Festival of Raising the Djed Pillar (Weret-hekau / Djed-er)

The raising of the Djed pillar (djed meaning 'stability' or 'endurance') was one of the most visually and symbolically powerful ritual acts in Egyptian religion. The Djed — a column whose distinctive form is thought to represent either a tree trunk with lopped branches, a bundle of grain stalks, or the spine of Osiris — was laid flat (representing Osiris's death) and then raised upright by ropes wielded by the pharaoh himself and by priests, representing the resurrection of Osiris and the restoration of cosmic stability (Ma'at). The ritual raising was performed with great ceremony at Abydos and Memphis, and reliefs of the pharaoh raising the Djed with ropes survive from the temples at Abydos (Seti I's temple), the Memphite festivals, and the Dendera Temple inscriptions. The act was simultaneously funerary (Osiris resurrected), agricultural (the backbone of the harvest raised upright), and cosmological (the axis mundi of the world stabilized). Following the raising, a mock combat between the forces of Osiris (red linen) and the forces of Set (green linen) was performed — and the forces of Osiris won.

Here is how to celebrate Festival of Raising the Djed Pillar (Weret-hekau / Djed-er): - Perform a physical act of 'raising': stand something upright that has been lying flat — a symbolic object, a standing stone, a candle pillar — and declare its erection as a prayer for stability - Make or obtain a Djed amulet (readily available as reproduction jewelry) and consecrate it with oil and incense as a talisman of stability and endurance - Offer to Osiris: grain bread, dark beer, green candles, images of the Djed pillar - Recite Chapter 155 of the Book of the Dead (the Djed amulet chapter) as a protective spell - Perform a ritual of establishing your foundations: write down the pillars — the Djed — of your own life: what values, relationships, and commitments hold your world upright - If you have been knocked flat by recent events, this is the festival of choosing to rise

The spiritual theme of Festival of Raising the Djed Pillar (Weret-hekau / Djed-er): The Djed falls and the world trembles. The Djed is raised and Ma'at is restored. Osiris is not raised by miracle — he is raised by the deliberate, effortful, roped-together action of many hands working in concert. Resurrection is not passive. What in your life requires the deliberate, cooperative act of being raised back to standing?. Reflection prompts: What has been lying flat — a dream, a practice, a relationship, a part of your identity — that you are being asked to raise upright? What are the Djed pillars of your life — the things that, if standing firm, give your whole existence stability and meaning?

Festival of Raising the Djed Pillar (Weret-hekau / Djed-er) is a Kemetic festival. The raising of the Djed pillar (djed meaning 'stability' or 'endurance') was one of the most visually and symbolically powerful ritual acts in Egyptian religion. The Djed — a column whose distinctive form is thought to represent either a tree trunk with lopped branches, a bundle of grain stalks, or the spine of Osiris — was laid flat (representing Osiris's death) and then raised upright by ropes wielded by the pharaoh and priests, representing the resurrection of Osiris and the restoration of cosmic stability (Ma'at).

Historical sources for Festival of Raising the Djed Pillar (Weret-hekau / Djed-er) include: Temple of Seti I at Abydos — djed-raising reliefs on the inner sanctuary walls; Dendera Temple inscriptions — the djed as Osirian symbol; Book of the Dead, Chapter 155 — djed amulet spell for protection and stability; Papyrus Bremner-Rhind — Osirian resurrection texts; Pyramid Texts Utterance 574 — the backbone of Osiris erected.

During Festival of Raising the Djed Pillar (Weret-hekau / Djed-er), meditate on: The Djed falls and the world trembles. The Djed is raised and Ma'at is restored. Osiris is not raised by miracle — he is raised by the deliberate, effortful, roped-together action of many hands working in concert. Resurrection is not passive. What in your life requires the deliberate, cooperative act of raising it back to standing?