| God - is both one and many. There are many Gods, but there is a unity that binds them together. Some Kemetics see the Gods as aspects or faces of God, but I see them as actual independent beings. But I still can say 'God' or 'Gods' interchangeably and not feel it is a contradiction. Morality - is Ma'at. Ma'at has been translated as: right, good, truth, justice, balance, and harmony. It is the way things are supposed to be, the essential order of the universe. Without it, everything would fall into chaos and then cease to exist. Ma'at governs the movement of the planets and the interactions between people. Our job as humans is to try to live in Ma'at. Ma'at goes beyond the idea of "works". You should not do good just because it will get you brownie points. You should do good because it is good. "I made every man like his fellow. I did not ordain that they do wrong (Isfet); their hearts disobeyed what I had said." Speech of the Creator God, from the Coffin Texts. Death - we have a soul and will live on after death. Each person is judged on how they did in life. Their heart is weighed against the feather of Ma'at, and if their heart is light they go on to the Beautiful West. If their heart is too heavy it is fed to a demon, and their soul is destroyed. This is very rare. The Weighing of the Heart is not based on picking the "right" religion. Any good person will be able to pass. You don't have to be perfect. Creation - There are many different Kemetic creation myths. These are seen as metaphor, as creation is such an awesome event it cannot be described literally or in only one way. This event is called Zep Tepi - the first time. At Zep Tepi the Creator comes into being and begins the process of creation (by thought, word, or self-procreation.) The other Gods, the sun, the world, ect all are created at this time. Zep Tepi - At any time, anyone can tap into the energy of Zep Tepi and start over. All you have to do is realize that you have a multitude of choices, and you can decide to start doing good RIGHT NOW! Nothing says you have to be trapped by your past actions. You are responsible for them, yes, but you can move on with your life, you can change your life. The potential of Zep Tepi is always there, you are never "doomed." The evil still exists, but you have a new start. It's like walking down a path, when you realize you are going the wrong way. If you turn around and walk in the other direction, you then begin walking the *right* way. You still need to do something about the wrong you've done, but in my experience it is often enough to say you're sorry with heartfelt sincerity and not do it again, and apologize to anyone you hurt. Time - Zep Tepi is echoed over and over again. Each day is a reflection of Zep Tepi as the world is created at sunrise and passes into the time before creation at night. It is also echoed in the yearly cycle. How does one commune with Netjer [God]? On a simple level, we talk to each other. Then there are moments where there's this . . . connection. I don't know how to describe it. |
| Kemetic Religion |
| Here are a few major points of Kemetic religion, from my personal perspective: |