Wep Ronpet: From then to the New Year.

From then…

My experience with Wep Ronpet began towards the end of 2014; I read through TTR’s blog on the subject. It was an excellent starting point for someone who had no idea what they were doing, so I made notes, and attempted to work out the date. It wasn’t long before I threw up my hands and moved onto other, easier research.

Early in 2015, during my month off from work, I sat down and worked out the date. It took me a few days and a lot of frustration, but it was worth it. I even wrote a how-to guide to help others avoid the frustration. Once that was done, I added all the holidays relating to the Netjeru I worked with, and then left it on calendar to stew for a few months.

I’ve always been exceptionally organized when it comes to things I care about, be they conventions or other events. I always make lists upon lists, and have things packed days before they’re needed. My mother would often complain, ask me why I could do all this organizing for things, but not get up for school on time? I think the different there is passion.

I was certainly passionate for my first Wep Ronpet.

My planning began about a month out, with a nice little word document on the desktop. It had ideas, comments, links, and all manner of other useful mind vomit, as well as devotional writing for each deity and words of dedication to be said on Wep Ronpet. This planning continued for a good month or so, and I set deadlines for myself to have ingredient lists or recipes compiled. This New Year was going to be good.

About a week before the Epagomenal Days (Refered to as Epag Days hereafter) I sent my mother a text message with a few extra items that I needed. Shots of different alcohols, a big dough mixer, cupcake making supplies. I’m lucky enough to have a family that accepts my religious beliefs, and while they don’t quiet understand them, seems to enjoy enabling my worship. I picked these up a few days before the event.

The last day of the old year was spent cleaning. My partner and I scrubbed the apartment top to bottom, opening windows, scrubbing floors, washing clothes. We wanted to be ready to host Gods.

…to the New Year.

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A beer, a small dinner roll, and cucumber to the left. Fresh water, a green candle, and some incense to the right. May He be pleased with the offerings before him.

Wesir {Osiris}

The first of the Epag days didn’t go as smoothly as planned, but I wasn’t going to be deterred. I chose to do an action for each deity, something unique to what I knew of them, to help us connect. After making the offering I sat before him, music playing softly on my phone. I was going to die and be reborn as he was, through a meditation.

This was the plan at least, but not what happened.

I fell asleep twice, sitting there for 40 minutes in the middle of the day. I met him at last, only to be greeted coldly and provoked into questioning what seemed like a simple answer.

“Why are you here?”
“To celebrate your birthday…”
“Yes, but why?“

“Why indeed” I though as I sat there reverting the bread and cucumber. I had work in the afternoon, so couldn’t revert the beer just yet, and I had hopes that perhaps I could think on the question while at work, and he could drink the beer. Perhaps a mix of alcohol and earnest soul-searching would dull his temper a bit; sadly it wasn’t to be. Instead a mix of depression and lacking spoons resulted in a second attempt not being made, nor the reverting of the beer.

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He asked for a hotdog with American mustard and lots of candles, and I added white rum and cool water, a golden party hat, and incense. Heru-Wer knows how to celebrate a birthday.

Heru-Wer {Horus, The Elder}

Heru-Wer had made himself known to me about a month prior to the Epag days, which made celebrating his birthday much easier. I’d already cleared his offering through earlier discussions, and had decided on a few rounds of Senet as the action of choice. He had said himself that “You learn a few things about a person when you play a game with them.”

So we played.

I used an app on my ipad, and set the AI to “feisty”. A fact which I think he enjoyed too much. He won the first round, and I won the second. Once we had reached a tie, I sat back and reverted the hotdog, enjoying the warm and positive vibes of the space. My goal was to learn more of him, but I think he used the time to learn more of me.

At day’s end, I sat before him a second time and we shared a banana muffin and the Malibu. Both of us were eager to win the final round. The first two rounds I had played carefully, moving my pieces in a group to avoid being sent backward. It was a logical strategy, but too logical. “You move like a pack of frightened animals, not a band of warriors.” he said, his voice amused.

Alcohol is liquid confidence, and confidence encourages risks. So I tried a new strategy, taking inspiration from his movements and seizing large leaps, even if it meant keeping my pieces open to attack. When the game was finished and I had won, I felt a wave of acceptance. I was worthy, it seemed, to have had this victory. Being honest, I think he meant to let me win from the start, but changed his mind mid-game only to lose due to a weak early game. His natural competitiveness seems equal only to his good humour.

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Fresh water served in an iron goblet, orange juice and his special dark chocolate offering cookies, a feast worthy of a warrior. That, and red candles, because the Dazzler just has to be special.

Sutehk {Set}

Set’s altar was decorated for the dual aspects that I work with. Firstly, as a lighthearted trickster, one who enjoys dick jokes, pranks, and exhumes confidence like a thick musk and Two, as a warrior, Strong of Foreleg, who destroys the foul serpent every night and destroys all that which is useless and holding us back.

This was a good day.

The Dazzler, as Set is affectionately called in this house, is one of the Netjeru that is never far from my mind. In fact, there are some days where I wish he was far from it, but he has other plans, of course.

I spent the better part of the day at work, filling in for others and working well past when I usually get home. The day was full of jokes and laughter, and left me in such a positive mood that I practically skipped home. Set’s action was a little different, in that he had requested it about 2 weeks previous. I was to make a tortilla with his visage on it, and we would be having taco’s at my parents that night, in honour of his chaos.

The cooking space was given Set’s seal of approval.

My partner had got out all the ingredients while I was at work, so all I had to do was say the words I had planned and get to work. With music blaring and my spoon as my weapon, I cooked the shit out of those tortilla’s, then my partner and I both decorated them. I had to get back to work, but was able to present mine in the evening before heading out to shop and visit my family.

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Acorns, fresh water, and a muffin. Cooking is akin to magic in a way, and so magic was made in her name.

Aset {Isis}

Another day of cooking was had, as cupcakes were made. This time, the spoon served not as a warriors sword, but as a magician’s wand. I had my Book of Knowledge on the altar as a tip of the hat to her aspect of Mistress of Magic, and I felt good about the decoration. At least till she showed up.

Her energy was intimidating, to say the least. Not negative, just intimidating, as she gave off this overwhelming feeling of prior planning and calculations. She was prepared for anything that came her way, she had plans on top of plans hidden inside other plans.

Most people miss-use the word humble. To be humbled is to be knocked down a peg, shown how small or low you are. I certainly felt humble. Aset was there, all around me, watching. I felt like a child again, vying for their parent’s approval. She guided me gently, as I became awkward and shy.

“Follow the instructions.” her voice echoed in my mind, “It’s a simple packet mix, simple steps, clear measurements.”

Easy for you to say, I wanted to retort. You’re not the one talking to something that is very clearly otherworldly. You’re not the one with goosebumps or a leering presence of being watched.

When the cupcakes were in the oven, I sat in front of her shrine, the mixing bowl in hand. I ate the mix like a child would, right from the bowl as we spoke. “Was she like this with everyone?” I asked, not sure if I wanted the answer, “Only those that need it.” was the smiling response.

In the evening I decorated the cupcakes, dedicating the completed cupcake to her in offering. By the time it was ready to be reverted, I didn’t feel hungry, so I put it in the fridge to be eaten later.

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Nebt-Het {Nephthys}

Red wine, cool water and a slice of cheese. Before Her sits my divination tools, a scrying mirror, a pendulum, and some oracle cards.

Nephthys was interesting, in that I didn’t get any sense of…anything from her. I see her in one aspect as the concept of the unknown, of things yet to be known, but really, I don’t know that much about her other than her relationships with Aset, Osiris and Set.

Still, it was her birthday, and her birthday I would celebrate! I set out an offering of red wine, cool water and some cheese, and still don’t know if she enjoyed it or not. I did a little divination, asking if there was anything left hidden that she thought I should know about before the new year began, and I just got the message that I done enough revealing in the past year, and to just think about that.

I attempted a little scrying, and got graced with a lovely image of myself and other gods, as well as other members of the kemetic community, flying through the sky as Kites (The bird, not the paper construction) with human or animal heads representing our various Ka/Ba.

After that, my partner and I got all the various bits of paper/spellcraft/paperwork or other things that have been collected through our spiritual group, and burned them in the cauldron outside. I opened the beer and finished off Aset’s cupcake, and we sat there poking at the mini-fire as we said words over it, saying goodbye to last years hopes, desires, goals and issues.

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Wep Ronpet

The morning began before dawn, as Wep Ronpet usually does. I was awake around 6am, with the estimated sunrise being in about an hour. I’d set up the general table and temporary privacy screen the night before, and spent that hour brushing my hair, brushing my teeth, washing myself with Natron, and generally becoming pure. I had originally planned on having a shower the night before, but didn’t due to reasons, and so was trying to figure out what to do with my hair. A few others in the community had been discussing head coverings, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I grabbed a scarf and wrapped it over my head, then continued with my morning preparations.

The Icons of the gods were moved outside before the sun rose, and cleaned/dusted/wiped down in the process. As the sun rose, we greeted Ra in jubilation, and I said the words I had planned. I set my intent for the year ahead. I would grow and develop in various ways, like the gods that I worked with, taking on positive aspects that I admired in them. I thanked each of these personally, and sat with them as we were all bathed in the warm light.

Once we had greeted the morning together, I told them I was going to prepare them a feast and left them to enjoy the sunlight. My partner helped me, and together we made an almost continental breakfast, with croissants, bacon and eggs, toast and general deliciousness.

My partner snapped this image as I was turning the Icons around to enjoy the sun on their backs and the offering about to be set before them.

I offered them this platter of breakfast foods in my morning offering and sat with them to discuss the days plans and enjoy the meal. It was a very relaxing start to what was to be a rather busy day.

The first thing on the agenda, and there was definitely an agenda, was to clean their inside shrine area. It was wiped down completely, the glass scrubbed and the area cleared, and then the gods were invited back inside, carried in a single person procession and placed in their spot of choice.

I then put some music on and played my sistrum to the beat, moving my body around the living room and making a racket as my partner attempted to play video games.

After energizing the shrine area and entertaining the gods, I moved onto self-care. I made myself a bath, with far too much salt and essential oils, then topped it off with some roses that I usually put in tea. This was going to be my cleansing bath, to get rid of the old and care for the new. Plus, It gave me another excuse to read.

It’s going to be an interesting year, I think.

I dozed off at one point, but It was pleasant. Once the bath was finished, it was time to do some divination. I had my hair covered by a towel, and used the scarf as my divination mat, using a mix of 4 different decks and setting out cards for each month of the new year, all the way to the next Wep Ronpet. My cat joined me, although I had to fight her a few times when she wanted to chew on my scarf or attempt to knock over my chocolate milk. A final card was pulled to see what the overall feel of the year would be, specifically relating to me, and was given this.

With a lack of food colouring dyes, you need to make some substitutions. Green blood for theserpent, this year.

When lunchtime rolled around, I ate the ~~Ap/ep~~ cupcakes with my partner. We stabbed the cakes, we ate the cakes, we spat out the cakes and we threw out the cakes.

The afternoon was supposed to be spent creating meaningful artwork and indulging in creative impulses, but instead I spent it indulging in the sunlight on the floor with my cat. Looking back, I’m 100% sure that was the right call.

At about 3 in the afternoon I began preparation for the Netjeru’s departure. I got out all sorts of ingredients and set course for the kitchen. Bread was the goal, and it was interestingly achieved. Trial and error and a very nice/easy recipe meant that it was done in a little over an hour, ready for the sunset. When it came out of the oven I let it cool for a while, then sliced it and slathered the top with honey. This was taken and set before their newly set-up shrine area, and offered as a dinner feast.

This was probably my favorite part of the entire day.

This is the second piece. Apparently, both the Netjeru and my partner liked the bread.

As it was set before them, I sat and looked inwards. In my head space I was bringing that same slice ( and the rest of the loaf) to a simple table, solid and gold, with my close Netjeru sitting in waiting. We shared the bread and enjoyed each others company. It was peaceful, unassuming, with no expectation other than to enjoy the end of the day.

I ended up wearing the scarf until dusk, and only took it off after saying farewell to the Gods. Would I do the head-covering thing again? Maybe. I did it initially out of hygienic expression, as was done in antiquity, but it felt nice, special in a way, to have it like that on this special day. I guess we’ll see how I feel next year.

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{Improvements, Mishaps, Photos and Thoughts}

My schedule was off slightly, as I underestimated how much time it took to make breakfast, and also underestimated when the sun would be visible from our balcony. Sure, it might have risen at exactly 6:58 but I didn’t see it until about 5 minutes later. This meant that the cleaning and dancing was pushed back, and I had to cut into my dance time to get back on schedule. It worked out in the end, but good to remember for next time.
I didn’t end up doing the colouring that I had initially planned, nor the belief snapshot, but I do want to incorporate those in next year, or just soon for funsies.
I also didn’t do much craft, so might look into doing that earlier in the day next year, to avoid the afternoon burn out.
Yes, there was a fire. If you’ve been looking at the photos, especially the one with the breakfast platter, you’ll probably notice the burnt tablecloth marks just before the gods Icons. This happened shortly before the sun rose, as I was sitting down listening to some music and just enjoying the atmosphere/waiting. I’d set up some gold candles on the altar, and had obviously put the fake flowers a little too close to them. Suffice to say, it’s a good reminder of both fire safety and safe altar layouts.
Wep Ronpet has been an interesting experience for me, in that even though I’ve been studying and reading a lot, I’ve only been on this path for about a year. I’m still very new in regards to practicing the religion, and doing more than a little dance and parade around the house when it comes to holidays has both been exciting and draining. It’s a nice feeling to have this experience under my belt, and see how all this paper knowledge actually fits in.
I’m finalizing the last of this article about a week and a half later, and I can’t help but laugh that both my partner and I got sick the week following Wep Ronpet, only to read up (after the holiday) on how amulets were apparently offered to Sekhmet/Bast on Wep Ronpet to avoid this exact circumstance happening. I think next year I’ll be making some amulets on the day as part of that craft I’ll be doing.