Jackalioning.

It’s funny. Every so often, I have moments where my Parents shine through in my actions, thoughts, or personality. I’ll mediate a conflict between two friends, counsel someone who is having a bad day, show someone some insight into a situation, perform a divination, listen to loud music, or do something else that reminds me of my Father; I’ll do more research on the things that affect children, geek out over healing and psychology, disagree with someone who is breaking a rule even with good reason, or do something else that reminds me of my Mother. People have told me that it’s easy to see that I am a child of Sekhmet-Mut, that I give off a very strong, intense presence in a room, and that I am certainly not invisible. That’s weird for me to hear, because when I’m alone with myself, I definitely feel more like Wepwawet’s child. More sneaky, thoughtful, invisible.

There’s a lot of controversy within Kemetic Orthodoxy about just how much one’s Parent(s) affect(s) one’s behavior, it’s true. Some people say that Parents have nothing at all to do with personality and behavior; some people say that our entire being is shaped by our Parents and thus everything we do is influenced by Them somehow. I prefer to stay in the middle. Just like astrology can’t predict your every last thought or deed, your Parentage doesn’t do so either. It is natural for me to believe that, since your soul is made by your Parents, you are spotted with Their “fingerprints” – but your whole shape may be different. It is impossible to say that children of the same spiritual Parent will be identical – but I firmly believe there are things about me that are directly related to my Parents. They may not and probably are not universally applicable, but for me, they are markers that I am, in fact, a child of Wepwawet and a child of Sekhmet-Mut.

I can understand why some people would be uncomfortable with the idea that they are cookie-cutter stamps of their “siblings”. I would be too – but that’s not what I’m suggesting. What I’m saying is that we are all given distinct marks by our Parents (Beloveds too!). Whether these can be applied to other children remains to be seen – but I know, deep down in my toes, just when something is coming from one of my Parents. My Mother gives me a fire and passion; my Father gives me wisdom and insight. Whether or not this is how my “siblings” (and I use this term metaphorically, of course) feel, is of little consequence – What matters is what I feel They give me, because I am the one who interacts with Them.

Senebty!