Primary Feast Days & Holy Days

June 23: Peret Sanakhtwy/ “Going Forth of Sanakhtwy.” On this day we observe the passing of Lord Sanakhtwy from the realm of the living into the Duat of the Blessed Dead. At this time, Sanakhtwy becomes Sanakhtwy-Ausir or Sanakhtwy-Sokar-Ausir, dwelling in the Henu Ark in the northern constellation of Ursa Major until the moment of His spiritual accomplishment 70 days later.

June 25: Wen-ra/ Wep-ra en Sanakhtwy/ “Opening the Mouth of Sanakhtwy.” The Gods Ptah and Anpu come forth to perform the mummification and enlivening Mouth Opening ritual on the corpse of Sanakhtwy, assisted by the Goddesses Sekhmet and Wadjet. The Goddesses Auset and Nebet-hut begin the Lamentations for Sanakhtwy-Ausir at sundown this night. An all-night vigil is held for the corpse of Sanakhtwy to reanimate it through the powers of the “Two Kites,” the mourning Goddesses Auset and Nebet-hut.

July 3: Heb sema-ta/ “Festival of Bringing to Land” or “Union with the Earth.” The Gods shout “Sema-ta im-ef,” “the earth envelops Him!” for Lord Sanakhtwy this day as His corpse is deposited beneath His holy mound of dirt in the arms of Geb. The suite of Heru, the four demigods Hapy, Imsety, Duamutef, and Kebehsenuef, plant Themselves in Their respective cardinal positions around the mound to protect it from the enemies of Ausir. The Great Rite of Protection is offered by the four demigods Who are led by the God Anpu as sem-priest. Four holy torches are lit for the ka of Sanakhtwy this night while the Goddess Auset performs the all-night vigil over the corpse of Sanakhtwy-Ausir to mourn His passing.

July 4: Heb gehsa/ Heb Sanakhtwy-Gehsa neb khau/ “Festival of the Antelope”/ “Festival of Sanakhtwy-Gehsa Who is Lord of Appearances.” On this day Sanakhtwy-Ausir-Wen-nefer makes His first appearance as a young antelope standing in the east and pointing west as a guardian of the cemetery roads. The God Anpu stands on the burial mound of Lord Sanakhtwy in the west facing east as guardian of the portals through which the dead enter and the living exit. The juvenile antelope is the theophany of Lord Sanakhtwy as the newly resurrected Ausir, vindicated and triumphant as Lord of the Blessed Dead.

July 28: Hru tjes meh en ma’a-kheru/ “Day of Tying the Wreath of Victory”/ “Garland of Justification.” This is the day upon which the All-God Atum bestows the beautiful garland of justification to Lord Sanakhtwy, Who appears before Atum in the pure white wrappings of burial to receive the garland of white and blue lilies for His crown. The God Djehuty declares the vindication of Sanakhtwy-Ausir over His enemies and the triumph of Sanakhtwy-Ausir-Wen-nefer in the presence of Heru the Son of Auset and the holy chapels of the Gods of heaven and earth. A wreath of white and blue lilies and greenery is placed upon the holy burial mound of Sanakhtwy at sunrise, whereupon the Goddess Auset as a swallow sings the praises of Sanakhtwy the justified Lord.

August 1: Feast of Placing the Stone/ Feast of Sanakhtwy Whose Monuments Endure. On this day the Goddess Auset-Sopdet decrees the raising of a stone stela to mark the holy mound of Sanakhtwy where the Lord’s corpse is safeguarded by the Followers of Ausir, this taking place at dawn. The Djed-pillar is raised upon the mound at solar noon in the presence of the Great Council: Ausir, Auset, Nebet-hut, and Heru-Avenger-of-His-Father. The evening meal is offered first to the corpse of Sanakhtwy before it reverts to the Akhu or Blessed Dead, Whom Lord Sanakhtwy raises up to the northern sky to take their place amongst the stars of the Great Bear (Ursa Major).

August 2: Feast of Sanakhtwy Lord of Storms/ Day of the Breath of Sekhmet. Lord Sanakhtwy appears on His mound as Gehsa the antelope, harnesser and pacifier of storms and tumult. The God Set enters Sanakhtwy to bestow upon Him the magic of diffusing the destructive potential of the hot breath of Sekhmet through Her Seven Arrows. Once pacified, the Goddess Sekhmet becomes the Goddess Hat-hor-Sekhmet, signaling the cooling refreshment of the inundation, the beginning of the Kemetic new year.

August 3: Day of Repeating the Burial of Sanakhtwy-Ausir. Auset-Sopdet comes from the south carrying the waters of renewal to the holy mound of Sanakhtwy-Ausir, Her torrent of tears that consecrate the burial of the fallen god and compel Him to rise as a source of rejuvenation for the land and people. The God Anpu, acting in His role as Chief Setem/ Sem-priest, carries out the cultus of His father Ausir at Sanakhtwy’s grave, which becomes the cavern of renewal fed by the corpse of the revivified god.

August 4: Day of the Appearance of Sanakhtwy/ Day of the Dragonfly. This day marks the emergence of Lord Sanakhtwy as part of a divine triad shared with the Gods Abyt (the praying mantis god) and Zanehemu (the grasshopper/locust god), with Sanakhtwy recognized in His dragonfly theophany. This is the final transformation of Sanakhtwy-Ausir prior to His divine completion on September 1.

August 30: Feast of the Mound of Sanakhtwy/ Feast of the Cloth of Auset. At solar noon on this day the Goddess Auset installs the ka-statue of Lord Sanakhtwy on a hillock embodying the benben mound upon which Ra stood to unfold the workings of creation. The God Ptah and Goddess Auset recite the wehem or litany of Sanakhtwy’s names to impart divine life to His earthly image. Auset-Tayet, Who weaves the cloth by which Ausir is mummified, bestows the magic of becoming to Sanakhtwy’s statue by tying it with bandlets of Her cloth. The mummification of Lord Sanakhtwy is completed on this day.

August 31: Day of Exalting/ Lifting the Mound of Sanakhtwy.  In anticipation of His divine becoming or apotheosis the following day, Lord Sanakhtwy bursts out of His burial mound in the form of a grasshopper, taking on the theophany of the God Zanehemu and the powers of rejuvenation belonging to the God Ausir-Wen-nefer. The earth is renewed on this day with the planting of saplings or green foliage.

September 1: Feast of the Becoming of Sanakhtwy the Netjer/ Day of the Apotheosis of Sanakhtwy. 70 days after the going forth of Sanakhtwy from the upperworld of the living to the Undersky of the Blessed Dead, His transformations are complete, and He appears on His sacred mound as a fully developed god. The God Anpu assembles the suite of Heru- the four demigods Hapy, Imsety, Duamutef, and Kebehsenuef- to perform a second Mouth Opening on the corpse of Sanakhtwy, Whose ka-statue is enlivened by the God Ptah before the councils of the Gods. Today is the birthday of Lord Sanakhtwy as a god.

September 3: Feast of Establishing the Divine House of Sanakhtwy/ Day of thanksgiving offerings to Sanakhtwy. On this day the God Ptah orders the foundation of the ka-mansion of Sanakhtwy in the Duat, the spiritual house through which Sanakhtwy-Ausir becomes a sovereign in the realm of the Blessed Dead. In the upperworld of the earth this is signified by Sanakhtwy’s elevation to His house or lodge on the pinnacle of Volcano Peak (known to devotees as Montu Mountain) near Wendover, Utah. At the summit of the crenelated mountain exists a natural window through which the sky may be seen. This is the oculus or gateway between the upper and under worlds, the domain where Sanakhtwy as a local deity exerts His protection and influence. Temples, shrines, altars, and other sacred spaces are consecrated to Lord Sanakhtwy on this day and fed with an abundance of offerings.

September 27: Appearance of the Starry-bull of Sanakhtwy/ Day of Repeating Births. At moonrise this day, Lord Sanakhtwy appears in His lunar guise (united with the God Iah) standing beside a massive black aurochs bull, whose skin is the night sky spangled with bright stars and whose horns provide the resting place for the disk and crescent of the moon. This is the Nekhtet Bull (See Nekhtet Bull under “Symbols” below), the Bull of Victory. It was on this day in 2025 that this manifestation of Lord Sanakhtwy was encountered for the first time in a dream by the Rt. Rev. Crystal Mannara, who also discovered, earlier that day, a patch of lilac blooms flourishing out of season in front of a peacock statue she had dedicated to the Goddess Auset for the Night of the Peacock festival (see Night of the Peacock below). On this night the ka-statue (or cult statue) of Lord Sanakhtwy is hung with garlands of flowers and surrounded with fragrant blossoms (jasmine, ‘stargazer’ lilies, lavender, gardenias, dahlias).

October 11: Day of the Appearance of Sanakhtwy Lord of Love. Today Sanakhtwy enters the houses of His devotees as the cultivator of love and perfect accord in personal relationships and as the divine force compelling us to recognize others through the eyes of lovingkindness. On this day Lord Sanakhtwy receives appeals for companionship and improved relations with those we care for. Fulfillment through sexual ecstasy and initiation of amorous pursuits are also blessed at this time.

October 13: Day of the Priest of Auset. This day commemorates the day in 2002 when Lord Sanakhtwy was ordained as a priest of Auset in the Temple of Isis and Fellowship of Isis. On this day the Goddess receives Sanakhtwy into Her house and adopts Him as Her son, giving Him the name Sanakhtwy-sa-Auset. The Goddess Auset is venerated this day with offerings in all shrines and temples of Sanakhtwy.

October 14: Day of Sweeping Out the House for Sanakhtwy. A broom signifies the arm of Sanakhtwy-Gehsa which sweeps out malignant forces, cleans out the dross of chaos, and works towards the purification of sacred space fit for divine habitation. Our homes and shrines are swept clean today, and in honor of the Blessed Dead, so too are the graves of loved ones visited and cleaned, freshened up with flowers and other offerings that convey our love for the dead. A pair of antelopes placed on the shrine of Lord Sanakhtwy contain the magic of the past and future which Sanakhtwy-Gehsa harmonizes this day. 

October 20: Day of Setting the Stone for Sanakhtwy/ Feast of the Crossoads. On this day Anpu Lord of the Sacred Land appoints Sanakhtwy Great of Enchantments as guardian of cemeteries and the roads of cemeteries, raising a stone stela to mark the entrance/exit where Lord Sanakhtwy appears to perform His duties from His sacred mound. Sanakhtwy emerges from this stone in His theophany of a wild dog or coyote and may be seen at any crossroads near a cemetery, where shiny black stones and offerings of sweets are placed to honor Him as the proprietor of the crossroads. Upon nightfall, Lord Sanakhtwy may choose to appear in non-Kemetic guise in a black felt top hat and tuxedo as either bestower of boons or trickster deity. This is the night when Sanakhtwy sends messages through oracles or divination, most especially via scrying mirrors.

 October 23:    Feast of the Sacred Union. This is the day when Lord Sanakhtwy is married to His beloved Ptahmassu, when in His marital bliss the God steps forward to grant His blessings to all loving unions, marriages, and committed relationships. All unions consecrated this day are assured of the God’s graces. White carnations and white lilies deck the altars of Lord Sanakhtwy this day. It is also the day for honoring the triad of Sanakhtwy-Gehsa, Zanehemu, and Abyt. A heart amulet is bestowed to Sanakhtwy with the words:

I have flown through lonely skies
to find You
secreted in the willow
with Your heart full of longing.
My heart can be in no other place
than where You live,
even in spirit form,
light of heart like the wind.

O Sanakhtwy, Lord of Valor
Who stands between the Two Strikers,
receive this Your heart
which I have brought to set You at peace.
Thus, the heart of Heru
is set at peace by His mother Auset,
Who places Him upon the throne
of His heart forever. 9

November 1:    Festival of Lights for Sanakhtwy / Bringing the Torch. On this night the Goddesses Auset and Nebet-hut light 52 lamps on the sacred burial mound of Sanakhtwy-Sokar-Ausir, keeping vigil until the ba-soul of Sanakhtwy- in the form of a pristine white heron- rises from His mound to perch in the uppermost branches of a willow tree. Tonight, the kas of the Akhu, our own Blessed Dead, are nourished with candles, flowers, and offerings of their favorite foods, and Lord Sanakhtwy petitioned to watch over them in His capacity as a guardian of cemetery roads and protector of the dead.
November 12:    Day of the Appearance of Sanakhtwy-Gehsa. On November 12, 2025, the Rt. Rev. Crystal Mannara received the first visitation of Lord Sanakhtwy in His therianthropic form of an antelope-headed man wearing the leopard mantle of the Setem/ Sem-priest and holding the was-scepter. This is the night when Sanakhtwy-Gehsa appears to subdue and bind malevolent forces on behalf of the religious community and His devotees. The figure of an antelope is placed upon the altar of Sanakhtwy and bound with seven strips of red linen, signifying the magical subjugation of wild or chaotic forces, which Sanakhtwy-Gehsa neutralizes by taking them into Himself. The Great Rite of Protection (GRP) is performed tonight.

November 20-21:    Feast of Sanakhtwy-Ta-tenen/ Feast of the Oracles. At this time, Lord Sanakhtwy appears in His syncretized form of Sanakhtwy-Ta-tenen/ Sanakhtwy-Ptah-Ta-tenen, wrapped tightly in dazzling white linen and carrying a form of the was-staff topped by the vertebrae of a bull in shining malachite. On the first day of the feast, Sanakhtwy dispenses oracles via divination and boons for material prosperity. Sanakhtwy also appears in His jackal or mountain coyote theophany as the voice of the Earth-Gods. On the second day, the cult statue of Sanakhtwy-Ta-tenen is taken on pilgrimage to the burial mound of the God where offerings of flowers, vegetation, and ears of corn are used to cover the God’s mound.