Does anyone work with/worship Thoth?

[Darkhawk]

Hilariously, despite the fact that He's not one of the deities I am primarily focused on, my Djehwty shrine is one of the only things I have actually set up at the new place.



So, yes.

[Aine Rayne]

Hilariously, despite the fact that He's not one of the deities I am primarily focused on, my Djehwty shrine is one of the only things I have actually set up at the new place.

So, yes.

lol that's funny XD what's he like for you? how'd you come to work with him?

[FierFlye]

That actually doesn't tell me how to pronounce it though. I can think of four ways to pronounce that "dje" syllable XD thanks for the confirmation of his name though.

Sorry, I thought you meant you didn't know what his name WAS, either. I don't know how to pronounce it. In my head I say "Dedge- U - tee". (Dedge rhymes with edge and u rhymes with ewe.) But that's just me, I could be way off.

[Aine Rayne]

Sorry, I thought you meant you didn't know what his name WAS, either. I don't know how to pronounce it. In my head I say "Dedge- U - tee". (Dedge rhymes with edge and u rhymes with ewe.) But that's just me, I could be way off.

to be fair I did phrase it that way, since I was looking for some confirmation that that's what his name was. *hugs*

[SatSekhem]

Ok, so here goes, how did you come to Kemeticism? How did you actually get your practice started? What suggestions can you give to someone who has little personal time or space to make anything even remotely resembling a shrine and probably can't afford any icons of deities or anything else? How about if there's no place to do ritual that you can access? I'm probably just making excuses, but it's still of concern to me.

It fell in my lap. I've always had a passion for ancient Egypt, so when I began exploring paganism, it was kind of like, 'Well, duh.' As for getting started, I did a lot of reading. I read and read and read as many books as I could get my hands on. Pretty much, that was my beginning. Finally, after reading "Eternal Egypt" by Richard Reidy, I finally started doing daily services to my patron (Sekhmet). And thus, a practice was born. So to speak.

As for little time, that's not so horrible. A lot of us have very busy, overflowing lives. And it's not like the gods want you to quit your day job so that you can always be surrounded by them. Heck, some gods may even steer you in the direction of work so that your work is in relation to them. (I'm thinking of the user, Jennett, when I saw that.) The thing is that life can and will get in the way so expect that. In the mean time, just get to know the god(s) in question. Give a little offering. Say a few words. Say a little prayer while you're driving to work. Even these "little things" can mean the world to the gods in question.

Heh. The altar/shrine thing. This was always a big issue for me. I've always found that I needed a "face" or something to look at when I focus on gods. I guess I'm just visually oriented that way. Since I couldn't afford a Sekhmet statue for the longest time, I just bought a plant that reminded me of her and flah-bammo! It got offerings and chats and attention. And really, why do you HAVE to do ritual? Yes, if you're following a more reconstruction ideal here then, I guess it's probably going to come up. In the mean time, just starting out, don't worry about all that. Just get to know who you want to work with.

How do you go about making your religion and worship "not weird, not strange at all" to any significant others?

My hubby is an atheist. But, he's open to the fact that people have religion and he may not subscribe to it. That's a big bonus. The fact that your boyfriend may be asking questions is also a bonus. It doesn't just mean that you teach him things, but you can also bounce ideas off of him. At this point, the Hubby and I have been together for five years. So, when I start harvesting petals or I get down on my knees to pay obeisance to Sekhmet, he's pretty much inured to it now. (The more "awkward" questions are from my child. Try explaining obeisance to a four-year-old!) But, really. The situation of not sharing the religion with said significant other is the "awkward" part; not the religion itself.

Try not to look at it that way. And be honest. If you think his questions are weird, then tell him that. Explain it.

What sorts of daily things do you do everyday? How is it more connected to your life than what your birth religion might be? What are your particular chosen deities like to you? Should I have more expectations, less expectations?

I don't do anything daily. I used to, as I've mentioned, but I've long since learned that daily isn't necessarily for me. Maybe one day, I'll have that patience and wherewithall to do these things on a daily basis, but in the mean time, it's on an as-needed basis. I find it simpler this way and I'm less likely to get angsty and feisty about MUSTHAVINGTODO insert operation.

I live this religion; I never lived Christianity.

Sekhmet is quiet and pleasant. She has a habit of getting in my face when I'm deliberately ignoring her. But, I think you'll find that most netjer are very calm, cool, and collected. I think that's one of the reasons I love working with them so much. I'm not an emotional person, at all, so it's great that neither are my gods. And as for expectations: they're whatever you want them to be.

[Aine Rayne]

It fell in my lap. I've always had a passion for ancient Egypt, so when I began exploring paganism, it was kind of like, 'Well, duh.' As for getting started, I did a lot of reading. I read and read and read as many books as I could get my hands on. Pretty much, that was my beginning. Finally, after reading "Eternal Egypt" by Richard Reidy, I finally started doing daily services to my patron (Sekhmet). And thus, a practice was born. So to speak.

As for little time, that's not so horrible. A lot of us have very busy, overflowing lives. And it's not like the gods want you to quit your day job so that you can always be surrounded by them. Heck, some gods may even steer you in the direction of work so that your work is in relation to them. (I'm thinking of the user, Jennett, when I saw that.) The thing is that life can and will get in the way so expect that. In the mean time, just get to know the god(s) in question. Give a little offering. Say a few words. Say a little prayer while you're driving to work. Even these "little things" can mean the world to the gods in question.

Heh. The altar/shrine thing. This was always a big issue for me. I've always found that I needed a "face" or something to look at when I focus on gods. I guess I'm just visually oriented that way. Since I couldn't afford a Sekhmet statue for the longest time, I just bought a plant that reminded me of her and flah-bammo! It got offerings and chats and attention. And really, why do you HAVE to do ritual? Yes, if you're following a more reconstruction ideal here then, I guess it's probably going to come up. In the mean time, just starting out, don't worry about all that. Just get to know who you want to work with.



My hubby is an atheist. But, he's open to the fact that people have religion and he may not subscribe to it. That's a big bonus. The fact that your boyfriend may be asking questions is also a bonus. It doesn't just mean that you teach him things, but you can also bounce ideas off of him. At this point, the Hubby and I have been together for five years. So, when I start harvesting petals or I get down on my knees to pay obeisance to Sekhmet, he's pretty much inured to it now. (The more "awkward" questions are from my child. Try explaining obeisance to a four-year-old!) But, really. The situation of not sharing the religion with said significant other is the "awkward" part; not the religion itself.

Try not to look at it that way. And be honest. If you think his questions are weird, then tell him that. Explain it.



I don't do anything daily. I used to, as I've mentioned, but I've long since learned that daily isn't necessarily for me. Maybe one day, I'll have that patience and wherewithall to do these things on a daily basis, but in the mean time, it's on an as-needed basis. I find it simpler this way and I'm less likely to get angsty and feisty about MUSTHAVINGTODO insert operation.

I live this religion; I never lived Christianity.

Sekhmet is quiet and pleasant. She has a habit of getting in my face when I'm deliberately ignoring her. But, I think you'll find that most netjer are very calm, cool, and collected. I think that's one of the reasons I love working with them so much. I'm not an emotional person, at all, so it's great that neither are my gods. And as for expectations: they're whatever you want them to be.

Well this post makes me feel better then :3 although, a plant, that would make me feel weird because my plants are individuals, though I guess one could think of them as messengers of sorts if used in the way you've used one lol that's an interesting concept at least. And trust me, I'm reading lol I love reading, so that's fine :D

I plan to have kids, and I know they are gonna be soooooo confused growing up lol because I want to teach them my values and different ways to see religion, but I also want them to have the positive experience with Christianity that I had, and it's doubtless my parents are gonna have that influence on them. That's one conversation I don't look forward to, my dad is ok with me being non-Christian, my mother doesn't know and I honestly don't want her to, that's a huge argument waiting to happen, especially when the time comes for me to make my own leap into motherhood. Meh, I'll figure it out when the time comes.

Also, I actually don't think my boyfriend's questions are weird at all, every now and then he throws a childish one in there, but for the most part they're very reasonable questions for someone who has trouble visualizing and understanding what he has been trying to believe in for years, and is then presented with a girlfriend who's not only religious but has a somewhat decent grasp of how it works and then has the nerve to be academic about it and then follow it up with a giant religion change to something even odder and more complicated than Christianity XD

I've bounced some ideas off him, usually in the form of "would you think it weird if I...?" sort of things lol (the answer btw, is usually yes X3) I don't mind him being irreligious or uninterested, or some other religion, or super curious, I mind not being able to answer his questions easily. Oh and I don't want him to stare in curiousity, that would just be distracting lol

I'm not sure how to bring him into it without making him feel awkward or confused or something. He expressed interest in essentially following me around the merry-go-round since he really isn't sure what he wants or expects out of any religion or how to go about choosing a new one for himself. He has a very hard time praying to anything, it's not so much he doesn't believe God exists but that he has a difficult time connecting and so that troubles and discourages him and makes him worry and doubt and then he feels like a bad Christian so he avoids church and religious discussions. And then he feels stupid for not understanding.

[Juni]

Interesting. I guess I expected him to be quiet, calm, and observant XD do you enjoy talking to him?

I suppose so, yes? He is pleasant and patient and hasn't given me any homework yet (that is not an invitation or request, universe) so there's no reason for me to dislike working with him.

He is one of the more... I don't want to say distant, but for the moment one of the least interactive of my path's pantheon, and I suspect that if I were on a different road, I wouldn't have him in my life. (Though I suppose that could be said by anyone, couldn't it?)

[SatAset]

to be fair I did phrase it that way, since I was looking for some confirmation that that's what his name was. *hugs*

Kemet.org pronounciation guide says this:
"dj" is a "dg" as in "dodge". Here is a link to the guide: http://www.kemet.org/terms_list.html#key

I would pronounce Djehuty as "Je hoo tee".

[Darkhawk]

lol that's funny XD what's he like for you? how'd you come to work with him?

Elegant precision.

Consider: the wading bird is still and poised, unmoving save for perhaps a ruffle of the feathers. Then there is an instant of elegant, precise movement. Then the stork, or heron, ... or ibis... is holding a fish in his beak.

Then the fish is gone.

I was reading The Book of Five Rings. Miyamoto Musashi had a fascinating philosophy in his studies of swordsmanship and tactics. He was also a master calligrapher, and is said to have considered these arts effectively one and the same: the mastery of any art illuminates the depths of any other.

This is the truth of absolute precision.

[veggiewolf]

Questions? Of course I have questions Ok, so here goes, how did you come to Kemeticism? How did you actually get your practice started?

I came to Kemeticism in a round-about way. Sekhmet has been with me for years, but I tried to shape my relationship with Her into a Wiccish model, with odd and interesting results. It wasn't until I discovered Kemeticism and got smacked in the head for my pains that I actually realized what She wanted of me and began a Kemetic practice.

What suggestions can you give to someone who has little personal time or space to make anything even remotely resembling a shrine and probably can't afford any icons of deities or anything else? How about if there's no place to do ritual that you can access? I'm probably just making excuses, but it's still of concern to me.

One doesn't need altars or shrines. They're nice but not necessary. I started with a daily ritual that consisted of little more than waking Sekhmet every morning and offering water in a little glass dish.

How do you go about making your religion and worship "not weird, not strange at all" to any significant others?

I...don't. My husband knew I was a pagan of some variety when we met and he's one of those "spiritual but not religious" types. He'd occasionally ask a question, and I'd answer it, but he's content to let me do what I do.

What sorts of daily things do you do everyday?

I pray. I've gotten lax about daily offerings, but I pray constantly and both Sekhmet and Neb.y Set are happy with that.

How is it more connected to your life than what your birth religion might be?

It is more connected because the netjeru sought me out. Sekhmet and Neb.y Set both claimed me as Their own and that's something that Jesus never did.

What are your particular chosen deities like to you?

Sekhmet is firm, but loving. She's a no-nonsense, results at any cost Goddess; when I act on Her behalf I do what is needed to uphold ma'at regardless of consequences. She's also a patron of physicians and healing, so I honor her through my work in the pharmaceutical industry. She's, in general, pleased with me, although I've been smacked in the head more than once.

Neb.y Set is, well, my Lord. I am His tool in this world.

Should I have more expectations, less expectations?

I always tell people to have fewer expectations. Not everyone is chosen by a deity. Not everyone has a patron. Going in with the attitude that you must find one may lead to disappointment and frustration.

Also, FWIW, I pronounce it Djeh-hoo-tee, with the 'Djeh' making a sound like the 'dge' in 'hedge'.