House of Eset and Set

Words in thanks for Tamara

This page is dedicated to Tamara. This is my way of saying Thank you to her for being the catalyst in my transformation into the person I am today.


Tamara,

It was back in October of 2000 that I attended your ritual gathering at the Wiccan Church temple and those words you whispered to me when I knelt in front of you and put my head in your lap, fundamentally changed me. I was standing in line awaiting my turn to see you. My heart was in my throat. I was nervous and intimidated. When I approached you I started to cry. You asked me why I was crying and I whispered “I am not worthy”. And you then said to me “The goddess is within you”. Those words compelled me to find self worth within myself and to start down a path of healing.

I then attended a Systrum gathering at your home. I was not invited, I had found out about it from someone else, yet you made me feel welcome. You asked us contemplate and evaluate the importance we had within us as women and to share it with the group. From hearing the other women share their stories I realized how important it was to reach out to others, to share with them ourselves and our thoughts and words, and to begin to trust one another. To wear your heart on your sleeve once in a while, which was something I never did. I remember only a little of that night but I remember my words which made you smile. We were passing around the chalice for us to have a drink and make a toast. When it was my turn I said, “I would drink to all the woman who follow a slightly different path in life, I would drink to all of you”. Holding up the chalice I looked around to the group of women sitting around and it was wonderful to see so many smiles. Especially your smile and nod of agreement.

The statue of the Goddess Isis that I have sent you represents you in many ways. To me, you portray her strengths and prowess.

It is told in her legend that Isis tired of walking amongst men. She took it upon herself to obtain personal greatness and leadership. She did just that. This reminds me of you. You shared with the group one Sunday night that when you were young you were “full of piss and vinegar”. You were unhappy with your life and you took upon yourself to make changes. You walked on the path of your faith and your accomplishments and decisions have brought you to where you are today, a leader to many in the Wiccan Church.

I would like to share with you my accomplishments that I feel without you as a catalyst, would never have happened.

In September of 2007 I was honored with the opportunity to dance for the ancestors of the Ancient Egyptians at a Coptic Millennium celebration at Christie Park. I was the first performer on after the mass ceremony. It was very hot that day and the crowd of people that were gathered took shade under several trees. So I didn’t dance on the stage as it seemed to far away and impersonable. I danced on the grass in front of the stage where they chairs were. I remember some of the attendees smiling at me. Some of them were giving me a careful and cautious look, some clapped, some ignored me. What I remember vividly was the little girl and boy who came up and danced with me. That was wonderful to me. I was wearing a Kaleegy dress and the little girl held her dress in the same manner as I did. I was also at the celebration to try to learn more about the language the Coptic people say their mass in. Ge’ez. It was a wonderful day.

Please see the website: http://www.ethiocommun.org/ethio-y2k/index.htm

In November 2007 I was given the opportunity to present a play I had written at the ROM during a scholar’s symposium. The theme that year was Ritual and Magic in Ancient Egypt. The performance was called Osirian Mythology Re-enactment. I had help from my friends who performed in it as well as given their input during rehearsal sessions. Thank you to all of them!

The play was written by me taking in elements, theories, themes from and about, Ancient Egyptian mythology and history. As well as some ideas and theories that myself and Daniel Kolos and Mark Thompson put forward. Please see the Osirian Re-Enactment webpage on this site for more details and a video of the performance.

I have also done a number of workshops at WiccanFest and Kaleidoscope Gathering, since 2004. They include: Elemental Meditation, Men’s Tribal Dance, Women’s Belly dance, “Zaar, what it is and what it means” and talk on Ancient Egyptian Mythology and Moral Teachings. I have proudly received kudos for those events and have been asked by coordinators to come back next year and do more.

I have also been blessed with gifts from the Neteru in my life. Gifts that show me that the Neteru are alive and care for us. Eset, Set, Bastet, Anubis, Sekhmet and Heru have all made their presence and awareness known to me in events that have happened to me in my life. Some more tangible than others. Please see the page Neteru are Real!

I am a mother, scribe in the Service of MAAT, wife, dancer, artist, writer, priestess and servant for the House of Eset and Set. I read and try to uphold ancient Egyptian moral teachings and try to keep their festivals. I often attend lectures at the U of T and ROM on Ancient Egyptian topics. I am amassing a library of books on Ancient Egypt with specific emphasis on their Moral teachings, magic, ritual, art, daily life, dance, temple architecture, religion, mythology, geography and how their landscape has changed over time. I conduct ritual, prayer and meditation, mostly as a sole-practitioner and consult the Oracle cartouche cards for answers and also believe in dream analysis and interpretation, listening to one’s subconscious can help one find answers to problems they face. I dance both modern Egyptian and middle eastern dance as well as re-construct ancient Egyptian dance and also do Zaar dance for the purposes of healing and wellness.

Through my “virtual” temple I uphold the meaning of MAAT and I hope to one day offer the service of mediation. I have been asked to make talismans to aid in one’s life. I do all this in the service of the Neteru. My dream of owning a real temple and I plan to do ritual for the public and am working for a goal to have a temple the next 5-10 years.

I have found self worth and am growing in wisdom everyday. I bow my head to the divinity and greatness within you, Tamara. Thank you for touching my inner being and commencing my healing process.

Priestess Anat
June 2009