Normally, I would open a letter with the words, “Em Hotep”, which most of us know means, “In Peace”. What I am about to write today has absolutely nothing to do with ‘peace’. It has nothing to do with giving lip service with a greeting that at times seems to have very little meaning to some of the people within its so-called Community of adherents.
What I am trying to say is this: Some of you, quite frankly, leave a whole lot to be desired by way of community. Some, I can safely say, suck as human beings. Some of you really suck as friends and with those kind of friends…..well, I’m sure that you know the rest. All I can say is that it really must suck to be you.
This is the only reason I can come up with for the nevernding vitriol against established Kemetic temples with which a person may or may not agree. It isn’t enough to just simply disagree in practice and opinion, but the poison is spread from forum to forum. Not that anything any of the venomous vipers say makes any sort of a difference. The best revenge, I find, is in success. Large successful organizations or very well-funded projects go a long way to stirring up the nest of vipers, apparently. I wonder how long it will be before they get their own projects going, or they are able to write better books or just get a clue.
I’m certainly waiting to see it happen.
My motivations for saying these things are manifold, and my point of view has been gained through years of experience and observation both from inside the “community” as well as from outside of it with other non-traditional faiths. I have found more camaraderie, kindness and decency among those who do not espouse Kemetic beliefs than I have in the 25 years I have been a member of this one. I am mystified as to the reasons why this might be. Why do so many Kemetics find it necessary to act this way? Usually, such hateful maliciousness is a product of a lifetime of woes. Regardless of those woes, those past indignities, one would think that finding others with like-minded beliefs would be a very positive thing.
I have watched far too many try to waltz into established temples and try to glean what they could from the experience, then turn around and establish their own temples or publish books with the information that they raided from elsewhere with absolutely no attribution, no acknowledgement whatsoever as to where they actually got their “years of experience” from. I have seen so much pettiness, cruelty, backbiting and lies that I often wonder whether some within our community really fathom, let alone know, what ma’at is all about. Rather than coming up with projects, books and organizations that could bolster the community, the infighting, pettiness and character assassinations of others continue unabated.
To be fair, I have been sitting on this post for a fairly long time. As a rather cantankerous old lioness who is no longer under the obligations of priesthood to “play nice” with the assholes in the community, I am also someone who no longer gives a bloody damn what anyone thinks of me anyway. So, I thought that it was high time that I said it.
If, by chance, any of the above makes you uncomfortable, then perhaps you should take a step back and ask yourself just why that might be.
There are some within the Kemetic community who use every waking moment to bring about unity. They make certain that their blog posts, their board commentary and the videos they upload to YouTube are inclusive and thorough. Those shared works, thankfully, do not contain thinly-veiled snarkiness about groups and or teachers with whom they might personally disagree. They know how to write. They are very good at making their points and are exemplary in citing their sources. To those people, and I am certain that they know who they are, I extend my deepest gratitude and acknowledgement as a fellow Kemetic practitioner. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for being an inspiration, a light and a beacon. I stand with the efforts of those who are determined to create a Kemetic community that shares and glorifies in its diversity and I will give my every effort to ensure that it comes to pass, despite the detractors who find it far easier to tear down what others have tried so hard to build.
To the rest, well, I can only say that hate, poison and jealousy have an incredible way of eating a person from within. Trust me when I tell you, based on my own first hand experience, it is no way to live and it can be a horrible way to die from the inside.
Being Kemetic is supposed to be about the celebration of Life and the furthering of Ma’at in the world. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all focus a little bit more on that?
Fanny Fae 
Reblogged this on kemeticwriter.
Well said!
Fanny, I absolutely agree with all you’ve said. The haters will get their comuppance, ma’at will see to that.
I know. I feel absolutely self-assured that the haters will not escape ma’at, What amuses me the most is how many of those haters seem to think, however, is that it somehow does not apply to them.
I always shake my head when I watch it happen and wonder just what it was they expected.
Thank you for saying what I’ve not had the courage to give voice.
Thank YOU for commenting! I will say that there are definite advantages to being a cantankerous old lioness who just doesn’t really give a damn what the rest of the world thinks.
I’ve never thought of you as cantankerous, just straight-shooting 🙂 Thank you for your honesty and courage.
Thank you. I definitely appreciate that. I do know that this sort of rudeness and bad behaviour that has made itself part and parcel of the Kemetic “community” does tend to make me a bit grouchy. 😉
Took the words right out of my mouth.
YOU are one of those, my friend, whose efforts serve as an example for the greater community.. I do sincerely thank you for all that you have done and continue to do.
You make me blush!
I can only hope that my efforts (and the efforts of others who are doing the same) will pan out long term.
Reblogged this on Seven Scorpions.
No reason to blush, Von186. It’s a very good thing. 🙂 I agree. For those who have been posting so regularly, it has been really heartening. I do know that I really need to get in on the Kemetic Round Tabl, though I have been busy in school and finishing out the Sekhmet book. I think that I will be doing more of that sort of posting very soon.
This. Thank you for writing this. I’m a “new” Kemetic (only two years in), but I’m determined to stick with it, because I love what Kemeticism *actually* stands for – the things you’ve written about here: Ma’at, Life, our Gods, etc. I refuse to give up on this community, even if it might be easier for someone newer to say “well, screw this, it’s a mess,” because there ARE people like you (and others) working hard to focus the community at large on something that actually matters, and not on all the petty little things that don’t. I hope I can do my part to help make it better, and to help build a positive and Ma’at-upholding community.
Thank you for your very kind commentary! 🙂 Believe it or not, after all these years, I want the same things that someone like yourself wants. This Path / Faith / belief system has never let me alone since I was about 9 years old. There have been times, I confess, when I walked away, but always came back, so here it is where I will stay.. You have to believe that there are times when the joy outstrips anything any of the haters or the detractors could possibly try. Making it better takes all of us collectively, because it makes us far more powerful than we could be individually. Just be out there and keep with it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Thank you 🙂 I look forward to being a part of that growth and betterment. I don’t think I’ll be too disappointed, either, in the end…but then again, I’m an optimist 😉 but for all the negativity I’ve seen, I’ve met some awesome people too, and read some great blogs so far, to say the least. I have hope! The glass is half full ^__^
Pingback: Freedom isn’t Free, and Neither is Community — Something of a Tangential Essay | Shadows of the Sun
Pingback: A Ray of Light… | For The Netjer
Pingback: Pagan Blog Project: G is for Giving Back to the Community | Black Fur, Black Wing
Pingback: “Just When You Thought It was Safe to Go Back in the Water…” | Mystical Bewilderment
This is something that should be reflected upon by all of us. Every follower of the Netjerw has something to contribute, our Hekaw is all combined to bring Ma’at into this world. Those who fuel their Hekaw with jealousy, fear and hated only succeed in isfet to all of us, and destroy what we are all trying to build. You have my admiration, please continue to build your Hekaw in Ma’at for the betterment of us all.
I agree with you 100%. We may not all have the same vision as to how that comes about, but at least (I believe) we can have respectful dialogue between ourselves as to how to move forward. The jealousy and fear belong to another place, to another culture and it isn’t ours. The wholesale rejection of those things that are negative and are undoubtedly against our Kemetic code of ethics, ie. Ma’at,, I think, is necessary.
Those who participate in the backbiting, the fear mongering and the gossip should essentially be given a wide berth. This is ours. It’s time we reclaimed it. So the question is not, “who is preventing us from having this?” then becomes, “Who is going to stop us from creating the kind of community that we want?”
The answer to your question for me is no one. If it brings glory to the Netjerw, it is Ma’at. One only needs to reflect upon only them for guidance, and Ma’at is in our grasp. If we become distracted by those who lose sight of that, even worse to tear down those who are trying to follow the Netjerw, we fall from the perfection of Ma’at.
We don’t have a single holy book to argue from. We have multiple creation myths, wildly divergent writings spanning thousands of years. Thousands of gods and goddesses, with overlapping interests and jurisdictions.
And yet, everything still has to be One True Way. The things that spark gripe storms are unbelievable.
As I mentioned to someone else, this One True Way-ism seems to be a hold over that goes back to mostly Christian roots. It’s almost schizophrenic when you think about it. My stance is along the lines of what a Hindu friend and coworker told me: “Arguing over God is really very silly.”