CHAPTER1:HEALTH TEACHINGS AND
PRACTICES IN KEMETIC (ANCIENT
EGYPTIAN) CULTURE
“Hotep di si Neteriri Mettuwadj”
PeaceOffering given (to) cause (the) Divine (to) make (the) vascular systems
green (healthy)
THE DIVINITIES OF HEALTH
Healingandhealthmaintenanceisnotjustamatterofprovidingmedicines.Itre-
quirestheindividualtorestoreandmaintainharmonywiththeuniverse.InAncient
AfricathismeantdiscoveringandmaintainingaconnectionwiththeNeteru,gods
andgoddesses,becausetheyarethecosmicforcesofnaturefromwhicheveryliving
beingderivessustenanceandvitality.InKemet,thedivinitiespresidingoverthe
healthofindividualswereAset(Isis),Sekhmet(lionessaspectofHetheru),Djehuti
andHeru.Thedoctorsinancienttimesinvokedthepowerofthesedivinitiestoef-
fectarecoveryfromdisease,justasAsetcuredandresurrectedAsar,andDjehuti
curedHetheruandHeru,notjustphysically,butalsomentallyandspiritually.
Therefore,somepriestsandpriestessesofthesedivinitiesactedinthecapacityof
doctors. In this volume we will explore the health teachings of these divinities.
Aboveleft:GoddessAset(Isis)nourishesHeru(spiritualaspirant)withwisdomandlove.
Right:GoddessAsetpraysoverthebodyofAsarandreturnsitbacktolive.(Seethebook
Resurrecting Osirisby Muata Ashby.)
