Revisiting an Old Art Piece
January 5, 2016

I created this art piece over ten years ago. It's no longer on display in my "Gallery Of Egyptian Inspired Art". But a recent query about it led me to realize this piece DOES have a place here on my website.


© Joan Lansberry, 6-11-05

It started out as a square design, then I wanted to make prints of it. Seeking something to fill the extra height, I opted for the "Khepera Kheper Kheperu" phrase. Setians render it with the Greek "X" spelling"

XEPERA XEPER XEPERU:

''I Have Come Into Being, and by the Process of my Coming Into Being, the Process of Coming Into Being is Established.''


© Joan Lansberry, 6-11-05

Setians use this phrase, which was originally uttered by the creator Ra in the "Book of Knowing the Transformations of Ra and the Overthrowing of Ap/p". Setians use the "X" because Budge used the "X":


"I am he who came into being and who made to come into being the beings who came into being."
Egyptian Language: Easy Lessons in Egyptian Hieroglyphics with Sign List, by E. A. Wallis Budge

The phrase is in a papyrus known as The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus. The section with this phrase is in The British Museum.

Budge used standard hieroglyphs, but the text is originally in the cursive hieratic form.

As you can see, Budge's translation is different from the Setian translation. His is clearly the speech of a creator god, whereas the Setian translation is about an individual seeking the process of willed conscious evolution.

Anyway, as a Kemeticist who seeks the most accurate translation, as bad as Budge is, I'm certain it is the speech of a creator god. As we know, other gods than Set have that role in the various creation mythologies, Khnum and Ptah, along with Ra. But not Set! Set, however, has much to do with the Overthrowing of Ap/p.

So because of this, I decided to take this piece out of the gallery.

Meanwhile, there are other Kemetic perspectives which I can use to include it here! Set and the DNA! More specifically, Set and my "spiritual" DNA. Set may not be a creator god like Ra or Ptah, but Set has much to do with my spiritual evolution. As I sense my Ba's (the eternal aspect of my soul, aka "Higher Self") origins in both Set and Hathor, I can reclaim the "tinkering Set", :) .

To take this phrase again:

''I Have Come Into Being, and by the Process of my Coming Into Being, the Process of Coming Into Being is Established.''

I Have come into being, by a variety of processes! I have come into being via the graces of Netjer, via the graces of the human who birthed me, and all of my mother and father's ancestors. I have come into being via an amazingly intricate web of influences. I am indeed grateful for all the contributing factors. Not all of the contributing factors may have been pleasant, but somehow I turned out okay! What in this process has been due to "My Will"? Ah, then the fur flies! There are those who say the idea of self-will is an illusion, that we are all operating to our programmed DNA. I like to think that idea is a bunch of materialistic bull droppings. I like to think that I _can_ choose my thoughts, thereby altering my potential for "coming into being" as a happier human.

The materialistic among us may think this is a comforting illusion, and they are free to think so. By what process did they come to think this? Ah, but then that's the story of THEIR "coming into being", with all of its complex factors.

Meanwhile, I am grateful to Set for calling to me over a decade ago and helping me to find the strength within my self, when I was feeling so bereft after Laura died.

Go Back to Hymn to Hathor
Go Back to Idea for Set Statue
Go to INDEX of Older Entries of Markings Of My Path
Go to INDEX of Newer Entries of Markings Of My Path
© Joan Ann Lansberry: