The New Kingdom

Order of the Phoenix

Zenet (zn.t or sn.t) is a means of communicating with your soul, or with the dead. It also provides the Temple floor/ ritual framework for our Order. I also argue that Zenet is the proto-QBL.

The Phoenix Order of ancient Egyptian High Priesthood seems to have existed in ancient Heliopolis. It was believed patronage of deities like Thoth, Osiris or  Amem-Rah could be gained by practice of Zenet. The Phoenix Priests regulated these three main initiatory priest-hoods.

As well as the obvious symbolism of rebirth out of fire; the Phoenix symbol carries many other meanings, including 'the Path'. Passage, Passing, or Path are alternative titles for the game of Zenet. There have probably been many dozen previous Orders of the Phoenix in history and will be many more in the future because of the universality of this symbol. It is a creature out of pure astral imagination, and of itself, requiring no lineage.

The Golden Dawn Order of the Phoenix existed in the UK during the 1960's and 1970's and included Ithell Colquhoun, Countess Bourkhoun, and Marquis Nicholas Tereschenko amongst its membership. Ithell’s Collected Magical Writings available download or paperback.

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The Phoenix  or Benu Bird is mainly associated with the sun God, Rah. We see Rah both on the bark, and worn as a crown. This form as the heron is represent the bA or ‘spirit’ of Rah, and thus is associated with creation and birth. Because of the connection with rebirth, it is thought to be model for the the Phoenix of Greek legend. Both the solar and lunar eyes are detailed. Originally associated with Rah's cult centre at Heliopolis, by the end of the New Kingdom its image had spread widely across Egypt, and had also come to represent the bA of Osiris. This papyrus is painted after a mural in the tomb of Inherkau in the Valley of the Artisans at Deir-el-Medina. Builders and artisans who worked on tombs in valleys of the Kings and Queens often built magnificent tombs for their own use. Inherkau was foreman to Rameses VI.

The image above right is from  a letterhead of a living member of the original Golden Dawn “Ancient Order of the Phoenix”, and shows its magical motto.