Festivals of Ancient Egypt:
Aset webenut
"Aset (Isis) the Luminous One"
Aset webenut is a festival of light and hope, taking place in the last month of the Egyptian year, in the fourth month of Shomu (late June/early July). This was a time of great uncertainty and expectation among the Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) people in anticipation of the Innundation. This annual flooding of the Nile was vital for growing good crops because it deposited rich, organic layers of silt on the surrounding farmlands.This holiday was originally celebrated as a barley harvest rite (ash it in Kemetic), and later on in the New Kingdom as mesut Ra, or the Birth of Ra. The first fruits of the harvest were offered to Aset (Isis) in thanks and tribute. As part of the celebrations, birds (geese or doves) were released to the four corners (directions), proclaiming Aset's dominion over the world. This proclamation ritual was also common during rites of cornation.
During the Middle Kingdom, the lighting of lamps to purify and cast out evil and the enemies of God became a feature of this festival, which became known as Aset webenut or Aset the Luminous One. On the eve of Aset webenut everyone lit lamps and/or dishes of oil with floating wicks in them, and kept them burning throughout the night. People also constructed small boats with burning lights to float down the Nile, which symbolically carried their prayers to Aset.
During the fourth century CE, this festival was known as the Lychnapsia (under Greco-Roman influence), and was associated with the torchlight procession of Aset searching for her murdered husband Wesir (Osiris).
Today it is still celebrated as a festival of light. Kemetic Orthodox followers construct paper boats upon which prayers have been written and place tea lights (with the metal sheath removed) in them. These "prayer boats" are then taken to a river or body of water (including swimming pools and large bowls) and launched with the intent that when the boat sinks and/or the light burns out, Aset's acceptance of their prayers is complete. Click here for photos of an interfaith gathering in celebration of Aset webenut.
