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Kemeticism is a re-creation of the religion of Ancient Egypt, and includes the revival of its belief systems, its spirituality and other relevant aspects of its culture, such as literature and art. It is a belief in the Neteru* (Gods and Goddesses). It is a way of living in harmony with and upholding ma'at, which is balance in all things: the cosmos, the natural world and that of human society. The practice of the Kemetic religion today strives to be a living revival of the religion of the peoples of Ancient Egypt. Kemeticism is a reconstructionist religion which utilizes scholarly methods to recreate the structures and practices of the ancient religion, and apply these to contemporary times. It bases its religious practices on modern scholarly and academic research. It is not a modern "New Age" interpretation of the beliefs of Ancient Egypt, nor is it an extrapolation based on any Western religio-magickal traditions such as Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, but rather the actual religious practices as recorded by the Ancient Egyptians. As Kemeticism can be considered one of the African Traditional Religions, which come from similar geographic and sociological sources, many Kemetics share styles and approaches to religious experience, rituals and life with such religions. * There are several different ways of spelling and pronouncing the Ancient Egyptian terms for Deity/Deities. This has been chosen for simplicity and should not be interpreted to indicate that this spelling is inherently superior to any other. This is a matter of individual preference. For more information, see our Kemetic FAQ. Our forum has a Special Interest Group board devoted to discussions about Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism: Reformed Kemeticism SIG. Suggested Reading(Links are to book pages at Amazon.com and may not be to the specific printing listed.) Primary SourcesFaulkner, R. O., The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts )Oxford University Press, 1969) Faulkner, R. O., The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day (Chronicle Books, 1999) Ogden Goelet (Editor), Eva Von Dassow, James Wasserman. Faulkner, R. O., The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts, Vol. I, Spells 1-354 (Aris & Phillips, Ltd. 1973) Faulkner, R. O., The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts, Vol. II, Spells 355-787 (Aris & Phillips, Ltd. 1977) Academic SourcesNote: For a really nice bibliography, please see the article titled: "A Beginner's Guide to Egyptology 2001" by Donald P. Ryan in the Summer 2001 issue of KMT, Volume 12, Number 2. (KMT is a magazine about all thing Egyptian, from an academic point of view. It is a very good resource for current theories and research in Egyptology.) Allen, James P., Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs (Cambridge University Press, 1999). This book is introduction to the ancient Egyptian system of hieroglyphic writing and the language known as Middle Egyptian. David, Rosalie, The Ancient Egyptians. 2nd rev. ed. (Sussex Academic Press, Brighton, UK, 1998). This book traces the evolution of religious beliefs and practices within the historical and political contexts of the major periods of Egypt's civilization. Hart, George, A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1986). A comphrehensive dictionary of the the deities of ancient Egypt. Hornung, Erik; Baines, John (translator), Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many (Cornell University Press, 1982). The book discusses aspects of divinity, the iconography and characteristics of the gods, and the relationship between gods and believers in ancient Egypt. Lesko, Barbara S, The Great Goddesses of Egypt (University of Oklahoma Press, 1999). The book presents in depth histories of the cults of seven major Egyptian Goddesses. Meeks, Dimitri and Favard-Meeks, Christine; G. M. Goshgarian (translator), Daily Life of the Egyptian Gods (Cornell University Press. 1996). This book describes the ancient Egyptian gods' community and the structures of their society. Pinch, Geraldine, Magic in Ancient Egypt (University of Texas Press, Austin, 1994). This book examines the magical techniques, practitioners, surviving magical texts, and objects used in magic in ancient Egypt. Shafer Byron E (editor), Religion in Ancient Egypt (Cornell University Press. 1991). An examination of religion in ancient Egypt, stressing the experience of the individual believer. Selected LinksAkhet Hwt-Hrw Temple & School of the Religion of Ancient Egypt Dover Publications: Dover has a ton of fun Egypt stuff-books, bookmarks, stencils, stickers, activity boxes, etc. OrganizationsThe International Network of Kemetics Oriental Institute: A wonderful source of texts that also sponsors classes and films, etc. Mailing ListsAncient Egyptian Language Email List and Archives We would like to thank Nyx from the International Network of Kemetics for providing almost all of the above information. Hekersebeqenaset's EssaysHekersebeqenaset says "I would like everyone to keep in mind that all my writings are from my point of view. They were not created to be the opinions and/or views of all other Kemetics or any other adherents to other Pagan Religions." Introduction to Kemeticism Temple of the Cosmos In Her Image Impurity The Position of Nisut Hemet Heka Money and Kemeticism Role of Priesthood Divination Literal Myth Sex is Not Taboo What is Ma'at? Fear of God Menstruation and Blood Taboo Kemetic Scholarship Wine Wine Liturgy Isfet Didn't Do It Community and Religion |
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