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What methods do other people use to warship their respective deities? Or how do you guys practice your Kemeticism?

As Kemetic Pagan I tend to use methods associated with that practice, so, incense, playing an element in circles, I even celibate the pagan holidays such as Samhain and Beltane while calling upon or giving thanks to Egyptian deities.

To communicate to them, ask them questions, so on, I use tarot cards and rune (a very northern European tradition, but that fits with my ancestors, so I don't view it as conflicting). I also occasionally show my devotion by collecting images of Anubis, Shakmet, and Bast (the main three I worship) and share them through Tumbler or Facebook. At least until I can get some statues to represent them in a shrine I'm planning to build once I've moved. heart

To explain that I guess I'll go ahead and explain my religious journey. I got into practicing a personal religion through my pagan friends, specifically when I represented the element Earth in a healing circle for one of these's friend's grandfather. After that I started practicing paganism without a defined deity in mind. So with that come calling on your element, using different folk magic traditions (like the four quarters over the door for prosperity), and other such traditions to communicate and ask for help from the universe. In wasn't until much later that I realized that in my search for a God or Goddess to connect with that I had been ignoring an obvious choice. Which for me was Anubis.

So though I'm starting to pursue worshiping him, and also Bast and Sahkmet, I'm still practicing from those same methods that lead me into this in the first place. And in the spirit of 'if it isn't broken, don't dump it" I'll probably continue to use some of those same methods and holidays, even as I incorporate more from the pantheon I'm worshiping.

Once I do have a shrine set up, I was planning to make small food offerings since having a good meal is something I've always taken very seriously and food was always something me and my family felt should be shared with those we care about. However, I will probably make the occasional offering of port.

I've been interested in Egyptian art and architecture for as long as I can remember, I had books on how they build the pyramids, books on the the wall carvings and paintings, and every time Discovery channel or the History channel had a special on anything relating to Egypt, I would watch it. My step-dad was especially encouraging, taking me to museums and such. And through all of this, Anubis was the god that stood out to me most. He was just the one I liked, there was no particular reason I could find for why, he was just always a part of what appealed to me about Ancient Egypt. Even his silhouette, the jackal head, influenced my art for years. Even now that I'm in college I was inspired two years back to use that same jackal features to make a steal-plate headdress in his image.

As for Bast and Sakhmet, my experience was similar. They've been a part of my imagination for many years. Especially Bast, which my grandmother had an old statue of next to her fireplace. Every time I visited her at her old house, I used to sit and stroke the cool black stone and learned every feature of Bast. However the two didn't start to play quite a prominent part in my psyche? World view? Beliefs? until later in life when I began to try and sort out my gender identity. While Bast and Sakhmet began to represent two alternate forms of feminine identity which I exemplify traits of both of and have been trying to accept in balance in myself.

My love for Egypt has only grown the more I learn about the culture and what little I've learned about the pantheon's myths and stories. This was brought back in it's totality this past year when I took a course about Egyptian Art at my University. So when I was exploring other religions, learning about the different paths to follow, I realized one day that I had been searching for something I had had all along. I wanted to connect with a God/Goddess that had some influence over my life, and realized I had already had one in the form of these three deities, and especially Anubis.

But, I've only been worshiping him in this way for a few months, hence why I came to the guild, so that I could learn more. And thereby become a worthy follower of the Kemetic faith, and of these deities.

For me, being a worthy follower would mean understanding and knowing the lore and mythology. It would be unreasonable for me to ask for knowledge and guidance form them without making the effort to do my own research to learn and understand their backgrounds, how they've been worshiped in the past, and all they can represent, not just what they represent to me. So again it's my own path, but that's why I call myself a Kemetic Pagan; it allows for that level of flexibility.

I wouldn't feel comfortable with one of the organizations where it's lead by a central leader, the way Christianity has the pope. I've always felt the best way to connect to the universe is directly. I also accept that I might find guidance from other pantheons, in which case I would go back to just being called pagan, or naming both my focuses. Either way, keeping with my roots suits my path and works with what I've learned of Egyptian culture.