Why Netjer?

 The word Netjer, is a word that I've adopted from the Kemetic faith, who in turn adopted it from an ancient Egyptian word, meaning "divine power" or "god(s)" While I've found this word to be useful, as it is becoming much more widespread in pagan circles; I also understand that it confuses some people into thinking that I am part of the Kemetic faith. I'm not. Nor am I a member of any particular re-constructionist faiths pertaining to ancient Egypt. I did research a few of these groups after I started working with Egyptian gods, but I found them to be wanting.

I understand this may offend some people out there, but in my opinion, we can't reconstruct the religion of the ancient Egyptians. We just don't know enough about how the common people lived and worshiped, or have the cultural immersion to understand and make connections to even begin to guess at deeper cultural meanings within the stories and mythology.

The bulk of the writings we have, are composed of lots of names, and about the journey of the pharaoh to Duat, maybe some history here and there, with more names and talking about bloodlines. A lot of the stories and roles of the gods are focused around the protection or judging of the pharaoh, or the gods fighting each other, or trying to seduce each other. Where's the stories about how the gods relate to the common people? I mean, yeah there's the story of Sekhmet, when she goes on a rampage, kills lots of people, and has to be placated... but that tells us nothing about the worship of the common people.

We are not pharaohs, and most of us don't even have credentials in Egyptology. I know I sure as hell don't.  We can only guess at how the common people viewed, and interacted with their gods. Because of this, I don't try to recreate an ancient religion. While I understand that some people do, and I respect that, I find no meaning or purpose in it.

I may take ancient titles, and call the gods by these during ritual work. I may look to the west to call upon Anubis, as west is the direction of the setting sun, and so the direction associated with death, and the underworld. I do these things with the knowledge that I am constructing, not re-constructing the way that I work with these deities, and the way that I approach the ritual work associated with them.