HEKA

The Practices of Ancient Egyptian Ritual and Magic.

David Rankine. January 2006.

http://Avaloniabooks.co.uk

ISBN 1-905297-07-6 Paperback, 192 pp.

 

David’s fascinating book explores Egyptian magic, which he personifies by the Heka symbol and deity, and is geared towards practical use for pagans rather than detailed analysis of Hieroglyphic texts. Geraldine Pinch, author of Magic in Ancient Egypt, is acknowledged as a source and major inspiration for this book. Large parts of the book are correspondence tables, a bit like Crowley’s Liber 777, but in  the specialised context of information relating to AE practice explained for modern day Wiccans or ritual practitioners.

 

MY FAVOURITE SECTIONS

Sections 17, listing food and wine offerings, and 13, 14, 15, and 16 on Materials, Incenses and Perfumes including recipes are particularly useful. Some of the main deities are listed, together with brief lists of associations. Some Egyptian rituals are described in a very non-fussy practical way; David has worked with many different systems of Ritual Magic over the years, and has used this experience and selected those parts of the instructions that he feels are the most essential.

 

This highly useful work is intended as an introductory level “quick perusal” of Egyptian Magic, but has enduring value on your book-shelf long after the introductory level material has become familiar. The most valuable section of this Heka volume is its excellent AE Festival listings, section 20. It is very handy to have these all collected together if playing Senate without having to go to several different sources.

Steve Nichols, 20th April 2008