Shadow Council
This tumblr is for anyone who is interested in, or practices, the darker aspects of the Craft, or the oft misunderstood rites of Santería, Voodoo, Asatrú, and everything in between. We discuss the maligned deities, the disparaged paths, and most of all, balancing the dark with the light. For how do we know when the sun sets if the moon doth not rise?
Set
Set is the Egyptian god of the desert and sandstorms. He was the chief god of Lower Egypt before Upper and Lower Egypt were united, when Horus (the chief god of Upper Egypt) over took Set’s claim to power.
As god of the desert, Set represents infertility, and because the Ancient Egyptians had very few sexual taboos, he was typically identified as homosexual. He’s also the Egyptian god of foreigners, especially those with red hair.
Set wasn’t portrayed as a god of evil and chaos until the rule of Hyksos, when the Egyptian people retreated into a very xenophobic state. As the patron god of foreigners, and the chief god of Hyksos’ rule, he became identified with everything the Egyptian people wanted out of their lands. As such, he absorbed the aspect of several other chaotic, evil Egyptian deities, such as Apep. Around this time, the story of Set killing and dismembering Osiris became popular. Set became known as an extremely hostile god, and a god of war.
Set, in magickal practice and worship, can be a bit bitter at times, so working with him does require a thick skin. However, he is incredibly powerful, as he’s one of the Ennead of Heliopolis. He is reliable, especially when you’ve been wrongfully accused of something, or cheated out of something you’ve worked hard for. As with most deities, respect is the name of the game when dealing with Set. Offerings of lettuce usually keep him fairly happy, and his sacred animals are the dog, the jackal, the gazelle, the donkey, the crocodile, the hippopotamus, and the pig.
