Kemet Online: Followers of The Religion of Ancient Egypt: Saq it to me!

Em Hotep, all

*bows*

Many of you folks know that I had some intense experiences at PantheaCon last year. I've shared quite a bit of it privately and with the Priests, the Priest Candidates, and Nebra, but I've always felt extremely uncomfortable at the idea of fully sharing it in a more public way.

Nevertheless, Rev. Sedgwick asked me to share my experiences, and one should always honour one's sebau... even when it's uncomfortable.

So. I came to PantheaCon last year to meet the various folks of Per Ankh. I was trying to decide if this was a community I wanted to join, or just another bunch of internet drama-queens.

Needless to say, I was very impressed after talking with Rev. Jade and Rev. Renee and meeting the amazing people that, like me, were there to check it all out.

A number of public rituals had been scheduled, including a very large (and very popular) Bast ritual. In ancient times, these sorts of public rituals were preceded by a procession, with someone wearing the mask of Wepwawet leading, followed by the priests and other celebrants, including several carrying a boat bearing the statue of Netjer. The Revs planned a similar parade around the hotel for the beginning of the Bast rite, with Wepwawet, fan-bearers, Bast in a boat, the whole shebang.

Nebra made a wonderful Wepwawet mask (thank you, Nebra, thank you!) that was to be used as Wepwawet for the parade, but the person they'd roped in to wearing it was nowhere to be found.

With (only a little) prompting, I volunteered. Llyne and Shanee were to be Wepwawet's fan bearers, so prior to the actual parade, we paced out the route. I tried on the mask and found it very difficult to see through, so we worked out a system for them to physically guide me through the tricky bits, including an awkward staircase.

During the actual procession, something very peculiar (well, peculiar for me at any rate) happened. I started sort of fading out - I don't really remember a whole lot of the procession, or the rite.

Darkwolf was supposed to help me get the mask off during the ritual (once I was no longer being observed), but I just sort of stood there beside the altar throughout the more formal part of the ritual. Rev. Sedgwick told me at our recent retreat that she'd never seen anyone stand so still and so straight for so long.

It was a very peculiar experience, but as it turned out it was only a prelude.

The second experience was even, and I don't know quite how to explain this, larger somehow. It was just a small public ritual for Wepwawet held in one of the hotel conference rooms. I was to wear the mask during a short, round-the-room excusrsion.

I remember putting on the mask and starting the procession around the room, and I remember bits and snatches after that, but the next thing I clearly remember is Wab Sandie taking the mask off of me in a service corridor. It was like the air being sucked out of my lungs - I just sort of collapsed.

Rev. Renee was there in moments, feeding me water and helping me come back from the experience. And what was the experience, exactly? I can't really explain it. I wasn't there.

I was told that Wepwawet had saq'd me - me, who came to PCon not believing in saq. Maybe somebody who was there can explain what it looked like from the outside, but I can't.

And since then, everything's been topsy-turvy. Rev. Renee determined almost immediately that this event was a powerful manifestation of a call to priesthood. It was a frightening, exhausting experience that I can't in good conscience recommend. Wepwawet opened a door for me that day, and it took me quite some time to summon the courage to go through.

I'm still struggling with what happens next.

cheers,

thom

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Fill yourself with silence; you will find life and your body shall flourish upon the earth. (Amenemope)

Thom Ryng, Priest in Training
Per Ankh The Traditional Religion of Ancient Egypt

Edited by RevRenee (03/24/04 11:15 PM)