Book Kemetic Diet -C ePub.xhtml

Theinitiatesareadvancedspiritualaspirants,thosewhoareinitiatedintothehighermysteriesoflife,
thesecretsofmysticalspirituality.Theyarethepriestsandpriestessesofthetemple,whowhileinter-
actingwiththemasses,arenotpartofmassculture.Theyfollowstrictrulesregardinghealth,hygiene
andspiritualdisciplinesnotfollowedbythecommonmenandwomen.ThegoddessAsetwasknown
asthegoddessofhealingbecause,inthemythologyoftheAsarianResurrection, 47 shereconstituted
thebodyofherhusbandAsar,afterithadbeenmutilatedbyhisjealousbrotherSet.Further,sheen-
gineeredtheresurrectionofhersonHeru,whenhewasbittenbyascorpionandkilled,andshewas
knownasthemasterofthewordsofpower,whichheal.Athertemple,muchmorethantheuseof
wordsofpowerwerepracticedwithinthehealingarts.Thefollowingisadetailedlookatthosedis-
ciplines of health maintenance and restoration.
Whilethegeneralpopulationwasconsideredtobeoneofthehealthiestgroupsoftheancientworld,
thespiritualinitiateswererequiredtokeepevenmorestrictdietarypractices.Thespecialdietsofthe
AncientEgyptianinitiateswereahighlyguardedsecretasweretheinnermeaningsofthemyths,
whichwereactedoutinthemysteryrituals(ShetautNeter).Forthisreason,manyofthespecialSmai
Tawi(Mystical-Yogic)practices,whichincludedaspecialdietandmeditation,werenotcommitted
towritinginanexplicitfashion.Rather,theywerecommittedtohieroglyphicformandcarriedon
throughtheinitiaticprocess.ItwasnotuntilGreekhistoriansandinitiatesoftheAncientEgyptian
mysteryschoolsbegantowriteabouttheirexperiencesthatthemoredetailedaspectsoftheinitiatic
dietswereavailabletoawideraudience.ThesectofJewscalledtheEssenes 48 practicedaninitiation
periodoftwotothreeyearsandinstitutedpurificationdietsandhygienicpracticessimilartothose
spokenaboutbyHerodotus(484?-425BCE)andPlutarch(46?-120ACE).TheEssenichealthprac-
tices were presented in theEssene Gospel of Peace. 49
Plutarch,astudentofthemysteriesofAset,reportedthattheinitiatesfollowedastrictdietmadeup
ofvegetablesandfruitsandabstainedfromparticularkindsoffoods(swine,sheep,fish,etc.)aswell
asindulgenceofthecarnalappetite.InthefollowingexcerptsPlutarchdescribesthepurposeand
procedureofthedietobservedbytheinitiatesofAset,andthegoaltobeattainedthroughtherigor-
ous spiritual program. This next excerpt should be studied carefully.
Todesire,therefore,andcovetaftertruth,thosetruthsmoreespeciallywhichconcernthedi-
vinenature,istoaspiretobepartakersofthatnatureitself(1),andtoprofessthatallour
studiesandinquiries(2)aredevotedtotheacquisitionofholiness.Thisoccupationissurely
moretrulyreligiousthananyexternal(3)purificationsormereserviceofthetemplecanbe
(4).Butmoreespeciallymustsuchadispositionofmindbehighlyacceptabletothatgoddess
towhoseserviceyouarededicated,forherspecialcharacteristicsarewisdomandforesight,
andherverynameseemstoexpressthepeculiarrelationwhichshebearstoknowledge.For
“Isis”isaGreekword,andmeans“knowledgeorwisdom,”(5)and“Typhon,’’(Set)thename
ofherprofessedadversary,isalsoaGreekword,andmeans“prideandinsolence.”(6)This
latternameiswelladaptedtoonewho,fullofignoranceanderror,tearsinpieces(7)and
concealsthatholydoctrine(aboutAsar)whichthegoddesscollects,compiles,anddeliversto
thosewhoaspireafterthemostperfectparticipationinthedivinenature.Thisdoctrine