Em hotep nefer weret (in great and perfect peace), dearest readers!
Before I break my own news, I just wanted to express my sincere thanks toward those of you — current members, former members, and non-members all — who helped boost the signal for the House of Netjer. We’ve raised just over a thousand dollars of our $5500 goal. Please keep signal-boosting and contributing — we only have eight days to raise the remainder!
Now, for my own news . . .
As some of you already know, I’ve been with the House of Netjer as a Remetj for just over four years. Some of you are likewise aware that, for the last year, I’d been seriously contemplating undertaking the Rite of Parent Divination and entering into Shemsuhood. Well . . .
I am no longer a Remetj.
Earlier this week, I took the great leap and scheduled myself for the Rite of Parent Divination. On Wednesday, the 20th of April, I had the Divination performed. My Akhu had a good message for me in the preliminary divination, and for the second portion, I was Divined to be a daughter of Set and Amun-Re “as”* Banebdjedet. My Beloveds were revealed to be Wesir “as” Herishef, and Heru-Wer.
The results were not much of a surprise, though I wasn’t at all expecting Banebdjedet in any sense or form. Nevertheless, these results were a wonderful, relieving confirmation that resolved some confusion I’d been living with in my everyday life and practice for some time.
Following the results of the RPD, I made the decision to become a Shemsu, a full convert to Kemetic Orthodoxy who swears to serve Parent and Beloved deities first (but not exclusively). I will be receiving my “full conversion” name next week, during the end-of-the-month Naming Ceremonies.
Undergoing the RPD at long last has been so cathartic and fulfilling. I’m so happy that I finally took this step, after being with the Temple as a Remetj for four years. Contrary to my long-held expectations, I wasn’t anywhere near as nervous as I thought I’d be. I am glad I waited as long as I did before undertaking this process, for making the effort to ensure I was prepared for the responsibilities attached to the knowledge imparted through the divination.
I felt welcome in my Temple before, but the reception I received after finally being Divined . . . wow, I feel even more part of it than I did before. I have a total sense of my direction now, and I couldn’t be happier.
Dua Netjer for affirming clarity, and Dua Netjer for my Temple and community!
NOTES
“As” in this context might be confusing, and you may be wondering why there’s no hyphen present there.
My “As” Parent and Beloved aren’t the only ones Who have ever presented Themselves to anyone in a “stratified,” multivalent manner during the RPD. However, They must each be treated on a case-by-case basis. My situation shouldn’t be taken to be “the rule” for all complicated RPD results.
Concerning my Beloved, Wesir “as” Herishef, He / They are not functioning as a standard syncretic deity, but as a “dyad in one,” for lack of better terms. They are not two Beloveds, but are occupying the same space. At the same time, They are not the self-same Being. In the clarifying throws during the divination, They emphatically declared Their desire “not to be disconnected.”
Concerning my Father Amun-Re “as” Banebdjedet, I took His / Their particular appearance to mean Amun-Re Djefedjef, “Hidden within His Iris.” This iris relates not to a flower, but to an eye. In Amun Theology, Banebdjedet is the hidden-while-seen form of Amun-Re, dwelling within the sun disc. The iris, being the physical sun disc, in turn relates to Amun-Re’s Eye-Goddess, most typically Sekhmet. The way He / They came up in my divination results, it was such that I could say I was the daughter of Amun-Re, Banebdjedet, or as of Amun-Re-manifesting-as-Banebdjedet, and all such expressions would be true.
