Chamomile KemeticNov 28, 2022

Now, we talk Set.
Set is a #kemetic deity of change and the desert. The desert was a scary place, associated with dangerous creatures and heat. Set represented these things. But he wasn't the only one who connected with the desert. Yet it was Set who over time became demonized and made into the enemy figure in the mythology of Ancient Egypt. He became something like a devil in the culture of Ancient Egypt towards the middle to end of the era. They even went so far as to erase Set from temples, replacing him with other deities. Often Sobek.

Set is not evil in the sense we understand it today. The dichotomy of good vs. evil came along much later, so trying to fit the kemetic gods into that system does not entirely work. Today there are many devotees of Set. He is a deity of strength, potency, and change. He is the deity that protects us each day from the chaos worm. For it is Set who stands between Ra and Apep, slaying the worm every night.

(art from the oracle card tier of my patreon.)

#kemeticpolytheism #kemeticism #pagan #mythology #deity #desert

Show threadHemMaat
@teagarden Some see Tefnut as the netcher of change since Tefnut was symbolized by moisture or water, which is an agent of change, especially in comparison to her brother/consort. Shu was symbolized by dry air, which was seen as a force of preservation. Since Set was at the forefront of the fight against Aapep, he might also be considered a force of preservation, i.e., preserving the natural order of the world by protecting Ra and all of the netchers in the sun bark.
Nov 28, 2022 at 11:29pmWeb
Show threadChamomile KemeticNov 29, 2022
@rolandhayesr
To my understanding, Tefnut as moisture related to something closer to dew, mist, or condensation. Which quickly disappeared in the heat of the sun, which makes sense as she was also a Uraeus and her fire was as equally important as her moisture aspect. I do know many gods have associations with the Inundation and the Nile more specifically, which was how water was perceived to originate. Rain not being common enough to garner more of a role culturally.
Shu commanded the four winds, which each had different attributes. I know many deities connected to or are called the North wind, which was the wind that came down from the delta. So there may have been a correlation to the “refreshing North wind.” The ancients also saw the winds as being the force which moved the celestial bodies. As such Shu commanded the stars and had associations with the moon, especially as he was the other eye of Ra/Atum. So you could see him as a deity of time and movement. Which fits for the wind.
Set was considered a wild and dangerous deity. It was because of these attributes (and more) that he is the only deity who is strong enough to defeat the chaos worm. He is a preserver of Creation but also of change in the aspect of “what must be done.” Which shows in his myth of the murder of Wesir. He killed Wesir so that the dead would have a king and be preserved.
Show threadHemMaatNov 29, 2022
@teagarden I think it's important to remember that the netchers were viewed differently from pre-dynastic times through the late period. The cosmogonies that came out of Ineb-Hedj, Khmunu, Iunu, and Waset were all a little different, so I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. (Armana was completely different.) If you view them as spirituality, I recommend just going with whatever moves you spiritually.