EGYPTOLOGY

THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN ASTROLOGY

By Amir Bey

The study of ancient Egypt is necessary in order to prevent misconceptions concerning the origins of terms and techniques found in ancient and modern western astrology. Because of over-reliance on Greek and Roman sources, the depth of Egypt’s full role in the formulation of astrology is difficult to see clearly. The loss and destruction of original Egyptian institutions and records plus the complex symbolism of Egyptian religion are responsible for this. The priesthood were the custodians of the traditions, science and history of Egypt, yet relatively little original documentation survived through the centuries. In addition, Egyptians of the New Kingdom dynastic period did not know some aspects of their ancestors’ lives of the Old Kingdom, the pyramid builders. Historians in the modern sense did not exist until Egypt’s waning centuries. Accounts of battles, the list of the pharaohs’ names, love poems, fables, enduring monuments and other sources have survived. Much of the surviving materials are religious in nature, or were associated with burials. Papyrus containing significant information for archeologists was used to wrap mummies; this is the incidental nature of archeology, and of Egyptian archeology in particular. The Dead were not to be disturbed, and what has been found was not meant for our eyes. Outright destruction occurred through conquest, with successive waves of invading armies, religions, and cultures gradually destroying or incorporating what remained of the sciences and indigenous institutions of Egypt. Finally during the Christian era hieroglyphic writing was forbidden, and along with it much of the subtleties of the language was lost, and information laid dormant for centuries until the expedition of Napoleon and the resultant decipherment by Champollion in 1822.

This left most of the surviving written documentation on Egypt coming from Greek and Roman sources, except for contemporary diplomatic records in cuneiform that are still being translated. For example, the names of the pharaohs still used in most textbooks are often Hellenized names, when their original names are known. Even the name Egypt is from the Greek Aiguptos, originating from Ha(t)-ka-Ptah [H(w).t-k3-ptH] , one of the names of the ancient capitol Memphis, meaning "House (Temple) of the Soul of Ptah", as it held a major temple of that godhead. The original name was Kemet [k m.t] meaning Black Land, that is: land of the fertile dark earth of the Nile Valley. The inhabitants often simply called called themselves "People of Kemet" ("People of the Black Land") [rmT n km.t] most often just "People" [rmT] . The original Middle Kingdom pronunciation for "Egyptians" was something like rama-ni-KUma. They also referred to their land as Ta-meri [t3-mri] , meaning "The Beloved Land", and Tawi or Taui, [t3.wy] , meaning "The Two Lands". This last name refers to the idea that there were once two kingdoms, Upper and Lower Kemet. The two kingdoms were united by the first dynastic pharaoh, Narmer. In order to better evoke those people, the civilization, the land and that distant time, they will be referred to as the Rama ni Kuma and the land as Kemet in this paper.

Kemet had a great influence on the civilizations of the Mediterranean. There is linguistic, cultural, religious, astronomical and astrological evidence of Kemet’s influence on Greece and Rome, and the surrounding area before horoscopic astrology came to be. Like most significant human developments, the horoscopic astrology that was developed in Alexandria was the result of an amalgamation. Chaldea (Babylon), Greek, and Rama ni Kuma astronomical and astrological concepts fused together at a critical juncture in African, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean history. During this time the transition from the dominance of the older civilizations of Kemet and Mesopotamia to that of the Greek, and later the Roman eras was taking place.

DEITIES AND HELIACAL STARS

Ancient Kemet arguably had the most complex polytheistic religion that any civilization ever possessed. The gods that are of interest here are those who were sky-gods. Major gods such as Re, or Ria , who was the Sun, and Djehuti [DHwty] (Thoth) , who was the Moon and the precursor of Hermes and Mercury, symbolized those planets, yet had other meanings. Their roles often blended or overlapped with other deities, and had different aspects, such as Kheper-Re (the Becoming -rising) Sun, or Re-Sherayu, the Little Sun (winter).

The purely astronomical deities had more specific roles. There were deities for months, the days of the month, and for the hours of the day. The star the Rama ni Kuma called Sepdit , known as Sirius today, was probably the most important of the astronomical deities. To understand why, we must look at the natural environment of Kemet. Some major forces of nature in Kemet were : The Nile River, whose yearly rise and fall occurring in regular cycles were crucial in a land where there was hardly any rainfall. The Nile’s regularity and predictability contributed to Kemet’s development as the first nation-state with a stable society and enduring traditions; The Sun, which is extremely hot and has a strong presence there, notably during summer. This is due to Kemet’s proximity to the Tropic of Cancer, which crosses the Southern portion of the country. The Nile and the Sun determined the seasons, for which there were three: Axhet ("inundation" or "Verdure", mid-July through mid-November), Peret ("Coming Forth", or "Sewing", of the previously flooded fields, mid-November through mid-March), and Shemu ("Warmth" or "Harvest", mid-March through mid-July). The Nile's and the Sun's cycles joined when they reached the peaks at the same time; the Nile would flood and the Sun moved furthest north and thus closest to all of Kemet at the Summer Solstice. After a period of absence in the sky, the star Sepdit’s sudden appearance announced this time by its heliacal rising (just before sunrise). Sepdit’s heliacal rising precisely coincided with dawn at the summer solstice around the year 3,300BC, near the beginning of Kemet’s dynastic period. The Rama ni Kuma observation of the heliacal rising of Sepdit and its coincidence with the Nile’s flooding at the Summer Solstice enabled them to plan for the economic administration of the country.

This was the New Year, and indeed it was a time of spiritual as well as material significance for Kemet. The heliacal risings of stars and planets were observed in all the stages of Rama ni Kuma history. Their representations can be seen in countless religious artifacts. One early religious form was the association of the goddess Aset [3st] (Isis) , with a heliacal rising star or planet. In this regard she was depicted holding in her lap the nursing infant Her [Hr] (Horus) , who symbolized the rising Sun, she the heliacal body. This is not to say the Aset-Her allegory and icons were limited to representing heliacal risings. The heliacal body, as Aset, was seen as mother to the Sun, Her. While the mother and child is an ancient and universal theme in art, the Rama ni Kuma version of this icon along with Aset’s title Mut-netjer [mwt-nTr] , or "Mother of God", later evolved into the Madonna and child icons found in Roman Catholic religious art.

It is unknown at what time the Rama ni Kuma began observing the cycles between the Sun and heliacal stars and planets. We can get an idea from other examples of heliacal risings of importance that this knowledge reached back far into Kemet’s long history, before the dynastic period. Taking Sepdit's heliacal rising in 3,300 BC and its coincidence with the Nile's flooding at the Solstice, - just before the dynastic era- we have a date for such an observance. The Pleiades also suggest a possible date for early knowledge of heliacal risings. This group of stars rose before the Sun when the Spring Equinox occurred in what would be known as the constellation of Taurus, spanning the period from about 4,200BC to 2,100BC (the age of Taurus). The Rama ni Kuma name for these stars was Atauria, or Tauri, associating these stars with Het-Her [Hwt-Hr] (Hathor). The Chaldeans and the Hebrews also used this name for these stars, and the name for the sign and constellation Taurus was derived from it.

During that same period the scorpion goddess Serqet rose before the Sun at the Autumnal Equinox. (Her name is sometimes transliterated as Selqet, as the L sound (the hieroglyph of the lion couchant) was later added to the language.) Her name and meaning lent itself to the sign and constellation where the Sun transited at that time, Scorpio. Depictions of Serqet often feature a scorpion on her head. One image of immaculate conception shows her and another protective deity Net presiding over the god Amun and Djehuti-mes [DHwty-ms] (Thoth-mes) IV’s wife Mutemwia at the moment of orgasm. The goddess’ hands are holding the feet of the lovers, while their heads hold the sky that the lovers were perched upon. This was the way in which the future pharaoh Amenhetep III was to have been conceived! A graceful golden anthropomorphic sculpture of Serqet was among the treasures found in Tutankhamon’s burial chamber, as she was guardian to the deceased’s organs during its journey in the after life. She also symbolized the heat of the Sun.

The association in astrology of the eyes with the Sun and Moon originates from the wedjat , the eye of Her. The Rama ni Kuma believed the two luminaries were the two eyes of the god, with the Moon as his left eye, and the Sun as his right eye. In astrology this association can be reversed, depending on the sex of the individual.

The Rama ni Kuma had different constellations than those now used. The appearance of the sky has changed little since then, yet the Rama ni Kuma had different concepts about the groupings of the constellations. For example the circumpolar constellations were: the Hippopotamus (now Drago), the Jackal (now the Little Bear), an ox-leg, or the Thigh (now the Great Bear). Later, Rama ni Kuma symbols, names and attributes for their deities associated with certain times of the year were incorporated into those for the signs of the zodiac.

One major aspect, if not the major aspect of Rama ni Kuma religion and culture is the cult of death and everlasting life. To be sure there are astrological corelations: Usar [wsir] (Osiris)with Pluto/Hades; Djehuti [DHwty] (Thoth)with Mercury/Hermes; and as mentioned above, Serqet with Scorpio.

THE CALENDAR

The complexity of the calendar of Kemet does not permit a full treatment of it here except to mention a few important points. The Rama ni Kuma concept of time involved cycles that reached beyond centuries, into eras. Essentially, there were two calendars used simultaneously, one can be called the seasonal year of 365 and one fourth days, which was based on Sepdit’s heliacal cycle (also called the Sothic Cycle), and the shifting, or civil year of 365 days. With these two calendars a great year of 1,460 years was derived. The civil year started its New Year’s Day one day earlier than the seasonal year for every four years of time that passed. It would then take approximately one great year of about 1,460 years (365 x 4) for the two calendars to have the same New Year’s Day again. The Rama ni Kuma used this calendar since the beginning of the dynastic period. This indicates they had the knowledge of these cycles well into pre-dynastic times to make the kinds of observations of stellar and seasonal cycles necessary for its creation.

The method of marking time for the civil year was not based on impractical, stubborn tradition. It measured days more precisely than the seasonal year. It had a practical function since it had 12 months of 30 days each giving it 360 days annually. This allowed for the distribution of materials from granaries by 360, which is conveniently divisible by many numbers. There were five intercalary days added later to match the true length of the year. Thus the 365 day year was important for the administration of the country, which is why it was a civic calendar. With its saint days and Lunar feast days, it had a religious purpose as well. While the true length of time was known to them, each new pharaoh did not adjust the civic calendar to coincide with the seasonal year. The observance of the precise time of the Nile’s inundation was solely in the priests’ hands, as it was their duty to plan for the most important event of the year.

While complicated, this arrangement is highly scientific and it combines knowledge of the seasonal year based on a stellar cycle and seasons, with the shifting civic year. The Rama ni Kuma knew how far on the stellar cycle they were. They knew that the calendar based on Sepdit’s heliacal rising was slightly longer than the year based on the Summer Solstice. This gave them the knowledge of the natural, or solar length of the year as well.

When Julius Caesar wanted to simplify and correct the Roman calendar, which was a lunar one, he was advised by a scientist from Alexandria, Sosigenes. The resulting Julian Calendar was based on the 365 and one fourth day calendar of Kemet. Our present calendar combines some of these concepts of time also, but it is a faint echo of the sense of time the Rama ni Kuma had. However, it should be noted that the Rama ni Kuma calendar became too complicated with so many cycles merged into its body. At times it is difficult for archeologists to know which calendar dates were used on some monuments. The Kemetu did not date their calendars relative to a specific time such as BC or AD, or the "Common Era", nor did they use segments of time such as centuries and dynasties is a convenient modern concept. Beginning in the Middle Kingdom, they related calendrical time by the reign of the pharaoh. Thus, January 4, 2001 would be considered year 9,month 1, day 4 of President Clinton by the civic calendar's reckoning. There was a more elaborate formula that included the year, month of the season, day in that order, and the throne name of the pharaoh, such as "Year 10, 1 month of Inundation , 6th day, during the incarnation of the King of Upper and Lower Kemet, User- MAat-Re" (Ramses the Great).

The Rama ni Kuma used the heliacal rising of the 36 decans to observe the progress of time during the course of the year, as well as to mark passage of the hours during the night. The 36 decans originally marked the sky at approximately 10 degree intervals each. Thus the heliacal rising of a decan star or stars would span a 10 day period, which are often referred to as the Rama ni Kuma week. This gave each month 3 decan-weeks, and they were sometimes written in hieroglyphic as "Head 10-day period" for the 1^st decan, "Heart 10-day period" for the 2^nd decan , and "Tail ten-day period" for the 3^rd decan. During the time when Sepdit’s heliacal rising coincided with the Summer Solstice, it started the yearly cycle of the 36 decans. Because of the precession of the Equinox, the beginning decan was eventually shifted to the succeeding decan-star. Later the culminations of the decan stars were used in place of the heliacal risings. During the Hellenistic period, the 36 decans were adapted into the astrology of the Greeks, with a slightly different definition.

Would changes in the locations of the stars brought about by the precession of the equinoxes have caused the Rama ni Kuma to make distinctions between sidereal and tropical cycles? Could the battle between the god Set , who represented not merely evil, but the circumpolar stars, and the god Her the Sun, been symbolic of these two cycles of the sky? One was shifting, dark, and distant, the other constant, bright, and life-giving. They may not have seen the need to distinguish between the cycles, just as they would not have seen the need to draw distinctions between astrologers and astronomers. It was more practical to combine the new adjustments within the traditional scientific and ceremonial practices. That is how their calendar evolved. It is possible astrology will always have to make adjustments, with the battle between Her and Set bringing renewal.

The astronomical ceiling of Chamber A of Senenmut's tomb. Note the wheels which are believed to be representative of feast days for the lunar months.

The astronomical ceiling of the tomb of the official Senenmut who lived during the New Kingdom contains the earliest preserved list of decans that is in good condition. There is a poorly preserved list from much earlier in the Middle Kingdom coffin from one called Heny. Interestingly, there is a lunar calendar on the ceiling of Senenmut’s tomb that has twelve circles divided into twenty-four sections. These circles are representative of the feast days of each of the lunar months, and their twenty-four sections represent the twenty-four hours of those days. They are striking in their similarity to present-day horoscopic wheels and houses when viewed amongst the traditional hieroglyphics and images of the Rama ni Kuma gods. The cardinal points on the wheel used in astrology originates with the Rama ni Kuma. They faced South and called West "right", and East "left". This orientation stems from the direction of the Nile River’s current, which flows from the South ( "Upper Kemet") to the North ("Lower Kemet"). There are no planets or stars placed in any of those sections of the wheels in Senenmut's tomb as an astrological chart would have. That would come later, during the Ptolemaic era. Nevertheless, these are examples of the foundations laid by ancient Rama ni Kuma cosmology and geography for astrology.

Kemet’s calendar could be called a "structural ancestor" for western astrology. It had decans, 12 months, a 365 and one fourth day year, 24 hour day, and 24-hour wheels that are suggestive of the horoscopic wheels and houses used today. The Rama ni Kuma had to accurately know when the inundation of the Nile would occur. They knew this time corresponded to the Summer Solstice and the heliacal rising of Sepdet. This led them to develop an accurate means to predict their occurrence. They worshipped the Solstice and had temples oriented to it. The Rama ni Kuma recognized the importance of the Equinox, yet because of the cycle of the Nile, the Summer Solstice was emphasized. This is in contrast to the Babylonians, who oriented their temples to the Spring Equinox, when the Tigris and Euphrates flooded in Mesopotamia. Significantly, they both used the seasonal changes in the year to orient their calendars.

MEDU NETJER

The people of Kemet called their hieroglyphic writing Medu Netjer, meaning "Words [of] God". The Rama ni Kuma source for the names of the signs Taurus and Scorpio have been shown above to be from star deities. There are many pre-Coptic Rama ni Kuma sources for words, letters, and symbols found in the Greek, Romance, and Germanic languages as well as some astronomical and astrological terms, some that evolved from combining Medu Netjer with other languages. This interaction would seem logical when considering Greece and Rome’s proximity to Kemet. Moreover, Kemet’s extensive influence in the area for over a millennium before Greece’s "golden" age would have brought about more than shallow exchanges between these cultures. For instance, there is evidence of Rama ni Kuma colonies in pre-Hellenistic Greece and pre-Roman Italy with resultant linguistic influences.

Each of the deities for the months, days, and hours also had priests for those designated times. The word for hour was unut, and one word for priesthood was also unut, . An imy-unut was an hour-watcher, or an astronomer whose function it was to watch the rising of the decans. There is speculation that this was also the name used for astrologers, but it is likely that this kind of distinction was not made. There were different functions for the various priestly castes, and being an imy-unut was one. There was an importance associated with the rising star of an hour, and a priest whose function it was to observe and conduct duties for that hour. This is much different from the concept of the astronomer of today. However, the imy-unut can be seen as a precursor to both the astrologer and the astronomer. While modern astrologers do not conduct watches for the hours, we do focus our attention on the meaning of time, down to the degree, down to the second!

In my opinion there are some connections between the Rama ni Kuma language and terms denoting time presently in use. I am not a linguist, but I would like to suggest some possible relationships. As mentioned above, the word for hour and a small period of time was unut, and an imy-unut was the title for an "hour watcher." If the Latin word minuo, meaning to make smaller, to diminish, is added to unut you get a word that reads minuo-unut. The combination of these two words would mean a smaller amount of time, or a diminished hour: a minute. The word minute could also be derived solely from the title imy-unut. The word hru , in Medu Netjer meant day specifically, and was the word for time in general. There may be a connection between this word and the name for the solar deity Her (Horus), which was pronounced with a more emphatic "H" sound. The Medu netjer word hru as the root for the words hour (English), heur (French), hora (Spanish), and hora (Greek), seems possible if not likely.

The present-day glyphs used in modern western astrology are combinations of Medu Netjer hieroglyphics, the Coptic and Greek alphabets. Coptic is a surviving form of the Rama ni Kuma language which uses mainly modified Greek letters plus modified Demotic, a shorthand script that came into being in the Late Period. Two clear examples of this are the glyphs for the Sun used in astrology which is directly taken from the Medu Netjer hieroglyph for the Sun ,Re, and the wavy lines of Aquarius which is derived from the hieroglyph for water.

MODERN RESEARCH

The cosmology of pre-dynastic Kemet, like dynastic Kemet, was formed by the unique circumstances of it geography, meteorology, and social history. The earliest known examples of pre-dynastic Rama ni Kuma cosmology are discussed in the April 2, 1998 issue of Nature magazine. The article states that about 11,000 years ago central African monsoons moved into the previously hyper-arid region of what is now Southern Egypt, forming temporary lakes, or playas. Megalithic alignments and stone circles were discovered in the largest one, the Nabta Playa depression, which is around 10km by 7km in area and is located in the Nubian desert. Attracted to the water, pastoralists settled in the area around 10,000 years ago. The structure of the megaliths suggest a symbolic geometry of death, water, and the Sun, which are major components of dynastic Rama ni Kuma religion. Eventually hyper-arid conditions returned to Nabta, becoming so inhospitable that it caused an exodus of the inhabitants. The most recent radio-carbon dating is not more recent than 4,800 years ago. The age of the ceremonial complex at Nabta suggests that the astronomy and ceremonialism there occurred before most of the megalithic features of Europe, Great Britain, and Brittany were established. Within 500 years after the exodus from Nabta, the first pyramid, the step pyramid of Saqqara, was built around 2650BC. This indicates there was a pre-existing cultural base which may have originated in the Nubian desert. The exodus out of Nabta most likely brought social differentiation and cultural complexity that formed pre-dynastic Kemet. These Nomadic groups were better organized and possessed a more complex cosmology than was found in the North.

The few astronomical and astrological materials left by the Rama ni Kuma leaves researchers with the impression they were not as developed in those areas as the Babylonians. They did not leave law codes as the Babylonians did either, yet they had a powerful central authority in the pharaoh, a Vizier or Prime Minister, and a highly efficient bureaucracy. What astronomical and astrological testimonies the Rama ni Kuma did leave are pyramids, and temples oriented to significant risings, star charts, and other circumstantial evidence of their astronomical, astrological and mathematical knowledge. Some of this evidence is in Rama ni Kuma religious imagery that may not convey to our us what it represented to them. As the Rama ni Kuma were tradition-bound in their representations, they would use traditional forms to convey new ideas. Their use of the two calendars is an example of how they blended science and tradition.

The problem that researchers have today is that most information on ancient Kemet that is contemporary to that time is from Hellenistic or other foreign sources. The Rama ni Kuma language was never international, as the Akkadian, Greek, or Latin languages. With most scholars’ training centered in Greek classical models, the material that is in Greek is attributed to the Greeks, when much of it could be derived from Rama ni Kuma sources. The "Greek Magical" Papyri and other papyri found in Kemet that date from the Ptolemaic era are examples. When the Ptolemies became rulers of Kemet, they gradually redesigned the structure of the country, and the Greek language became the official language. Kemet, which then became Egypt, is one of the most well documented countries of that period due to the literature, magical spells and extensive administrative records written on papyri, which were largely in Greek. The Ptolemaic regime adopted the traditions, science, and culture of an advanced and ancient civilization. Funerary art from the Hellenistic occupation can serve as a visual metaphor for this. The mummification process, coffins, and religious observances for the dead were the same as for many centuries in Kemet. The only break with tradition was that the faces painted on the coffins were often in the Greek style.

Researchers must read between the lines as they peer through the Hellenistic lens of the chroniclers and scientists of that time. Modern cosmological researchers would do well to have a background in Egyptology to some degree if they are to follow the evolution of western astrology. This would allow them to place ancient astrological materials in as accurate a context as possible. While ancient Kemet has much of its past buried or irretrievable, there remains a reservoir of information available.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MARTIN BERNAL "Black Athena: The Afro-Asiatic Roots of Classical Civilization,

Vol.I, The Fabrication of Ancient Greece 1785-1985." Rutgers University Press, 1987.

HANS DIETER BETZ ed. "The Greek Magical Papyri In Translation: Including The Demotic Spells.", 2^nd Edition, The University of Chicago Press, 1996.

E.A. WALLIS BUDGE "An Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary", Vols. I and II, Dover Publications, Inc., 1978.

"The Gods of the Egyptians", Vols. I and II, Dover Publications, Inc., 1969.

LIONEL CASSON "Ancient Egypt", Time-Life Books, 1965.

PETER F. DORMAN "The Tombs of Senenmut: The Architecture and Decoration of Tombs 71 and 353". The Metropolitan Museum of Art Egyptian Expedition, 1991.

RAYMOND O. FAULKNER "A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian", Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum. Oxford, 1991.

RICHARD J. GILLINGS "Mathematics in the Time of the Pharaohs", Dover Publications, Inc., 1972.

S. R. K. GLANVILLE "The Legacy of Egypt", from "The Calendars and Chronology", Oxford University Press, Amen House, 1957.

BARRY J. KEMP "Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization", Routledge, 1993.

WILHELM KNAPPICH "Histoire De L’Astrologie", Vernal/Philippe LeBaud, 1986.

LUCIE LAMY "Egyptian Mysteries: New Light on Ancient Knowledge", Thames and Hudson Inc., 1981.

J. NORMAN LOCKYER "The Dawn of Astronomy: A Study of Temple worship and Mythology of the Ancient Egyptians", The MIT Press, 1973.

J. McKIM MALVILLE/ ALI MAZAR/ ROMAULD SCHILD & FRED WENDORF "Megaliths and Neolithic Astronomy in Southern Egypt", Nature, April 2, 1998.

WILLIAM T. OLCOTT "Star Lore of All Ages: A Collection of Myths, Legends, & Facts Concerning the Constellations of the Northern Hemisphere", Kissenger Publications Co., 1911.

ANKH MI RA "Let The Ancestors Speak: Removing the Veil of Mysticism From Medu Netcher", Vol. I. JOM International Inc., 1995.

RICHARD H. WILKINSON "Reading Egyptian Art: A Hieroglyphic Guide To Ancient Egyptian Painting and Sculpture", Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1992.

ECLIPSES OVER EGYPT

Compared to the precise records of the Mesopotamian civilizations, there is not much documentation of total solar eclipses that has survived from Kemet (ancient Egypt). Considering the importance of the Sun for this civilization, this lack of documentation is intriguing. (Note:The original name was Kemet [k m.t] meaning Black Land, that is: land of the fertile dark earth of the Nile Valley. The inhabitants often simply called called themselves "People of Kemet" ("People of the Black Land") [rmT n km.t]. In Middle Egyptian the pronounciation for "Egyptians" would probably have been Rama ni Kuma, which is how they will be referred to here.)

Speculation for this has ranged from an eclipse being such an upset to the goddess Maat’s order that it was unmentionable, to the relative rarity of eclipses as the reason for their absence in Rama ni Kuma records. One possible answer for the lack of historical records is that the Rama ni Kuma recorded much of their documents on papyrus, which kept well in the desert areas. However, papyrus did not keep as well near the damp Nile region where many total solar eclipses occurred. In contrast to the clay tablets of the Babylonians, papyrus was the more vulnerable to decay.

Certainly, they had words for eclipse: tnw, and nshn, with variations such as: iaH nshn - Lunar Eclipse, and nshni-wr - Great Eclipse. nshn is written with a Set-like character for its determinative . This same word also means Storm, Terror, Rage, and Disaster. As another example there is the phrase "a m tA pt pA itn"-"The sky swallows the Sun Disk". There are also references to eclipses that can be found in spells, such as a "Let not the sun-disk grow dark....let not the sky swallow the moon". Concerning the influence of a lunar eclipse, a high priest Osorkon said, "Though the sky had not swallowed the Moon, there was a great turmoil in the country.", an indication that a lunar eclipse was believed to have disruptive effects.

Simply, total solar eclipses occur at the New Moon when the Sun and Moon have the same declination, and lunar eclipses occur at the Full Moon when the Sun and Moon have opposite declinations. The beginning of the Rama ni Kuma month was at the first invisibility of the lunar crescent, and was called psDntyw. psDntyw fell near the New Moon, which would put a total solar eclipse on or near an important calendar day. Likewise with a lunar eclipse, as the Full Moon was an important feast day. This would add to the significance of their appearance. Partial and annular eclipses are certainly visible to the naked eye, and do inspire wonder. Total solar eclipses are the primary focus here as there is no eclipse as remarkable as a total solar eclipse. With its alteration of the daylight and the manner in which it charges the air, it certainly would have been noticed. One can actually see a wave of darkness as a total eclipse path travels across the land. This is the shadow of the Moon, as it comes between the Sun and the Earth. The phase of maximum totality lasts up to 7.5 minutes, averaging around 4 minutes, often lasting less than a minute. The whole process from the beginning partial phase to maximum totality, to the last phase of the eclipse may last over two hours. Those brief minutes of maximum totality would have had a powerful effect on a people who held the Sun and stellar events in the regard that the Rama ni Kuma did.

There were 28 total solar eclipses whose paths crossed the Nile River in Kemet during the period from 2837 BC to 493 BC. Solar eclipses usually have a lunar eclipse following or preceding it. This would result in a pair of eclipses within 15 days of each other. These total solar eclipses had 10 lunar eclipses that were visible in Kemet. The visibility of a lunar eclipse is not confined to a path as with a total solar eclipse, and can be seen wherever the Moon is visible at the time of the eclipse’s occurrence.

The following list provides regions and dates where some form of documentation for these total solar eclipses might have been written. The Northernmost and Southernmost cities mark the boundaries of the total eclipse paths, with the Northernmost city listed first. The coordinates for those cities are written in blue. Total solar eclipses that were accompanied by a lunar eclipse that was visible in Kemet are indicated with a /,with their dates in brackets. All of these lunar eclipses were partial.

The dates for the total solar eclipses and their paths were taken from Solar Eclipses of the Ancient Near East, by M. Kudlek and E.H. Mickler. Their dates and approximate paths were confirmed by The Canon of Solar Eclipses, by J. Meeus and H. Mucke. Those dates were also confirmed by Solar Fire 4.07, a software program developed by Esoteric Technologies, Inc. For the lunar eclipses, calculations from Lunar Eclipses of the Ancient Near East by M. Kudlek and E. H. Mickler and Solar Fire 4.07 were used. There are two cases where the lunar eclipse dates from these two sources differ, and they are marked by /*. For eclipse #11, L.E.A.N.E. gives March1, as the date, while S.F.4.07 gives February 29. For eclipse # 15, L.E.A.N.E. has the eclipse occurring before midnight on the 16^th of May, while S.F.4.07 has it occurring after midnight on the 17^th of May. Both of those differences are reasonable. In the first case a leap year day is merely given a different date on the calendar. In the second case the differences between mathematical tables and various software computations are bound to disagree slightly, owing to the uncertainty in fluctuations of the Moon and the Earth's rotation rates. This can lead to different results for the locations and timing of eclipses for ancient dates.

1.November 24, 493 BC. From Iunyt (Latopolis) 25N18 32E33 to South of Elephantine 24N05

32E53.

2.December 4, 502 BC / [November 19]. A narrow path from Abedju (Abydos) 26N11 31E55 to Iunyt 25N18 32E55 .

3.March 28, 517 BC / [April 13]. From Abedju 26N11 31E55 through Cusae 27N26 30E49.

4.September 21, 582 BC. From Ankh-tawy (Memphis) 29N51 31E15 to Teudji (Ankyronon Polis) 28N48 30E55.

5. August 19, 636 BC. From Antaeopolis 26N54 31E31to El-Mo’alla 25N28 32E31.

6.August 15, 831BC. From The Mediterranean to just North of Ankh-Tawy 29N51 31E15.

7.January 27, 932 BC. A narrow path from Cusae (Qis) 27N26 30E49 to Ipu (Panopolis) 26N34 31E45.

8.May 22, 948 BC / [June 5]. Between Antaeopolis 26N54 31E31 and Iunyt 25N18 32E55.

9.May 31, 957 BC. Between Ipu 26N34 31E45 and South of Elephantine 24N05 32E53.

10.July 31, 1063 BC. A very narrow path that ran through Waset (Thebes) 25N42 32E38.

11.February 14, 1129 BC. /* [February 29-March 1]A very narrow path that ran through Henen-Nesut (Herakleopolis) 29N05 30E56.

12.August 19, 1157 BC. Across the Northern Delta region, between Busiris 30N55 31E14 to Athribis 30N28 31E11.

13.July 27, 1258 BC. Within Ipu 26N34 31E45 to El-Mo’Alla 25N28 32E31.

14.May 14, 1338 BC. From Aphroditopolis 29N25 31E15 to Shtub 27N09 31E14.

Here is a map which uses lines to give an idea of the angles of the above eclipse paths. Each line is number-coded for their respective dates. The lines are approximately in the middle of their paths. Eclipse paths travel from West to East, and are of varying widths. Eclipse paths can be 167 miles at their widest, usually they are narrower. The list has been divided between two maps to allow for a clearer distinction between the lines. With the exceptions of eclipse #18 and eclipse #25, all of the eclipse paths crossed the Nile.

15.June 1, 1478 BC /*[May 17]. -This is the Solar Fire 4.07 date.Between Zawty (Lykopolis) 27N11 31E10 and Nekhen (Hierakonopolis) 25N05 32E47.

16.May 9, 1533 BC. From just below the North Eastern Delta region coast to Ankh-Tawy 29N51 31E15.

17.April 16, 1699 BC. /[March 31]A narrow path heading Southwest across Abedju 26N11 31E55.

18.December 21, 1741 BC. /[January 6, 1740 BC]This narrow path entered the Delta region near Imu (Kom el-Hsin) 30N48 30E36, moving East to Tanis 30N59 31E53 and Pharbaithos, 30N44 31E37 where it ended.

19.September 15, 1884 BC. From Men’At Khufu 28N06 30E45 to Zawty 27N11 31E10.

20.April 20, 2044 BC. A very narrow path that ran through Kom Ombo 24N28 32E57.

21.September 11, 2079 BC. From the Mediterranean coast to just North of Heliopolis 30N08 31E18.

22.June 29, 2159 BC. From the Mediterranean coast to just North of Ankh-Tawy 29N51 31E15.

23.December 20, 2289 BC. /[December 5]The Northern two thirds of the Delta region.

24.March 23, 2340 BC. From Abedju 26N11 31E55 to Iunyt 25N18 32E55.

25.July 25, 2430 BC. Not very wide, this path’s totality phase ended on the Nile at Hermopolis 27N47 30E48.

26.September 2, 2469 BC. A narrow path, from Tihna 28N11 30E47 to Beni Hasan 27N56 30E53.

27.April 1, 2471 BC. /[April 16] From the Mediterranean to just South of Ankh-Tawy 29N51 31E15.

28.November 19, 2837 BC. /[December 4]From the Mediterranean coast to a line stretching from Heliopolis 30N18 31E18 through Khem (Letopolis) 30N08 31E08.

There were a high concentration of total solar eclipse paths in the delta region, with 9 out of the 28 eclipses occurring there. This suggests references to them might be found in that area, especially in the vicinity of Busiris, Hermopolis, and Pharbaithos. That area had more total eclipse paths crossing it than in any other location.

This list does not include every eclipse that was visible to the Rama ni Kuma. There are many types of eclipses that were visible: Annular, Partial, Central Annular, Central Total, Non-central Annular, Non-central Total, Annular-total, besides the Total eclipses listed here. This list is small and does not have a statistical purpose. However, by directing our attention to these regions and dates it can aid in the interpretation of existing materials connected to eclipses.

With certainty the Rama ni Kuma were great observers of the sky who were acquainted with planetary and stellar cycles in the pre-dynastic era (See the April 2, 1998 issue of Nature Magazine, Megaliths and Neolithic astronomy in southern Egypt). Recent discoveries of sites revealed ceremonial complexes that consisted of megalithic alignments and stone circles at the Nabta Playa depression in the Sahara. Those complexes indicate the Rama ni Kuma could have been familiar with Sun/Moon phases enough to know about eclipse cycles. How they were regarded is not known at this time.

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAMPOLLION

Jean-Francois Champollion, was born in Figeac, France, on December 23, 1790, at 2:00AM, LMT. He was the first to completely solve the mysteries of Egyptian hieroglyphics by deciphering the Rosetta Stone. The man who some call "The Father of Egyptology" had a chart that could have belonged to an artist, musician, or visionary. This is due to his Neptune which was rising and in Libra, conjoining his Ascendant and North Node; Neptune square Mid Heaven; Neptune ruling the cusp of his 5^th house, suggestive of creativity, idealism, and romanticism; Neptune and North Node Sextiling his 3^rd house Venus and Sun conjunction; and Venus was his oriental planet. Consistent with a Neptunian disposition, his writings often betrayed a poetic sensibility. His stellium in the 3^rd house of Venus, Sun, Mercury, and Mars, -what an indication for a linguist!- emphasized his faculties in research, communication, and writing. This placement of his stellium helps us to understand the importance of the relationship he had with his older brother Jean-Jacques, also a linguist. His brother recognized his intellectual potential at an early age and stimulated his interest in ancient languages and culture and for Egypt in particular. The artist, musician, visionary, and communicator: these helpful labels are also pleasant stereotypes. For us to understand Champollion in a deeper sense it is necessary to explore the unique factors of his chart.

Because of the prominence of Neptune in his natal chart, some of that planet’s characteristics, rulerships, and effects should be touched on. Neptune symbolizes what is without physical form, such as shadows, mists and gases, or what is hidden, emotionally and materially. Along with Venus it is a partial ruler of music and the arts, particularly stringed instruments, ballet, and poetry. It is other-worldly, dreamy, and transcendental. It can cause a lack of resolution. Inspirational, it is associated with genius. The name Neptune is from the Roman god of the sea, and the planet’s sigil (n) is derived from the trident that the god was usually depicted holding. Correspondingly, the planet is associated with the ocean, and what is boundless. Esoterically that image is comprised of the crescent at the top which represents the soul or emotions over the cross at the bottom, which represents matter, another indication of Neptune’s accent on the psyche, and spiritual concerns over the material. It has been said that while airplanes are ruled by Uranus, the miracle of their flight is Neptunian. Complex and impressionable, Neptune’s influence can be nebulous and lead to confusion owing to its receptivity to various urges without distinguishing or prioritizing them. As a result there is the necessity to cut through that confusion. Seductive, it can cause one to be susceptible to many influences, including substance abuse. Neptune can lead one to escape into fantasy, false ideals and sensuality, or it can motivate one to aspire to high idealism. When ideals become frustrated and romantic notions change into disillusionment, Neptune induces the individual to look deeper into them for what is relevant, and to discard what has putrefied. Accordingly, it is involved in the process of dissolution and disintegration. For example, on November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall was opened during the time when Neptune conjoined Saturn, the planet ruling walls and boundaries, among other things. The rejoicing people dismantling the once impassable barrier and sending its fragments around the world was an illustration of Neptune’s universality in triumph over material limitations. The pair of planets reached an exact conjunction on November 13, 1989, 4 days later. Neptune was discovered in 1846, 14 years after Champollion’s death. Indeed, Neptune has been associated with the future, futurists, and as a link between eras. Is this how Champollion should be viewed, as a bridge between eras?

From this sketch of Neptune it can be seen that it poses potential obstacles for a scholar who is searching for clarity and precision. How then was Champollion able to cut through Neptune’s fog and accomplish what he did? In his chart the accent is on personal endowment as there is an emphasis in the Eastern hemisphere. Champollion was noted for his vitality, self confidence, and forthrightness, which can be seen in his Moon/Mars opposition, and the Sun square a Jupiter Saturn opposition. His Moon and Mars were "essentially" dignified. That is, they were in signs which express the energies of those planets strongly. His Moon in Cancer was in its "Home" sign, and his Mars was in Capricorn, the sign of its exaltation, where a planet’s influence is quite powerful. The Moon was also "accidentally" dignified, because it was elevated, that is, the planet closest to the Mid Heaven. The opposition between them occupied his 9^th and 3^rd houses, the houses of ideas and their dissemination through writing, publishing, and the spoken word. These houses are also concerned with comprehension, education, and travel, both mental and physical. His Sun and Moon further emphasize this learning and communication axis, the 3^rd and 9^th houses, by residing in them. They describe an aspiration in life to comprehend and to communicate, to observe and to teach. His Moon in Cancer in the 9^th along with Neptune prominent is another indication of an imaginative, sensitive individual. His 9^th house placement of the Moon characterizes his need to pour his emotions into his world view. It is also favorable for publications and personal enrichment through travel and study. To answer the question, Champollion’s Neptune did not have an unfavorable aspect with, nor could it overwhelm these planets or any of the planets of his 3^rd house stellium. Champollion was enabled by his talent for persistent observation, enthusiasm, and desire for clarity to solve the mystery of the hieroglyphs, symbolized by Neptune.

His Venus/Sun conjunction square his Saturn often manifested in jealousy and enmity from some of his peers. When the opposition of Moon, ruler of his 10^th house and Mars, ruler of his 7^th house is considered, vehemence from associates connected to him through his career is indicated. He had many detractors who were scholars resentful of his talents. He made bold assertions based on the sound knowledge and original views he had of his subject. His 10^th house Uranus in opposition to Pluto in the 4^th house is symbolic of how his unearthing the past (Pluto in the 4^th) was innovative (Uranus), and a challenge to the accepted notions of his time. His covertly (Neptune) published satires ridiculing Napoleon and other officials can be partly attributed to those aspects and placements, and by his 3^rd house stellium which is led by his Venus in Sagittarius in mutual reception with Jupiter in Libra conjoining his 12^th house.

His Saturn in Pisces quincunx Neptune struggles with the nebulous side of that planet by giving it structure, focus, and a sense of duty. Saturn gave the dreams of Neptune form and organized his boundless imagination. Likewise this aspect is one that is symbolic of his breakthrough in hieroglyphics, as Neptune transcended Saturn’s barriers into conduits of information that had universal influence. Conversely, Neptune’s creative visionary was also tempered by Saturn’s sobriety. Saturn conjoining his 6^th house and squaring his Sun often denotes self discipline and dedication.

The above aspects can be troublesome for someone with Neptune on the Ascendant, as the constitution is vulnerable with that placement. A Neptune native is sometimes seen as being too delicate for this world or not of it! Champollion absorbed whatever he studied to the point of becoming what it was. Many called him "The Egyptian" not only because of his interest in Egypt. For some he looked Egyptian, as he was of a darker hue than most French people. Even to his family members, he seemed to have Middle Eastern features. When King Charles of France appointed him to lead an expedition to Egypt, it was as if he was returning home.

Champollion met with Napoleon Bonaparte on several occasions (after he had written his satires, which were unknown by the emperor), impressing the emperor with his ideas and knowledge of Egypt. Nothing came of the plans they discussed, as this was just before Bonaparte’s defeat at Waterloo. Nevertheless, there were many advances Champollion made for Egyptology with the help of Charles X. Among them he was able to confirm that the temple at Denderah was the work of Egyptian monarchs from different epochs; and in Turin, Italy, he found the long-lost papyrus The Chapters of Coming Forth By Day, known to the Egyptians as rw nw prt m hru, which is now more popularly and inaccurately called The Egyptian Book of the Dead. The Chapters of Coming Forth By Day is a collection of approximately 190 magical formulas and brilliantly painted vignettes that accompanied the dead to aid them in their journey in the afterlife. After his successful tour of museums in Turin, Rome, and Naples, he was made Keeper of the Egyptian Collections of the Louvre in 1826 by Charles X.

An examination of two important events for Champollion will show Neptune’s transits to be prominent. These events were: his unlocking of the hieroglyphs’ secrets on September 14, 1822 in Paris, France, at 12:00PM ("Midi", according to his journal), and his death on March 4, 1832.

Natal Neptune’s aspects were significant as we have seen. For the day he came to a full realization of how hieroglyphics were used, transiting Neptune was conjoining his 3^rd house Sun. From a wider perspective, transiting Neptune and Uranus had been forming one of their "Major Conjunctions" when they also conjoined his Sun in that period. They are called "Major" because of the rarity of their occurrence, every 171 years due to their slow speed, much slower than conjunctions involving the faster moving planets. Their speed, along with their retrograde, stationary, and direct motions cause them to have several conjunctions which occur repeatedly over a 21 month period. That span of time for their conjunctions is another reason why they are called "Major Conjunctions". In this case they began in January 13, 1821 and lasted until October 3, 1822 in the early degrees of Capricorn. That must have been a period when much progress was made by Champollion towards his endeavor. Transiting his 3^rd house, they set the mental climate for him to go beyond (Uranus) his usual manner of perception, and allowed him to dissolve obstacles to understanding (Neptune transiting the 3^rd house). On April 3, 1992, we recently experienced the first series of conjunctions of the Uranus/Neptune combination to occur since the time of Champollion’s discovery with the last conjunction of that series ending on December 28, 1993, in the middle degrees of Capricorn. The next series of conjunctions will occur beginning February 24, 2164, lasting through December 8, 2165, in the early degrees of Aquarius.

This combination of planets is basically esoteric in nature. It is also a potentially dangerous one as it has a tendency to lead one to escape "reality" through fantasy, alcohol, or drugs, for example. Champollion was particularly vulnerable with his prominent Neptune. However, he was receptive to the higher vibrations of Neptune. It is a testimony to Champollion’s character and discipline that he utilized their energies for the intellectual and spiritual revelation of his discovery. From a broad social perspective the effects of a Uranus/Neptune combination are gradual yet far-reaching; his decipherment of hieroglyphics did not change the world’s understanding of Egypt overnight.

The opening of the mind this combination gives can also have stressful effects on the psyche; it should be noted after he made his discovery, he rushed to his brother and exclaimed, "Je tiens l’affaire!" (I have it!), and then collapsed into a coma. At that point, no one could imagine what secret he held within him until he regained consciousness 5 days later.

The opposition between his secondary progressed Mars at 13*19’ Aquarius from his progressed 3^rd house and his natal Uranus at 13* 46’ Leo in his natal 10^th house describes both his inventiveness and the intensity that he invested in his work then. It should be noted he had 5 progressed planets in Aquarius at that time, emphasizing his Uranus.

If his discovery is seen as the birth of modern Egyptology, two birth dates can be considered. The first would be his initial, certain understanding of hieroglyphic writing. The second would be his communication of that discovery after the coma. Most likely that communication was made to his brother. Both moments would have relevance, as the first symbolized the birth of the idea, the second represented the idea in an objective sense. To speculate further, suppose he had died during the coma without having communicated his realization? If he had died, would that initial realization have been likened to an incomplete gestation of the idea?

Would a chart for such an occurrence show that it would not reach full maturity? The decipherment chart shows Jupiter as the ruler of the Ascendant, in Gemini in the 7^th house. Jupiter was having its closest aspect with an applying trine from Mercury in Libra in the 10^th house. These planets and signs are good indications for the communication of his idea, and for the support of it by patrons. The Moon had a close applying trine with Saturn in Taurus at that moment. Before it left the sign Virgo it conjoined the Sun, which was elevated. These are favorable signs for the longevity of his idea. In addition, the Moon being in the Balsamic phase, which is often called the "Seed" phase, alluded to its future potential.

The transits are for a Solar chart at Noon, Paris.

At his death he had transiting Neptune squaring its natal position within 1 degree. In addition, it was squaring the Ascendant and the natal Ascendant/Neptune midpoint, and his North Node. This combination indicates an inspired time, but also a delicate time in terms of his health. Saturn transiting his secondary progressed 9^th house (advanced education), and entering his 10^th house during the middle of October was good for his career. The last year of his life saw some recognition of his work that resulted in promotions for him in the scholastic establishment. He was elected a member of the Academy of Inscriptions, and a special position was created for him, the Chair of Egyptian Antiquities by the College de France.

His secondary progressed Sun was completing its opposition with Uranus, an echo of Mars’s opposition to Uranus at the time of his discovery. That opposition can give vitality, but it also can produce aggravation to the nervous system. Part of Uranus’s importance can be attributed to his progressed 3^rd house stellium. While he had a stellium there throughout his life, by his mid-twenties, it was largely in the sign Aquarius. There were six secondary progressed planets in Aquarius at his death, five at the time of the decipherment.

Towards the end of 1831 several health conditions caught up with him. Pneumonia, gout, diabetes, and finally, he experienced a stroke on December 31, 1831, that left him partially paralyzed. On January 27, he suffered a second stroke that was more severe, which took away his speech. It should be noted that the Uranus of his Solar Return was in opposition to his natal Uranus, and transiting Uranus was in exact opposition on January 22, a few days before the second and strongest stroke.

Of critical concern is Saturn in his natal chart, which was the ruler of his Sun (vital forces), and squaring it while also opposing Jupiter as part of a T-square. Transiting Saturn had been a singleton in a funnel pattern -with the exception of the Moon’s temporary modifications of the pattern- since the beginning of the year. Saturn went retrograde on December 26, 1831, 5 days before his first stroke. Gradually, Saturn moved closer to his secondary progressed Mid Heaven. As the body of planets moved further into opposition of Saturn, his health began to decline. This was in contrast to Saturn’s first pass over his progressed Mid Heaven, when his career was moving forward in October of 1831, as mentioned above. At that time Saturn was part of a See-Saw pattern, and not singularly placed within a planetary pattern as it was at his death. He died on March 4, 1832 at the age of 41. Assuming his birth data is accurate, transiting Saturn at 13*32’ Virgo was in an applying conjunction with his secondary progressed Mid Heaven also at 13*32’ Virgo. It is interesting to observe how the planets formed a pattern that is visually striking as one contemplates their meaning.

To ask a question that will yield an obvious answer, what would we know about Egypt without his unlocking of the meaning of the hieroglyphics? Jean-Francois Champollion was not the only one working on solving their riddle. Dr. Thomas Young, a scientist from England was also studying the actual Rosetta Stone (Champollion was working from a copy), and Jan David Akerblad, a Swedish diplomat, who was able to construct an alphabet from Demotic, had made important discoveries. (Demotic was one of two cursive forms of writing derived from hieroglyphics, the other being Hieratic.) However, attempts by scholars and enthusiasts at the time did not completely grasp the meaning of hieroglyphs and Egyptian writing as fully as Champollion. For example, no one understood that Demotic, Hieratic, and Hieroglyphs were simply different written forms of the ancient Egyptian language. What Champollion brought to this quest were his personal gifts and his undying determination. Since his early teens he committed himself to opening the hieroglyphs’ doors to Egypt. His technical grasp of ancient languages and history was blended with his creative inspiration and devotion to this, his life’s purpose. Finally, he focused all of these resources through an unwavering conviction in his ultimate success.