Akhu - the shining ones We don't just honour Netjer in our lives, but also our Akhu - the blessed dead, the shining ones. They are the souls of those who died before us, our ancestors. Well, not just our ancestors. Anyone can be part of your Akhu, I suppose. Akhu by blood are supposedly most strongly connected with you, and closer blood-ties mean closer Akhu connections. Akhu by marriage (in-laws) and national or ethnic Akhu are also fairly strong. Close friends, acquaintances, even people you only met once or twice may also be part of your Akhu family once they've passed into the West (meaning, died). We generally believe that our Akhu take a fairly active role in our lives, in guiding and teaching us. Personally, I'm of the opinion that they interfere more than Netjer Itself - I don't think the Names microgovern our lives in the way I've seen many others believe. Nor do the Akhu, in my opinion, but I think they nudge us slightly more, and influence us in subtle ways, whether we like it or not. I'd like to point out that we don't worship our Akhu. We honour them and ask them to be part of our lives, for our own happiness' sake. We're not a death cult, as I see it. We merely pay respect to those whose wisdom far exceeds our own. Netjeri - spirits Netjeri, the divine ones, are a type of spirits. They are believed to be servants of Netjer and the Akhu, as well as guardians. Sometimes they appear as animals, and it's also believed that our beloved pets and animals turn into netjeri at the time of their death, and that they drop by from time to time to check up on us. Animals/pets supposedly don't have the same "soul-parts" as humans, and so don't become proper Akhu, but transform into netjeri. In the end, that's of course a matter of individual perspective. :)