I am not sure how to go about this however, I will try.
I am 63 now and whilst my life is I hope far from over, the day when I will journey to the west has to be considered.
I have little to complain about And I am eternally grateful that the Netjeru have seen fit for me to live a full life. And I if I was living in ancient Kemet I would have been in my house of a million years long ago.
However, my beliefs are very traditional, since I was eighteen i have lived according to the laws of Ma’at to the letter. In the hope that I would be able to pass through the twelve gates and eventually pass through the hall of judgement and be allowed to enter the Duat.
But, how can my ba have a body it can recognise in order to return to given that the way of treating the dead is very different now?
I have been creating a book of the dead for myself containing the spells required for passage through the twelve gates. My question is this, what use is that if modern undertakers refused to respect my beliefs?
I apologise for such a morbid subject however, this is really starting to make me feel very nervous. What are the Temples views on such an important subject that will ultimately effect us all.
Go in peace and love and may the Netjeru protect and guide you.
I think a fairly realistic representation of you should work, I’m not sure it has to be your actual biological tissue to work. You could commission or make a sculpture or statue of yourself maybe? I feel confident a priest would be willing to work with that. In any case I firmly believe that whatever happens to your body, you’ll still be able to take your place in the afterlife
I work as a multi-faith funeral minister. I hope one day I have the honour of undertaking a full Kemetic service.
First off, you’re pretty young to be thinking about it, but if it’s on your mind, then it may be worth talking to a funeral director about your wishes. You might be surprised at how much they will try to accommodate. I actually work alongside an embalmer who is researching mummification and, in the UK at least, the whole embalming trade have Anubis as their mascot and are encouraged to visit Egypt if they get a chance.
Putting things in place before you pass is often quite important if you want a non-traditional service.
Thats super interesting, about the embalmer - is this person Kemetic or just happens to concide with mummification and the association with Anubis? Very interesting. Are they looking to try to make it happen as an alternative or simply researching it?
Sorry for the delayed reply! I was away for a month, and have just discovered how to find my notifications! Doh!
He isn,t Kemetic, but his training as an embalmer has given him a deep respect for the Ancient Egyptians. I think he’d love to try mummification, but that would be a massive thing. For a start, no one wants to be experimented on! So he would need to develop his technique, which is complicated in itself. I think he experiments, but always within the confines of what he can do, both legally and respectfully. For example, it may be possible to tweak the materials and ingredients of an embalming fluid, but he’s not going to try out mummification techniques on a deceased person without full consent. I hope that makes sense.
I have given him a details summary of embalming techniques from the Graeco-Roman period and we have just started looking at it together. For example, there might be an instruction saying “chest cavity cleaned and embalmed with oil, days 7 to 17” and my original notes said “I don’t know if this is daily or if it’s a single task that has to be done between these days” and he is like “I can tell you now, that is definitely daily.” So I’m hoping he can shed some light on the more ambiguous instructions we’ve inherited from ancient times.
I would see if anyone could make a cartouche amulet for you with your name on it. That way your Ba will recognize this name too. I thought a realistic depiction worked as well, so you could perhaps get a small doll?