About
The daily devotions are written by Her Holiness the Nisut (AUS) and include
prayers and special practices for the faithful, corresponding to the Kemetic Orthodox
calendar.
From 1994-1999, the daily devotions had been available exclusively to followers
of the House of Netjer. We share them now with the general public so that all may
learn from these enlightening and thought-provoking missives.
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 31, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
The year has ended and we enter the time which is not time -- the Days Upon the Year.
First upon these days, the Eldest Child of Father Earth and Mother Sky, is Wesir. He is the Nisut of the Akhu, ruler of the Unseen World. He is the one Whose seeds spring up in the Seen World as the fruits of our mental labors.
When honoring Wesir upon His birthday, think:
What have I planted in the fertile soil of my ka ?
Have I sown love, trust, honor, and mercy?
Have I sown hatred, mistrust, disrespect and lies?
When my seeds are brought to the surface as plants, will I reap flowers or briars?
What will others gather from the garden I have grown?
Great Father Wesir, we honor You on Your birthday.
May we learn the responsibility of growth and grow only Ma'at.
Dua Wesir! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"For a gardener, all gardens can be improved."
Michael Garofalo
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 30, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Today is the last day of the year. As it is also the last day of the month we honor Ra, Heru and Wesir in Their temples (Houses); but we also honor two festivals which start upon the last day of the year and stretch through the Epagomenal Days to New Year and beyond.
The Feast of the Dressing honors Aset in Her Name of Tayet, the pure linen used to clothe icons and swaddle altars. Thanks to a generous gift by Shemsu Imy-Ra Neferuhethert, 30 yards of fine white linen will be presented as our offering for the Dressing Feast, and then cut to size for use with the icons of the House of Netjer main shrine, as well as for other religious uses. Nekhtet!
The Feast of the First Seat (or First Place) of the First Time is a special festival made to remember Creation and the Ma'at of Creation in the form of the institutions Netjer set down for us in the Seen World.
At the First Seat of the First Time, Netjer set aside a messenger between Heaven and Earth for us in the form of the institution of Nisut. The Festival continues through the days of the births of the Great Names of Iunu, the aspects of Netjer most concerned directly with the institutions of government and order upon Earth; and culminates in a Coronation Ritual for the sitting Nisut (either the first coronation or an annual re-coronation). During the next few days, make special offering to Ma'at for providing us with an order in our lives. Nekhtet!
Dua-Netjer to each person reading this devotion for a blessed past year, and blessings upon you for the days (and year) to come.
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"I never think of the future - it comes soon enough."
Einstein
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 29, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
In the last four days of the year, we recognize the major forces that drive our lives.
After honoring life and death, there is a day where there are no special practices.
This day is for you. Mark it as a day of thanksgiving for that which you hold most dear.
Mark it also as a day of remembrance of the year about to pass and the Days Which are Upon the Year to come day after tomorrow. As even the gods are reborn, so too are we as the year opens.
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
During this time of year, our dreams are often much more potent than normal. Consider keeping a notebook by the bed to take advantage of the opportunity for Akhu and Netjer to communicate.
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 28, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
In the last four days of the year, we recognize the major forces that drive our lives.
Yesterday, we honored Min and life. Today, we bring offering before Ptah-Sokar, Lord of the Necropolis, and honor both the Akhu, the blessed dead -- and the creation which occurs in secret, in the darkness that Sokar protects.
Let the seeds you put forth yesterday germinate today in Sokar's domain.
Dua Ptah-Sokar! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers.
You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”
Naguib Mahfouz
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 27, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
.
In the last four days of the year we recognize the major forces that drive our lives.
Today we honor Min and the seeds of life, sewn during this time, which will bloom in the New Year.
What projects can you plan for next year? What imagination can you sow....dream can you dream...or begin to make reality?
Make an offering of cool water to plants, praise Min as a bringer of life, and be happy.
New Year is coming.
Dua Min! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"If you treat every situation as a life-and-death matter, you'll die a lot of times."
Dean Smith
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 26, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
I have received many letters in these last days of the year from our Shemsu and Remetj. Many are experiencing the "energy" (for lack of a better word) that occurs when our year runs down. Even in the mythology it is stated that Netjer can "grow old" and require rebirth or renewal, and during the time of agedness there are difficulties and dangers to be overcome.
It is a good time for all to remember to do Senut, or if you are not Kemetic Orthodox, to remember to pray. Prayer is your best line of defense against the Uncreated, which draws near as the strands of the year reach their end and the Days Which Are Not Part of the Year begin. Additionally, should you require it, request heka of the priests or of myself; we will be more than happy to put ourselves to work on your behalf should you require a little extra help between now and the First Day.
Know that I am praying for you all and love you all very much.
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present."
Babatunde Olatunji
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 25, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
The last five days of the year are upon us. Even the gods make preparations for these special days; in ancient cities Their holy icons were loaded upon Their sacred boats in order to travel upstream to Uaset (modern-day Luxor) for the great festivals of Opet and Wep Ronpet (The Opening of the Year); today we prepare Their icons to travel into the city to be rededicated at our Annual New Year Celebration/Retreat.
As we close our year, it is time to reflect about everything that happened during it. I am pleased to say that for the children of Netjer it was mostly a good year, and many blessings were received during its course.
May we use the final days of this year to prepare ourselves in all ways for the holidays to come, and ensure that next year surpasses even this one.
Blessings on all the children of Netjer as these days unfold.
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"The best way to know God is to love many things."
Vincent Van Gogh
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 24, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Just as human children turn to their physical parents for advice, help, and even a boost up to the kitchen counter, we turn to our Spiritual Parent(s) for assistance in all walks of life, according to our needs and desires.
As we mature physically, we find that eventually we do not need our physical parents to tell us everything or do everything for us. Perhaps even we reach a point in our maturity that we try to tell our parents we don't "need their help," that we are "grown-up" enough to make our own decisions. At this point, our parents may take a step back and let us make some necessary mistakes in order that we learn how the world works and where our place is in it.
It is the same with the spiritual Parent. Netjer is not obligated to answer our every question in a straightforward and direct way, especially if it is a question to which we already know the answer. Netjer may even remain silent, using silence as a gentle way to say "it is time for you to take some responsibility of your own."
While we will never be free of the need for Netjer in our lives, and I would venture to say this should be the same in a relationship with our physical parents...there will come a time in our spiritual maturity when we can capitalize on our relationship with Netjer. Instead of asking for simple things or advice on every single thought, we find ourselves able to concentrate less on ourselves and more on assisting Netjer in the larger work of bringing Ma'at to the world.
As we grow in Netjer, just as we grow in our physical bodies, we find we are able to be a helper in the work, rather than helpless; we can take responsibility and go outside of ourselves, instead of continually concentrating on our own problems. If we are asking Netjer for every single thing, we deny that Netjer has created us to become self-sustaining. We deny our ability to lead our own destiny and the gift of free will that Netjer has given each of us.
As we grow in Netjer may we learn to progress, just as we did as physical children, from being completely dependent to being obedient within a respectful sphere. As in our physical lives we go from helpless to helpful, may we become spiritually helpful to Netjer and assist those who are not yet beyond basic spiritual needs.
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"You know children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers."
John Plomp
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 22-23, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Over the weekend we celebrate a festival in honor of Yinepu, the Keeper of the Keys, Lord of Crossroads. Yinepu is the ultimate Guide, and in His Name of Wepwawet can be said not only to know where all the doors are, but where they lead from and to. In His Name of Khentyamentiu He leads the Akhu eastward to communicate with us and westward to Their Father Wesir. In His Name of Sed He rejuvenates Nisuts, providing them with a rebirth of spirit.
It is such a blessing to know the god Who has the form of a jackal. Our dog-headed God is gentle, knowledgeable, and wise beyond comprehension. He will teach us anything we need to know -- if we only learn to ask with kindness, and true sincerity, in our hearts. He will keep knowledge for us as well, should we not need to know it. We honor Him both as the giver and the keeper.
Know that the Jackal watches you, and be grateful. Offer to Him in thanksgiving, make greeting to His Children, and leave a shiny coin in a crossroads somewhere for a wish to be fulfilled in the future.
Dua Yinepu! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
Make a special offering for Yinepu in the form of foods that you can then safely feed to a dog, one of His symbols. Observe dogs as well. What can you learn from them?
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 19, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Today the Eye of Heru Returns Complete (in reference to the full moon of this month, as well as the ritual symbolism of the return of the Sound Eye (the "Udjat") to its proper place).
It is a day when we honor those things that are doing well, and for those things which could be doing better, we remember the fact that eventually, all things do return to their proper Ma'at.
On the Day of the Eye's Return, I also thank Netjer for being born, to have the opportunity to do the things I can do for Netjer and for my fellow beings upon this earth.
It will be a good day. The Eye is among us, and we are complete.
Dua Udjat Heru! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:It is also a good day for offerings, as the "Eye of Heru" is often substituted for a specific offering in ancient offering formulae, and can simply mean "a divine offering" in and of itself.
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 17, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Yesterday I asked all of you to honor your ancestors and told you I would be going to honor mine.
In the morning I visited with Akhu in a cemetery near my home, where many of my blood relatives and most before I was even born are buried. I brought flowers, poured ritual water, I talked and sang songs with them. It was a time marked by some sadness as I walked through rows and rows of headstones that were broken, grown over with grass, or faded away due to time and neglect.
So many people are not remembered. Graves without any headstone or marker at all: nothing but a square patch of different-colored grass to indicate a unique individual who could be a mother, a father, a child -- another Child of Netjer.
My "short" trip to the cemetery became several hours long as I watered plants, carried away trash and otherwise said prayers for hundreds of strangers, who are strangers no longer. My Akhu and these other Westerners have now been introduced.
One of the Shemsu of my House of Netjer has dedicated a substantial part of his time to doing the same and more. My son Ikhet-Itw ("Property of His Fathers," a very apt name) is rebuilding a cemetery in Wisconsin. He hand-washes and resets broken headstones, replaces bars and locks on mausoleums, and has done gardening, caretaking and other things for the Akhu of his town. When he found out the town was recycling pauper's and other graves without permission, he took photographs and started a newspaper crusade to protect the cemetery and those within it from further desecration.
Ikhet-itw does this without payment -- he is not a cemetery caretaker by trade. He does this as a service to his ancestors and Netjer as a son of Ptah and Yinepu-Wepwawet. His service has been noticed by others, who have started to show up at the cemetery to help out, also without payment and without regard to reward.
While I suspect he will be embarrassed by my sharing this story as a Daily Devotion, Ikhet-itw should know how proud I am of him and how much I thought of his service today when I was in the cemetery. We must care for all of our relations, whether they are here among the living or blessed amongst the West. What Ikhet-itw is doing does honor to his Akhu and to all of our Akhu and to Netjer and deserves to be shared.
I thank Netjer for Ikhet-itw and his selfless service.
Dua Akhu! Dua Netjer em Shemsu Ikhet-itw! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:"The single greatest tragedy in the world is when our dead are forgotten and neglected. The dead have their ways of reminding us of our duty to them and God."
Ikhet-itw (from a letter to the cemetery board)
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 16, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Today according to the Kemetic Orthodox calendar, we "pour ritual water for those who are in the next world."
This morning I will be in a cemetery visiting with members of my family who have gone West, and pouring ritual water for them and for other people in That City. I ask that you also remember your Akhu, both those of your blood and those of your heart, through pouring of cool water upon shrines and offering stones.
Consider making a public offering as well in our Virtual Abdju here at kemet.org.
Dua Akhu! Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:"I shall not fail to answer a prayer, for a dead man is father to any who aids him; he does not forget the one who pours water in his honor. It is good for you to remember this."
The Autobiography of Pahery (18th Dynasty)
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 15, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Today we honor the half-month, when the Eye of Heru is complete in our nighttime sky.
We also honor Heru in His role as Uniter (Heru-mau): Heru Who brings together all those who are in opposition. We use today to pray for peace in all situations of conflict, and for all people to put aside their differences to unite in those places where we can make the most difference in our world.
Ra appears as well today, to give offering to the Nun, the creative potential Which Is All That Is.
Make an offering today to Heru and Ra, and make your potentials reality.
Dua Heru-Mau! Dua Ra! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day: "Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision."
Lloyd Morris
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 14, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Some may ask, is Kemetic Orthodoxy the only way? Is it the best way?
Others may ask, what does it mean to be Kemetic Orthodox? Does it mean you are no longer (insert label here)? Does it mean you are automatically opposed to anything which is not "part" of Kemetic Orthodoxy (as if Netjer's creation could be divided into subjectively-valued parts)?
I am Kemetic Orthodox. For me, this is the only way and the best way, because of who I am and because of what I am called to do in this lifetime. For me, this is the only answer.
However, I do not believe I am the only being on this earth who has a valid answer, or that the truth of my answer makes all other answers either false or less true than mine.
There is only one best answer, and one best way. The one best answer is yours.
The label you put on your faith is not as important as having faith. Do not let the label define more than it is intended to. Be who you are. Believe in whatever you believe in. Let the rest happen according to Ma'at.
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day: "I am convinced, therefore, that religion has enormous potential to benefit humanity. Properly employed, it is an extremely effective instrument for establishing human happiness. In particular, it can play a leading role in encouraging people to develop a sense of responsibility toward others and of the need to be ethically disciplined."
H. H. The Dalai Lama, "The Role of Religion" in Ethics for the New Millennium
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 13, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
As always it is wonderful to share an evening with the Children of Netjer. To those of you whom I saw last night, Dua-Netjer for a happy evening of jubilating!
Today we return our focus to matters of more serious intent. As the Day of Defending Heru-sa-Aset is upon us I ask each of you to undertake a bit of service to children. Whose children doesn't matter, and neither does what you commit to do on children's behalf -- but remember the innocent today and defend them.
Share your service with others in the Random Acts of Service board also if you would.
May Netjer's love and blessing always be evident to our children.
Dua Heru-sa-Aset! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
Some websites concerning children you might like to review today:
The Zero: A website by author and child advocate Andrew Vachss
The Child Welfare League of America
UNICEF
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 12, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Today's festival calendar entry reads quite simply, Jubilation in the Entire Land.
As I do not believe this requires explanation, I expect you will all have a wonderful day today, and we'll get back to the "deep stuff" tomorrow. (Remetj and Shemsu, don't forget our biweekly Dua service tonight!)
Rejoice, for Netjer is with us always!
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"When in doubt, tell the truth."
Mark Twain
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 10, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Ra's Eye enters the Horizon today in festival. This is a reference to the story of the Wandering Goddess, a form of Hethert-Sekhmet:
The Eye of Ra returned after having been sent out by Ra to punish mankind as Sekhmet, having been pacified and returned to Her natural state as Hethert. On Her return, something happened, and in anger She decided to put as much distance between Herself and Her Father as She possibly could.
Running south, fueled only by Her great anger, She went until She could go no further. And then, either She realized She had gone so far She no longer knew how to get home....or She was so proud and angry that She refused to turn back. Either way, She ended up sitting there for a time seething and raging, once again in Her lioness form as Sekhmet the Powerful.
Ra meanwhile, puzzled and sad, watched as everything in Kemet began to fall apart. Without Sekhmet to protect them, innocent people began to be taken advantage of, and Isfet reigned. Without Hethert to teach them happiness, everyone became complacent, grumpy, angry, ugly. Without the Eye the world was a shadow of its former self and a sad place indeed. Ra sent for one of His messengers: Anhur, "he who brings the distant one," and begged Him to find the Eye before it was too late.
Anhur headed south, listening for the roaring of the angry Wandering Eye. Eventually He found Her and cautiously approached, engaging in a conversation on why She should come back to Kemet. Through a series of parables, jokes and even song and dance, Anhur managed to pacify the Wanderer again enough that She was willing to be led back to the borders of Kemet, where Ra had arranged that the people of Abu (modern-day Aswan) would hold a joyous festival in Her honor.
As She came closer and closer to Kemet, and as more and more people appealed to Her sense of honor and beauty, the lioness returned to Her cow form and became Hethert again, and eventually the Eye rejoined Her Father to the rejoicing of all the land.
This celebration of the Eye of Ra's wanderings is a yearly celebration, used to explain through myth the "mystery" of the ancient Inundation, and why the world, and even individual people, go through cycles of difficulty (often, in personal cases, fueled by anger), followed by restoration. Through Her journey, the Wanderer acknowledges Her own power to change the world; through Her return the world acknowledges how important She is to it. The Wanderer must wander. But, happily for us, She must also always come back home.
We give thanks for Anhur Who Leads Her Back to us each year, safe and sound, in time for the celebrations of the New Year almost upon us.
Dua Hethert-Sekhmet! Dua Anhur! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
Did you know that most of the parables Anhur told the Wandering Eye are preserved for us to read today in a papyrus, and one of them, "The Lion in Search of a Man," became the basis of a fable recorded by the Greek philosopher Aesop?
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 9, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Five years ago today, Kai-imakhu Nakhtdeshretiu (Rev. Ryan Jones) became the second person to respond to the call of Netjer and submit to the ancient ritual of Ordination to become a priest of Wepwawet-Yinepu and Set, beloved of Nit-Nebthet and Heru-wer.
From his ordination as a simple priest (Imakhu), Nakhtdeshretiu has been elevated to a teacher of priests (Kai-Imakhu), as a keeper of the mysteries (Heri-Sesheta) and a possession priest (It-Netjer), and to the position within the House of Netjer administration of Priest of the King and Fanbearer on the Right Hand. Without his support and strength behind me, both physical and spiritual, I could not do much of the work I am able to do quite as well, and for this I will be eternally grateful for the Kai-imakhu's willingness to take on this work on top of outside full-time employment and an otherwise busy life.
For the last two years, the Kai-imakhu has been teaching a Kemetic Spirituality chat for the faithful and has engaged in work toward a doctorate in divinity concerning our ancient Wisdom Literature. He accompanied me to the 1999 Parliament of World Religions in South Africa and performed the work of three people all by himself. His ceaseless energy and ability to "push the envelope" on painful issues have consistently encouraged the Children of Netjer to rethink themselves, reach higher, and not be swayed in pursuit of their goal.
We consider today to be Kai-imakhu Nakht's "spiritual birthday." As he spends the day contemplating his vocation and making goals for coming years, we celebrate with him the dedication he has made and thank Netjer that he is one of our temple's strongest voices.
May Netjer bless Kai-Imakhu Nakhtdeshretiu's work in the coming year. Nekhtet!
Dua Wepwawet! Dua Set! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
July 9 has significance for me even before 1995, as it is also the birthday of my maternal grandfather, Franklin Butterfield Myers, (true of voice) who was arguably the strongest role model in my life and my best friend (and still is, from the West since 1983). For the Kai-imakhu to have given his commitment to the faith on this day was for me a blessing as it placed him symbolically in the same position of my first and best spiritual teacher. And from Nakht, as from Granpa Myers, I have indeed learned much.
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 8, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
In cities all over the world, today is the observation of World Tibet Day.
Your Nisut and members of the Chicago area clergy will be attending WTD celebrations, in order both to register our support for this observance that remembers the dispossessed of Tibet and everywhere; and to learn what more we can do as a Kemetic Orthodox part of our larger metropolitan community to help the world.
In October, we will also be participating in the Interfaith Call of the WTD organization, and the following Kemetic prayer meditation is submitted as an offering to this noble effort:
A Kemetic Prayer for Mercy
from Papyrus Insinger
Violence, poverty, insults and meanness never rest.
I have not desired to do evil in my heart; Netjer knows it.
I have not taken vengeance on another;
no one has suffered on my account.
Any sin which I committed unwittingly,
I beg forgiveness for.
I call upon Netjer to have mercy on me
and give me sweetness."
Anyplace in the world, if people are permitted to be run out of their homes in favor of a majority of any sort for any reason, Isfet is winning. We must as a world stand up against oppression and genocide of any kind. The best thing to happen to World Tibet Day would be our not having to celebrate it anymore....as it will be celebrated only until the Tibetans earn their freedom again. Let us work together to make it so.
May Ma'at prevail and may human rights be protected.
Dua Ma'at! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day: "For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain
Until then, may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama's favorite prayer
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 7, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Are you afraid of your own power?
Do you deny that you have the ability to change your own world from the foundations upward because you fear what you might do (or might neglect to do) with that authority?
Do you cut yourself down when you wish to be powerful, or worse yet, hand your power over to others? When good things happen to you, do you insist they must be the work of someone else, and when bad things happen, do you blame them on everyone but yourself?
What will it take for you to realize that no one holds the keys to your own destiny but you? You alone, not even Netjer can do this. Netjer can only stand patiently to the side and hope that you can see that key in your own hand. It must be you who takes that key and opens the door, or closes it, as the case might be. It was always your key, and your door, to begin with.
To see the key and to take it in hand are the beginning of power, and that power is yours. In Ma'at, take it up, and be it.
Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day: "To resort to power one need not be violent, and to speak to conscience one need not be meek. The most effective action both resorts to power and engages conscience. "
Barbara Deming
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Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 6, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Take time out today to talk to your Akhu (the ancestors or blessed dead).
Really talk...spend some time speaking aloud about your day, your thoughts, your dreams, your problems and successes. Share with them what you have been doing since the last time you talked; tell them about other family and friends they might be interested in hearing about in That City of the West.
Share history with them and maybe even with other Children of Netjer. Talk about your Akhu; feed their kas with the living history of the spoken word. While they may not walk among us in the flesh, they are always here and deserve our attention and love.
Dua Akhu! Dua Netjer! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day: "Language is the archives of history."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Nisut (AUS) with a private prayer!
Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 5, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
The day after we honor the Star that brings new life and the Midwife Who supports it, we meet the Father: Min, in a ritual appearance today.
In antiquity Min had the singular honor of being the only Name of Netjer Whose holy image was carried out of temples uncovered. One was compelled to look upon Him in all of His glory, complete with His erect penis in one hand and a flail of authority in the other. Later cultures in Egypt would hack out images of Min, declaring them of prurient interest, trying to hide that which is only natural.
The people of Kemet were not afraid or ashamed of body parts. Min is the Layer of Seed, both metaphorically and literally; His travelling out among the people of Kemet in antiquity was a celebration of life and sexual awareness, with no shame attached.
Honor Min by offering long-leaf lettuce, His favorite food and an anciently known aphrodisiac today, and celebrate His festival in any appropriate, meaningful, and safe way. It is also a very appropriate day to pray for fertility issues in starting a family.
Dua Min! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"It is the creative potential itself in human beings that is the image of God."
Mary Daly
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Nisut (AUS) with a private prayer!
Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 4, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
In preparation for the Opening of the Year (Wep Ronpet, or Kemetic New Year's Day) coming one month from today, we honor Sopdet, the Name of Aset embodied in the star Sirius, Whose reappearance in the summer sky announces the return of fertility to the Two Lands.
Additionally we honor Heqat, Midwife of the Netjeru, Who enables rebirth, even that of the year itself, to happen. At this time last year, Heqat gave Her blessings at the birth of Dante Lee Ramirez, the first child born to Kemetic Orthodoxy in its modern form.
We offer an anniversary of thanks for Dante's safe birth, ask for all blessings for him and for his parents, and thank Netjer for reminding us that each birth is like the return of the star -- a new beginning.
Dua Sopdet-Aset! Dua Heqat! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
Heru em meses nefer enek (Happy birthday to you), Dante!
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Nisut (AUS) with a private prayer!
Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 3, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Mut goes to visit Ra today.
In our shrine, Their icons share the same altar. It is the Day of the Reunion of the Eye with Its Owner, the visit of the Mother to Her Father the Sun. Bring offerings to both of Them today under the sunlight and rejoice.
Dua Mut! Dua Ra! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"He spends the days and the hours that She might be happy."
From a Hymn to Mut, concerning Ra's love for Her
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Nisut (AUS) with a private prayer!
Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 2, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
Today is the festival of "Isis Luminous" (Aset Webenut, or "Aset Who Shines.") It is one of the most beautiful festivals of our entire Kemetic year and many of us look forward to its reappearance on the calendar.
Children of Netjer around the world will gather today to place prayers in the form of paper boats with lamps/candles in them into living bodies of water (rivers, streams, oceans). Some who are landlocked may even celebrate Aset Webenut by floating boats in their bathtubs!
But no matter where they are or what they pray, Netjer's Children will gather this evening to share Aset's eternal love in the form of a shining light. Know that your light does not shine alone.
Dua Aset Webenut! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
If you would like to have prayers added to the boats our Nisut (AUS) will place in a river as part of Her devotions for the Aset Webenut festival, please direct them to Her Scribe at seshet@kemet.org. Make the subject line "Aset Prayer." Prayers received after the actual ritual takes place will be honored in Her shrine rites. Your prayer requests are always welcome!
Email our
Nisut (AUS) with a private prayer!
Daily Devotions from Her Holiness
Nisut Hekatawy I (ankh udja seneb)
July 1, 2000
Bless all the children of Netjer, known and unknown!
May your coming be peaceful.
It is the first day of the last month of our Kemetic year today, in addition to a festival in honor of three Names: Hethert, Heru-Behdety (the form of Heru-wer honored at the city of Edfu in Upper Egypt); and Unnefer ("the Beautiful One," a form of Wesir.
Again, we are called to honor Netjer's leadership: the Queen/Mother, Her Consort, and the Ancestral King His Father. Again we are reminded at the time of year when difficulties are high, we have strong protectors in the form of these Names to guide us and to make sure we reach safe harbor at New Year without incident.
It is the Circle of Life we honor today: the Mother, the Father and the Ancestor. Remember Them all in your shrines.
Dua Hethert, Dua Behdety, Dua Wesir! Nekhtet!
Thought for the Day:
"May You make me a path I may pass on in peace,
for I am one who is honest and true.
I did not tell a lie on purpose,
nor did I do evil twice."
Pert-em-Hru of Ani, Chapter 15: Prayer to Wesir-Wennefer
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Nisut (AUS) with a private prayer!
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