According to Herodotus (and other sources), while the Ancient Egyptians loved their Cats, Dogs were even more loved and honored. It has been written that when a pet cat died, all those who lived in the home shaved their eyebrows. However, in a home in which a dog died, all would shave their entire head … Continue reading Egyptians Loved and Honored Their… Dogs!
Category: Sacred Animals
Tawaret – The Great Female
Taweret was an ancient Egyptian goddess of maternity and childbirth, protector of women and children. She was known as "The Great Female," a fierce demonic fighter as well as a popular deity who guarded the mother and her newborn child. Tawaret was thought to assist women in labor and scare off demons that might harm … Continue reading Tawaret – The Great Female
Solar Re, Kek, Wenet and the Long Night Moon
Today, the shortest day of light and the longest night of darkness, Atum-Re meets me in various forms. To begin, Atum-Re's namesake, Re, greets me in the morning as he lounges on one of the solar arrays that grace and sustain our sanctuaries. Re loves to catch every bit of warmth and light from the … Continue reading Solar Re, Kek, Wenet and the Long Night Moon
Remembrance, Souls & Cats
For many of us, as the days grow colder and darker it is a time of reflection, remembrance and also respect for those who are on the other side of the veil. We celebrate this time with contemplative walks and decorating our sanctuaries with candlelight, the scents of lavender and rosemary, and fires in the … Continue reading Remembrance, Souls & Cats
New Moon Ritual
Moon rituals are an ancient and sacred practice that originated in Egypt, and other ancient civilizations, where moon worship was a part of the culture. The phases of the moon influence the growth or decline of plants, animals, and human life. Participating in the phases of the moon was seen as a sacred and necessary … Continue reading New Moon Ritual
The Caterpillar, the Cat, and the Butterfly
A secondary title for this post is Metamorphosis, which was inspired by an encounter with a lovely green caterpillar on the occasion of the recent Full Moon. This caterpillar, at some point in the future, will metamorphosize and take wing as a Butterfly, or so I thought. After doing some research, it turns out that … Continue reading The Caterpillar, the Cat, and the Butterfly
Saving a Sanctuary Animal and honoring Wadjet
There is so much pollution and man-made obstacles on this Earth. I am thinking particularly of the the animals trapped and killed by the plastic which previously held soda and beer cans, or carried groceries. There is a Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the North Pacific Gyre; a plastic wasteland in our Ocean off the … Continue reading Saving a Sanctuary Animal and honoring Wadjet
Matilda’s Full Moon
On this special Full Blood Moon we honor Matilda our dear friend, guardian of the Sanctuary, and lovely Isa Brown (red-blond) cuddle companion and pet. Matilda was a giant among chick-hens. She was much larger than her cock-companions. Perhaps because of her size, or protective nature, she was able to subdue raccoons and protect her … Continue reading Matilda’s Full Moon
Keeping the Bees
Keeping and caring for honey bees was practiced in Ancient Egypt for thousands of years. Aside from bees being recognized as the "Tears of Re" (the Sun), Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs reveal the importance of the honey bee, as well as the cultivation of hives for more than 4000 years, not only as a sweetener, but … Continue reading Keeping the Bees
The Inundation
At the heart of the Egyptian calendar year was the rising waters of the Nile as part of the annually-occurring inundation. Egyptians noted that the Sirius star (Sothis) would rise roughly at same time every year, which for between 3,000-2,500 BC was in late June. With the inundation usually happening shortly thereafter, the Egyptians celebrated … Continue reading The Inundation
