My Kemetic Conclusion: Why I Chose Ancient Egyptian Paganism as a New Spiritual Path

 

It might seem ironic that I’ve chosen to call my very first post, A Kemetic Conclusion when we’ve only just begun our journey together. Looking back, the beginning of this journey was really the culmination of many endings; and I had to trust the process. In fact, the whole world was in a state of turmoil and so was I. Feeling like I was walking on a tight rope without a safety net, someone really was looking out for me, as I would soon discover.

 

Hi, my name is Scott and I’m the narrator and scribe at Kemetic Blog. In this post, I’d like to share how I drew a Kemetic conclusion about my life, and why I chose ancient Egyptian paganism as a new spiritual path. It all happened out of the blue to be honest, during the first wave of COVID-19 in Australia (I’m American by birth by the way, so I can see how that might be confusing). My work was whittled down to just 1.5 shifts per week, and I had to start job hunting and hopping in order to pay the bills and survive. It wasn’t much fun, but we were all in the same boat together. Some people had it far worse than I did. Some people were losing their lives, in fact, so I tried not to complain.

Once I gained a momentum in the task of putting my life back together again, it became obvious that new spiritual guides were working with me behind the scenes, and they were becoming more and more apparent. I’ve been able to perceive non-physical beings and realities my whole life, so that part at least, was nothing new. While it’s a gift, I shy away from terms like ‘psychic.’ Don’t worry, I don’t charge $5.95 per minute for anything. As it happens, I’m a nurse by profession (and at the time, I worked as a specialist in the treatment of medication-resistant depression and anxiety, using a treatment called TMS; work in this field depends on patient numbers and COVID kept most of the patients away, hence my work-life crisis).

On one hand, these new guides who had come into my life were very humble. They didn’t act like bigshots at all. No one burst through the door, declaring, “I am the great and powerful so-and-so.” In all honesty, they should have, because they were amazing. Yet they only revealed their identities to me once I asked them to.  Meanwhile, on the other hand, I could feel their energy was indeed, quite powerful. I almost became a little bit frightened at one point, because my experiences with them were so intense and almost paranormal, but I knew I didn’t want them to leave and there was no need to be afraid.

I was surrounded by a constant healing presence each night as I slept. It was an extremely nurturing experience that gave me a feeling of safety and well-being. At the time I was cleaning, rearranging and redecorating my bedroom and had come to realise that my intention to regenerate this area of my life had somehow sparked a connection with these beings. I began to receive messages as well, and I quickly realised these weren’t your average, run-of-the-mill spirit guides.

 

How my Kemetic conclusion came to be…

One night, in a moment of clarity, I realised these beings were actually deities who were not giving themselves enough credit. Not in the least! One particular impression I received was that the designer of the quilt-cover I bought for my room had been influenced by the deities (more than likely, an unconscious influence). The energy of these deities seemed imbued in the quilt cover — or like the quilt cover had been blessed by them. I finally asked these beings who they were, and I was immediately flooded with Egyptian imagery: white pyramids, ankhs, the wings of Isis and Anubis’ face; Tutankhamun’s golden funerary mask, Sekhmet was there also. I saw a lot of gold and the sparkling waters of the Nile River and the sun. Even the crocodile god, Sobek was there (whose name I would later learn) and he was quite cordial and gregarious with me. I quickly got the picture of who they were and what the go was. This was incredible! I’d never met pretty much an entire pantheon before; it was totally unprecedented. Also, for the record, I feel like I should clarify that my room refresh was not Egyptian-themed or anything like that, it was just some nice stuff from Target Australia. Oh, and also for the record, I didn’t have COVID-19. I wasn’t sick, and I wasn’t hallucinating!

I was given the name Ahsmet (ahh-smet / os-met) which I now know doesn’t appear to match up with any of the names we have for ancient Egyptian deities or netjeru, though I have come to the understanding that she is Aset better known as, Isis. I began to feel very grateful for the involvement of Isis in my life (and the other deities working with me as well). I developed a deepening sense of reverence for them. The closer I grew to the netjeru, the more I began to draw a Kemetic conclusion about my life.

What did I do to receive a bedroom full of ancient Egyptian deities tweaking the universe on my behalf? I honestly didn’t know, but it was clear that a relationship was forming. I felt bonded to Isis and the other deities. I began to feel very dedicated and loyal to them and I could feel they held me in the same regard; they hold all of humanity in high regard, and they work for our greater good behind the scenes, expecting nothing in return. That’s when I became firm about my Kemetic conclusion. It’s like when you catch someone doing something very good for others and they’re getting zero recognition for it, and you decide right then and there, that you’re going to have to do something about it.

I wanted to learn how to pay proper respects to these deities, and how to worship them, if you will. That’s what led me to research ancient Egyptian religion and spirituality for beginners. I began making offerings and performing simple ceremonies with massive amounts of positive feedback from the deities. Coming from a Roman Catholic background, with a bit of dabbling in New Age spirituality, it was still quite a leap to ancient Egyptian paganism.

It wasn’t so much that I was uncomfortable with Jesus Christ, I was uncomfortable with what the Church had become and really, had been for a long time. I stopped attending mass during the same-sex marriage plebiscite in Australia in 2017, when the Catholic Church was telling people to vote no. They had these pre-written letters printed out for parishioners to send to the politicians. I took the letters and shredded them; and the priest became flustered after the service, looking for all these letters that had mysteriously disappeared (I was a sacristan, so I knew my way around the place). But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t just the letters I shredded that day; it was my religion as well. No church should tell people what to think and how to vote. That wasn’t something I could be a part of, anymore. And that was that.

With my Kemetic conclusion, I knew such atrocities would never happen. As for how to become a Kemetic practitioner, I hardly knew where to begin, but that’s another story. If we come back to this crucial moment, I knew my life had changed and would never be the same. The happiness and resolve I felt, after having decided on a path that is spiritually safe and fulfilling, is quite profound. I think the story of every new Kemetic pagan is unique, though there are bound to be common threads. This is a theme I would love to explore more with you.

Thank you for reading my very first post at Kemetic Blog. To any Kemetic pagans who may be reading, I would love to connect with you and hear about how you drew your own Kemetic conclusion.