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Author Topic: Druidry and Egyptian gods?  (Read 2327 times)

Loxira

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Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« on: March 21, 2016, 07:05:34 pm »
Hi, sorry if this sounds confusing, everything kinda feels jumbled in my head and finding it hard to write down what I want to say!

I have been interested in Egyptian gods/goddesses since around 9 years old. I used to give offerings and burn incense now and then and I did that on and off up until the last few years of high school, then I kinda stopped. I was always drawn to Bastet, Horus, Isis, Sekhmet but would sometime change.

The last few years I've been drawn to nature and just recently read The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid by Joanna van der Hoeven and found it really interesting. I'm also drawn to Elen of the Ways and crows, but I'm not sure why.

I would like to go down a solitary druid path, but I feel like I still want to keep with Egyptian gods/goddesses as I still feel like I have some kind of connection, even though I don't really know who I'm drawn to anymore, if that makes sense?

I feel like I don't know where I belong. I'm not sure what to do or where to start, plus I'm finding it hard with being in my last year at uni and still living at home.

I know I need to find my own path but any help would be great!

RecycledBenedict

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2016, 07:37:01 pm »
Quote from: Loxira;188662
Hi, sorry if this sounds confusing, everything kinda feels jumbled in my head and finding it hard to write down what I want to say!

I have been interested in Egyptian gods/goddesses since around 9 years old. I used to give offerings and burn incense now and then and I did that on and off up until the last few years of high school, then I kinda stopped. I was always drawn to Bastet, Horus, Isis, Sekhmet but would sometime change.

The last few years I've been drawn to nature and just recently read The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid by Joanna van der Hoeven and found it really interesting. I'm also drawn to Elen of the Ways and crows, but I'm not sure why.

I would like to go down a solitary druid path, but I feel like I still want to keep with Egyptian gods/goddesses as I still feel like I have some kind of connection, even though I don't really know who I'm drawn to anymore, if that makes sense?

I feel like I don't know where I belong. I'm not sure what to do or where to start, plus I'm finding it hard with being in my last year at uni and still living at home.

I know I need to find my own path but any help would be great!


It is perfectly possible to practice both Kemetic (i.e. Egyptian) religion and Druidry, but it is probably best to keep the practice of each apart from the other. I practice Druidry and Romano-Greek late Imperial syncretism, but not within one rite.

I haven't read Joanna van der Hoeven. Which flavour of Druidry does she describe in her book? I am more of a fan of 18th century Enlightenment Druids, Ross Nichols, John Michael Greer and the RDNA tradition, so I have no idea where on the map Joanna van der Hoeven belongs. Emma Restall-Orr is worth reading, too.

Sobekemiti

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2016, 07:55:02 pm »
Quote from: Loxira;188662
Hi, sorry if this sounds confusing, everything kinda feels jumbled in my head and finding it hard to write down what I want to say!

I have been interested in Egyptian gods/goddesses since around 9 years old. I used to give offerings and burn incense now and then and I did that on and off up until the last few years of high school, then I kinda stopped. I was always drawn to Bastet, Horus, Isis, Sekhmet but would sometime change.

The last few years I've been drawn to nature and just recently read The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid by Joanna van der Hoeven and found it really interesting. I'm also drawn to Elen of the Ways and crows, but I'm not sure why.

I would like to go down a solitary druid path, but I feel like I still want to keep with Egyptian gods/goddesses as I still feel like I have some kind of connection, even though I don't really know who I'm drawn to anymore, if that makes sense?

I feel like I don't know where I belong. I'm not sure what to do or where to start, plus I'm finding it hard with being in my last year at uni and still living at home.

I know I need to find my own path but any help would be great!

 
Kemetic druidry is a Thing, and I have made it work, somehow. I found the ADF ritual structure and cosmology was easy enough to adapt to a Kemetic worldview, and I have called Egyptian gods in druidic ritual. I also use the Wheel of the Year as my festival calendar, which makes the two paths more compatible. The Nile/the Nun, the Sycamore tree, and the Sun work well with the Fire/Well/Tree thing, and it's easy enough to make Land/Sea/Sky work as well within the Kemetic cosmology.

How you make it work honestly depends how you operate. If you can handle two separate paths, by all means, keep them separate. If, like me, you need them to merge and have one path that functions for both, it takes a little more work, but it can be done. It really depends on what you want your path to look like, and how you want to practice them.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

Darkhawk

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2016, 08:01:01 pm »
Quote from: Loxira;188662
I would like to go down a solitary druid path, but I feel like I still want to keep with Egyptian gods/goddesses as I still feel like I have some kind of connection, even though I don't really know who I'm drawn to anymore, if that makes sense?

I feel like I don't know where I belong. I'm not sure what to do or where to start, plus I'm finding it hard with being in my last year at uni and still living at home.

I know I need to find my own path but any help would be great!

 
It is worth keeping in mind that there is no rule that says you can have only one religious path or practice.  You can do both things.  (I mean, check out the bafflegab in my religion field!)

This can come as a bit of a shock to people who are used to "you can only follow my god/religion" teachings from more mainstream religions, but really, multiple traditions is not uncommon.
as the water grinds the stone
we rise and fall
as our ashes turn to dust
we shine like stars    - Covenant, "Bullet"

RecycledBenedict

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2016, 08:12:02 pm »
Quote from: Loxira;188662
Hi, sorry if this sounds confusing, everything kinda feels jumbled in my head and finding it hard to write down what I want to say!

I have been interested in Egyptian gods/goddesses since around 9 years old. I used to give offerings and burn incense now and then and I did that on and off up until the last few years of high school, then I kinda stopped. I was always drawn to Bastet, Horus, Isis, Sekhmet but would sometime change.

It could be very useful to include the gods Ophois and Tithoës in the Egyptian part of your practice: Ophois as the opener and closer of contact with the deities, and Tithoës as the one who brings the sacrificial gifts to the other deities. When Cleopatra died, and there was no human Pharao anymore, Tithoës became a supernatural Pharao (as it were) and served so until ancient Egyptian religion became defunct in Nubia in the 550s CE. The Kemetics on this forum will probably be able to explain more in detail - they are the experts. My area of knowledge is Egypt under the Ptolemaeans and Romans.

Photocopied pictures of Maat is a practical modern sacrifical gift.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2016, 08:15:21 pm by RecycledBenedict »

Darkhawk

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2016, 08:38:23 pm »
Quote from: FraterBenedict;188673
It could be very useful to include the gods Ophois and Tithoës in the Egyptian part of your practice: Ophois as the opener and closer of contact with the deities, and Tithoës as the one who brings the sacrificial gifts to the other deities. When Cleopatra died, and there was no human Pharao anymore, Tithoës became a supernatural Pharao (as it were) and served so until ancient Egyptian religion became defunct in Nubia in the 550s CE. The Kemetics on this forum will probably be able to explain more in detail - they are the experts. My area of knowledge is Egypt under the Ptolemaeans and Romans.

 
I actually had to do some pretty extensive digging to come up with "who the heck is Tithoës anyway?", where the answer is a Late Period common people's god, which would be why I was completely at a loss.  I expect most Kemetics proper wouldn't have much to say there, as most of us focus on earlier periods.

Ophois is the Greek name for Wepwawet; hands down the best site for him is Bezen's Per Sabu.
as the water grinds the stone
we rise and fall
as our ashes turn to dust
we shine like stars    - Covenant, "Bullet"

RecycledBenedict

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2016, 08:50:40 pm »
Quote from: Darkhawk;188681
I actually had to do some pretty extensive digging to come up with "who the heck is Tithoës anyway?", where the answer is a Late Period common people's god, which would be why I was completely at a loss.  I expect most Kemetics proper wouldn't have much to say there, as most of us focus on earlier periods.


Yes, his rise in popularity went hand in hand with the absence of a Pharao, so his function must have been rather different in the age most Kemetics concentrate on.

Do you Kemetics call the spiritual office shared by the ancient Pharaos, Tithoës/Tutu and some modern reconstructionist leaders a nisut? What is the distinction between a Pharao and a Nisut?

Darkhawk

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2016, 11:05:28 pm »
Quote from: FraterBenedict;188682
Do you Kemetics call the spiritual office shared by the ancient Pharaos, Tithoës/Tutu and some modern reconstructionist leaders a nisut? What is the distinction between a Pharao and a Nisut?

 
"Pharaoh" as a word derives from per-aa, "great house".  Basically "pharaoh" as a word for the nisut-bity is like saying "the White House" as a term for the US Presidential administration or "Downing Street" for the British Prime Minister, the residence as synecdoche for the position or role.
as the water grinds the stone
we rise and fall
as our ashes turn to dust
we shine like stars    - Covenant, "Bullet"

Sobekemiti

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2016, 06:37:44 am »
Quote from: FraterBenedict;188673
It could be very useful to include the gods Ophois and Tithoës in the Egyptian part of your practice: Ophois as the opener and closer of contact with the deities, and Tithoës as the one who brings the sacrificial gifts to the other deities. When Cleopatra died, and there was no human Pharao anymore, Tithoës became a supernatural Pharao (as it were) and served so until ancient Egyptian religion became defunct in Nubia in the 550s CE. The Kemetics on this forum will probably be able to explain more in detail - they are the experts. My area of knowledge is Egypt under the Ptolemaeans and Romans.

Photocopied pictures of Maat is a practical modern sacrifical gift.


Which deities you use in your practice really depends on how you configure your druidry. Certainly Wepwawet would be useful for ADF style druidry as a gatekeeper, and I've used Him as such in the past. You could use Nut as the sky, Geb as the land, and Hapy as the sea/river, if you're into that Land/Sea/Sky triad. Ra as the fire, Nun as the well, and Wesir as the tree, if that's of interest to you.

I'd never think to use Tutu, though, and I also had no idea who Tithoes was until Darkhawk did some digging. Most Kemetics don't use the Greek names for the deities, just so you're aware of that.

To the OP, if you're interested in a High Day ritual in a Kemetic Druid framework, I've got a ritual up here on my website. It's in the ADF style, using the Core Order of Ritual. I offer it not as something you might want to use, but as an example of how I have made Kemetic druidry work as a single path.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

RecycledBenedict

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2016, 06:58:52 am »
Quote from: Sobekemiti;188691
Most Kemetics don't use the Greek names for the deities, just so you're aware of that.

Loxira use the Greek names. My choice for this thread was deliberate.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2016, 06:59:28 am by RecycledBenedict »

Loxira

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2016, 07:01:07 am »
Thank you for the all the replies everyone, some really helpful stuff being said :)

Quote from: FraterBenedict;188664
I haven't read Joanna van der Hoeven. Which flavour of Druidry does she describe in her book? I am more of a fan of 18th century Enlightenment Druids, Ross Nichols, John Michael Greer and the RDNA tradition, so I have no idea where on the map Joanna van der Hoeven belongs. Emma Restall-Orr is worth reading, too.

I would say Joanna van der Hoeven's book is a good beginners book, how to work with the seasons, meditation etc. She also talks about her daily practice and how you can create your own Druid path, it feels more of a book on how to incorporate practice in your daily life. I will check out Emma Restall-Orr thank you :)

Quote from: Sobekemiti;188691
To the OP, if you're interested in a High Day ritual in a Kemetic Druid framework, I've got a ritual up here on my website. It's in the ADF style, using the Core Order of Ritual. I offer it not as something you might want to use, but as an example of how I have made Kemetic druidry work as a single path.

thank you! I shall look at that

do you have any more books to recommend? Druid or Kemetic?
« Last Edit: March 22, 2016, 08:10:13 pm by Morag »

Sobekemiti

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2016, 07:26:33 am »
Quote from: Loxira;188694

thank you! I shall look at that

do you have any more books to recommend? Druid or Kemetic?


With the caveat that some of these are a bit academic and may not be your thing, my list of books I have read and found useful would include:
- Wilkinson's 'Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt' as a reference
- Faulkner's translation of the Book of the Dead
- Erik Hornung - Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt
- Jeremy Naydler - Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred
- Rev Robert 'Skip' Ellison - The Solitary Druid: Walking The Path of Wisdom and Spirit (It's Celtic-based, iirc, but it's not a bad intro to ADF druidry and being a solitary druid)
- John Michael Greer - both 'A World Full of Gods' and 'The Druidry Handbook'

They're mostly a place to start, and I'm sure others will have more books to recommend that I haven't read yet.

If you have any other questions about how I personally do Kemetic druidry, feel free to ask away.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

Sobekemiti

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2016, 07:49:14 am »
Quote from: FraterBenedict;188693
Loxira use the Greek names. My choice for this thread was deliberate.


Isis and Horus are overwhelmingly more well-know, and well-recognised, as Greek names for the Egyptian deities Aset and Heru, than Ophois and Tithoes are for Wepwawet and Tutu. Bast(et) and Sekhmet are Egyptian names, not Greek. If Loxira had asked about Graeco-Egyptian practice, Greek names would make sense and would be appropriate.

I'm actually not trying to grouch at you, just make you aware that in a Kemetic context, the Greek names for the gods won't necessarily be recognised, understood, or used by Kemetics, except for the most commonly known ones like Isis, Horus, Osiris, Anubis, and Hathor, for example.
Sobekemiti | Hekatean Witch, Kemetic Orthodox Shemsu, Sobek Devotee | My pronouns are they/she

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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2016, 06:42:05 pm »
Quote from: Darkhawk;188671

This can come as a bit of a shock to people who are used to "you can only follow my god/religion" teachings from more mainstream religions, but really, multiple traditions is not uncommon.


Is that on The List?

I was about to say I've only practiced a Kemetic path so far, but I realized that's not quite true: there are several bits of folk customs from my parents' culture in there too. There are a few other things where I'm at the "ooh shiny" stage, but not sure if I'll pick them up more seriously.
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Re: Druidry and Egyptian gods?
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2016, 08:24:48 pm »
Quote from: Loxira;188694



 
A Reminder:
Hi Loxira,

Just a quick note: Our quote requirement is not only about the text you're replying to (which you did include), but also about the quote code (the stuff contained in square brackets before and after the text), which provides a trackback link to the post you're quoting. It makes the discussion  easier to follow, and it's required by  our  rules. As well, it makes sure that people's words are properly attributed to them; when the trackback code isn't present, there's no way of telling who said what's in the quote boxes.

This trackback code is generated automatically when you hit the "Reply with Quote" button at the bottom of a post. Replying to each post separately will make it easier to ensure that you include the trackback code with each quote; here at TC we don't have a rule against double-posting.

I've gone ahead and fixed the quote codes in your post.

This isn't a formal warning, just a reminder.  No  reply is necessary, but if you have questions or need clarification,  please feel free to contact a member of staff privately.

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