Netjer

[David19]

Could someone tell me what Netjer is, i think i've got an understanding, but from different sites and books, i'm a bit confused, from my understanding, is Netjer seen as a god or a force that's more powerful than a god, i've seen some people say that it's a God who manifests in different forms, is this like the 'all gods are one god' statement, (and if so, is it possible for 'hard' polytheists, to understand it, because i more lean to gods being individual beings).

Would the gods of other pantheons be considered part of Netjer, like the Greek, Roman, Jewish, Norse, Sumerian, Canaanite, etc.

One way of explaining that i've read, and i like, is that Netjer is like a corporation (although probably a multidimensional one, lol), and the gods 'work' for Netjer, but are individuals with their own personalities, views, attitudes, etc and each have their own 'office' like the Greek gods have the Greek 'office', Yahweh (and other Hebrew deities) have the Jewish 'office', etc. Also, i find that this acknowledges the gods have personalities, like Yahweh might still be a 'jealous god', Zeus may still fancy other gods and mortals, Apollo will still be gay/bi, etc.

Does my view make any sense, or is it wrong.

What are your own views?

Thanks :).

[Erincelt]

The answer is simple, profound, intuitive, and extremely frustrating: "Netjer is." ;)

If Dryghton represents, to the Wiccan, the ultimate holy singularity, and Brahma much the same to many Hindus, and Yahweh an ultimate creatrix to the Jews (IIRC?), and so forth... then Netjer is all of the above, to the Kemetic, plus all those other bits that are supposed to sprout out of it.

Okay... let me try this another way. Wiccan view. Ultimate holy singularity, codename Dryghton. Dryghton splits into a personification of the act of distinction, the Lord & Lady. The Lord & Lady split into a multitude of deities. In comparison, Netjer is the singularity, the division, and the multitude, viewed all at once.

I said it was intuitive... I didn't say it wouldn't make your brain swim around anyhow! :D But I guess this is part of the Kemetic path, spending a lifetime trying to unravel the mystery of Netjer. Its just one more of the many things we spend every day trying to figure out, as a part of our faith. Each of us will uncover personal truths that change our lives, but you and I might uncover a different aspect of that mystery, according to our needs.

So... Netjer is. The more burning question: what is Netjer to you? :)

[Temwa]

I'll settle for saying that Netjer is a great divine energy, far beyond our comprehension. The gods and goddesses, the netjeru, are part of Netjer.

[Harmony Aurore]

ok. but if the netjer simply is, and we also, as humans, are. Do we have some sort of place in the netjer? or is it a completely different plane that we have no part in?

More specifically, Is netjer the fabric of life which we are a part of... or is netjer the ultimate Godly force in which the gods are facets of (which is something i've heard before)

[Erincelt]

More the second than the first, though life is a creation (an emanation?) of Netjer. We are seperate from it, but upon Justification, we rejoin with it (as we are seperate because we have emerged from it) as Akhu. In fact, I might go so far as to claim that the Ba would likely be a netjeri ("spirit") of the Netjer(u) who created it (so, for example, my Ba would be a netjeri of Yinepu-Wepwawet), and so it does have a place within Netjer right-now.

At least that's my understanding, if it makes sense.

[David19]

I think i'm understanding it, is it that Netjer is beyond our understanding?, also, would the gods be considered individuals?.

[Zephyrstorm]

The answer, I think - David19, is yes.
Netjer is beyond our comprehension - how could it not be? It's so far beyond us in scale that we are like single celled creatures attempting to comprehend the elephant or the gigantosaurus.

The way that I see the Divine is that it is Netjer, one mind-blowing fascinating multi-faceted and united force which creates all things, and it is also the Netjeru, many mind-blowing fascinating multi-faceted, unique and totally individual force that create many things and maintain many other things.

Does that make sense to everyone? no - but it works for me.

[Erincelt]

Behold the most infamous of Kemetic pasttimes: polyvalent logic! :D

[TaysatWesir]

The answer, I think - David19, is yes.
Netjer is beyond our comprehension - how could it not be? It's so far beyond us in scale that we are like single celled creatures attempting to comprehend the elephant or the gigantosaurus.

The way that I see the Divine is that it is Netjer, one mind-blowing fascinating multi-faceted and united force which creates all things, and it is also the Netjeru, many mind-blowing fascinating multi-faceted, unique and totally individual force that create many things and maintain many other things.

Does that make sense to everyone? no - but it works for me.

Makes sense and works for me too! :)