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Atenism in the home
Topic Started: Mar 13 2013, 12:51 PM (2,136 Views)
AmarnaGirl
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I got to thinking about this recently,thanks to the Temple of Aten website (it's unfortunately a defunct group now,but they still have their information up.) There's a section of their site titled "Atenism at Home",which I think was basically meant for how to practice Atenism in your home on your own,since the Aten temples in Egypt are no longer available to people,and there aren't any others. However,there is no information on their site,just the title (this section of their website is "under construction" and has been for several years - doesn't look like anything new is ever going to be added.)

So out of curiosity,I'll bring the topic here: how do you all observe Atenism in your home? Do you have a shrine or altar set up for Aten? Or for Akhenaten and his family? Any specific rituals/prayers/offerings,etc?

Just thought I'd throw this one out - in case any Atenists are still posting here,this would be a very good topic for discussion! Myself I'll get it started: I've got a papyrus picture of Nefertiti,also a framed photograph of the Berlin bust (which I saw when I was in Germany - my camera took a good picture of her,even though the room was rather dark.) I've got several pictures (from books - I've yet to get frames for them) of Akhenaten and his family offering to the Aten (they are photographs of some of the wall carvings from Amarna.) I have some small battery candles ("eternal sun lights" if you will - I can keep them on all the time.) and a couple of very nice lotus-shaped offering bowls. I am looking to make or otherwise get a picture of just the Aten, without Akhenaten or family,since I don't have one yet showing just the Aten alone. (I'll probably have to make this one myself,I'm not too artistic,we'll see how it goes,LOL.)

But as for rituals,etc, other than possibly reciting the Great Hymn,I'm not sure what else to do. (I figure sunrise,sunset,or noon - any of these would be good times.)

Anyone else?









Edited by AmarnaGirl, Mar 24 2013, 01:56 PM.
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aper_el
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Akhenaten and Nefertiti

Much SMEARING and DESTROYING of two of the greatest leaders/lovers in
ancient history was a must for the EVIL Amun priesthood. They were
the winners in the war against truth, towhich the Amun priesthood was
never going to let any upstart (pharaoh) destroy their livelyhood
again. Although as history approached the time of 'Alexander the
Great', they did have a few upstarts; but thats another story.

Freke and Gandy didn't connect the dots...they said the myth is out
of Egypt but they never identified the connexion; here it is.

The truth of love and devotion was put into a myth-fable, "Sleeping
Beauty" which came out of Egypt, through Greece, and presented itself
to you and I. "Sleeping Beauty" shows the glorification of these two
lovers; Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Freke and Gandy stated in one of
their recent books "Sleeping Beauty" is a myth out of Egypt via Greek
myths connected with their Egyptian past. Well, it dawned on me as I
was reading their description...it was how Nefertiti was put into a
trance in never-never-land by the EVIL Amun priesthood. The ordinary
people of ancient times new of this great couple of love and wisdom,
so it was carried in a myth for all to remember.

Aper_el
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AmarnaGirl
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Aper_el,

Your post above doesn't have anything to do with the question I posted. Please make sure your posts in each section are on-topic to the current discussion. It's very hard to keep things going here when only 2 or 3 people are posting. You are of course welcome to re-print your post in another section of the forum,if you'd like,though it's really almost word-for-word to match most of your other posts. I'm not entirely sure why you've posted it again. (I'd move it myself,but the last time I tried moving something,I accidentally deleted it - don't think I've quite figured out the bugs for moderating here yet, it's a bit different than my other lists,LOL!)
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AmarnaGirl
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I'm also going to throw this in out of curiosity - I'm interested to know how many Atenists would say they are following Akhenaten's Atenism (meaning Atenism the way Akhenaten had it in his time) or a more modern version with different ideas added that there wouldn't have been in Amarna.

It seems to me there'd be a difference in home practice,with these two types of Atenism,but maybe not. I don't know if it's really possible to have Atenism today the way Akhenaten had it,and if so,how do you practice in your home and daily life?
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Mayati
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This is a very interesting thread, i wonder how many of us truly observe the religion of Atenism, and how this fits into modern life. I have a small stone figue of Akhenaten, also a papyrus picture of the Great One and his family offering to the Aten, as a focus for meditation and prayers.
As many offering tables have been found at the site of Amarna it seems that offering to the Aten played a large part in the original religion. But how can we practice this today? A major part of our faith is to give thanks daily through Akhenaten to the Aten for giving us light, life and love. I believe that we should dedicate each day to the Aten and live it to it's full.
The old precept of Wicca (a nature-based religion) should also apply to us "An it harm none, do what you will"
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AmarnaGirl
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*Nods* I agree. I think there might actually be very few Atenists on the forums - there are some,but it's been pretty quiet here lately. We certainly can't give offerings on the scale that Akhenaten did,he had hundreds of offering tables in the temples, but I think small-scale offerings could work. Things that we offer could even include actions or things that we do,not just tangible offerings. (Though I've always been partial to offering things like flowers,olive oil,bread,etc.)

The Wiccan Rede can be a useful premise,but I also think many of the 42 Laws of Ma'at can be especially relevant to Atenism. Akhenaten himself was concerned about living in Ma'at ,however,I do think he could have done many things differently (I have a nice framed copy of the Laws that I printed from another site - I'm an inactive/nonparticipating member of the Fellowship of Isis,and one of their temples has a nice rendition of the Laws.)
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Mayati
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I found the website of the Temple of Isis, and I agree that many of the 42 Laws of Ma'at still have great relevance today.
However, I understood that the ancient concept of Ma'at was primarily concerned with order and stability, which is why for thousands of years the Egyptian society was in a state of stagnation, unwilling to adopt any innovation of philosophy or technology which might upset this order.
My understanding is that, in breaking away from the old polytheistic worship and constructing a new capital city, Akhenaten was attempting to end this stalemate and move Egyptian society forwards.
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AmarnaGirl
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*nods* The ancient Egyptian concept of Ma'at was many things: it was order and stability,but also truth and justice - the "right" order of the universe (without Ma'at,there would be chaos),etc. I don't know that the Egyptian society was necessarily in stagnation that whole time (remember,they were seen by other cultures as the most sophisticated and educated society for a time: the "top dogs" in the pecking order. You can't be the best if you stay stagnant with no new innovations. It was many other societies that adopted Egyptian technologies and ideas.

It's ironic that Akhenaten was so firm (in his mind,anyway - unfortunately,he did a lot of things against Ma'at,when you really look at what he did during his rule.) on upholding Ma'at,yet in later years,after Amarna,he was seen as deviating from exactly that,and was thought by other Pharaohs and the Egyptians as going against Ma'at. Therefore they tried their best to erase him from history.

I've always been interested in the Amarna Period,and I think there's probably more to Akhenaten that meets the eye. My fondness is for the Aten (always been a favorite deity concept),but I'm having trouble embracing Atenism fully,due to my personal feelings about Akhenaten,and the kind of person evidence is showing him to have been. (Which is another reason I'm trying to look for information to build Akhenaten up in a more positive light.) It's kind of hard to be Atenist without thinking highly of its' main founder!
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Ankhesenamun
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I think Atenism for us nowadays is mainly a spiritual thing. I don't do any rituals because I don't know how they are to be done correctly; we don't have that knowledge, all we really have to go by is the Great Hymn. The Great Hymn is our Sacred Book and teaches us so much.
I certainly don't worship pictures of Akhenaten because I don't believe He would want us to do so. He taught us very clearly that we should only worship the Aten - no other gods, no images and no human beings. Akhenaten is a Great Teacher but that does not mean He is to be worshipped.

Our prayers should go to the Aten. Daily prayers, genuine faith, and Ankh Em Ma'at - Living In Truth - are the foundations of Atenism.
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AmarnaGirl
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*nods* I can see where a lot of Atenism could be simply "every day spiritual" based,rather than ritual-based. We really don't know the content of the rituals from Amarna (save for the hundreds of stone offering tables in the temples - it would probably be safe to assume prayers and offerings played a large part of Atenist ceremony.) As far as daily rituals - they'd pretty much have to be created from scratch,since Atenists today would have to come up with their own rituals.

As far as worshiping Akhenaten himself, I personally can't bring myself to that level at this time. I see Akhenaten as a human,and major founder of Atenism (royalty aside - he didn't ask to be king.),but I'm having a hard time finding a "middle road" with the Atenism of the past vs. the Atenism of today. Strictly speaking,if we were to follow Atenism as Akhenaten had it in his day,our prayers would be directed at him,not the Aten. Akhenaten very clearly told his people that only he could speak for the Aten,only he himself knew the Aten. The common people couldn't worship the Aten directly,they had to go through Akhenaten (as mediator) and he would then direct their prayers to the Aten.

Akhenaten saw himself as the literal son of the Aten,with his father actually being Aten (not Amenhotep III,his human father) Excavations of Amarna have uncovered some personal altars/shrines inside the citizen's homes: they were statues/paintings/carvings of Akhenaten and his family worshiping the Aten. The people were to pray to Akhenaten and or family members,who would intercede with the Aten for them.

Atenism today has moved from Akhenaten's original intentions (himself first) by making the Aten,not a person,as the sole focus. I think this is more as it should be: our focus should be on God,not people (living or dead) who talk to God for us. We can talk to God ourselves,we don't need someone else to do it for us.
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