Hathor

Hathor was one of the oldest deities in ancient Egypt. The mother Goddess.

Who was Hathor? (Het-heru)

Goddess of Sky, love, joy, fertility, women energy, dance, music, foreign lands. She was protecting childbirth and pregnant women. Her direction is West (she was known as Nile of the Sky, as she was associated with the Milky way) another important name given to her was “Mistress of the West”, as they believed Hathor welcomed souls of the dead in the Tuat.

Appearance of Hathor?

She was depicted either as a woman or as woman with head of caw. Her symbol defining her from other gods was headwear of two horns, holding a sun disk and encircled by uraeus (sacred cobra). Another goddess who wears this symbol is Isis.

Associated with Greek goddess Aphrodite, Roman Venus ~

In mythology?

1. One of the myths represent Hathor as a divine Cow, who gave birth to the world and some gods. She is shown holding the sky, her four legs are the four pillar holding the cosmos.

2. Another myth tells about god Ra ruling over the world, when the humans turned against him and disobeyed him; they deserved a punishment. Then the Right eye of Ra (Sun symbol) in form of Hathor (as a daughter of Ra) started to judge people, many souls were killed, then she turned into Sekhmet –the lioness goddess. God Ra was worried that she would destroy the whole world, so he mixed red color with beer and spread it over the land. Hathor drank from it, thinking that it was blood and became intoxicated, in this way she forgot her mission and humanity was saved until the final day. Then she restored her form as Hathor and returned to home of Ra.

Titles and name?

Hathor name means “house of Horus”, The hieroglyph of her name is shown as wick (meaning the letter “h”), a duck (meaning daughter of Ra), and the cow symbol of the goddess. She had many titles like: Lady of the West, Lady of Turquoise, Lady of Byblos, “She of the Divine column”, Nile of the sky.

Family?

As always don’t be amazed from the family relations of ancient gods in any religion. Hathor was companion of Ra (who was also her father in the myth), and Horus (who was also her son). Her children were: Ihi, Imsety, Hapi.

Temples?

Hathor as one of the most prominent goddesses was worshiped at the temple of Dendera (Upper Egypt). This temple complex is well preserved and covers 40 000 sq.m. In this temple were found amazing preserved paintings, as well as a ceiling with Dendera zodiac, it is shown in round shape all 12 zodiac signs (instead of Aquarius they depicted Hapi –god of the Nile) and 2 eclipses. Some believe it is older than 50 years B.C. The calendar of ancient Egyptians was Lunar.

Hathor face was depicted in a triangular form associating a cow, with ears of cow from both sides of the face, she had plaited hair, typical for the ancient style.

Symbols of Hathor:

Sistrum: ancient Egyptian musical percussion instrument, used in rituals and ceremonies.

Mirror: often the mirrors used by women in Egypt had carved image of Hathor on the handles. (women used eye make up from cohl and crushed malachite stone for green eye shadows. Hathor was associated also with all turquoise jewelry.)

Hathor played a role in guiding the souls of death to the underworld. She is depicted embracing them. Nile river was viewed as bridge to afterlife. The west of Nile was place for death (Egyptians placed their cemeteries there), the east of Nile was place for new beginnings and rituals.

In the legends – The Seven Hathors” symbolizing fate, cycle of life and death, were able to predict the future of a new born Egyptian child.

Esoteric signs of Hathor 

Crystal ~ red Jasper

Color ~ Ocher

Number ~ 10

Scent ~ Patchouli

Animal ~ cow

Flower ~ primrose

Tree ~ elm

Herb ~ dill

Food ~ olive

(*May Hathor guide me to create life and bliss!)  

Fantasy image of Hathor with a heart ~ 

Hathor and Sobek (crocodile god)  

 Hathor as a cow with the sun disk 

Ra (Re)

Pronounced Ra or Re, he is the Sun god of creation in Egypt. He is also a central god in Egyptian pantheon, influencing all other gods. 

Who is Ra? ~

As connected with the solar deity, he was connected with the sun and always you ll recognize him by the solar disk encircled by cobra above his head. He was connected with Atum –as Atum-Ra. He represented the Sunlight, creation and warmth of world.

Appearance of Ra? ~

He appeared in a human form with head of falcon in dark blue and crown of the Sun disk in red color. The disk is always encircled by Uraeus – the sacred cobra. He also wears collars, bracelets and short dress, in his right hand he carries ankh, and in left –scepter. Some other variations in appearance of Ra are with head of beetle and head of Ram (as god Amun-Ra). As a main god he had the privilege to be depicted as all kind of symbolic animals – bull, lion, ram, hawk, heron, serpent, cat and phoenix. But always the sun disk is his main attribute.

The myth behind? (Solar boat)

Ancient Egyptians myth is telling that Ra sails through the skies with his Solar boat (called “Baraque of millions of years”) with his companions gods, giving light to the world. In the morning his boat appeared from the East and it was called “Madjet” meaning “becoming strong”. In the morning manifestation of the boat, Ra appeared as a beetle, know as “Khepri, the scarab God”.  In the evening the boat reached to the west horizon, where it was called “Semektet” (or becoming weak”). The evening appearance of Ra was as Khnum –ram headed god.

At the end of the day Egyptians believed Ra “died”, swallowed by Goddess of the sky Nut, where he went to the Underworld. He left the moon on his place to spread the light on earth in the night. Ra was always reborn on the next day. In some legends he is fighting with the evil serpent Apep –symbol of the Chaos, and defeat it.

Family of Ra?

As a supreme god, Ra created himself from the Primal chaos (or the dark ocean of the beginning called NUN) (as Amun, Atum). His children were: SHU (God of dry air and sky), TEFNUT (goddess of the moisture and rain), Bastet and MAAT.

His companions were: Isis, Sekhmet, Hathor.

There are many creation myths with god Ra, one of them talks about Isis taking power from him with a smartness and using one snake. Another myth includes the Tree of Life.

The tree was situated in the Sun Temple of Ra in Heliopolis and it was sacred. The fruit from the tree was available only to pharaohs and priests –as representation of Gods power of earth, so only they could taste it, have eternal life and knowledge of the Divine Plan. On the Tree of life was seated the mythological bird BENNU, which represented the soul of Ra. This bird is phoenix, had red and golden feathers and symbolized resurrection and rising sun. Bennu always turn to ashes and was reborn again (similar to the Solar boat of Ra, that went to Underworld and then was reborn for new day).

Another important symbol is Benben stone. It had the pyramid shape (sacred shape of fire element) – and was place on obelisk inside the Ra Solar temple. The stone was a beacon (light) for the Bennu bird.

Temple of Ra?

There are many temples, dedicated to Ra. They don’t contain statues of god, but are made in a special way, showing the sun light in a special time of the year and day. This is the Heliopolis temple called “Bennu Phoenix”.

Ra and other gods ~

Ra was connected with many powerful deities like Atum (Atum-Ra), Amun (Amun-Ra), Horus (Ra-Horakhty –meaning Ra of the Horizon);

During the New Kingdom were build many Solar temples, dedicated to Ra.

Sacred Symbols of Ra~

The EYE of Ra is one of the most important symbols. It represents the sun disk (the right eye of Ra), with two Uraeus (coiled cobras) around it, next to the white and red crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. This eye was also a strong amulet against all evil.

The left eye was symbol of the moon.

The cobra on the sun disk is symbol of divine authority, royalty.

Esoteric signs of Ra ~

Crystals ~ Quartzite, Golden Topaz

Color ~ golden

Number ~ six (Hexagram)

Scent ~ Frankincense

Animal ~ Falcon

Flower ~ carnation

Tree ~ acacia

Herb ~ Rosemary

Food ~ sunflower seed