Aryt
Aryt is the 31st decan of the main decanal stars of Egyptian astrology. The decan has its heliacal rise during the week of III Shemu 1-10 in the Egyptian calendar. Its name is translated as "roll of papyrus."
Name
The first decan of the Sah group symbolizes the roll of papyrus held by Sah as he writes the deeds of the deceased before they are welcomed into the starry sky with the souls of the primordial gods, hence the connection between Aryt and writing.
As one of the primary deities of among the decans, Sah was responsible for recording the deeds of the deceased and then handing them a certificate bearing this information before allowing them to pass up the stairway to heaven that ultimately ended at Sopdet. The Coffin Texts (spell 473) say this decan is also the “the fingernail of Osiris.” In this way, he is roughly analogous to Christianity's St. Peter at the pearly gates, who reviews all the things you've done before allowing you into heaven.
Divination meaning
The Egyptian Star Oracle connects this decan to writing or a person's legacy.
Characteristics
According to the Naos of the Decades, this decan has several functions, including causing skin rashes and carrying out the death sentences issued by Thoth-Shu across the four cardinal directions in foreign lands “among those on land and in the water.” In spell 474 of the Coffin Texts, the deceased, who is nearing the point of joining the gods, states, “See me, a living soul, who releases the willow. See, I have come with my guard-beam in my hand and my roll of papyrus in my hand. I have come that I may enter the stairs to heaven.”
The most important function of Aryt is as a bookkeeper for the decans and for Thoth himself. The Naos of the Decades uses the term “count of the massacres” (Hsb Sawt) to describe the decan making a count of the enemies who were sacrificed as victims of the judgment of Rē. He carries out this duty as a servant of Thoth in his role of “Lord of Books” (nb mDat). The word used in this passage for “books,” mDat, can also be used for a roll of papyrus.
Its minerals are listed on the Dendera D zodiac as granite and gold.
Depiction as a Set-pig
The Dendera B zodiac ceiling depicts this decan as a male pig. This is derived from a story in the Coffin Texts involving Horus and Set. After Horus' eye is injured, Ra tells him to cover the eye and look at a black pig. Doing so causes Horus' good eye to also become injured because Set had transformed himself into a pig and projected the wound. For this reason, Ra declared that pigs are detestable and all his followers should consider the animal an abomination.
Egyptologist Bernard Arquier believes this is a reference to the new moon, when the sky would have been darkest and Horus was absent.
| The Decans of Egyptian Astrology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous Decan | This Decan | Next Decan |
| Khau | Aryt | Remen Hery Sah |