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The Procedure of Magical Manifestation

Equipped with these standardized spells, a magician could now perform the actual magical ritual. In doing so, he had several options, each of which depended on the purpose of the action. In most cases, this was done by recitation and application.

In the recitation, the magician repeated the magic spells and at the same time could add material equivalents to strengthen the manifestation, for example, by untying a knot in a rope. Spells could also be chanted or shouted.

During application, objects charged with the spells could contact each other to produce the desired effect, such as direct contact between an amulet and the injured body part.

Ideally, recitations were performed in the morning. According to the belief of the Ancient Egyptians, the powers of darkness lost strength at this time. They began to recede with the disappearance of the night.

The magic act and the corresponding spells were subject to strict secrecy, a prerequisite for their effectiveness. The knowledge of the identity of the God or demon caused a disease often played a unique role.

If the magician knew his name and could address the God or demon directly with his spells, this gave him power over him.

The magician then puts himself in the place of the God or demon with the powerful formula

>> I am...

at the beginning of a magical procedure. In the end, often a disclaimer took place, and the magician rolled back the entire thing again in which he conjured,

>> It is not I who says this, but the God.

This procedure shows impressively how the Ancient Egyptian healer and magician used the sacred world’s powers.

The Ancient Egyptian magical acts referred to various conditions that were either fought against or realized positively.

Particularly prevalent were the magical acts against concrete or abstract dangers. Such dangers could come from wild animals, such as scorpions or snakes, and invisible or intangible demons. In addition, the feeling of being pursued by the evil eye emanating from unfavorable or even hostile-minded other people already existed in Ancient Egypt. Therefore, the Ancient Egyptian could defend himself prophylactically or in the concrete case of suspicion against it with a protection and defense spell.

According to the belief of the Ancient Egyptians, the work of deities could be the cause of the occurrence of diseases. So, the healing spell against a disease in a person’s body was a proven method to restore the original health. Therefore, in the following section about Ancient Egyptian Medicine we will now deal in detail with the sources of magical healing practices of the Ancient Egyptians, their mechanisms, and their archaeological evidence.