Customer Reviews

Egyptian Paganism for Beginners: Bring the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt into Daily Life

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It should be noted first off that this is not a book of ancient Egyptian paganism as it would have been practiced, but rather a modern interpretation using Egyptian godforms in a modern neo-pagan setting, helpfully divided into two sections.

In part one, Egyptian concepts of God are related with the authors' understanding that 'each of the major neteru can represent the Supreme Being, each showing a slightly different facet of the One who is unknowable and inconceivable in his or her entirety. The neteru retain their individual identities, so the devotee is able to encounter the One in a very personal and intimate way.' (pg 7) Briefly described are a few Egyptian-specific terms such as the ka, sekhem, and the Heavenly Trine, and fortunately the authors honestly note that one 'cannot be sure that the ancient Egyptian words?mean the exact equivalent of terms we use today for such concepts' (pg 11). Also described are the elements involved in creating a shrine, the opening of the mouth ceremony, and further notes on Egyptian magick; as well as general pagan and magickal concepts such as casting a circle, totem and assumption of godforms.

The second part is dedicated to the various Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Following various descriptions of their histories throughout the dynasties are invocations, replies, calls, meditations and commentary for many of the major Gods and Goddesses. Though they do state that it is '?not intended to be a dictionary of gods and goddesses the neteru are not presented in alphabetical order, but in the order that we believe is going to be the most helpful for explaining the nature of ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and practices, showing an overall view of the religions' further noting that 'only a small selection of the neteru is featured' (pg 8).

There are, however, a few points of contention. For one, the understanding of chakra and kundalini lore was very simplified, and not really relevant to the text at hand, having no sensible place in Egyptian religion. Also, there did seem to be an overabundance of comparisons to Judeo-Christian mythology, perhaps they're trying to provide a reference point for those coming from such a background, but I found it more of a distraction than useful. There's no need to equate the two, as they come from completely different mythological and ritual backgrounds.

While not an expression of ancient Egyptian religion and ritual as it may have been practiced, it does provide a basic introduction to modern Egyptian paganism, not a bad start to one's exploration of this path.

After reading this book, I was left a little confused. It is a good book, but the names are hellenized, the practices greatly altered, and it is just about the gods and goddesses, it does not contain a lot of the information that someone looking for a genuine egyptian spiritual practice is looking for. This does not contain a great deal of the medu neter of the egyptian spiritual practice, not to mention anything about the nome spirits, the cosmological resonance, the difference between egyptian and wiccan elemental/directional correspondences. If you are looking to worship the egyptian pantheon with a wiccan devotional system, this is an exce;;ent book, is you are interested in the actual beliefs of the egyptians and how to authentically recreate their spiritual practices, I would highly recommend The Sacred Magic of Ancient Egypt, and The Esoteric Wisdom of Ancient Egypt, both by Rosemary Clark, when I received these 2 books, and read them, I was bowled over by how interesting and informative they are.

I found this work to be very easy to understand. It holds a wealth of information

on the Egyptian religion, their gods and their rites and rituals. The authors have made

the information accessible to all who want to follow the pagan rites of the Egyptians.I found the work easy to understand and filled with sharp insight into the heart of

Egyptian paganism and magic. I recommend this book to anyone starting out on the Egyptian path

as well as any general student of the occult as this work makes an excellent addition to the

occult library.

The book might say "for beginners," and indeed it is an introduction of sorts, but the scope of the book goes very much beyond the basics, in my opinion. The first part of the book deals with things like how to cast a circle, the difference between invocation and evocation, how to test spirits, and the theory behind Egyptian magick. If that wasn't enough, the second half is really the meat of the book. It is an overview of some of ancient Egypt's major deities, where the authors combine quoting actual papyri translations with their own educated discussion about the nature of each deity and how they are related to each other. There is some very deep, heavy stuff to be found in these discussions that shows the extent of the authors' knowlege, experience, and love for their subject. I feel this book is valuable for both pagan and non-pagan lovers of ancient Egyptian mythology/religion alike, because the authors' passion for it illuminates perspectives that you might not find in a more detached text on the subject.

When I was exploring Paganism a fellow Pagan had suggested Egyptian paganism as a path and strongly suggested this book. I purchased and began to dive into the book trying to extract what imformation I could. As the title of the review suggests it is a good start. The author tries to explain key concepts in this ancient religion while giving a beginner the means to put this form of paganism into practical application. While there is a great deal of information which is appreciated by this rookie it written in a manner that questions whether Jocelyn Almond & Keith Seddon took the time to see how the overall work flows. After following a logical path they seem to go out of their way to jump around like one trying to find an artifact in the Egyptian desert. One has to stop in ones tracks (hope you don't lose your place) try in find the passage elsewhere in the book and then go back. Perhaps they were afraid that the reading would get too dry if they put the other chapters being referenced in front rather than post the early chapters. This erratic pace could have been avoided with the proper use of footnotes (there are none) or at least giving the reader page numbers as opposed to chapter numbers to minimize the chaos. The book also suffers from the lack of illustrations. The only drawings provided are of that of the dieties. The proper use of illustrations would be a big plus in understanding how to set up an alter for example or in performing various steps and rituals. The leaves the reader having to try to visualise how things are to be. However, compared to what is out there it is the only book that makes a serious balance between providing guidance and historical background. From other reviews of other similiar books provide even less information for one trying to explore Egyptian Paganism. Depsite its faults I would still recommend the purchase of this book for seeking the same knowledge I am.

This book is a good starting point in the Egyptian path of Paganism. It presents the basic gods and goddesses as well as information on worship and altar creation. I wouldn't, however, take it as the end all of the pagan path. Personally, I plan on using the references within this book as a starting point in continuing my study.

It does use a lot of comparison with other religions. While the Judeo-Christian comparisons stand out because I was raised Catholic, there are also a lot of comparisons to Hindu ideas. I found this helpful in understanding the meaning behind what the author was trying to express.

The single handedly the best book I have ever read. But why has the cost been so inflated over retail? I have visited Amazon to replace mine which has signs of heavy use, but I am not paying double and triple the retail price. I will buy directly from Llewellyn or at a local book store. Dont pay over $29.95!!!

In all this book was very well researched and written. The only complaint I have is that not many rituals were included.