Isis - Aset

   One of the most famous, sacred and discussed Goddesses in Ancient Egypt – Isis; she was personification of feminine energy, motherhood, moon, magic, fertility, love, healing. Isis took many aspects and roles of the main goddesses before her – Maat, Hathor. She was related to similar foreign deities – Persephone, Athena, Cybele, Demeter.

Other names of Isis: Hesat, Eset, Unt, Urethekau, Aset, Aust, Eenohebis; Literary her name means “Queen of the Throne” – that’s why her common headdress was throne-like stair to heaven.

Isis husband and brother was the underworld God Osiris, they had one son – Horus. She was also sister of Set, the evil king, and Nephtys.

She was know for her many roles in any part of social life, and under world, to her were contributed many rituals, and she had immense power over all social groups in Egypt.

Her mother image was celebrated by showing her in statues as nursing her son Horus, or the pharaoh itself.

Many places of worship were dedicated to Isis, her images, carved, depicted and statues were large number. Probably the most famous temples of Isis were Behbeit el-Hagar and Philae.

temple in Philae ~

Depiction: As Goddess Isis was depicted often wearing special headdress of a vulture, as the bird is laying above head of Isis, her wings hanging down on both sides. Goddess has other attributes and signs: jeweled collar, papyrus scepter, an ankh in hand, long gown.

In some images she is depicted with the spread wings (associated with power of Maat –truth and justice); Sometimes she is wearing crown, instead of bird headdress – forming an empty throne –which symbolizes the power of her husband Osiris. Other crowns of Isis are: sun disk, and horns of Ram between sun disk.

Legends and myths ~

Osiris was the elder son of Geb and Nut, so he started to rule on Egypt. His evil brother Set was permeated by envy and wanted to destroy Osiris and take his place. Set made plan and one day of celebration he sealed Osiris in a coffin and threw him in the Nile. Isis was desperate and went searching for her beloved husband. He finally found him (dead) in a column of cedar in foreign land (all symbolic associations); took his body and went back to Egypt. Set found the coffin with Osiris body and tore him to 14 pieces, that spread around the world.

With the help of her sister Nephtys (goddess of darkness), Isis succeed to find 13 of all pieces. The last piece was swallowed by a monster from Nile river. Then Isis in her despair turned to wisdom of Toth (god of moon, magic, written word) – he thought her how to make a spell for Osiris and awaken his body shortly for life. She used wax in place of the missing piece of his body.

When Osiris came to life, she was so happy that the long gone lovers hugged each other in lovers hug. After that night, Isis conceived Horus.

Osiris went to the under world, and then Isis was left alone in the prison of her brother Set. Thoth helped her again to escape from him.

The legend says Isis traveled with her seven scorpions that had names: Tefen, Befen, Petet, Mestet, Mestetef, Thetet, Maatet.

They came to a village near to papyrus swamp. Then Isis found a house of rich woman, who lived nearby and asked her for shelter. The rich woman declined to accept her, as she didn’t recognize the goddess. Isis went further –to a house of very poor peasant woman, who welcomed her in her home. The seven scorpions were goddesses that were angry on the rich woman for being so inhospitable to Isis. Tefen came back to her house and stung her son and made fire in her house. Isis heard the grief of woman, and feeling her loss restored the dead son to life; then she was hiding with her son Horus, to whom she gave birth.

Angels associated with Isis power: Gabriel, Haniel

Isis adopted the son of her sister Nephtys (with Osiris – Anubis) as he was abandoned;

Symbols of Isis: sycamore tree (divinity, protection, strength), Was” scepter – long scepter with animal head in the end possessing magical power, Moon disk – symbol of her moon and magic deity.

Isis was one of the four protector gods of the dead, she was responsible of the liver holding canopic jar. (Liver associated with Solar Plexus chakra); Isis was known also as Aset (meaning “throne”) and the Lady of the Sycamore. Her priests had magical healing powers. She played central role in rituals of spells, love and healing.

Interesting is the fact, the even in the rule of Roman empire, Isis didn’t disappear, but was adopted by Romans with the name Stella Maris (star of the seas). One of the significant names of Isis was Ankhet (from ankh) –creator and giver of life on earth and in spiritual plane.

Magical symbols of Isis:

Crystal ~ Lapis Lazuli

Color ~ indigo blue

Number ~ seven, eight

Scent ~ lotus flower

Animal ~ cat

Flower ~ rose

Tree ~ fig, sycamore

Herb ~ sagebrush

Food ~ avocado

Affirmation: Light of Isis, make transformation of all levels in the world through the great art of magic and moon! 

[ nina Lea-nura * ]

1219 

Isis and her son Horus ~

Links: 

~ Isis article I 

~ Isis article II 

Cat Symbolism

     

         As an ancient symbolic Celtic animal, the cat represents the guardian of the Otherworld (or Underworld, depending which texts you read from various regions). Stoic, silent and mysterious, cats fit the bill of Otherworld guardians quite well. They keep the secrets of the Otherworld eternally to themselves, as they gaze with guile upon a world that does not see or understand the depth of their knowledge. However, black cats in Celtic lore were considered evil, and were sacrificed.

In Western tradition, black cats have been associated with witchcraft. This is due to black being associated with supposed perils of the night, and the cat is associated with transformation just as the veil of night shifts our perception of reality.

However, in Ancient Rome the cat was sacred to Diana, the moon goddess. Here the cat was also considered a guardian of homes and a symbol of domestic goodness.

In Muslim lore, the cat is honored for saving Mohammad from an attack by a fierce snake. Here it is believed the "M" marking on the forehead of many tabby cats is the mark of the prophet ("M" for Mohammad).

In Norse legend the cat is depicted drawing the chariot of their fertility goddess, Freyja, and therefore the cat is thought of as a blessing upon newborns and a good omen for those increasing their family ranks.

In ancient Egypt cats were sacred and were even depicted on the head of their lunar goddess, Bastet which was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians. In her honor, cats were even mummified along with mice for them to eat.

Clever

Secretive

Mysterious

Intelligent

Intuitive

Supernatural

Watchfulness

Selective

Independent

Cats themselves are quite resourceful and tend to give us messages of change, flexibility of adaptability. Often, when a cat makes an uncommon appearance in our lives it is a message for us to shake up our habitual routines and make some fresh changes in our lives, as well as be more flexible in our thinking.

Cats can also be quite aloof, and this too is often a message for us to distance ourselves from people or situations. Sometimes the best cure for a problem is to step away from it - the cat inherently realizes this, and we would be wise to recognize this need as well.

Lastly, the cat animal symbolism is about mystery. Unfortunately, its unpredictability has given the cat a bad name in some areas of folk lore, specifically witchcraft. When, in actuality, this is an asset that can be harnessed by us humans.

Sometimes displaying very strange behavior and antics, you can never really pin a cat down. Simply put, the cat animal symbolism is synonymous with creativity and psychic power because of its sometimes unorthodox & "mysterious" behavior. This is also reflected in the Tarot, as we see the cat in the Queen of Wands card.

The good news is, this mystery is a message to us that we have the power over illusion. Cat animal symbolism reminds us to not fall prey to false beliefs, to not be a fool out of ignorance and derive understanding from our own internal wisdom. The cat beckons us to realize that when we turn within to our own hearts, minds and souls, and trust in ourselves we will always be shown the truth of matters.

Tags: Dreams, Cats, Spirituality, Symbols