The word "Ka" (pronounced "kah") has a very deep and rich, symbolic meaning. The origin of the use of the word itself lies within the sands of time among the ancient civilisations and cultures of Egypt and how some of those cultures understood the concept of life after death.
Orthodox Atenism believes that human parents give their offspring a physical body, but it is the One God Aten who gives the "ka" or "life force" within each person. It is believed that the ka has a certain level of power or energy and that Aten Himself is the Source of that energy, and as such it is seen as a "double" that remains within the body of every living human being. Even after the physical body dies and is returned to the grave, the ka lives on in eternity and returns to the "Mountain of the Horizon". However, a person may have more than one ka, especially those who have been chosen by Aten to effect His will on the earth. One example of this is Orthodox Atenists' belief that Akhnaten has many kas for carrying out the various purposes and tasks assigned by Aten.
Atenists believe that a ka, being sent by Aten, assists them in their learning of the truth about Aten and His will, His purposes for the present and His purposes for the future. In this same regard, the ka assists each individual Atenist to perform right actions in their daily lives and to live in accord with the principles of Aten and to do good toward others.
The ka can be wronged by certain actions performed by human beings. In other words, wrongful actions are thought of as being a detestable thing to the ka. However, when the body and the ka work in peaceful accord with one another, the person is blessed in many different ways.
The ka, provided by God, is viewed by Atenists as the origin and giver of everything that is good and righteous, especially eternal life.
There are also "divine kas" that are sent by Aten to do specific tasks. The divine kas also serve as guardians. Some Atenist texts refer to Akhnaten as the ka of the pyramids.
Some have confused the word "ka" with that of "ba". The word "ba", in simplistic terms, refers to the physical or spiritual manifestation of the deceased which can be joined again with the ka., but that topic will be dealt with in another article.