Fiercely Bright One

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What I Include in My Books

February 16, 2019 jewelofaset

I posted this on my Patreon and thought people here would find it useful.

So I have a book that just came out with ancient hymns in it (see here) and it occurred to me that many people may not know how this works.

Once I find a hymn or quote I want to use, I look up the publisher and email them with the information of what I want to include (the hymn, the full citation of the book or article, including page number) and information about my book (title, publisher, rights, distribution, approximate cost). Then starts the waiting game. Sometimes it takes a few days, a month and some take years to get back to me. Yes, years. (I’m still waiting on some in fact).

Now, once I hear back, I can get different kinds of responses:

Got permission. It’s free. Just send us a copy of the book and cite everything completely. Sometimes, they’ll even give me a template to use for citations. So, literally cut and paste, just add the page number. (and no, you can’t abbreviate citations. Full citation for each hymn)
You may have permission if you send us money. $50 USD
You may have permission if you send us money. $200 USD
You may have permission if you send us money even though you asked for only 6 to 12 lines. $198 USD (Yes, this happened)
You may have permission to translate and include one hymn if you pay us. $350 USD (Yes, this happened too and I said no)

And I must include the books in the bibliography as well.

So if the hymn is in German or French, I have to ask permission from either the author or the publisher to translate it and include it in my book. If it is already translated into English, I ask permission from the author/translator or publisher to include it in my book. Sometimes, they will ask for a copy of the book in exchange which I am more than happy to provide.

If it is in hieroglyphs then I ask someone who knows hieroglyphs to translate it for me in exchange for a book copy or monetary compensation. If I knew hieroglyphs, then I could just translate it myself. (But I digress…)

So I hope this helped to clear up any issues about what I include in my books as far as content or footnotes.

Thank you to all the authors, translators and publishers who kindly gave me permission to include their works in my books.

Flaming Lioness is now Available!

February 6, 2019 jewelofaset

flaming_lioness_kindle cover — Cover Design by Andrew M. All rights reserved.

The Eye of Ra is a title of many ancient Egyptian Goddesses. The Eye of Ra protects Ra and all of Egypt from enemies. The Eye of Ra is a solar goddess associated with the cycles of the sun, solar eclipses, the star Sirius, Venus, the Morning Star, and the full moon. All the Eye goddesses are associated with solar rays, flame and starlight—in both restorative and destructive capacities. The Eye Goddesses are associated with snakes, cobras, lionesses, leopards and cats.

Within Flaming Lioness, there are ancient hymns to:

Aset (Isis)
Bast (Bastet)
Bast-Mut (Mut-Bast)
Hethert (Hathor)
Menhyt (Menhit)
Mut (Muth)
Nebet Het (Nephthys)
Nit (Neith)
Nut (Nuit)
Sekhmet (Sachmis)
Serqet (Selkis)
Seshat (Sesheta)
Tefnut (Tefenet)

Purchase Paperback from Lulu here: Flaming Lioness

Purchase PDF from Lulu here: Flaming Lioness

Purchase the Kindle edition from Amazon: Flaming Lioness

Aset Neferset, Auset Neferset, Isis Nepherses, Aset of Pharos Lighthouse, Auset of Pharos Lighthouse, Isis Pharia, Aset, Auset, Isis, Aset-Serqet, Auset-Serqet, Isis-Selkis, Books, Calendar, Hethert, Hathor, Isis-Aphrodite, Publications, Rhodophoria, Work-in-Progress, Writing

Rhodophoria/Rosalia

February 2, 2019 jewelofaset

IMAG0516 — Aset shrine for Rhodophoria 2018.

Rhodophoria/Rosalia Festival

3 Peret/Pamenot/February
16 to 28-Rhodophoria

Roses themselves were introduced to Egypt via the Greeks and Romans. The Goddess Aphrodite (or Venus) was born from the sea-foam and during her birth; a white rose was formed from the waves. This is why it is associated with Aphrodite. When Aphrodite’s lover Adonis died, she cried and the white rose became red with his blood. And this is why red roses are associated with the Goddess.[1]

Aset’s worship became greatly linked to Aphrodite so much so that there was a syncretic deity Isis-Aphrodite within the Ptolemaic period. Aset as a mourning Goddess would also be associated with the red rose.

Rhodophoria “Bearer of Roses” or Rosalia festivals were ancient Greek and Roman festivals to honor the dead, the military dead and various deities. It was also a spring festival about fertility and flowers, especially roses so many Goddesses were honored during this time such as Aphrodite, Venus, Hethert (Hathor), Aset, Isis and Isis-Aphrodite.

Some scholars think that a garland of roses may have been religiously associated with the Crown of Victory given to Wesir after his victory over death in the afterlife. Even though this was initially given to Heru, it was transferred to Wesir. Other gods associated with this festival are Heru and Ra. Other ways this occasion was celebrated was victory triumphing over enemies or protecting from harmful forces. During the Ptolemaic Period and later, the festival became more affiliated with Wesir’s mythos.[2]

A long Rhodophoria festival (lasting 13 days) is listed on the Temple Festival Calendar of Soknopaiou Nesos which was dedicated to the crocodile God Sobek and Aset as both Aset Neferset/Isis Nepherses (with the Beautiful Throne) and Nephremmis (of the Beautiful Arms).[3]

This festival for Aset comes from the Ptolemaic period. It is obviously Greek in origin, but was adapted to ancient Egyptian religion.

Roses were the flowers which were left on graves. Aset is honored here as the Lady of Beauty, Fertility of the Land and Abundance, Queen of the Land of the Dead (Amenti), Queen of the Ancestors and the Mourner of Wesir.

Possible Dates to Celebrate:

2 Peret/Mechir/January
12 to 24- Rhodophoria
3 Peret/Pamenot/February
16 to 28-Rhodophoria
1 Shomu/Pachons/April
26- Rhodophoria
2 Shomu/Payni/May
May 9- to 13
Rhodophoria/Rosalia
May 13
Rhodophoria/Rosalia
May 31 to June 1[4]

Activities for this Festival

Make offerings to Aset and some family members such as Sobek and Wesir
Offer red roses in a vase or rose petals in a bowl
Make or buy garlands of roses to put in your hair or drape around the shrine
Offer red roses and other offerings to the dead in a separate ancestor shrine or at a graveyard

Sources

[1] J. Gwyn Griffiths, Apuleius of Madaurus: The Isis-Book: (Metamorphoses, Book XI) (Brill, 1975), pp 39; 159–161.

Forrest, M. Isidora. Offering to Isis: Knowing the Goddess Through Her Sacred Symbols. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 2005. (Rose entry: page 258-259)

[2] J. Gwyn Griffiths. Apuleius of Madaurus: The Isis-Book: (Metamorphoses, Book XI) (Brill, 1975), pp 159–161.

[3] Capron, Laurent. “Déclarations fiscales du Temple de Soknopaiou Nêsos: éléments nouveaux,” in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. Bd. 165, Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH, Bonn (Germany). (2008), pp. 142. 13 days.

[4]Capron, Laurent. “Déclarations fiscales du Temple de Soknopaiou Nêsos: éléments nouveaux,” in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. Bd. 165, Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH, Bonn (Germany). (2008), pp. 142. 13 days.

Perpillou-Thomas, Francoise. Fêtes d’Egypte ptolémaïque et romaine, d’après la documentation papyrologique grecque. (Studia Hellenistica Series 31). (Peeters Publishers, 1993),127. From the Papyrus of Oxyrhynchos LII 3694. 12 day festival. Hekster, Olivier. Rome and its Empire, AD 193-284. (Edinburgh University Press, 2008), 128. From the Feridale Duranum Calendar from the reign of Severus Alexander.

Oracles, Poems, Poetry,, Orisha, Oya, Poetry, Poem, Polytheism, Publications, Self-Publishing, Indie Publishing, Indie Author

Feast of Oya: February 2

February 2, 2019February 2, 2019 jewelofaset

Oya is an Orisha over the winds, fire, rain, storms, transformation, commerce, and the dead. She is an Orisha of hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms and lightning. Her colors are multi-colors, purple or red. Her sacred number is 9. Her sacred animal is the water buffalo. She can shapeshift into the buffalo and is a hunter. She is a warrior woman armed with a sword and protects the sacred from impurities. She is the goddess of transitions and death. Her breath is the life-force of all things and the death of all things when it is taken away. She is a fierce mother who is said to be fiercer than Her husband, Shango. Oya loves eggplants, water, rum, red wine, beer, grapes, plums, and gin.

To the Ones Who Call Me

by JewelofAset

I am the Witch here.

I am the one who knows Her herbs.

I am the one who knows Her spells.

I am the one who knows Her heart.

What I want, What I need

is known to Me.

What you want, What you need

is known to you.

I am the Orisha

granting desires and boons.

Giving blessings to those who honor Me.

A calabash filled with offerings.

Libations poured out onto the Earth,

which Olorun made.

I am the Wind.

I am the Thunder.

I am the Lightning.

I am the Storm.

I am Oya–She tore.

One who tears down trees in My path,

One who topples houses,

as towering trees fall.

I bring destruction for new growth to occur.

I bring swift cleansing and change.

Faster I, twirl and My power

enchants and terrifies,

as things are uprooted in My path,

things that make one complacent or stagnant,

the ones who resist change fear Me.

Some loathe Me as they fear change

more than their own death.

more than their own demise.

And yet, I only come when you can’t quite see

what you are stuck in.

You can’t move on in a stagnant place,

or in a relationship that isn’t feeding you–

or worse, one where you are a victim.

Get out of your own way.

Accept My blessings and move.

Act.

Don’t sit idly by

and do nothing.

Take action in your life.

Do something–anything–

one thing–then two–then three

to help you change.

to help you move forward.

Then ask for My aid,

bring Me offerings in the calabash

or on your home shrine

and I will come.

Swiftly and without delay

I will come.

For I come to all those who call My name,

For I am Oya, of the Buffalo Horn.

For I am Oya,

the one who comes

when My children call.

Poem previously published in Divine Words, Divine Praise: Poetry for the Divine Powers.

Books, Brigantia, Devotional Practice, Fellowship of Isis, Goddesses, Uncategorized

Happy Brigantia/Imbolc!

February 1, 2019February 2, 2019 jewelofaset

Brighid by Brigid Ashwood and manufactured by Pacific Trading.

Happy Brigantia! Happy Imbolc! Here is one poem for the Goddess Brigantia from my book Divine Words, Divine Praise: Poetry for the Divine Powers.

Brigantia–Her name may mean “Exalted” or “Queenly”. She is the tutelary deity of the Brigantes and is a Romano-British deity who has similarities to Athena/Minerva and Brighid. Her only titles were left in Roman inscriptions on altars. Her titles are Goddess, Heavenly, Nymph-Goddess, and Imperial Guardian. Her symbols were the crown, spear, helmet and shield; a globe, wings of victory and the head of a Gorgon on her brooch. She is a goddess of nature especially water and trees; a protective war deity; a goddess of artisans and their crafts, a lady of sovereignty, a goddess of knowledge, a healing goddess and a heavenly Queen. She may have been a goddess associated with oracles. Like Brighid, she is the goddess of the hearth and home.

Offerings to Her include milk, honey, wine, beer, mead and fruit.

Celtic/Roman and English Epithets

Caelestis (Heavenly)

Dea (Goddess)

Nymph-Goddess (Goddess of nature associated with waters, trees; healing and oracles)

Tutela Augusta (Imperial Protector/Guardian)

Victoria (Victory)

Sources

MacGrath, Sheena. Brigantia: Goddess of the North. Lulu, 2015.

The Lady Brigantia

by JewelofAset

Lady of Wales

Ffraid is Her Name

Lady of the Distaff

and the Spindle;

Weaving is Her trade.

In Ireland, Brighid is Her name

Lady of Hearths and Wells,

Lady of the Hearth-fire, Temples

and Sacred Writing;

These are Her spells.

Brigantia is the Lady of Great Britain

Queen of Heaven,

Lady of the Distaff

Lady of Victory and the Royal Guardian

These are My names.

And this is Who I am.

Hearth and Home

Distaff and Spindle;

These are the implements

when I am Goddess of the Home and Domestic Duties;

This is Who I am.

Warrior Queen, Bearing Arms

when I wear the helmet

and hold the spear and shield.

Lady who dons the Gorgon Head

as a brooch,

when I am Lady of War.

And this is Who I am.

This is Who I am.

For all those who ask for Me.

This is who I am.

I am like Athena, yes.

And Minerva too.

She has a cognate in My name

which is shared with Brighid of Ireland and Wales.

Brig is Exalted.

Brig is Lady.

Brig is Queenly.

And this is Who I am as

the Queen of My People.

The Brigantes.

The People of Great Britain, Wales and Ireland.

And any people who call upon Me today.

This is Who I am.

Lady of the Distaff and Spindle

Lady of the Hearth and Home

Queen of Heaven

Lady of Victory in War

Lady of Victory in Life

Lady of Sovereignty and Sovereign Lady

Lady of Artisans and Crafts

Lady of Knowledge and Power.

And I am Lady of Poetry and Bards.

And I was called Nymph and Goddess

by the Romans.

and Heavenly Queen.

And I am the Sovereign Lady

of all natural forces;

including sacred springs and rivers

and healing wells.

Over trees that are sacred to Me.

I am a Goddess of oracles, yes,

but more of divination than of Divine command.

Sovereign Lady

This is Who I am

For all Who call upon Me.

And I will come to all those who call,

for I answer the prayers of all of My people.

Aset Luminous, Auset Luminous, Isis Luminous, Aset Neferset, Auset Neferset, Isis Nepherses, Aset of Pharos Lighthouse, Auset of Pharos Lighthouse, Isis Pharia, Aset, Auset, Isis, Aset-Serqet, Auset-Serqet, Isis-Selkis, Books, Fellowship of Isis, Isian News, Isis-Seshat Journal, Oracles, Poems, Poetry,, Poetry, Poem, Polytheism, Publications

Isian News and Isis-Seshat!

January 30, 2019 jewelofaset

My Poem “The Charge of the Goddess Aset” was published in Isian News: the Journal of the Fellowship of Isis. Here is the link to the 10th Anniversary issue: Isian News Brigantia 2019.

Another poem of mine was published in Isis-Seshat: Quarterly Journal of the Fellowship of Isis. Here is the link to that: Isis-Seshat Winter 2018/19.

Uncategorized

The Magic of Tidying Up: Connecting With and Honoring House Spirits

January 18, 2019 jewelofaset

Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Netflix series has had a positive impact on my life. Here is a wonderful essay about Marie Kondo’s method and polytheism.

MystikNomad

“Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” is on Netflix right now and we’re at the time of year when a bunch of folks commit to reorganizing their homes. Put those together and people are once again talking about Kondo’s 2014 best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up“.

Organizational expert Marie Kondo and the cover of her best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”.

Most Westerners think of this book, and the KonMari method it introduces, as just another approach to organizing the home. However, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” is one of the most prized books on my spirituality shelf.

I thought it might be helpful to explain why.

The Sacred Home

Household deities are common fixtures in polytheistic practice. For instance, like many folks I maintain a shrine for the Goddess of the Hearth. She is the flame at the heart of the home and…

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