O King, the mouth of the earth is split open for you, Geb speaks to you. May you be cleansed in the Jackal Lake, may you be purified in the Lake of the Duat. Come in peace . . . (Utterance 697, Pyramid Texts, trans. Faulkner)
We are approaching the time of year when many of the living things around us appear to die, when our spirits sag a little with the dwindling light and ebbing warmth.
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