The Sacred Tradition in Ancient Egypt: The Esoteric Wisdom Revealed

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Summary: Definitive Book On Egyptian Religion, Magic & Symbolism
Review: "Do you not know, Asclepius, that Egypt is an image of heaven, or, to speak more exactly, in Egypt all the operations of the powers which rule and work in heaven have been transferred to earth below? Nay, it should rather be said that the whole Kosmos dwells in this our land as in its sanctuary." Hermetica: Asclepius III,24b

Reading Rosemary Clark's wonderful new book is like being Shelley's "traveller in an ancient land" and being greeted by a temple priest (or, in this instance, a priestess), prepared to take one on a guided tour of the Mysteries of Egypt.

Seemingly, there is nothing Ms. Clark does not know about the religion of the realm of the Pharaohs, its centers of worship and the deities to which they were dedicated. Indeed, her book might have been written thousands of years ago by an astrologer/priest ("Sacred-Scribe, as they were called)who knew how to communicate his wisdom in the most elegant yet lucid terms.

"The Sacred Tradition" is a "must have" for every Egyptological library, being essentially the only volume one would ever require on all aspects of the theology and metaphysics. Although scholars would appreciate this work, it is perfectly accessible, in its format and style, to amateur enthusiasts of ancient Egypt and observers of the heavens which it was said to have mirrored.

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Summary: The sacred path for those seeking the sacred life
Review: I have her book and have been impressed by her seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of voluminous details of ancient Egyptian religious life and her special gift to organize her ideas in an extremely orderly and accessible manner. She speaks with ease of the pantheon of gods; and her various listings and tables of gods (and her other lists establish everything in their place) fills in what from many other sources are missing details. In her book, one gets the feeling that they are seeing the whole picture whereas in other books in the genre, I feel just some pieces of the jig saw puzzle are there and in (comparatively speaking) a disjointed manner. I'm unread, but of all the books I've encountered on ancient Egyptian life, religious practices, and beliefs, her's is in the top three and in other instances the best there is.

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Summary: A book full of information
Review: It must of took MS. Clark a long time to write this book.It is so full of info that I know I'll have to re-read many times to absorb it all! I can't wait for her other book due out in 2001!!I would not recommend this book ,however, to people new to Egyptian spirituality. I know that I would of had a hard time comprehending everything about the Neteru if I had not worked with "The Book of Doors" divination deck first. In fact I recommend using the deck and "Doors" book first to anyone,than read this book.To me this book is well worth the money if you're into reading about the Neteru!!

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Summary: Love the way it's put together
Review: It's separated out for each subject, for example "Orsiris" is a sub-section under "O", and "Afterlife" is a sub-section is under "A", this makes it very easy to use as a reference tool. The "Further Reading" section impressed me as well, and is a great tool within the book I plan to take advantage of. Again, as with most books I have read on Egyptian Mythology there is a lack of stories or "legends" within the book, containing more oppinions on the subjects rather than the "whole" stories themselves. I'd rather read the COMPLETE STORIES of myths and legends of the gods and obtain my own oppinion from it with a summary or hypothetical explaination at the end, yes I know this is never gonna happen but a girl can dream now can't she!! ;) Don't get me wrong I'm not dawging the book, it's wonderful in educating what type of artifacts egyptians used in thier religion, and summaries of why they use them. But my preference is to have the FULL story of the legend that goes with the use of the artifacts.

Rating:
Summary: Love the way it's put together
Review: It's separated out for each subject, for example "Orsiris" is a sub-section under "O", and "Afterlife" is a sub-section is under "A", this makes it very easy to use as a reference tool. The "Further Reading" section impressed me as well, and is a great tool within the book I plan to take advantage of. Again, as with most books I have read on Egyptian Mythology there is a lack of stories or "legends" within the book, containing more oppinions on the subjects rather than the "whole" stories themselves. I'd rather read the COMPLETE STORIES of myths and legends of the gods and obtain my own oppinion from it with a summary or hypothetical explaination at the end, yes I know this is never gonna happen but a girl can dream now can't she!! ;) Don't get me wrong I'm not dawging the book, it's wonderful in educating what type of artifacts egyptians used in thier religion, and summaries of why they use them. But my preference is to have the FULL story of the legend that goes with the use of the artifacts.

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Summary: Moving beyond a mere intellectual approach
Review: Rosemary Clark has written a stunning work which not only addresses the elements of the ancient Egyptian religion on an intellectual level, but shows how it holistically integrated with their culture and way of life. The chronological development of the different Egyptian schools of thought is covered, as well as a thorough understanding of the "symbolist" approach to interpreting these different schools of thought. Rather than having conflicting world views, Ms. Clark explains that the Egyptians were simply using different symbols to explain spiritual truths.

As I am interested in comparing the religion of ancient Egypt with that of Sumer and Babylon, this book was incredibly useful for its explanation of the various creation myths and its intelligibility to those who have a "Western" mindset. I've read a number of books on the Egyptian religion that use so much New Age lingo that they are practically useless, and fortunately Ms. Clark does not do so.

For anyone who wants to move beyond a simplistic, intellectual understanding of Egyptian kings and monuments, this book is a must-read.

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Summary: Brilliant work
Review: Two hundred years ago, Egypt seized our interest in its great mysteries and the unbelievably long civilization they created when Champollion, the young French genius, discovered the key to translating the Rosetta Stone bearing inscriptions in Egyptian hieroglyphics, demotic characters (a simplified form of ancient Egyptian writing), and ancient Greek.

Egyptian texts present the translator with greater technical problems than most ancient tongues. The Egyptians left behind none of the usual and invaluable aids to translation. Like modern Hebrew and Arabic, Egyptian was written without vowels, so that only the consonantal structure is left. Its vital organs are gone, leaving behind dry bones. Much of the poetry and word play is lost forever. Much eludes us.

Merely translating the hieroglyphics was truly not enough, however, since the hieroglyphs are not only pictures (such as an owl), but also picture-signs used to convey the sound and meaning just as our alphabet does for us. An owl, for example, also stands for the letter "m," just in case you're curious. It does not end there, because there is also an inner meaning to the pictures, so that it was not so much the cat, dog, or snake that was worshipped, but the principle it represented; and that principle was, in turn, as aspect of the greater creation or ultimate spirit. Our modern quest for the wisdom of ancient Egypt centers on the true meaning of the symbolism, temples, tombs, and pyramids of this enigmatic motherland. We know many Egyptian words that express some degree of fear or happiness, but which one of these expresses dread, anxiety or worry? How do we distinguish between ecstasy, delight, joy, and jubilation?

Egyptologist Rosemary Clark, who reads Egyptian hieroglyphics firsthand, examines the esoteric tradition of Egypt in remarkable detail. She explores dimensions of the language, cosmology, and temple life to show that a sacred mandate--the transformation of the human condition into its original cosmic substance--formed the foundation of Egypt's endeavors and still has relevance today.

As founder of the Temple Harakhite, a group devoted to the experiential religious practices of Egypt's Old Kingdom. She is well versed in hieroglyphic script, its transliteration, and the translation of ancient texts, and in the subtleties of Hermetic philosophy and Sacred Science. I especially enjoyed the history of the initiatory schools and the Mystery Tradition recorded in ancient times and their methods of clairvoyance, prophecy and healing.

Clark quotes R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz from "Esotericism & Symbol." He said, "Initiation does not reside in any text whatsoever, but in the cultivation of intelligence of the heart. Then there is no longer anything occult or secret, because the intention of the enlightened, the prophets, and the "messengers from above" is never to conceal--quite the contrary."

This is the time of revelation of all occult secrets.