#sutekh — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #sutekh, aggregated by home.social.
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19th century Europeans popularized the notion that pentagrams mean something "different" based on how they are drawn, and that this difference is somehow “ethical” in nature. They insisted that one-point-up pentagrams are “upright,” representing “goodness and light,” while two-point-up pentagrams are “inverted,” representing “darkness and evil.”
The so-called “inverted” pentagram with a goat’s head goes back to the French occultist Stanislas de Guaita in 1897, and it was later adopted by Anton LaVey as the Sigil of Baphomet in 1966. This has led people to assume that any pentagram with two points up is “satanic,” which actually isn’t true by a long shot.
This symbol is held sacred and drawn differently in many traditions, and it means something unique to each one. Within the LV-426 Tradition of Setianism, we do not consider the two-point-up pentagram to be “inverted” at all. We consider it to be exactly the way it should be: right-side up. Whenever we see a pentagram displayed with only one point up, it actually looks "upside down" to us! But that’s OK, we just chalk the difference up to personal preference. A pentagram is still a pentagram, no matter which of its points are facing up or down, and since it is circular, there is really no correct “This End Up” position. Think of it as a wheel: does it really matter which direction the spokes are pointing, as long as the wheel keeps turning?
Since we LV-426ers do not agree that the "inverted" pentagram is really "inverted" at all, we recommend a somewhat different terminology. When a pentagram is displayed with one point up, we call it a "standing pentagram," because it resembles a person doing aerobics, with their arms and legs outstretched. And when a pentagram is displayed with two points up, we call it a "horned pentagram," because it resembles the head of a goat, an antelope, or some other horned member of the Artiodactyla family.
Neither the standing nor the horned pentagram represents anything “bad” or “evil,” and whether you prefer one or the other is simply a question of aesthetics. There is absolutely nothing to stop a Setian from wearing a standing pentagram if it pleases her to do so; and there are also British Traditional Witchraft covens that use horned pentagrams to represent some of their initiatory degrees. So things are not so clear-cut between the two pentagrams as certain “experts” have been insisting since the 1890s or so - and they never were.
Sometimes people ask me why I have (horned) pentagrams all over me if I do not identify as a "Satanist." I can't speak for other Setians as to why the symbol might resonate with them; but for me at least, I imagine an antelope whenever I see it myself, which always makes me think of Set in His form as the White Oryx. (I prefer my horned pentagrams to be drawn "empty," with no animals heads; you can imagine the horned animal of your preference that way.) It also reminds me of Set's Imperishable Ones, the circumpolar stars of the northern sky. I've always felt Set looking back at me whenever I look into the horned pentagram, as well. So while it is not a symbol that "belongs" just to Set, I always link it with Him first and foremost in my mind. I like to wear a horned pentagram at all times to help keep me mindful of His presence in my life, as well.
#pentagram #satanism #paganism #witchcraft #setianism #sutekh #kemetic #egyptian #occult #symbols
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FAQ
“What’s your religion?”
I’m a Setian who follows the LV-426 Tradition of Setianism, which is a unique fusion of Kemetic polytheist theology with Setianized Western esoteric practices. (For more info on LV-426, visit http://desertofset.com/2020/06/15/the-lv-426-tradition/)
“What the hell does that even mean?”
I believe in many Gods and Goddesses; I am especially drawn to the ancient Egyptian pantheon; and I am specifically devoted to a God named Set. I also pray and make offerings to Set according to a unique religious tradition that some of my best friends and I developed together while we were growing up.
“Who or what is Set?”
Set is the Egyptian God of storms, deserts, and the nighttime world. His name is sometimes rendered as Seth, Setekh, Setesh, Sutekh, or even Suti, and He is also called Typhon in Greek (though He is not theologically identical to the Hellenic Titan who is also known by this name).
“Isn’t Set just the Egyptian version of Satan?”
No. Set is not a devil who rebels against His Creator; He is the Creator’s personal bodyguard, ritually defending Atum-Ra and all the rest of us from an ever-present apocalyptic threat. So while Set might seem dark and spooky, He is truly a force for good and not evil.
“It kinda looks like you worship the devil, though.”
That’s because “satanic” imagery was appropriated from various polytheist Gods, including (but not limited to) Set. This was historically done to demonize said Gods and the religions that follow Them. If it bothers anyone that my God reminds them of their “devil,” it really says more about them and their religion than it does about me or my faith.
“What about Osiris? Isn’t Set the bad guy in that story?”
Theologically speaking, Osiris can’t rise from the dead and create a happy afterlife for all good-hearted people unless He dies first; and it is part of Set’s job to make sure this happens. This is not a story of “good versus evil,” but of agricultural cycles, changes in ecosystems, the hope for better experiences after painful life transitions, etc. It is also not uncommon for Set and Osiris to be honored together at the very same shrines.
“The ancient Egyptians believed in magic; do you?”
The ancient Egyptians believed in heka or “divine speech,” which really means something more like “prayer” in general, and which potentially includes a wide variety of religious expression (discussed further below). While heka does attempt to influence events in Nature and/or human society by means we might assume to be “supernatural,” the exact same thing is true of prayer in all religions. So the way I see it, my practices are neither more nor less “magical” than those of any other faith.
“What are some of your religious practices?”
I like to pray, which I define as any heartfelt communication with a God or deceased loved one (even if the purpose is just to express anger or despair, rather than praise or worship). I enjoy making offerings, which can include sharing meals, creating art (like paintings, sculptures, music, pottery, etc.), or even just dedicating a good deed to the Gods and/or the dead (like feeding stray cats for Bast or Sekhmet).
Many of my personal offerings to Set (and to other Gods and Goddesses) are available for the general public to enjoy as well. These include my entire discography, my podcast, my art, etc.
“What holidays do you celebrate?”
I really observe just one Egyptian holiday: Wep Ronpet (“Opening of the Year”), the New Year festival, which occurs in early- to mid-August during the annual inundation of the Nile. It’s technically a “roaming” holiday that falls on a slightly different date each year, but I prefer to celebrate on August 15 since this coincides with the date of my original conversion experience in 1997. The other holidays I traditionally observe are not Egyptian in origin; these include Hallowtide (October 31 through November 2), Walpurgis Night (April 30), and Friday the Thirteenth.
“Are you a member of the Temple of Set?”
No. I am well aware of the Temple of Set, but I have never been involved with that particular organization, and I respectfully do not subscribe to their ideology. Nor does anyone need to join that organization to know or walk with Set.
“Isn’t Setianism a ‘left-hand path’ (LHP) religion?”
Some Setians identify with this term, but I do not. Some would argue I am “right-hand path” (RHP) because of the devotional emphasis in my faith; but I don’t identify by this term either. Nor do I try to collapse every possible variety of religious experience into some false “LHP/RHP” binary. Setianism existed long before anyone ever used such terminology—which means “LHP” beliefs are supplementary to believing in Set, not fundamental.
#frequentlyaskedquestions #faq #setianism #sutekh #kemetic #egyptian #pagan #polytheist #holidays #god #religion #lefthandpath #lhp #pentagram
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It's almost time for Egyptian New Year! Time to celebrate! 😀
For the holiday, my full discography (all 26 releases so far!) will be available on Bandcamp for the dirt cheap discount price of $10.80 (i.e., that's 80% off the full price). Visit https://gbmarian.bandcamp.com/ if you're interested! This offer will last at least until September 2023, after Wep Ronpet is done.
Additionally, my music is also available for streaming, purchasing and downloading on Amazon, Apple iTunes, Spotify, and various other digital music platforms; Bandcamp is just the best place to go for the best deal on purchasing.
#setianism #sutekh #kemetic #egyptian #pagan #polytheist #music #art #wepronpet #newyear
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Well here I am on this new platform! Yay! :D
Brief intro: I'm G.B., and I've been worshiping the Egyptian God Set since I was 14 years old. I've published some podcasts about Setianism, which can be accessed on my website at DesertOfSet.com, and I enjoy writing music and telling fictional stories that are intended for a polytheist audience.
Here is a link to my full discography on DesertOfSet.com: