Ra

Mythology

Ra was originally the city god of Heliopolis ("city of the sun" in Greek; Egyptian Iunu), but his importance grew quickly — by the V dynasty (~2500 BC) he had become the most important god of the Egyptian state pantheon. Pharaohs declared themselves "sons of Ra" — establishing solar divine continuity legitimising royal authority. The famous obelisks (towering stone pillars in pyramidal point) were Ra symbols.

According to Egyptian theology, every day Ra sails his solar bark through the celestial dome from East (where he is born of dawn) to West (where the night swallows him). At night, Ra travels through the dangerous underworld (Duat) confronting demonic monsters (especially the great chaotic serpent Apep / Apophis that tries to devour the sun every night). Each dawn is a victory over chaos. Egyptian theologians elaborated complex texts (Book of the Dead, Books of the Underworld) describing the nightly journey of Ra in great detail — they were sacred texts of central spiritual importance.

Iconography and combined forms

Iconography: Ra is represented as falcon-headed man (similar to Horus, with whom he is sometimes confused or combined) with solar disk crowning his head. Sometimes encircled by uraeus (sacred protective serpent). Sometimes purely as solar disk with rays. His sacred animal: falcon, also scarab (the scarab Khepri represents the morning sun; Ra-Khepri = sun rising). His associated colours: gold, deep red.

Combined forms: Egyptian theology often combined deities into syncretic forms by combining names. Amun-Ra (Amun + Ra): supreme god of the New Kingdom (16th-11th centuries BC), of period of greatest Egyptian splendour; gigantic temple of Karnak in Thebes was dedicated to Amun-Ra. Ra-Horakhty (Ra + Horus of the Horizons): combined sun, especially of dawn and twilight. Atum-Ra: combined creator god + solar — the original creator (Atum) identified with the daily sun (Ra). Each combined form emphasises specific aspects.

Famous heretical episode: pharaoh Akhenaten (14th century BC) tried to abolish all Egyptian polytheism and impose monolatric worship of Aten (the visible sun disk, distinct from Ra) — radical religious reform that did not survive his death. His successor Tutankhamun (the famous of the intact tomb of 1922) restored the multiple traditional Ra and other gods.

Working with Ra today

In modern esoteric tradition (especially Western occultism, Egyptian-influenced ceremonial magic of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and derivatives), Ra is invoked for: 1) Solar work par excellence — supreme solar deity. 2) Authority and conscious leadership — Ra is supreme legitimate king. 3) Daily rebirth — Ra symbolises the daily victory over darkness; useful invocation in periods of personal "dark night" when you need to renew the inner light. 4) Order against chaos — confrontations with overwhelming life chaos. 5) Connection with the conscious solar masculine.