Tag: heru-wer

DIY Wep Ronpet: Epagomenal Days

Em hotep! In preparation for the end of the year (which is barreling towards us faster than a speeding train I might add), I thought I’d post some tips for those who will be celebrating the arrival of Wep Ronpet at home. I thought I’d break this post up in two, for the last two days of the year – convenient, eh?

First up are the Epagomenal Days – or for those of us not fond of tongue-twisters, the Days Upon The Year. For those of you playing along at home, these are the days that take place after the year has ended but before the new year has begun. Mythologically this comes from the story of the birth of the children of Nut, which was not to take place during any day of the year. Djehuty worked his sly magic, won some light from the moon, and poof – five extra days for Her children.

I like to take these days to honor each of Her children, and to reflect on what of each gods domain I need to improve or eliminate from my life. I start the day by lighting a candle to whichever deity is in festival that day, and stay mindful of what message They might have to bring to me.

The first day belongs to Wesir (Osiris). For Him, I light a green candle. I ask His blessing on my relationship with the Akhu. I will reflect on my own relationship with my ancestors, and how I can improve or better it. I will meditate on stability – where it needs to be built and where it needs to be taken away.

The second day belongs to Heru-wer (Horus the Elder). For Him, I light an orange candle. I ask Him to bring me strength and good judgment. I will reflect on where I am in control of my life, and where I am not. I will meditate on strength – where I need to carry more of it, and where I have exercised too much.

The third day belongs to Set. For Him, I light a red candle. I ask Him to keep chaos and disorder out of my life. I will reflect on what has been stagnant in my life, and what has been out of order. I will meditate on change – where I need to make more of it, and what I need to allow to settle.

The fourth day belongs to Aset (Isis). For Her, I light a blue candle. I ask Her to watch over the heka and magic I do. I will reflect on my successes and failures as a magic worker. I will mediate on wisdom – where I have used right judgment, and where I have erred in my decisions.

The fifth day belongs to Nebthet (Nephthys). For Her, I light a purple candle. I thank Her for the blessing of life for another year. I will ask Her to watch over those I love in the West, and to help me be mindful of how blessed I am to be alive. I will meditate on time – how precious it is, and how I can make the most of it.

Each day, I light a candle for each of the days upon the year that has passed. I light one on Wesir’s day, two on Heru-wer’s day – and so on. If you’re interested in celebrating at home, feel free to use my “template” and add to it as you like. 🙂 Tomorrow, I’ll post about Wep Ronpet itself. Enjoy!

What about love?

image source: wikipedia.org

According to the reckoning of the Kemetic Orthodox festival calendar, right now we’re in the feast of the Beautiful Reunion – the marriage festival of Heru-wer, the fierce hawk-god, and Hethert, the cow-goddess of love and joy.

I have a really strange relationship with this festival, partly because I have a really strange relationship with Hethert. To say She is a “love goddess” is incredibly limiting, but it is that part of Her nature that I get hung up on. I have tried to see Her as Hethert-Amenti, a funerary goddess who cares for and comforts the dead — and for a time, it works. I feel like I can get along with Her, and I carry on with my life. I like Hethert, I really do. I am a musician, and a woman, and someone who likes to feel joy. These are all things that are in Her domain, therefore these are all reasons I have to feel comfortable with Her.

The feast of the Beautiful Reunion, however, is a marriage festival. She and Heru-wer are in love. They get married, have a wedding night, they practically even go on a honeymoon – needless to say, this is one time of year where I can’t really ignore Her lovey-dovey side. I am not a romantic person. I would much rather play checkers or talk about brain science than cuddle by candlelight. The idea of a festival entirely devoted to being devoted to someone else rubs me the wrong way. So the logical thing to do would be to let the festival pass by and take little notice of it. Right?

Except it is one of my favorite festivals to celebrate. I love singing for Her and Heru-wer. I like getting caught up in the excitement of Their reunion. I can practically see Her preening before a mirror, humming to Herself while She fixes Her hair – and I can see Him, seeing Her as She greets Him, His face full of pride and love. It is the marriage of victory to celebration, the marriage of song and joy to the fierce enforcer of Ma’at. There is something about this romance that doesn’t make me squirm and want to go wash my hands; so, I sing for the happy Couple and hope that it makes up for the rest of the time that I spend politely ignoring the side of Hethert that makes me squeamish. Dua Hethert! Dua Heru-wer! May Your reunion be indeed beautiful.

Aset Luminous 2011

Today is Aset Luminous! In the past the feast celebrating Aset and light has fallen on the 4th of July, making the fireworks displays of the United States very appropriate. This year there will be less fanfare, but I will still celebrate with candles and light. I would float my own prayer boat down the local river, but I worry about the environmental implications, especially since it’s already pretty littered and yucky. It’s also still the feast of the Beautiful Reunion – the celebration of the marriage of Heru-wer and Hethert – so it’s a doubly joyful day. Have a wonderful, festive day! 😀

Episode 14: My Gods – Other: the Bawy

We come now to the gods that I have not been divined a child or beloved of, but Who have been darting in and out of my life in a significant fashion for some time.

The Bawy would be the first of these. I was divined in the Kemetic Orthodox year of Montu and the Eye of Ra (Year 14, for anyone counting), but my first Wep Ronpet as a Shemsu was celebrated in the year of the Bawy, of Heru-wer and Set as One. My gods, what a year that was. Heru-wer and Set are both catalysts of change in specific ways – and that can be painful and disturbing and awful at times.

Heru-wer was my first encounter with the Bawy, as a lewd, brusque force in my life. He offered me healing, in His way, but I was perhaps a little naive, and thought Him gentler than He is. So I was put off by Him. I can’t say that I have gotten to know Him much better since then; I have prayed to Him to mete out justice, and to grant me strength, good judgment and good character, but I really haven’t interacted with Him in any more relationship-building ways.

I have prayed to Set to help me change my life, from advice from my Akhu, and spent hours in tears, feeling like I was being torn to shreds in the process. For years after I was terrified of Him. I would not pray to Him, I avoided anything to do with Him. His was a force that would drown me in its wake, a power that would crush me if I got too close. No, thank you, I’ll stay over here, uncrushed and unbroken. Such avoidance is rarely healthy, however, and not long after deciding I would never ever speak to Him again, some of my fellow Shemsu in my geographic area decided to hold a feast in His honor, and so we did, and I was brought face to face with the Lord of Storms. I prayed for help overcoming my fear of Him, and I can confidently say that I am more comfortable with Him than I have been in the past (though He still scares the s*** out of me, on my best day).

Perhaps I should also note that my boyfriend’s first beloved is none other than the Red Lord Himself? Either way, for those of you who can stomach hardcore/metal, here is a song that I associate very strongly with Set, by a band that I also associate very strongly with Him. I had the opportunity to see them play this live, and being in that crowd at that moment was an absolutely religious experience. Say what you will, I believe God listens to metal. Atreyu – Gallows