VIDEO ASSIGNMENT TTOA – LESSON 11
1.List the important points covered in this lecture.
This is a summary of the entire Scriptural lesson of Ra and Aset. We have learned how Lady Aset, through disappointment and disillusionment, has developed “khak ab”–a repudiating heart—towards the world. We have seen that, through Her Devotion, Aset is purified with Right Action (Maat Ari), and how this leads Lady Aset to deep reflection. We learned that in Her reflections Aset considers if she wants to be like the honorable souls (Shepsu) or the sages, or even like the Gods and Goddesses.
The Scriptures tell us that Aset chooses to be the object of Her Devotion, and decides to become like Ra Himself. Therefore, She asks Ra His true name, but is only given an itemized list of His worldly Creations. This leads Aset to seek the true name (true essence) of Ra. Therefore, She must stop the boat of Ra, meaning that Aset must go into deep Meditation (Uaa) to study the nature of Ra as He goes through His daily cycle.
We know that, according to the Scriptures, Aset discovers that Ra is weakest at the latter part of the day, when He becomes old and drools. We see how Lady Aset collects the spittle (pegas) of Ra, mixed with earth (Ta meri), –a combination of earth and spirit– to form the Taffy Shepsy (Divine Serpent) in a one-pointed effort to discover the true Divine name of Ra. In this way, the teachings reveal how Aset demonstrates “antet begag”–relentless pursuit of Her goal.
Next, the teachings tell us now that Aset has formed the Taffy Shepsy, She must sit with it in non-movement (an nemmu nemmu) until the time to strike at Ra. Lady Aset places the Taffy Shepsy Serpent in Ra’s path and lays in wait as He passes by. At this juncture of the Scriptures, we learn that Ra is bitten by the Taffy Shepsy and cries out. Ra doesn’t know what bit Him. In His pain and confusion, Ra becomes disoriented and the Scriptures tell us that the Sacred serpent, which bit Ra, caused Ra’s fire of life (chet n ankh) to flow out—a metaphor for the illusion of Creation breaking down. Thus the poison (metut) penetrates Ra and is “tjetet n-f” (overwhelming to Him).
According to the Scriptures, in this state Ra begins to reveal that He is not truly the source of all Creation, referring to Himself as a “Prince of noble birth” and “Mu Kheperu m Neter” (outflow created through Divinity). We know that even the Gods and Goddesses of His own creation are helpless in saving Ra in His hour of need.
Enter Aset, who questions Ra, asking if He was bitten by something of His own Creation that reared up in defiance of Him? We understand this to mean that Aset is referring to Herself. She has the provisions to restore Ra, since it was She who inflicted the poison through the Taffy Shepsy, and She alone can remove the poison. Thus, Aset asks Ra, once again, to reveal His true name, so that She can drive the poison out, asserting that “there is life if you affirm your name, and death if you don’t.” In this way Aset demonstrates “an chen” (not stopping or being dissuaded).
But the Scriptures tell us that even in His deteriorating state, Ra tries to dissuade Aset by proclaiming He is the creator of all sweet things (nedjemnedjemyu) which includes all of the worldly sense pleasures. However, Aset is not buying what Ra is selling, and He further insists that not even the Gods and Goddesses know His Divine name, thus proclaiming “An rech n neteru ren f!” Yet, Aset demonstrates patience, persistence and insistence until Ra relents in His suffering and tells Aset “dit na”–(“I give up”) and freely allows Aset to openly inspect, without obstruction, His Divine name.
Because the Divine name cannot be spoken with words the Scriptures teach us that Ra’s Divine name must come forth (pert) from His body and pass to the body of Aset. Therefore, Ra became hidden within Himself and thus, His throne in the Boat of Millions of Years was empty (usech aset—empty throne).
Aset has, at last, achieved Her intention to become as Ra by receiving His Divine name and realizing Ra’s true essence. “My name shall come forth which is in my body and it shall pass to to the body of Isis, for it cannot be spoken with words since there are no words that can describe or contain it.” (verse 104) Upon this it is written that Aset, now Goddess Aset, who is “mighty of words of power,” (ur hekatyu), caused the flow of poison to come forth from Ra’s body and fall to the ground. The Scriptures add that the Eye of Heru also comes forth from Ra “as shining gold from His mouth” (“nubau n ra f-y”).
Aset rightfully proclaims “Nuk ari-a.” “Nuk A!,” meaning “I have done this, it was me.” “I am the Divinity!” (verse 112). Indeed, Aset has transcended the mortality of worldly time and space and reclaimed Her Divine immortality beyond time and space. Now that Aset has received Her Divine right, She can no longer be deluded by the world, therefore Ra is free to return to His throne on the Boat of Millions of Years and resume His daily journey. “Ra ankh-f metut mer” (May Ra live and may the poison die.”) (verse 114) But, in Her infinite Wisdom and insight, Aset made a compact with Ra that when the time came, Her descendant, in the form of Heru, would be given His (Ra’s) two eyes. “There is a firm binding trust now between a certain child of a certain woman so that for that child also when the time comes, may the poison die too.” (verses 115, 116)
To conclude the Scriptures leave us with instructions from the Goddess Aset:
“She instructs that these words, of this teaching, are to be spoken over the image of the God Temu along with an image of Horus the proclaimer and also over an image of the glorious and extolled Goddess Isis together with an image of Horus.” (verses 118, 119).
“DJED N-A REN A K”
Dua Aset! Dua Heru!
Htp,
Shems Heryt
