Where do I start?

Starting with Kemeticism

Where should you start? Read, read, and read. And when you think you’re done reading… read some more. But be cautious about the content you’re selecting, because there are a lot of questionable books and practices out there that may seem good on the cover but are not really geared toward authentic Kemetic practice nearly as much as you might think.

It’s not to say that you can’t delve into a wide variety of books written from different viewpoints (some from Kemetic points of view and some from more Paganized / New-age perspectives, for example), but when creating a foundation, you should build it strongly with good materials, allowing you to build up the walls of your practice securely. When you have the basics down, being able to read a wider variety of book types with critical discernment will come much more easily to you.

A good place to start is Temple of the Cosmos (Jeremy Naydler) in terms of getting an overview of Ancient Egyptian thought; however, please note that not all books by Naydler are recommended reading, he does have some problematic content in other publications that I simply cannot recommend.

Red Land, Black Land (Barbara Mertz) is an amazing option that I have on my own shelf for a look into Ancient Egyptian civilization, daily life, and culture. Barbara’s talent as a fiction writer (under the names Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters) is apparent here in her ability to make an educational non-fiction book so easy-to-read and simple to absorb.

If you’re looking for authentically-sourced rituals, Eternal Egypt and Everlasting Egypt (both by Richard Reidy) are highly recommended. The problem with modern-day Kemetic practice is that there are so many books floating around with inauthentic practice, which isn’t wrong (if that’s the direction you want to take your spiritual life), but it can be a confusing world out there for people looking for historically-sourced rites. Delving into a single book written by those who have taken the time to study, research, and notate practices as the original culture would have known them is therefor more valuable than a multitude of new-age-style books born entirely from someone’s personal imagination.

If you’re looking for a start into archaeology, I can recommend An Introduction to the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt (Kathryn A. Bard). This is heavily a textbook-style read so if that’s not your jam, be forewarned, but it has invaluable information and in terms of more scholastic-education-style content, it continues to be easy to read, but may bore readers who are not looking for this style of content.

When thinking about magic in Ancient Egypt, a few books come to mind: Symbol & Magic in Egyptian Art (Richard H. Wilkinson), Magic in Ancient Egypt (Geraldine Pinch) and Ancient Egyptian Magic: A Hands-On Guide (Christina Riggs). Be cautious with the Riggs book as quite a bit of it is good but there are some moments of content that can stray a bit far from what I might recommend, so always read discerningly.

And while I am not usually a person to make a “do not read” list, I can truly tell you to avoid the book Heka: The Practices of Ancient Egyptian Ritual & Magic (David Rankine) at all costs, as useful information is sparse to non-existent. This is a very misleading, crudely-written, fairly empty-calorie book where you will learn almost nothing about actual Heka or ancient practice, and it is the definition of books I would say to avoid at least in the beginning. Instead, if you are still yearning for a good meal on Kemetic magic / heka, try The Mechanics of Ancient Egyptian Magical Practice by Robert Kriech Ritner and you can actually download the 1st and 4th printings here.

Looking for an Encyclopedia on the Kemetic Gods? Look no further than CEED, The Complete Encyclopedia of Egyptian Deities (Tamara L. Siuda) which is the most recent book on the scene to tackle the sprawling list of Ancient Egyptian divinity. As well, Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, another Richard H. Wilkinson book, is a great option. The first 60 or so pages give you an overall look into the concept of Ancient Egyptian divinity, followed by an Encyclopedia of names with valuable information. Finally, Geraldine Pinch comes in with another book worth picking up: Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt.

Starting with the Gods

People often ask the question: How do I get started with x-Deity? or How do I approach the Gods?

Let’s say you want to invite family or friends over for a get-together. What are the average steps you would go through to make this happen?

First, you’ll want to actually invite the people over. They don’t know they should be there if you don’t extend to them the offer, after all. Next, you’ll probably get your house ready, which may involve various aspects of cleaning or setting the scene with decor or amenities. Before your guests arrive, you’ll clean yourself: clean clothes and a shower for example.

Once they arrive, you’ll be welcoming your guests into your home and offering some level of refreshment, perhaps some entertainment. You’ll be having conversations, asking them about their lives, and answering questions about your own. Finally, when your gathering has concluded, you’ll be greeting everyone on the way out, thanking them for getting together, promising to do it again soon.

I have great news for you: You now have all of the instructions you need to get started with the majority of Deities.

I think sometimes people are a bit confused that there must be a separate, super-secret, uber-magical formula to start connecting with a Deity, or with one Deity vs. any other Deity. While all the Gods have different preferences and personalities, which you will learn only with time, the basics are always going to be roughly the same:

  • Get your space ready
    • A quiet spot out of the way is often recommended for talking with the Gods, but at the very least, just ensure the spot or space is clean. Remember while some tools and offerings might be common or seem ‘standard’ for certain practices, your ritual space doesn’t have to be the same as anyone else’s, nor does it have to be complicated or elaborate. Large, sprawling shrines are lovely but are in fact completely unnecessary to basic practice. But if you want to have candles, incense, icons, and other tools available, have them set up before hand.

  • Get yourself ready
    • Cleanliness and Ritual Purity before the Gods was common practice in Ancient Egypt, particularly for the priesthood; but, you don’t need to over do it as a layperson. Just the basic idea of ‘clean’ will suffice in most cases: Clean clothes and clean hands / face, clean smelling, that sort of thing.

  • Send the invitation (ask the God(s) to join you)
    • An invitation is as simple as saying “I want to talk with you, please join me”. It can be more elaborate than that with prayers and/or ritual but if we’re talking about getting started at the most basic level, the Gods should be invited, and in my belief, the Gods want to be invited. They do want to be parts of our lives, but they will not overly-impose themselves on those not wanting to work with them. So be clear, and you can keep it simple if needed.

  • Extend hospitality (offerings, prayer/praise, music, candles, incense, etc.)
    • Offerings in Ancient Egypt were the norm, it was anticipated you would have something to give the Gods during your interaction. The basic staple here is cool water: it is traditional and readily available. If you want to go further, breads, beer or other alcohols, meats, fruits, and honey are all basic common practice. Just keep in mind we revert offerings in Kemeticism, meaning we consume them. When the Gods arrive, they will “add” to the offering as they partake in its essence, and consuming the offerings both prevents waste and becomes a divine benefit to us as well. |
    • Non-food offerings are also common, like incense, jewelry, flowers, candles, music, and symbols of power or meaning (Ankh, Djed, etc).
    • Your very prayer and words of praise are also offerings. Prayers again do not need to be elaborate: they can be simple, to the point, and in modern practice it is recommended to pray in a language you understand fluently. It may seem really interesting to make prayers in the Middle Egyptian language for example, but what’s more important than words or letters, is your full and complete understanding of those words as you write and/or speak them.

  • Have a conversation
    • Say “Hello” — yes, it’s that simple.
    • Talk about your life, your goals, your needs, your past, your future, asking questions, anything you want to talk about is on the table.
    • Don’t forget to listen as well. You may get answers to your questions right away, but something to keep in mind is that the answers may not always be crystal clear nor immediate. Always be open and receptive to the Gods in your life going forward once you have introduced yourself and invited them to the table.

  • Thank Everyone for their presence, assistance, and wisdom.

Ultimately, it’s important to remember: If it’s just you, an invitation, and a prayer? It’s enough. 

You are enough.