GhostHalo - http://www.ghosthalo.com
The Art of Heka, Ancient Egyptian Magik
http://www.ghosthalo.com/articles/110/1/The-Art-of-Heka-Ancient-Egyptian-Magik/Page1.html
B.M. Fairlife
New to the world of writing but not to the world of the Paranormal.  
By B.M. Fairlife
Published on 06/27/2008
 
The Egyptians were among the most spiritual of the ancient civilizations, and that spirituality and the essence of Egyptian Magik have spilled over into the Egyptian people of today. The Art of Heka, the ancient Egyptian Magik, has played a huge role in the evolution of the Egyptian culture, and understanding Heka is a vital component in understanding the Egyptian civilization today.

The Egyptians were among the most spiritual of the ancient civilizations, and that spirituality and the essence of Egyptian Magik have spilled over into the Egyptian people of today. The Art of Heka, the ancient Egyptian Magik, has played a huge role in the evolution of the Egyptian culture, and understanding Heka is a vital component in understanding the Egyptian civilization today.

Heka

            I am one with Atum when he still floated alone in Nun, the waters of chaos, before any of his strength had gone into creating the cosmos. I am Atum at his most inexhaustible - the potence and potential of all that is to be. This is my magik protection and it's older and greater than all the gods together!

- Book of the Dead
 

Heka differs from many polytheistic societies in that it does not attribute the creation of the universe to a god. Rather, as you can see from the above excerpt from The Book of the Dead (the book often referred to as the Egyptian “Bible” but which is actually a book detailing the rites and journeys of the dead), magik in its purest form created the universe. Egyptian magik did not come with the Gods, through any power of their own, but rather appeared before the gods.

The ancient civilizations did not for a moment doubt the power of Egyptian Magik, for through it knowledge could be obtained, light could shine into the darkness (both literally and figuratively) and gods, demons and the dead could be implored, cajoled or threatened. Even the Bible speaks of the ancient Egyptian magik in the book of Exodus, when Moses and Aaron were tested by the Pharaoh’s wise men and sorcerers.

Heka can be seen throughout the witchcraft and religion of many of today’s societies, and many of the Egyptian deities and practices of worship found a home in the religion of ancient Greece.

Egyptian magik was believed to belong in the hands of the Gods, the kings and the priests; however, because ancient Egyptian magik came not from the individual but from the world around them anyone who could read a spell could manipulate Heka for their own purposes.


Practical Magik

Although Egyptian magik certainly had its divine purposes, it played a vital role in the everyday life of its people as well. Underneath are examples of some of the first “Practical Magik”:

  • Women who were giving birth did so over birthing bricks decorated with images of Hathor and the other goddesses for protection for themselves and their babies.
  • Amulets were used to ward off evil spirits
  • Some mummies had scarabs packed into their bandages.
  • There were spells for everything from a cold to cancer (Physicians, priests and magicians often worked hand in hand under the guidlines of Heka.)
  • Dream interpretation was used to choose a course of action or to justify one's actions after the fact.

* The study of ancient Egyptian magik is fascinating, and provides valuable insight into the roots of today’s witchcraft and the Egyptian people of yesterday and today.