The Heliopolis Theology

illustration from Egyptian Mysteries; p.8

this diagram is from Vartiklis: Mythology: Egypt mythology. World creation, (which
seems like an etremely interesting site !ut unfortunately its in a foreign language, !ut its
worth going to for the little pictures of the Egyptian gods alone"
#he $eliopolis theology eplains creation in terms of the emanation of the Ennead, the
first nine %ods, from whom the rest of &eeation arises.
't $eliopolis the name 'tum is gi(en to the )irst *rinciple, the &reator or +emiurge. #he
word 'tum means !oth ,'ll, and ,-othing,, (c.f. the words attri!uted to &hrist, ,. am
the alpha and the omega,". $e represents the potential totality of the /ni(erse which is
as yet unformed and intangi!le. #here are three !asic (ariants !y which 'tum gi(es rise
to creation
#he *rimordial $ill
.n this (ersion 'tum is in the midst of the -un, the primordial chaos or nothingness
(e0ui(alent to the tohu or ,the deep, of the $e!raic !ook of %enesis". 'tum !egins !y
,!ecoming,, !y pro1ecting himself into eistence2, !y distinguishing himself from the
-un, and there!y annihilating the -un in its original inert state. #his is represented !y
the primordial hill, like the first mounds of dirt and mud that can !e seen when the
floodwaters of the -ile recede. #he image of the scara! god 3hepri, representati(e of
!eing and !ecoming, are also used here.
$ail 'tum4 $ail 3hepri, he who !ecomes from himself4
5ou culminate in this your name of 2hill2, you !ecome in this your name of 6cara! 3hepri.
(*yramid #ets, 7889"
'tum:3hepri, you culminate as hill, you raise yourself up as ;enu ;ird from the !en:!en
stone in the a!ode of the phoeni at $eliopolis. (*yramid #ets, 7<8=."
'tum emerges from the cosmic waters in the form of the primordial hill. $e then 2spits
out2 (ishish" the first of the di(ine 0ualities or powers: 6hu, the *rinciple of air and of
space, sym!oli>ed !y the feather he wears on his head. 'tum then 2epectorates2 (tfnt" the
second *rinciple, the lion:headed #efnut, who pro!a!ly represents the element of )ire, or
perhaps the solar principle (in Western astrology the lion is associated with the sun".
Mastur!ation
.n another (ersion, ,'tum gi(es !irth to himself through mastur!ation at $eliopolis2,
causing 2the seed from the kidneys to come, (*yramid #ets, 7=?8". $e then !rings the
twins 6hu and #efnut into the world. #his strange (to us" image is an attempt to eplain
the eternal 0uestion, ,if %od created the uni(erse, who created %od@, 'nswer, why, %od
of course. ;:" Mastur!ation here is a metaphor of self:creation (autopeoisis". 'tum2s
power is so great that he can gi(e !irth to his own parents. #he theme of the ,6elf:
;egotten, is a recurring one in 6ethian %nosticism, and is also found in later
-eoplatonism.
'lso regarding the theme of mastur!ation and self:creation see especially: #he Word of
%od; #he *roduction of &hrist : the ,Word of %od, as se:magickal autofellatio
*ro1ection of the heart
.n a third (ersion, 'tum creates himself !y the pro1ection of his own heart : or in other
words mind or consciousness. #he Egyptians, like many ancient ci(ilisations, located the
mind in the heart. .t was only with *lato that the mind was transferred to the head. #he
heart chakra in #antric thought is considered the seat of the Ai(atman, the di(ine soul.
'tum then !rings forth the other eight elementary principles: 6hu (air" and #efnut (fire",
then %e! (Earth", -ut (6ky", and finally Bsiris and .sis, 6eth and -epthys. #ogether
with himself, make up the -ine, the %reat Ennead of $eliopolis.

illustration from Egyptian Mysteries; p.C (#hames D $udson, 'rt and .magination
6eries"
.t is written that 2none of these entities is separate from him, 'tum2 (*yramid #ets,
7<88". 'gain, in Audaic 3a!!alah the ten sefirot or attri!utes are not separate from the En
6of or %odhead or '!solute (interpreted theistically as the &reator"
#he -ine principles form a series from the more su!tle to the more manifest, like the
tattwas of 6amkhya or the sefirot of 3a!!alah )irst there is the a!stract 6ource, 'tum.
#hen the initial polar pair of 6hu and #efnut. #hen the manifest polarity, the cosmos, of
Earth and 6ky. 'nd finally, incarnate in that, the last four gods who are directly tied up
with the drama of eistence, duality, !irth, death, sacrifice and resurrection.