“Existence has a face on every side. Each face teaches a lesson. Those who fully understand existence, do not separate the faces from the lessons. And every lesson reveals aspects of cosmic law.”
My study of kheper in the medu Neter has been an adventure. Kheper is associated with a number of connotations: coming into being, existence, aspects of the process of creation, the process of transformation, change, development, to be, to exist, to evolve, all that exists and all the modes of existence. Hence, trying to capture the sense of Kheper that is needed for translations can be a bit challenging at times.
My Western thoughts and beliefs also hindered me from understanding what the Kemites (Ancient Egyptians) were expressing to us. Often when trying to gain insight into what is being expressed, I encounter a paradox. I give an example of how my deductive logic and what is being expressed create a seemingly contradictory understanding (paradox), and working through the paradox, an enlightenment is the result. The statement under consideration was “I created myself.”I speak to my thoughts on how Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre tries to deal with the conundrum of white people’s existential crisis of trying to be in light of their persistent attempts at self annihilation. I go on to explain my curiosity in Octavia Butler’s notion of Change is similar to the Kemetic idea of Kheper.
Everything you touch, you change. Everything you change, changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change!!!
As my Medu Neter class continues our translation of The Book of Knowing the Transformations of Ra and Overthrowing Apep, my future exploration of this concept of khepera will be to see how closely octavia butler’s concept on “God is Change” adheres to a hermetic concept of Kheper.
I continue by pointing out the importance of being able to validate one’s beliefs in nature or reality. We have hopes on how we want things to be, but try to see things the way they are and are becoming. Hence, let us not be kept ignorant with preconceived ideas and beliefs; let us assess where and when we are and then determine how we got here and now, and later determine where and when we want to be..
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