Wep Ronpet – Serendipities

Kemetic Bright Moon 7/13

This month when I came before my shrine, I was told to do this ritual before the other working I had planned. A message to my community, before I turn to more active heka. So I asked for an omen, and received the following:

Go, burning brightly, and do the work you are inspired to do, that has you alight with passion. You are fiery and powerful and incandescent in your rage, and this will fuel you and sustain your action. But also make time to take careful stock of your position and surroundings. Look for needs that demand prompt fulfillment, and make note of weaknesses that must be reinforced, in both yourself and your communities. Grounded planning with an eye towards longevity will be required to bring your goals into manifestation, but don’t let self-doubts and obstacles prevent you from taking action. Go.

That gives me both hope and something of a direction to help in my plans, and I hope it is helpful to some of you as well.

Also – it’s that time again, ya’ll! Wep Ronpet is coming up fast, and here are the dates I’m using for this year, based on the heliacal rising of Sirius over Washington, DC:

Epagomenal Days: Aug 4-8
Aug 4 – Birth of Wesir
Aug 5 – Birth of Heru-Wer
Aug 6 – Birth of Set
Aug 7 – Birth of Aset
Aug 8 – Birth of Nebthet

Wep Ronpet: Aug 9
Arrival of Sopdet
Feast of all the Netjeru

I’ll be doing my usual follow-along on Tumblr, with rebloggable digital votive offerings and prayers, and a tarot card omen from each Netjer on their birthday. And I’ll be doing a personal and a group execration as well, probably on the evening of the 3rd due to schedule restraints on the 8th, which is my normal timing. If you have anything you’d like me to execrate for you, please email that to me no later than the 1st!

The next full moon is Aug 11th, after Wep Ronpet. If you have any questions, or if you would like to request a personal message or heka working for April, please email the shrine here. And if you are interested in supporting the shrine, I have a tip jar set up here. Thanks! Apologies for missing last month – I unfortunately had a (blessedly very mild) case of Covid, after managing to avoid that for two full years.

Image in the thumbnail is a stock photo (provided through Squarespace) of the sky seen through the pillars of a ruin of an Ancient Egyptian temple.

Wep Ronpet: the Kemetic New Year

I usually do a follow-along cycle on the tumblr e-shrine, but I thought this year I might aggregate all my prayers and images into one large recap post. I meant to do it earlier this month, but it kind of got away from me, and then I was at a funeral last weekend, so I skipped this past Bright Moon, and I’m finally posting this, instead.

Birth of Wesir

(Osiris)

Blessing from Wesir

Birth of Heru-Wer

(Horus the Elder)

Blessing from Heru-Wer

Birth of Set

Blessing from Set

Birth of Aset

(Isis)

Blessing from Aset

Birth of Nebthet

(Nephthys)

Blessing from Nebthet

Rising of Sopdet

(The Star Sirius)

Omen for the New Year

For each of the five Epagomenal Days, the intercalary period of the Ancient Egyptian calendar, I queued an image that served as a votive offering, and captioned it with an original prayer. I have also written an original prayer to Sopdet, a prayer for a Wep Ronpet execration rite, and a prayer to all the Netjeru for the Wep Ronpet celebration.

The morning prayers all follow the same format, and I’ve copied them below. I’ve also added this year’s blessing omens, which were drawn from the tarot cards included in the slideshow to the left.

Feel free to use these prayers in your own practice, or use them for inspiration to write your own. Please refrain from using them commercially, however, and contact me to ask before using them in a group ritual. I’ll probably give permission if you’re willing to credit me!

Morning Prayer to Wesir (Osiris):

DUA WESIR!
First born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Eldest-Born, we salute you!
Brilliant One, we rejoice in you!
Lord of Eternity, we honor you!
You Whose Places are Mysterious, we extol you!
Wesir, Bless us.

Blessing from Wesir:

He offers guidance in the ways of emotional balance and maturity, and he offers his superlative assistance, that our harvests may be abundant.

Morning Prayer to Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder):

DUA HERU-WER!
Second born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Great One of Speckled Plumage, we salute you!
Wings of Protection, we rejoice in you!
Lord of Terror, we honor you!
Mighty Falcon, we extol you!
Heru-Wer, Bless us.

Blessing from Heru-Wer:

He offers his help in all our struggles, that we may find respite from them.

Morning Prayer to Set:

DUA SET!
Third born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Overthrower of A/p/e/p, we salute you!
Red Haired One, we rejoice in you!
Lord of the Storm, we honor you!
You Who Are in the Heart of the Northern Sky, we extol you!
Set, Bless us.

Blessing from Set:

He blesses us with the ability to turn chaos and competition into a powerful force for positive change.

Morning Prayer to Aset (Isis):

DUA ASET!
Fourth born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Giver of Life, we salute you!
Great Lady of Magic, we rejoice in you!
Mistress of the Stars, we honor you!
Fiercely Bright One, we extol you!
Aset, Bless us.

Blessing from Aset:

She offers a portion of divine inspiration, and her guidance along the path of wisdom and magic, for those who seek understanding of the sacred mysteries.

Morning Prayer to Nebthet (Nephthys):

DUA NEBTHET!
Fifth born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Lady of Dawn and Dusk, we salute you!
Mistress of Renewal, we rejoice in you!
Averter of Evil, we honor you!
Friend of the Dead, we extol you!
Nebthet, Bless us.

Blessing from Nebthet:

She offers advice encouraging us to be strategic in how we engage with our obstacles, and she offers to help make luck be on our side.

Execration Inscription:

(to be inscribed on something red along with a drawing of A/p/e/p and ritually destroyed)
Obstructing, Obnoxious, Objectionable, Obfuscating, Obscuring, Obscene, Obtrusive, Obligating, Obstinate OBSTACLES!

Prayer for the Heliacal Rising of Sopdet (The Star Sirius):

DUA SOPDET!
Today you rise before the sun, ushering in the new year!
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Harbinger of the Nile Flood, we salute you!
Bringer of the New Year, we rejoice in you!

Wep Ronpet Prayer to All the Netjeru:

Great Ones, we salute you!
Bright Shining Ones, we rejoice in you!
Mightiest Ones, we honor you!
Most Powerful Ones, we extol you!

Lords and Ladies of the Heavens,
Netjeru of all Places and Delights,
Today is your feast day,
Today we give you praise,
for a new year is dawning!

You who protect us from isfet,
You who perpetuate ma’at,
We offer you the best of our feast,
And we revel in your names!
As we share our gifts,
We ask you to gift us your blessings!

Omen for the New Year:

Things may seem obscured and uncertain now, but they are coming to a resolution faster than it appears. All cycles end; all things change in their time. Turn your attention to new opportunities. The natural order of ma’at will return.

Wep Ronpet 2020 Recap

I am backdating this so that it’s easier to find, since I’m writing this about a month late, sorry. Those who followed along on tumblr already saw all this, but I had meant to share it here, too.

August 4: First Epagomenal Day, Birth of Wesir (Osiris)

DUA WESIR!
First born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Eldest-Born, we salute you!
Brilliant One, we rejoice in you!
Lord of Eternity, we honor you!
You Whose Places are Mysterious, we extol you!
Wesir, Bless us.
my original prayer

His omen for us this year was The Ace of Pentacles: Revel in the glory of the Sun. Success is near. If you have been wanting to get your material life in order, now is a good time to start.

August 5: Second Epagomenal Day, Birth of Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder)

DUA HERU-WER!
Second born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Great One of Speckled Plumage, we salute you!
Wings of Protection, we rejoice in you!
Lord of Terror, we honor you!
Mighty Falcon, we extol you!
Heru-Wer, Bless us.
my original prayer

His omen for us this year was the Seven of Pentacles: The Royal Diadem. This is a reminder that we will reap the rewards of our hard work.

August 6th: Third Epagomenal Day, Birth of Set

DUA SET!
Third born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Overthrower of ~~Apep~~, we salute you!
Red Haired One, we rejoice in you!
Lord of the Storm, we honor you!
You Who Are in the Heart of the Northern Sky, we extol you!
Set, Bless us.
my original prayer

His omen for us this year was Temperance: He counsels moderation, patience, adaptability. If you pay attention, you will know when to take the initiative. Be canny and you will withstand the deluge.

August 7th: Fourth Epagomenal Day, Birth of Aset (Isis)

DUA ASET!
Fourth born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Giver of Life, we salute you!
Great Lady of Magic, we rejoice in you!
Mistress of the Stars, we honor you!
Fiercely Bright One, we extol you!
Aset, Bless us.
my original prayer

Her omen for us this year was The Lovers: She echoes her brother-husband’s message, and also adds, if you have been debating between following your passions and being more cautious, remember that the stagnation of indecision will be more of a setback than making the wrong choice.

August 8th: Fifth Epagomenal Day, Birth of Nebthet (Nephthys)

DUA NEBTHET!
Fifth born of Nut and Geb, we celebrate your birth today.
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Lady of Dawn and Dusk, we salute you!
Mistress of Renewal, we rejoice in you!
Averter of Evil, we honor you!
Friend of the Dead, we extol you!
Nebthet, Bless us.
my original prayer

Her omen for us this year was the Six of Swords: we’re all in a transitional period right now, but the fact that the entire world is traveling it does not mean you should ignore the effects of it on your own life. Take the time to do needed introspection, and grieve your losses.

August 9th: Wep Ronpet, the New Year, and the Arrival of Sopdet (the star Sirius)

DUA SOPDET!
Today you rise before the sun, ushering in the new year!
We give you offerings of bread, beer, cool water, sweet scented oils, and praise!
Harbinger of the Nile Flood, we salute you!
Bringer of the New Year, we rejoice in you!
my original prayer

This year’s Omen from all the Netjeru:

The Ace of Swords, and The Page of Wands: As this new Kemetic year dawns, we are entering a period of intellectual or philosophical struggle, and should sharpen our wit and prepare to engage in battle. It is a battle of words and ideas, of how messages are delivered and news is presented. You may find inspiration to write or speak your own words – seek to advance clarity, truth, and ma’at in your communication.

Happy Wep Ronpet Everyone!!!

Wep Ronpet 2019!

So, I decided to stick to the dates I’ve been using since they hadn’t changed the last few years, and instead I’ll just be adjusting by looking up Sirius’s rising time every leap year. It’s much easier that way, since I use other dates in the Kemetic calendar (really, amalgamation of plural calendars) for other celebrations now, and there’s evidence that some of those plural calendars used leap days just like we do, tacked on to the beginning of the Epagomenal Days. It’s a good way for me to keep the secular calendar and my Kemetic calendar aligned.

The Wep Ronpet date, therefore, was August 7th, and my Epagomenal Days started on August 2nd, with Wesir (Osiris). As in previous years, I set up digital votive offerings on my tumblr e-shrine, and I also offered a glass of cool water. I then pulled a tarot card for a message from each of the deities.

Wesir (Osiris)’s message on Aug 2 was: 8 of Wands. Figure out what your goals are, and then go get them! The Netjeru have your back. Decide what you want to bring into being, and use this new year energy to make it happen!

Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder)’s message on Aug 3 was: 6 of Swords. Take advantage of this time of transition. Use it as a rite of passage. Leave things in the past that no longer serve you – you don’t need to take all your baggage forward with you.

Set (Seth)’s message on Aug 4 was: 6 of Cups. Reflect on your happy memories of the past year, and give some thought to your mom harmonious relationships. See if you can turn over a new leaf at Wep Ronpet.

Aset (Isis)’s message on Aug 5 was: Queen of Swords. Do not shy away from sharpness, when it serves you. Communicate clear expectations and boundaries, and hold them. Separate the truth from illusion, and uphold ma’at (justice/right living).

Nebthet (Nephthys)’s message on Aug 6 was: 2 of Pentacles, reversed. Take this new year as a chance to restructure your life, to reorganize your priorities, and to take stock of places you may be overcommitted. Too many commitments will lead to burnout. Find balance.

On Wep Ronpet, I did a red paper execration, where I wrote things I wished to be rid of on a piece of red paper, folded it into an origami snake, declared it to be A/p/e/p/, and then ritual destroyed it with blades and fire. (Scissor blades, if you must know, haha.)

After that, I offered a shot of chocolate dark beer to the Netjeru (all the gods) and opened the package that was waiting for me!

My shrine upgrade this year is this ancient-style ceramic oil lamp with red glaze that I commissioned from a friend-of-a-friend. It’s going to take the place of the (tiny) candle I’d been using in my Bright Moon rituals, and I’m so excited to use it later this month!

I’ve also set up a separate Ko-Fi for donations to my Shrine to Bast and Sekhmet, so I can more easily earmark funds and keep them separate from my business income. If you appreciate my Bright Moon Omens, or just want to help, check it out here!

Kemetic Bright Moon 7/16

July 16, 2019
by Alexandra

As in previous months, I have done my oracular ritual and received a short message from Bast and Sekhmet. Here is what they said:

There is conflict coming, and you must prepare for it. You are not yet ready, and without preparation you may not achieve your objectives. So: train. Follow your passions to find the way you can join the fight. If you succeed, you will create abundance in your life and in the society around you.

This is the last Bright Moon until after Wep Ronpet 2019, so it sort of wraps up the Kemetic year. I’m using the same dates this year again (I’ve decided I’ll recalculate and adjust if necessary each secular leap year), so the Epagomenal Days start August 2nd, and continue in the following order:

Aug 2: Wesir (Osiris)
Aug 3: Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder)
Aug 4: Set (Seth)
Aug 5: Aset (Isis)
Aug 6: Nebthet (Nephthys)
Aug 7: Sopdet (Sothis) and WEP RONPET!!!

I’ll be doing my tumblr follow-along again, so wander over there if you’re interested, otherwise I’ll be blogging about the holiday after wards!

Wep Ronpet 2018

The Epagomenal Days started right after Lughnasadh again this year, on August 2nd, with Wesir (Osiris). I gave offerings to each “birthday” god on their day, and took an omen from them by tarot card, using my Egyptian Tarot deck by Lo Scarabeo. Here were their messages for us:

Wesir (Osiris) gave me The Chariot: go forward, fighting your obstacles, and you will be victorious!
Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder) gave me the 5 of Wands: work together, let constructive conflict and competition raise you to greater heights!
Set gave me the Knight of Swords: take courage, and rage against the darkness of isfet!
Aset (Isis) gave me The Hermit: be prudent, take your time, and use the wisdom you have gained.
Nebthet (Nepthys) gave me the Ace of Pentacles: we are winning! We will have the success and glory we crave.

All in all those were pretty uplifting omens!

20180807_145839

On Wep Ronpet (Aug 7) I did my execration, using red paper this year instead of smashing a terracotta pot, removing the negativity of the old year and preparing for the new! I drew a/p/e/p on the paper, added some words about other things I wished to execrate, and then cut it up, and burned it. It was very satisfying!

Afterwards I took a magical cleansing bath, with a scented bathbomb, the perfume oils I bought for Bast and Sekhmet, and some natron salts. While I soaked, I meditated, talking to my Patronesses about the coming year. I’ll be renewing my oath as an Oracular Priestess-Initiate, bound to honor them weekly and to serve my community through oracular work and heka during the Bright Moon. This year I’m also going to work out a more set holiday calendar, finding appropriate holidays that I can celebrate spaced out throughout the year, instead of just Wep Ronpet and the Sailing Holiday, which are both very close to other holidays in my personal calendar.

My shrine item this year for Wep Ronpet is the travel shrine box – I’m finally painting it, and I’ll dedicate it and renew my shrine set up and welcome my Patronesses home on the next Bright Moon, which is also when I’ll be formally renewing my oath. Look for that post after August 26th!

Wep Ronpet 2017

This year for Wep Ronpet I was (once again) out of town – this time, at my brother’s wedding. Same as last year, I blogged pictures of offerings (votive offerings for the modern age) for the Birthday Kids during the Epagomenal days, and offered them a shot glass of cool water in front of my travel shrine. On Wep Ronpet, I did a red paper execration (no throwing a pot this year, drat), took my ritual meditative bath, dedicated my new statues of Bast and Sekhmet, and came away with the following pledges as my oath for the new year:

I will light my shrine candle(s) weekly, attempting to do so each Sunday.
I will answer one of the new prompts in my list of 45 Kemetic Prompts every Sunday, though I may skip some weeks and catch up on others as long as I am finished before next year’s Epagomenal Days.
I will make a larger offering on the Bright Moon, because as the moon is a reflection of the light of the sun, so too am I a reflection of their power. I have a three-day window, and if I am sick or there are extenuating circumstances it may be as small as a single stick of incense.
I will channel an oracular message (for myself but also the wider world) on the Bright Moon (again with a three-day window), and it can be tarot-assisted but I should pull the cards after, not before.
I will answer at least two oracular requests, if I have received any, again on the three-day Bright Moon, unless I am sick or otherwise out of spoons.
I will perform at least two heka requests, if I have received any, again on the three-day Bright Moon, unless I am sick or otherwise out of spoons.
I will complete one major research project a year, to include such projects as: read and review a book on Ancient Egyptian religion, do in-depth research on one topic, etc.
I will celebrate both Wep Ronpet and the Sailing Holiday.
On Wep Ronpet, I will purchase one shrine upgrade or magical tool and dedicate it, and I will renew my oath for the new year.

20170810_161953

My new statues are from ShadowOfTheSphinx on Etsy!

Wep Ronpet: In Review

Well, it turned out that I mostly ended up doing a very short meditation on the deity in question on the day-of, after queuing most of the shrine images and the “about this deity” posts on my kemetic tumblr in advance. Then I pulled a single card from my Lo Scarabeo Egyptian Tarot deck, as a message from the deity. If you want to see those posts, check out this link. The messages were overwhelmingly about hospitality and working together, so I think I’m going to be working a bit more with the Kemetic pantheon in the coming year.

I didn’t manage to see the star rise, unfortunately, because it was cloudy, but I was awake and I did my brief meditation at that time or a little after. I did the execration on Wep Ronpet itself, because rain made our other plans for the afternoon and evening somewhat delayed, and by the time we had eaten and everyone had written on the pot, I was much too tired. So the next morning I donned my whites (my casual whites – I decided a nice white tank top was a better idea for camping than my new white dress), took the pot, declared it to be isfet, and offered its destruction to Bast and Sekhmet, Eyes of Ra! Then I handed it to a friend who has some serious things she needed gone, to smash because I was still not quite energized enough to really slam it. But she slammed it. Gods did she ever. And then a bunch of us picked up the pieces and tossed them in the trash where it belongs. Good fucking riddance, isfet.

Then Glasreo and I headed home from our lil druidy camping trip, and the next day I had a New Year’s bath in honor of Bast and Sekhmet. I used a “yoga” Bath bomb from Lush – that’s in the posts from the link above, too. I realized that my original oath of service to Bast has expired… I am due to re-oath myself, this time to both of them, and I did, briefly, but I need to write out a more formal contract sometime soon, to honor my role as an oracle-priestess-in-training. And I may need to figure out an Egyptian phrase for that.

All in all, it was a very excellent first holiday, and you can expect more Kemetic holiday celebrations getting written up here in the future.

Wep Ronpet – Kemetic New Year

I’m attempting a Kemetic New Year celebration for the first time this year! I’ve been a devotee of Bast and Sekhmet for a while now, and I decided it’s finally time to really start doing holidays. Previously I had not done much by way of Kemetic holiday celebrations in large part because the calendar is pretty complicated – the new year is calculated starting from the first day the star Sirius can be seen in the pre-dawn twilight, ahead of the sunrise. That requires staring at a lot of star charts and comparing dates to find the first day… and then calculating how many days between Wep Ronpet and any given holiday in the calendar, and adding that many days to your calculated Wep Ronpet date… and honestly, it was bit overwhelming. But this year, I bit the bullet, and I’m doing Wep Ronpet. I’m using the date for DC even though I live a bit into Virginia – and that date is August 7th, at 5:42 am. That means that the five Epagomenal Days start on August 2nd, with the Birthday of Wesir (Osiris), followed by Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder), Set, Aset (Isis), and Nebhet (Nepthys) being the final birthday on August 6th. That evening I’m also planning on doing a red pot execration, similar to the one I described in a previous post. With any luck I will also rise early enough to see the star herself rise, ushering in the new year.

Although I will be camping with druidy friends for Lughnasadh for most of that week, I am setting up a follow-along for the Epagomenal Days and Wep Ronpet on my Kemetic tumblog, so check that out if you’re interested. I’ll also post a reflection once it’s all over.

I am very excited and I hope this will be the beginning of a year with many new holidays for me! (Especially if the Egyptian Daybook is actually released soon.) I have stuck a few into my calendar already: the Festival of Bast and Sekhmet (Nov 19), the Sailing of Bast, Sekhmet, and Anubis (Jan 3-5), and the Festival of Chewing Onions for Bast (Apr 16). I don’t know what I’ll be doing for all of them, yet, but I think Bast and Sekhmet have big plans for me this coming year.