Kemeticism
Kemetism/Kemeticism or Kemetic Reconstructionism is a path following in the traditions and cultures of Ancient Egypt and worshipping the Gods of the Ancient Egyptian pantheon. The root of the word is “Kemet” - the ancient word meaning Egypt.
Generally it is a polytheistic religion though some individuals do choose to work more closely with and focus on individual Gods.
The Egyptian pantheon includes:
Bast – Goddess of War
Ra – God of the Sun
Sekhmet – Warrior Goddess of Healing
Isis – Goddess of Magic
Osiris – God of the Dead
Kemeticism is largely practised in groups – it can be a solitary path but it is more common to practise in temples with others of the same faith. The word temple does not necessarily imply a physical structure similar to those of Ancient Egypt, rather it is a gathering of members of the Kemetic path. Some temples operate on similar lines to Wicca with an established Priest (often referred to as a Pharoah) – others prefer to embrace the idea of equality and form councils (often comprising of the entire membership of the temple). In these cases decisions are taken by the democracy of majority vote.
The beliefs of Kemeticism lie in the Egyptian ideal of “Ma’at” This is essentially the balance of truth, morality and justice in the world. The individual Kemetic interprets and adapts this principle to his own life. In this sense Kemeticism is not a prescriptive religion dealing in dogma but a path of personal introspection. The NeoPagan revival of the Ancient Egyptian faith is similar to the other Pagan paths in that worship is not dictated in doctrine or scripture.
Worship for the Kemetic is very much about honouring the Gods. Shrines and altars are built to make offerings to deity and in particular it is common practise to have an altar to honour the departed human dead as well. The tradition of ancestor worship is a common theme in many Pagan and/or magical paths. The shrine serves to keep the individual dead living in the hearts of those who mourn him.
As with most Pagan paths, Kemetics observe both the Solstices and the Equinoxes. There are also some festivals more specific to the Kemetic Tradition. These include Wep Ronpet – the Kemetic New Year. This occurs mid Summer but the exact date each year is best left to the calculations of the celebrating Kemetics- its complicated stuff. Essentially the New Year is marked by the rise of the star Sirius and the tradition behind this is that the rising of Sirius also marked the flooding of the Nile which is seen as a key event in the start of the Kemetic faith.
Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Egyptian-98357943
Generally it is a polytheistic religion though some individuals do choose to work more closely with and focus on individual Gods.
The Egyptian pantheon includes:
Bast – Goddess of War
Ra – God of the Sun
Sekhmet – Warrior Goddess of Healing
Isis – Goddess of Magic
Osiris – God of the Dead
Kemeticism is largely practised in groups – it can be a solitary path but it is more common to practise in temples with others of the same faith. The word temple does not necessarily imply a physical structure similar to those of Ancient Egypt, rather it is a gathering of members of the Kemetic path. Some temples operate on similar lines to Wicca with an established Priest (often referred to as a Pharoah) – others prefer to embrace the idea of equality and form councils (often comprising of the entire membership of the temple). In these cases decisions are taken by the democracy of majority vote.
The beliefs of Kemeticism lie in the Egyptian ideal of “Ma’at” This is essentially the balance of truth, morality and justice in the world. The individual Kemetic interprets and adapts this principle to his own life. In this sense Kemeticism is not a prescriptive religion dealing in dogma but a path of personal introspection. The NeoPagan revival of the Ancient Egyptian faith is similar to the other Pagan paths in that worship is not dictated in doctrine or scripture.
Worship for the Kemetic is very much about honouring the Gods. Shrines and altars are built to make offerings to deity and in particular it is common practise to have an altar to honour the departed human dead as well. The tradition of ancestor worship is a common theme in many Pagan and/or magical paths. The shrine serves to keep the individual dead living in the hearts of those who mourn him.
As with most Pagan paths, Kemetics observe both the Solstices and the Equinoxes. There are also some festivals more specific to the Kemetic Tradition. These include Wep Ronpet – the Kemetic New Year. This occurs mid Summer but the exact date each year is best left to the calculations of the celebrating Kemetics- its complicated stuff. Essentially the New Year is marked by the rise of the star Sirius and the tradition behind this is that the rising of Sirius also marked the flooding of the Nile which is seen as a key event in the start of the Kemetic faith.
Image http://www.deviantart.com/art/Egyptian-98357943
