Book reviews available

I recently learned that two of my books were reviewed (and more than once!). You can check them out here: Ser's review of The Ancient Egyptian Prayerbook Devo's review of The Ancient Egyptian Prayerbook Ser's review of Nebt-het: Lady of the House I was a bit surprised to read that the Prayerbook was interpreted by both reviewers as somehow intended solely for a Kemetic Orthodox audience, as I never intended for it to be just for them. Perhaps that just shows that you can never control how people interpret your work, once it leaves your head. I suppose that it is also easy to mistake me for the religion I founded, though the latter has quite a life of its own. It is very good, however, to get some feedback and review of the books in the larger world. Many writers don't read their reviews. I understand that motivation; it's not always easy to read negative reactions or be on the receiving end of internet disdain. But I think it's important, if you actually do write for people other than yourself, to have some idea of what interests them, what they respond to, and how. It's not so much to write in a way that caters to them. Unless, of course, that's why you write. The intention of receiving that feedback is to make your next work that much more useful/better/accessible. Or maybe I'm just a masochist. Who knows? In any case, I am grateful for the reviews, and for any reviews, of my work.

Death and Remembrance - Osama bin Laden and the world

On September 11, 2001, I wrote a letter about the attacks Al Qaeda, and its leader Osama bin Laden, carried out on the United States. An excerpt of that letter was taken off the Internet and appeared in a book put out by Beliefnet, along with the writings of many clergymen and women far more wise than I am.

Earlier this evening, I listened as President Obama announced the news that the man behind the terrorist organization responsible for these attacks had been found, and that he had been killed. And afterward, I watched as people began to gather around the White House, and around Ground Zero, and all over the Internet, to discuss the news.

Legend has it that Mark Twain once said "I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." Many people will feel that way this evening; the media has been photographing them celebrating all over the world since the news was released. Others, on the other side of the conflict, might mourn. Still others might find themselves in the place that I am, quiet, thoughtful, wondering if one life makes up for the hundreds of thousands lost while he was searched for. And then one even wonders if that is a valid way of thinking. Can one count human beings like apples or stones? What is a life worth?

I went back to the shrine, that shrine I talked about in my 2001 letter, though now it is in another room in another building in another town. Yet the feeling, and the sound, was the same. One death will not bring all those he killed back to life. One death will not atone, cannot atone, for all the pain and suffering terrorism has brought to the world. A chapter has ended, but the book of evil is still being written. There is no gaining back what was lost on September 11, 2001, nor anything that happened between that day and today.

There is only what we choose to do now. And I will pray that what we choose to do makes the world a better place. I can do no more.

Welcome 21 new Remetj!

Em hotep!

We've got another 21 Remetj to add to the House of Netjer membership this week. Congratulations and welcome to all of you!

Coty B. of Pennsylvania
Kel C. of New York
Carl C. of Wisconsin
Yosef C. of Louisiana
Iheb (rootnamed Robby F.) of Nevada
Paula G. of Argentina
Federico "Chay" H. of Argentina
Caleb H. of New Hampshire
Anthony I. of New Jersey
Jessica I. of Tennessee
Zurette "Sa-Ankhu" I. of South Africa
Laura K. of Pennsylvania
Mickey K. of Pennsylvania
Amber L. of North Carolina
Paul M. of Maryland
Grace P. of New York
Eldgrim S. of Sweden
Christian T. of the Netherlands
Vaalea V. of the Czech Republic
"Fern" W. of Colorado
Thea W. of England

Looking forward to seeing some of you at the PantheaCon interfaith conference next weekend. I'll be giving a lecture about ancient Egyptian prayers along with a booksigning for The Ancient Egyptian Prayerbook on Saturday morning beginning at 9am.

Back to work

Back to work after time to deal with the medical tests (results: same as last year, which is both good news in that it's not any worse, and bad news in that it's not any better. Interesting feeling, to be relieved and frustrated at the same time...)

There's quite a bit going on at the temple as autumn begins. Last weekend we hosted the Wag Festival here in honor of the ancestors, or Akhu. We visited several cemeteries, including two potters' fields and the largest cemetery here in Joliet, Oakwood. Many photographs and stories were shared, and there's quite a bit of material about the blessed dead that we gathered. I may post some of it here, just for interest's sake. Gatherings are being planned and classes are resuming for our students and teachers. The Year 17 calendar is available from the Seminary, and a hardcover version of the Prayerbook is awaiting ISBN approval. There are trips later in the year, including our annual pilgrimage to Kemet and the Parliament of the World's Religions (Melbourne, Australia in December). People will be coming to visit to do work-study and share ceremonies with us and we will be visiting them too.

I'll do my best to keep up with you as we engage in all these busy things. For those who shared Retreat with me, tomorrow is the day that you want to open up your New Year's letters! (I've got those you left for me to mail you in the mail and you should receive them soon). It's been a month since the Opening of the Year. How are you doing on your resolutions and plans and challenges? My prayers, and my love, are with you all.

Ancient Egyptian Prayerbook re-released!

Em hotep!

And yes, here's the big news I was hinting about on Twitter earlier....

I'm really excited today. Finally, after a great deal of effort and all the help of our friend Jordan at Azrael Press, The Ancient Egyptian Prayerbook has been republished. It will be available in any bookstore in a couple of weeks using its ISBN number (978-0-578-03071-5), but for now it is available at the website, egyptianprayers.com.

The new format is larger (6x9 inches) and so the text is a little bit bigger for easier reading. Other than a new cover and an expanded index, it's the same as the original version. Please spread the word that the book is back in print. I know that we had a lot of members in the temple who were waiting for it to come back so they could purchase one.

And now that the big project is out of the way, other projects will be following.

Back to work!