The Amduat

The Amduat
(What happens in the Duat)

This work (like the Litany of Ra) is primarily found in the tombs of the Theban Pharaohs (Valley of the Kings), but also appears partially on papyrus or other media.   It is a lavishly illustrated Cosmic Comic Book that describes the journey of the Sun in his solar barque during the “twelve” hours of night.   Thus it symbolically reveals Egyptian ideas about what happens during sleep or even death.   The Duat (Twat) is the underworld region in which the sun becomes unseen (the subconscious realm).   Ra becomes sleepy and rests, but is carried forward in his boat by a divine retinue.   Each of the twelve hours depicts the qualities of the corresponding period of “night”.   The Twat is also the womb in which an individual views the major layers of consciousness.   The first 6 hours take us deeper into the night.   Hour six is midnight.  There the dormant sun with a single gentle touch to his crown chakra activates the beginning of a new cycle of awakening.   Each hour corresponds to an energy “chakra” in the human body.  The sequence begins with the root chakra in which the body lies down and closes its eyes.   Next there is passage through dreams and desires.   Deeper levels reveal automated belief systems that are usually transparent to conscious awareness.  Hour 6 is the silent world of archetypes and displays both the Yi-jing and the Tarot distributed in ranks around the motionless sun.   The next six hours expand awareness to cosmic chakras and the “perfections”.  Hour 11 shows the freedom to explore other planets, stars, and galaxies.   The effects of group consciousness on karma are shown.  The final hour shows time reversal so that a new cycle can begin, and the sun is freshly reborn to a new day.  Study the details for insights into ancient Egyptian knowledge about time, space, and the levels of consciousness.