The seven steps or gates of initiation for a Priestess of Ancient
Egypt:
She has to experience the seven degrees of wisdom or the seven
incarnations having travelled to learn of the first degree or hidden doorway.
For that she will take the sacred barque and find this barque down seven steps.
The barque takes her through the first doorway and she is shown symbols.
There is the learning of the hand clasp and a sacred password which
means to be discreet. At the second gate or doorway is the spiralling staff of
Mercury which involves the element of air. There is mention of temperance,
moderation, diplomacy and impartiality with arms crossed on the breast and
these tell of the sacred word and she must gain the power of the elements as she
passes through. The first element is water.
Now another door lies ahead which represents the element of fire and
this is the third degree which uses the fire to attain the crown of truth and
in this way come the spiritual mysteries. Yet as the door opens a golden crown
is being trampled under foot and then there is the symbol of an embrace and the
sign of a password. This symbol shows the uselessness of materiality, death of
the old ways upon which this depended which creates a new path and the ability
to transform and learn from this.
The fourth degree is all about transmutation and the divine will and
looking ahead she can see labyrinthian passages which all lead to the hall of
the Goddess Maat, to balance. Any who follow those passageways will receive spiritual
nourishment to allow them to use the word with increasing power over the earth.
There is a handful of earth in the giant set of scales which brings
balance to the physical life, and there is an Empress Queen who brings
experience and understanding who transforms to become a High Priestess where
trust must be found in hidden influences and secrets. She acts as a filter to
bring through the divine law.
At the fifth doorway lies the magical mystery of alchemy where there
is a one hundred headed dragon shown which gives the power of infinity, but may
also represent the devil where there is an unavoidable event which will turn
out well. Now she is pulled towards the sixth doorway which appears to
represent the pantheon of Gods who are released to become one essence of
divinity alone for all the Gods come to a great hall by the very gate of the
Gods itself. Everything now points in one direction and all is made ready for
one journey to carry the divine energy within its fold.
Each person must be prepared, especially the self, and there is the
symbol of the Hierophant who will act as the wise teacher to bring the meaning
in life to those who search beyond the mundane.
And at the seventh doorway lies the symbol of life, the image of the
ankh and of a person wearing long robes with his head covered. This is a
Magician and in one hand he holds a wand or a sceptre and in the other hand he
holds high the sacred books which incorporate the solar and lunar energies
under the bright light of one star which shines alone from the sky. The light
of this star reaches down to the highest energy point of the human body, which
is at the crown of the head. Behind this robed person there is the stone carved
image of a female who waits on her throne between two pillars at the end of the
earth pathway. Her head is so high in inspiration that it touches the clouds
and her eyes pulse with the light of the stars. She carries the sceptre of
royal power in her left hand and she holds two books. The open book is the
exoteric path through life and the closed is the esoteric hidden path to
illumination. And behind her there is a ladder with seven rungs which reach to
that highest star. There is also a table beside them both showing infinite
symbols but especially a vase of celestial liquid which swirls with the pattern
of the stars within. This is the secret of the eternal mystery, the seat of
wisdom and the ultimate feminine deity. Having traversed the gates of
initiation ahead now lies the awareness of the great star mystery which will
bring ultimate illumination through the four elements of earth, fire, water and
air. Next will come the cave
of Hathor to take you
further on the path.
