Kemetism
| Kemetism | |
|---|---|
| Family | Modern pagan / Reconstructionist |
| Origin region | Modern global movement inspired by ancient Egypt |
| Founding period | 20th and 21st centuries CE |
| Estimated adherents | Unknown; small modern communities and solitary practitioners exist internationally. |
Kemetism is a modern religious movement that reconstructs, revives, or reimagines ancient Egyptian religious traditions for contemporary practice.
Overview
Kemetism draws inspiration from ancient Egyptian religion, deities, ritual forms, concepts such as ma'at, temples, offerings, myth, and funerary symbolism. Modern Kemetic practitioners vary widely: some emphasize historical reconstruction, some practice devotional polytheism, some combine Egyptian symbols with modern esoteric systems, and others treat Kemetism as a living personal or community spirituality.
Key beliefs
- Reverence for ancient Egyptian deities such as Ra, Isis, Osiris, Horus, Hathor, Thoth, and Anubis
- Ma'at as truth, balance, justice, and right order
- Devotional relationship with gods, ancestors, and sacred symbols
- Respect for ancient Egyptian myth, ritual, and cosmology
- Varied views on reconstruction, revival, magic, and modern adaptation
Practices
- Offerings, prayers, hymns, and shrine work
- Study of ancient Egyptian texts, art, and archaeology
- Festival observances based on ancient or reconstructed calendars
- Ritual purification, meditation, and devotional writing
- Community worship or solitary practice
Places of worship
- Home shrines, temples, online communities, study groups, and ritual spaces
Sacred texts
- Ancient Egyptian funerary, mythic, hymnic, and temple texts, along with modern Kemetic writings and reconstructed liturgies
Holidays and observances
- Kemetic calendars vary and may include Wep Ronpet, deity festivals, solstices, and reconstructed ancient observances