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totalfilm:

Fifty Shades Of Grey sex scenes to be axed?

The only reason this dreck is being released as a film is because the book (I use *that* term loosely!) sold over 100 million copies. The producers only see the money train. Never mind that there are plenty of good, well written scripts out there.

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January 21, 2014 · 4:18 pm

B is for Bennu Bird

Bennu Bird by Jeff Dahl, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

“I am that Great Phoenix which is in…

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January 19, 2014 · 6:19 pm

B is for Bennu Bird

Bennu Bird by Jeff Dahl, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Bennu Bird by Jeff Dahl, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons


“I am that Great Phoenix which is in Iunu/Heliopolis
I am the one who assigns what exists.
What does it mean?
It is Eternity and Perpetuity
As for Eternity (cyclical time), it is the Day
As for Perpetuity (linear time), it is the Night”
(from Spell XVII, “Prt Em Hrw” the “Book of Coming Forth by Day” or “Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead”, R.O. Faulkner Translation)

The Bennu Bird is the predecessor of the Phoenix of Greek mythology. This symbolic representative of Creation is tied to the word weben, which means ‘To Rise’. The Bennu or Bemu Bird is tied to the gods Atum, Ra and Wasir (Osiris); which would explain this deity being featured wearing an Atef Crown. The Bennu bird ties to the Benben stone which also resided in Heliopolis. Atum, according to legend rose up as the Benben in the Mansion of Benu in Heliopolis. The Benben Stone itself was believed to be constructed of and representative of the solidified semen of Ra-Atum as the Soul of Ra when He copulated with His own hand to Create the rest of the known Universe. Later the Hand was attributed to various goddesses in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon and in the person of the Queen or Hm.t Niswt of the Pharaoh.

A portion of the Book of the Dead of Nakht depicting the Bennu Bird

A portion of the Book of the Dead of Nakht depicting the Bennu Bird

The Bennu, according to the Metternich Stele, created itself from a fire that burned on the sacred Persea Tree located at Heliopils. It was believed that the Bennu bird would build His nest of twigs made of incense, more specifically, myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) in the Persea tree and die. In Heliopolis, it was also believed that the sun rose of the Bennu to illumine the sky and died five hundred years, the Bennu Bird would fly into Egypt from Arabia, carrying in His beak an egg composed of myrrh , representative of His Father’s body. It is this egg, of the Great Cackler, Geb, that is left on the Primordial Mound. It is on this Mound that the sun, Ra is again.

One of the earliest appearances of the Bennu Bird is in the Pyramid Texts of Unas as a yellow wagtail and then later, in the Book of the Dead, the bird seemed to have changed shape into that of a Gray Heron (Ardea cinera) . These birds are quite prolific here in the Wapsipinicon River Valley and every time I see one in flight or pausing looking for food in the many waterways and tributaries in our forests, it serves as a breathtaking reminder of the Benu bird.

Bennu Kite

The Bennu Kite that hangs in Userbenu’s room.

Perhaps on an unconscious level when we moved our family from the city out to the wilds when my son was all of six years old, it was the draw of the Great Bennu. It was the Bennu who gave His Name to the Kemetic name that was divined for my son, Userbenu, the Strength of the Phoenix. No parent wants to consider that their child will experience difficulty, but my son latched onto the imagery of the Phoenix almost as soon as he became aware of it. To this day, a hand painted kite that we found at New Pioneer Natural Foods Co-op almost 20 years ago, hangs on the ceiling of his room. It has, I think served as a reminder for him and for the rest of us the important image of the Bennu Bird.

Such powerful imagery is important for us as humans, even when we are kids. There are few books that really are tailored toward Pagan, or especially Kemetic parents and their children. One of the best books that I have ever seen on the market, and one that I bought for my own son and hope to hand down to any future grandchildren is The Cry of the Benu Bird by C. Shana Greger tells the story of Atum and the Benu Bird in a delightful way. Of course, it does not go into much of the aforementioned more erotic aspects of that Creation Myth, but it does talk about the Creation of the other Netjeru in a way that children can appreciate and understand. It’s beautifully illustrated and gets young minds thinking about the Netjeru and their potential relationship with Them and the rest of the world.

Normandi Ellis put the idea of our eternal rising from the ashes of those parts of lives at every stage. like the Bennu Bird, so beautifully. Her translation of the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead has often served as a poignant reminder for us and for those whom we love.

I have entered fire, I become invisible; yet I breathe in the flow of sun, in the eyes of children, in the light that animates the white cliffs at dawn. I am the god in the world in everything, even in darkness. If you have not seen me there, you have not looked. I am the fire that burns in you. To live is to die a thousand deaths, but there is only one fire, one eternity.”
Resources:
– Normandi Ellis, Awakening Osiris

This idea of a Self-Created One, is central to Kemetic Religion. The Bennu Bird and the Phoenix have proven to be a powerful symbol or representation of the Divine for many throughout history. and Pagans and Kemetics today. We are each of us born, we live our lives, and we die. But in that life that each of leads there are series of births, lives, deaths and rebirths. None of us has been the same person we were when we started out or even a few years or even months or weeks ago. This is true not only of our personal lives, but our work lives and spiritual lives as well.

Subtly, we understand the process of cycles, of becoming of being and final release. We also, most of us, have various ideas about what comes next, what comes after. Though we may never see too far down the road, we always have that sense of inner knowing, of the cycles always continuing until we, like the Bennu bird, can be reborn once more.

Resources

“Benu-bird (the Phoenix).” Amentet Neferet Egyptian Religion. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014.

Ellis, Normandi. Awakening Osiris: A New Translation of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Grand Rapids, MI: Phanes, 1988.

Faulkner, Raymond O., and James P. Allen. The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2005.

Shaw, Ian, and Paul T. Nicholson.The Dictionary of Ancient Egypt. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995.

Veggi, Athon, and Alison Davidson. The Book of Doors Divination Deck: An Alchemical Oracle from Ancient Egypt. Rochester, VT: Destiny, 1995.


Pagan Blog Project 2014

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January 19, 2014 · 6:19 pm

The dust jacket of “The Twelfth Transforming” by Pauline Gedge. This incredible novel is set in the latter part of the reign of Amunhotep III and into the rule of Akhenaten, with Tiye as the central character.

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January 18, 2014 · 8:02 pm

A 1927 photograph of a statuette of Queen TIye (Hm/t nsw.t Tiye) Great Royal Wife of Amunhotep III, and mother of Amunhotep IV (Akhenaten).

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January 18, 2014 · 7:42 pm

lvtrndtkm:

GREAT KiNGS OF AFRICA
featuring GREAT AFRiCAN QUEENS

Tiye – The Nubian Queen of Egypt (ca. 1415-1340 B.C.)

Now it came to pass that in the 14th century B.C., a wise and beautiful woman from Nubia so captured the heart of the pharaoh, she changed the course of history.

Although often invaded for their gold, labor and cattle, and despite being a colonial dominion of Egypt, the Nubians were a proud black people who maintained a strong cultural and political identity for the best part of 5,000 years. So from an early age, Tiye was taught by her parents never to accept second-class status.

Apparently, she learned those lessons well, for the young Egyptian ruler, Amenhotep III, was so taken by her beauty, intellect and will, he defied his nation’s priests and custom by proclaiming this Nubian commoner his Great Royal Spouse. Thus, her future offspring (one of whom was to be the pharaoh Tutankamen) became full heirs to Egypt’s throne, with fully royal and divine inheritances.

Pharaoh Amenhotep III publicly expressed his love for his beautiful black queen in many ways, making her a celebrated and wealthy person in her own right. And he took her counsel in matters political and military much to heart.

As a final gesture of the great regard in which he held Tiye, Amenhotep declared that, as he had treated her in life, so should she be depicted in death…as his equal. And so the colossal sculpture ordered for their joint funerary temple thus portrays them, as a pair of majestic monarchs. Both proud, both noble, both serene.

©1984, Anheuser-Busch, Inc • St. Louis

#Tiye #Nubia #Nubian #queen #queens #kween #kweens #king #kings #royal #royalty #pharaoh #black #africanhistory #africa #afrika #african #afrikan #gaia #worldhistory #history #Egypt #Egyptian #amenhotep #tutankamen #hotep

A rather flowery depiction, but not too far off the mark. Queen Tiye, IMO was the greatest Ancient Egyptian Queen of all.

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January 18, 2014 · 7:30 pm

kamonra:

Magical Ingredients; Hearts

Yes, hearts. An item not usually used by most witches, hearts are not only versatile, but also very easy to purchase and work with in spells, curses, and offerings to gods which prefer meat (I’m looking at you, Sekhmet.)

The easiest animal heart to purchase by far are chicken hearts. Easily found in any American grocery store, you can usually purchase 20 or 30 for about $5, giving you plenty to store, and plenty to consume (and they sure are tasty when simmered in chicken broth for a few hours). They’re fairly simple to store and preserve for general workings, as well; you can place them in a jar with a tight fitting lid, and then cover with a 90 proof or greater alcohol like vodka. They may discolor, becoming rather grey, but they keep their shape well and don’t rot. Once they’re soaked in alcohol, they also are a lot easier to light on fire, which can be useful in curses or for burnt offerings. You can also tuck them into salt to dry, much like I do with chicken feet- but since they are all muscle tissue (and dense tissue at that) they are best split in half before being buried in salt to ensure the best preservation- which really defeats the purpose in the first place. You can however, dehydrate them and store them (but chicken heart jerky never has appealed to me).

Chicken hearts are great for spells involving love, or emotional manipulation (the turn of phrase ‘pulling on someone’s heartstrings’ can work in a very literal way), along with curses involving emotional devastation, heart health, or destroying an enemy in general. Since hearts are also edible, you could also treat it as a delicious poppet, naming the heart after your target and consume it (or give it to the dog. Y’know, whatever). They also do well in clay and rag poppets that you don’t mind rotting.

You can also purchase larger hearts at your local butcher or game processor such as deer, pig, or cow. They’re a lot bigger, and as such, are a lot harder to store. If you need a large heart for a large poppet or for a curse, it’s best to purchase them and use them same day. Large animal hearts can be cleaned and stuffed with herbs, paper, stones, or anything else you wish to use, and then kept in a jar or buried until they’ve served their purpose.

This is just a quick reference, and I’ll probably add more specific things at a later time.

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If YOU offer Sekhmet chicken hearts soaked in alcohol until they turn grey, you are most cetainly NOT likely to get Her to talk to you!

In my 20 years as a Priestess of Sekhmet, I have heard some really stupid things to be offered. This one…just…NO!! Let me ask you: Would *you* eat what you are offering? If the answer is no, then DON’T!

Sekhmet, in experience as Her child and Her ordained Priestess, tends to be very laid back about offerings. No, really. She is. Offer what the best you can afford – or are willing to save for. Do not offer Sekhmet synthetic ANYTHING. (Vegetarian Lasagna, also does not go over well. I know this firsthand.) Fragrance? Essential oils are best. She absolutely LOVES Frankincense – but it is pricey. However, one drop is very strong, so a small bottle will last for literal months. Food? No crap /junk food. Drinks? Beer, Pomegranate liqueur, cognac, etc. and NO grey or rotting ANYTHING!!! Lions eat fresh meat that is red and bloody. Afterall, Sekhmet is the Lady of the RED Garments – not the lady of hte grey and rotting stuff.

There are plenty of Sekhmet devotees / priests/esses here on Tumblr etc. Please ask if you are unsure how to approach Sekhmet or are at all unclear what would be pleasing to Her.

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January 18, 2014 · 3:24 pm

bitteroreo:

aestheticrequiem:

thetwistedrope:

thetwistedrope:

I apparently missed the fun today. But this seems relevant.

bringing this back because we need it.

Wait people didn’t know this?

Well you know the whole Zeitgeist Conspiracy stuff…one of the problems with conspiracies mass misinformation.

In other words, people, Heru (Horus) whether it is Heru Wer (Horus the Elder) or Heru Sa Aset (Horus, Son of Isis) – He is NOT Jesus! Get over it, and find something else to fixate on!

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January 18, 2014 · 6:55 am

im5-official:

Sorry for the really long post, I wanted to make sure I could get as much as I could in there. I saw these lovely posts and saw they all used to the same sites I do. So I combined theres, with some of mine that I love to use. I also added food, in here because I know I’m lazy so I thought you guys might appreciate it.

Converting websites:

Daily Use:

Fashion, makeup, hair:

Food in under 10 minutes:

Helpful for school (lots of writing tips):

Helpful websites:

How To: 

Life Tips:

Other:

Photoshop:

Readers/Writers:

Sounds:

Tumblr help:

When you are bored:

When you are sad: 

Movies:

Hope these help you guys through out the year. Have a great year. 🙂

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January 16, 2014 · 6:37 am

Truths Are Truths: Offering ‘Enough’

Nefertari offering to Hathor, from the tomb of Nefertari, Valley of the Queens

So often we hear of…

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January 14, 2014 · 12:21 pm