#kemetic pagan

[taking-thyme]

The Structure of a Pagan Prayer

When appealing to a deity or making an offering, it’s wise to know how this was traditionally done in the past so you can be as respectful as possible and build a true reciprocity with the gods. This type of prayer structure is found in all manner of pagan religions from Norse paganism, Hellenic (Greek) polytheism, Kemetic (Egyptian) prayer and so on. I got the inspiration and much of the information here from @Ocean Keltoi on Youtube who is a fantastic scholar and Norse heathen who actively stands against prejudice and is all around a wonderful resource. 

Now, there are three main elements of a pagan prayer, which should be done in this order:

1. The Invocation. This is where you call upon the specific god you’re hoping to connect with. Think of it as writing the name and address on your letter to the Gods - it lets the deity know that this prayer is directed at them, which is important in a polytheistic religion with many gods. To start your invocation, address the deity directly by name, or use an epithet or kenning that they're known by. It's especially wise to choose an epithet that relates to what you're praying for, like using one of Apollo's healer epithets while addressing him in a prayer about a loved one's sickness,  for instance. It’s also a good idea to praise them highly and with a certain air of reverence. These are ancient deities after all. 

2. The Argument. Here you give your reasons for why a deity should fulfill your request and favor you. If you’ve brought offerings, cite them here. You can also include reasons for why you’re reaching out, such as love in a prayer for Aphrodite or matters of justice with the god Tyr. This is where you make your case to them. And if you’re reaching out to a deity you don’t have a working relationship with, which let’s be honest will be the case many more times than we’d like, then you can tell them this here also. A good example might be “Oh Tyr, one-handed war god and son of Odin, though we have not met before I have heard your name and been called to it…”

3. The Request. Finally you ask the gods to look kindly on your request and to grant you their blessing. Again, be as respectful and reverent as possible towards them. 

Prayer Example: “Grey-eyed Athena, daughter of thundering Zeus, if ever I have poured out sweet wine for you, look kindly on me and grant me your wisdom.”

How to stand when making the prayer

This depends on which God you’re reaching out to and, of course, your own personal comfort. The most common ways of praying are to stand and perform some gesture of reverence, kneel while praying and even prostrate, kneeling fully on the ground with your head down as you appeal to the gods. Some might also choose to wear veils when performing prayers or rituals for deities, though this is naturally up to the individual. 

In Hellenic tradition, if you’re praying to an Ouranic god (deities of the heavens) you would traditionally wear your hair up and stand with your arms raised to the heavens while reciting your prayer. Meanwhile, if you are praying to a Chthonic god (deities of the underworld), you would kneel and face downwards towards the Earth with your hair flowing freely. 

Some Norse sources tell of ancient pagans prostrating before the gods, and yet this is still not entirely necessary. Pray however you see fit and what is most comfortable for you at the moment. 

^ This is what prostrating looks like

Sources:

Ocean Keltoi's video on pagan prayers

Hearth and Fire Work's blog post on Hellenic prayer structure

[thegodsutekh]

Hot take: some people (coughtiktok) tend to treat the Gods like glorified neopets.

You do not have to sort out their godly conflicts or relationship quarrels, or even understand them.

You are not barred from the attention of Wesir if you have given offerings to Sutekh.

The Gods will not whine if you don’t give them enough attention.

These are highly powerful spiritual beings and it is a gift to be able to work with them.

They have existed and thrived before you, and will after you.

[acrystalwitch]

I often worry about why the gods spend time interacting with me and other people.

I feel I am lesser than them, and like… why would a god hang out with a human?

But I think honestly..it’s just such a pointless question to worry about. I could wonder all day every day and use my worries to invalidate my own practice. but it wouldn’t change anything.

Because they are there nonetheless, because they have answered questions and prayers. And because I can feel their love and sometimes their displeasure too.

Whether I feel worthy of these interactions really is irrelevant at the end of the day. Because they are happening and I should just be happy for that.

[divine-crows]

I had this weird idea for a subtle way to worship by using basic skincare, (or even some fancy stuff when I'm able to splurge,) and turning it into a sort of ritual to 'anoint' myself in the name of my deities.

My line of thinking being-- if the act of anointing oneself is a form of worship, then why not turn it into a subtle way to honor my deities while getting basic self care I forget about?

[korya-elana]

Not a girl or a boy, but a "sekhet" third thing <3

I cracked myself up on my way to work with this joke (yay sleep deprivation!) and complained to my girlfriend that it was such a niche joke no one but my kemetic church and her would get it, so actually, I decided to share this lovely link for context and education <3 And yes, this is how I personally identify, although I go by "nonbinary" for ease of understanding lol.

~Em PS: Ashley runs our spirituality/kemetic blog if anyone's interested at @caffeine-and-sunshine Read about the Sekhet Gender, Egypts third gender

[the-lost-kemetic]

The Kemetic Calendar: Months

It's really difficult to talk about and find a decent Egyptian calendar. So difficult that honestly, I've just created my own at this point.

The Egyptian calendar had 365 days, just like the modern western calendar. It consisted of three seasons with 120 days each, with an intercalary month of five epagomenal days to keep up with leap days. Each season was divided into four months of 30 days each.

Below are the seasons, and months.

Akhet (Flood). Roughly September to January in AE, but I celebrate it from January to May.

Month of Djehuty (Jan. 1-30)

Month of Pa'en-Opet (Jan. 31-Mar. 1)

Month of Hat-Hor (Mar. 2-31)

Month of Ka-Hor-Ka (Apr. 1-30)

Peret (Winter). Roughly January to May in AE, but I celebrate it from May to the end of August.

Month of Ta-ib (May 1-30)

Month of Makhir (May 31-Jun. 29)

Month of Pa'en-Amunhotepu (Jun. 30-Jul. 29)

Month of Pa'en-Renenutet (Jul. 30-Aug. 28)

Shemu (Summer). Roughly May to September, but I celebrate it from the end of August to the end of December.

Month of Pa-Khonsu (Aug. 29-Sep. 27)

Month of Pa'en-Inet (Sep. 28-Oct. 27)

Month of Apip (Oct. 28-Nov. 26)

Month of Mosu-Ra (Nov. 27-Dec. 26)

The Epagomenal Days. These were five days at the end of each year to help balance out leap days. After these days were done, the new year was celebrated. Each of these days celebrates the birth days of the deities they are named after. For me, they take place from December 27-31, although in Ancient Egypt they most likely would have taken place in late July/early August.

Meswet Wesir

Meswet Heru

Meswet Sutekh

Meswet Aset

Meswet Nebet-Het

[clovecinnamon]

Ancient Egypt

[azamisnow]

[worship-of-the-gods]

My small shrine - mainly for Yinepu but also Amun-Ra and the other Netjer in my lineup (I can only fit so much 😅)

The other half of the book shelf is for Apollo and isn’t done yet! 👀

[fuckingcolor]

Redid my shrine! First pic is before, last 2 are after.

I always had the door to my shrine closed bc of my cat and i always felt like They were out of sight, out of mind. So, I finally brought Them out! I feel a lot better about this :))

[a-creature-as-bright-as-the-sun]

Okay this is kinda of a follow-up question for the poll, but if you make prayer beads in a/the rosary style with a pendant on the end, where do you get them? Wherever I look, they are...at least 20 bucks, and usually more. Do you just buy those expensive ones? Is that why pagan prayer beads are so expensive?

[twoheartedangel]

POV you are me making silly little digital altars on Pinterest bc you love and connect with all the Netjeru and want to give as many of them as possible a space in your life and practice BUT A GUY CAN ONLY HAVE SO MUCH TIME AND SPACE FOR ALTARS AND PRAYERS 💔

[cryptid-aac]

I don't think I really talked about it before on this blog but I'm a pagan witch.. and I have aphantasia... "Severe" aphantasia (or more appropriatly Total Aphantasia). This basically means I can't visualize at all with any internal senses. All of my daydreams, "visualizations", etc. are all just... Words that I'm thinking of, like I'm writing a story but in my mind.

This means that pretty much all the witchy pagan visualization shit is useful... And that (some) witches and pagans who don't have aphantasia or have hypophantasia (but not aphantasia) think that I'm still able to visualize... Just involuntarily. Or that I just .. not allowed to be a witch or pagan which is wild

[a-child-of-chaos906]

That one important lessons I need to remind myself from time to time, and the one you need to know as well, is that Gods will always love you, it's us, that don't believe that we deserve this love.

We often hurt ourselves with our own words and thoughts. We don't understand why Gods would be with us from all the people. We fear, that They will leave us.

Would Gods hurt us? No. But can we do this ourselves? Yes. I do it. And I am still re-learning and recovering from all the pain that were caused me by others and, after them, by myself.

It will take time. And the realisation may be painful, it was for me, but, if you did it, I am proud of you. Your Gods are proud of you. Your Deities love you, and They understand that. They don't want you hurt, especially by yourself.

It's easier said, than done, I know this by myself, but even a tiny step towards self-love and self-esteem is a great thing! I am proud for your journey, no matter if you are doing it for a long time or just started, you are doing great!

Your Gods will be there, with all your feelings, past, thoughts, They will be there when you are at your lowest. And They will love, the way only They can.

Because They love us, even if we don't love ourselves.

[lofijazz]

I love people talking about how the alt right will yoink well intentioned budding neo pagans and new agers into their folds but at the same time with the way TikTok refuses to accept nuance, I'm afraid this will lead people to automatically equate being pagan with being a Nazi. I pray to Artemis. This does not make me a Nazi. And I'd hate to see the day TikTok decides to do their black and white thinking again when more people, typically those outside of paganism, will hate pagans assuming we are all just racist. And this may also chase off anyone interested in paganism which is unfortunate.

If you ever worry about falling into white supremacy by bad actors trying to fool you, always look into their sources. Look into the history, search their backgrounds and look to trusted members of the community to ask. I can help but I'm not on much anymore since my daughter was born. But there's plenty, please reach out.

[khensaptah]

EDIT: all items have been sent to their new homes

I have some miniature gods here that I would like to give away. Help with the cost of shipping is appreciated if you can spare it. Matchbox for scale.

Weegyptians Ma'at and "Horus" (could easily be a Khonsu or Ra)

Tawaret ("William" replica)

Sekhmet

Custom painted chess piece Anpu and Khonsu. The Khonsu comes with a consecrated ribbon from the HoN state icon of Khonsu in His year, if that is heka that is meaningful to you.

All items ship from Boston, Massachusetts. Any that are not claimed by 12/31 will be given away to a local secondhand shop.