Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

SHU, SON OF RÅ AND HATHOR

A symbol of the Divine Life emanated by the Supreme Spirit through the highest primordial Matter of the buddhic plane.

"Shu was the first-born son of Tem . . . he typified the light . . . Tefnut was the twin twin sister of Shu, . . . she typified moisture. Shu was the right eye of Tem, and she was the left, i.e. Shu represented an aspect of the Sun, and Tefnut of the Moon." - BUDGE, Egyptian Ideas, etc., p. 93.

The Divine Life was the first aspect of the Supreme (Tem) in manifestation; and illumination, or consciousness, occurs in the union of Spirit and Matter. The Divine Life in order to be active requires something to operate upon, and this is the receptive, form-side of nature (Tefnut) typified by "moisture" without which there is no life in nature. The Divine Life is the active aspect (right eye) of the Supreme (Tem), and receptive matter in forms (Tefnut) is the passive aspect (left eye). The Self (sun), possesses its reflection māyā (moon).

"Shu is supposed to symbolise the air or sunlight, and in papyri and in coffins he is represented in the form of a man, standing with both arms raised, lifting up Nut, the sky, from the embrace of Seb the earth." - BUDGE, The Mummy, p. 280.

The Divine Life on the mental plane, the plane of creation,-at the beginning of manifestation, opens the cycle of activities in space (Nut) and time (Seb), and distinguishes the higher planes from the lower.

“The (four) pillars of the god Shu were not as yet created, when he was upon the high ground (or staircase) of him that dwelleth in Khemennu (Papy. of Ani). - BUDGE, Book of the Dead, p. 93.

The four planes below atma, the highest plane, were non-existent when the Divine Life was operative only on the plane of atma whereon the Higher Self was centred.

See Also

ASCENSION OF OSIRIS
CONSCIOUSNESS
EYE
EYES HORUS
GATE (tchesert)
HATHOR
JACKAL
MATTER
MÂYÂ (Higher)
MOON
NUT
PILLARS OF SHU
SEB
SEPARATION
SPIRIT
SUN
TEFNUT
TEM
UTCHATS
VAYU