asked a Pagan?

[Circle_One]

i want to poke more into this belief, if i may?

what does your Kemetic religion see as sin? what sort of person's heart proves heavier than Ma'at's feather?

We have something called the Declaration of Innocence, or the 42 Negative Confessions written out in the Papyrus of Ani/Book of the Dead that we must recite upon facing Ma'at and Ammut. These 42 Negative Confessions are much like the 10 Commandments, though much longer (and even moreso outdated )

They are:
I have not done wrong.
I have not robbed
I have not stolen.
I have not killed people.
I have not destroyed food offerings.
I have not reduced the measures (meaning cheating the grain measures).
I have not stolen God's property.
I have not told lies.
I have not stolen food.
I was not sullen (resentful or unnecesarily unhappy).
I have not commited sexual perversion.
I have not caused anyone to weep.
I have not pretended to be that which I am not.
I have not violated divine law (Ma'at)
I have not done grain profiteering.
I have not robbed land.
I have not told or discussed secrets.
I have not brought about a lawsuit.
I have not disputed property.
I have not had intercourse with a married person.
I have not wrongly copulated
I have not made people afraid.
I have not transgressed.
I have not been hot tempered.
I have not told lies or withheld the truth.
I have not cursed.
I have not been violent.
I have not purposely misconstrued the truth.
I have not been impatient.
I have not discussed (as in inappropriate disscussions of any kind)
I have not been unnessecarily or annoyingly talkative.
I have not done evil.
I have not disputed the Pharaoh/King/Ruler/President/Queen/ruler in charge.
I have not waded in the purified water.
I have not been loud (yelled or raised my voice in anger).
I have not cursed a God.
I have not been boastful or glorified myself.
I have not hamed the bread ration to God.
I have not stolen the cakes from the Akhu.
I have not stolen cakes of a child
I have not fettered (constrained, or tried to shackle) the God of my town.
I have not slain cattle sacred to the Gods.

They are called the 42 Negative Confessions or the 42 Laws, but really they are neither. What each of the 42 lines consists of is purification and prayer. When we reach Ma'at and Ammut, we are to recite each of the 42 Laws that we did not do.

Now Kemetic Reconstructionists realize that some of these are outdated and so we feel that adhering strictly to each of these is no longer absolutely necessary, but more of a guideline of principles for what we should strive to achieve. We feel that Netjer understands that times, cultures and societies change and that now some of these things are harder to follow than they were back in Kemet.

 

[Circle_One]

Draka and Turk are big on the Hellenic side, and Meggie is big on the dianic tradition, i can poke them all respectively with a big stick if you'd like? :devil:

if no one minds, although this is Pagan DIR forum, i'd quite like to invite Danisty to post her beliefs on these questions as well, i think that would make for an interesting discussion.... perhaps this thread should go to comparative religion?

I completely agree with asking Danisty to share her views and beliefs!

 

[Circle_One]

Don't be sorry, I enjoyed reading that. I never met a Kemetic before.

I don't suppose there's someone out there who could give me a similar overview of some of the other cultural orthodoxies, like Celtic and Hellenic reconstruction?

Aww good, I'm glad I didn't bore you It's just really hard to explain my particular path in only a paragraph or two, hahaha. I think that's mainly because it's not widely practiced and so not a lot of people know about it. In fact, when I say Kemetic Reconstructionism, I usually get that "huh" look from people, until I go onto explain that KR is the reconstruction of the Ancient Egyptian religion. Then I normally get "Oh.. like you believe in the pharoah?" hahahaha!

It's fun confusing people, but it's even more fun explaining my beliefs

 

[Mike182]

Aww good, I'm glad I didn't bore you It's just really hard to explain my particular path in only a paragraph or two, hahaha. I think that's mainly because it's not widely practiced and so not a lot of people know about it. In fact, when I say Kemetic Reconstructionism, I usually get that "huh" look from people, until I go onto explain that KR is the reconstruction of the Ancient Egyptian religion. Then I normally get "Oh.. like you believe in the pharoah?" hahahaha!

It's fun confusing people, but it's even more fun explaining my beliefs

the funky girl i sit next to in my RE lectures is Kemetic Reconstructionist, she's very enlightening!

 

[CDRaider]

Thanks guys for being patient with me and explaining this stuff! :hugs:

 

[Gentoo]

i would assume that this tradition specific, so i will attempt to cover this by lumping it with my post on initiation rites and general coven practise to answer an earlier question, after i have got my info together

Any movement on this Mike? Take your time Just curious is all.

 

[Mike182]

Any movement on this Mike? Take your time Just curious is all.

sadly i have an essay due in end of next week, so i'm gonna have to focus more on that at the moment - but i shall get round to answering this!

i'm also gonna prepare a talk on Crowley for one of next terms Pagan Society meetings, so once i've brushed up on Crowley i will start throwing his perspective into some answers as well

 

[Gentoo]

sadly i have an essay due in end of next week, so i'm gonna have to focus more on that at the moment - but i shall get round to answering this!

i'm also gonna prepare a talk on Crowley for one of next terms Pagan Society meetings, so once i've brushed up on Crowley i will start throwing his perspective into some answers as well

Of course Have fun and good luck!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Hihi, guys! Just wanted to apologise for not having been able to participate very much in this thread so far! My term paper is coming due, and I just started a new job. Hopefully, will be back on longer soon! :hug:

 

[Mike182]

Hihi, guys! Just wanted to apologise for not having been able to participate very much in this thread so far! My term paper is coming due, and I just started a new job. Hopefully, will be back on longer soon! :hug:

we'll take what we can get of you! :hug:

 

[turk179]

Draka and Turk are big on the Hellenic side, and Meggie is big on the dianic tradition, i can poke them all respectively with a big stick if you'd like?

Actually, Draka is more on the Celtic side and I am on the Hellenic side although, for myself, this is only in regards to pantheon and this is only preference and has nothing to do with tradition. My beliefs are actually based on that all gods and goddesses are aspects of The One.
Although this may be common knowledge, I would like to point out that there so many traditions and opinions to paganism that there are usually no wrong answers. The only time you should be wary of a pagans answer is when a pagan tells you that there is only one right answer to a question or when it involves causing someone harm.

 

[Mike182]

*bump*

 

[Bishka]

I've heard of Margaret (something-the-rather) and Gerald Gardner. That they made a bunch of things up. Could you explain what's going on with that? What do Pagans think of them?

Which is the oldest our of all the Pagans paths?

Coiuld someone explain the Kemetic path to me?

 

[Gentoo]

I've heard of Margaret (something-the-rather) and Gerald Gardner. That they made a bunch of things up. Could you explain what's going on with that? What do Pagans think of them?

Which is the oldest our of all the Pagans paths?

Coiuld someone explain the Kemetic path to me?

That's a lot....

Perhaps I should let someone else explain about Margaret Murrey, as my knowledge on her is limited.

Gerald Gardner on the other hand, he's known as the founder of Modern Wicca. From what I understand, he took a lot from Alestair (sp?) Crowley and tweaked it. Basically, all of the Wicca traditions stemmed off from him. He's also the first (I think) to write down and make Wicca sort-of-known. It's weird, he promoted a religion and then said "Nope, can't talk about it, it's a secret." At least, this is my understanding, if I'm wrong someone please correct me.

The oldest pagan path...... Neanderthals painting animals on walls and throwing their spears at them to ensure a successful hunt...? Pagan simply refers to ideas from before Abrahamic religions.

Kemetic, again, I'll let someone else do that and then I'll learn something too

 

[Circle_One]

I suppose since I'm Kemetic, I'll be the one to explain it.

But before I go into a long, drawn out explanation, is there anything specific you want to know about it Becks?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

It's weird, he promoted a religion and then said "Nope, can't talk about it, it's a secret." At least, this is my understanding, if I'm wrong someone please correct me.

I think Gardner was worried about another witch-trial period. At least, that's the sense I got after reading his B.O.S. When discussing the "Old Laws," he mentions the "unhappy times," and warns that there are many enemies.

 

[Gentoo]

I think Gardner was worried about another witch-trial period. At least, that's the sense I got after reading his B.O.S. When discussing the "Old Laws," he mentions the "unhappy times," and warns that there are many enemies.

I know it was written in the 1950's, but his "Old Laws" read like they came from the Middle Ages. I just don't think they really apply to today, but should we need them, they're there.

That's also why the Wicca Oath is taken by initiates, to protect the religion and the followers from those who would do them harm.

 

[Mike182]

I've heard of Margaret (something-the-rather) and Gerald Gardner. That they made a bunch of things up. Could you explain what's going on with that? What do Pagans think of them?

i think of them as religious/spiritual thinkers, and they came out with some good ideas in my oppinion.

Which is the oldest our of all the Pagans paths?

good question! a lot of modern Paganism is based on what we think we know of ancient cultures and religions, an example of that would be the Kemetic religion, a reconstruction attempt at the ancient Egyptian religion - Blayze has done some posting on this earlier.

the earliest Pagan documents would be the writtings of Homer and other authors of mythology.

Ronald Hutton has written books and books on Pagan history, i was tempted to apply to Bristol University just to talk with him :devil: i'll come back to this question at a later date and give some propper information on it

 

[Gentoo]

i think of them as religious/spiritual thinkers, and they came out with some good ideas in my oppinion.

I might be getting two people confused or something, but I thought Margaret Murray made up a lot of the stuff she wrote on witchcraft...

 

[Bishka]

I suppose since I'm Kemetic, I'll be the one to explain it.

But before I go into a long, drawn out explanation, is there anything specific you want to know about it Becks?

Anything.

Rituals...meanings of rituals (if that's allowed), gods/goddesses, stories, do you or did you have temples? Etc...

Thanks