Sokaris

The name Sokaris derives from the ancient Egyptian Sbk-r, possibly meaning "he who is adorned with the plumage of the ibis." It is an epithet or a syncretic form of the god Ptah, often combined with Osiris as Ptah-Sokaris-Osiris, signifying a complex fusion of creative and regenerative deities.

A tire-god; a solar deity of many forms. He is PtahSokaris, wlien tlie symbol is purely cosmic, and "Ptah-Sokaris-Osiris" when it is i)hallic. This deity is hermaphrodite, the sacred bull Apis l)eing its .son, conceived in it by a solar ray. According to Smith's History of th( East, Ptah is a "second Demiurgus, an emanation from the first creative Principle" (the first Logos). The upriglit Ptah, with cross and staff, is the "creator of the eggs of the sun and moon". PieiTet thinks that he rei)resents the i)rimordial Force that preceded the gods and "created the stars, and the eggs of the sun and moon". Mariette Bey sees in him "Divine Wisdom scattering the stars in immensity", and he is corroborated by the Targum of Jerusalem, which states that the "Egvjitiaiis called the Wisdom of the First Intellect Ptah".

The figure of Sokaris, as rendered by Blavatsky and the ancient Egyptian tradition, invites contemplation on the very origins of existence, not as a singular, static event, but as a continuous, generative process. He is not merely a god, but a principle, a primordial force that predates even the pantheon, a "second Demiurgus" emanating from an ineffable First Principle. This echoes Mircea Eliade's understanding of the sacred as that which is fundamentally other and yet the source of all being, a power that establishes and sustains reality.

The imagery of Sokaris as the creator of the "eggs of the sun and moon" is particularly arresting. It suggests a cosmic gestation, a fertile void from which the fundamental rhythms of time and light are born. This resonates with Carl Jung's exploration of archetypes, where the primal creative force can manifest in myriad forms, often symbolized by eggs or seeds, representing potential and the promise of unfolding life. The hermaphroditic nature attributed to him, along with the conception of the sacred bull Apis by a solar ray, points to a holistic, unitive understanding of creation, where opposites are reconciled within the divine source.

Furthermore, the identification of Ptah-Sokaris with "Divine Wisdom scattering the stars" aligns with the Hermetic axiom "As above, so below," suggesting that the cosmic order reflects an inner, intelligent design. This pursuit of understanding the underlying wisdom of the universe is a thread that runs through many esoteric traditions. It is the quest for the "First Intellect," the divine mind that orchestrates the celestial dance. Sokaris, in this light, becomes a symbol of the profound mystery of creation, a reminder that the vast cosmos, with its predictable cycles and dazzling expanse, is born from a singular, luminous spark of divine intelligence and generative power. He is the silent engine of becoming, the fertile darkness from which all light emerges.

RELATED_TERMS: Ptah, Osiris, Demiurge, Logos, Divine Wisdom, Cosmic Egg, Primordial Force, Creation ---