Greetings from EuroRetreat!

This morning, I'm posting from a conference room in England, during a break in our very first Kemetic Orthodox religious retreat outside of the United States.

If you'd told me in 1987 that I'd be teaching and sharing information about the ancient Egyptian religion in England, with people from all over the world, I think I would've laughed. There is no way I could've foreseen this happening. It's exciting, and a huge milestone for our religion and our religious community. We have, in one weekend, become a global organization in a literal, non-Internet-based way. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our W'ab priest, Nesyutenmutes, for all that she has done to bring this together in her country; and Rev. Tanebet, who also helped plan and put this together from Germany. Both of them have been dreaming about a European retreat for years, and we've finally made that dream reality.

So far this morning, we've had a discussion about Kemetic terminology around the deceased (specifically Akhu and Muuet, an expansion of a discussion that the wider temple was already having this past week in our official internet message forum), and some basic talk about apotropaic magic and what we'll be doing over the rest of the weekend. We have a very cozy group as we had some cancellations, but know that we're thinking fondly of everyone who isn't here, and already planning for future European gatherings.

Happy Kemetic New Year! (di wep ronpet nofret)!

A little before sunrise this morning, I put on clothing and regalia that I only wear once a year. The jewelry needed polishing, and I'm a little embarrassed to say that my robes are a little tighter than they once fit, but everything was clean and in good order, and once I'd gotten myself into the official clothes, I headed out of my office and down the hallway at Tawy House to the Truth and the Mother Temple room itself.

Priests were streaming in and out of the room: bringing in the portable air conditioner, sorting out where the offering mats would go, reading through the ritual scripts to make sure no tool had been forgotten and that no part had been neglected. One of the priests, unable to serve at the altar due to ritual purity requirements, could still serve in another capacity. She stayed downstairs and greeted each member as they entered the building, directing them to where they could change into ritual whites, or wait to be allowed to enter the temple on this most special of all mornings this year. There is always much to do, and many hands to share the work, and that work has incredible meaning.

This morning, the sun rose for the first time under Kemetic Orthodox Year 21, under the zep tepi, the "first time," of the new Kemetic year.

Year 21: Oracle of Aset

Each year, during the Aset Luminous festival, an oracle of the goddess Aset (Isis) is recorded, to discuss the year to come. These years are numbered by Kemetic Orthodox custom beginning at the heliacal rising of Sopdet (Sirius) over the main temple of the faith in Joliet, IL. This year, Wep Ronpet, or the "opening of the year," is marked beginning August 3, 2013. We share the Aset Oracle publicly for anyone who might be interested. This year is to be marked under the special protection and blessing of the god Heru-sa-Aset (Horus, son of Isis and Osiris), and is given the colors white and red, after the two crowns He wears in victory. Dua Aset! Dua Heru-sa-Aset! Nekhtet!

The sky abides.