June 25, 2011

The year’s end and the power of heka

Posted in Being Kemetic, Doing Heka at 10:11 am by

In a previous post, I mentioned the chaos of the end of the year. The idea is that as the year winds down, things everywhere begin to unravel, including in our personal lives. This disarray reaches its peak in the five epagomenal days, the Days upon the Year that stand outside the rest of the Kemetic calendar. In myth, Nut was forbidden from giving birth to her children on any day of the year; feeling sympathy for her, Djehuty gambled with the moon and won five extra days upon which Nut’s children could be born: Wesir, Heru-wer, Set, Aset, and Nebt-het. These days, being outside the year, and further being a time of birth (always fraught with peril), are considered to be both extraordinary and dangerous. Typically we make amulets at each New Year’s retreat, to help protect us from the demons of plague, ill luck, and despair that haunt the year’s end.

In any case, after making that other post, I found myself regretting it. How am I staying in the moment when I’m pining for the next season? Far better to remain present and to deal with what is. So the other night I asked Bast for some heka that I could use to protect myself. I wanted to exercise my own strength against any threat to my well-being, especially to my inner, spiritual well-being, so that I can better live in the now, without fear or sadness.

She granted my desire, and I wish I could share what she gave me, because it was awesome, and I can already feel its effectiveness. And I think a large part of the experience’s power came from the fact that instead of asking for Her to step in and help me, to save me, I asked for the means to help myself. Clearly I need to do more heka.

Dua Bast! Your words are Your heka, and Your magic is great! May You bless me with Your wisdom, now and always.

December 27, 2010

Dancing between earth and sky

Posted in Festivals at 10:14 pm by

Ah, the holidays…the Kemetic holidays, that is. Not that there isn’t a festival on practically every day of the calendar, but at this time of year there’s a whole constellation of popular celebrations that I generally try to acknowledge. Following the House of Netjer’s calendar, there’s the Return of the Wandering Goddess at the solstice, the Procession of Bast and the Festival of Bast Guards the Two Lands both occuring a couple of days later, and tonight, the Establishment of the Celestial Cow, the Descent of the Dove, and the beginning of the Feast of Thanksgiving Offerings. Whew!

The Establishment of the Celestial Cow (fondly known as “Moomas”) celebrates the elevation of Nut into the sky, bearing Ra as the sun between Her horns; the Descent of the Dove honors Aset, who comes down from the stars with quiet grace, bringing blessings. To me, these two holidays speak of cycles of separation and connection — of the retreat of Ra to the sky, the division between heaven and earth, between mythic time and human time, that creates the world we live in today; and the breath of life that crosses all those divisions, the winged inspiration, the divine messenger, Aset Great-of-Magic. Those two movements together form a great dance, rising and falling, departing and returning, a circulation of energy, everchanging in its form.

Tonight I offered curried beef, couscous, milk, and dark chocolate cookies to both Nut and Aset. Nut was rather taken with the heka ornaments that we made for Bast Guards the Two Lands and wanted one for Herself, so She also got my best attempt at a cow. (The Christmas ball does rather resemble a nu pot.)

Celestial cow heka ornament

Aset seemed pleased with the acknowledgment, and as I stood before Her shrine, She said suddenly, Ask for what you wish. It will be given to you. Not something that I was expecting — I don’t tend to have a lot of interaction with Aset, who honestly rather intimidates me. When the Great Magician asks you what you wish for, what do you say? It took a minute or so of hard thinking, but in the end I feel that I made a good decision. Between that and the prayer I placed inside Nut’s heka ornament, I think I’m pretty well set up going into the upcoming new year.

Dua Nut, Mother of the Gods! Dua Aset, Lady of Heaven! Thank You for Your gifts. May You smile upon me now and always.

December 29, 2009

Look up!

Posted in Festivals, Netjeru, The Wild Sky at 2:14 pm by

This morning, before getting in the car to go to work, I paused outside the garage to look up. Above the branches of the pine tree across the road, silhouetted against the gradually lightening sky — a pale swath of delicate cloud veil and a single star, golden and startlingly bright.

Later, during the drive, I looked up again, out the car’s window. The dawn sky was filled with clouds in serried ranks, as if marching from the east, advancing across the land. The Gods are in procession, I thought, on this day of festival, as the Divine Cow raises up the sun.

Today is a holy day, the day that Ra establishes His place in the heavens. Look up!

Dua Nut, Mother of the Gods! Dua Ra in Your rising! Nekhtet!