TEMPLE OF THE COSMOS

Temple of the Cosmos: the Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred /  by Jeremy Naydler. – Inner Traditions International, c1996.

The recommendation to read this amazing book did not come about in the usual way.

I received the name „Jeremy Naydler,“ and its precise spelling, in a dream.  Someone was telling me they needed a document of some kind for this person, and they repeated the spelling of his name several times with great emphasis.  Immediately upon awakening I began to research the name, thinking it may have some genealogical or historical importance.  Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that Jeremy Naydler specializes in ancient Egyptian religion, with emphasis on understanding the consciousness of the time.  Of course I began reading his books, taking them in chronological order.

The first chapter of Temple of the Cosmos  introduced metaphysical aspects of the Egyptian landscape that impacted such things as concepts of reality and the significance of the four quarters with  reference to Egyptian religion.  I found this chapter captivating. Half the chapters lay a foundation for understanding  how the ancient Egyptians experienced time and space.  The other half focus on a detailed presentation of the nature of   the soul, the afterlife, and the underworld.   The author interprets the ancient Egyptian worldview for us, and explains the ways in which it differs from our own.  The book provides a complete orientation to the Egyptian underworld and its structure, and is abundantly illustrated with pictures you either have not seen before, or have seen but misinterpreted...in any event you will appreciate  them with new eyes.  Other intriguing discussions explain  concepts such as the ordering and cycles  of time,  merging with the Neteru, meanings of the directions, psychic qualities  located in different areas of  the human body, discussions of  stars and deities,  symbolic meanings of various hieroglyphs, and much more.  There are also numerous ancient texts of different kinds, in very nice  translations, and many references.