Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead [Paperback]

Normandi Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2009

THE EGYPTIAN BOOK OF THE DEAD is one of the oldest and greatest classics of Western spirituality. Until now, the available translations have treated these writings as historical curiosities with little relevance to our contemporary situation. This new version, made from the hieroglyphs, approaches the Book of the Dead as a profound spiritual text capable of speaking to us today. These writings suggest that the divine realm and the human realm are not altogether separate; they remind us that the natural world, and the substance of our lives, is fashioned from the stuff of the gods. Devoted like an Egyptian scribe to the principle of "effective utterance", Normandi Ellis has produced a prose translation that reads like pure, diaphanous verse.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Red Wheel / Weiser (June 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933999747
• ISBN-13: 978-0933999749
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Book of the Dead (Egyptian)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book - if you love words and want inspiration, August 23, 1998

By 

Diana Norman, ([e-mail]) (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Paperback)

There is much talk about channeling these days, and many people who claim to be receiving words from otherworldly sources. Normandi does not claim this privilege, but I suspect nevetheless that she was in receipt of divine inspiration when whe worked on this book. The usual translations of the Book of the Dead are hard to relate to and seem alien. This one is full of the most beautiful and poetic imagery you can imagine, with descriptions of Osiris's experience of life and love and death which touch the heart. The concepts and inspirations in this book are thoroughly modern and speak to our lives and times. And so it should be, for the story of Isis and Osiris and Horus and Set and Nephthys is as old as time immemorial and is still being acted out today in our world. If you love words and want to understand more about why we are here, read this book.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, July 23, 2000

By 

Rilana - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Paperback)

This is definitely the most beautiful book I have ever read. Although written in prose, the text reads like poetry... the book truly does read like a spiritual text. This may sound a little fanatical, but I keep it with me most of the time, and read bits of it whenever I have a spare moment... It gives me a sense of communion with the ancient gods, and a feeling of wonder at the world and at the ancient egyptian civilisation. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to be inspired.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible book!, February 15, 2003

By 

invictus (Lawrenceville, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead (Paperback)

This is one of the most incredible books I've ever read. In this "translation" of the Book of Going Forth By Day (the original Egyptian name for the Book of the Dead) Ellis sings the world into existence and exposes the very depths of my soul like no other writer ever has. It is not a literal translation, but more of a contemporary reflection of what the various chapters mean, a very poetic, smoothly flowing meditation on "Becoming Osiris" and living life like the gods we are. If you've ever been interested in Egyptian thought or mythology, you will love this book!
I am Osiris. I walk between the two worlds. I am the maker of myths. I remember all that was and what will be. I am eternal, existing for the millions of years. When you see the sun, remember me, remember your Self.