Wep Ronpet - Egyptian New Year

Our observance of Wep Ronpet, or the Egyptian New Year, took place this year according to the date given in Juno Covella. I like to periodically rededicate the main altar, particularly on the anniversary of our founding, and Wep Ronpet seemed like another excellent time for this; so our rite was the Dedication of a Shrine to Isis.

Here you see a photo of the altar set up for the Dedication rite, and I apologize for the reflections obscuring bits of the print above it. (Although the rite does not call for knives, the co-founders of this Iseum are very knife-conscious, and like to  have them around! They are very useful for dispelling isfet and slaying Apep, both of which are appropriate actions at the beginning of a new year.)

Certain of the items remain in place at all times, such as the icon, the vases, the small cat figures, and of course the print above; other things change as necessary for the type of rite taking place. For the simplest devotions, I may add nothing more than a candle and some incense; more elaborate ceremonies call for more elaborate trappings, and may include various tools, more statuary, extra candles, special altar cloths, and more.

This photo shows the altar set-up more closely, so that the ritual objects are visible. Many of them have been in our possession for years, and have stories behind them--but that's a topic for another, probably quite lengthy, post. The large yellow candle is filled with herbs and resins and carries the scent of Kyphi, so its fragrance blends nicely with that of the incense we burn. The brightly-colored flowers make a fine offering, as well as a reminder of the bright summer days that are coming to an end for us here in the not-so-distant future.

The Dedication rite is a deceptively simple one, but carries a lovely depth and warmth to it that makes it a pleasure to perform on a periodic basis. Because the version given in Dea is a bit different from the one given in Maya, I've elected to use the Dea version for the main Iseum shrine and the one in Maya for smaller personal shrines and temporary shrines. Either way, it never fails to bring a sense of peace and serenity to the temple space, and to the celebrants.