How To Worship The Deities

Gods

Egyptians could worship or ignore the Deities as they wished, they had free will to do so. As Temples did not hold any form of services the Deities had no way of conducting any sort of attendance taking and therefore an Egyptian’s religious relationship was less obviously than skipping a service today would be in the community.

In saying that, as explained under the Pharaoh’s role, the maintaining of Ma’at fell to everyone in the Land including the Pharaoh. Egyptians believed that if someone ignored all the guidance of the deities and did not have a soul as light as the feather of Ma’at, then that individual could bring down punishment on themselves, their families and friends, and even their business.

Disasters such as a bad storm, a lacking Flood or an infestation of insects could and would be blamed on individuals, communities or the whole population as the deity who carried out that punishment would be punishing what worship had been missing.

For the Good of the Country

The Worshipping of Deities by Pharaoh
and the
High Priests and Priestesses

The Pharaoh and the appointed High Priestesses and Priests covered the daily rituals necessary for the country of Egypt’s worship of the Deities. The details of these rituals are dealt with further in the Servants to the Living Goddess and God, but in general they were carried out to ensure that the Deity remained benevolent rather than slipped into annoyance forming vengeance. With Festivals sprinkled throughout the year which usually pulled a wider than usual audience to a specific Temple or group of Temples.

For the Good of the Local Temple and how the Locals used the Temple for Worship

The daily rituals were carried out by the High Priestesses and Priests as per every Temple in the Country. On a more localised level, individuals or groups would attend their Temple and consult with the Oracles which the Temple employed to translate dreams, offer rituals to bring about events, such as pregnancy, and invoking a Deity’s answer to questions with offerings.

Amulets

The details of Amulet use are dealt with further in Domestic Religion in Ancient Egypt, but in general Amulets were used as protective and to ward off anything bad.

Private Rites

The Private Rites that were usually laid out at the Temple for an individual’s use, relied on the use of the Heka magic. As confirmed in detail in Servants to the Living Goddess and God.

Personal Piety

The individual would invoke the God’s favour, beseech them or thank them for events which occurred. Personal Piety seemed to appear during and after the new Kingdom Period. The Personal Piety seems to have followed the way that one can believe that someone’s private prayer today would reflect.