A Beginner's Guide to Kemeticism

Nefertari's Temple at Abu Simbel; Amber Nebthet

Em hotep, hello! If you don't know me, I'm Amber a High Priestess for Set. I teach about the Neteru and Kemeticism on my social media and patreon. As such, this has brought amazing beginners to my space asking similar questions--which is never a problem! This is why I'm writing this post as an all rounder helper guide for you. It will be a long post, so bear with me, and if you have to, favourite or bookmark this page for future reading. So, let's begin:

*Disclaimer: I am a revivalist (more on that below) and as such this post will reflect that. I do not know anything about Tamaran Wicca or the Kemetic Orthodoxy, which I am not affiliated with.

Let's start by giving you a brief history on Kemeticism and what it is.

Kemeticism or even Kemetism started to emerge back in the 1970s through the late 1980s. This is the time where we see the emergence of the Kemetic Orthodoxy and other religious sects claiming the Neteru such as the Temple of Set. There are spaces that would call it Neterism as well, but I don’t see that used modernly.

Kemeticism derives its name from Kemet, meaning “Black Land” due to the fertile soil around the Nile. This is the name given to Egypt by the Ancient Egyptians. It is the modern term used for those of us who practice the Ancient Egyptian religion. They’ve also used Ta-Mery, or “Beloved Land,” as a name for Egypt as well. There are some of us who practice it as close as possible to the Ancient Egyptians, and we call them Reconstructionist.

Then there are others who bring in the way the Ancients practice alongside the Modern practices, Revivalists, and this is where I lay on the line. I combine a lot of scholarly research alongside my modern-day experiences to walk my path. A good example would be me offering Set the Kemetic Basics (water, bread, beer, and wine) alongside a cinnamon roll. I also do my lectures and such as a way to honour him, since I am doing it for him, technically. (Sorry, Djehuty.)

Then there’s the Wiccan off-shoot called Tamaran which derives its name from Ta-Mery. They stick the Neteru within their Wiccan beliefs. I’m not Wiccan, so I can’t speak about it other than that.

Some Kemetics refer to themselves as Pagan, but others call themselves Polytheist. I myself vibe with Polytheist VS Pagan. There are also Kemetic Witches. We’re mostly a polytheistic bunch, but everyone’s practice is unique to them.

Now let's get into the nitty-gritty of the work that needs to be done on this path. The rest of the blog you can read HERE on my Patreon. Don't worry, it's free!