In Memoriam

Table of Contents

In Memoriam

Those CES Priests who have passed on to the Dwat.

Here is the typical ancient Egyptian Offering Ritual for the Dead, usually done several times a year. Feel free to use it for any or all of the CES priests who are no longer with us, or for anyone you know that could benefit from it.

An ancient Egyptian Offering hymn to the dead:

O You may give a thousand of bread, beer, beef and fowl;

A thousand of food offerings, a thousand of drink offering;

All the plants that sprout from earth, a thousand of all things good and pure, that are offered to the eternal lord;

Alabaster and clothing, incense and perfume;

All things good and pure whereon a god lives, which heaven gives, earth produces and Hapi brings forth.

From the table of the Lord of Eternity, on the monthly feast, the half-monthly feast, on the Thoth feast, and on every feast, every day, to the ka of the one honored by the (god/dess), the true, beloved to (name of the deceased).

It is pure! It is pure!

Ron Myron: High Priest of Isis, Original founding father 1941-1979

Bruce Kimmerling: High Priest of Osiris, Original founding father

Donald Harrision: High Priest of Thoth, Original Founding father ? - 2004

Donald D. Harrison grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado. His exceptional talent at drawing showed early, as did his lifelong interest in Ancient Egypt. During construction of a convent in Grand Junction he decorated the walls with painted scenes of Egyptian papyrus groves. then earned a Fine Arts degree at California State University at Los Angeles.

Don turned his artistic ability to building replicas of ancient Egyptian furniture, including a replica of the throne chair of Thothmes III, a full size mummy case decorated with the chapters of the Book of the Dead, and shrines to Isis, Thoth, and Ma’at. In 1967 he began publishing a small Pagan discussion magazine, Julian Review. In 1969, Don met Harold Moss, and they joined with with others to found the Church of the Eternal Source in 1970. Don designed the sun and moon CES logo, and was ordained Priest of Thoth. He built an authentic temple to Thoth in a bedroom of his home in Burbank, California, and celebrated regular rituals there. His artwork has continued to enhance CES publications including Khepera magazine, the Newsletter, and elaborate invitations to the annual News Year festivals which were held at his home for many years.

To his friends Don is a very quiet, modest, self-effacing man who allows his evident scholarship and spectacular artistic talents to speak for him. He continued to paint and draw and was at work on a novel of Ancient Egyptian times until he died in Los Angeles of lung cancer on January 7, 2004.

Rev. Harold Moss: - Priest of Horus, Original Founding Father 1937-2010

Rev. Harold Moss, Priest of Horus, the last surviving founder of the Neo-Egyptian Church of the Eternal Source died on June 8, 2010 in Boise Idaho after a long bout with cancer. Harold has entered the embrace of Osiris and has taken the Night Barque with the other gods and goddesses.

Harold Moss was born in 1937 to Theosophist parents and grew up in Burbank, California, and in 1954 the movie "The Egyptian" made a great impression on him, and he determined to serve Aten and began reading everything he could find on Ancient Egypt. In 1957 he began to study astrology and first celebrated Egyptian sun rituals with a group of friends. In 1963 the first of the since annual Egyptian summer festivals was held and, in January of 1965, a mountain top sunrise ceremony. In 1967, having turned from Aten and he joined Feraferia, through which he met Donald Harrison. In 1970, they joined with others to found Church of the Eternal Source, which was incorporated and achieved tax-exempt status in February of 1971. Harold was ordained Priest of Horus. He brought Jim Kemble, a gifted psychic and Episcopal deacon, into the Church as Priest of Osiris.

Harold worked to develop his psychic sensitivity during the 1970's with the help of Jim Kemble, Elaine Amiro, and Margot Adler. He also was roving ambassador for the Church, visiting St. Louis, San Francisco, and Minneapolis to establish Personal contact with other Pagan groups. Regular Newsletters and nine issues of Khepera magazine were published under his editorship. During the next years the annual Egyptian New Year festivals became a main focus for Southern California Paganism, and featured sacred drama and high ritual.

In 1989 Harold retired to Boise, Idaho, to establish an Idaho temple for the Church and to write, and there became friends with Normandi Ellis. In 1995, he resumed the editorship of Khepera magazine with issue #13. In 1996, he published his first book, a drama, Politics, Religion, and Sex: All the Things you’re Not Supposed to Talk About. After several years of regular services, the Church was officially recognized in Idaho, and in 1997 the Egyptian New Year was first celebrated in Boise.

In 2006, after teaching several classes on Ancient Egypt one of his students, Kathie Blakeslee was initiated as High Priestess of Sekhmet .He also helped in the initiation of an student of Rev. Lita Luise Chappell; Paul Madariaga as High Priest of Anubis, and finally he assisted in the initiation of Joanna Linsley-Poe as High Priestess of Renenutet and Seshat, an initiate of Rev. Michael Poe's. In addition he held monthly gatherings and the New Years Festival.

He has battled cancer off and on for several years with a few victories and took a sudden downturn in May 2010. His enthusiasm for the CES never ceased, he was the Church curmudgeon and yet pillar of the Church. All of the present Priests and Priestesses were either initiated by him or were initiated by the Priests who he has initiated. He made many friends and a few enemies, but his loss will be felt in much of the pagan and neo-Egyptian world.

May Anubis be by their sides in all of the empty places that they will walk.

An offering from Normmandi Ellis:

I Am Dust

I am dust –

ubiquitous,

full of the disorder of life,

things falling apart,

fissures in walls and stones crumbling after eons,

crackling old skins.

I am the memory of all your ancestors and I want to bring you home.

I am dust settling on your eyelids when you sleep.

I float through the air,

and in shafts of light

you see the shape of your mother, your lover,

your spirit curled like a brown leaf against a twig.

I am dust

that settles on the table beside your bed at night

waiting for the soul to rise, lick a finger and write your name. –

Em Hotep, Harold.

Remembrances of Rev. Harold Moss

Harold was an inspiration and one of the true founders of the Pagan Movement. At least he got to see Paganism become a world religion!

-Margot Adler

Harold,

We met many years ago at a CES meeting. Conversations with you helped clarify my beliefs in the Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. We met shortly after you got your first tattoo that was years and years ago. Mystical experiences I had become clearer after speaking with you. I appreciate your look on lives, the relationship between Humans and Gods and your careful use of Magic and Ritual. You continue to inspire me. Thank you for your friendship, your love of music, flowers, scents, food, wine and thoughtful insights into the Eternal.

-Roy Maule: CES, Devotee of Bast & Thoth

Ah, I am so sorry. He is in the arms of the Osiris and under the wings of Isis, guided by Anubis and shall, no doubt, be reborn with Horus once more. Harold was a good man. Though I only met him a few times, I, too, shall miss him.

Blessings, Isidora Forrest

It saddened me to hear of Harold Moss' passing. I knew of him since the early 70s. He came to St. Louis and spent some time with us and finally, I was at his home in 1976. Harold just got back from Egypt and was showing us slides of the trip. I was so tired that I fell asleep during it and started to snore. What an embarassment. I remember going to Donald Harrison's house for a combination birthday party for Harold and Horus. The house was awe inspiring with the museum quality artifacts that Donald had made. (Harold’s birthday was July 13 and mine was 20th. His is a year earlier than mine.)

Don Wildgrube