I’m new to Kemeticism. I’m originally for a Christian background turned Atheist, turned ‘I wonder whether gods/goddesses exist’ turned, ‘I already feel a connection to Aphrodite’. From there I’ve felt connected to Thoth and Seshat. I have unintentially created alters over time to Aphrodite and Thoth before actively acknowledging them and I have started looking into Kemeticism. I’ve always had an interest in Ancient Egypt although now interested in the spirituality/religion.
I have noticed that the gods/goddesses change and amalgamate from two beings to a single being. I’m wondering how the ancient Egyptians saw their ever changing beliefs and Gods and Goddesses. What did they see as the ‘truths’ underlying it all?
Hi. Welcome! I’m not sure if we will ever fully know, so little survives of what they actually thought in the general public, only the state view in the temples have endured. Ma’at was pretty much everything and so long as the gods and mortals upheld that everyone was happen.
As far as the gods and goddesses merging. That is a long established fact, they came and went as popularity came and went, as well as emphasis or priority in certain areas, Pharaoh’s allegiances changed.
We have to remember that all this occurred over thousands of years, and even before the unification making what we know as the dynastic period, many of these deities existed in similar and/or different forms and names among the various tribes.
Personally I don’t think it matters so much if you work with one, more than one, or stick a load together as a single deity. Composite deities existed in various stages, though I think there were more common in the later periods; the Greeks were pretty enthusiastic about doing it.
For our own practices, and we as reconstructionists are in a privileged position where we can actually choose by preference rather than circumstances, choose how we feel we want to connect. My personal preference and its certainly not the only way, is to adhere as much as I can to Ma’at with the selection of deities I feel most suitable and just do my best. In the end its they will judge us and at times they do seem pretty inconsistent at times - much like us humans.
I had better stop now. Didn’t nottice I was writing an essay
Thanks kev. I’m grateful for the essay! It’s all relevant and helpful. I find that the 42 principles of Ma’at are helpful when it comes to every day living/guidance.
You may (or may not, depending on your orientation) also find it useful to remember that as with most cultures, many Egyptian gods were originally regional and closely related to natural features and phenomena. This could influence how you view the mergings and how you relate your practice - if you do - to the natural world (in very different climatic circumstances). It suggests a certain amount of flexibility, if flexibility is something you value.
I see. I suppose one way to view the pantheon is due to our own interpretation of gods/goddesses and is based on what they show us at that time? Perhaps for a specific purpose or place?
I myself find interacting with the deities very helpful at the moment, but how I would explain that I don’t know. Logically, I still have atheist leanings so think perhaps there is a scientific explanation for all of this down the road, but I always have a ‘but I could be wrong’.
That little bit of doubt always lingers and if its all made up is a hotly debated aspect much of the time. Richard Dawkins has made a career out of it. It comes down to a mix of trust and what you feel you get from it, does it make your life better for example?
I can’t explain my connection either with deity and question all of it, that is a healthy thing to do as there are many false doors. Complete and total faith can be bad. Our tolerance will of course vary.
Not a clue. I stick with my Kemetic deities. I don’t mix from other cultures, but I will view them all both separate entities and as one (I think to some extent the ancient Egyptians did in regards to the creator be it Ra, Ptah etc), sometimes it works better one way than the other depending on context. Plus I tend to fill in gaps with some Chaos Magic techniques which mixes things up a bit.
As always, whatever floats your boat applies tbh. We are privileged in that way.
I was on the ucl.ac.uk website that kev posted a link for in my thread about online resources. It explains AE deities in this way:
‘This is not a nature religion in the sense that the trees, rivers or mountains are personified divine beings, but there is divine force within the river (the flood, Hapy), and the gods are in one sense in the world as the sun (Ra), the earth (Geb), the sky (Nut).’
I’m trying to get my head around this explanation. It seems that the deities were seen as divine forces that kept everything moving? So there is a divine force in every aspect of life? Following this line of thought, it wouldn’t contradict he nature of AE deities amalgamating or changing. What is interesting is that different deities can be linked to the same aspects of life at times. There isn’t just one deity per aspect of life, there tends to be more than one.
Do you think there are separate multiple ‘divine forces’ or one ‘divine force’ that encompasses all the different aspects?
In terms of having personal relationships with the deity/deities, would a ‘divine force(s)’ have consciousness or do you see it/them more as energy that one can tap into?
I’m not sure what I think at this stage. Maybe Djehuty can help with this one!
It’s all fluid really. Overlaps between different deities and or forces. Sure there is the creator god(s) and you can pick which one you like that then created the rest. They stand together and a part. Your previous question about poly or not is where the answer lies personally.
They made the mechanics work which is mentioned in your reference to rivers.
