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Egyptian Religion And Magic Quotes

Browse 6 quotes about Egyptian Religion And Magic.

Egyptian Religion And Magic Quotes

“Never did a book reveal such truths, Why seek a name? It matters not; The boundless found a shape and form In sacrifice's sacred knot. Oh see, what is possession's worth If it knows not to offer its all? Things pass away. Aid them in passing, Lest life from a hidden crack should fall. Forever, be the giver, not the taker. The mule, the cow—all press their way To where the king’s image, like a child, Is sated, smiles, and softly lays. His temple breathes unceasing calm, He takes and takes, yet grants reprieve, So gentle even, the princess's hand Holds the papyrus bloom, but does not cleave. Here, sacrifice’s paths are cut, The Sunday rises, ungrasped by weeks. Man and beast drag gains aside, Unseen by gods, as profit speaks. Though hard, commerce bends to will, Earth cheapened, tamed by practiced skill, But one who pays the ultimate price, Surrenders all—they too are sacrificed.”

“The Egyptians had what might to us seem a strange attitude to their gods. While they were happy to sing praises to their deities in order to coerce them into manifestation, they were not able threatening them either. Many spells have survived that promise all manner of dire consequences if the deity concerned does not fulfil the practioner’s wishes. These threats included the destruction of temples, the slaughter of sacred beasts, and perhaps worst of all, the deliberate refusal to acknowledge a god’s existence.”

“Although we refer to the magical ‘books’ of Ancient Egypt, these were in fact scrolls, more often lengths of papyrus stuck together and rolled up, but occasionally parchments of calf vellum. These books were regarded as extremely esoteric, and certainly not for the eyes of common people. Some were said to have been found in secret places, such as forgotten tombs and hidden caskets, and to record the actual words of Thoth or legendary sages and priests. It is likely that the priests considered their own magic to be most effective and sacred, and they kept their knowledge secret in order to make themselves appear more powerful in the eyes of less priveleged individuals. They often wrote down their spells in a kind of code, referring to their ingredients by alternative names in order to confuse any unintiated person who might try to read them.”