In the beginning god Atem arose from the primeval waters of Nu in the form of the great mound which represents the beginning of creation. From Atem's masturbation two gods were born, Shu and Tefnut, the first representing Air, while the later moisture, and Water in general. From this two other were born, Nut and Geb. They were in constant interplay until Shu was placed between them. Nut and Geb gave birth to Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys(1).
Utterance 600: ... O You Great Ennead which is in On, (namely) Atum, Shu, Tefenet, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Seth, and Nephthys ...
These nine gods represent the famous Ennead of Heliopolis, a theogony that seems to be the foundation of magickal correspondences, though constantly evolving in time. If these gods are placed on the Sephiroth in order of succession of their birth the Egyptian correspondence of the Tree of Life becomes obvious. Horus is added to the Ennead as the King that traverses the heavens to unify with Atem.
Utterance 455: ... you ten great ones of the Palace, you ten great ones of On, you Great Ennead, sit down and see the purification of my father this King ...
A self created Atem corresponds to Kether, the primal point, Rashith ha-Galgalim or the Primum Mobile. It is a beginning, a point, still, undifferentiated. A form of God's name pertaining to this supreme sephira, AHIH AShR AHIH, I am that I am (better Existence is existence, because 'I' implies ego, subject and object, the division that is completely absent in Kether) explains the nature of Kether best. Atem is known under variant modifications like Atum, Amun in Tebes, Ra, or Akhenaton's Aton. The King raising the planes to be united with Atem becomes a flash of lightning (Utterance 261).
Utterance 527: Atum is he who (once) came into being, who masturbated in On. He took his phallus in his grasp that he might create orgasm by means of it, and so were born the twins Shu and Tefenet. May they put the King between them and set the King among the gods in front of the Field of Offerings. ...
Shu comes next as Chokmah, which is a pure abstract duality. IH as the God's name is phallus and kteis, a fundamental duality. There is no phallus if there is no 'place for phallus', which is the 'house of phallus' that is kteis. Shu is Air which is the same as Logos.
Tefnut comes in place of the third sephira, Binah. Tefnut's attribute of Water links her directly with the Great Sea of Binah. She is spitting out form, giving birth to unknown clay that will be molded in lower worlds. She gives all, and takes everything back. Her name also suggests a link with the primal waters of Nu, or Nun.
Night of the Abyss is Tuat corresponding to the false sephira Daath. This false sephira blocks the passage between the primal, real universum, and a symbolic representation of the world that we experience. It is the Underworld into which the deceased drifts in order to receive the trial that will liberate the soul, until it dissolves in the Godhead. Daath means Knowledge and this name is the key to the understanding of the Abyss.
Utterance 233: Fall, O serpent which came forth from the earth! Fall, O flame which came forth from the Abyss! Fall down, crawl away!
Nut is Geburah, the King at war, the fifth sephira called Strength. Notably more correspondences similar to Geburah's bears another goddess, Neith who is a variant of Nut. She is the warrior goddess of Egypt since early dynasties, and in this attribute she corresponds with Geburah, the seat of the warrior god. Planetary attribution of Geburah is Mars. Geburah is a place of energy in hands of a warrior, and understanding the immorality of a conflict of opposing forces opens the doors of this palace.
Geb is Chesed, the King enthroned. This King is a lawgiver, a structuralising instance, which is the influence of Logos, Chokmah above. Geb is usually represented lying on the ground, representing Earth, over him extending an arched body of her consort Nut, with Shu often between them. His position as the Father of Osiris is relating this God to Chesed.
Osiris's saga is clearly a description of the formula of Tiphareth, the sphere of Sun. Even though his origins may be traced as a god of vegetation, the myth of Osiris, known from Plutarch and confirmed by the pyramid texts, describes a formula of death and resurrection, experienced directly from nature. The four letters of the ineffable name IHVH are here only to be penetrated by the trident of the Holy Spirit. Osiris is torn into thirteen pieces, 13 = 1+3 = 4, and completed with the 'missing phallus' he is 14 = 1+4 = 5. This duality is a constitutive characteristics of a Mind, in order to exist you have to die. From the pyramid texts we learn that Osiris is crossing the Abyss to unite with his father, Atem. Osiris victoriously coming out from Tuat is called Asar-un-Nefer.
Utterance 212: O King, you have not departed dead, you have departed alive; sit upon the throne of Osiris, your sceptre in your hand, that you may give orders to the living; your lotus-bud sceptre in your hand, that you may give orders to the living; ...
His eternal spouse follows Osiris, Isis pertains to Netzah, as far as it corresponds to Venus. If the Veil of Isis dares to be lifted the path to Golden Dawn is open, but as read everywhere: many tried, many died. In time, with ageing, this Isis may become the black goddess. Isis' cult was very popular even among various invaders of Egypt due to the benevolent Natural magick that represents the formula of Netzah. 'Endure!' says Isis.
Set is unpredictable Mercury, or the eighth sephira Hod. Even young Mercury played tricks on other gods. As a messenger of the gods he is often confusing the situation with his lucidity. Change is always an anathema to the ruling position, since it tends to overthrow it, perhaps even not deliberately but in a child's game a disaster is fore-sought. Set is usually perceived as an adversary since he killed his brother Osiris, but in the Pyramid Texts, Set's role in the whole drama is not so straightforward, he is often portrayed as an initiator. Set's son Anubis is also bearing a resemblance with Hod, especially as a psycho-pomp, like Greek Hermes. 'I caused him to come; I caused him to come' says Set.
Nephthys is Yesod, and she is considered as the protector of the dead, the psycho pomp. Yesod, the Foundation embraces the unconscious layers of existence. The hieroglyph of Nephthys is a house covered with the bowl that resembles a lunar attribution common to this goddess and Yesod. While Isis may represent the full and the new Moon, Nephthys represents the dark Moon. 'In peace!' says Nephthys.
Horus as the earthly king - Pharaohs were incarnations of Horus - comes finally as Malkuth, Kingdom. Her is one of the most ancient god, traceable even in pre-dynastic times as falcon drawn on pottery. Like Malkuth is the sphere of Four elements, so does Horus have four sons: Hapy, Duamutef, Imsety, and Kebhsenuf. The adept starts as Horus, evolves in Osiris to be finnaly disoluted in Godhead, Atem.
Utterance 80: O Horus who is this Osiris the King, take the uninjured Eye of Horus. O Horus who is this Osiris the King, I paint it on your face for you ...
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Egyptian correspondences of Tree of Life |
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The additional proof to the proposed succession of Egyptian gods of the Ennead completed with Horus is embeded on a magickal rod found in 1822 by a French savant Edme-Francois Jomard, the Amen-en-apt rod. This is a measuring rod with engraved divisions of the royal cubit, together with the symbolism, or at least succession of gods from Egyptian pantheon, starting with Atem and Horus as the tenth in line.
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Measuring rod with a sequence of Egyptian gods |
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Utterance 574, Address to a sacred tree: Hail to you, you tree which encloses the god, under which the gods of the Lower Sky stand, the end of which is cooked, the inside of which is burnt, which sends out the pains of death: may you gather together those who are in the Abyss, may you assemble those who are in the celestial expanses. Your top is beside you for Osiris when the dd-pillar of the Great One is loosed like her who presides over Htpt who bows to the Lord of the East. Your tomb, O Osiris, your shade which is over you, O Osiris, which repels your striking-power, O Seth; the peaceful maiden who helped this spirit of Ghsty; your shadow, O Osiris.
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