Heka: The force that guides us
An Introduction to Heka
Heka is the Ancient Egyptian god of magick, medicine, and creation. The personification of magick itself. He is easily one of the most important deities in the Kemetic pantheon, yet he is often overlooked. Why? Heka’s existence is universal. He is constantly present, despite not having a cult or following like the rest of the major Kemetic deities. He has no temples, rituals, or festivals in his name.
So, what role did Heka play? Heka is the force behind the creation of the Universe. The Ancient Egyptians believed in magic just as they believed in science. To the Ancient Egyptians, denying magick is as absurd as denying science. With that belief ingrained in their culture, Egyptian doctors performed their duties while invoking Heka. He is deeply rooted in medical texts and magickal rituals.
Heka supplied the energy to allow some Kemetic deities to create themselves. Heka is the magick we cast in spellwork. The original myths stated that every living being has Heka within their body, though it varies in amount. Pharaohs had a significantly larger amount of Heka residing in their spirit, as did Priests. The Gods had an inexplicable amount of Heka.
One of the earliest records of Heka comes from a document titled, Coffin Texts. (2134BC-2040BC). Heka states, “To me belonged the universe before you gods came into being. You have come afterwards for I am Heka” (Spell 261). With this information in mind, we can determine that Heka has no parents or birthplace. Heka has always existed.
Instruction for Merikara, another documentation of Heka, originated in the Middle Kingdom, roughly between 2025 and 1700 BC. The text consists of the teachings of Pharaoh Amenemhet (ruled 1991BC-1962BC). Pharaoh Amenemhet taught and believed that Heka was the greatest weapon of all, and that Heka could slay even the most malicious of spirits with nothing more than words.
Heka is an ancient and powerful form of Kemetic magick. It influences and drives our manifestation and subconscious thought. Anyone can practice Heka. It has been and always will be an open practice. This is due to how influential Egypt was in surrounding civilizations, including Greece, Rome, and the ancient empires of Asia Minor (now present day Turkey). These civilizations adopted and practiced Heka, and was one of the many things Egypt shared. There are four main components to practicing Heka.
The first part of heka is Heka, or magick itself. Like we discussed before, it drives all of our spellwork. The second component is known as Rw. Rw is the sacred text that provides the knowledge and insight into heka. Not all magick we cast requires sacred texts, so it is not a necessary aspect of heka. The third part is known as Seshaw. Seshaw are the rituals we perform when doing spellwork. It is an important piece of the practice. We all have personal rituals we do during spellwork, no matter how complex or simple. That is Seshaw. The last component to the practice of Heka is Pekhret. Pekhret is the heka found in medicinal drugs and herbal remedies. Egyptian Doctors practiced this component of heka frequently. It is not a necessary aspect of Heka. We do not need to consume any substance or see a doctor to receive the full power of heka.
Heka is a force that silently drives our daily lives and thoughts. It has always existed and will always continue to do so. Heka was accepted by many, even people from different countries. Over the years knowledge and acceptance of heka has dwindled, yet we unintentionally practice heka every day with the words we speak and the things we manifest into existence. We humans are so powerful, and heka only adds to one of the many great things we can accomplish!
Sources
Mark, Joshua J. “Heka.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 23 Feb. 2017, www.ancient.eu/Heka/.
“Introduction to Heka.” Egyptian Witchcraft, 27 Aug. 2014, www.egyptian-witchcraft.com/introduction-heka/. Accessed 30 Oct. 2020.
David, Rankine. Heka : The Practices of Ancient Egyptian Ritual and Magic. London, Avalonia, 2006.
Coffin Texts, et al. The Egyptian Coffin Texts. (Edited by Adriaan de Buck and A.H. Gardiner.). Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, , Etc, 1935.
