Festival of Ptah Ritual.

This particular Festival of Ptah begins on II Peret 21 and continues for 11 days. While not every day will result in the below ritual, I have added a smaller version of said rite at the bottom for the days where a full ritual is not completed.

Full Ritual

Needed Items

• Water
• Candles
• Incense
• Image of Ma’at or feather of ma’at amulet
• Image of ib or ib amulet
• Image of ankh or ankh amulet
• Water
• Food (representations of or actual food)

Approaching the Shrine/Altar
Action: If you have a temple/bedroom that is used for your shrine/altar space and is not in a public area, you would complete this in front of your closed door. Step towards the shrine and/or altar space where you have set up for this rite. If you are so inclined, you can offer dua while stopping a few steps away from the space. (Dua is the holding out of your hands at face level, palms facing the area in question.) Say the following:

O you NTRW of this temple, who sanctify the god in his shrine:
I have made my way and I enter into your presence.
I am one of you.
Do not repulse me on the god’s path.
My feet are not impeded.
I am not turned back from this place.
I have come to offer Ma’at to the Lord of Ma’at.
I have come to you to content the Sound Eye.
I flood his offering table.
I present his offerings, this great god who blesses me so that I may endow his image with life.
I am pure.
I am purified.

Stepping Before the Shrine/Altar
Action: Take a few more steps forward and open the closed door/doors of your temple/bedroom that you use for your shrine/altar space. If you have your shrine/altar space in a public area, pretend to open two doors with your hands. Say the following:

O you ba-souls of Mennefer, if you are strong, I am strong.
If I am strong, you are strong.
If your ka-spirits are strong, my ka-spirit is strong at the head of the living.
As they are living, so shall I live.
I am pure.
I am purified.
I open your temple and I come to you.

Action: Close the door/doors of your temple room/bedroom behind you as you step into the space. If you do not have a dedicated room for this space, pretend to close the doors behind you.

Opening the Doors of the Shrine/Altar
Action: Open the doors of the shrine space. If you do not have a dedicated shrine with doors to open, you can pretend to open doors on your altar just like was done above.

The doors of the sky are open.
The doors of the earth are unlocked.
This house is open for its Master.
Let me come forth as he shall come forth.
Let me enter as he shall enter.

Presentation of Water
Action: Hold the bowl or cup of water aloft while saying the following:

Greetings to you, primordial water!
Greetings to you, great river!
Greetings to you, flood water of Nun; you, the father of the gods.
Receive the water from my hand because I am Horus, The Provider, the successor to the throne.

Water Purification
Action: Continue to hold the bowl or cup aloft still.

I give you essential water, a tide in your time.
I bring the flood waters to purify your sanctuary.
This Primordial Water purifies as in Zep Tepi!

Action: Take some water and sprinkle gently over the altar space/shrine area and the image of the god.

I bring the water of rejuvenation that flows from the Two Caverns.
I sprinkle the water, purifying your image!
I sprinkle the water, purifying your Temple from all impurity!
O water, may you remove all evil.

Action: Take some water and sprinkle in the four cardinal directions as you speak each line.

The god Ptah himself does sanctify this, his Temple to the South.
The god Ptah himself does sanctify this, his Temple to the North.
The god Ptah himself does sanctify this, his Temple to the West.
The god Ptah himself does sanctify this, his Temple to the East.
The Temple of the god Ptah is established.
It is established for millions of years.

Lighting the Candle
Action: Light the candle(s).

Come in peace, O Glorious Eye of Heru!
Be strong and renew your youth in peace.
The flame shines like Ra on the double horizon.
I am pure.
I am pure.
I am pure.
I am pure.

Offering Incense (optional)
Action: Light the incense. (If you don’t have any, you can light an oil diffuser instead or skip this part entirely.)

Take the incense.
Its essence is for you.
Its smoke permeates your shrine, bringing life!
It transforms your heart through its perfection.
I appease your body and heart.
The temple is filled with the scent of incense.
It sanctifies your throne; it purifies your ka from evil.

Address to NTRW
Action: The speech below can be accompanies by the gesture of henu.

Homage to Ptah, the Great Scribe, the Heart and Tongue of the Ennead.
I have placed myself on the floor in awe of you.
I embrace the earth before you.
I have come that I may kiss the earth before you.
O Ptah, I am your son, your servant.
I come before you to nourish you as you nourish me.

O Ptah, Lord of Justice, scribe of all, Lord of Herbage.
One who succors all men to him, you who are preeminent.
You who make the Two Lands green.
The one who has entrapped the Nine Bows.
The protector of both gods and men.
He Who is South of His Wall, Monarch of the Gods, King of the Sky.
Father of the god Nefertum, the one whose faces reduces to order all before him.
You are the one who has lifted Ma’at onto the altar of Shu.
Lord of All.

You are the one who succors from his place.
You are the one who is Lord of the shrine.
You have brought the Sacred Eye.
You have destroyed falsehood in the tribunal.
You have expelled what Ra detests from his barque.
You are exalted.

Everyone is in awe of you.
Everyone worships your goodness.
Everyone’s lives are at your hands.
When you wish and act, everyone lives.

O Ptah, you have crafted the foundations of the world.
Through your words, wisdom will take root.
Through your actions, life will grow.
Through your guidance, Ma’at will flourish.
Through your kindness, empathy will be restored.

Your light touches the heart of me.
Your kindness succors me.
Your strength fortifies me.
Your wisdom teaches me.
Your protection strengthens me.
Your joy pleases me.
Your love reassures me.

I adore you, O Lord of Justice!
O Monarch of the Gods!
Lord of All!
Lord of Jubilation!
The gods exalt in your presence.
The earth is full of gladness at your merciful face.
O, my Lord Ptah, rejoice!

Offering Ma’at
Action: Lift up an image of the feather of ma’at, an image of the goddess of ma’at, or an amulet of ma’at.

I have come to you as Djehuty, whose two hands are joined together under Ma’at.
She comes to be with you for she is everywhere.
You are provided with Ma’at.
You move in Ma’at, you live in Ma’at.
She fills your body, she rests in your head, she makes her seat upon your brow.
The breath of your body is of Ma’at, your heart does live in Ma’at.
All that you eat, all that you drink, all that you breathe is of Ma’at.
Djehuty presents Ma’at to you, his two hands are upon her body before your face.

Action: Place the image/amulet before the image of the god.

Water Libation
Action: Hold up the cup or bowl of water and pour into the offering cup/bowl.

This libation is for you, O Lord of Ma’at.
I have brought to you this offering of water that your heart may be refreshed.
I have brought to you this Eye of Heru placing this at your feet.
I present to you that which flows forth from you that your heart shall continue to beat.

Action: Place the filled cup/bowl on the altar.

Offering Food
Action: Hold up the dish of offerings.

The great offering is filled with all good things.
Tens of thousands, an infinity before it, great quantities behind it.
Hundredfold and tenfold in the midst of it.
Consisting of every good and wonderful thing.
I offer to Ptah, Lord of the Two Lands.
All life emanates from you.
All health emanates from you.
All stability emanates from you.
All good fortune emanates from you.
May offerings of every kind come forth in abundance.

Action: Place the dish of offerings on the altar.

Presentation of Ankh

Action: Present the image of the ankh to the image of the god.

Take the sign of life, Living Lord, venerable soul who makes infinity live.
You are the one who gives life to all people, who makes the living live by your work.
I give you the sign of life.
You live in thanks to it.
Health is for your body.
I make your life span long to the ends of eternity.

Action: Place the ankh before the deity.

Presentation of Ib

Action: Hold out the image or amulet of the heart to the image of the god.

Hail to you, O Ptah, Lord of Life.
I have brought to you your heart to set it in its place.
Let me draw near to you with your heart so that you may have pleasured through me.
And so that by means of me you may have power over your body.

Action: Place the ib before the deity.

Action: At this point, you can sing hymns or say prayers to the god. You can also add any form of meditation or magical working in the name of the god. Before moving on to the next portion of this, which is the start of the closing out of this ritual, blow out any candles, whisk away the offerings and libations to be reverted after the below actions are completed. If you have a shrine space, close the doors and then stand before your altar/shrine area.

Reversion of Offerings

O NTRW, your enemy withdraws from you.
Heru has turned himself to his Eye in its name of Reversion-of-Offerings.
These, your divine offering revert, they revert to your servants for life, for stability, and for joy!
O that the Eye of Heru may flourish for you eternally!

Short Form Ritual

Needed Items

• Water
• Food (representations of or actual food)
• Image of Ma’at or feather of ma’at amulet
• Image of ib or ib amulet
• Image of ankh or ankh amulet

The doors of the sky are open.
The doors of the earth are unlocked. (Action: open shrine doors/pretend to do so.)
I give you essential water, a tide in your time. (Action: Give water offering.)
This great offering is filled with every good things.
May offerings of every kind come forth in abundance. (Action: Give food offering.)
I give you the sign of life to set it in its place. (Action: Give ankh to the god.)
I offer you Ma’at to set it in its place. (Action: Give ma’at to the god.)
I have brought to you your heart to set it in its place. (Action: Give heart to the god.)
The doors are closed. (Action: close shrine doors/pretend to do so.)
No enemy can enter this space.