation of Isis from sister-wife to a Goddess in her own right. Osiris, who is killed by his brother Set, is both the Ruler and the Innocent. As the Teacher, Osiris, gives knowledge to his people. As the Innocent, he fails to see how his brother Set could be jealous of him, so he falls for Set’s machinations.

 Set is the Shadow who challenges Isis by killing his brother. Later, he dismembers his brother’s body forcing Isis to become the Alchemist in using her magic to restore Osiris. His actions spurs the transformation of Isis. Meanwhile, the Queen of Byblos, Astarte, is Everyman. She interacts with Isis, as an ordinary person, highlighting the Goddess’ metamorphosis.

 Isis begins the myth as the Innocent and Lover. After her brother-husband’s death, she seeks to bury him so that he may enter the Afterlife, and achieve his Rulership. In her journey, Isis becomes the Hero to save her brother’s body. At Phoenicia, she becomes the Alchemist when she uses her magic to cure a Prince. Later, Isis reassembles Osiris’ body and adds the missing piece making him whole so He can now enter the Afterlife.

Archeoastronomy: Egypt: Stretching The Cord

Stellar Method of Determining Cardinal Points

Stretching The Cord

Navigating by the stars has been done by people for thousands of years. To find North today, people simply look for Polaris in Ursa Minor (The Little Dipper). (In the Southern Hemisphere, North would be determined by using the Southern Cross.) Since precession, which is the change in orientation of the Earth’s Axis, occurs every 26,000 years, the “North Star” changes through time. For example, during Roman times, there was no such star. However at the time of the building of the pyramids, it was Alpha-Draconis known to the Egyptians as “Thuban.”

The U.S. Army suggests that in order to go North, a person should walk towards the point on the horizon directly below Polaris. Another method is to select a circumpolar star such as Vega of Lyra, the second brightest star in the night sky. Measure the angle from the viewer to Vega’s rising and to its setting. The bisection of this angle will give the exact location for true North.

In ancient Egypt, the orientation of their buildings mattered, for the Pharaoh received his power from the Northern Stars. After his death, the soul of the Pharaoh went to the “Mooring Post” in the North by way of the Milky Way. In the ceremony, “The Stretching of the Cord” (Pedj shes), the Pharaoh determined the direction of North with the help of the Goddess Seshat.

 Several archeologists have suggested one method that the ancient Egyptians may have used for finding directions. To orient their buildings, they would have to bisect the angle of a circumpolar star. First they would erect a round wall. Then one person stood on a selected spot and looked through a “bay,” a straight pole with a forked top. As he sighted a circumpolar star such as Vega rising, a second person would use a “merklet,” a plumb line, to mark the spot. Around the circular wall at various timed intervals, they would mark the position of the star. The final marking on the wall would be the star’s setting. After measuring the angle formed by the star’s rising and setting to the first observer, the Egyptians could bisect it, and determine true North.

Kate Spence, of the University of Cambridge (U.K.), wrote that the Egyptians probably used Mizar (Eta Ursae Majoris) of the Big Dipper and Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris) of the Little Dipper. (Both are circumpolar stars.) The Egyptians constructed a scaffold and hung a string with a heavy weight from it. This weight would point to the center of the Earth. When these two stars became aligned with the string, the line from the person, who was doing the sighting, to the string would point due north to the horizon.

From the First Dynasty to the end of the Ptolemaic Dynastry, the Pharaoh conducted the sacred ceremony, “Stretching of the Cord,” to orient the temples and tombs before building them. Facing the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge, Seshat, the Pharaoh stood with a hammer in one hand and a pole in the other. Holding the same items, the Goddess and the Pharaoh then pulled a cord that was wrapped between their respective poles. The Pyramid Texts described the ceremony as: “I have grasped the stake…I take the measuring cord in the company of Seshet. I consider the progressive movements of the stars. My eye is fixed upon the Bull’s Thigh [Ursa Major]. I count off time…and establish the corners of the Temple.” This is how the Pharaoh determined North from whence came his power, and to where his soul traveled.

Works Used.

Aveni, Anthony, “People and the Sky,” Thames & Hudson: N.Y, 2008.

 Belmonte, Juan Antonio; Molinero, Miguel Angel and Miranda, Noemi, “Unveiling Seshat: New Insights into the Stretching of the Cord Ceremony,” In Search of Cosmic Order: Selected Essays on Egyptian Archaeoastronomy, Juan Antonio Belmonte and Mosalam Shaltout, eds., Cairo: Supreme Council of Antiquities Press, 2009, 197-212.

 Houlding Deborah, “Time, The Egyptians and the Calendar,” Heritage of the Stars, 2003, http://www.skyscript.co.uk/heritage/egyptians.html, .

 Magli, Giulio, “Mysteries and Discoveries of Archaeoastronomy,” Copernicus Books: N.Y., 2009.

 Stecchini, Livio, “Methods of Finding Cardinal Points,” World Mysteries, 2004, http://www.world-mysteries.com/alignments/mpl_al3.htm#Cardinal, .

“Orientating Egyptian Pyramids,” World Mysteries, 2004, http://www.world-mysteries.com/alignments/mpl_al4.htm, , .

 U.S. Army, “Field Expedient Methods of Determining Directions,” Army Study Guide, 2014, http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/land_navigation_map_reading/field-expedient-methods-of-determining-direction.shtml, .

Archeoastrotronomy: Finding Directions by the Sun

Solar method of Determining Cardinal Points

Finding cardinal points (the directions of north, south, east, and west) can be done by using the sun.  One simple method is to watch the sun rise or set, which would tell you which direction was east or west. Therefore, north and south would be perpendicular to the east-west axis. This is one way to find geographical north.

 The U.S. Army suggests using a more precise method in determining the cardinal directions. Place a tall stick upright on level ground. (On a sundial, this upright stick would be the gnomon.) Mark the shadow that forms from the sun striking the gnomon. Place a line perpendicular at the tip of this shadow. This marks the western direction, but is not precisely west.

 Then wait at least ten or more minutes, and mark the tip of the new shadow formed by the gnomon. For greater accuracy, wait again for another ten minutes, and then mark that shadow tip as well. Draw a straight line between these three points. This becomes the east-west line. To find the north-south line, stand with the direction of west on your left. Now you are facing north. This north-south line bisects the east-west axis at right angles. (For telling time, the crossing of the two axis is the noon line.) 

 Because finding directions was a sacred obligation for the ancient Egyptians, they did more precise measurements. To them, the Land of the Dead, where the Soul goes, laid in the west. Therefore their tombs including The Pyramids would have an entrance facing west. The ancient Egyptians probably used one of their obelisks as a gnomon. By tracking the shadows formed at the solstices and equinoxes, the ancient Egyptians could construct a more accurate basis for the north-south and east-west lines. Moreover, the obelisk, acting as the gnomon, would cast a moving shadow throughout the day. When this shadow was marked each hour, the radii of a circle were formed. In this manner, directions such as northwest could also be determined.

Finding the cardinal directions requires you to observe the movement of the sun. For accuracy, a stick and patience are needed. By using the stick as a gnomon, you can mark the various shadows formed as the sun moves across the sky. In this manner, you can determine the actual directions. With repeated observations throughout the year, a precise line for each direction could be constructed for religious purposes.

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The sun moves north and south of east and west as the seasons progress and thus only marks true or exact east and west for a small portion of the year. 

 Works Used.

Aveni, Anthony, “People and the Sky,” Thames & Hudson: N.Y, 2008.

 Duke, Dennis, “Four Lost Episodes in Ancient Solar Theory,” Florida State University, 2008, http://people.sc.fsu.edu/~dduke/episodes3.pdf, .

 Magli, Giulio, “Mysteries and Discoveries of Archaeoastronomy,” Copernicus Books: N.Y., 2009.

 ----, “Methods of Finding Cardinal Points,” World Mysteries, 2004, http://www.world-mysteries.com/alignments/mpl_al3.htm#Cardinal, .

 U.S. Army, “Field Expedient Methods of Determining Directions,” Army Study Guide, 2014, http://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/land_navigation_map_reading/field-expedient-methods-of-determining-direction.shtml, .

NILE CROCODILE: Primal Strength

CROCODILE FAMILY

            The Crocodile Family consists of fourteen species, some of which are the largest Reptiles in the world.  Unlike Alligators, Crocodiles have salt glands, and can swim in salt water.  In fact, these aquatic Reptiles hunt Sharks.

NILE CROCODILE:  Primal Strength

One of the most well known of Crocodiles is the Nile Crocodile of Africa, who is a fearsome predator of animals and people.  A rapid and agile hunter, She preys on animals coming to the river to drink – Lions, Buffaloes, Gazelles.  She grabs the animal with her strong jaws and teeth, drags the prey underwater until the animal drowns.  As the apex predator, Nile Crocodile is unpredictable in and out of her natural hunting range.

Like American Alligators, Nile Crocodiles are excellent parents.  The Mother-to-be is very choosy in placing her nest – close enough to the Nile River that She can keep watch but far away from floods.  Mother Crocodile remains close to the young until they reach adulthood.  Even during periods of drought, She will not leave her young.  Meanwhile, Father Crocodile watches their nest while She goes into the water to cool off.

Ancient Egyptians saw Nile Crocodile as their fearsome God Sobek. An aggressive God, Sobek represented the power of the Pharaoh.  However, He was also their God of fertility and protection.

A link to the deep past, Nile Crocodile is respected and feared.  As Sobek, Nile Crocodile is a part of the primal strength of nature.  One aspect of this is as a mother, She fearlessly protects her children.  Another aspect is Nile Crocodile as the apex predator, hunting anything that suits her.

Egyptian and Roman Magic

Magic in Ancient Egypt was much like magic in other ancient cultures.  The Ancient Egyptians used it to communicate with and to manipulate various Gods.  They wanted the help of Divine Powers in their lives and later the Afterlife.

The most well-known use of Egyptian magick was the “The Book of the Dead” (“Spells for Going Forth by Day”).  These spells helped the dead traverse the underworld to arrive at the Afterlife.  Many offering formulas were written on the walls of tombs.  Usually this formula read “an offering which the Pharaoh gives” to various Gods for a desired end for named persons.  (Everything belonged to the Pharaoh, and only he could offer to the Gods.  Therefore everyone used the same formula to ask favours for themselves.)

Egyptian Magick was largely word based.  Writing was itself could be considered an act of magic. Since writing came from the Gods, the hieroglyphs were sacred.  Hence, therefore written words could achieve magick.  

Roman magic has some things in common with Egyptian magick.  In their rituals, Romans use rigid formulas.  If a mistake is made, the ritual is started over because the Gods would be displeased with the mangling of words.  A proper ritual is how Romans return the help provided to them by the Gods.

Romans used word squares or magic squares in their door foyers.  These squares had letters and numbers in puzzle form for the outside Manes to figure out.  This stalled the Manes from entering. While that was going on, the House Lars would assemble to defend the house.

Another similarity to Egyptian Magick was the Roman devotiones (defixiones).  These lead tablets were written on and placed in tombs or nailed to trees.  These particular tablets asked various Gods for restitution, justice, victory, or love.  Many had a reward for fulfilling the request such as an offering.  Modern day practitioners of the Religio Roma use paper and bury it in the ground.  The usual Gods petitioned are Dis Pater and other Chthonic Gods.

One difference between Roman and Egyptian Magick was that the Egyptians often used theirs to aid the dead.  Meanwhile, Romans focused on the living, and keeping ghosts at bay.  The Romans wanted to keep the dead happy, and to honour their Ancestors. However, the Egyptians focused on the dead and their eternal Afterlife.

Works Used:

Adkins Lesley and Roy, Dictionary of Roman Religion, Oxford University Press, New York, 1996

Dollinger, Andre, Ancient Egypt: an introduction to its history and culture, 2010, http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/index.html

Strudwick, Nigel, Hieroglyph Detective, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2010

Warrior, Valerie, Roman Religion: A Sourcebook, Focus Publishing, Newburyport (MA), 2002

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EGYPTIAN COBRA: Power of Protection

The most venomous of the Naja Cobras, Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje) is not afraid of people.  She will enter their houses and gardens at will.  Hunting at night, Egyptian Cobra swiftly searches for Birds, Lizards, and Toads to eat.

In ancient Egypt, this Cobra was a personification of hidden wisdom. Also, the Cobra on the Pharaoh’s crown is Egyptian Cobra, an emblem of royalty. This Cobra was also known as “Asp”, whose bite allegedly killed Queen Cleopatra.

The Cobra Goddess (Wadjet) was the protector and guardian of Lower Egypt.  Part of the Uraesus Crown was adorned with Wadjet who defended the Pharaoh.  The Cobra Goddess would protect the Pharaoh, when he wore this crown, since he represented Egypt. She spat fire at his enemies, immediately destroying them.

Egyptian Cobra offers us protection.  As She defended the Pharaoh, so will She defend us.  Remember though to treat Egyptian Cobra with respect unless you want to risk death.

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Sacred Baboon (Hamadryas): Many Aspects of Male Power

SACRED BABOON (Hamadryas): Many Aspects of Male Power

Living around the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, Sacred Baboon has been a part of the religion of the Ancient Egyptians since the Predynastic period. Because the ruling Sacred Baboon has a silver-grey mane, the Kings of Predynastic Egypt were referred to as the “Great White One”. Since Sacred Baboon barks at the sun at dawn, Ancient Egyptians also associated Him with Ra, God of the Sun.

However given Sacred Baboon’s aggression towards other Baboons, He is also Babi, the Devourer of the Souls of the Unrighteous. Babi controls the darkness, and opens the doors to Heaven only for the King. Since He kills people on sight, Babi is a dangerous God.

Unique among Baboons, Sacred Baboon lives in a patriarchal system. Bull Sacred Baboon has distinctive silver fur, marking his status as the Ruler. Larger than the other Baboons, He fiercely fights to keep his Harem.

Moreover, Sacred Baboon lives in a four-level social system (called fission-fusion). First level is a Harem of Bull Sacred Baboon and his Females. Second level is a Clan of two to four Harems. Third level is a Band of two to four Clans. The last level is a Troop of several Bands.

Life for a Troop consists of rising at sunrise and foraging for food. They rest at noon, and then are off for more foraging. At dusk, Sacred Baboon leads his Troop to a cliff ledge to sleep and to be safe from Leopard.

Sacred Baboon demonstrates the many aspects of male power. As an attendant of Ra, He greets the Sun. As Hapi, He is One of the Four Sons of Horus who guards the organs of the deceased. However as Babi, Sacred Baboon murders humans. Choose carefully which aspect of maleness you want to employ at what time.

Wisdom of Sacred Baboon (Hamadryas) Includes:
Touched by the Divine
Reconcile the Positive with the Negative
Effective Social Organization

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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008

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