Written by Frank Redmond, 2005

The Egyptian Papyrus of Ani is riddled with numerous paradoxes which carry mystical truths. The most salient of them is the concept that Ra, the Great One, created himself, which is physically impossible. Ra is paradoxically the creator of his own limbs as well, limbs which in turn become the form of the other Gods who are under his guidance. Another paradox is that Temu is both the Yesterday and the knower of Today; this implies that the knowledge Temu obtains from the past, Yesterday, assists him in the knowing of the next day, which is Today. Notably, this also means that both Yesterday and Today are one and the same, like a singularity. It is also paradoxical that the God who dwells in Amentet as the phallus of Ra had sexual intercourse with himself, which is physically impossible. Finally, the idea that Eternity and Everlastingness are born from the dead body and parts of Osiris is paradoxical since it is impossible for something to be born from something that is dead.

Who is Temu? Temu is a paradoxical being who dwells within his own disk and is the being who some people believe is Ra when he rises in the Eastern horizon of the sky. He is among one of the gods who cannot be repulsed, meaning he is prior even to Ra. He, furthermore, is Yesterday and knows Today.

What does this conflation between Osiris and Ra mean? It means that Osiris and Ra are one being. Although this is a paradox, since two gods cannot be one being, it seems to signify that they share power together in certain instances.

As was suggested above, Yesterday and Today are one and the same. The events of Yesterday are, and based on these events and occurrences, a knowledge of Today is derived. They overlap, folding back onto one another, and this is how Yesterday and Today become one. This means that time runs in a loop rather than in a linear trajectory.

Rajatau, or paradise, is an island at the end of the journey where the gate to the South of Nerutef and the Northern Gate of the Domain (Tomb of the God) lie. It is a place where, according to some, that the gods themselves obtain their food and sustenance. Father Tem also travels here. To others, however, Rajatau is where the Gate of Tchesert lies, which is the gate that Tem travels through when he goes forth to the eastern horizon of the sky. Rajatau is the place where one can come to be in the presence of the great Osiris, thus signifying the end of oneÕs journey. Importantly, this place is identified as an island of some sort that is surrounded by these gates. It can be intuited that these gates or doors reside between the peaks of the mountains which surround the island.

This papyrus' message bears a strong resemblance to many pieces of Minoan art.

The Minoan picture shows many mountain valleys lying on top of other mountain valleys. I take this to mean that multiple gates must be traveled through in order to meet the horizon where the sun ultimately lies. Just like in Rajatau, there are many gates that coexist in one place, one on top of another. So, in effect, one must travel through one gate to reach the next, like the climbing of stairs towards the top. The Egyptian picture (possibly?) represents the Gate of Tchesert which is described as having two leaves on the door. The pictureÕs representation clearly shows the existence of a gate with two leaves located between the twin peaks of a mountain. This gate presumably leads to the horizon where one can meet with Osiris and the other gods and where Yesterday is Today.

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