Establishing the Temple of Nephthys

Alright. I have the ritual. But it is a bit raw. That is where I am with Her. In a new, raw place. (Those of you who are already devotees of this Great One are smiling indulgently. And that’s okay.) And so, I shall share this with you in its raw state. She might prefer it that way; I kinda get that from Her. But She’ll let me know. Of that, I am sure.

Next time, I’ll write up the vision I had with Her, since this post will be quite long enough as it is. Maybe you’ll have your own vision by then…

Establishing the Temple of Nephthys

Entering

Move to the West of the ritual space. Stand with your hands palm-to-palm at your heart. Breathe in. Make the Nebet gesture by crossing your hands, one over the other, at your heart, then slowly and gracefully opening your arms in a wide arc, palms up. Imagine you are cradling a very large, wide, and shallow vessel, the “nebet” vessel.

Devotee: Come to me, come to me, Nephthys, Goddess, Lady of the Temple. Come to me and let me come to You.

Purification & Consecration

Prepare your purification and consecration vessels. Pure water in the Cup; light charcoal and prepare incense for Censer. Take up the Cup and elevate it as you call the Souls of Night into it.

Devotee: O You Souls of Night, Water Dwellers, Purifiers, You of the Pure Water from the Well of Nephthys, I have come for You! By the Depth, by the Strength, by the Magic of Nephthys, establish Yourselves within this vessel. (Vibrating into Cup) NEBET-HWT MU! (Neh-bet-Huut moo)

Walk clockwise around the ritual space, sprinkling with water and speaking the following words:

Devotee: Nephthys is pure, the temple is pure. The temple is pure, I am pure. I am pure with the purity of Nephthys. I am pure with the purity of the Goddess.

Upon your return to the West, purify yourself, then elevate the Cup and say:

Devotee: By the Magic of Nephthys, it is so!

Replace the Cup and take up the Censer. Elevate the Censer as you call the Souls of Day into it.

Devotee: O You Souls of Day, Fire Dwellers, Consecrators, You of the Pure Flame from the mouth of Nephthys, I have come for You! By the Depth, by the Strength, by the Magic of Nephthys, establish Yourselves within this censer. (Vibrating into Censer) NEBET-HWT ASH! (Neh-bet-Hutt aash)

Walk clockwise around the ritual space, censing with incense and speaking the following words:

Devotee: Nephthys is consecrated, the temple is consecrated. The temple is consecrated, I am consecrated. I am consecrated with the fire of Nephthys. I am consecrated with the flame of the Goddess.

Upon your return to the West, cense yourself, then elevate the Censer and say:

Devotee: By the Magic of Nephthys, it is so!

Establishing the Horizons

Move to the center of the ritual space. Prepare yourself. Then move to the East of the ritual space. Raise your hands in the Akhet gesture, first holding it close to your heart, then as you speak the words, extending the sign, with strength, towards the East.

Devotee: In the name of the Lady of the Limit, the Eastern Horizon is established!

Turn around and move directly to the West. Repeat the Akhet gesture.

Devotee: In the name of the Lady of the Limit, the Western Horizon is established!

Circle clockwise from West to South (passing North and East). Raise your hands in the Akhet gesture, first holding it close to your heart, then as you speak the words, extending the sign, with strength, towards the South.

Devotee: In the name of the Lady of the Limit, the Southern Horizon is established!

Turn around and move directly to the North. Repeat the Akhet gesture.

Devotee: In the name of the Lady of the Limit, the Northern Horizon is established!

Circle clockwise around the space until you return to the West, facing East.

Establishing the Boundaries of the Temple

Take up your magic wand and trace a small rectangle on the floor in the West; this is the Gateway.

Beginning at the left side of the Gateway, walk around the ritual space, clockwise, tracing a large circle around the entire space. Trace this circle inside the established Horizons while you are walking outside the circle as you trace it. Connect the circle to the right side of the Gateway.

Standing in the Gateway, pause. Take a moment to visualize the Horizons, the Gateway, and the Circle you have traced. Breathe in, and with purpose and forethought, breathe out as you step through the Gateway saying:

Devotee: Let me enter Your temple, O Great Goddess Nephthys.

When you have entered, envision the Gateway closing and the ritual circle becoming whole. Place your magic wand on the floor, across the Gateway.

Knowing the Horizons

Move to the center of the ritual space, facing East. Place your hands, one over the other, at your heart.

Devotee: At the Eastern Horizon, the twilight dawning exists forever. The Brilliant One ever arises in perfection (bowing toward the East in acknowledgement).

Turn to the South.

Devotee: At the Southern Horizon, the day exists forever. The Barque of the Day navigates the skies in beauty always, always (bowing toward the South in acknowledgement).

Turn to the West.

Devotee: At the Western Horizon, the twilight dusk exists forever. The Brilliant One ever sets and begins to dream in perfection (bowing toward the West in acknowledgement).

Turn to the North.

Devotee: At the Northern Horizon, the night exists forever. The Barque of the Night journeys through the Otherworld always, always (bowing toward the North in acknowledgement).

Invoking Nephthys

Turn to the East. Make the Nebet gesture, slowly and with intention.

Devotee: (Invoking) Beautiful Sister, Nephthys, I open myself to You.

I call to You from my heart. With my tongue, I speak Your name. In my mind, I see Your wings. In my body, I feel Your flames, O Senet Noferet, Good Sister, Kindly and Wise of Counsel.

I call out to Your Truth, Your Ma’et! Reveal to me what You will of Your Deep Mystery. Come to me, Sister of my heart and soul, Sister Who protects my ka and my ba and my akh, forever and ever.

Come to Your House, O come to Your House, Lady of the Limit! Open Your temple to me for I am one who loves Your Sister and in Her name, I ask entry into Your House. Lady of the Liminal, let me enter into the Akhet, the Shining Place. Let me shine, too, in the reflection of Your grace, Your light, Your wings.

I open my heart, I open my mind, I open mySelf unto Nephthys, only Nephthys. Come, Goddess! Come with Your Ka and Your Ba and Your Akh! Come to Your temple, O Lady! Descend on gleaming wings—and come to Your temple. Rise in the Barque of the Night—and come to Your temple. Expand within my heart—and come to Your temple, my Beautiful Sister.

Place your hands, palm-to-palm, at your heart. Breathe in and visualize the Light of the Goddess flowing from above into your head and down through the center of your body into the space beneath your feet. Breathe out and feel Her Light pooling beneath your feet. Breathe in and draw Her Light up into your heart. Vibrate Her name, opening your hands—slowly and with intention—so that Her Light flows out into the temple space.

Devotee: (Vibrating) NEPHTHYS! (Alternately, you can vibrate Nebet-Hwt for Egyptian or Nebtho/Nephtho for Coptic Egyptian.)

Do this twice more.

Envisioning Nephthys

Be seated comfortably in meditation on the presence of the Goddess. You may simply sense Her presence around you or you may have a full vision of Her and conversation with Her. Let this develop as it does naturally.

When you are complete with your experience, stand, make the Nebet gesture, and thank the Goddess for Her presence.

Devotee: The Lady of the Temple is within Her temple. Blessed is the Lady.

Opening the Boundaries of the Temple

Circle clockwise to the West and take up your wand from the Gateway. Walking counterclockwise and this time on the inside of the circle, un-trace the circle that you originally traced with the wand. When you reach the Gateway, face East, and take one step back through the Gateway. Now see only the Horizons before you and be aware of the West behind you. Sweep away the Gateway as the priests swept away their footprints after the Daily Ritual.

Return to the center of the ritual space. Face East.

Devotee: (With hands crossed over heart) The Eastern Horizon endures forever (bowing slightly).

Turn to the South.

Devotee: (With hands crossed over heart) The Southern Horizon endures forever (bowing slightly).

Turn to the West.

Devotee: (With hands crossed over heart) The Western Horizon endures forever (bowing slightly).

Turn to the North.

Devotee: (With hands crossed over heart) The Northern Horizon endures forever (bowing slightly).

The Temple Returns to the Akhet

Visualize the entire scene before you illuminated in incandescent Light. Everything is obliterated in the Divine Light. Everything exists forever, everything returns to the Shining Akhet, forever and ever.

When you are ready, quit the ritual space.