May 31, 2010
Posted in Festivals, Netjeru, Poetry and Prayers
at 11:27 am
by Shefyt
This morning I got up at the crack of dawn to do a small ritual for Memorial Day (as I’d mentioned previously). Out on the front lawn, I set up a little shrine with offerings and read the following prayer out loud at sunrise:
A Memorial Day Prayer for Heru-hekenu and the Akhu
Dua Heru-hekenu! O Son of Bast,
You Who travel with Ra through the Duat,
You Who journey on the night barque through the land of Wesir,
You Who preserve the body and protect the soul,
may You preserve and protect all those who have died in service:
our soldiers, our police and rescue workers, our heroes.
May You bring light for their eyes.
May You bring breath for their nostrils.
May You bring fragrant unguents for their bodies and their kas
and every good thing so that they might live.
Great solider, Master of Protection,
may You spread Your wings out above the living as well,
may You bless the ones who put themselves in danger,
fighting to protect all that they love.
May their bodies be strengthened,
may their hearts be pure,
and may they return home safely at the end of their service,
until the day when all the lands are forever at peace.
May there be rest and healing for all the veterans
and great glory for the courage that they have shown.
An offering which the King gives to Heru-hekenu, Son of Bast, at the shrine of Saut-sen Iryt Ra: a thousand of bread, a thousand of barbecue, incense, flame, and cool water for the honored dead of this nation, true of voice. Dua Akhu! May you give your protection and guidance to those who fight today and to all the veterans who have served in the past. May you be remembered for as long as the stars shine in the sky. And may you live.
Dua Heru-hekenu! Dua Akhu! Nekhtet!
Afterward I sang “Taps” and then sat in meditation until the incense had burned down.
It was unusual for me, because I don’t usually do anything to celebrate Memorial Day. But this year it seemed right and necessary, as a sort of follow-on to the celebrations of the Beautiful Feast of the Valley. And it was a lovely moment, sitting outside in the early morning, in the cool air touched by the scent of sandalwood incense, feeling a sense of things in harmony, of ma’at in this kind of remembrance.
Heru-hekenu may seem an odd (and obscure!) choice of deity to petition in a ritual like this. It was an intuitive jump at first, but upon further thought it made reasonable sense. As mentioned in the prayer, Heru-hekenu does sail on the night barque with Ra. (In the picture at the head of this page, Heru-hekenu is the hawk-headed figure standing directly behind the ram-headed Ra.) The journey of the sun into darkness and ultimately to regeneration and renewal is also the journey of the deceased; thus Heru-hekenu could be seen in the role of a funerary protector and assistant. According to the Lexikon der ägyptischen Götter und Götterbezeichnungen, He lights the way for the ba of the dead, and He does actually receive offerings in a hotep di Nisut formula (although I’ve written my own here, not having tracked down the original yet). His name is also another indicator — Heru-hekenu can mean “Heru of the unguent” as well as “Heru of praises.” Just as oils and lotions were used to protect the living body against the ravages of a hot, harsh climate, so they were also used to protect the body of the deceased, preparing it for the tomb and its former inhabitant for the journey through the afterworld. Thus Heru-hekenu would be a protector of both the living and the dead.
So He seems to have a somewhat more liminal nature than some of the other forms of Heru. Yet he also has that warrior quality, as well as a very primal-seeming raptorial nature, which fits in well with one associated with battle and soldiers. It seemed appropriate, in the end, to call upon Him in remembrance of those who have fought and died for their country, and to ask Him to guard our living heroes as well.
A close-up of the statue I’m currently using for Heru-hekenu. The double crown is appropriate — He appears with it in reliefs from per-Bast — and the pots are about as close as one’s likely to find to perfume jars. The necklace draped around Him is one that I made for Him, and the red tissue-paper poppy came from a veterans’ organization.
Dua Heru-hekenu! Nekhtet!
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May 28, 2010
Posted in Friday Findings, Netjeru
at 6:45 pm
by Shefyt
In the vein of this morning’s post, here’s an interesting piece: a menat counterpoise crowned with the heads of two Gods, one a lion and the other a man wearing plumes. (A menat, for those who might not know, is a necklace of multiple strands of beads, which can either be worn normally or carried in the hands and shaken as a musical instrument. The counterpoise is attached to the back of the necklace, to help it lie properly on the wearer’s neck and shoulders, or to serve as a handle when it’s being played.) The two heads are unusual, in my experience; more typically you’ll see a single head in profile, usually either a lion Goddess or Hethert. Here, the two heads are probably Tefnut and Shu, or Mehyt and Anhur. The body of the counterpoise shows full figures of the two Gods facing each other and holding a single papyrus stalk between them — a beautifully symbolic image, as the papyrus represents the unfurling greenness of the world, here depicted either as the gift of the two deities or as the product of their union, or perhaps as both.
There are some other nice pieces on the site where I found this one, which is a review of a Sotheby auction of Egyptian antiquities (click on the picture to visit it). About halfway down the page there are several lion Goddesses, including a lion-headed Wadjet (more commonly depicted as a cobra), and a little unidentified Goddess seated in a pose typically used for the Goddess Ma’at. It’s only a guess on my part, but the latter might represent Tefnut, who sometimes is associated with Ma’at. There are some very fine Heru and Wesir statues as well.
Dua Tefnut! Dua Shu! Nekhtet!
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Posted in Netjeru, Poetry and Prayers, The Wild Sky
at 7:50 am
by Shefyt
Last night, driving home from the gym after work: the windows rolled down in the unexpected coolness of the evening, honeysuckle perfume like the scent of incense layering the air, the horizon ahead dark with stormclouds, like driving into a steadily deepening twilight — and suddenly, Tefnut, lynx-eyed and watchful, powerful, awesome in Her presence in the gathering storm. I’d never thought of Her in connection to storms before — typically that association belongs to Set — but there She was. Maybe it was something about the closeness of the storm: the very low, dark clouds, the cool, flower-scented breeze presaging a humidity-breaking change of weather, the looming shadow of the approaching rain.
And as the storm broke it made me think of the meeting of the Distant Goddess and the one Who seeks Her, of Tefnut and Shu (or Mehyt and Anhur). The wrathful, growling Goddess, the charged air finding its release in the flashes of lightning, like the flash of fiery claws, and then the slow quieting toward Her pacification as the rain falls — the thunderstorm as an encounter, as a love story, both intimate and glorious.
Dua Tefnut! O You Who roar, You are in the living breath of the wind, You are in the night-black shadows beneath the trees, You are in the burning river of gold, the lightning that splits the gray-green sky, turning it to amethyst and rose. Your feet are upon the earth while Your mighty voice resounds in heaven. O Tefnut, release Your waters! May You be at peace, may You come in peace for me — may Shu’s love pacify You, may the cool water and the bright flame pacify You, O Beautiful One Who lives in beauty, O Terrifying One Who is soothed by love.
Dua Tefnut! Nekhtet!
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May 27, 2010
Posted in Being Kemetic, Festivals
at 1:24 pm
by Shefyt
The Beautiful Feast of the Valley has just ended, the great twelve-day festival during which the holy triad of Gods from Uaset, the city of Thebes — Amun, Mut, and Khonsu — sail to the western bank of the river to pay Their respects to Hethert and Wesir, and during which the people of Kemet would honor their Akhu, their beloved dead, with picnic feasts among the tombs. I think this is one of the festivals that loses a lot in the modern day — even if we could take a twelve-day holiday from work or other responsibilities, most of us would still be missing out on the processions, the revelry, the sheer emotional force of an entire populace joined in rituals of celebration and remembrance.
That said, it’s still worth celebrating. Last weekend, I enjoyed a lunchtime feast before my Akhu shrine, during which I talked with them about the past and also about my life right now. I actually spent quite a bit of time talking to my mother; and I was finally able to express my regrets that we probably had never understood each other very well, and to work through some of the ambivalence that I’ve been feeling toward her lately. At the end of the feast, I played my sistrum for the Akhu, which she seemed to think was a fun idea — I had the sudden mental impression of her shaking her own sistrum and doing the funny, awkward little bobbing dance that she used to do. It made me laugh. I’m not particularly adept at communicating with the dead, but I feel that we made a connection there, or perhaps cleared up a connection that was in danger of growing occluded.
Last night there was an online celebration in the House of Netjer chatroom, during which we named all of our Akhu and made offerings to them. Not quite the same as a live ritual, but powerful nonetheless to see that list of names scroll upward, to speak aloud the names of my own Akhu as I typed them in, the ripples of single drops falling into that great river. This year, unfortunately, daily life caught up with the Northeast region and we weren’t able to organize a get-together for the festival, but I hope we’ll be able to manage it again next year. The more that we can share in the great festivals of our religion, the better.
I’m also planning a personal Kemetic Memorial Day observance for this coming Monday, as a sort of addendum to the Beautiful Feast of the Valley. I’ll post about it here afterward.
May you and your dead be at peace, and may they bless you with good fortune and the everlasting comfort of their love.
Dua Akhu! Nekhtet!
A shrine for the online Beautiful Feast of the Valley ritual, featuring offerings of peonies from the garden, cool water (three glasses for the Theban triad, and a shot glass for the Akhu), and white chocolate (divided as well between the Gods and the Akhu). Note too the modern appurtenances: a binder serving as a windbreak to keep the air conditioner from blowing out the candles and a squirt bottle to chase away the cats.
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May 14, 2010
Posted in Friday Findings
at 2:50 pm
by Shefyt
I think that this might possibly be one of the most beautiful Sekhmet faces ever. (Click on the picture to see it on its home site, the Virtual Egyptian Museum, and be sure to look at the other views of the piece as well.) This bronze from the Eighteenth Dynasty is so expressive, its features so fine and tender, almost wistful, it melts me every time I see it.
Dua Sekhmet — hail and praise to You!
Edited to add: In case clicking on the picture takes you to a page other than the Sekhmet figure, select “Full Collection” if it isn’t already highlighted, click on “By God,” then from the “Jump to…” pop-up menu select “Sakhmet.” The figure is “Bronze of Sakhmet seated, early Dyn. 18.” (The coding on the Museum site makes direct linking tricky.)
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May 7, 2010
Posted in Friday Findings, Netjeru
at 12:25 pm
by Shefyt
I just found something pretty, and it’s a Friday, so I thought I would try to revive my idea of posting “Friday Findings” here.
The painting is Hathor Redux by NibbleKat, and I love the delicacy of it, the graceful turn of Her head, the subtle wash of colors. Those ears are wonderful, too!
It’s a revision of the artist’s earlier Hathor painting, which I actually like a lot as well, even though the artist wasn’t satisfied with it. In the original painting, there’s a more earthy, sensual quality to Her, less serene and dreamy than this newer one. Both versions are lovely — pick your favorite flavor of Hethert!
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May 4, 2010
Posted in Poetry and Prayers, Stalking Beauty, Thoughts and Reflections
at 11:35 am
by Shefyt
Hard rain yesterday, although fortunately it had eased off each time I had to go outside; a hard month last month, although not as hard as it was last year at this time. I don’t know why I tend to go off the rails in April. Maybe it’s all that energy, pushing outward to grow, to bloom, that exacerbates my tendencies toward anxiety and overwhelm and leaves me not knowing what to do with myself, with my life.
At any rate, here we are in May, and it’s the beginning of a new Kemetic month as well — the second month of the season of Shomu, the season of heat and harvesting. Only three more months until New Year and Retreat. Soon I’ll start going through my journal for the last year, looking at the patterns, the questions asked and the answers that I may have received without even realizing it.
What does it mean, to live? That question was posed to me the other day by Nefertem, god of the unfolding lotus blossom, lord of perfumes. Of the Seven Arrows of Bast, He’s the one I’ve struggled the most to feel connected to. So to honor Him, and to try to foster that connection, I’ve begun reading a prayer to Him each morning, the first thing I do when I get out of bed.
Nefertem, You are awakening.
Nefertem, may I awaken.
Nefertem, You are awake.
Nefertem, may I be awake.
Nefertem, You arise.
Nefertem, may I arise.
Nefertem, You go forth into the world in beauty.
Nefertem, may I go forth into the world in beauty.
O great Creator, may I see Your beautiful face.
May I live. May I live. May I live. May I live.
What does it mean when I pray, “May I live”? What am I asking for? Walking through my days, doing my work, praying to my Gods, is there any time when I’m not alive? Or is it just that I forget, closed up breathless inside the shell of myself, tensed against the twin pressures of fear and blooming?
Yesterday and today, I read my prayer for Nefertem. And yesterday and today, the gardenia on my desk at work, which has limped along for the last year with shriveled buds and yellowing leaves, has put forth white flowers, perfuming the air.
Dua Nefertem! Nekhtet!
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