Heka
Heka or Hika is "magick" in egyptian it is also Egyptian magick.
Most European and Western originate from Egypt.
Egypt was known as "Cradle of Magick"
Another word for magical powers was 'akhu', this is sometimes translated as meaning 'enchantments, sorcery or spells'.
Everything in creation possess Heka to a certain degree.
The more Heka you have the greater the ability to preform magick.
In ancient Egypt the more scrolls you had and you read them the more Heka you had.
The Types of magic in the Ancient Egypt culture:
Magick that is written
Magick that is spoken
Sympathetic magick
Amulets
Written magick is writing on a peace of papyrus and burned,destroyed or even carry.
Spoken magick was words of power and sometimes the true names of things.
Sympathetic magick was sometimes the names of the enemies of the state were written on
red pots or even images and broken in the public.
Amulets were made with metal and stones,gems and other things.
-Sting: usually red or black it was used to bind,to block out or immobilize something there was red,white,blue and many more colors were also used.
-cloth: the Egyptian used linen but cotton oversees linen cause true linen is very hard to find and would be expensive.
-papyrus: yes this was also used but to find true papyrus can be hard and costly.
You can use parchment paper or resume paper when destroying or burning.
-Wax: wax was used but Egyptians used beeswax.
Red candles was used in banishing spells.
-Natron: was also used its a white powder it consists of:
table salt
baking soda
The natron used in Egypt used Two other ingredients:
Soda ash
Glauber's salt
Natron was is used for is purify yourself and your magickal space.
natron water is sprinkled on yourself and was used and stil is in funeral rites.
It has practical application healing properties.
-Red pottery: Red pots are used in banishing spells you either throw it on the ground or you can used a object to break it.
The Egyptians had no distinction between good,natural and demonic magick like in medieval Europe.
In the Egyptian theology,very few supernatural beings were regarded as truly evil, so invoking them no spiritual danger,neither was there any stigma in worshiping these deities.
The understanding of Ma'at is vital in preforming magick as such those who do Ma'at are able to gain Heka.
The Per Ankh was the place where the priests learned their duties,the arts of magick and healing and the concept of Ma'at.
The Priests of Sekhmet were considered to be good physicians so were the Priests of Anpu and Khnosu.
Magicians claimed priesthood from various temples.
Priests used religious,magickal and medical means its was not uncommon for a physicians to use magickal amulets,a prayer to Netjer and a regular medicine such as a herbal poultice.
In Egypt ritual magick rituals was practiced on the behalf of the state for at least 3000 years.
Ma'at or Mayet, is the concept of truth, balance, order, law, morality, and justice in Kemetism.
I've never seen it pronounced as Hika before, nor is it pronounced that way on the website you provided. Can I get your references for this pronunciation?
Most European and Western originating magical traditions originate from the regions which they come from. Many of the current, New Age traditions have some ancient Egyptian origins (or falsely claim to in the case of the Tarot) or take some of the concepts for themselves. The Golden Dawn, all Tameran Wiccans, Hermetic traditions, Thelma, etc, are some of these traditions. I've studied into Nordic/Germanic magical (spiritual, and religious) traditions some, and I can attest to them being completely unrelated.
Other than the single reference you gave, I've never seen the term akhu used to refer to any sort of enchantments, sorcery, or spells. The term wouldn't even make sense, as akhu translates to "the glorious ones" or "the glorious bodies" and is used to refer to the glorified/blessed dead.
Heka always involves the written and/or spoken word, as it often translates as "meaningful speech", whether it be used in sympathetic magic of any sort (as amulets are a part of sympathetic magic).
String/cloth was indeed often used, but more often it was used in reference to a mythological story or else used to symbolism a thing or concept (for instance white was used for purity, red for power, etc). The colors you have given are aligned with Western magic, not with heka. Linen is made of cotton, linen is simply harder to produce than cotton is as the weave of the linen is different, giving it a lighter, more airy feel. Regular cotton clothing was worn by the lesser classes, while the higher classes stuck with linen. Linen is also massively preferred in any heka whether as clothing or a tool as it is purer, and is an indication of your status as a hekau (magician).
Papyrus can be found online for around a dollar (USD) a sheet in packs of 20 or more. It's not a rare, nor precious commodity now.
I've never seen evidence that candles were used, however wax was used, as were oil lamps (cotton wicks dipped in and sitting in oil in a clay pot) as a lighting source. Wax was often used in the creation of figures which were then destroyed.
Yes, natron was used it was used for many, many things, including bodywash, mouthrinse, a drying agent for the dead, general purification, and was used within the temples as a purification source. I've never seen it used in ancient Egypt as a purifier for the temple itself, more often sand was used. I've got no clue what you mean by Glauder's salt and soda ash being used, as historically natron was harvested from dry lake beds, and the most famous one is modernly called Nadi Natrun. in ancient times, priests would bathe in pools of it in order to become cleansed for handling and/or being in the presence of the gods. It does not have healing properties, however it is used as an astringent and anti-septic.
There was no good, natural, and demonic "magic" in ancient Egypt. Heka was given to us by the gods (specifically Ra) to use in our every day lives so that we are better equipped for the world around us. Red clay pots were used in banishing, whether that be negative entities (spirits of illness for instance), or other things that hurt your life.
Ap-p was the only thing truly regarded as "evil", as it constantly fought against the created and orderly world. His name was intentionally "cut" in ancient times in order to prevent him from gaining power from it being spoken. Though "evil" is a modern term and conception. Isfet is the opposite of ma'at, it is isfet which is considered "evil". Isfet is many things, but to put it most simply, it is going against your place in life; whether that be through lying, coveting others stuff, stealing, dishonoring the gods, etc.
You don't gain or lose heka by not doing ma'at, heka is something which flucuates due to many things, but by doing or not doing ma'at, you don't have the same effect as say the three fold law. If you are not aligned with ma'at, then you can have consequences which effect your ability to do heka, but you don't necessarily gain heka by doing ma'at.
The Per Ankh (or House of Life) is where the writings and learnings of the temples were contained, and while they were a necessary thing in the teaching of healers, physicians, and hekau, they weren't an administrative office.
It's true that most hekau were priests, although during the time in which they were hekau alone they were considered laymen as most priests only served the temple once a month every three months.
My research has shown it pronounced as
Heka (/hk) the begining sound not as He more like Hecka.
I could be totally wrong but I will try to find more out.
I have also heard practitioners say "Hike"
Hope this helps,
