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Kemetism (also Kemeticism; sometimes referred to as Neterism from netjer "god"), or Kemetic paganism, is a neopagan religion and revival of the ancient Egyptian religion, emerging during the 1970s. A Kemetic or Kemetic pagan is one who follows Kemetism.^[1]

There are several main groups, each of which takes a different approach to its beliefs, ranging from eclectic to reconstructionist. These can be divided intro three types: reconstructed Kemetism, a syncretic approach, and the more monotheistic Kemetic Orthodoxy.^[2]

Etymology

The movement's name is based on an endonym of Egypt,^[3]^[4] Kemet (the conventional vocalization of hieroglyphic notation km.t). The word is also sometimes written as Takemet, from the fuller tꜣ km.t.^[5] In translation from Egyptian, it means "black" (or in longer form "black land"), which is derived from the black colour of the fertile mud brought by the Nile during the annual floods (currently no longer occurring due to the existence of the Aswan Dam).

Kemetics refer to the ancient Egyptian deities as the Netjeru, also referred to as the Neteru or the Netjer.^[6] Kemetics may prefer to refer to the Netjeru with their ancient Egyptian name: for example, they would refer to Horus as Heru, Thoth as Djehuty, and Anubis as Anpu.

Reconstruction

Kemetics do not consider themselves direct descendants of the ancient Egyptian religion but consistently speak of its recreation or restoration.^[7]^[8] Some Kemetics or hermeticists claim direct continuity with secret societies allegedly continuously existing since the prohibition of Paganism by Roman emperor Theodosius I in 392 CE, or since the closing of the last functional Egyptian temple (of the goddess Isis on the island of Philae) by Emperor Justinian around 535.^[9]^[10] However, these claims are historically unprovable.^[11]

Since the Hellenistic period, ancient Egyptian religion has influenced many belief systems.^[12] For example, Hermeticism is based on the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus (a combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth). Early and medieval Christianity also incorporated ancient Egyptian thought, including in extra-biblical legends of the stay of Jesus in Egypt, the recognition of the authority of Hermes Trismegistos by the Church Fathers and Medieval philosophers, or the adaptation of myths associated with the goddess Isis.^[13]^[14] These mythologies usually interpret ancient Egyptian culture, religion, and gods symbolically.^[15] In contrast, the goal of Kemetic groups is a more or less rigorous restoration of the religious system in its historical form, although Kemetists generally admit that a completely accurate imitation of ancient practices is not always possible or even advisable.^[16]

Ancient Egyptian religion underwent complex transformations across time and was worshipped differently in different locations.^[17]^[18] One god could have different mythological associations and forms of worship in individual nomes or even individual temples. It is difficult to seek a purely original form of Egyptian religion that can be easily pointed to and reconstructed (see Reconstructionism).

Later reinterpretations of Egyptian religious ideas fundamentally transformed them.^[19]^[20] For example, some question whether the gods should be strictly worshipped by their Egyptian names or whether they can also be addressed by the Greek versions.^[21] This question holds special significance for Kemetics due to the ancient Egyptian idea of the importance of name to existence. It has been questioned whether Hellenestic and Christian reimaginings should be included in Kemetic reconstruction, or whether they should instead be excluded as traditions of antiquity.^[22] The answer to this question is one of the fundamental differences between various Kemetic groups.

Principles of Kemetism

The idea of god/gods

Hunefer kneels in adoration before a company of deities.^[23]

Different interpretations of the ancient Egyptian religion have different understandings of the monotheistic or polytheistic Egyptian pantheon. The ancient Egyptian religion was a polytheistic religion and Kemetists do not deny this polytheism, but different practitioners may elevate one deity to different levels. In traditionalist practice, each deity is their own individual being, although one may be more powerful.^[24] Others may practice henotheism, where practitioners revere many gods but chose to worship one, as manifested, for example, in the cults of Serapis and Isis. In monolatry, practitioners acknowledge many gods but only revere and worship one. Still others may conceptualize the Egyptian pantheon as a single universal divine force manifesting itself in various forms.

Regardless of whether the sun is worshipped as a god by a particular Kemetist or not, as in Ancient Egypt^[25]^[26] the sun is considered to be an image of divine power and the source of every existence. The sun is deified as Ra or, during the New Kingdom, Amun-Ra.

Order

Another important principle of Kemeticism is maat, order. This concept was one of the cornerstones of religious thought of the Ancient Egyptians – its observance was supposed to ensure the stability of the world and its orderly running. Its importance is evident from the fact that even the pharaoh, who was understood as a divine being, was primarily tasked with bearing responsibility for and contributing to maat. The epitome of the concept in Ancient Egyptian religion was the eponymous goddess Maat and her symbol the ostrich feather.

As a result, the respect of rules of all kinds by each individual was synonymous with support and maintenance of the cosmic order, while their non-observance could lead to its disruption. The collapse of maat would lead to the demise of the world and the victory of chaos. In pursuit of maat, Kemetic practitioners may follow prevailing ethical ideas and good manners. However, there is no explicitly binding text codifying moral norms.

Religious practice

Ancient Egyptian practice venerated maat, a concept encompassing truth and honor. Ritual worship of the gods in pursuit of maat is thus considered holy. Commonly worshipped Old Egyptian gods include Ra, Amun, Isis and Osiris, Thoth, Sekhmet, Bastet, Hathor, and others.

This worship generally takes the form of prayer, offerings, and setting up altars.^[27] Altars are most often constructed using a statue or two-dimensional representation of one or more given deities, as they serve as the focal point of worship.^[28] Most commonly, Kemetism understands the representation symbolically, understanding it as a means to better focus on the divine power.^[29]^[30] A smaller subset of Kemetists may understand the idol as a real representation of the divine being in the human world. Therefore, in accordance with ancient Egyptian tradition, the idol is stored in a special sacred container (nau) from which it is to be removed only in the course of a religious ritual,^{[citation needed]} of which the presentation of sacrifices is the most essential part.

Additional altar items include candles, votive offerings, prayer beads, incense burners, and one or more dishes for food offerings.^[31] Most Kemetic offerings try to keep to tradition, offering the same or similar items the ancient Egyptians would have offered.

It is common during worship for Kemetics to pray in the dua (𓀃) gesture, which models the hieroglyph meaning worship and adoration.^[32]^[33]

Kemetic organizations

Kemetic Orthodoxy

The American Society of Kemetic Orthodoxy was founded in the 1980s. It brings together members from various states and, according to its own characterization, attempts to follow the Egyptian traditions as closely as possible and to revive them.^[34]

Entirely in this spirit, it is headed by an authority (currently Tamara Siuda) using some of the titles and other attributes of ancient pharaohs. She is conceived as the present incarnation of the royal ka, gold embedded in the spirit of Hora, an aspect of divinity embodied in the human form of a spiritual leader of the community.^[34]

On the other hand, it is in this movement that the departure from the traditionalist (i.e., closest to Egyptian religion) conception of god/gods, expressed in the concept of monolatry as official doctrine, is most pronounced.^[4]

Fellowship of Isis

Another type of Kemetic organization is the Fellowship of Isis, formed in Ireland. It differs from most others in that, following the model of late antiquity in the henotheistic sense, it focuses on the cult of the goddess Isis, transposed into ancient Greek and Roman settings. Egyptian traditions are therefore heavily modified in him by their ancient interpretation, by religious syncretism, and by modern multiculturalism.^[35]

Other Kemetist societies include The Living Nuhati, and the defunct French Ta Noutri.^[36]

Kemetism in the Czech Republic

In the Czech Republic there is only one known society claiming to be a member of the Kemetism, the civic association Per Djoser Achet registered by the Ministry of the Interior.^[37]

Notes

^ Daugherty, Michelle (2 October 2014). "Kemetism. Ancient Religions in our Modern World". Michigan State University. USA. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
^ Harrison, PM (2012). Profane Egyptologists: The Revival and Reconstruction of Ancient Egyptian Religion. UCL (University College London).
^ "Khémitisme, Tradition païenne égyptienne, la religion des anciens égyptiens" (in French). Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
^ ^a ^b "What is Kemetic Orthodoxy? Introduction". Archived from the original on 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
^ Verner, Miroslav; Bareš, Ladislav; Vachala, Břetislav (2007). Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Prague: Libri. p. 168. ISBN 978-80-7277-306-0.
^ "Netjer | Kemet.org". www.kemet.org. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
^ "International Network of Kemetics". Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
^ Raneb, Djehutijdjedef. "Egypt - the image of heaven" (in Czech). Retrieved 2009-09-26.
^ David(ova), Rosalie (2006). Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt. Translated by Vymazalová, Hana. Prague: BB/art. p. 333. ISBN 80-7341-698-0.
^ Verner, Bareš, Vachala, p. 139
^ DeTraci Regula (2002). Isis and her mysteries: understanding the universal goddess. Translated by Muková, Ivana. Prague: Book Club. p. 35. ISBN 80-242-0806-7.
^ Hornung, Erik (2002). Mysterious Egypt: the roots of Hermetic wisdom. Translated by Plzák, Allan. Prague: Paseka. pp. 9n, 175n. ISBN 80-7185-436-0.
^ Forman, Werner; Quirke, Stephen (1996). Afterlife on the Nile. Translated by Bareš, Ladislav. London: Opus Publishing. pp. 17, 177n.
^ Hornung, p. 74n
^ see, e.g., Kefer, John (1991). Synthetic Magic. Prague: Trigon. pp. 136n. ISBN 80-85320-18-5.
^ Naydler, Jeremy (1999). Temple of the Cosmos: the Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred. Translated by Krůta, Miroslav. Prague: Volvox Globator. pp. 8n. ISBN 80-7207-245-5.
^ David(ova), Rosalie (2006). Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt. Translated by Vymazalová, Hana. Prague: BB/art. p. 68. ISBN 80-7341-698-0.
^ Assmann, Jan (2002). Egypt: theology and piety of an early civilization. Translated by Krumphanzlová, Barbora; Bareš, Ladislav. Prague: Oikuméné. ISBN 80-7298-052-1.
^ Janák, Jiří (2005). Gate of Heaven: Gods and Demons of Ancient Egypt. Prague: Libri. p. 57. ISBN 80-7277-235-X.
^ Hornung, p. 24
^ Sannion. "What's in a name?". Archived from the original on 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
^ Raneb Jehutijjedef. "A few little tips before you decide to address the gods" (in Czech). Retrieved September 26, 2009.
^ "papyrus | British Museum". www.britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ Raneb Jehutijdjedef. "Cult – the way to the gods" (in Czech). Retrieved 2009-09-26.
^ The adoption of the sun as a central divine principle was continuously present in Egyptian religion and remained a subject of constant evolution throughout the Pharaonic period, described many times in literature. Mircea Eliade, for example, refers to it, albeit not with entirely convincing arguments, from a general religious studies point of view as the relationship between theology and the politics of solarization. See Eliade, Mircea (1995). "History of Religious Thought 1: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries". Translated by Dejmalová, Kateřina. Prague: ISE: 106n. ISBN 80-7298-052-1. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ The development is summarized in Assmann, Jan (2002). Egypt: theology and piety of early civilization. Translated by Krumphanzlová, Barbora; Bareš, Ladislav. Prague: Oikuméné. p. 61. ISBN 80-7298-052-1.
^ "Kemetic Starter Guide". The Twisted Rope. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
^ DeTraci Regula (2002). "Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess". Translated by Muková, Ivana. Prague: Book Club: 17. ISBN 80-242-0806-7. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ Dutton, Erik. "In Praise of Idols". Archived from the original on 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
^ Kallistos. "On Images". Retrieved 2009-06-15.
^ LaBorde, Sharon (2017). Following the Sun: A Practical Guide to Egyptian Religion (New Revised ed.). ISBN 978-1-365-87722-3.
^ "Feeding the Ka". www.joanannlansberry.com. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
^ "Ancient Egypt: the Mythology - Adore". www.egyptianmyths.net. Retrieved 2023-05-28.
^ ^a ^b "Biography of Hekatawa I, our Nisut (AUS)". Archived from the original on 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
^ See the book Regula, DeTraci (2002). Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess. Translated by Muková, Ivana. Prague: Book Club. ISBN 80-242-0806-7., which is not, however, the official text of the community.
^ Ta Noutri is referred to as a Kemetic organization by the website Religioscope Archived 2007-11-24 at the Wayback Machine and the website Unisson Archived 2008-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
^ "List of civic associations" (in Czech). Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2008-08-18.

References

Marilyn C. Krogh; Brooke Ashley Pillifant, Kemetic Orthodoxy: Ancient Egyptian Religion on the Internet: A Research Note, Sociology of Religion (2004).
Ellen Cannon Reed, Circle of Isis: Ancient Egyptian Magic for Modern Witches (2002), ISBN 978-1-56414-568-0.
J. G. Melton, Encyclopedia of American Religions, 5th ed., Detroit (1996).
Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-05120-7.

External links

Media related to Kemetism at Wikimedia Commons

[1] Daugherty, Michelle (2 October 2014). "Kemetism. Ancient Religions in our Modern World". Michigan State University. USA. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2017.

[2] Harrison, PM (2012). Profane Egyptologists: The Revival and Reconstruction of Ancient Egyptian Religion. UCL (University College London).

[3] "Khémitisme, Tradition païenne égyptienne, la religion des anciens égyptiens" (in French). Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-08-21.

[ORTHO-4] "What is Kemetic Orthodoxy? Introduction". Archived from the original on 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2008-08-19.

[5] Verner, Miroslav; Bareš, Ladislav; Vachala, Břetislav (2007). Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Prague: Libri. p. 168. ISBN 978-80-7277-306-0.

[6] "Netjer | Kemet.org". www.kemet.org. Retrieved 2023-03-25.

[INK-7] "International Network of Kemetics". Archived from the original on 2008-10-05. Retrieved 2008-08-21.

[OBR-8] Raneb, Djehutijdjedef. "Egypt - the image of heaven" (in Czech). Retrieved 2009-09-26.

[9] David(ova), Rosalie (2006). Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt. Translated by Vymazalová, Hana. Prague: BB/art. p. 333. ISBN 80-7341-698-0.

[10] Verner, Bareš, Vachala, p. 139

[11] DeTraci Regula (2002). Isis and her mysteries: understanding the universal goddess. Translated by Muková, Ivana. Prague: Book Club. p. 35. ISBN 80-242-0806-7.

[HORNUNG9-12] Hornung, Erik (2002). Mysterious Egypt: the roots of Hermetic wisdom. Translated by Plzák, Allan. Prague: Paseka. pp. 9n, 175n. ISBN 80-7185-436-0.

[13] Forman, Werner; Quirke, Stephen (1996). Afterlife on the Nile. Translated by Bareš, Ladislav. London: Opus Publishing. pp. 17, 177n.

[14] Hornung, p. 74n

[15] see, e.g., Kefer, John (1991). Synthetic Magic. Prague: Trigon. pp. 136n. ISBN 80-85320-18-5.

[NAYDLER8-16] Naydler, Jeremy (1999). Temple of the Cosmos: the Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred. Translated by Krůta, Miroslav. Prague: Volvox Globator. pp. 8n. ISBN 80-7207-245-5.

[17] David(ova), Rosalie (2006). Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt. Translated by Vymazalová, Hana. Prague: BB/art. p. 68. ISBN 80-7341-698-0.

[18] Assmann, Jan (2002). Egypt: theology and piety of an early civilization. Translated by Krumphanzlová, Barbora; Bareš, Ladislav. Prague: Oikuméné. ISBN 80-7298-052-1.

[19] Janák, Jiří (2005). Gate of Heaven: Gods and Demons of Ancient Egypt. Prague: Libri. p. 57. ISBN 80-7277-235-X.

[20] Hornung, p. 24

[21] Sannion. "What's in a name?". Archived from the original on 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2009-06-15.

[RAD-22] Raneb Jehutijjedef. "A few little tips before you decide to address the gods" (in Czech). Retrieved September 26, 2009.

[23] "papyrus | British Museum". www.britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 2024-04-07.

[CULT-24] Raneb Jehutijdjedef. "Cult – the way to the gods" (in Czech). Retrieved 2009-09-26.

[25] The adoption of the sun as a central divine principle was continuously present in Egyptian religion and remained a subject of constant evolution throughout the Pharaonic period, described many times in literature. Mircea Eliade, for example, refers to it, albeit not with entirely convincing arguments, from a general religious studies point of view as the relationship between theology and the politics of solarization. See Eliade, Mircea (1995). "History of Religious Thought 1: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries". Translated by Dejmalová, Kateřina. Prague: ISE: 106n. ISBN 80-7298-052-1. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[26] The development is summarized in Assmann, Jan (2002). Egypt: theology and piety of early civilization. Translated by Krumphanzlová, Barbora; Bareš, Ladislav. Prague: Oikuméné. p. 61. ISBN 80-7298-052-1.

[27] "Kemetic Starter Guide". The Twisted Rope. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2018-12-12.

[28] DeTraci Regula (2002). "Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess". Translated by Muková, Ivana. Prague: Book Club: 17. ISBN 80-242-0806-7. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[29] Dutton, Erik. "In Praise of Idols". Archived from the original on 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2009-06-15.

[30] Kallistos. "On Images". Retrieved 2009-06-15.

[31] LaBorde, Sharon (2017). Following the Sun: A Practical Guide to Egyptian Religion (New Revised ed.). ISBN 978-1-365-87722-3.

[32] "Feeding the Ka". www.joanannlansberry.com. Retrieved 2023-05-28.

[33] "Ancient Egypt: the Mythology - Adore". www.egyptianmyths.net. Retrieved 2023-05-28.

[kemet.org-34] "Biography of Hekatawa I, our Nisut (AUS)". Archived from the original on 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2008-08-19.

[35] See the book Regula, DeTraci (2002). Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess. Translated by Muková, Ivana. Prague: Book Club. ISBN 80-242-0806-7., which is not, however, the official text of the community.

[36] Ta Noutri is referred to as a Kemetic organization by the website Religioscope Archived 2007-11-24 at the Wayback Machine and the website Unisson Archived 2008-03-27 at the Wayback Machine

[37] "List of civic associations" (in Czech). Archived from the original on 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2008-08-18.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|Contemporary  practice of Ancient Egyptian religion}}
+{{Short description|Contemporary practice of Ancient Egyptian religion}}
+{{Multiple issues|
+{{Essay-like|date=August 2022}}
 {{Expand language
 |langcode=cs
@@ Line 8: / Line 10: @@
 |nodoc={{{nodoc|}}}
 |no interwiki={{{no interwiki|}}}
+}}
 }}
+[[File:Mezaenaset's_Senut_Kemetic_Shrine.jpg|thumb|250x250px|A Kemetic shrine, with statues of [[Bastet]], [[Sekhmet]], [[Anubis]], [[Nephthys]], [[Thoth]], and [[Serket]]]]{{Ancient Egyptian religion}}
-[[File:Th oltar.JPG|thumb|250px|Private altar of a practitioner in the [[Czech Republic]], with a statue representing [[Thoth]] featured prominently]]
+'''Kemetism''' (also '''Kemeticism'''; sometimes referred to as '''Neterism''' from [[wikt:nṯr|netjer]] "god"), or '''Kemetic paganism''', is a [[Modern paganism|neopagan religion]] and revival of the [[ancient Egyptian religion]], emerging during the 1970s. A ''Kemetic'' or ''Kemetic pagan'' is one who follows Kemetism.<ref>{{cite news |last=Daugherty |first=Michelle |title=Kemetism. Ancient Religions in our Modern World |url=http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp455-fs14/2014/10/02/kemetism-ancient-religions-in-our-modern-world/ |access-date=18 January 2017 |work=[[Michigan State University]] |date=2 October 2014 |location=USA |archive-date=28 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228030246/http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp455-fs14/2014/10/02/kemetism-ancient-religions-in-our-modern-world/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-{{Ancient Egyptian religion}}
-'''Kemetism''' (also '''Kemeticism'''; both from the [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] ''{{lang|egy-Latn|kmt}}'', usually voweled [[Egypt#Names|Kemet]], the native name of [[ancient Egypt]]), also sometimes referred to as '''Neterism''' (from ''{{lang|egy-Latn|nṯr}}'' ([[Coptic language|Coptic]] {{lang|cop|ⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ}} ''noute'') "[[Ancient Egyptian deities|deity]]"), or '''Egyptian Neopaganism''', is a revival of [[ancient Egyptian religion]] and related expressions of religion in [[classical antiquity|classical]] and [[late antiquity]], emerging during the 1970s. A ''Kemetic'' is one who follows Kemetism.<ref>{{cite news|last=Daugherty|first=Michelle|title=Kemetism. Ancient Religions in our Modern World |url=http://anthropology.msu.edu/anp455-fs14/2014/10/02/kemetism-ancient-religions-in-our-modern-world/ |access-date=18 January 2017 |work=[[Michigan State University]] |date=2 October 2014 |location =USA}}</ref>
-There are several main groups, each of which takes a different approach to its beliefs, ranging from [[eclecticism|eclectic]] to [[polytheistic reconstructionist|reconstructionist]]; however, all of these can be identified as belonging to three strains, including: reconstructed Kemetism (adopting a philological and scholarly approach), a syncretic approach, and a more novel synthesis tending toward monotheism, [[Kemetic Orthodoxy]].<ref>Harrison, PM (2012). ''Profane Egyptologists: The Revival and Reconstruction of Ancient Egyptian Religion''. UCL (University College London).</ref>
+There are several main groups, each of which takes a different approach to its beliefs, ranging from [[eclecticism|eclectic]] to [[polytheistic reconstructionist|reconstructionist]]. These can be divided intro three types: reconstructed Kemetism, a [[Syncretism|syncretic]] approach, and the more monotheistic [[Kemetic Orthodoxy]].<ref>Harrison, PM (2012). ''Profane Egyptologists: The Revival and Reconstruction of Ancient Egyptian Religion''. UCL (University College London).</ref>
+== Etymology ==
-== Kemeticism and Kemetists ==
-[[File:Ta_Kemet.jpg|left|thumb|Hieroglyphic writing "Kemet"]]
+[[File:Ta_Kemet.jpg|thumb|Hieroglyphic writing "Kemet"|left]]
-The movement's name is based on&nbsp;one of the&nbsp;original ancient designations of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ta-noutri.com/tanoutri/pages/khemitisme.htm |title=Khémitisme, Tradition païenne égyptienne, la religion des anciens égyptiens |language=French |access-date=2008-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219132633/http://www.ta-noutri.com/tanoutri/pages/khemitisme.htm |archive-date=2008-12-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ORTHO">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kemet.org/kemexp1.html|title=What is Kemetic Orthodoxy? Introduction|language=English|access-date=2008-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911234223/http://www.kemet.org/kemexp1.html|archive-date=2008-09-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> used by its [[Ancient Egyptians|inhabitants]]-&nbsp;'''[[Names of Egypt|Kemet]]'' ([[convention (norm)|convention]]al [[wikt:vocalization|vocalization]] of [[Egyptian hieroglyphic|hieroglyphic]] notation ''km.t''; sometimes transcribed also as Takemet<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Verner |first1=Miroslav |authorlink1=Miroslav Verner |last2=Bareš |first2=Ladislav |authorlink2=Ladislav Bareš |last3=Vachala |first3=Břetislav |authorlink3=Břetislav Vachala |year=2007|title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt|publisher=Libri|place=Prague|isbn=978-80-7277-306-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=528 --> |pages=168}}</ref>). In translation from [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] it means "Black (land)", which is derived from the black colour of the fertile mud brought by the [[Nile]] during the annual floods (currently no longer occurring due to the existence of the [[Aswan Dam]]).
+The movement's name is based on an [[Endonym and exonym|endonym]] of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ta-noutri.com/tanoutri/pages/khemitisme.htm |title=Khémitisme, Tradition païenne égyptienne, la religion des anciens égyptiens |language=French |access-date=2008-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219132633/http://www.ta-noutri.com/tanoutri/pages/khemitisme.htm |archive-date=2008-12-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ORTHO">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kemet.org/kemexp1.html|title=What is Kemetic Orthodoxy? Introduction|language=English|access-date=2008-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911234223/http://www.kemet.org/kemexp1.html|archive-date=2008-09-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[Egypt#Names|Kemet]]'' (the [[Egyptological pronunciation|conventional]] vocalization of [[Egyptian hieroglyphic|hieroglyphic]] notation ''km.t''). The word is also sometimes written as Takemet, from the fuller ''tꜣ km.t.''<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Verner |first1=Miroslav |author-link=Miroslav Verner |last2=Bareš |first2=Ladislav |author-link2=Ladislav Bareš |last3=Vachala |first3=Břetislav |author-link3=Břetislav Vachala |year=2007|title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt|publisher=Libri|place=Prague|isbn=978-80-7277-306-0  |pages=168}}</ref> In translation from [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]], it means "black" (or in longer form "black land"), which is derived from the black colour of the fertile mud brought by the [[Nile]] during the annual floods (currently no longer occurring due to the existence of the [[Aswan Dam]]).
+Kemetics refer to the [[ancient Egyptian deities]] as the Netjeru, also referred to as the Neteru or the Netjer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Netjer {{!}} Kemet.org |url=https://www.kemet.org/taxonomy/term/123 |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=www.kemet.org}}</ref> Kemetics may prefer to refer to the Netjeru with their ancient Egyptian name: for example, they would refer to [[Horus]] as Heru, [[Thoth]] as Djehuty, and [[Anubis]] as Anpu.
-The [[Kemetist]]s do not consider themselves direct descendants of the ancient Egyptian religion; they consistently speak of its re-creation or restoration.<ref name="INK">{{Cite web |url=http://www.inkemetic.org/ |title=International Network of Kemetics |language=English |access-date=2008-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005061721/http://www.inkemetic.org/ |archive-date=2008-10-05 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="OBR">{{Cite web |url=http://kemet.pise.cz/4520-egypt-obraz-nebes.html|last=Raneb |first=Djehutijdjedef |title=Egypt - the image of heaven |language=Czech |access-date=2009-09-26}}</ref> Nowadays, only isolated claims by some Kemetists or [[Hermeticism|hermeticists]] about&nbsp;direct continuity with&nbsp;secret societies allegedly continuously existing since the prohibition of [[Paganism|heathenism]] [[cult]]s<ref>this position is represented by e.g. {{Cite journal |last1=Brunton |first1=Paul |authorlink1=Paul Brunton|year=1994|title=[[Secrets of Egypt]] |publisher=Iris RR |place=Frýdek - Místek |isbn=80-85888-02-5 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=301 --> |translator-first1=Růžena |translator-last1=Formánková}}, more recently also {{Cite book |last=Kozák |first=Jaromír |authorlink=Jaromír Kozák |year=2002 |title=Hermetism: the secret teachings of ancient Egypt |publisher=Eminent |place=Prague |isbn=80-7281-109-6 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=327 --> }}</ref> [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] emperor [[Theodosius I]] in the year [[392]] (resp. from the closing of the last functional [[Egyptian temple|temple]] of [[Egyptian gods|goddesses]] [[Isis]]s on the island of [[Philae]] by Emperor [[Justinian I|Justinian]] around [[535]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=David(ova) |first=Rosalie |year=2006 |title=Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt |publisher=BB/art |place=Prague |isbn=80-7341-698-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=485 --> |pages=333 |translator-first1=Hana |translator-last1=Vymazalová}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Verner |first1=Miroslav |authorlink=Miroslav Verner |last2=Bareš |first2=Ladislav |authorlink2=Ladislav Bareš |last3=Vachala |first3=Břetislav |authorlink3=Břetislav Vachala |year=2007 |title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt |publisher=Libri |place=Prague |isbn=978-80-7277-306-0  <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=528 --> |pages=139}}</ref>) are historically unprovable and are [[Historiography|historical]] [[science]] [[myth]]ical in nature.<ref>For this, see e.g. {{Cite journal |author=DeTraci Regula |year=2002 |title=Isis and her mysteries: understanding the universal goddess |publisher=Book Club |place=Prague |translator-first1=Ivana |translator-last1=Muková |isbn=80-242-0806-7 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=300 --> |pages=35}}</ref>
+== Reconstruction ==
-Kemetism is a rather minority to marginal religion in terms of the number of its followers and its influence: the numbers of members or adherents of each group are indeterminate.
+[[File:Ra_Barque.jpg|thumb|The traditional ancient idea of a [[Solar deity|solar god]] in a barque; his daily voyage across the sky (𓇯)]][[File:Isis_1652.jpg|thumb|Ancient Isis (ancient Egyptian [[Isis]]) in modern imagery; she holds a [[sistrum]] in her hand]] Kemetics do not consider themselves direct descendants of the ancient Egyptian religion but consistently speak of its recreation or restoration.<ref name="INK">{{Cite web |title=International Network of Kemetics |url=http://www.inkemetic.org/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005061721/http://www.inkemetic.org/ |archive-date=2008-10-05 |access-date=2008-08-21 |language=English}}</ref><ref name="OBR">{{Cite web |last=Raneb |first=Djehutijdjedef |title=Egypt - the image of heaven |url=http://kemet.pise.cz/4520-egypt-obraz-nebes.html |access-date=2009-09-26 |language=Czech}}</ref> Some Kemetics or [[Hermeticism|hermeticists]] claim direct continuity with secret societies allegedly continuously existing since the prohibition of [[Paganism]] by [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] emperor [[Theodosius I]] in 392 CE, or since the closing of the last functional [[Egyptian temple]] (of the goddess [[Isis]] on the island of [[Philae]]) by Emperor [[Justinian I|Justinian]] around 535.<ref>{{Cite book |last=David(ova) |first=Rosalie |title=Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt |publisher=BB/art |year=2006 |isbn=80-7341-698-0 |place=Prague |pages=333 |translator-last1=Vymazalová |translator-first1=Hana}}</ref><ref>Verner, Bareš, Vachala, p. 139</ref> However, these claims are historically unprovable.<ref>{{Cite book |author=DeTraci Regula |title=Isis and her mysteries: understanding the universal goddess |publisher=Book Club |year=2002 |isbn=80-242-0806-7 |place=Prague |pages=35 |translator-last1=Muková |translator-first1=Ivana}}</ref>
+Since the [[Hellenistic period]], ancient Egyptian religion has influenced many belief systems.<ref name="HORNUNG9">{{Cite book |last=Hornung |first=Erik |author-link=Erik Hornung |year=2002 |title=Mysterious Egypt: the roots of Hermetic wisdom |publisher=Paseka |place=Prague |translator-first1=Allan |translator-last1=Plzák |isbn=80-7185-436-0  |pages=9n, 175n}}</ref> For example, [[Hermeticism]] is based on the teachings of [[Hermes Trismegistus]] (a combination of the Greek god [[Hermes]] and the Egyptian god [[Thoth]]). Early and medieval [[Christianity]] also incorporated ancient Egyptian thought, including in extra-biblical legends of the stay of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus]] in [[Egypt]], the recognition of the authority of [[Hermes Trismegistos]] by the [[Church Fathers]] and [[Medieval philosophy|Medieval philosophers]], or the adaptation of myths associated with the goddess [[Isis]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Forman |first1=Werner |surname2=Quirke |first2=Stephen |year=1996 |title=Afterlife on the Nile |publisher=Opus Publishing |place=London |pages=17, 177n |translator-first1=Ladislav |translator-last1=Bareš}}</ref><ref>Hornung, p. 74n</ref> These mythologies usually interpret ancient Egyptian culture, religion, and gods symbolically.<ref>see, e.g., {{Cite book |last=Kefer |first=John |author-link=Jan Kefer |year=1991 |title=Synthetic Magic |publisher=Trigon |place=Prague |isbn=80-85320-18-5 |pages=136n}}</ref> In contrast, the goal of Kemetic groups is a more or less rigorous restoration of the religious system in its historical form, although Kemetists generally admit that a completely accurate imitation of ancient practices is not always possible or even advisable.<ref name="NAYDLER8">{{Cite book |last1=Naydler |first1=Jeremy |year=1999 |title=Temple of the Cosmos: the Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred |publisher=Volvox Globator |place=Prague |isbn=80-7207-245-5 |pages=8n |translator-first1=Miroslav |translator-last1=Krůta}}</ref>
-== Relationship to tradition ==
-[[File:Isis_1652.jpg|thumb|Ancient Isis (ancient Egyptian [[Isis]]) in modern imagery; the only significant connection to ancient Egyptian tradition here is the [[sistrum]] that the goddess holds in her hand]]
-Kemetism is, in terms of its subject matter, a modern reflection of [[Ancient Egyptian religion|religion]], which was a supporting element of the entire ancient Egyptian culture. Reflection on ancient Egypt, however, has a very long tradition:<ref name="HORNUNG9">{{Cite book |last=Hornung |first=Erik |authorlink=Erik Hornung |year=2002 |title=Mysterious Egypt: the roots of Hermetic wisdom |publisher=Paseka |place=Prague |translator-first1=Allan |translator-last1=Plzák |isbn=80-7185-436-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=219 --> |pages=9n, 175n}}</ref> its roots can be safely traced back to the [[Hellenistic period]], since when it has continuously developed in many streams (see [[Hermeticism]]) until the present day. It cannot be overlooked that it did not escape early and medieval [[Christianity]], whether here it takes the form of radical rejection, extra-biblical legends of the stay of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus]] in [[Egypt]], the recognition of the authority of [[Hermes Trismegistos|Hermes Trismegistus]] by the [[Church Fathers]] and [[Medieval philosophy|Medieval philosophers]], or the adaptation of myths associated with the [[Egyptian gods|goddesses]] [[Isis]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Forman |first1=Werner |surname2=Quirke |first2=Stephen |year=1996 |title=Afterlife on the Nile |publisher=Opus Publishing |place=London |isbn=  <!-- unsupported parameter |page count=192 --> |pages=17, 177n |translator-first1=Ladislav |translator-last1=Bareš}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hornung |first1=Erik |authorlink=Erik Hornung|year=2002|title=Mysterious Egypt: the roots of hermetic wisdom |publisher=Paseka |place=Prague |translator-first1=Allan |translator-last1=Plzák |isbn=80-7185-436-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=219 --> |pages=74n}}</ref>
+Ancient Egyptian religion underwent complex transformations across time and was worshipped differently in different locations.<ref>{{Cite book |surname=David(ova) |first1=Rosalie |year=2006 |title=Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt |publisher=BB/art |place=Prague |isbn=80-7341-698-0  |pages=68 |translator-first1=Hana |translator-last1=Vymazalová}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Assmann |first=Jan |author-link=Jan Assmann |year=2002 |title=Egypt: theology and piety of an early civilization |publisher=Oikuméné |place=Prague |isbn=80-7298-052-1  |pages= |translator-first1=Barbora |translator-last1=Krumphanzlová |translator-first2=Ladislav |translator-last2=Bareš}}</ref> One god could have different mythological associations and forms of worship in individual [[Nome (Egypt)|nome]]s or even individual temples. It is difficult to seek a purely original form of Egyptian religion that can be easily pointed to and reconstructed (see [[wikt:reconstructionism|Reconstructionism]]).
-The common feature of all these reflections is the more or less accentuated belief, referred to by [[Erik Hornung]] as Egyptosophy,<ref name="HORNUNG9" /> that "mysterious Egypt is the cradle of a special esotericism" by which the highest "transcendence of cognition beyond the conventional framework of conceptual-logical thinking" can be achieved, because "Egypt was a land where gods lived among men, i.e. A land in which people were in direct contact with (hidden) natural forces which we (people of the modern age) have made the subjects of fairy tales."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nakonečný |first=Milan |authorlink=Milan Nakonečný |title=Hermeticism, its history and doctrine |journal=Logos |year=1995 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=18n |issn=0862-7606}} [http://kemet.pise.cz/5645-hermetismus-jeho-historie-a-doktrina.html Available online]</ref> Surprisingly, however, this approach is not only found in authors sympathetic to [[esoterism]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kozák |first1=Jaromír |authorlink1=Jaromír Kozák |year=2002 |title=Hermetism: the secret teachings of ancient Egypt |publisher=Eminent |place=Prague |isbn=80-7281-109-6 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=327 --> |pages=24n, 62}}</ref> but also in the historical sphere, where it can take the form of interpretation update: "it seems (in fact) that the [[Holism|wholism]] of the ancient Egyptians is closely related to the latest natural science, to the world of [[quarks]]s and [[bosons]]s... In doing so, we encounter similar structures that suggest fruitful comparisons between, for example, [[quantum mechanics]] and Egyptian belief in gods. "<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hornung |first=Erik |authorlink=Erik Hornung |year=2002 |title=Mysterious Egypt: the roots of Hermetic wisdom |publisher=Paseka |place=Prague |translator-first1=Allan |translator-last1=Plzák |isbn=80-7185-436-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=219 --> |pages=184}}</ref>
+Later reinterpretations of Egyptian religious ideas fundamentally transformed them.<ref>{{Cite book |surname=Janák |first1=Jiří |author-link= |year=2005 |title=Gate of Heaven: Gods and Demons of Ancient Egypt |publisher=Libri |place=Prague |isbn=80-7277-235-X |pages=57}}</ref><ref>Hornung, p. 24</ref> For example, some question whether the gods should be strictly worshipped by their Egyptian names or whether they can also be addressed by the [[Greek language|Greek]] versions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.neosalexandria.org/name.htm|author=Sannion|title=What's in a name? |language=English |access-date=2009-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206015553/http://www.neosalexandria.org/name.htm |archive-date=2007-12-06 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This question holds special significance for Kemetics due to the ancient Egyptian idea of the importance of [[Egyptian soul|name]] to existence. It has been questioned whether Hellenestic and Christian reimaginings should be included in Kemetic reconstruction, or whether they should instead be excluded as traditions of antiquity.<ref name="RAD">{{Cite web
-Kemetism therefore stands as the youngest alongside other (and different) reflections on the same object, from which it differs in its emphasis on the religious aspect of the ancient Egyptian tradition. The others are usually devoted to other parts of it, such as "Egyptian wisdom" or magic<ref>In the Czech environment, probably the most influential and still unsurpassed example is [[Pierre de Lasenic|LASENIC Pierre]]: ''. ''[http://egyptologie.kvalitne.cz/Egyptske%20hieroglyfy%20a%20ich%20filosofie.pdf Egyptian Hieroglyphs and their Philosophy] {{dead link|date=September 2021}}</ref> and interprets the culture and religion itself and its [[Egyptian gods|gods]] symbolically, unlike Kemetism,<ref>see, e.g., {{Cite journal |last=Kefer |first=John |authorlink=Jan Kefer |year=1991 |title=Synthetic Magic |publisher=Trigon |place=Prague |isbn=80-85320-18-5 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=488 --> |pages=136n}}</ref> in consequently, they reflect rather an "imaginary Egypt", i.e. "''an idea'' (of Egypt) independent of time, which is only loosely related to the historical reality."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hornung |first=Erik |authorlink=Erik Hornung |year=2002 |title=Mysterious Egypt: the roots of Hermetic wisdom |publisher=Paseka |place=Prague |translator-first1=Allan |translator-last1=Plzák |isbn=80-7185-436-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=219 --> |pages=90}}</ref> In contrast, the goal of Kemetist groups is a more or less rigorous restoration of the religious system in its historical form, although Kemetists generally admit that a completely accurate imitation of ancient practices is not always possible or even advisable.<ref name="NAYDLER8">{{Cite journal|last1=Naydler|first1=Jeremy|year=1999|title=Temple of the Cosmos: the Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred|publisher=Volvox Globator|place=Prague|isbn=80-7207-245-5 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=301 --> |pages=8n |translator-first1=Miroslav |translator-last1=Krůta}}</ref>
-The degree of knowledge and understanding of the original [[ancient Egypt]]ian thought plays an important role here,<ref>for this see {{Cite journal |surname=Janak |first1=George |year=2003 |title=Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead - Chapter 105 |publisher=L. Marek |place=Brno |isbn=80-86263-37-1 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=156 --> |pages=13n}}</ref> while their difficulty is due to the very nature of the subject: ancient Egyptian religion underwent complex transformations during the Pharaonic period, within which there was always "a multitude of approaches"<ref>{{Cite journal |surname=David(ova) |first1=Rosalie |year=2006 |title=Religion and Magic of Ancient Egypt |publisher=BB/art |place=Prague |isbn=80-7341-698-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=485 --> |pages=68 |translator-first1=Hana |translator-last1=Vymazalová}}</ref> and has always had its "local dimension",<ref>{{Cite book |last=Assmann |first=Jan |authorlink=Jan Assmann |year=2002 |title=Egypt: theology and piety of an early civilization |publisher=Oikuméné |place=Prague |isbn=80-7298-052-1  <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=328 -->  |pages= |translator-first1=Barbora |translator-last1=Krumphanzlová |translator-first2=Ladislav |translator-last2=Bareš}}</ref> in which one and the same god could have different forms of cult in individual [[Nome (Egypt)|nome]]s or even individual [[Egyptian temple|temples]] and be involved in different [[Egyptian mythology|mythological]] contexts. In this respect, it is quite dissimilar to the common tradition of [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]], and it is questionable to what extent the difference of traditions can be bridged with regard to the fact that Kemeticism develops in the area of Euro-American civilization. Due to its long development, moreover, one cannot speak of a purely "original" form of [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religion]] that can be easily pointed to and reconstructed (see [[wikt:reconstructionism|Reconstructionism]]), but only of its forms in certain historical periods.
-The above-mentioned interpretive tradition, beginning in the Hellenistic period, did not merely adopt Egyptian religious ideas, but also fundamentally transformed them.<ref>{{Cite journal |surname=Janák |first1=Jiří |authorlink= |year=2005 |title=Gate of Heaven: Gods and Demons of Ancient Egypt |publisher=Libri |place=Prague |isbn=80-7277-235-X <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=220 --> |pages=57}}</ref> At the same time, these new concepts may be far from the original drafts.<ref>On the subject see e.g. {{Cite book |surname=Hornung |first=Erik|authorlink=Erik Hornung|year=2002|title=Mysterious Egypt: the roots of hermetic wisdom |publisher=Paseka |place=Prague |isbn=80-7185-436-0  <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=219 -->  |pages=24 |translator-first1=Allan |translator-last1=Plzák}}</ref> So in view of this, the question arises whether this "second life" of theirs and the changes brought about by it should also belong to what the Kemetists are recovering, or whether they should instead be excluded as "traditions of antiquity and not of Egypt";<ref name = "RAD"> {{Cite web
   | url = http://kemet.pise.cz/2335-nekolik-drobnych-rad.html
   | author = Raneb Jehutijjedef
@@ Line 40: / Line 37: @@
   | language = Czech
   | access-date = September 26, 2009
+}}</ref> The answer to this question is one of the fundamental differences between various Kemetic groups.
-}} </ref> the attitude towards this question is one of the fundamental differences between the various groups. An illustration of this problem is the question of whether the gods should be strictly worshipped by their [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] names or whether they can also be addressed by their [[Greek language|Greek]] versions;<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.neosalexandria.org/name.htm|author=Sannion|title=What's in a name? |language=English |access-date=2009-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206015553/http://www.neosalexandria.org/name.htm |archive-date=2007-12-06 |url-status=dead}}</ref> its significance within Kemeticism stems from the ancient Egyptian idea of the importance of [[Egyptian soul|name]] to existence.
-Jeremy Naydler generally distinguishes two modes of religious reflection on the ancient Egyptian tradition: It can be conceived as a "re-stitching" consisting in "attempts to "return to Egypt" in [[Nostalgia|nostalgic]] pursuit of a renewed state of "consciousness of the people of those times", or as an effort to "enter into conversation with the Egyptian experience" of spiritual life, by which, he argues, one can get closer to the spiritual roots of the modern world.<ref name="NAYDLER8" /> These two points of view are hard to distinguish from each other.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hornung |first1=Erik |authorlink=Erik Hornung |year=2002  |title=Mysterious Egypt: the roots of Hermetic wisdom |publisher=Paseka |place=Prague |translator-first1=Allan |translator-last1=Plzák |isbn=80-7185-436-0 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=219 --> |pages=160n}} A good example is {{Cite book |last=Dillaire |first=Claudia R. |year=2007 |title=Egyptian Love Magic |publisher=Alpress |place=Frýdek-Místek |translator-first1=Lenka |translator-last1=Faltejsková |isbn=978-80-7362-371-5 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=279 -->}} and {{Cite book |last=Christie |first=Anne |year=2005 |title=The Secret Magic of Ancient Egypt |publisher=Alpress |place=Frýdek-Místek |translator-first1=Eva |translator-last1=Konečná |isbn=80-7362-125-8  <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=112 -->}} in comparison with Lasenic, for example.</ref>
-== Religious practice ==
-[[File:Naos_kemeti.JPG|thumb|Kemetic altar with a small offering]]
-The&nbsp;conceptual content of the principle of ''maat'' implies the necessity of ritual worship of gods, possibly a universal divine force. The&nbsp;most common objects of veneration from&nbsp;the individual [[Egyptian gods|Old Egyptian gods]] today are mainly [[Amun|Amon]], [[Isis]] and [[Osiris]], [[Thoth]], [[Sachmet]], [[Bastet]], [[Hathor]], but of course one can also encounter&nbsp;others. In defining their nature, contemporary Kemetists are fairly consistent in adhering to the ancient tradition contained in the&nbsp;known [[Egyptian mythology|mythology]], modern mythological and theological works are as yet rare. In particular, there is hardly any theoretical and speculative [[theology]] in&nbsp;Kemetism, which is understandable on the one hand given the&nbsp;(more superficially seen) character of ancient Egyptian religious thought, on the other hand, thus Kemetism hardly formulates answers to problematic aspects of modern society.
-The practice of religious ritual and other manifestations of religious life varies from&nbsp;individual associations. Its centrepiece, as in the original [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Old Egyptian religion]], is usually a cult image, most often in the form of a statue or other representation depicting the likeness of the worshipped god. Its role in the&nbsp;cult may be conceptualized differently not only by different currents, but also by different individuals, with no precise boundaries between the different attitudes.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=DeTraci Regula |year=2002 |title=Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess |publisher=Book Club |place=Prague |translator-first1=Ivana |translator-last1=Muková |isbn=80-242-0806-7 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=300 --> |pages=17}}</ref> In a schematic distinction, it can be said that the most widespread modernist Kemetism today generally attaches a more symbolic meaning to the cult image, understanding it as a means of enabling Kemetists to better focus on God (or divine power) as the proper object of veneration<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.neosalexandria.org/idol_praise.htm |last=Dutton |first=Erik |title=In Praise of Idols |language=English |access-date=2009-06-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017183330/http://www.neosalexandria.org/idol_praise.htm |archive-date=2009-10-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.neosalexandria.org/on_images.htm |author=Kallistos |title=On Images|language=English |access-date=2009-06-15}}</ref> (this concept is not dissimilar to the use of images in&nbsp;[[Catholicism]]). Consequently, there is no need to strictly observe a particular ritual procedure.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=DeTraci Regula |year=2002|title=Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess |publisher=Book Club |place=Prague |translator-first1=Ivana |translator-last1=Muková |isbn=80-242-0806-7 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=300 --> |pages=58}}</ref> The minority traditionalist current, on the other hand, understands the cult image as a real representation of the divine being in the human world. Therefore, in&nbsp;accordance with ancient Egyptian tradition, it may recommend its preservation in&nbsp;a special sacred container&nbsp;- [[Naos (hieroglyph)|nau]], from which it is to be removed only in&nbsp;the course of a religious ritual, described as precisely as possible and strictly observed,{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} of which the presentation of sacrifices is the most essential part. S&nbsp;in the absence of a binding doctrine, however, individual Kemetists may choose any combination of these aspects.
-Although even in this case the religious reverence shown does not belong directly to the cult image as a physical thing, but to the worshipped god who is present in it in a special way, [[Monotheism|monotheistic]] religions raise the objection of [[idolatry]] in this context. Kemetism, however, regards it as inappropriate, since there is nothing within&nbsp;its framework that realistically corresponds to this notion. "The Egyptians (in fact) did not experience any marked separation of the psychic from the physical realm... (and therefore) the world of material objects could also be imbued with divine power... These could serve as effective mediums through which spiritual forces manifested themselves on the material plane... In ancient Egypt there was no such thing as idols, because the ancient Egyptian mentality could perceive no such thing. It was not until the Israelites created the idea of idols."<ref>{{Cite journal |surname=Naydler |first1=Jeremy |year=1999 |title=The Temple of the Cosmos: The Ancient Egyptian Experience of the Sacred |publisher=Volvox Globator |place=Prague |isbn=80-7207-245-5  <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=301 --> |pages=133n |translator-first1=Miroslav |translator-last1=Krůta}}</ref> In&nbsp;Egypt, as Stephan Quirke notes, any object could become more than a mere physical object by performing a special ceremony: it could "live permanently and thus open the way between this world and the world of the gods. The mummified body in a&nbsp;coffin, the cult image of a god, the statue of a king or a deceased nobleman, were all soulless objects that opening the mouth transformed into&nbsp;living forces, or, more precisely, into&nbsp;receptacles for the invisible and elusive force we call life."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Forman |first1 =Werner |last2=Quirke |first2=Stephen |year=1996 |title=Afterlife on the Nile |publisher=Opus Publishing |place=London |isbn = <!-- unsupported parameter |page count=192 -->  |pages=21 |translator-first1=Ladislav |translator-last1=Bareš}}</ref>
-== Worship ==
-Followers of Kemetism generally worship a few gods ([[Maat]], [[Bastet]], [[Anubis]], [[Sekhmet]] or [[Thoth]], among others), but recognize the existence of every god. This worship generally takes the form of [[prayer]] and setting up [[altar]]s, but there are no set guidelines for worship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thetwistedrope.wordpress.com/kemeticism/kemetic-starter-guide/|title=Kemetic Starter Guide|date=2011-11-08|website=The Twisted Rope|language=en|access-date=2018-12-12}}</ref> Altars are most often constructed using a statue or two-dimensional representation of one or more given deities, as they serve as the focal point of worship. Other additional items include candles, votive offerings, prayer beads, incense burners, and one or more dishes for food offerings.<ref>{{Cite book |first=Sharon |last=LaBorde |year=2017 |title=Following the Sun: A Practical Guide to Egyptian Religion (New Revised Edition) |isbn=978-1-365-87722-3</ref>
 == Principles of Kemetism ==
 === The idea of god/gods ===
+{{CSS image crop|Image=The judgement of the dead in the presence of Osiris.jpg|cHeight=120|cWidth=250|oTop=50|bSize=1100|oLeft=9|Location=right|Description=[[Hunefer]] kneels in adoration before a company of deities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=papyrus {{!}} British Museum |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA9901-3 |access-date=2024-04-07 |website=www.britishmuseum.org |language=en}}</ref>}}
-[[File:Isis suckling Horus.png|thumbnail|upright=1.0|The Egyptian goddess [[Isis]] surrounded by gods breastfeeds her son the sky god [[Horus]]]] The looseness of the Kemetist doctrine (if that word can be used at all) is best captured just by defining the object of Kemetist religious veneration. Although the [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religion]] was a [[polytheistic]] religion (though there are scholarly [[egyptology]]s now no longer accepted<ref>As Jan Assmann summarizes, however, [[Egyptology|egyptologists]] themselves have long regarded [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religion]] as primarily monotheistic. See {{Cite book |surname=Assmann |first=John |authorlink=Jan Assmann |year=2002 |title=Egypt: theology and piety of early civilization |publisher=Oikuméné |place=Prague |isbn=80-7298-052-1 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=328 --> |pages=24 |translator-first1=Barbora |translator-last1=Krumphanzlová |translator-first2=Ladislav |translator-last2=Bareš}}</ref> distinctly minority views that [[monotheism]] was always covertly present in the background of the plurality of worshipped [[Egyptian gods|gods]]) and Kemetists do not deny this formal [[polytheism]], it can be interpreted differently by different currents.
+Different interpretations of the ancient Egyptian religion have different understandings of the [[monotheism|monotheistic]] or [[polytheism|polytheistic]] Egyptian pantheon. The ancient [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religion]] was a [[polytheistic]] religion and Kemetists do not deny this [[polytheism]], but different practitioners may elevate one deity to different levels. In traditionalist practice, each deity is their own individual being, although one may be more powerful.<ref name="CULT">{{Cite web |url=http://kemet.pise.cz/6236-kult-cesta-k-bohum.html |author=Raneb Jehutijdjedef |title=Cult – the way to the gods |language=Czech |access-date=2009-09-26}}</ref>  Others may practice [[henotheism]], where practitioners revere many gods but chose to worship one, as manifested, for example, in the cults of [[Serapis]] and [[Isis]]. In [[monolatry]], practitioners acknowledge many gods but only revere and worship one. Still others may conceptualize the Egyptian pantheon as a single universal divine force manifesting itself in various forms.
+Regardless of whether the sun is worshipped as a god by a particular Kemetist or not, as in [[Ancient Egypt]]<ref>The adoption of the sun as a central divine principle was continuously present in [[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religion]] and remained a subject of constant evolution throughout the Pharaonic period, described many times in literature. Mircea Eliade, for example, refers to it, albeit not with entirely convincing arguments, from a general [[religious studies]] point of view as the relationship between theology and the politics of solarization. See {{Cite journal |surname=Eliade |first1=Mircea |author-link=Mircea Eliade |year=1995 |title=History of Religious Thought 1: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries |publisher=ISE |place=Prague |isbn=80-7298-052-1 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=429 --> |pages=106n |translator-first1=Kateřina |translator-last1=Dejmalová}}</ref><ref>The development is summarized in {{Cite book |last=Assmann |first=Jan |author-link=Jan Assmann |year=2002 |title=Egypt: theology and piety of early civilization |publisher=Oikuméné |place=Prague |isbn=80-7298-052-1 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=328 --> |pages=61 |translator-first1=Barbora |translator-last1=Krumphanzlová |translator-first2=Ladislav |translator-last2=Bareš}}</ref> the sun is considered to be an image of divine power and the source of every existence. The sun is deified as [[Ra]] or, during the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]], [[Amun|Amun-Ra]].
-Today, the minority definition of this problem is the traditionalist notion of individual gods as wholly individual beings with a separate [[cult]] that enter into the interactive relationships and agencies described in myths and legends. In&nbsp;accordance with the ancient Egyptian concept, any of the gods can be considered as the "supreme" or "most powerful" of the&nbsp;gods, [[Analogy|analogically]] according to the mythological context that is currently referred to within the cult. The notion of a universal single god, if used at all, has a rather abstract meaning and is close in meaning to the [[Philosophy|philosophical]] notion of [[Category (philosophy)|Gender]]: it is a designation of a particular divine quality forming "the defining feature of a group of beings of the same kind"&nbsp;-gods rather than individually existing beings.<ref name="CULT">{{Cite web |url=http://kemet.pise.cz/6236-kult-cesta-k-bohum.html |author=Raneb Jehutijdjedef |title=Cult - the way to the gods |language=Czech |access-date=2009-09-26}}</ref>
-[[File:Ra_Barque.jpg|left|thumb|The traditional ancient idea of a [[Sun cult in ancient Egypt|solar]] god in a barque; his daily voyage on the celestial and [[Duat|subterrestrial]] [[Nile]] expressed the cycle of creation and dissolution, against which the infinity of existence was hidden]]
-In addition to this, in&nbsp;contemporary times, one can encounter within Kemeticism the&nbsp;prevalent, but somewhat more distant from the original ancient Egyptian conception, idea of a single universal divine force manifesting itself in&nbsp;various forms, which are the gods themselves, so that they are understood as somewhat separate but nevertheless mere aspects of it. In&nbsp;this case, the Kemetists follow the late antique [[henotheism]] as manifested, for example, in the cults of [[Serapis]] and Isis (originally the ancient Egyptian [[Isis]]s) or in the [[Philosophy|philosophical]] outlook in&nbsp; [[Neo-Platonism]], but like other neopagan movements, undeniably also to the Western experience of&nbsp; [[Christianity|Christian]] monotheism and its reflection in&nbsp;modern thought starting with the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]].<ref>On this, see generally {{cite journal |last=Stampach |first=Ivan Odilo |authorlink=Ivan Štampach |title=Contemporary Neo-Paganism |journal=Dingir. Magazine About Contemporary Religious Scene |date= |issue=1 |pages=13–15 |url=http://www.dingir.cz/archiv/Dingir102.pdf |access-date=2008-08-24 |issn=1212-1371}}</ref> Another variant of modernist Kemetism is [[monolatry]], but based on the same sources. In&nbsp;these conceptions, leaving aside the external features derived from ancient Egyptian culture and the use of Egyptian mythological context, Kemetism in&nbsp;many respects bears a strong resemblance to, for example, the religion of [[Wicca]];<ref name = "KROGH"> {{Cite web
-  | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SOR/is_2_65/ai_n6141942
-  | author = Marilyn C. Krogh
-  | title = Kemetic Orthodoxy: ancient Egyptian religion on the Internet - a research note
-  | language = English
-  | access-date = August 19, 2007
-}} </ref> perhaps this is related to the fact that it is developed in&nbsp;areas with&nbsp;a predominantly Anglo-Saxon tradition.
+=== Order ===
-Given&nbsp;this possible dualistic understanding of the object of religious veneration in&nbsp;Kemeticism, it is ultimately up to the individual to decide whether to focus more on an abstractly conceived divine power in the practice of his or her religion, or whether to prefer the more original worship of individual gods.
+[[File:800px-Louvre_Re_tete_faucon2.jpg|thumb|[[Sun cult in ancient Egypt|Sun]] god as "Lord of Order"]]
+Another important principle of Kemeticism is ''[[maat]]'', '''order'''. This concept was one of the cornerstones of religious thought of the [[Ancient Egyptians]] – its observance was supposed to ensure the stability of the world and its orderly running. Its importance is evident from the fact that even the [[pharaoh]], who was understood as a divine being, was primarily tasked with bearing responsibility for and contributing to ''maat''. The epitome of the concept in [[Ancient Egypt]]ian religion was the eponymous [[Egyptian gods|goddess]] [[Maat]] and her symbol the ostrich feather.
+As a result, the respect of rules of all kinds by each individual was synonymous with support and maintenance of the cosmic order, while their non-observance could lead to its disruption. The collapse of ''maat'' would lead to the demise of the world and the victory of chaos. In pursuit of ''maat'', Kemetic practitioners may follow prevailing ethical ideas and good manners. However, there is no explicitly binding text codifying moral norms.
-Virtually the only Czech Kemet website '''Temple of the Land of Kemet''' notes: "''This does not mean that we deny that there is one universal deity, but we argue that it probably does not exist in the way monotheists imagine it, and that this does not necessarily imply a denial of a plurality of gods. Individual gods and goddesses in their multiplicity share this divinity in the same way that we humans share one universal 'humanity'. The gods ... represent certain types of energies and qualities. The universal 'one god' of the monotheists can hardly be present in a similar way."''<ref name="OBR" /> The same source elsewhere questions whether it is even possible to make this universal divine power itself an object of religious veneration,<ref name="CULT" /> thus categorically rejecting any form of not only [[monotheism]] but also the aforementioned [[henotheism]] or [[monolatry]]. Czech Kemeticism would thus place itself in the traditionalist stream of this movement.
+== Religious practice ==
-In&nbsp;both basic Kemetist conceptions of god/gods, the sun usually plays a non-negligible role: Regardless of whether it is worshipped as a god by particular Kemetists or not, as in&nbsp;[[Ancient Egypt]]<ref>the adaptation of the sun as a central divine principle was continuously present in&nbsp;[[Ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian religion]] and remained a subject of constant evolution throughout the Pharaonic period, described many times in&nbsp;literature. Mircea Eliade, for example, refers to&nbsp;it, albeit not with entirely convincing arguments, from a&nbsp;general [[religious studies]] point of view as&nbsp;the relationship between ''theology and the politics of ''solarization'''. See {{Cite journal |surname=Eliade |first1=Mircea |authorlink=Mircea Eliade |year=1995 |title=History of Religious Thought 1: From the Stone Age to the Eleusinian Mysteries |publisher=ISE |place=Prague |isbn=80-7298-052-1 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=429 --> |pages=106n |translator-first1=Kateřina |translator-last1=Dejmalová}}'''</ref><ref>the development is summarized in {{Cite book |last=Assmann |first=Jan |authorlink=Jan Assmann |year=2002 |title=Egypt: theology and piety of early civilization |publisher=Oikuméné |place=Prague |isbn=80-7298-052-1 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=328 --> |pages=61 |translator-first1=Barbora |translator-last1=Krumphanzlová |translator-first2=Ladislav |translator-last2=Bareš}}</ref> is considered to be an analogous image of the divine power as the universal source of every single existence and of all existence in general.
+[[File:Naos_kemeti.JPG|thumb|A Kemetic altar with a small offering]]
+[[File:Mezaenaset's household Kemetic Shrine.jpg|thumb|Household Kemetic shrine]]
+Ancient Egyptian practice venerated ''[[maat]],'' a concept encompassing truth and honor. Ritual worship of the gods in pursuit of maat is thus considered holy. Commonly worshipped [[Egyptian gods|Old Egyptian gods]] include [[Ra]], [[Amun]], [[Isis]] and [[Osiris]], [[Thoth]], [[Sekhmet]], [[Bastet]], [[Hathor]], and&nbsp;others.
+This worship generally takes the form of [[prayer]], [[Ancient Egyptian offerings|offerings]], and setting up [[altar]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-11-08 |title=Kemetic Starter Guide |url=https://thetwistedrope.wordpress.com/kemeticism/kemetic-starter-guide/ |access-date=2018-12-12 |website=The Twisted Rope |language=en}}</ref> Altars are most often constructed using a statue or two-dimensional representation of one or more given deities, as they serve as the focal point of worship.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=DeTraci Regula |year=2002 |title=Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess |publisher=Book Club |pages=17 |isbn=80-242-0806-7 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=300 --> |place=Prague |translator-first1=Ivana |translator-last1=Muková}}</ref> Most commonly, Kemetism understands the representation symbolically, understanding it as a means to better focus on the divine power.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dutton |first=Erik |title=In Praise of Idols |url=http://www.neosalexandria.org/idol_praise.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017183330/http://www.neosalexandria.org/idol_praise.htm |archive-date=2009-10-17 |access-date=2009-06-15 |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Kallistos |title=On Images |url=http://www.neosalexandria.org/on_images.htm |access-date=2009-06-15 |language=English}}</ref> A smaller subset of Kemetists may understand the idol as a real representation of the divine being in the human world. Therefore, in&nbsp;accordance with ancient Egyptian tradition, the idol is stored in&nbsp;a special sacred container&nbsp;([[Naos (hieroglyph)|nau]]) from which it is to be removed only in&nbsp;the course of a religious ritual,{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} of which the presentation of sacrifices is the most essential part.
-=== Order ===
-[[File:800px-Louvre_Re_tete_faucon2.jpg|thumb|[[Sun cult in ancient Egypt|Sun]] god as "Lord of Order"]]
-Another important principle of Kemeticism is ''maat''-&nbsp;'''order''''. This concept was one of the&nbsp;cornerstones of (not only) religious thought of the [[Ancient Egyptians]]&nbsp;- its observance was supposed to ensure the stability of the world and its orderly running. Its importance is already evident from the fact that even the [[pharaoh]], who was in a certain sense himself understood as a divine (i.e. exempt from the rules of the human world) being, was, from the end of the [[Old Kingdom]] at the latest, overridden by this principle; the main task of the ruler was to bear responsibility and to contribute to the observance of the ''maat'' by all his actions. The epitome of the concept in&nbsp; [[Ancient Egypt]]ian religion was the eponymous [[Egyptian gods|goddess]] [[Maat]] and its [[symbol]] - the [[ostrich]] [[feather]].
+Additional altar items include candles, votive offerings, prayer beads, incense burners, and one or more dishes for food offerings.<ref>{{Cite book |last=LaBorde |first=Sharon |title=Following the Sun: A Practical Guide to Egyptian Religion |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-365-87722-3 |edition=New Revised}}</ref> Most Kemetic offerings try to keep to tradition, offering the same or similar items the ancient Egyptians would have offered.
-The word ''maat'' itself is difficult to translate due to its complexity and combines concepts such as ''truth'', ''harmony'' and ''stability'' or simply ''right action''. It represents all that is right and necessary for the right course of things. It is the universal unchanging cosmic order encompassing the world of men and the world of gods and their interconnection as well as their interdependence. The expression of the functioning of the ''maat'' in the&nbsp;world of the gods is mainly myths and legends, in&nbsp;cosmic sense it is manifested in&nbsp;regular unchangeable and from&nbsp;human point of view eternal natural cycles (especially in&nbsp;solar and lunar cycles -&nbsp; Therefore, the [[Egyptian gods]] [[Re (god)|Re]] and [[Thovt]] were referred to as '''Lord Maat''''), in the human world in the existence of the state and in the&nbsp;proper functioning of its institutions, in the&nbsp;maintenance of social rules and, at the latest since the time of the [[New Kingdom|New Empire]], in&nbsp;personal human morality. As a result, in the Egyptian concept, the respect of rules of all kinds by each individual was merged into&nbsp;one with&nbsp;the support and maintenance of the cosmic order, while their non-observance (especially by the [[Pharaoh|ruler]], but not only by him) could lead to&nbsp;its disruption. The collapse of the ''maat'' would lead to the&nbsp;demise of the world and the&nbsp;victory of chaos ([[egypt]] ''isfet'').
+It is common during worship for Kemetics to pray in the [[Man-seated: arms in adoration (hieroglyph)|dua]] ('''𓀃''') gesture, which models the hieroglyph meaning worship and adoration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Feeding the Ka |url=http://www.joanannlansberry.com/journal/pathmark/feed-ka.html |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=www.joanannlansberry.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ancient Egypt: the Mythology - Adore |url=http://www.egyptianmyths.net/adore.htm |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=www.egyptianmyths.net}}</ref>
-In this sense, the Kemetic movement refers to the generally prevailing traditional [[Ethics|ethical]] ideas, to the "good manners" or customs in which "maat" in the human world naturally and more or less unquestionably shows itself. There is no explicitly binding text codifying moral norms. Instead, Kemetists are formally non-binding in their interpretation of the concept of ''maat'' in relation to human conduct, inspired by [[Ancient Egyptian literature|ancient Egyptian scriptures]]. The most prominent (though by no means the only) source for understanding ''maat'' in a more general social sense is the ancient Egyptian [[Wisdom literature|Books of Wise Advice for Life]]. Only chapter 125 of the [[Book of the Dead|Books of the Dead]], containing the testimony of the deceased before the underworld court, by which he proves his moral purity by listing the deeds he did not commit (the so-called negative confession), is of a somewhat normative nature.
-Since all these ancient texts are exclusively [[casuistic]] in nature, even Kemeticism does not (yet) contain any generally formulated theory of moral conduct. The Bohemian '''Temple of the Land of Kemet''' rather only marginally notes in this context: "Do not be subject to any extremes and choose the `middle way'" and "do not doubt that if you look after the interests of the gods, they will look after your interests."<ref name="RAD" />
 == Kemetic organizations ==
-=== International ===
+=== Kemetic Orthodoxy ===
-==== Kemetic Orthodoxy ====
 {{See also|Kemetic Orthodoxy}}
-[[File:Truth and Mother Temple.jpg|thumbnail|Sanctuary of [[Kemetic Orthodoxy]]]] Its concept is quite unlike the traditional [[Egyptian temple]] and shows inspiration from the interiors of [[Western Church|Western]] [[Christianity|Christianity]]. The most prominent Kemetic organization is probably the [[United States|American]] Society of '''[[Kemetic Orthodoxy]]''' founded in the 1980s [[20th century]]. It brings together members from&nbsp;various states and, according to its own characterization, attempts to&nbsp;follow the Egyptian traditions as closely as possible and to revive them. Entirely in&nbsp;this spirit, it is headed by an authority (currently [[Tamara Siuda]]) using some of the titles and other attributes of [[Ancient Egypt|ancient]] [[pharaoh]]s. She is conceived as '''the present incarnation of the royal [[Ancient_Egyptian_conception_of_the_soul#Ka_(vital_essence)|ka)]], gold embedded in the&nbsp;spirit of [[Horus|Hor]]a, an aspect of divinity embodied in the human form of a spiritual leader''' of the community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kemet.org/nisutAUS.html|title=Biography of Hekatawa I, our Nisut (AUS)|language=English|access-date=2008-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111174240/http://www.kemet.org/nisutAUS.html|archive-date=2011-01-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+[[File:Truth and Mother Temple.jpg|thumbnail|Sanctuary of [[Kemetic Orthodoxy]]]] The [[United States|American]] Society of '''Kemetic Orthodoxy''' was founded in the 1980s. It brings together members from various states and, according to its own characterization, attempts to follow the Egyptian traditions as closely as possible and to revive them.<ref name="kemet.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kemet.org/nisutAUS.html|title=Biography of Hekatawa I, our Nisut (AUS)|language=English|access-date=2008-08-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111174240/http://www.kemet.org/nisutAUS.html|archive-date=2011-01-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
+Entirely in this spirit, it is headed by an authority (currently Tamara Siuda) using some of the titles and other attributes of [[Ancient Egypt|ancient]] [[pharaoh]]s. She is conceived as the present incarnation of the royal [[Ancient Egyptian conception of the soul#Ka (vital essence)|ka]], gold embedded in the spirit of [[Horus|Hor]]a, an aspect of divinity embodied in the human form of a spiritual leader of the community.<ref name="kemet.org"/>
-On the other hand, it is in&nbsp;this movement that the departure from the traditionalist (i.e. [[Ancient Egyptian religion|closest to Egyptian religion]]) conception of god/gods, expressed in the concept of [[monolatry]] as official doctrine, is most pronounced.<ref name="ORTHO" />
+On the other hand, it is in this movement that the departure from the traditionalist (i.e., [[Ancient Egyptian religion|closest to Egyptian religion]]) conception of god/gods, expressed in the concept of [[monolatry]] as official doctrine, is most pronounced.<ref name="ORTHO" />
-==== Fellowship of Isis ====
+=== Fellowship of Isis ===
 {{See also|Fellowship of Isis}}
-Another type of Kemetist organization is the '''[[Fellowship of Isis]]''', formed in&nbsp;[[Ireland]]. It differs from most others in that, following the model of late antiquity in the&nbsp;[[Henotheism|henotheistic]] sense, it focuses on the cult of the goddess Isis, originally [[Egyptian gods|Egyptian goddesses]] [[Isis]], transposed into [[ancient Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] settings. Egyptian traditions are therefore heavily modified in&nbsp;him by their [[Ancient|Antic]] interpretation, by religious [[syncretism]], and by modern [[multiculturalism]].<ref>See the book {{Cite book |first=DeTraci |last=Regula |year=2002 |title=Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess |publisher=Book Club |place=Prague |translator-first1=Ivana |translator-last1=Muková |isbn=80-242-0806-7 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=300 -->}}, which is not, however, the official text of the community.</ref>
+Another type of Kemetic organization is the '''Fellowship of Isis''', formed in [[Ireland]]. It differs from most others in that, following the model of late antiquity in the [[Henotheism|henotheistic]] sense, it focuses on the cult of the goddess [[Isis]], transposed into [[ancient Greek]] and [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] settings. Egyptian traditions are therefore heavily modified in him by their ancient interpretation, by religious [[syncretism]], and by modern [[multiculturalism]].<ref>See the book {{Cite book |first=DeTraci |last=Regula |year=2002 |title=Isis and her mysteries: the knowledge of a universal goddess |publisher=Book Club |place=Prague |translator-first1=Ivana |translator-last1=Muková |isbn=80-242-0806-7 <!-- unsupported parameter |number of pages=300 -->}}, which is not, however, the official text of the community.</ref>
-Other Kemetist societies include '''[[The Living Nuhati]]''', or the defunct [[France|French]] '''[[Ta Noutri]]'''.<ref>Ta Noutri is referred to as a Kemetic organization by the website [http://liens.religion.info/index.php?id=186 Religioscope] and the website [http://www.unisson06.org/annuaire/liens_spiritualite.htm Unisson]</ref>
+Other Kemetist societies include '''The Living Nuhati''', and the defunct [[France|French]] '''Ta Noutri'''.<ref>Ta Noutri is referred to as a Kemetic organization by the website [http://liens.religion.info/index.php?id=186 Religioscope] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071124085529/http://liens.religion.info/index.php?id=186 |date=2007-11-24 }} and the website [http://www.unisson06.org/annuaire/liens_spiritualite.htm Unisson] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327200634/http://www.unisson06.org/annuaire/liens_spiritualite.htm |date=2008-03-27 }}</ref>
-=== Czech ===
+=== Kemetism in the Czech Republic ===
-In the&nbsp;[[Czech Republic]] there is only one known society claiming to be a member of the&nbsp;Kemetism, the [[civic association]] '''Per Djoser Achet''' registered by the Ministry of the Interior.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.mvcr.cz/archiv2008/rady/sdruzeni/sdruz080.html|title=List of civic associations|language=Czech|access-date=2008-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627035612/http://web.mvcr.cz/archiv2008/rady/sdruzeni/sdruz080.html|archive-date=2009-06-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The activities of individual kemetists are evident mainly on the Internet.
+In the [[Czech Republic]] there is only one known society claiming to be a member of the Kemetism, the [[civic association]] '''Per Djoser Achet''' registered by the Ministry of the Interior.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.mvcr.cz/archiv2008/rady/sdruzeni/sdruz080.html|title=List of civic associations|language=Czech|access-date=2008-08-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627035612/http://web.mvcr.cz/archiv2008/rady/sdruzeni/sdruz080.html|archive-date=2009-06-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-=== Atonist Kemetism ===
-Atonistic Kemeticism (or ''Atonian Kemeticism'') is a rather specific Kemetic movement, inspired by [[Atonism|Atonianism]]. This form of Egyptian religion existed only during the brief reign of [[Akhenaten]], during whose reign all other Egyptian cults were banned and only [[Aten]] was allowed. In antiquity, this religious reform was unsuccessful and ceased shortly after Akhenaten's death. Akhenaten himself remains a controversial figure to this day, and opinions of him range from a rejected heretic and ruler who should never have become a [[pharaoh]] to a great reformer and visionary who was not understood in his own time. And it is from this other end of the spectrum that there are those who seek to restore, to reconstruct, the very image of Akhenaten's Egyptian religion and bring this reformist religion of his into the present (see Athonite references).
-Reconstructing Atonism is complicated, however, by the fact that the Egyptians themselves tried to erase this part of their history, and there are almost no remains of [[Akhetaton]] outside of [[Akhenaten]]. The most important source is the [[Akhenaten's Hymn to the Sun]], as well as inscriptions preserved from the [[Egyptian Temple]] of Aten at Akhetaton and from the tombs of the nobles and dignitaries of the Akhetaton court.
 ==See also==
 * [[Egyptian mythology]]
+* [[List of Neopagan movements]]
+* [[List of religions and spiritual traditions]]
 * [[Hermeticism]]
+* [[Temple of Set]] – an unrelated religion, centered around the Egyptian god [[Set (deity)|Set]]
-* [[List of Neopagan movements]]
+* [[Ausar Auset Society]] - Pan-Africanist society centered around Kemetism
-* [[Neopaganism]]
-* [[Temple of Set]] - an unrelated religion, centered around the Egyptian god [[Set (deity)|Set]].
 ==Notes==
@@ Line 121: / Line 95: @@
 ==References==
-{{More footnotes|date=May 2011}}
+{{More footnotes needed|date=May 2011}}
 * Marilyn C. Krogh; Brooke Ashley Pillifant, ''Kemetic Orthodoxy: Ancient Egyptian Religion on the Internet: A Research Note'', Sociology of Religion (2004).
-*[[Ellen Cannon Reed]], ''Circle of Isis: Ancient Egyptian Magic for Modern Witches'' (2002), {{ISBN|978-1-56414-568-0}}.
+*Ellen Cannon Reed, ''Circle of Isis: Ancient Egyptian Magic for Modern Witches'' (2002), {{ISBN|978-1-56414-568-0}}.
 *[[J. G. Melton]], ''[[Encyclopedia of American Religions]]'', 5th ed., Detroit (1996).
+*{{cite book  | last=Wilkinson  | first=Richard H.  | author-link=Richard H. Wilkinson  | title=The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt  | publisher=Thames & Hudson  | year=2003  | isbn=978-0-500-05120-7    | url=https://archive.org/details/completegodsgodd00wilk_0  }}
 ==External links==
@@ Line 134: / Line 109: @@
 [[Category:Kemetism| ]]
-[[Category:Modern Pagan traditions]]
+[[Category:Modern pagan traditions]]
-[[Category:Modern Paganism in the United States]]
+[[Category:Modern paganism in the United States]]
 [[Category:Polytheistic reconstructionism]]
+[[Category:Religion in Egypt]]
+[[Category:1970s in modern paganism]]

v t e Kemetic religion
Basic beliefs	Kemetism Ancient Egyptian religion Egyptian pantheon Ma'at
Styles of Kemetism	Tameran Wicca Polytheistic reconstructionism
Kemetic denominations	Kemetic Orthodoxy Church of the Most High Goddess Ausar Auset Society