photo – Page 24 – Goldnwulf

-A Devotional Month For Set-

The Stele of Aapehty : Forever in the Presence of the Lord
Or
Set’s Company as Perpetually Desirable and Not Simply Something to Be “Endured”

Aapehty (you may recognize this as an epithet of Set, it means “Great of Strength”), son of Paneb (probably from Het-Weret), was not a noble. He was a literate stoneworker and artist who rose, under his foreman father, to be the leader of a work gang in the place we now call Deir el-Medina. As far as we know he was responsible for creating the beautiful stele we see above even though he misspelled a few things.

It was one of my favorite steles as a schoolchild, and I’ve made a few replicas of it over the years. One I made in highschool is in my shrine now, behind my chief statue of Set, Aapehty’s embarrassing smile and all. It’s not perfect, just as the original is not, but I love it.

This stele is not a bribe to the god; Aapehty asks for nothing. There is no bargain here or even any offerings beyond Aapehty himself. He announces himself and assures Set that he is justified and offers the dua, the gesture of praise, to “Set; Great of Strength, Lord of Heaven”. He is close to his lord, intimate in his approach with their toes touching and his hands almost touching the Was scepter held by Set. Given what we know about how Ancient Egyptians viewed their religious statuary, Aapehty offered himself in perpetual adoration of Set.

It’s not a strange idea at all.
http://intaier.tumblr.com/post/125749976984/he-who-is-a-priest-of-the-living-whom-a-neter

We can see, from this wisdom text in the tomb of Kagemni, this level of piety is something that was looked favorably on by others and that one could tell when one drew close to the heart of the Netjeru because of the compassion for all living things the devotee radiated.

Aapehty expresses that in the simplicity of his stele (and many others do too, some eloquent in words, others by silence). His Lord is not a force to be “endured” like a bout of violent flatulence in an elevator –necessary for good health when one’s bowels are upset and have no choice, but repulsive–, but a well of divine love to be praised and communed with as any other Netjeru, forever .

If one is caught in the divine play of the Netjeru, it’s sometimes hard to remember that they are all interconnected and all “in peace forever” with one another—which is different from many other pantheons. The Netjeru do not fight amongst themselves outside the “soap opera” autib texts. Do not feel bad if your mind is full of these soap operas. Even I have an issue with this in regards to Aser, sometimes, and find myself wanting to stomp my foot and demand “Why were you such a dick?” as I read.

Slowly the answers are unfolding themselves as I listen for the Netjeru to speak in devotion and I seek out more information. These plays of the gods are metaphors, but they are powerful metaphors that can catch us up in illusions as well as promote understanding of the Netjeru themselves. I freely admit to not being quite to the point where I can forgive Aser for his part in the great play. This is my illusion. Understanding will come, because the frustration and disgust is a thing of my heart, not a thing of his.

To be like Aapehty is to be in perpetual adoration and have a heart full of the love of the Netjeru, apart from all the dissonance the play may cause because of things the actors must do. I do not think this is a thing one should shy away from if the desire is there. The ancients certainly didn’t shy from it.

I leave you with the thoughts of Pet-Osiris, high priest of Thoth in Hermopolis, and his family (courtesy of intaier):

Oh you living… I shall instruct you in the will of the God. I shall guide you to the way of life, the goodly way of one who obeys the God; blessed are those whose hearts lead them to it. Those who are firm on the way of the God, confirmed is their existence on earth. Those with great awe of the God in their soul, great is their happiness on earth. – Lefebvre, Tombeau, Vol. 11, 38, text 62.

It is useful to tread the path of the God, great are the advantages reserved for those who take care to follow it.
It is a monument they raise for themselves on earth, they who set out to follow the way of the God. To walk on the road of God is to be filled with light,
Great are the advantages gained by those who
Discipline themselves to follow it.
It’s a monument raised by them on this Earth,
Those who follow the Paths of God,
Those who cling to the Ways of God,
Spend all their lives in joy,
Gathering riches without equal. – Lefebvre, Tombeau, Vol. 11, 36-37, text 61.