The Hare Goddess Wenet

When we think of Easter, the "Easter Bunny" is a main topic for festivity and play. In ancient Egypt, the rabbit, or hare, was the Goddess Wenet. The Egyptians venerated the hare because of its swiftness and keen senses. The hare’s form was also taken by other deities who had associations with the Otherworld. In … Continue reading The Hare Goddess Wenet

Sacred Sanctuary Animals and 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 Sacred Sanctuary Animals and Wadjet

Egyptians Loved and Honored Their… Dogs!

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!

Sekhet, the Fen-Goddess

Sekhet (Sokhet, Sakhet, Sochet) is the ancient Egyptian Goddess of the life of the fields, meadows, marshes and the wetlands. She is Mistress of Sekhet-Aaru, the Field of Reeds, the Otherworld paradise where Osiris rules. It has been described as the ka (soul) of the Nile Delta. As the Goddess of marshes or fields, she … Continue reading Sekhet, the Fen-Goddess

The Great Feline Deities

Probably the most well known Egyptian cat deity is Bastet (Bast) however there are also a number of other ancient Egyptian gods who were associated with cats. The goddess Neith was said to take the form of a cat occasionally and the goddesses Tefnut and Sekhmet were pictured as lions. An inscription in the Valley … Continue reading The Great Feline Deities

Wepwawet, the Opener of Ways

Listening to the coyotes communicating in howls and yips just yards away from our Sanctuary, brings to mind one of the most ancient Egyptian gods, Wepwawet (also known as Ap-aut and Sed) a wolf-like god whose worship originated in Upper Egypt. His name means "Opener of the Ways" and this has been interpreted as opening … Continue reading Wepwawet, the Opener of Ways

Tatenen, the Exalted Earth God

The god Tatenen (Ta-tenen), whose name means "risen land" or "exalted earth," represents the Earth and was born the moment the primeval mound, benben, rose from the waters of chaos. He also symbolizes the emergence of silt from the fertile Nile after the waters of the inundation recede. Tatenen was the god of vegetation, the … Continue reading Tatenen, the Exalted Earth God

The Feast Day of Heru-ur

Heru-ur (Horus the Elder) was the son of Geb and Nut (the Earth and the Sky), making him one of the oldest gods of ancient Egypt. In Predynastic times he was combined with a hawk or falcon god and a god of light known as “the great one.” By the Old Kingdom era he was … Continue reading The Feast Day of Heru-ur

Aker, Guardian of the Horizon

Aker (also known as Akeru) was one of the earliest Egyptian Gods of the earth and ancient sources indicate that he was worshiped before other known earth gods, such as Geb. He represented the deification of the horizon and, as guardian of the eastern and western horizons of the afterlife, it was Aker who opened … Continue reading Aker, Guardian of the Horizon

Sekhmet-Bast-Re, Mother of the Gods

The Ancient Egyptians were very fond of cats, as I have shared in several posts. The worship of cats began with Sekhmet, over 5000 years ago, the fierce Goddess of war and the destroyer of the enemies of the sun god Re. She was believed to be the Mother of Gods and a creator goddess … Continue reading Sekhmet-Bast-Re, Mother of the Gods