The Light of Egypt: The Science of the Soul and Stars by Thomas H. Burgoyne is a treatise on astrology, occultism, and the true nature of the universe. Comprising two volumes, this work explores the connection between the macrocosm of God and the microcosm of man.
Author Thomas H. Burgoyne was an occultist and medium, who believed he was in touch with the unembodied Brotherhood of Light. This group, Burgoyne and other followers believed, guided the fate of humanity from a different plane of existence. This book began as a set of lessons to share the Brotherhood's teachings with the public.
Burgoyne wrote Volume I of this work in the late 1880s, and published it in 1889. Shortly after its publication, he passed away at the age of 39. But he was not done with The Light of Egypt yet. After his passing, fellow occultists Henry and Belle Wagner continued his work. Belle Wagner succeeded Burgoyne as the scribe of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. Burgoyne also chose Mrs. Wagner to be the vessel through which he would reveal Volume II of his great work. This is how the second volume of The Light of Egypt was written after Burgoyne's passing, and published in 1900.
Volume I explores the very foundations of existence, from the spirit to matter to creation. It then moves into the transitions of the soul, through the concepts of reincarnation, karma, and mediumship. Burgoyne explained that rather than reincarnating into another life here on Earth, true reincarnation brought the soul to a different, more elevated plane of existence. It was from this plane that he dictated the second volume of his work to Mrs. Wagner.
Key to Burgoyne's understanding of humanity and the universe is the study of astrology. By understanding the celestial bodies-the sun, moon, and eight planets (omitting Earth)-we could understand ourselves and the world around us in a new, truer way. Detailed descriptions of each of these bodies explain the way they interact both with each other and with the human brain. Volume I closes with a chapter regarding the practical applications of astrology, and how the date, time, and location of one's birth will determine mental and physical traits.
Volume II builds on the foundation laid in Volume I, and explains additional concepts of astrology as well as ritual magic and the occult. This volume explores astro-theology, using the science of the stars to understand the creation and redemption stories of world religions, including Christianity. It also discusses astro-mythology, drawing parallels between the symbolism of the gods and goddesses and the stars and constellations.
A common theme through Volume II is understanding the true names and words used to symbolize the concepts described. The etymology of words like alchemy, talisman, and ritual are explored to help the reader understand their true original meaning, rather than the meaning we have ascribed to them in the centuries since their creation.
Volume II also contains a translation of the Tablets of Aeth, said to have been transcribed from the "Astral Records." These translations are in three parts: one to explore the symbolism of each of the twelve mansions, or zodiac houses; one to discuss the symbolism of the ten planetary rulers (the sun, moon, and eight planets); and one for "the Great Kabbalistic Powers." These 33 tablets represent the very core of occult philosophy.
The work closes with the Penetralia, or "The Secret of the Soul," to bring everything together in a final call to enter the Sacred Sanctuary and learn the "imperishable truth of our being."
The Light of Egypt is a work to be carefully studied by students of astrology and the occult, to give them a deeper understanding of the universe and their place within it.
