By
Pet-sekhmet Ankh-Djehuti
In this age, it is important that we
keep the traditional Gods of Egypt in perspective, neither degrading them to
personalized thought-forms, nor to historical idols of another culture. Jean
Houston says, “the neters resembled what we could call gods, but they are
diversified gods, each with a specific function. They served as dynamic
archetypes and motivating principles which the Egyptians consciously attuned
themselves.”[i] Many other Egyptian
neo-Pagan and neo-Khemetic groups seem frightened of this essential principle
of Egyptian Theomancy. They would rather arbitrarily adopt Wiccan, Greek, or
“reconstructionism” platforms. Perhaps they fear the retribution of academia
over the realities of Divine Will.
By contrast, it would be
ridiculous for a Jew or Hindu to embrace the forms of their faith from purely
historical records and archaeological finds. Both have changed in the previous
century quite significantly, and almost as much in the course of the last
millennia. Those faiths are both living and growing through the intellectual
piety expressed so strongly in both Traditions. The scholarly and sage impulses
are not considered to be against the grain or heretical in those faiths, but as
the necessary challenges of a living religion.
This piety and wisdom was
evident in the way Egyptian priests were trained, even from the records of the
Classical period writers that visited the ancient temples. Ma’at was a balance
of personal and divine, as well as scholarship and religious experience. Today
these oppositions are imbalanced within our Egyptian Pagan community; unlike
the ancient society most give lip service to rebuilding. The tendencies in some
groups toward Egomania, and its partner, Religious Ecstasy, are just as
un-Traditional as the pseudo-Egyptology passing as religion amongst other
neo-Egyptian groups.
In addition we face the Eclectic
neo-Pagan desire to press the Egyptian faith into the same bizarre and
unfounded histories and theologies as they had successfully done with Celtic
and Greek Paganism. The result has been the spawning of countless malformed
idiocies. Everything from calling Sekhmet, the “Crone Goddess of Egypt” to
claiming Priestesses had more power than Priests, because of the status of Isis
and the Matriarchy. Amusing as a fable, but unfortunately even the easily
available Classical sources refute those claims. Such notions exhibit a lack of
familiarity not just with the history and culture of Egypt, but with the Nedjer
as well.
As a supposition, the opposite
extreme seems better at first: that drawing wholly on respectable academic
sources would guide the way back to the Egyptian Tradition. It is valuable and
necessary to know the culture and history of Egypt to serve the Nedjer, but
scientists are not attuned to the living symbols. Even if Egyptology were
completely objective and apolitical, it would still be akin to building a city
from anthropology and sociology and assuming it to be habitable. At best it
would be attempting to turn a museum into temple, maligning the purpose of both
in the process.
As such, these are the
viewpoints rational Egyptian Priests regard as our faith’s Fundamentalists: the
Conservatives preaching “reconstruction” of the ancient way, from Midwestern
computers, while the Evangelical neo-Pagan neo-Khemetics seek to idiot-proof
and over-feminize our Faith. This would lead to a far more degenerate state of
our Faith, were it not occurring in every religion as we enter the Aquarian
Age. Divinity students would note that every reform and transition in any
religion creates such transitory and extreme elements before saner and moderate
voices arise that better speak for both the Faith and the Faithful.
The moderate Egyptian Tradition
right now is just beginning to unite and rediscover our shared Ma’at and
Nedjeru. For each and every one, the guiding principle of personal faith and
practice is that the gods are living and changing to incorporate more
contemporary rituals, entertainment and offerings. The Tradition will of
necessity include ancient Egyptian cultural elements, but must be relevant and
meaningful to modern westerners. This is the key if the Egyptian Faith is ever
to break free from the twin slaveries of Egyptology and neo-Paganism.
The first step toward a
contemporary western conception of the Nedjeru comes from each devotee
encountering the gods. Often it is as simple as making offerings and prayers
that you and the Nedjer both enjoy. From these personal encounters is built a
personal and evolving faith that stems from the gods, not any one prescription
of belief. As more people find attunement to the actual gods, rather than
incoherent jumbles of different Dynastic and Nomic systems, better faith and
practice will be transmitted from the Nedjeru.
Finding more contemporary and
vibrant ways of serving the Nedjer, based on historical precedent is another
key of living religion. Today most Egyptian groups could not offer cattle or
prisoners, any more than they could construct replicas of the ancient temples
for their use. But there is no need to imprison the Nedjer in such a limited
perspective had they wished that, they would have never allowed the Rosetta
Stone to surface. Better priest-craft is forged from those ancient symbolic
rites and traditions but is neither coerced by it, nor is it limited to serving
as an extension of archeology.
The ancient priests offered the
Nedjer food, wine and incense. These should still be the basis of offerings,
but I doubt the gods must subsist on dates, flatbreads and Chianti. Egyptian
Priests are servants of the Nedjer, and as good cooks and butlers, should
prepare incense, food and cocktails suited to the Divine Personality being
invoked. Thoth, “loving all that is sweet” prefers candies, especially ones with
nuts and chocolate, and sweeter cocktails and wines, whereas Sekhmet likes meat
and fish and more tropical cocktails. Each of the Nedjeru is different, and so
is each Nomic and Dynastic Cultic practice but rather than let human Ego bloat
through Religious Ecstasy it is better to serve the gods as they wish us to
serve them.
The same applies to entertaining
the Nedjer in the ancient tradition that women mostly served the temples: as
dancers, musicians and mourners and entertainers of the gods. Several new media
and art forms have developed since, from MIDIs to stained glass, movies and
videogames, all should be used in a modern Egyptian Faith. Most of the Nedjeru
in my shrines have a few favorite movies, and television programs, as well as
preferred music. In most cases this is fairly obvious: Horus likes Bruce Willis
movies, and skater Cali Rock, while Osiris enjoys Vampire movies and girl goth
music. Similar principles apply to TV shows and other amusements for each god.
These observations come not from
Ph. D’s in academia, but from observation of these archetypes as living beings.
The Nedjer do appear in our literature and television if only we are wise
enough to recognize them, both as characters and on the street. The Cosmic and
Archetypal Dramas have not changed for our culture, just the garments and
adventures. For instance, Training Day
and Apt Pupil both explore the
education of young Horus by Set, but without a solid understanding of the
nature of the gods and the meanings of that myth, one would be unable to make
that connection. It is not that the
myths “grow” or are “reinvented” but that the Ever-time of the Nedjer allows
each story to be retold from a variety of perspectives to remain vibrant and
challenging to the current members of the Egyptian Faith.
This culminates in a true
mystery of our Faith: incorporating the Divine and Mythic into our lives and
practice so we may join the Cycle of the Gods. Doing this begins with devotion
to the Nedjer, and then treating them as friends and confidants while being an
exquisite host. Before learning to see the world as the playground of the
living gods within oneself and all you know-everything else is purely
academic.