Daily Practices for Those Short on Time

[Shine]

I often find myself short on time in morning, noon, and night for various reasons. So I've been trying to put together a set of daily practices I can use that are relatively traditional, but also short (think 10 - 15 minutes) for when I don't have a lot of time. I wanted to share them in hopes of getting feedback. Is there anything you would add? Take away?

Morning

Reidy's "abbreviated" morning rite (found in the 3rd part of his book, and basically consists of a libation and food offering)

Noon

Quick prayer and offering of the afternoon meal (I'm at work or school during this time, so it has to be quick, easy, and discreet)

Night

Another libation and food offering based off of the morning rite; cleaning all statues

When there's time, practices would be more elaborate, and festival days would call for something more elaborate, too, but at least a festival day can be celebrated late if absolutely necessary.

[Rhyshadow]

I often find myself short on time in morning, noon, and night for various reasons. So I've been trying to put together a set of daily practices I can use that are relatively traditional, but also short (think 10 - 15 minutes) for when I don't have a lot of time. I wanted to share them in hopes of getting feedback. Is there anything you would add? Take away?

Morning

Reidy's "abbreviated" morning rite (found in the 3rd part of his book, and basically consists of a libation and food offering)

Noon

Quick prayer and offering of the afternoon meal (I'm at work or school during this time, so it has to be quick, easy, and discreet)

Night

Another libation and food offering based off of the morning rite; cleaning all statues

When there's time, practices would be more elaborate, and festival days would call for something more elaborate, too, but at least a festival day can be celebrated late if absolutely necessary.

 
That's pretty much what I do - a morning "Meet and Greet', a quick noon-time prayer and an evening meditation/supplication

And moving the Festival to the closest free day is a standard in the couple groups I was involved with back when I was Wiccan - the one I learned in and the one I ran.

You're stating out fine, as you find more time you can add other things.

[Shine]

That's pretty much what I do - a morning "Meet and Greet', a quick noon-time prayer and an evening meditation/supplication

And moving the Festival to the closest free day is a standard in the couple groups I was involved with back when I was Wiccan - the one I learned in and the one I ran.

You're stating out fine, as you find more time you can add other things.

 
Thanks for the feedback. I'm always afraid that I'm not doing enough, or maybe doing too much, or something in between. Another perspective is always helpful.

[SatAset]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm always afraid that I'm not doing enough, or maybe doing too much, or something in between. Another perspective is always helpful.

Your practice looks fine to me.  

I like the simplicity.  There's something akin to Zep Tepi in simplicity.  

10-15 minutes for a rite is fine.

Whatever you are able to do is always good enough.

[Helmsman_of_Inepu]

When there's time, practices would be more elaborate, and festival days would call for something more elaborate, too, but at least a festival day can be celebrated late if absolutely necessary.

 
That sounds fine to me as well. There's not exactly a paid professional priesthood to do rituals all-day, every day now.

[Devo]

I wanted to share them in hopes of getting feedback. Is there anything you would add? Take away?

 
That's more than I do, so I think it's more than enough :3

-Devo

[Lotus]

That's more than I do, so I think it's more than enough :3

-Devo

 
I do a morning offering for Sekhmet, and then I'll meditate in the evening if I have time. I don't think I would do a whole lot except for a short prayer if I were at school/work. I wouldn't feel so comfortable if my coworkers saw or heard what I was doing.

At certain times of the month and for holidays, I will hold larger rituals for deities I'm particularly close to, such as Djehuty around the full moon and Set during the dark moon. You might try something like this.

Also, don't feel bad if something comes up and you can't keep to your practice. We all live busy lives.

[ccam]

That sounds fine to me as well. There's not exactly a paid professional priesthood to do rituals all-day, every day now.

 
I concur.  I look at Reidy's huge morning ritual to Ra and just think "How does he expect a normal person to be able to do this daily?"

[Darkhawk]

I concur.  I look at Reidy's huge morning ritual to Ra and just think "How does he expect a normal person to be able to do this daily?"

 
Normal people in AE would say, "We know the priests are performing the huge morning ritual to Ra, the sun came up properly," and go out and hoe onions.

[Setnakht]

I concur.  I look at Reidy's huge morning ritual to Ra and just think "How does he expect a normal person to be able to do this daily?"

 
Why not ask the author himself? Check out "Eternal Egypt" on Facebook and send him your question. In the Introduction to the Ra ritual, the author says, "At some point one or another Utterance or action may touch your heart in a personal way. Adopt it. Make it your own. Use the words and ritual actions as your own special means to connect with the god or goddess you are drawn to." (p 17). There are elsewhere in his text the author never implies that "it's all or nothing at all." In case you don't use Facebook, Reidy also provides his mailing address on the copyright page at the beginning of his book. I don't think an author would give this information if he wasn't interested in helping his readers. Some people I know have contacted him and he was helpful with answering their questions. Let us know what he says.

[ccam]

Normal people in AE would say, "We know the priests are performing the huge morning ritual to Ra, the sun came up properly," and go out and hoe onions.

 
Exactly!  I know in the section with the abbreviated rituals he says that the abbreviated rituals aren't designed to substitute the long rituals as those were the most important and we(the Kemetic community?) should do them as we are attempting to revive the ancient spiritual traditions.  However, I feel, he is attempting to reconstruct the temple traditions, which I have no interest in.  I want to reconstruct ancient domestic traditions.  I don't make a living from being a priest, so I have to go out and work and therefore can't take 4-6 hours out of my day to perform a ritual that someone in my position in AE wouldn't even have done.  That may sound bad, as the gods are worthy of such things, however I'm sure they realize that I have a job that I have to go to, to support myself.

[Shine]

Exactly!  I know in the section with the abbreviated rituals he says that the abbreviated rituals aren't designed to substitute the long rituals as those were the most important and we(the Kemetic community?) should do them as we are attempting to revive the ancient spiritual traditions.  However, I feel, he is attempting to reconstruct the temple traditions, which I have no interest in.  I want to reconstruct ancient domestic traditions.  I don't make a living from being a priest, so I have to go out and work and therefore can't take 4-6 hours out of my day to perform a ritual that someone in my position in AE wouldn't even have done.  That may sound bad, as the gods are worthy of such things, however I'm sure they realize that I have a job that I have to go to, to support myself.

 
I only use the shortened morning ritual from Reidy's book and modify it for afternoon, evening, and night use. Depending on how long I stay at shrine, these rituals take a grand total of 10 - 20 minutes, which is very doable for me personally. Though once I get my hands on some place that can laminate, I'm going to laminate a copy of one of the morning bathing rituals and use it.

In my mind, Reidy is definitely trying to revive the temple culture, which is great, except I would wager that most of us onion-hoers don't have time to do that ourselves. I remember the first time I read through the book, I thought (rather irreverently), "you gotta be outta your rabid mind."

There's more than one way to serve the Netjer. It's great that people like Reidy are taking this route, but the rest of us will have to do other stuff.

[Darkhawk]

I don't make a living from being a priest, so I have to go out and work and therefore can't take 4-6 hours out of my day to perform a ritual that someone in my position in AE wouldn't even have done.  That may sound bad, as the gods are worthy of such things, however I'm sure they realize that I have a job that I have to go to, to support myself.

 
Pfft.  I'm a full-time mom.  My reconstruction is about 2/3 domestic and 1/3 mysticism, myself.  (Three year olds are natively good at execration rituals.)  It doesn't sound bad to actually recognise that there is a huge realm of human life and not everyone is supposed to be a temple priest.

If we were all temple priests, there would be no offerings, because nobody would be growing any food.

[Shine]

Pfft.  I'm a full-time mom.  My reconstruction is about 2/3 domestic and 1/3 mysticism, myself.  (Three year olds are natively good at execration rituals.)  It doesn't sound bad to actually recognise that there is a huge realm of human life and not everyone is supposed to be a temple priest.

If we were all temple priests, there would be no offerings, because nobody would be growing any food.

You've got your hands full.

Do you think maybe there's the possibility of being another kind of priest other than a temple priest? (Not in ancient terms, but in modern terms.) I've wondered about this, but despite reading some great articles on it, haven't been able to come up with anything that sounds . . . right, yet still leaves a good balance between spiritual and mundane.

[Darkhawk]

Do you think maybe there's the possibility of being another kind of priest other than a temple priest? (Not in ancient terms, but in modern terms.) I've wondered about this, but despite reading some great articles on it, haven't been able to come up with anything that sounds . . . right, yet still leaves a good balance between spiritual and mundane.

 
Define your terms, and then you'll be able to find your answer.

(Big Red gotcha'ed me on this one.  Someday I may forgive him.)