The Thoth feast is a celebration of Thoth, the Egyptian God. Thoth was the scribe for gods and humans alike. He recorded everything from history to stories to songs.
Thoth is full of knowledge and wisdom. His Egyptian name was Djehuty, which means “He who is like the Ibis.”
In today's article, we will discuss how you can celebrate this special holiday in honor of Thoth!
Who Was the God Thoth?
Thoth was the Egyptian God of the moon, writing, magic, measurement, and time. He governed science and engineering.
Thoth is most well known for being an extremely powerful magician who had the ability to transform into many animals including an ibis.
Thoth is one of the most important Egyptian gods. He was known as a mediator between good and evil, making him very powerful. He was the scribe for the Gods.
He and his wife Ma’at sat on either side of Ra, the Sun god. Ma’at is the goddess of balance, judgment, and truth.
Thoth’s symbol was the Ibis bird with an upside-down moon on its head. He is also closely associated with the baboon another lunar animal.
Thoth, ancient Egyptian god often depicted as an ibis-headed man. Based on New Kingdom tomb paintings. By Artist Jeff Dahl.
When is the Feast of Thoth?
I found several “official” dates during my research, all from Egyptian historians. August 6 and October 24 stand out the most. I choose to place it on our holiday calendar for August 6 however you may choose to celebrate in the fall as well.
The Feast of Thoth is still celebrated in many regions of Egypt today. It is also celebrated as a day of writing and sharing stories.
During August the Ancient Egyptians also celebrated the WAG Festival of the Dead which was dedicated to Osiris.
How Can You Celebrate?
There are many ways to celebrate Thoth's Feast!
One way is by writing down all of your good experiences that happened in the past year and then lighting them on fire.
Burn incense or sage while Thoth's Feast music plays in the background. Thoth was known for having a very melodic voice and many love to listen to his songs while celebrating this special holiday!
Egyptians loved to play games, both for physical and mental skills.
Have a feast. A typical feast in Ancient Egypt would have lots of meat that was saved for special occasions. Antelope, ostrich, fish, and geese. Today Egyptians eat more goat, mutton, and beef.
They also loved fresh fruits with figs, pomegranates, and grapes being favorites. Popularly grown vegetables would have included cucumbers and squash.
Ancient Egyptians kept bees and deserts were often honey cakes and sweetbreads. Beer and wine were common beverages.
Protection
He created magic to protect people from their enemies
Spell for Protecting a Book
“As for any man, even of any foreign land, whether of Nubia, Cush, or Syria, who shall remove this book, carrying it off from me - their corpse shall not be buried; they shall not receive cool water; their incense shall not be inhaled; no son or daughter shall wait upon them to pour water offerings to them; their name shall not be remembered anywhere on earth; they shall not see the rays of the solar disk. But, as for any servant who shall see this book, when he has caused that my soul and my name be enduring with praises - there shall be done the like for him after death ("mooring") in exchange for what he has done for me.” From Practical Egyptian Magical Spells recorded at the University of Chicago.
Do a tarot reading. Aleister Crowley's Egyptian style Thoth tarot deck is below.
Thoth loved sharing his knowledge with others so make sure Thoth gets his due today by listening and telling some Egyptian mythology stories.
What Are Thoth’s Sacred Animals?
Thoth was the God of knowledge and he is often depicted as a man with an Ibis head. The ibis is his sacred animal because it demonstrated wisdom by easily finding its food underwater and on land.
Thoth created an ibis bird out of clay which walked around Thoth's temple until it found a spot to rest. Thoth loved his new pet so he decided to keep it as a statue in his temple!
Thoth’s symbol is an ibis over crossed arms holding a crescent moon in each hand which represents Thoth as a god who controls the movement of the stars and planets.
He is also closely associated with the baboon. Thousands of both of these animals have been found mummified at gravesites.
Greek God Hermes and Thoth
Thoth and Hermes were both messengers of the Gods. Thoth was considered to be a lunar deity associated with wisdom, knowledge, and writing.
Thoth’s role is to record all judgments made by Anubis, with Hermes recording them in writing on his behalf.
Thoth was also known for judging people's souls after they died based upon their actions while alive. The Book of Coming Forth By Day is a guidebook that is said to contain all the secrets of the universe.
Thoth became absorbed in his work one day when a snake snuck into Thoth’s home. Thoth was bitten and almost died but Hermes, the messenger of the Gods made medicine for Thoth that saved him from death. Thoth didn't forget his caretaker when he recovered though!
Longevity
Thoth was one of the longest worshiped Gods in the history of Ancient Egypt. He was a prominent force from the Pre-Dynastic Period, starting in 6000 BCE. His worship continued until the last dynasty of Ancient Egypt till 30 BCE.
This is one reason we have so much information about him.
Thoth birth has several ideations but the most widely spread is that he was born from Ra’s lips. Thoth went on to participate in the birth of five other gods and goddesses.
Take Away
Thoth’s stories can teach us about love, appreciation, and bravery too. He deeply loved his people and wanted to provide them with ways to communicate.
Author, Ame Vanorio, a lifelong pagan and environmental educator, is taking a course in Ancient Egypt and enjoying connecting with their Gods and Goddesses.
Pine forests are some of the oldest on earth. And with that age comes great wisdom and energy. They are found throughout North America, northern Europe and Asia. The entire pine tree is magical including the evergreen branches, the resin, and the cones.