This page is not meant to be a definitive, scholarly account of the core beliefs of Kemetic religion as a whole, but rather an account of what I consider to be the core theology of my individual faith. Certainly there will be things here that many other Kemetics will agree with me about, but that is not my priority. This page should help in the understanding of a number of my posts for those who are not familiar with general over-reaching Kemetic beliefs. It also serves to help supplement the Glossary.

  1. Polytheism/Monolatry– Kemetism differs from most mainstream faiths which are monotheistic. Polytheism literally means ‘belief in many gods’, which is fairly straightforward. Monolatry is a bit more difficult to conceptualize. In kemetic terms, monolatry has been described as belief in ‘the one and the many’, a phrase which is also the title of a widely referenced Egyptology text on this very subject. The basic idea is that all Netjer originated from the same divine source which subdivided itself after the initial act of creation. They are therefore part of each other even though they retain individuality. Monolatry is something of a misnomer because it is not typically defined this way outside Egyptology circles, but the term does function to divide Kemetic practitioners from so called ‘hard-polytheists’ who see the gods as unique individuals with no overlap.
  2. Ma’at– the name of a goddess, but also a concept of order. I say ‘concept of’ rather than simply ‘order’ because order is a tricky word which could be misleading in this case. Order in this context generally means ‘social order’ as in the social contract which allows humans to live peacefully together so that communities (and therefore our species as a whole) can thrive. However, order of a variety I call ‘dynamic order’ is also one of the two components of the system which combats uncreation; and order of a variety which I call ‘static order’ is the passive force which defines the potential and therefore the state that uncreation seeks to return us to. A complicated concept to be certain. It is important to note that Ma’at is the goddess of ‘social order’ and ‘dynamic order’ and that when Kemetic’s speak of acting ‘in Ma’at’ as part of their ethical system, they are referring to these first two types.
  3. Sacred Language–In the Kemetic world view, the gods spoke the world into existence. Language is a divine force. It is the manifestation of Heka (broadly translated as will, power, or magic) and the power bestowed upon all of the Netjeru’s children (and on humanity in general). In general, Kemetics are very careful about what they say. Words are powerful things, and to misspeak can have consequences beyond simple miscommunication. From a personal perspective, I do not consider any thought of mine to have true ‘intention’ or validity in reality until it is spoken aloud. Once I have spoken something, I have committed to it. It becomes real. Written language is treated much the same way, but I do not see it as completely binding. One can always destroy what one has simply written, but one can not reclaim that which has been spoken. On a related note, names are particularly powerful spoken words. In Kemetic belief, a name spoken in the powerful and mysterious language of the gods, is a crucial element of the soul. Even given names and assumed names carry some inherent power over the person who owns them. It goes without saying that a great deal of magic is done through spoken prayers and written spells. Very potent magic often involves knowing the soul name (or at least a very deep, spiritual name) of the spell’s target.

*under construction, stay tuned for future installments.