Marking and protecting my territory

Over the last six months, I have done much reading and research on the Ancient Egyptians. I have focused on material written in the last twenty-five years, as some of my initial knowledge came from outdated sources such as Budge as well as occult orders that incorporated his work like the Golden Dawn. I have enjoyed my reeducation!

Last month, I created a simple boundary stele inspired by the Stele of king Peribsen. I learned enough about reading hieroglyphs to figure out how to properly spell my middle name, Osiris, simply by changing the determinative in the name from “god” to “man”. I affixed this piece to the fence outside my new home, marking my territory, and making it easier for visitors (and certain spirits) to locate me.

This week I finished my second piece, a winged disc, the symbol of protection found over the entrances to temples and pylons. I looked at a number of examples in museum catalogues and tomb photographs to determine the design and colors. After giving it a few coats of varnish to protect it from the elements, I installed it over my front door.

I think I’ll paint an offering stela as my next project. I have a number of Kemetic deities to thank! I have most of the offering formula put together in hieroglyphs; I still need to find epithets and titles to identify everyone, including myself.