Kemetic Polytheism - Tumblr Posts
loaded (genuine) question but. If people say the myths are just metaphors/not literal events, then how do we know what the gods are truly like (personality/powers/etc) and why do we treat them as real beings? did they originate from a myth itself or did people know of the gods existence and then create the myth based off of them? how did they find out all of the names and what they stand for without the myths? are the gods physical or metaphysical beings and actual gods, or are they aspects of nature (lightning, rain) that people have given names and personification? or not nature itself but rather the forces of nature being alive and THATS the gods? I’m having a hard time understanding what exactly gods are to majority of people and how *i* should perceive them. when someone says the gods are real, what ARE the gods? is it the same as when Christians believe in their god and say he is real and watching over people? or are these gods a completely different concept
additionally… if the gods are just nature or forces of nature to people then why do we call them gods and give them pronouns, names, personality rather than just referring to it as nature/natural forces?"
That is a loaded question, but a very interesting one!
The most important thing about deities and people's relationships/beliefs surrounding them is this: it is all subjective, because it is all belief.
For your first point about myths being metaphors: some people don't view them as metaphors. There are a few people who are "myth literalists" and believe that the myths of their religion are true and factual (one example would be Christian Creationists, who believe that the World truly was made in 7 days and that The Flood actually happened). Most people you'll interact with in pagan or witchcraft circles will agree that the myths are stories, that they reflect the authors and their societies beliefs more than any factual story of the Gods, but that doesn't mean there is no truth in them! For example, Zeus, from the Hellenic pantheon, is the King of Gods and the God of thunder and the sky - this information is gathered from the myths and stories of Ancient Greece, it is considered "fact" or "canon" within the religion. However, there are also many stories of him 'cheating' on his wife, Hera, and fathering many children (often by nonconsensual means) - many hellenists (and academics) will argue that this was representative of the power of rain and storms (creating fertile ground), and that as King of Kings many Ancient Greeks would have desired a story that put them, or their ancestors, as one of his descendants, these aspects of the myths may be seen as less literal by many hellenic followers, or simply as a product of their time. HOWEVER, the most important part is that it really just depends on the person and their beliefs, which stems from their research, experiences and general world view.
People treat their deities as real for the same reasons that Christians treat their God as real: because they believe He is. That is what faith is. That is how religion works - you believe they are real, even if you cannot prove it.
As for your next part about where they came from: that again depends on the person.
Some people believe that the Gods predate their myths, that myths were stories created about them or dictated/written down by those they deemed worthy of hearing them. Other people believe that deities were created by the myths and belief (this is more similiar to my belief system, which I am happy to expand upon if requested).
Are the gods seperate to their domains? Are they their domains personified? Is Zeus a deity that controls the sky, or is he simply the Sky itself, named by the Ancient Greeks. Does Sol truly travel across the sky on a chariot, or is she just a different name used for the Sun in our sky?
I cannot answer that for you.
Your question: "how i should perceive them" is impossible for anyone but yourself to answer and I am sorry to tell you that, I know that it can be difficult and that sometimes all you want is a concrete answer and a step by step guidebook of "What to Believe in and how to do it Right" but that simply doesn't exist.
In pagan spaces, you will see people disuss or debate whether or not their gods are omniciscient or not (many citing myths as sources or using their own upg - unique personal gnosis), you will see people discuss how their gods appear to them and what they represent or mean. You will see a hundred variations on how to worship them or who they are. None of them are wrong but conversesly none of them are right - they are simply that person's unique faith and belief, and that faith can change over time.
From what I have seen, many people believe their gods to be real and as seperate beings who control their domains (i.e. Zeus is the God of the sky, not the sky itself), and that their myths are partially true, partially metaphorical, all within the context of the society they were written. Many believe that the gods have changed and evolved as times have gone on and that they are beyond our societal rules. But, there is no real "cookie cutter" belief.
If you wish to know, I can tell you my own personal beliefs, what they mean to me, and how I have come to hold them but I will not claim that they are correct and I can't speak for others. I'd definitely reccomend speaking to other pagans and immersing yourself in pagan communities.
You must decide for yourself what the gods are, but I am happy to help you find the tools to discover that.
This is beautiful. ☀️
"You are Amun, the Lord of the silent,
Who comes at the voice of the poor;
When I call to you in my distress,
You come to answer me,
To give breath to him who is wretched,
To rescue me from bondage...
Though the servant was disposed to do evil,
The Lord is disposed to forgive.
The Lord of Thebes spends not a whole day in anger,
His wrath passes in a moment, none remains.
His breath comes back to us in mercy,
Amun returns apon his breeze..."
Parts from a votive stele of Nebre from Deir el-Medina found in The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Richard H. Wilkinson
Been feeling him very near these last few weeks and days. Dua Ptah! ⚡
His presence is beyond my comprehension, I just accept it and give thanks for it.
Dua Ptah! 🌀
Statue of the god Ptah.
Dua Sutekh indeed 🌩️
On Set and Storms
“That's something every islander knows—there's always going to be another hurricane. Another storm. Everything buried will surface again, and everything you thought would last forever will come down eventually. But you rebuild. You dredge. You keep moving, keep adding new. That's how we go on living.”
– Roseanna M. White - “Yesterday's Tides”
“You can dance in the storm. Don't wait for the rain to be over before because it might take too long. You can can do it now. Wherever you are, right now, you can start, right now; this very moment.”
– Israelmore Ayivor
I grew up in South Texas where we were used to hurricanes. To this day, one of the most magical things I’ve ever experienced is standing outside when the eye has passed over me. There is such raw power and majesty to storms. They are terrifying and destructive but can impart great wisdom. As a Kemetic, I find myself closer to Set during storms and actively attempt to listen. Hurricane Harvey was one of the most terrible to hit the Coastal Bend in decades. I prayed to Set in the eye of that storm, before we lost power and I learned what had happened to Houston. I stood outside with arms outstretched, honoring His Sekhem and the Majesty of His natural domain. Suddenly a gust of wind blew an updraft beneath me. I felt validated and listened to. I went back inside and we lost power soon after. The Texas grid didn't get restored for another eight days. I felt Set’s presence in the storm and in the aftermath, destructive and harsh… but encouraging. “You will survive this. You have survived much worse with far less at your disposal.” When I would talk about hurricanes this way people would quickly become upset. They fail to see how a hurricane can be anything but terrible and I beg to differ. Storms disrupt our lives but teach us that we can rebuild. In the moment of impact, are we happy with the destruction? Absolutely not. Loss teaches us what we are capable of living with, as well as what we can live without. Storms are the immune system of the Earth, their purpose being to restore equilibrium on a large scale. Set is the storm that rends the dead bark and branches off of the Holy Sycamore. He does the same for us. By stripping away the excessive and superfluous, Set brings us closer to our inner strength and core values. I’ve often heard Set being associated with the ego but, in my experience, He takes a very active part in facilitating ego death during the Dark Night of the Soul. I’ve experienced this several times and I can safely say when all other guides have stepped away, I am still blanketed in Set’s Presence. He stands nearby, as a silent but distant sentinel. His Presence is enough to let me know I will be okay. Storms have a way of mirroring the Shadow archetype, forcing us to face our demons. We might not know when they will begin or end, but we do know that they are temporary. That disruption is sometimes exactly what we need and the more we fight it, the more we resist the growth that might lead us to the best chapter in life we’ve ever had. Experience has shown me that we can survive far more than we give ourselves credit for. Sometimes you have to Embrace Life.
Dua Set!
Image depicts a thunderstorm over the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo, Egypt
"You can hear my voice in the Storm.
You can feel my touch in the Wind.
You can taste my lust for life in the Waves.
Desert is not the barren land you think it is. It's alive and pulsing, something not many can see. Just as the Sea, you have to dive under the surface to find its true essence.
But are you willing to?
Are you willing to look me in the eyes and stay still, as I barren my teeth and stare through your soul, ready to devour you?
Or would you rather run away once again, frightened and unchanged?
You chose to stay. Wise choice.
I will offer you shelter in my Oasis.
I will guard you against all that is evil.
I will teach you unprecedented defiance.
I will show you unbearable horrors.
I will tell you unfathomable truths.
And know this: if your Path is meant to be a path of service, you'll serve us, somehow."
"Nurture yourself, Little One. Do not stifle your growth for the sake of conforming to others thoughts and opinions. Do not hold onto others for strength and security. You are not meant to be alone, that is true. However, you are also not meant to be consumable, torn apart for the ease of other's sensitivities or feelings. You are whole. You are your own."
This is beyond powerful, and so so needed. Thank you so much @divinecoyote for sharing! 🌩️
My Father is immense, inconceivable to the human mind. He stands over everything: life and death, calm and chaos, creation and destruction, the beginning and the end.
He is not just a storm or chaos, not just rage and anger and pain. He is the warmth received from others, the slow lapping of water within an oasis, the brief kiss on your cheek from the wind.
I asked for His help last night, and found myself floating in the middle of a small lake. Above me stretched Nut, stars twinkling in Her eyes. Surrounding me was a dense outpouring of foliage, swaying in a gentle breeze.
He came to me then, laying a hand above my heart. I could physically feel the warmth radiating from His hand and slowly encasing me. In my mind I could see my heart surrounded by soft and moist soil. It sank and from the remains sprouts began to form.
"Nurture yourself, Little One. Do not stifle your growth for the sake of conforming to others thoughts and opinions. Do not hold onto others for strength and security. You are not meant to be alone, that is true. However, you are also not meant to be consumable, torn apart for the ease of other's sensitivities or feelings. You are whole. You are your own."
Me (having another religious crisis): “Hm yeah Idk, what if I’m being weird abt Kemetic Polytheism? What if I can’t do this?”
[A RANDOM, FUCKING HUGE AND VIOLENT THUBDERSTORM OUT OF NOWHERE, FALCON ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BY ITSELF, AND A STRING OF ODD SYMBOLS IN MY DREAMS—ALL IN THE SPAN OF 3 DAYS]
Me: “Ah. Understood.”
So powerful! Great of Strength indeed 🌩️
Inktober Day 31- Slice
With guest appearances by Set and A/pep. What better way to end the month than with the incarnate of Isfet being sliced and diced?
Dua Sutekh 🌩️
good afternoon. a sutekh for your consideration.
A young Sutekh for us all. Lovely and powerful indeed.
Dua Sutekh! 🌩️
🎵EU FALEI: F A R A Ó!!!!!!🎵
Commission for Cy, featuring the Egyptian god of storms Sutekh / Set! Thank you so much, this was A BLAST and as always with this kind of work, I always end up learning so much! <3
commission info | patreon | twitter | Ko-fi | VGen | bluesky
This is stunning and so moving 🖤
It's you, Osiris! Despite everything, it's still you...
I'm always thinking about how much he changed after being attacked by his own brother.
more of my art!
The Kemetic Calendar: Months
It's really difficult to talk about and find a decent Egyptian calendar. So difficult that honestly, I've just created my own at this point.
The Egyptian calendar had 365 days, just like the modern western calendar. It consisted of three seasons with 120 days each, with an intercalary month of five epagomenal days to keep up with leap days. Each season was divided into four months of 30 days each.
Below are the seasons, and months.
Akhet (Flood). Roughly September to January in AE, but I celebrate it from January to May.
Month of Djehuty (Jan. 1-30)
Month of Pa'en-Opet (Jan. 31-Mar. 1)
Month of Hat-Hor (Mar. 2-31)
Month of Ka-Hor-Ka (Apr. 1-30)
Peret (Winter). Roughly January to May in AE, but I celebrate it from May to the end of August.
Month of Ta-ib (May 1-30)
Month of Makhir (May 31-Jun. 29)
Month of Pa'en-Amunhotepu (Jun. 30-Jul. 29)
Month of Pa'en-Renenutet (Jul. 30-Aug. 28)
Shemu (Summer). Roughly May to September, but I celebrate it from the end of August to the end of December.
Month of Pa-Khonsu (Aug. 29-Sep. 27)
Month of Pa'en-Inet (Sep. 28-Oct. 27)
Month of Apip (Oct. 28-Nov. 26)
Month of Mosu-Ra (Nov. 27-Dec. 26)
The Epagomenal Days. These were five days at the end of each year to help balance out leap days. After these days were done, the new year was celebrated. Each of these days celebrates the birth days of the deities they are named after. For me, they take place from December 27-31, although in Ancient Egypt they most likely would have taken place in late July/early August.
Meswet Wesir
Meswet Heru
Meswet Sutekh
Meswet Aset
Meswet Nebet-Het