Feast of Shu and Tefnut
Today for Kemetic Orthodox we begin five days of honoring and celebrating the great gods Shu and Tefnut.
In one story of creation (note that we don’t take our creation stories literally, nor do we think the ancients took them literally) Atum brought the first mound up out of the Nun, and in his work creating, he brought into being the god Shu and the goddess Tefnut. Shu is associated with air, and Tefnut is associated with moisture.
It would be so easy to simply say then that Shu is the god of winds and Tefnut the goddess of rain–but that is far too simplistic and makes these deities barely more than mere nature gods. Air is far more than wind and moisture far more than rain.
We need air to breathe. We cannot live without air.
We also need air to speak. When we prepare to speak, we take a breath, to energize our first words. Once spoken, our words go out into the world on breaths and winds.
We need water to live. Anyone trapped somewhere without water knows that basic fact.
Our bodies are also made up mostly of fluid. We cannot exist without the fluid in our bodies. Any student of physiology knows that.
We use water to cleanse and purify. We could not think of washing clothes, dishes, or our bodies without water.
Yet, we take all these things for granted. We breathe without thought (unless the air around us is so bad we are constantly coughing and in danger of suffocation). We even speak without thought for how our words travel from person to person on that same air.
Consider, though, that we worry about polluting the air with chemicals and contaminants, but probably don’t spare a thought for how we contaminate the air with our angry, hateful, contempt-filled, and ill-thought, words. Sound travels through air, and every sound we make, every word we speak, can be as polluting (or not) as we consciously choose. If we are to consciously choose and consciously act to keep the air as clean as possible from chemicals and other contaminants, why would we not also consider our every word carefully. Not to say we must always be serious–there should be humor, joy and many more such words spoken each day in each place. Simply take the time to consider with what we fill the air, what comes out of our conscious speech.
We wash what needs washing without thought. Running dishwasher, clothes washer, filling up sink, bathtub—giving little thought to the purifying of our dishes, clothes, and bodies, and less thought to the accompanying cleansing and purification of our hearts and minds. Consider how we worry about all that cleaning–and rightfully so, since daily activities can make dishes and clothes and our bodies in need of such cleaning-and we worry about contaminating the rivers, lakes, and oceans, and rightly so. But we probably think far less, if at all, about the cleansing purification of our hearts and minds that must certainly be represented by washing.
Doesn’t one feel alert, energized, refreshed and ready to begin what could be a tough day of work and daily responsibility, when one is washed clean, and wearing fresh cleaned clothing? One feels, pure, perhaps? Like a new person, ready for all challenges and opportunities.
We feel “pure” then, as we step out into the world.
Do we keep to that feeling of purity? Do we even consider that we have begun our day in that state of “pureness.”
What if we considered ourselves pure, instead of simply clean? Would that make a difference in how we conducted ourselves in word and action?
Did not consider that notion yet?
Neither have I. Yet.
If nothing else, perhaps the great deities of this five-day festival may bring us to reflection and contemplation of air and moisture in ways we did not think before, of words on the wind, and purification of water, and the pureness of both our bodies, inside and out, and the words and actions upon which we build our day.
God and gods-Netjer and Names-One and Many
It seems that even while happy to quit a monotheistic, i.e. one “god” only religion, folks want to stick with the idea of “only one god really loves me I must adore that god before and beyond all others and that is the only god that will ever appear in my signature, posts, brightness of my eyes.”
None of us have only one, or two, people in our lives. We have parents (yes, someone gives us birth, someone else helped the conception), we have aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, and we also have co-workers, social acquaintances, casual friends, close companions–the list of human beings in our lives can be small or enormous, but generally there are more than just one or two people that affect us and circle around us and interact with us.
So too, with the gods–at least in Kemetic Orthodoxy. We believe that Netjer, the Oneness, Divine Source, God, if you will, creates all life, each tree, every stone, all animals, and each and every unique human being. We believe that each human being specifically has one, or two, very distinctive deities who serve as our Parent or Parents. We may go through our lives never knowing who that Parent deity is. Some humans go through their lives never knowing who their biological parents are, or grow up in social services, never knowing any parents at all. That does not mean they did not have two people involved in the fact of their birth. They exist. They breathe. Their eyes blink, their pulse races, they feel heat, pain, joy. They live.
Some folks seem to feel a connection, a Presence, of one or more Kemetic deities early on in their lives. Some only feel a connection late, after years of seeking a spiritual and religious practice and home. That does not mean that the gods favored the first group to the lack of the latter group. God-and-gods are around, whether we sense them or not (read this of course from the perspective of one who believes in the existence of god, and gods). Our gods are not omnipresent–They are not everywhere all at once, as in the major monotheistic faiths. But They can be around, even if we don’t think They are. That’s what gods do–They check on Their creations.
So, a person feels that god X has been around for years–talking, teasing, guiding, teaching, smiling–and god X is by now the most wonderful god in the universe. A person feels sure that god is everything now, mother, father, friend, teacher, guide, patron, central power of all spiritual and maybe even esoteric workings.
All that might be true. But many other gods exist that can be equally as potent, powerful, kindly, wise, crafty, able-to-guide and teach, as god X. There are thousands of gods in the Kemetic “pantheon.” Some overlap in Their knowledge, Their wisdom, Their ability to teach, and even the things They might teach.
Even if god X may have been the god who created us, god Y, god B, god E, god L, and so on and so on, most probably could also be worthy of attention, devotion, may be eager and ready and capable of guiding and teaching, strengthening and supporting us.
Kemetic faith is not monotheistic. Whether or not one believes, as do those of Orthodoxy, in the One and Many, the gods emanating as aspects of the One, even while also being unique and individually distinct, or, instead, of simply many individual and distinct gods–the fact remains, there are many gods. A god being patron or parent, whatever “label” one chooses if any label at all, does not, and should not, prohibit or prevent any other god from being a powerful presence in our lives. We do a disservice and limit our own spiritual experience and faith-practice by thinking otherwise.
Seeking “confirmation” or “validation” by any means, to verify that god X is indeed patron or parent, is, at least to this writer, as unnecessary as an adopted person seeking out biological parents in order to find self-definition. God X is around because god X is around. Enjoy that, revel in it, bask in it, by all means. But lots and lots of gods undoubtedly have much to offer. God X is just one, among the many.
By the way, today where this writer lives begins sunny and warm, facing the river to the east. So to Ra and Hapi, I say Hail and good morning Looking at all the buildings and the bridges, to Ptah, I say Hail and sing your praises. Thinking about all the flowers and trees, their fragrance and their vibrance, to Wesir, Nefertem, and Bast, I say Hail and thank you. Energized to be productive on this bright, warm, magnificent day, I hail Hethert, Amun, and Aset, and say Hail, good morning, praise you all, and may I use wisely the moments of this day and the wisdom and strength You all, each of You many gods, grant me for this day.
New Year – New Intent – New…what?
I missed a few days here. Sorry about that, dear blog and readers.
I went from religious celebration with temple family to vacation time with home family. A week in Vermont with spouse, in-laws, nephews, nieces–and we had a wonderful time. We played games, shared childhood stories and memories, played more games, ate meals together, sang songs. It was relaxing and active and provided some opportunity to learn more about myself and my place within family of various kinds.
So how do I put all that together in this new Kemetic year (which I have noticed somewhat coincides in part with new “school year”, which I still make use of because it comes after the lethargy of summer, impelling new motivation and energy. Autumn, that is, September through December, is still, for me, the time when things get moving.
The tricky part, the trap part, in all this, is that much of the time, I at least (don’t know about you, dear reader), tend to make a big enthusiastic start. I know what I want to accomplish, I know what resources I need and have, I know even how to formulate what I want to accomplish. Everything is set out, mentally in outline and idea and even in detail. Everything is set out on my desk, my bookshelves, my notebooks.
Then somewhere along the line, instead of steadfastly consistently moving to completion, even in some part–I instead move to another “great idea and goal.” I sometimes justify that because the new idea is just an offshoot of the previous one, and is therefore logical and should be followed.
Which would be completely appropriate, except the same thing happens, the same pattern followed. And the ultimate result is maybe about a half-dozen great goals, in various stages of “preparation” but no results ever seen.
For us as Kemetic Orthodox, the god of craftsmen and of building, of the Word speaking creation into being, is over this year. I think that is a distinct “heads-up” from the universe, from Netjer as creator of all things. There is something quite maturely conscious, something of deep intent, about building. Children can stack blocks and follow a Legos plan and certainly build something. Then they move on. They love the act of the building-it matters less what they are building than the fact they can build at all.
Children don’t build houses, towns, and cities. Children don’t build monuments. Children don’t necessarily build something to last, with utmost intent and purpose.
We are children of Netjer, each of us, to be sure. But there is a moment where we pass through the door, over the threshold and across the boundary between building for its own joy and *building* something to be stable, to last the ages, to serve as legacy. We are at the point of building for all shelter, all safety, all strength, all courage, and all joy.
It may not be a mere simple fact that the Pyramids and the Sphinx still exist. Perhaps in some corner of their kau, the ancients were cognizant that building should be meant to last, to stand up and say “this matters, we matter, and most importantly we did this together.”
I don’t plan to ever build a building. I don’t plan to ever build a skyscraper or tower. I am no talented sculptor or painter. What I build may be completely personal to myself (and maybe to a small circle of dear ones).
But build I should, and must. Not just because of Ptah. But because it is time. Time to stand and say “This can be done and it will be done.”
I have intent. I think we all do. Intent is all and good.
Time for the word and the action to match and surpass the intent.
Gods of the Year heka
For the past few retreats, each retreat, after we know the god or gods for that coming year, the Nisut leads us in a heka, specifically given by the god or gods of that year.
This year, Ptah being the god of the year, we did a heka using large Lego blocks. Building, you know.
By the end we each had a construct of five blocks which would serve as a meditative and reminder device.
I might write this incorrectly, as I am still processing all the elements of the construct. Feel free to correct me 
We began with a block representing our goal for the year.
We then chose a block representing what we need/have within ourselves to accomplish that goal.
Next we chose a block representing what we need from outside ourselves to accomplish the goal.
The next block represented what we need from others in order to accomplish that goal.
We were each also given a “gift” block by the person next to us, representing a wish from the universe to us for the year as we work toward our goal.
What is your goal?
A very good suggestion was made to everyone, about our goal-building. Keep a journal, whether an online blog or a written book privately, and daily, each day write in it about what you are doing toward your goal-what is distracting you, what is helping you move forward, how your goal might be amended along the way–in other words write about the process and how even the process might be changing you as you work (or wait to work).
What a year this will be.
Sekhmet community heka project
I am a bit behind on these blogs–apologies, but the extra time has allowed me to better reflect and share my thoughts.
I hope those who were there will comment here and on the forums as well.
Sobeqsenu led all of us in a communal project, inspired by Sekhmet. I should begin by saying that Sekhmet is one, if not perhaps *the* most significant, of our gods who always speaks of the communal aspect of our faith-practice. I say significant, not because She is superior to any of our other many gods, but because, as Lady of Appropriateness, it seems appropriate indeed that She remind us, in several and various venues, that what we do separately, and what we do together, go hand in hand and make something, build something, incredible.
Example is this project. It was a “quilt-making” project. I can see readers thinking, oh NO, quilt making? I don’t sew, I don’t knit, I don’t do any of that “crafty”stuff.
I feel your dismay. I had the same initial reaction. I do none of those things.
To my delightful surprise, however, Sekhmet and Sobeq considered that possibility and came up with a marvelous solution. The quilt was made of individual fabric squares which would be easily tied together with ribbons of various colors. No intricate sewing or needlework required.
But then I had my second moment of “NO i can’t.” I am not artistic. I don’t draw–even stick figures might be a challenge, as my lines rarely look straight, my circles are hideous and—you get the idea.
Again–a solution was presented. Words were also acceptable, so anyone like myself who could write a word or phrase could easily contribute.
So, twice I thought “I can’t” and twice the answer came “seek a way that you can–and you will.”
And in the time my mind turned, freed of the “I can’t” atmosphere, I created three squares, one with all words, one with a drawing and words, and one with all drawing. My first said “Dua Akhu, Dua Wepwawet, Dua Sebau, Dua Ma’at.” My second had the sun-disk/Aten with Life, Health and Prosperity under it, and my third had the sun disk with the glyphs for Aset’s name.
I succeeded in contributing to something, and even found inspiration in what I created. Yet, I would have started out–no, make that, I may never have begun at all–because I simply immediately chose to say “I cannot.”
And, I got help in seeing that I could, because even though I created what I made alone, separately, and individually, I sought the advice from others, communally.
A happy delightful little project turned into quite a communal, community, building experience, and at the end of it, we had a wonderful 9×9 (I think) quilt, beautifully and lovingly put together.
Oh yes, I forgot to talk about those ribbons. Each square had four ribbons at the corners. We also wrote on each ribbon, something the community can use more of, like compassion, gentleness, prosperity, wealth–any of those good and marvelous blessed things.
I wish and hope there is a way for more of us, even online and when not in person face-to-face, to come together on some similar kind of project.
Perhaps writing a communal hymn–each person contributing ONE single line—
Perhaps one of our artists taking one single idea suggested by many folks, and putting all the suggestions into one large artwork.
I am sure there are many other ideas, if only someone might put one or two forth.
Dua Sekhmet!
Dua Netjer!
Getting to know the gods
Yesterday, we gathered in the morning in order to get to know our gods.
We do know them, you say? Oh yes, we know Their names, we pray to Them, we may even recognize Them if we see Them.
But knowing Them?
Each of us had a sticker placed on our back by the Nisut. The stickers contained the name of a different deity on each. We could not see our own stickers but we could see the stickers of everyone else. In order to determine who the god(or goddess) was on our own back, we had to ask each other a yes/no question. For example, is my god male? is my god female? is my god only humanform? etc. Once we had all guessed our gods (which was hilarious, educational, and in some respects perhaps even a meditative exercise), the Nisut gave us various categories (creator-vs destructor gods, gods of air vs gods of earth, gods singular vs syncretized vs aspected, etc) and we changed groupings accordingly–a further test of our own experiences as well as knowledge with our gods, perhaps!
This was more challenging than one might think, even if one is convinced one knows the gods. Imagine learning that your god is male and has a bird form. And all your brain wants to remember are hawk-gods. You might never then guess Djehuty until many questions later. We all realized that perhaps we don’t know the Triads, the holy families, too well. We are not certain which deities may have more than one animal form in which they appear. And occasionally the knowledge we thought we had vanished, as we answered each other’s questions incorrectly only to blush later in amused embarrassment.
All in all this was quite a fascinating exercise. One can know so very much in a scholarly way about the temples and locations where a god might be worshipped and yet be unable to form a coherent question or better still form a proper answer. One can know a god with spiritual profoundness, and yet not know whether that god is a consort, spouse, child, or connected at all.
How much does one need to know about the gods, each and all? Does one need to know whether a god was worshipped at X or Y temple, or if those temples exist any longer? Does one need to know which god is associated with which god, either in ancient practice or texts? Is it enough to simply know the name of the god and what offerings are most applicable?
Perhaps only each of us can know those answers. For me, it seems to make sense that if we do believe in Many gods and the One god, that we should know at least as much about all the connections between and among gods as we can. Should I know that Ptah a creator and builder god is consort to Sekhmet the healer and destroyer? Perhaps. That might actually be a very productive meditation. Should I know that Nefertem is associated with perfume and the lotus? Perhaps (and oh yes he is also the child of Ptah and Sekhmet, making that a Holy family triad of Lower Egypt.) And do I need to know that Ptah and his triad were worshipped at Memphis? That might be worthwhile, since Ptah is prominent in the Memphite creation theology and that Memphis was capital of Egypt for many centuries.
But, I am the only one who can really answer this question, how much and what information do I need to know to properly not only worship but serve the gods and my community. AND to grow not only spiritually but in all the ways a person can grow in confidence and joy.
Amulet heka
On the first day of retreat we all gathered for the traditional amulet heka workshop.
In antiquity specific amulets of protection were made out of linen strips upon which were written the figures of twelve very specific gods, each of whom had a prayer. THe linen strip would be knotted with twelve knots, one for each god. The amulet would then be ready to wear for protection.
Now each of us here has such a linen amulet, fed with offerings of bread, beer and incense, prayed over and knotted by each of us.
It seems very wise to head into the last hours of the old year protected against all the things that could deflect us from the bright beginning of the new year.
The Senut Rite
Tomorrow is Set’s Birthday, the third of the five epagomenal days and the first full day of our Wep Ronpet celebration.
We will be starting our day with a group Senut or shrine rite, the religious and spiritual center of the faith.
Senut is a formal prayer-and-offering rite, taught to each member by the founder of our faith when we take beginners class. It is a focused and elegant time of reflection and deliberate connection with Netjer, the One and every single one of our thousands of gods all at one potent time.
While the rite is intended primarily for our individual, personal and private use, it is possible to perform it together in twos and in groups of for example 35, the number of our attendees this year.
Why do I call Senut a focused time? It is absolutely possible, and indeed recommended, to converse with god and gods daily, at any time. That conversation can be as brief as a “morning, god, i am out the door to school/work/errands” or as lengthy as “god, i hope the traffic is not too bad today, I am already stressed out about this presentation I am giving, and i want everyone to hear me, I want to make my points well–could you please help me with that, please, I would be so grateful and I will offer you something later on I promise.” The conversation can be random and spontaneous, a brief plea for help with an unexpected crisis, or a quick prayer of thanks for a job accomplished. In other words, in the middle of a busy day, you and I can talk to gods while doing what we need to be doing, wherever we happen to be at that moment.
With the Senut rite, however, we deliberately set aside a time of the day when we have quiet, are not distracted, where all our attention can be centered on sitting attentively and talking with, and listening for, the presence of our gods. How often these days do we take the time for that kind of prayer? Not often, I wager. There are just too many things we need to do, too many deadlines, too many worries, too many stresses, too much. And much of our day involves juggling a wealth of different demands and anxieties. It is even sometimes hard to focus on any one thing in all that.
How eminently satisfying and needful it is to refresh ourselves, feed our ka, by focusing our attention, our heart, our thought, every sense of our being, on time with the gods?
Why do I call Senut elegant?
Our random and spontaneous conversations with god might take place while we are jogging, shopping, running hither and thither, sweaty, anxious, ready to collapse–not exactly necessarily at our best.
Senut however, requires us to be bathed and purified–to set aside the workaday street clothes and garb ourselves in clean, crisp, fresh attire, to make an offering plate–to make sure we are physically, mentally, thoughtfully, at our best, nice clothes, brushed hair–whatever it takes so we can visit with some very special friends who live in a magnificent mansion.
Yes, Senut brings us to visit for a time in a house for god in our own home.
What an exceptional opportunity to just sit quietly and breathe while in god’s presence, and receive reassurance that we are completely welcome as created children of the gods.
How marvelously elegant. It feels so appropriate to spend some time in each day focusing solely and intently on our gods.
In Senut.
So–tomorrow morning, that is what 35 of us plan to do.
Join us. And not just tomorrow.
Dua Heru-wer!
Today is the birthday of Heru-wer.
This morning as I was eating breakfast, the television in the restaurant was showing a news clip of an at-sea rescue of a trapped whale. A ship bearing some oceanographers (I think) had come upon what they thought to be a dead whale lying on the surface of the sea. But then a brief spout indicated that the whale was alive, just unmoving. Closer examination showed that the whale had somehow become trapped in several hundred feet of net. The scientists freed the whale from the net, and the whale, in utter rapture, leapt several times out of the water before it swam away.
Watching that showed me first, that no challenge does not come with some solution. The first step is to decide to meet the challenge. The humans could have shrugged and continued on their journey, leaving the whale to its fate. They could have decided the whale was simply doomed, not worth their time, too dangerous to their ship to free, or simply that they did not have any way to free the creature. They chose to stay and find a solution.
The next step was to face the risk, take the chance, meet the challenge–see what they could achieve. They freed the whale.
Their repayment for the kindness and the effort, unsought and unneeded, was to witness a marvelous thing–the whale magnificently leaping from the water not once, not twice, but more than thrice.
Surely they all felt a connection, a bond from life, to life–life reaching out and celebrating its own power.
On this day, the birthday of a fierce and mighty god, it seems fitting indeed to consider that one is rarely as helpless and incapable as one might fear. We can meet challenges head-on, in some way, and learn, grow, and be better than before.
Dua Heru-wer!
Dua Wesir!
Today is the birthday of Wesir, king and lord of the Underworld, in the Duat, judge of the dead. He is also a god much associated with seedlings and new growth–fertility in plants, endeavors and humankind.
Rain fell some last night, to being preparing for new growth.
Today some of us priests helped clean the shrines and altars at Tawy House. That involves taking off everything from each altar, cleaning the cloths, then replacing them and everything once again. Everything is the same and yet new, as we wash, dust, and slightly change placements of both familiar and additional objects. It seemed a rather appropriate action for the birthday of Wesir–seeding, watering, hoeing and planting for the coming year.
We also, I noticed managed to eat some grain during the day–either as toast. biscuit, rice, or crust. Fit offerings.
May your day be filled with new ideas, new discoveries, new opportunities, and may Wesir touch you and bless you.
