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1 " 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. "
― Storm Constantine , Bast and Sekhmet: Eyes of Ra
2 " Both Bast and Sekhmet were often combined with the names and forms of other gods and goddesses to produce composite deities. This might have been to do with regional preferences, when the major local deity was desired to have the qualities of a number of other deities. "
3 " 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. "
4 " In the hieroglyphic script, the power of the words were matched by the power of the symbols themselves. The symbols were regarded as being so powerful, precautions had to be taken to prevent them from taking on a life of their own. "
5 " Undertaking magical work should not a hasty decision. It is vital that people appreciate what it entails and have a basic understanding of magical principals before they are thrown in at the deep end. "
6 " Many magical traditions work with the eastern belief that there are seven energy centres in the human body, each displaying a pure, vibrant colour of the spectrum. These energy centres are known as chakras, and the condition of the energy within them has direct effects upon our health and well-being. "
7 " Blue is the colour of strong passion and creativity, while green associated with the heart is seen as representative of generosity and kindness. "
8 " Purple is not only the ‘royal colour’, but is linked to spirituality, and intuition. "
9 " As is modern magical practice, the Egyptian priests believed in the inherent power of words and images, which when utilised correctly possessed their own creative force. "
10 " By closing your eyes and forming images of your choice, you begin to control your imagination. Like dreaming, when you visualize you should be able to use all of your senses to experience what you ‘see around you. "
11 " The simple act of visualization can enable you to change reality. "
12 " At the beginning of any magical working, take few minutes to concentrate on your breathing. This helps to alter your state of consciousness and also improves the flow of life energy within the body. "
13 " Just about every system magic advocates the use of a magical diary. It is important to record the results of exercises, workings and rituals, not only so you can see a progression in your work, but also as a reference book should you need to look back and repeat anything. "
14 " Magic takes the path of least resistance. "
15 " Why am I attracted to magic?Write down your responses. You might find you write a poem, or even something that later you will be able to use in a ritual. No-one else will read it, so you can be as honest as you like. Date the page. It is the beginning of a mgical diary. "