Ancient Egyptians were the masters of kingdom-craft
The core of tradition lies in the mystery of archaic values, values centered about spiritual considerations, placing the hidden world above the material, in defiance of privation, death, and doubt. This is not possible in our fleeting materialist age, and sounds strange to our feeble modern ears. Nevertheless that is the key to archaic success, and to tradition.
Ancient Egypt, which was considered antiquity in the days of Plato, exemplifies the strength of a self-energizing archaic value system, which is self-aware, well defended, and culturally sustainable – providing the religion is not fundamentally altered (as it was when the Romans introduced Christianity). Contemplation of the history and myths of this legendary empire inspire archaic resonance, as only a people filled with supreme piety, dedicated to the immortal gods and in full understanding of their own cultural significance, can persist as a kingdom for thousands of years. Despite invasion, plague, drought, religious evolution, and countless other existential and incarnate perils.
Theologically speaking, the root of their success lies in the tautological feedback loop of belief: the pious shed their blood to show the governing hidden world its reverence, and the immortal gods in return only care for civilizations which are pious. They will offer a civilization protection and guidance when the people practice solemn worship and deference towards them. And the deference of ultimate import to the gods and the hidden world move the material culture inexorably upwards, and in unison, granting their desire for life. Thus, an impious, materialistic people can never gain the interest and protection of the gods. This is why an impious civilization like our does not last for thousands of years, leaving a cultural legacy of mystery and wonder behind them, but whimpers miserably as it dwindles to nothing. A civilization which retains its piety can become resilient, and overcome corruption, politicians, economic manipulators, subterfuge, and entropic degeneracy. Providing it never ceases to uphold reverence of its own lore, and esteemed tradition, which too must evolve within a strict framework, husbanded by a secretive and elite holy order.
The ancient cultural legacy of Egypt was built and maintained upon esoteric mysteries and a patriarchal priest-class, the priestly cult of the pharaohs. Only a priestly king can elevate his people towards the nature of the immortal gods. The Egyptians never left us any ideologies about egalitarian communism, atomized individualism, and scientific nihilism. This would have desecrated the sanctity and holiness of their kingdom. Their civilization was built upon a patriarchal solar order filled with honor and reverence towards the immortal gods, the tribulations of an adventure-filled afterlife, lessons of moral conduct, and monuments of cosmological reverence.They never let death slip from their minds, they were surrounded by it. They did not surrender to materialistic ideologies, which sound soothing and peaceful and offer temporary luxuries (as your civilization disintegrates in front of you). They lasted for a thousands of years by drawing an ever evolving hierarchy from a vast pantheon of deities.
The Egyptian world view was in accordance with the supreme truth in this world, and teemed with pan-daemonic vitality, seeing the cosmos populated with immortal gods, angels, warring spirit-powers, and the perfected souls of heroes. They saw the natural world filled with the spirits of dead souls and soul-shades, as well as nature spirits and element-deities. This is a spiritually elevated worldview, one of forms and eternal truths, which can be examined rationally, without literary dogmatism. Scientific materialism is perhaps the blandest form of superstition conceivable in the realm of mortals.
Our contemporary culture no longer has any sense of mystery or transcendence to offer its people; it is no longer dedicated to a higher purpose. It is immersed in a techno-mirage, being satisfied with nihilistic consumerism and a spiritually sterilized world of disenchantment, mass-castration, and humiliation.
When your civilization no longer offers any sense of meaning or mystery, no longer venerates its own ancient heroes, and disregards patriarchal authority for egalitarianism, then the civilization commits suicide. This is why we must study and venerate, as did the Greeks and many others, the masters of statecraft: the Egyptians. It is they who built the model of a kingdom which lasts.
Solar piety is wisdom in its purest form. Men can’t live on bread and water alone. They need to aspire to greatness, to build monuments for and to eternity, dedicated to the hidden world.
“To destroy wonder and mystery, is to destroy the only elements that make existence tolerable.”
― Clark Ashton Smith
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