Eyes of Ra – Serendipities

Kemetic Sailing Holiday

This is the last of the big liturgies that I am writing for Bast and Sekhmet as I wrap up my work for them, my oaths fulfilled. I’ve said before that I’m being released from their service, and while I will probably still post on tumblr for Wep Ronpet and reblog the occasional post, I expect this to be the last Kemetic blog post here.

I’ve done the sailing holiday a couple of different ways in the past, but after really digging into The Ancient Egyptian Daybook, a volume of research by Tamara L. Suida (of Kemetic Orthodoxy/House of Netjer) which includes information from a ton of ancient sources all gathered into one place, I decided to use a set of festivals with spring timing, and sort of condense them into four nights/four days (which ends up being five calendar days) in the early spring. Or, in the Kemetic calendar, IV month of Peret, days 1-5. Since the Kemetic calendar starts with the heliacal rise of Sirius heralding the new year, IV Peret generally starts the first week of March around here. On IV Peret 1 (March 7th) I celebrated the Feast of Ra and the Presentation of the Boat, and I wrote a prayer for the occasion:

FEAST-PRAYER TO RA FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE BOAT

Ra, Lord of the Sun!
Guardian of the Heavens, Ruler of the Netjeru!
Ra, Lord of the Horizon!
We call upon you,
Mighty in your glory as the sun sets!
Magnificent in your splendor as the sky fills with fire!
Each evening you descend to do battle with the forces of isfet,
And each morning you rise again, triumphant!

Ra, your powerful Daughters,
Bast and Sekhmet: your Avenging Eyes,
They join you in the barque this night,
They join you sailing into the Duat.
We have prepared this boat for your going,
We have prepared this food and drink
For a feast before you embark.
We will revel as the sun sets!

Great Ra, you will triumph during the night,
And in the morning we will search for your boat on the horizon,
As you and your Eye-Daughters sail in your boat to other places
As you three are honored and feasted again and again!

Most Glorious Ra, in three days’ time
When you return on the boat with your Eye-Daughters
When you come back to this Temple with Bast and Sekhmet
We will welcome you back with more feasting and revels!

The “boat” I presented was a red origami boat, a votive offering, though the bread for the feast I baked from scratch! I offered that with a cup of red wine for the Feast of the Presentation of the Boat, and my family then ate the bread with dinner to revert the offering and receive the blessings.

*My shrine, with a bread loaf that was tasty and gluten free but not very pretty, a cup of red wine, the statues of Bast and Sekhmet, and the Red Paper Boat.*

After the feast, I covered my statues, to represent the goddesses leaving on the boat. For the next four mornings, I moved the boat to a new location in my shrine room, moving sunwise as it left the shrine and then on the last day, came closer. I’m posting this today in the morning, but tonight I’ll move the boat all the way back to the shrine, and remove the covering from my statues, to represent their return.

As I’ve also incorporated the historical holidays “Chewing Onions for Bast” and “Chewing Cucumbers for Sekhmet” into the return feast, tonight with dinner I’ll be making a cucumber salad with onions, goat cheese, fresh herbs, and a homemade vinaigrette dressing, and I’ll offer that along with more wine and the following prayer I wrote:

PRAYER FOR THE RETURN FEAST OF CUCUMBERS AND ONIONS

Eyes of Ra, Daughters of the Sun!
Great Ladies of the East and West!
We welcome you home to your temple,
Triumphantly returning as the sun sets!

For four nights you have travelled on the solar barque
You have sailed with Ra into the Duat
At his side, as his Avengers and Protectors
You have fought isfet and you have been victorious!

For four days you have sailed to other lands
To be welcomed and feasted by others
And now you return to your temple
And we will feast and revel this night!

We have prepared food and drink for you;
We feast to celebrate your returning
Vegetables and cheese, herbs and vinegar,
We have made a special meal for this occasion.

Bast, we chew onions for you!
Sekhmet we chew cucumbers for you!

Please feel free to use these prayers in your own practice! I just ask that you give me credit if you’re using them for a group ritual, and please don’t reproduce them elsewhere without a link. If you want to show your appreciation by tipping me, you can always Buy Me a Coffee!

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.

Kemetic Bright Moon 5/16

Last month, I was told to rest, to heal. I’ve been struggling with my health some again, as I often do at the changing of the seasons. This month, I had grand plans for the ritual, using elements that I sometimes add but am not required to use… and as I tried to get ready, I realized I was too faint, too exhausted to manage what I had attempted to plan, so I changed my plans, the ritual but with some elements done from the Temple where I see Them when I meet Them in trance journeys… but when I got there, they embraced me, and I fell asleep instead. When I awoke, I struggled to sit up and reached out in anguish at my failing – and instead, I was told that reaching out to Them was enough. Grasping at Them was enough. Wanting and trying to connect, is enough. And that this, the story of my attempt and my failure, was the message I was to share. Many of us are struggling, right now. We may not have the bandwidth, the energy, the spoons, the spell slots (whatever metaphor you find most apt for your situation) for the workings and rituals we have planned. But – but! What we are doing, is enough. They hear us, They shelter us, They will guide us gently while we rest and heal. If we do not have the reserves to draw upon, we cannot illuminate; and that is okay. That means it is time to rest. And when we are ready for more Work to do, They will be ready for us.

The next full moon is June 14th. 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!

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.

Kemetic Bright Moon 3/18

Earlier this month, there was a holiday I had been planning to figure out hot to celebrate, a sort of revivalist holiday made of three separate historical holidays that I enmeshed: The Feast of the Eyes of Ra, The Festival of Chewing Onions for Bast, and the Festival of Chewing Cucumbers for Sekhmet. I ended up not getting a full formal ritual written out and shared ahead of time, but I did have a feast meal with my family – yes, including raw green onions and cucumbers in a not-very-Egyptian pasta salad, but everyone (Bast and Sekhmet included!) seemed to enjoy it. I also incorporated the dark chocolate bunny that at some point became a traditional spring offering – first at Sacred Space a number of years ago, but I think I’ll keep it as the centerpiece of the Feast for the Eyes of Ra. I’ll try to work up a more formal ritual to share with y’all ahead of time next year!

But here we are now, a few days past the full moon and the equinox (I don’t know about ya’ll but it has been BUSY in my house this past week), and I finally have a typed up omen for the Bright Moon to share:

The conflict that surrounds you is getting worse before it subsides, but you will make it through. Try not to let the violence you witness send you fleeing if it is not putting you in immediate danger. You still need to be present and engaged in your own life. Think about long-term and wide-ranging goals that you can contribute to from where you are, Movement and action will help alleviate the terror. Focusing on long term equitable structures will give you a proper direction. To begin, just GO. Your feet will find a path. Your hands will find work to do. Your eyes will find others to follow. Move with purpose.

The next full moon is April 16th. 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!

Image in the thumbnail is of my shrine, with a gold-wrapped chocolate bunny on the offering dish in front of the statues of Bast and Sekhmet.

Kemetic Bright Moon 2/16

This full moon, as I have done on most full moons since I began my service to Bast and Sekhmet, I performed my usual ritual, and asked them for an omen to convey to my community. Here is what I received:

You are fighting internal battles, and find yourself in crisis. You may wonder who is to blame, but you should instead spend your energy figuring out hot to get out of the situation you are in. Be sure of your footing as you move forward, because you will need careful self control to change your circumstances. Do not be discouraged, however: defeat is far from assured! You are closer to where you wish to be than it may seem, and you will make your way there if you continue carefully forward. Your goals are within your skillset to achieve; all they require is continuing effort.

The next full moon is March 18th. If you have any questions, or if you would like to request a personal message or heka for November, please email the shrine here. And if you are interested in supporting the shrine, I have a tip jar set up here. Thanks!

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.

Kemetic Bright Moon 9/20

This time, when I did my Bright Moon ritual, I was also granted a vision of a temple, within which I performed my ceremony as I also performed it here. There was a chair for me, in front of two huge statues of Bast and Sekhmet, seated on thrones, and perhaps twenty feet high. I do not know if it was a temple that used to exist, or an astral one, or just a very vivid image, but in any case it was awe-inspiring. This is the message they told me to share.

If you have been struggling, take a moment to commune with Bast and Sekhmet. Let them ground you; rest against them for a while. If you have been attempting to create lasting change and have recently finally begun to see progress, do not be disheartened that it is not as much change as you had hoped for. It is coming still, you must keep working to see the full results of your labors. If you have been resisting change, stop resisting – it will bring you positive benefits. Follow the wind, and seek your fortune. Discernment will be important, however, to tell the worthwhile risks from those that will end poorly. Sharpen your intuition, and cut away the illusions. In this time of transitions, some upheaval will be required to purge the pollution from the soil so that you may sow new crops. Release what is holding you back, build something that will help you move forward.

The next full moon is October 20th. If you have any questions, or if you would like to request a personal message or heka for October, please email the shrine here. And if you are interested in supporting the shrine, I have a tip jar set up here. Thanks!

Kemetic Bright Moon 5/26

May 27, 2021
by Alexandra

I returned to my full ritual this month, though I was careful not to do it during the eclipse, as those energies don’t align well (and besides, I had other work to do then). The message this month builds on the one from last month, so if you don’t remember you may want to glance at that one again here.

As you emerge from isolation, do not rush too quickly back into so much busyness that you find yourself burning faster than a lamp wick. That will lead you to burnout faster again than before. Burning so quickly only leaves more ash. Ease in slowly to new social arenas, let the scent of the oil in your lamp rise and fill your atmosphere. Emerge slowly from your solitude, scented and captivating, to meet with those who will best fill your life, and to do what will best bring you contentment. Although others may rush, you shall not. Be steady as the Apis Bull; do not join the stampede. Let their chaotic energy pass you by, and leave you unaffected in your bliss, as you begin to enjoy the things you have missed. Their eddies make pretty trails to look at, but bad paths to follow. Stay on your own road, where we walk beside you.

The bit about the Apis Bull was unexpected, but the imagery and message were clear. It does make me wonder if there was a proverb of sorts about its steadyness. Hopefully this message reaches those who need to hear it most. I’ll be back next full moon with another message, but the summer is here, and I’m beginning to think about Wep Ronpet (Aug 9th in DC this year!)

The next full moon is June 24th. If you have any questions, or if you would like to request a personal message or heka for June, please email the shrine here. And if you are interested in supporting the shrine, I have a tip jar set up here. Thanks!

Kemetic Bright Moon 3/28

This month I again sought an omen for my community, from Bast and Sekhmet, Eyes of Ra, on the occasion of the full moon. Their message follows:

You are besieged by worries, fears, bewilderment and anguish – they swirl around you, like incense smoke in the breeze. Ask for our help, and we will send a strong breeze. Ask for our help and we will blow those anxieties away! Our powers are for more than just spiritual problems. As in days of old, we have sway in worldly matters, as well. We can bless your material prospects, we can protect the path you tread. We wish to uplift you, to see you burn fiercely! Our power rises with the sun, and as the earth warms, we grow in might. Draw on our strength, when yours falters. Draw on our courage when yours fails. Let our fire burn through you, and destroy that which binds you.

It’s a good reminder, I think! And a hopeful message as we move into spring (and eventually, summer!)

The next full moon is April 26th. If you have any questions, or if you would like to request a personal message or heka 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!

Bright Moon 10/1

October 1, 2020
by Alexandra

This bright moon, like I have done for several years now, I went to seek an omen from Bast and Sekhmet. They showed me frightful images, but they also counseled hope. The message I received is repeated below.

Servants of isfet are preparing to attack the righteous, and the upholders of ma’at must continue to bear the torch for others to see. You will be the light of righteousness, reflected upon each other. We stand behind you, sharing in your outrage, sharpening our claws on those who would oppose you.

Work to vanquish A/p/e/p and his allies during this season of the waning of the sun. As the strength of the sun wanes, find warmth in each other, huddled around your shared fires, each a beacon of hope for another.

When the sun begins to wax again, there will be a time to fight more boldly, to stand unwaveringly though you are gripped with terror and trepidation. Your society is chaotic and in flux. Spend this moon cycle preparing for uncertainty.

Note: Although the imagery that came along with the words “shared fires” was that of literal campfires, I think that was meant to be a reference to social group Zoom calls, everyone staring at their own little electronic fire.

In other news, I am loving my new ritual set up, but I still don’t have good pictures. White shift, linen veil, a few pieces of ritual jewelry. Matching red offering dishes and oil lamp. Music, scent. The taste of reverted offerings. At some point when I have the time to set it up beforehand I may try to record one of these – or at least do a dummy recording of myself in ritual garb reciting my main prayer.

The next full moon is October 31st. If you have any questions, or if you would like to request a personal message or heka for then, please email the shrine here. And if you are interested in supporting the shrine, I have a tip jar set up here. Thanks!

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!

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