Tefnut - She of Moisture (Sky spittle)
A small summary of Her attributes - but please keep in mind that I cannot vouch for how correct these are.
Also known as
Tefenet, Tefnet, Tefnuit, Tphenis, Tfenis
Titles
Eye of Ra, Tongue of Ptah, Lady of the Flame, Uraeus on the Head of all the Gods
Roles
Goddess of moisture, wetness, water, rain, dew, "bodily fluids", spit, humidity, "sky-spittle", clouds, mist. A semi-creatrix, present at creation. Upholder of the Sky (with Shu). The First Mother. Patroness of order, justice, time, weather. A judge of the dead.
Celebrations
Birthday of Shu and Tefnut, Feast of Shu and Tefnut, Feast of Tefnut, Festival of Tefnut, and celebrations concerning the Ennead (of which She is a member).
Signs & symbols
Lioness, rain, throne.
Associations
Colours: white, blue, gold. Scents: roses. Gems: crystal. Other: the moon, "the 2nd hour of the night of the 14th moon".
Cult centers
Mennefer, Iunu, Waset, Iunet (Dendera), Nay-ta-hut (Leontopolis).
Offerings
Cool water, items connected to the weather, sweet liquids.
Relations to other netjeru
Daughter of Atum or Tem or Ra or Amun-Ra, daughter of Hethert, sister-wife of Shu, mother of Geb and Nut. Possibly also wife of Tefen. Connected to Ma'at, Nit and Nut. Sometimes equated with the cow goddess Mehurt as the mother of all celestial bodies.
Depictions in art
Lioness. Lion-headed woman wearing the sun disc and uraeus. Woman dressed in white. Green lioness with uraeus. A female sphinx trampling the enemies of Tawy. Lion-headed woman with pointed ears, seated on a throne. Wild desert cat.
My personal impressions
Tefnut feels very ancient, with good reason. She is essential to our very existance, yet we overlook Her, or think of Her as nothing but an abstract and unreachable netjert, and I don't think that's neccesarily true. She is one of those Names that are too close to see. I think She is as forceful as a rushing waterfall, as still as a pond, as delicate as a drop of dew on a leaf, as hard to grasp as mist, and as complex as a snowflake. Truly, She surrounds us everywhere. We just don't think of it.
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