Celtic and Kemetic

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[Black0lSun]

Awww Anpu doesn't have baggage He's a cute little puppy dog! Even though I'm Kemetic, I don't have a whole lot for you. There is a lot to be found on the internet for history. That's pretty easy to find. However, finding out how to read hieroglyphics past the basic alphabet can be a challenge.
This book is what I see listed most often as a good starter for hieroglyphs:
http://www.amazon.com/Read-Egyptian-Hieroglyphs-Step-Step/dp/0520239490/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250780253&sr=8-11
Most people say they can find it used for a few bucks, so it's worth investigating. I can't afford books either, so I can understand your frustration. My big thing while I wait for money to start rolling back in is to focus my attention on getting to know the gods. Technically, you don't need a book for that
But just like with Bast em Het, if you need anything, have any questions, I'll do my best to find an answer for ya.

-Devo

I have that book . That's the one I'm learning from right now. Found it at a used book store lol. Sadly it's not the revised version, and has some misspellings, but I can look over that.
Anpu?? Hahaha. Well I know what you mean by getting to know the gods. This is why I'm trying to get myself to practice meditation so it's easier for me, but ADD is a b****. I've got a lot of things I have to worry about too. Like finding a job.. but you know. That happens.

[Devo]

I have that book . That's the one I'm learning from right now. Found it at a used book store lol. Sadly it's not the revised version, and has some misspellings, but I can look over that.
Anpu?? Hahaha. Well I know what you mean by getting to know the gods. This is why I'm trying to get myself to practice meditation so it's easier for me, but ADD is a b****. I've got a lot of things I have to worry about too. Like finding a job.. but you know. That happens.

I don't have a job either. I guess that's part of why I'm working at getting closer- I have all of this free time. Might as well use it. I can't meditate for shit either. I end up just sitting there- I can focus well enough, but nothing happens. All it does is make me sleepy, so I just don't see the point. I myself have found that sitting down and talking to them daily is the best method so far. But time will tell on that one.

-Devo

[Black0lSun]

I think I should probably explore this site a bit more.. lol.

[Bastemhet]

Ah, now that would be too generous of you . I'm actually trying to learn how to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs . I dig archeology, so I thought it would be cool to be able to interpret what some photographed art, writings in tombs, etc. would mean on my own.

I don't want to ask for handouts, but I'd appreciate anything really. I don't have much money to spend on books, and I hate searching google for something that's authentic, and not just some "Spells here!" crap. It's almost impossible x.x.

I like historical information more then the reconstructionist stuff, but I also want to find out more about Kemeticism, so it's not like I'm not being open. I might have to start researching Anubis soon too <.<'. A little freaked out by that since there's a lot of baggage attached to that name. I'm still more focused on Bast at the moment.

A book that I have and seems really good (I haven't finished it yet) for hieroglyphs is "How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs" by Collier and Manley.  For interpreting symbols in Egyptian art (of which there are many!) try "Symbol & Magic in Egyptian Art" and "Reading Egyptian Art," both by Richard H. Wilkinson.

If I can't find the books I want at any used book store nearby, I usually buy from half.com.  I recently bought a $21 book for 95 cents plus shipping.  Sometimes you can find some really good deals if you're willing to wait.  Another site you can try is directtextbook.com.  You just search on there and it pulls up prices from a bunch of different websites, including coupon codes you might be able to use.

Reconstructionists try to take historical information and recreate religions that have died off or fell out of practice, so if you like to stick with historical information and base your practice off of that, reconstructionism would be for you.  Kemeticism is just an umbrella term to signify a religious practice that focuses on the gods and godesses of ancient Egypt.

What about Anubis freaks you out?  His role was to lead the worthy dead in the Underworld to be judged by Osiris.  There's nothing scary about that.  Actually I would be pretty grateful to him if he were to lead me after death instead of me having to be on my own, open to whatever may come my way.  That would be even more scary!

[Black0lSun]

If I can't find the books I want at any used book store nearby, I usually buy from half.com.  I recently bought a $21 book for 95 cents plus shipping.  Sometimes you can find some really good deals if you're willing to wait.  Another site you can try is directtextbook.com.  You just search on there and it pulls up prices from a bunch of different websites, including coupon codes you might be able to use.

Thanks for the sites. Will really come in handy.

Reconstructionists try to take historical information and recreate religions that have died off or fell out of practice, so if you like to stick with historical information and base your practice off of that, reconstructionism would be for you.  Kemeticism is just an umbrella term to signify a religious practice that focuses on the gods and godesses of ancient Egypt.

This was very helpful, thank you. I was wondering about that.

What about Anubis freaks you out?  His role was to lead the worthy dead in the Underworld to be judged by Osiris.  There's nothing scary about that.  Actually I would be pretty grateful to him if he were to lead me after death instead of me having to be on my own, open to whatever may come my way.  That would be even more scary!

Honestly nothing :/. It's not like I couldn't relate. I knew as much about the underworld part. I'm just being immature about it because of older impressions from movies and crap like that. Sad, huh?

Well, learning takes time.

[Bastemhet]

Thanks for the sites. Will really come in handy.

This was very helpful, thank you. I was wondering about that.

Honestly nothing :/. It's not like I couldn't relate. I knew as much about the underworld part. I'm just being immature about it because of older impressions from movies and crap like that. Sad, huh?

Well, learning takes time.

You're welcome!

Learning does take time, but the fact that you're willing gives me a lot of hope.   Let me know if you'll need anything else.  You should also check out the Kemetic Reconstructionist SIG here on the board if you have any questions.

[Bastemhet]

I'm asking him about that.  I saw someone mention a while ago it as in the annals but there are a bunch of those and I'd be interested to see where the gods make this oath myself.

He replied back and told me he couldn't remember exactly where it was, but if interested the OP could search through the annals on this website: http://celt.ucc.ie/   Basically the gods "acknowledged the Milesian invaders as their chosen and sealed themselves to them by land sea and sky."

[Matrinka]

He replied back and told me he couldn't remember exactly where it was, but if interested the OP could search through the annals on this website: http://celt.ucc.ie/   Basically the gods "acknowledged the Milesian invaders as their chosen and sealed themselves to them by land sea and sky."

I can offer you this: The Irish are rather known for their willingness to fold into their community any and all who landed upon their shores, so long as they weren't right proper bastards.  If you weren't pillaging, raping or burning, you were willing to work hard and had something of value, material or spiritual, they were apt to "adopt" you as an Irishman.

The Norse, for example.  They started off raiding near the coasts, then set up permanent settlements and in short order integrated into the Irish community completely.  By the time Brian Boru came along, they were as Irish as the Irish themselves, married into the community and speaking Irish and worshiping in the Irish manner of the time, which happens to have been Irish Catholic.

The Irish gods are, well, Irish.  If someone has something of value to offer the community, they're happy to have them.  Where they came from originally, what color their skin is, what sexual orientation they hold, none of that susses them as far as I've ever seen, and I have been a devoted follower of Bridget for a very, very long time now.  If she's got an issue with this sort of thing, she would've made me aware of that long ago. 

Please convey my disappointment to your friend.  I'd hoped for a more specific citation, so that I could look at this, in context, for myself.  However, I am not going to spend days sifting through the annals.  If this is a strong part of his beliefs, he really should have that sort of reference handy.

[Bastemhet]

Where they came from originally, what color their skin is, what sexual orientation they hold, none of that susses them as far as I've ever seen, and I have been a devoted follower of Bridget for a very, very long time now.  If she's got an issue with this sort of thing, she would've made me aware of that long ago. 

Please convey my disappointment to your friend.  I'd hoped for a more specific citation, so that I could look at this, in context, for myself.  However, I am not going to spend days sifting through the annals.  If this is a strong part of his beliefs, he really should have that sort of reference handy.

Interesting that you mention Bridget, as he said she and Lugh were not part of this oath because it was made before they came to be. 

I was hoping he would give me something more specific as well.  If it's important to the OP, I do recommend they look.  As part of their religion, I would expect they would've decided to read that website anyway.  I'm still going to look around and see if anyone else knows  the specific citation.  I wouldn't dismiss something this important just because of a lack of more specific information.  It's worth looking into.

[Black0lSun]

Interesting that you mention Bridget, as he said she and Lugh were not part of this oath because it was made before they came to be. 

I was hoping he would give me something more specific as well.  If it's important to the OP, I do recommend they look.  As part of their religion, I would expect they would've decided to read that website anyway.  I'm still going to look around and see if anyone else knows  the specific citation.  I wouldn't dismiss something this important just because of a lack of more specific information.  It's worth looking into.

I'm mostly interested in Celtic religions in it's self, but I guess to know that I would have to know the gods and goddesses too, huh? Why would a religion be closed to other people if they're willing to worship? Just because it's written in some cryptic writing somewhere? I was more wondering if these three could be mixed somehow, but I still haven't studied enough. *sigh*

[Matrinka]

Interesting that you mention Bridget, as he said she and Lugh were not part of this oath because it was made before they came to be. 

I was hoping he would give me something more specific as well.  If it's important to the OP, I do recommend they look.  As part of their religion, I would expect they would've decided to read that website anyway.  I'm still going to look around and see if anyone else knows  the specific citation.  I wouldn't dismiss something this important just because of a lack of more specific information.  It's worth looking into.

The Dagda has never given me this impression, either.  Nor Danu.

I've read these previously, and honestly don't recall this being in there, anywhere.  I could, of course, be mistaken, but this would've been something that should've caught my attention.  Not that it would necessarily apply to me, as I'm of the mind that what comes later that which came before when it comes to such oaths, much as my Catholic family doesn't worry too much about the Old Testament, since the New Testament created a new covenant with God.  It's a new contract, rendering the older contract null and void.

Suffice to say that he is more than welcome to continue believing that only the Irish, raised in Ireland, speaking Irish are welcome to worship the Irish gods, and I'm going to continue believing that they're not that small minded or bigoted, since that's not how they have ever presented themselves to me or mine.

Yes, I have a bit of Irish blood.  I speak a few words of Irish.  I've never set foot in Eire, though I hope someday to go.  My gods have never seemed to be bothered by my lack of an Irish birth certificate, my predominantly French blood, the fact that Irish is my fourth language, or that my coven has always welcomed anyone with a sincere interest in learning and worshiping them.  Quite the opposite.  They've always seemed to embrace the members of my coven, no matter what their background.

*shrug*  Different people have different experiences.  Mine are what I must go by.  My own gnosis says that the Irish gods will welcome anyone who is sincere, no matter where they hail from, what race they are or what language they speak.

[erinnightwalker]

Interesting that you mention Bridget, as he said she and Lugh were not part of this oath because it was made before they came to be. 

I was hoping he would give me something more specific as well.  If it's important to the OP, I do recommend they look.  As part of their religion, I would expect they would've decided to read that website anyway.  I'm still going to look around and see if anyone else knows  the specific citation.  I wouldn't dismiss something this important just because of a lack of more specific information.  It's worth looking into.

hmmm.... may i ask if his name is any variation of Cu Ann? because if so, i believe that i may have met this person before...

[Finn]

I was hoping he would give me something more specific as well.  If it's important to the OP, I do recommend they look.  As part of their religion, I would expect they would've decided to read that website anyway.  I'm still going to look around and see if anyone else knows  the specific citation.  I wouldn't dismiss something this important just because of a lack of more specific information.  It's worth looking into.

I believe I have found some stuff:

Firstly, this thread on beliefnet led me to looking in the specific text mentioned by Tomas (whom I'm inclined to trust, being a leader in Gaelic recon circles).

And this is the only English translation I could find of In Gabail tSida: The Taking of the Sidhe Mound, located in the Book of Leinster. It's a mythological tale, and it seems to be the only kind of covenant of this nature (which seems to be different than an oath, as far as I can tell) I can find in the lore.

This covenant is an agreement between the Dagda and the sons of Mil (the new conquerors of Ireland) to stop the Tuatha De (the previous conquerors of Ireland) from... taking their milk and grain.

If one read this broadly, one could take it as an agreement between the Dagda (who is one god out of hundreds--an important one, but not the god of Ireland) and the various peoples of Ireland to maintain peace between each other. It would take an extreme stretch of the imagination to call this an oath by the Irish gods to the Irish people to serve them and no one else.

(**Note that this is an English translation, which is unfortunately the only access I have to Irish mythology. If anyone who can speak fluent Gaelic and wants to take a crack at it, here is the original Old Irish: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G800011E/index.html**)

If this is what Bastemhet's friend was referring to, I would recommend a closer look, and, perhaps, a more open mind.

[erinnightwalker]

I believe I have found some stuff:

Firstly, this thread on beliefnet led me to looking in the specific text mentioned by Tomas (whom I'm inclined to trust, being a leader in Gaelic recon circles).

And this is the only English translation I could find of In Gabail tSida: The Taking of the Sidhe Mound, located in the Book of Leinster. It's a mythological tale, and it seems to be the only kind of covenant of this nature (which seems to be different than an oath, as far as I can tell) I can find in the lore.

This covenant is an agreement between the Dagda and the sons of Mil (the new conquerors of Ireland) to stop the Tuatha De (the previous conquerors of Ireland) from... taking their milk and grain.

If one read this broadly, one could take it as an agreement between the Dagda (who is one god out of hundreds--an important one, but not the god of Ireland) and the various peoples of Ireland to maintain peace between each other. It would take an extreme stretch of the imagination to call this an oath by the Irish gods to the Irish people to serve them and no one else.

(**Note that this is an English translation, which is unfortunately the only access I have to Irish mythology. If anyone who can speak fluent Gaelic and wants to take a crack at it, here is the original Old Irish: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G800011E/index.html**)

If this is what Bastemhet's friend was referring to, I would recommend a closer look, and, perhaps, a more open mind.

i asked the gentlemen who did that translation you linked to, and am currently waiting for a response. i figure if he doesn't know of one, it doesn't bloody exist.

[erinnightwalker]

i asked the gentlemen who did that translation you linked to, and am currently waiting for a response. i figure if he doesn't know of one, it doesn't bloody exist.

HAH! FREAKING HAH!!!

from http://paddybrown.co.uk/?page_id=363&cpage=1#comment-16042

paddybrown Says:

Sorry, never heard of that one. And it sounds unlikely – the only surviving versions of the myths are the versions written by Christian monks, who were very careful to remove any overt trace of pagan religion, so while you might have references to the Dagda protecting grain and milk as part of a covenant, as above, you won’t find overt reference to worship or sacrifice. Your source is probably misinformed.

if i knew this gentleman, i would probably kiss him to death XD

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