Following is the transcript of the Oracle of the Year delivered to us by the goddess Aset (Isis) on Her holiday called "Aset Luminous" (occurring on July 2 in Gregorian 2020). Each year, we receive such an oracle to provide wisdom about the Kemetic Orthodox year to come. This year's Wep Ronpet (Kemetic Orthodox New Year, the modern celebration of the ancient Egyptian New Year) occurs on August 5, and this oracle is to cover the next Kemetic year through August 2021. Sekhmet, in Her form of Nesret the Powerful Flame, is the protective/guardian deity of this year. The colors of the year (to be used in decorating altars or shrines, or for heka purposes to bless and protect) are red and white in even distribution (see the oracle for the reasons why we balance Her red with white this year).
Dua Sekhmet-Nesret! Dua Aset!
Oracle of Year 28
received at Aset Luminous, IV Shomu 2 (July 1, 2020CE)
Touch your mouths to the ground in honor of Zep Tepi, shining above you, once again.
Touch your mouths to the ground in gratitude for your life, for your health, for your prosperity. We renew all these blessings for you this year.
Touch your mouths to the ground and avert your eyes as She of the Flame, Greatest of Eyes, Mistress of Arrows, goes forth with Her messengers into all the districts. Allow Her to pass over and through you, to remove all isfet, to burn away sickness, to drive all that is not in Ma'at from all places where you are.
In this year She comes as strong flame, for you have need of it. Whether She ends this year burning or in peace, is in your power to change. The Powerful One was pacified after Her wrathful birth and became once more the Lady of Joy, the Sweet Mistress of Love. She may be again. See to it that Her offerings of appeasement are given. You have made your promises; now keep them.
The Ma'at of this year is in your hands, as it has always been. In this year your hands are more able to feel Her weight. For some, their burdens are already too heavy. Will you carry Her for those whose hands are chained or weighted down? You must all come together, for you are not and never have been forsaken.
Bring Ma'at to the places She has not yet come. Do not wait for someone else to make the first offering. Appropriate action and justice lead to Ma'at. Hearing truth and making it known leads to Ma'at. Your voices, your thoughts, your promises, your very kau lead to Ma'at. Will you follow?
Will you do Her work or will She pass by and leave you in flame? You have the tools to quench Her fire in your keeping, just as you had tools to avoid its coming but did not use them. If you do not quench Her fire, it will consume you. She of the Beer in the Night consumed the wicked of Neni-nisut, and She will not fail to consume wickedness in this year.
Do not make your flesh desirable to Her. Turn Her wrathful face, as She will not be deterred from what needs to be destroyed. You do not need to be destroyed - unless you choose to be.
You know how to appease the Great Flame. You know how to bring joy to the Eye. You know how to entice Her to return to Her seat in peace and gladness. We have shown this to you since Zep Tepi. Each year, Anhur and Djehuty bring Her back for dancing and laughing and feasting and great joy of all kinds. The Heka-Speaker of the Two Lands, one who is helpful to you, has shown you how to appease Her. Do not neglect the ritual. Do not neglect to appease the Flame, lest She be out of control.
Do not wait for the time of the Eye's movement to appease Her. Appease Her in all things, each day. Pray, give good offerings, and create Ma'at, in order that Ma'at will satisfy Her and keep her from your throats. This year is very red. This year add white to the red so that Ma'at is next to the flame, and brings Her peace and appeasement. Wherever you use red in ritual in this year, always place Ma'at next to it, in honor of the Flame and its balance.
Do Ma'at for all people. There are no exceptions in this year. You must be the Ma'at that is needed. You must act as one, and have compassion for all who have suffered the calamities that came with opening the wrong doors in the year of the Opener.
His year, once again, has passed. Now you continue your work in Ma'at. The Son of Ra continues to guide you with My blessing, and must be supported in bringing Ma'at to all people everywhere. You must each do this work; it is not solely for the Son of Ra, Beloved of the Netjeru, to do. Do not stop and do not be deterred. Place the Flame in Her proper place in order that She brings the light of Ma'at and not the fire of destruction.
Deity of the year: Sekhmet-Hethert as Nesret, "She of Flame"
Colors of the year: red and white (or red and white stripes of even size in cloth)
August 1, 2020
March 20, 2020
A Prayer to Sekhmet for Our Times
In Kemetic Orthodoxy, we have a great goddess that we call on for health, and for protection against plague. Her name is Sekhmet, the Powerful Woman. As the Eye of Ra, Sekhmet can destroy, and in this case She can destroy the seeds of illness.
I invite you to join me in adding a prayer to Sekhmet as part of your daily devotions. Following is the prayer I will be saying each day as we battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. You are welcome to share this prayer anywhere you like. I ask only that you note where it comes from, since it is my creation, as an adaptation of a translation of larger ancient rites to Sekhmet for the destruction of illness and evil.
Prayer to Sekhmet against COVID-19
Rev. Dr. Tamara L. Siuda, March 20, 2020
O Sekhmet, Eye of Ra,
Powerful Flame,
Protectress of those whom She created,
O Sekhmet Who lights up the land with Her flame,
Who gives life to everyone:
Come, Sekhmet! Free us!
Save us from the misfortunes of this time.
May they never have power over us, forever.
Powerful One of Fire,
Who makes the virus tremble with fear of Her,
Come to us! Stop all calamity!
May our beginning be life, our middle be health, and our end be strength.
May there be cooperation between us.
May there be protection against all our enemies, living or dead.
Appease in our favor the Great Nine;
Appease in our favor the Lesser Nine;
Appease in our favor all the blessed dead,
as Ra is agreeable to His following,
in this time of our need.
O Pure Mother,
grant that all of the peoples of our world,
the generations we know and generations still to come,
be pure of all evil contamination,
of all bad winds,
and all bad journeys for this time.
I invite you to join me in adding a prayer to Sekhmet as part of your daily devotions. Following is the prayer I will be saying each day as we battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. You are welcome to share this prayer anywhere you like. I ask only that you note where it comes from, since it is my creation, as an adaptation of a translation of larger ancient rites to Sekhmet for the destruction of illness and evil.
Prayer to Sekhmet against COVID-19
Rev. Dr. Tamara L. Siuda, March 20, 2020
O Sekhmet, Eye of Ra,
Powerful Flame,
Protectress of those whom She created,
O Sekhmet Who lights up the land with Her flame,
Who gives life to everyone:
Come, Sekhmet! Free us!
Save us from the misfortunes of this time.
May they never have power over us, forever.
Powerful One of Fire,
Who makes the virus tremble with fear of Her,
Come to us! Stop all calamity!
May our beginning be life, our middle be health, and our end be strength.
May there be cooperation between us.
May there be protection against all our enemies, living or dead.
Appease in our favor the Great Nine;
Appease in our favor the Lesser Nine;
Appease in our favor all the blessed dead,
as Ra is agreeable to His following,
in this time of our need.
O Pure Mother,
grant that all of the peoples of our world,
the generations we know and generations still to come,
be pure of all evil contamination,
of all bad winds,
and all bad journeys for this time.