Set

Culture: Ancient Egyptian   Also spelled: Seth   Domain: Chaos, storms, the desert, foreign lands

Set murdered his brother Osiris and fought his nephew Horus for eighty years over rulership of Egypt, making him one of Egyptian myth's clearest antagonists; yet he was also honored, especially during certain periods, as a genuinely necessary force protecting Ra's solar barque nightly from the chaos serpent Apep, showing that even disruptive power had its recognized place.

Associations

Necessary chaos and disruption, storms, the harsh desert, raw strength.

Ways people honor him (modern)

• Acknowledge disruptive force as sometimes necessary, not only destructive
• Reflect on the harshness of the desert, and what it teaches about survival
• Approach him, if at all, with real awareness of his complicated ancient reputation
• Read of his shifting role, villain in some periods, protector in others, across Egyptian history

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.