Tag Archives: Death

Happy Solstice: Death and Rebirth of the Sun

Well, the nights are drawing in, under eight hours of daylight each day. We are approaching the turning point, where the daylight periods start to get longer again.

The ancients used to believe that this was a powerful and albeit unlucky time of year approaching! This, as sun-worshiping people (not the tabloid newspaper!) , the approaching solstice marked the point where the sun was at its weakest, the annual ‘death’ of the sun. Certain rituals had to be performed to keep the gods happy at this time or panic might take over the kingdoms. So, a bit like Black Friday then, perhaps ^-^ ? Continue reading Happy Solstice: Death and Rebirth of the Sun

Elephantine Festival of Anuket

Thousands of years ago, the 30th day of the third month of the season of flood (October) marked the Elephantine Festival of Anuket.

Elephantine Island is now part of the modern city of Aswan in southern Egypt.

AnuketAnuket was considered one of the protectors of the Nile and was depicted as a woman wearing a high crown of feathers.  Anuket was part of a triad with the god Khnum, and the goddess Satis, known as the Triad of Elephantine.

It is said that she appeared with Taweret (a god of pregnancy and fertility) on funeral rites too. This represented two goddesses protecting the waters as a soul made their journey onwards.

Perhaps it is fitting that a festival relating to a god that protected the waters, the journey onwards to the afterlife, comes the day before Halloween/Samhaim… 🙂