In ancient Egyptian mysticism the aspects of a person are eight-fold, the ancient Egyptians believed the world was created by magic and thus all things were imbued with magic, in human beings these magics took the following forms:
The Sah: A persons physical body or corpse.
The Ren: A persons name given at birth, it was considered a part of the soul and would live as long as the name was spoken or the person remembered.
The Sheut: A persons shadow believed to contain their essence or spiritual body. Related to the Sumerian mythology of shades inhabiting the underworld.
The Ib: A persons heart which was the seat of the soul, intentions, will and emotions it would be weighed on the Goddess Ma’at’s scales in the afterlife to determine if the soul was pure enough to ascend.
The Ba: The soul of a person, everything that made that person the unique individual they are, the Ba was depicted as a human-headed falcon (as shown above) demonstrating the flight or ascension of their soul from their body in death.
The Ka: The Ka was the vital spark of life or pure magic that animated a being it is essential for the continued living of a being and leaves the body moments before death, it is often depicted as a pair of out stretched conjoined arms with hands pointing skywards - an Egyptian symbol for magic.
The Akh: A completed soul that having overcome the trials of the afterlife remains intacts.
The Sekhem: A persons power or magical influence.
-Interestingly the “Ka” and “Ba” would be adopted into Semitic mysticism after the Hebrews left Egypt in Exodus in the form of the “Merkaba”- a star of david-shaped 3D symbol known as the chariot used to ascend into the higher realms and descend into the lower. Its name is taken from “Mer” - “Light”, “Ka” - “Vital Spark” and “Ba” - “Soul”.
