Ancient Egyptian Initiation: The Seven Gates
The following is a selected text from The Book of Coming Forth by Light, popularly called The Egyptian Book of the Dead. It is an initiation text to be spoken aloud. Try using it in a ceremonial manner as you prepare for a period of meditation. Use incense and candles, perhaps some bells or music. Special clothing may also add to the ceremonial nature of the initiation process. Each Gate is associated with a specific chakra and thought-cluster. It is important to use your mind’s eye to visualize that center within your body and the concept in your mind as you speak the words associated with it. The words and thoughts are quite powerful. Wherever you see “[Your Name]”, speak your name. For example, I would speak: “May you cause the perfected soul of the Reunited One, the seeker John, to be victorious with you in the Temple of Reunion.”
These gates correlate to our body temple and our mental thoughts. Here are the thoughts you should focus on at each gate. To get the full effect of the initiation you should feel, imagine, and experience the journey. This is how one brings about the full illumination. Do not move through the gates quickly. Try to imbue your mind and body with the thoughts and vibrations of each gate before moving on.
Gate 1 – Root & Survival
Speak the words, pausing to feel the meaning and spirit of them.
Here begins the Entrance on Light, and of coming forth from and going into the Territory of the Holy Ones, in the beautiful Hidden Place. Homage to thee, O Guardian of the Hidden Place. O you who make perfected souls to enter into the Temple of Reunion.
May you cause the perfected soul of the Reunited One, the seeker [Your Name], to be victorious with you in the Temple of Reunion. May I hear as you hear; may I see as you see. O you who open the way and lay open the paths to perfected souls in the Temple of Reunion, open you the way and lay open the paths to the soul of Reunited [Your Name].
Homage to thee, O thou who art at the head of the Hidden Place. Grant that I may arrive in peace in the Hidden Place and that the lords of the Ascent may receive me.
Gate 2 – Navel & Soul Ascent
Here makes the Spirit Body to enter into the Upper Gate of the Ascent. Homage to thee, O thou that dwells in the Holy Mountain of the Hidden Place. Grant that I may arrive in peace in the Hidden Place and that the lords of the Ascent may receive me. Here begins the Entering on Light and living beyond physical life.
Hail, One shining from the Moon! Hail, One shining from the Moon! Grant that the Reunited [Your Name] may come forth from among those multitudes that are outside; and let me be established as a dweller among the citizens of Heaven; and let the Hidden Places be opened unto me. And behold, Reunited One, Reunited [Your Name], shall Enter on Light.
Gate 3 –Solar Plexus & Power
Here begins the Passing over the Celestial Road of the Upper Gate of the Tomb.
The Resurrected Infinite One, triumphant says: I open out a way over the Watery Abyss which forms a path between the two Combatants: Darkness and Light, Evil and Good, Death and Life, Law and Love, Selfish self and Reunited Self. May a path be made for me whereby I may enter in peace into the beautiful Hidden Place. And may a path be made for me whereby I may enter in and adore the Reunited One, the Lord of Life. Praise to The Attuned One when he rises upon the Horizon.
Gate 4 –Heart & Love
Here begin the praises and glorifyings of coming out from and of going into the glorious Inner World that is in the beautiful Hidden Place. I am Yesterday, the Timeless One; I know Today.
What then is this? It is the Hidden Place wherein were created the souls of the gods when the Father was leader in the Mountain of the Hidden Place. I know the God who dwells therein. Who then is this? It is the Reunited One. What then is this? It is the horizon of my Father, the Unmanifested One.
What then is this? It is the cutting off of the corruptible in the body of the Reunited One, the earthly [Your Name]. It is the purification of Reunited [Your Name] on my birth. I pass over the way; I know the head [Crown chakra] of the Pool [Navel chakra] of the Well of Life. What then is this? It is the gate, the door; and it is the northern door of the tomb [Crown chakra].
Now as concerning the Pool [Navel] of the Well of Life, it is the way by which my father, the Unseen One, travels when he goes forth to the Realms of Initiation.
Now the southern gate [Navel] of the Ascent is the gate of the Pillars of He who rises. It is the gate where the god who rises lifts the disc of Heaven. The gate of the north [Crown] is the Gate of the Great God. The northern gate of the Ascent is the two leaves [the two hemispheres of the brain] of the door through which the Unmanifested god passeth when he goeth forth to the Eastern Horizon of Heaven [from the back of the head, over the crown of the head and on toward the frontal lobe and Third Eye behind the forehead].
Watch a trailer for Ancient Civilizations on New Understandings of the Great Pyramid
Gate 5 –Throat & Expression
Here begins the Entering on Light in the Inner World.
I am Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, the Dweller in Eternity, and I have the power to be born a second time. I am the divine hidden Soul who gives meals unto the citizens of the Inner World, the Beautiful Hidden Place and Heaven. I am the Lord of seekers who are raised up, the Lord who comes forth from out of the unconscious.
Hail, Lord of the Shrine that stands in the middle of the Earth. He is I, and I am He. Make thou thy roads glad for me. Send forth thy light upon me, O Soul unknown, for I am one of those who are about to enter in. Come thou who dwell above the divine Abyss of water.
The god who is the Conductor of Souls transports me to the Chamber of Rebirth, and my nurse is the divine, double Lion-God himself, Yesterday and Tomorrow. I am made strong and I come forth. “I know the depths” is thy name.
I am he who enters on Light. The doors of Heaven are opened for me; the doors of earth are opened for me. Hail, thou soul who rises in Heaven. Strengthen thou me according as thou hast strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth, O thou that returns and withdraws thyself.
Messiah, Redeemer, son of the Mother of all, avenger of the Father! Strengthen thou me, according as thou has strengthened thyself, and show thyself upon earth.
Gate 6 –Crown of Head & Spirituality
Here begins the way of causing the soul to be united to its body in the Inner World.
The Reunited [Your Name], triumphant, says:
Hail, thou god “the bringer”! Hail, thou god “the runner,” who dwells in thy hall! Great God! Grant thou that my soul may come unto me from wheresoever it may be – NOW. [Pause here to receive the permission and your soul. Imagine it and feel it.]
Hail, ye gods . . . who make souls to enter into their spiritual bodies. Grant ye that the soul of Reunited [Your Name], triumphant, may come forth before the gods and that it may have peace in the Hidden Place. May it look upon its body and neither perish nor suffer corruption for ever. The paths that are above me lead to the gateway. Open unto me!
Gate 7 –Third Eye & Perception
Here begins the Entering into the Hall of Double Truth.
And they say unto me, who art thou? And they say unto me, what is thy name? Come, then, they say, and enter in through the door of this Hall of Double Truth. We will not let thee enter in through us, say the bolts of this door, unless thou tell us our names. I reply:
“Tongue of the Balance” – the place of right and truth is your name. [Pause to allow the doors to open. Imagine it. Feel it.]
The heavens are opened, the earth is opened, the West is opened, the East is opened, the southern half of Heaven is opened, and the northern half of Heaven is opened.
Now, here begins the Entering into Heaven. The Attuned One lives, the Earth Bound One is subdued. Sound am I who is the chest [Heart], Reunion triumphant. May those who build up grant that the Reunited [Your Name] shall arrive happily in the Hall of Double of Truth. May He Who Makes Reunion to-be-Secret grant that the Reunited [Your Name] may be a lord of strides in the habitation of the Ascent. And there shall be made an offering by the Reunited [Your Name] when I enter through the hidden pylons.
May the company of the gods who rule over the Hidden Place grant that Reunited [Your Name] shall go in through the secret door of the House of Reunion. And there shall be made an offering by Reunited [Your Name] when I shall walk up the Great Staircase.
The Lady of the Hidden Place, mighty dweller in the funeral mountain, lady of the Holy Place, receive the Reunited [Your Name]. The Attuned One liveth, the Earth Bound One is quiet. Sound is he who is reunited triumphantly. –Amen.
Congratulations! You have completed the initiation of the seven gates through your body and your mind. It is intended to raise your body’s vibrations and expand your mind’s awareness – thereby imbuing you with greater spirituality.
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Samhain Unveiled: Tracing its Origins and Time-Honored Rituals
Samhain is a time-honored tradition followed by witches, Wiccans, ancient druids, and countless other modern pagans across the world, and celebrated as October turns to November. Samhain is a festival of the dead, meaning “Summer’s End,” and though you’re probably tempted to pronounce it “sam-hane,” it’s actually pronounced saah-win or saah-ween.
What is a Samhain Celebration?
Samhain is a sacred and ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It holds deep spiritual significance as it honors our ancestors, acknowledges the time of year when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thinnest, and embraces the mysteries of life and death. Samhain typically takes place from October 31st to November 1st and involves various rituals and traditions, such as ancestor veneration, divination, bonfires, costume dressing, feasting, and releasing and renewing rituals. It’s also celebrated as the beginning of the spiritual new year for Wicca practitioners, which is also why it’s nicknamed “The Witches’ New Year.” Samhain serves as a time of reflection, transformation, and connection with the natural and supernatural realms, reminding us of the cyclical nature of existence and the eternal bond with our ancestral heritage. If this celebration sounds oddly familiar, it’s because our modern Halloween, although different, originates from this Gaelic tradition. Historically, most American Halloween traditions were brought over by Irish and Scottish immigrants.
How to Celebrate Samhain
Samhain is typically celebrated by preparing a dinner to celebrate the harvest. The holiday is meant to be shared with those who have passed on as well as those still with us. Set a place at the table for those in the spiritual plane, providing an offering for them upon every serving throughout the meal. In addition to those who have passed, invite friends and family to enjoy the feast with you. Typical beverages include mulled wine, cider, and mead, and are to be shared with the dead throughout the meal.
Halloween Similarities & Differences
Despite occurring at similar times and containing similar themes, Samhain and Halloween are not the same holiday. Halloween, short for All Hallow’s Eve, is celebrated on and around Oct. 31 and tends to be more family-focused. On the other hand, Samhain is more religious in focus and spiritually observed by practitioners.
There are some more light-hearted observances in honor of the dead through Samhain, but the underlying tone of Samhain is one of a serious religious practice rather than a light-hearted make-believe re-enactment. Today’s Pagan Samhain rites are benevolent, and although they are somber and centered on death, they do not involve human or animal sacrifices, as some rumors may claim. Another difference between Samhain and Halloween is that most Samhain rituals are held in private rather than in public.
When to Start the Celebrations
If you want to start honoring this pagan tradition, you might wonder when to start. The timing of contemporary Samhain celebrations varies according to spiritual tradition and geography. Practitioners state to celebrate Samhain over several days and nights, and these extended observances usually include a series of solo rites as well as ceremonies, feasts, and gatherings with family, friends, and the spiritual community.
In the northern hemisphere, many Pagans celebrate Samhain from sundown on October 31 through November 1. Others hold Samhain celebrations on the nearest weekend or on the Full or New Moon closest to this time. Some Pagans observe Samhain a bit later, or near November 6, to coincide more closely with the astronomical midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. Most Pagans in the southern hemisphere time their Samhain observances to coincide with the middle of their Autumn in late April and early May rather than at the traditional European time of the holiday. In the end, it’s really up to you!
Honoring Life, Death, & Nature
Samhain isn’t necessarily a creepy, morbid holiday obsessed with death, as some may conclude. Instead, it reaches for themes deeper than that, tying in with nature’s rhythms. In many places, Samhain coincides with the end of the growing season. Vegetation dies back by killing frosts, and therefore, literally, death is in the air.
This contributes to the ancient notion that at Samhain, the veil is thin between the world of the living and the realm of the dead, facilitating contact and communication with the dead. For those who have lost loved ones in the past year, Samhain rituals can be an opportunity to bring closure to grieving and to further adjust to their being in the Otherworld by spiritually communing with them. However, it’s also a way to appreciate life when you get right down to it.
