Greetings :

I would like to find out if the Ankh:
1) is used in daily events ?
2) has properties as a beacon or antenae ?
3) is used as a storage device for energy?
4) is used in personal magick

OK now for my explanation. After acquiring 2 Roman lock bolts
unearthed from the Sahara Desert I had a tingling sensation.
That night I layed inbed holding them before going to sleep.
During a long dream I awoke and recorded an image. The next morning I finished the gesture drawing. It was a Ankh.
I knew it had to be made out of bone. So I went to several butchers and found one that would sell me some. Cleaning and boiling provided the raw stalk to be used with hand tools.

After wearing it daily I find the Ankh has become both an antenae
and a tool for learning. During full moon it is used to store energy.

Brian .....................................V""V......
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Brian,

To answer your questions--yes to all. As the symbol of duality, eternity, and immortality, the ankh was a heavily used symbol in daily life. Symbols in the ancient world were beyond a simple representation of a concept. As a symbol of a concept, sacred objects were thought to channel the energies associated with those concepts. That being said, certain symbols historicaly were restricted for use only by certain classes who were the only ones with the privilege of using the power.

There are many factors to consider when assessing the energy contained within your ankh. If they are indeed artifacts, what they are made of, how they were made, and who made them may all contribute to the nature of your artifacts and the associated power.

But, to understand you correctly, did you craft the lock bolts into the ankh or did they provide the inspriation for you to make it out of materials you presently acquired?

Thank you for the reply, Stacey.

The lock bolts were the inspiration. They are sandcast and made of bronze dating from just before the birth of Christ. At that time the Middle East had hardwood forests. They were used to make carbon for the refining of ore for casting. Therefore without the proper replanting the soil was stripped of its protective covering and laid waste.

Part of my ime is devoted to the reasearch and restoration of antique keys and locking devices. The Egyptians not only gave us the Ankh but also provided the basis for our modern day locks with pin tumblers. Our current locks are based on the Pharohs Tomb
lock taken (Stolen ) by the Crusaders about the 10th century.

The bone for my Ankh is from cattle/steer femurs. It glows under ultraviolet light sources. I tried to use traditonal methods and employed only muscle power to create the final product. A new shoelace was tied in a Larks Head knot and used for hanging around my neck. A reef knot is the closing tie. The bone seems to be waterproof and takes on a slightly more yellow ochre colorization as time passes. Some of my ancestors were from New Zealand and the locals use bone quite alot.

While researching I found some articles list the Ankh being used in Pagan rituals. But so far I haven't come across this in print.

Merry Part.

Brian ...........................................V""V..
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Brian,

I've found some references you may want to explore relating to the use of the ankh in Egyptian rituals. To view most of these sources, you will likely have to go to a university library and use their databases. I cannot copy the sources here due to copyright restrictions.


Ankh. (origins of Egyptian looped cross).
Source:Omni 1.(Oct 1978): pp44(2).
This looks like your best bet for information.

A Joint Sed-Festival of Thutmose III and Queen Hatshepsut
E. P. Uphill
Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 20, No. 4. (Oct., 1961), pp. 248-251.
This article refers to the use of the ankh in ceremonies by Thutmose III.

A Phoenician Bronze Seal from Hurbat Rosh Zayit
Zvi Gal
Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 53, No. 1. (Jan., 1994), pp. 27-31.
This article only gives brief reference to the ankh on royal seals, but may be worth looking into.

Alexander's Sacrifice dis praesidibus loci before the Battle of Issus
J. D. Bing
The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 111. (1991), pp. 161-165.
This aarticle is interesting, as it refers to the sign of Tanit, which is somewhat similar to the Ankh.

Ghalioungui P. - The house of life. Per Ankh. Magic and medical science in ancient Egypt. Amsterdam : Israël, 1973. 198 p. 26 pl. 17 ill. || Muséon LXXXIX 1976 481 Vandersleyen.
I couldn't get much information about this article.

Scholars can only glean the use of the ankh from Egyptian pictographs, thus the academic literature is fairly limited. We just don't know exactly what went into Egyptian rituals beyond the archaeological record. The best you can hope for is to search depictions of the ankh in art and read interpretations about them or form your own opinion.

Given what I know of religious artifacts and iconography, I would say that there is no reason why the ankh would not be used to channel and hold power, and that the lock bolts that were your inspiration may have contained energy within their own right or may have channeled it from other sources. Also consider the symbolism of the lock bolts in relation to the occurence. I suppose it could be argued that you are unlocking the hidden secrets of the occult.

Wow ! ! !
Thanks Stacey, for providing the excellent references and sources. It is kind of you to find and list this for me. Have been trying to dig up info on the subject. But found that the internet fell short of my expectations. You have provided some insights I couldn't see myself.

I find the channeling and holding of energy, as you mention, is most fascinating. After forming the Ankh a Cicada landed on our window screen and stayed for several hours. It was huge and moved very gracefully. Planting one leg as a anchor point then moving the others one at a time. The Cicada didn't mind a close up inspection either. After moving around the entire screen it flew away. It felt like an intelligence was contained within its tiny body.

I appreciate your efforts to help me along the journey path.

Bright Blessings...

Brian .................................V""V.....
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You are more than welcome Brian.

The cicada is interesting, as the insect is assoicated with immortality in both Greece and China. It is almost reaffirming the symbolism of the ankh.

It occured to me that you may not have the time to go to a university library to check that information out (silly me) and I should probably suggest other credible sources. In the Wisdom Suite on our side bar, you will find "Sacred Text Archive." If you perform a search in that databse, it pulls up some interesting tranlations and articles concerning ankhs.

On a general note, if you research this further, remember that almost every Pharoh had the word "ankh" some where in their name, as they were god-kings, thus immortal.

Feel free to ask any more questions and much luck on your journey.

Bright Blessings Stacey :

The cicada is interesting, as the insect is assoicated with immortality in both Greece and China. It is almost reaffirming the symbolism of the ankh.
*******************I didn't know that. Very interesting meaning behind the Cicada. Apparently the ancient Icons can give an indication of what societies held dear.

It occured to me that you may not have the time to go to a university library to check that information out (silly me) and I should probably suggest other credible sources.
*********No I don't think that is silly in the least, Stacey. Everything has a place and its up to us to discovery.

In the Wisdom Suite on our side bar, you will find "Sacred Text Archive." If you perform a search in that databse, it pulls up some interesting tranlations and articles concerning ankhs.
*******Yes I looked up some articles. There is lots of acquired wisdom listed. Over the next while I will futher explore what the Archive offers. Thanks for pointing this area out.

On a general note, if you research this further, remember that almost every Pharoh had the word "ankh" some where in their name, as they were god-kings, thus immortal.
***Yes I intend to pursue this futher.

Feel free to ask any more questions and much luck on your journey.
*********Your kind encouragement is helpful to overcome my shyness in posting. I look forward to learning here. The water is warm.

Brian ......................................V""V...
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