Space and Time

My Interpretations and Commentary on Space and Time:

The Space and Time chapters were great for agreeing with the astrological science most are taught in primary school.  However, as always so much more mystically magnificent the Kemites were, their interpretations of space and time went deeper.

From what I understand, their approach to space had everything to do with time.  

12p Noon or midday was considered when the Sun was highest in the sky…i.e. distance of an object to tell time.

1 Week was equivalent to 1 quarter of a month; instead of a digital quantity such as 30-days.

But what I learned most from the reading was how dependent their time was on the phases of the moon:

    First QTR is a half-moon (moving towards gibbous)

    Second QTR is a full moon

    Third QTR is a half-moon (moving towards crescent)

    Fourth QTR is a new moon

   

      Such that their yearly calendars were totally centered around the moon’s quarters that determined seasons, festivals and all other scheduling of life. 

Daytime was interpreted as 12 hours of three sun phases, (dawn, midday, dust).

Nighttime was called the “Underworld” and consisted of 12 hours; six under land and six under water.  I’m not sure the significance of why night went underwater, but it was believed the sun traveled in the underworld 180-degrees.   

The illustration below again shows the Divine-9 acting on the day-to-underworld cycle where Atum-Ra (sun disc over his head) travels in the Sun-boat 180-degrees across the sky (Nut) that makes up the daytime:

And by night, Atum-Ra(sun disc over his head) travels in the Sun-boat 180-degrees through the underworld to complete a day:

Since each day-night trip consisted of 12-hours; the number 12 is sacred; with 12-chapters in the Book of the Dead organized around the sun god Ra. 

  -The Sun phases were illustrated by different displays of Atum-Ra:
Dawn (Sunrise) depicted as the child Horus rising from a Lotus flower or scarab beetle:

  

 

-Midday is the mature Ra in full glory to be worshiped for live-giving blessings as a disk or with a disk over his head in the previous illustrations;

-Dust (Sunset) is Ra as a ram-headed man:

From the years, quarters (months) and days three Kemetic seasons were derived.  

The Akhet (Inundation) was a rainy season where flood waters covered the land and dangerously so at times.  The rain was believed to be caused by Asset’s (Isis) tears for Assar (Osiris) after his murder and started around what we know as the June/July months.  With just enough rain water, this season was responsible to bring enough water for crops and other life giving needs.  With too much water, life was washed away or drowned.  With too little water, drought was deadly.  It was a great idea to be in good graces with Asset during this time so she provided just enough water to keep life stable; and that she and Hapi, a god of the Nile, worked well together.

Proyet (Emergence of Coming Forth) was the season when the waters recede and is known as the time of conception for Horus (prince of Asset and Assar).  This season started around what we know as  the months of October/November with a full moon.  During Proyet, crops were harvest and everything readied for the dry season.

Shomu (Deficiency) was a hot and dry season believed to be caused when Set (brother to Assar) wars with Horus for rule of the Kemetic Kingdom after Set kills Assar.  This season would be around what we know as March/April with a new moon.  And from all this drama, we cycle back to the tears of Asset for the next Akhet season.

One of the most important Kemetic holidays was “The Decent of the Drop” or what we call Summer Solstice which must have been between Akhet and Proyet when it stopped raining.  It was also marked by the ascent of the star Sirius and considered New Year’s Day.