Godess Isis

[Spiritlite]

I'm very drawn to her...

Isis, the Egyptian goddess of rebirth remains one of the most familiar images of empowered and utter femininity. The goddess Isis was the first daughter of Geb, god of the Earth, and Nut, the goddess of the Overarching Sky. Isis was born on the first day between the first years of creation, and was adored by her human followers.

Unlike the other Egyptian goddesses, the goddess Isis spent time among her people, teaching (http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/Egyptian_goddess_Isis.htm#) women how to grind corn and make bread, spin flax and weave cloth, and how to tame men enough to live with them (an art form on which many of us would welcome a refresher course!)

Isis taught her people the skills of reading and agriculture and was worshipped as the goddess of medicine and wisdom.
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/images/Isis-barW.jpg
More than any other of the ancient Egyptian goddesses, Isis embodied the characteristics of all the lesser goddesses that preceded her. Isis became the model on which future generations of female deities in other cultures were to be based.

As the personification of the "complete female", Isis was called "The One Who Is All", Isis Panthea ("Isis the All Goddess"), and the "Lady of Ten Thousand Names".

The goddess Isis, a moon goddess, gave birth (http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/Egyptian_goddess_Isis.htm#) to Horus, the god of the sun. Together, Isis and Horus created and sustained all life and were the saviors of their people.
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/images/Isis-barW.jpg
Isis became the most powerful of the gods and goddesses in the ancient world. Ra, the God of the Sun, originally had the greatest power. But Ra was uncaring, and the people of the world suffered greatly during his reign.

The goddess Isis tricked him by mixing some of his saliva with mud to create (http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/Egyptian_goddess_Isis.htm#) a poisonous snake that bit him, causing him great suffering which she then offered to cure. He eventually agreed.

Isis informed Ra that, for the cure to work, she would have to speak his secret name (which was the source of his power over life and death). Reluctantly, he whispered it to her.

When Isis uttered his secret name while performing her magic, Ra was healed. But the goddess Isis then possessed his powers of life and death, and quickly became the most powerful of the Egyptian gods and goddesses, using her great powers to the benefit of the people.
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/images/Isis-barW.jpg

Isis was called the Mother of Life, but she was also known as the Crone of Death. Her immense powers earned her the titles of "The Giver of Life" and "Goddess of Magic". Her best known story illustrates why she is simultaneously known as a creation goddess and a goddess of destruction.

Isis was the Goddess of the Earth in ancient Egypt and loved her brother Osiris. When they married, Osiris became the first King of Earth. Their brother Set, immensely jealous of their powers, murdered Osiris so he could usurp the throne.

Set did this by tricking Osiris into stepping into a beautiful box made of cedar, ebony and ivory that he had ordered built to fit only Osiris. Set then sealed it up to become a coffin and threw it into the river. The river carried the box out to sea; it washed up in another country, resting in the upper boughs of a tamarisk tree when the waters receded.

As time passed, the branches covered the box, encapsulating the god in his coffin in the trunk of the tree.

In a state of inconsolable grief, Isis tore her robes to shreds and cut off her beautiful black hair. When she finally regained her emotional balance, Isis set out to search for the body of her beloved Osiris so that she might bury him properly.

To be continued....

[Spiritlite]

The search took Isis to Phoenicia where she met Queen Astarte. Astarte didn't recognize the goddess and hired her as a nursemaid to the infant prince.

Fond of the young boy, Isis decided to bestow immortality on him. As she was holding the royal infant over the fire as part of the ritual, the Queen entered the room. Seeing her son smoldering in the middle of the fire, Astarte instinctively (but naively) grabbed the child out of the flames, undoing the magic of Isis that would have made her son a god.

When the Queen demanded an explanation, Isis revealed her identity and told Astarte of her quest to recover her husband's body. As she listened to the story, Astarte realized that the body was hidden in the fragrant tree in the center of the palace and told Isis where to find it.

Sheltering his broken body in her arms, the goddess Isis carried the body of Osiris back to Egypt for proper burial. There she hid it in the swamps on the delta of the Nile river. http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/images/Isis-barW.jpg
Unfortunately, Set came across the box one night when he was out hunting. Infuriated by this turn of events and determined not to be outdone, he murdered Osiris once again . . . this time hacking his body into 14 pieces and throwing them in different directions knowing that they would be eaten by the crocodiles.

The goddess Isis searched and searched, accompanied by seven scorpions who assisted and protected her. Each time she found new pieces she rejoined them to re-form his body.

But Isis could only recover thirteen of the pieces. The fourteenth, his penis, had been swallowed by a crab, so she fashioned one from gold and wax. Then inventing the rites of embalming, and speaking some words of magic, Isis brought her husband back to life.

Magically, Isis then conceived a child with Osiris, and gave birth to Horus, who later became the Sun God. Assured that having the infant would now relieve Isis' grief, Osiris was free to descend to become the King of the Underworld, ruling over the dead and the sleeping.

His spirit, however, frequently returned to be with Isis and the young Horus who both remained under his watchful and loving eye.
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/images/Isis-barW.jpg
There are many other variations of this myth . . . in some Isis found the body of Osiris in Byblos, fashioned his penis out of clay. In others the goddess consumed the dismembered parts she found and brought Osiris back to life, reincarnating him as her son Horus.

In one of the most beautiful renditions, Isis turns into a sparrowhawk and hovers over the body of Osiris, fanning life back into him with her long wings.

Regardless of the differences, each version speaks of the power over life and death that the goddess Isis symbolizes. . . the deep mysteries of the feminine ability to create and to bring life from that which is lifeless.
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/images/Isis-barW.jpg

The Egyptian goddess Isis played an important role in the development of modern religions, although her influence has been largely forgotten.
The festivities surrounding the flooding of the Nile each year, originally named "The Night of the Tear-Drop" in remembrance of the extent of the Isis' lamentation of the death of Osiris, her tears so plentiful they caused the Nile to overflow, is now celebrated annuallyby Egyptian Muslims and is called "The Night of the Drop".

She was worshipped throughout the Greco-Roman world. During the fourth century when Christianity was making its foothold in the Roman Empire, her worshippers founded the first Madonna cults in order to keep her influence alive.

Some early Christians even called themselves Pastophori, meaning the shepherds or servants of Isis. . . which may be where the word "pastors" originated. The influence of Isis is still seen in the Christian ikons of the faithful wife and loving mother.

Indeed, the ancient images of Isis nursing the infant Horus inspired the style of portraits of mother and child for centuries, including those of the "Madonna and Child" found in religious art.

The power of the goddess Isis in the "public arena" was also profound. Her role as a guide to the Underworld, was often portrayed with winged arms outstretched in a protective position. The image of the wings of Isis was incorporated into the Egyptian throne on which the pharaohs would sit, the wings of Isis protecting them.

http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/images/Isis-barW.jpg

The ancient Egyptian goddess Isis has many gifts to share with modern women. Isis embodies the strengths of the feminine, the capacity to feel deeply about relationships, the act of creation, and the source of sustenance and protection.

At times Isis could be a clever trickster empowered by her feminine wiles rather than her logic or brute strength, but it is also the goddess Isis who shows us how we can use our personal gifts to create the life we desire rather than simply opposing that which we do not like.

The myths of Isis and Osiris caution us about the need for occasional renewal and reconnection in our relationships. Isis also reminds us to acknowledge and accept the depths of our emotions.

[Spiritlite]

Here's some more:


Isis is the feminine archetype for creation - the goddess of fertility and motherhood. She has gone by many names and played many roles in history and mythology - as goddess and female (http://www.crystalinks.com/isis.html#) creator.
Her name literally means female of throne, i.e. Queen of the throne. Her original headdress was an empty throne chair belonging to her murdered husband, Osiris. As the personification of the throne, she was an important source of the Pharaoh's power. Her cult was popular throughout Egypt, but the most important sanctuaries were at Giza and at Behbeit El-Hagar in the Nile delta.
The hieroglyph for her name originally used meant (female) of flesh (http://www.crystalinks.com/isis.html#), i.e. mortal, and she may simply have represented deified, real, queens. The most commonly used name for this deity, Isis, is a Greek corruption of the Egyptian name; and its pronunciation as eye-sis is a further corruption by English speakers.
The true Egyptian pronunciation is unknown, as Egyptian hieroglyphs only recorded consonants, and left out most of the vowels. The Egyptian hieroglyphics for her name are commonly transliterated as jst; as a convenience, Egyptlogists pronounce that as ee-set.
Other symbols linked with her include the tat,
http://www.crystalinks.com/isissustrum.jpg
knot or buckle, and the sustrum (rattle (http://www.crystalinks.com/isis.html#))
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Titles
In the Book of the Dead, (http://www.crystalinks.com/bookofthedead.html) Isis was described as She who gives birth to heaven and earth, knows the orphan, knows the widow, seeks justice for the poor, and shelter for the weak. Some of Isis' many other titles were:
Queen of Heaven,
Mother of the Gods,
The One Who is All,
Lady of Green Crops,
The Brilliant One in the Sky,
Her Latin name was Stella Maris, or Star of the Sea,
Great Lady of Magic,
goddess of magic, fertility, nature, motherhood,
underworld Mistress of the House of Life,
She Who Knows How To Make Right Use of the Heart,
Light-Giver of Heaven,
Lady of the Words of Power,
Moon Shining Over the Sea.
Isis later had an important cult in the Greco-Roman world, with sanctuaries at Delos and Pompeii. To the Greeks she was known as Demeter - to the Romans as Ceres - though she played other goddess roles in all ancient civilizations.
The symbol of Isis in the heavens was the star Sept (Sirius), which was greatly beloved because its appearance marked not only the beginning of a new year, but also announced the advance of the Inundation of the Nile, which betokened renewed wealth and prosperity of the country.
Isis was regarded as the companion of Osiris, (http://www.crystalinks.com/osiris.html)
whose soul dwelt in the star Sah - Orion. (http://www.crystalinks.com/orion.html)
http://www.crystalinks.com/pyrorion.jpg
She was the light-giver at this season of the year and was called Khut.
As the mighty earth-goddess her name was Usert.
As the Great Goddess of the Underworld she was Thenenet.
As the power which shot forth the Nile flood, she was Sati, and Sept.
As the embracer of the land and producer of fertility by her waters she was Anqet.
As the producer and giver of life she was Ankhet.
As the goddess of cultivated lands and fields she was Sekhet.
As the goddess of the harvest she was Renenet.
As the goddess of food which was offered to the gods, she was Tcheft, and lived in the Temple of Tchefau.
As the great lady of the Underworld, who assisted in transforming the bodies of the blessed dead into those wherein they were to live in the realm of Osiris, she was Ament - the "hidden" goddess. As Ament she was declared to be the mother of Ra.
In this last capacity she shared with Osiris the attribute of 'giver of life,' and she provided food for the dead as well as for the living.
At a comparatively early period in Egyptian history Isis had absorbed the attributes of all the great primitive goddesses, and of all the local goddesses such as Nekhebet, Uatchet, Net, Bast, Hathor, etc., and she was even identified as the female counterpart of the primeval abyss of water from which sprang all life. It is manifestly impossible to limit the attributes of Isis, for we have seen that she possesses the powers of a water goddess, an earth goddess, a corn goddess, a star goddess, a queen of the Underworld, and a woman, and that she united in herself one or more of the attributes of all the goddesses of Egypt known to us.

To be continued....

[Spiritlite]

Origins
Her origins are uncertain but are believed to come from the Nile Delta; however unlike other Egyptian deities she did not have a centralised cult at any point throughout her worship. First mentions of Isis date back to the 5th dynasty, but her cult became prominent late in Egyptian history, when it began to absorb the cults of many other goddesses. It eventually spread outside Egypt throughout the Middle East and Europe, with temples to her built as far away as the British Isles. Pockets of her worship remained in Christian Europe as late as the 6th century.
Priesthood
Little information on Egyptian priests of Isis survives; however it is clear there were both male and female priests of her cult throughout her early history. By the Graeco-Roman era, all priestesses of Isis are female. Many of them were healers and midwives, and were said to have many special powers, including dream interpretation and the ability to control the weather by braiding or combing their hair, the latter of which was because the ancient Egyptians considered knots to have magical power.
Worship - Temples
Most Egyptian deities started off as strictly local, and throughout their history retained local centers of worship, with most major cities and towns widely known as the hometowns to their deities. However, no traces of local Isis cults are found; throughout her early history there are also no known temples dedicated to her.
Individual worship of Isis does not begin until as late as the 30th dynasty; until that time Isis was depicted and apparently worshipped in temples of other deities. However, even then Isis is not worshipped individually, but rather together with Horus and Osiris. Temples dedicated specifically to Isis become wide-spread only in the Roman times.
By this period, temples to Isis begin to spread outside of Egypt. In many locations, particularly Byblos, her cult takes over that of worship to the Semitic goddess Astarte, apparently due to the similarity of names and associations.
During the Hellenic era, due to her attributes as a protector, and mother, and the lusty aspect originally from Hathor, she was also made the patron goddess of sailors. Throughout the Graeco-Roman world, Isis becomes one of the most significant of the mystery religions, and many classical writers refer to her temples, cults and rites. The cult of Isis rose to prominence in the Hellenistic world, beginning in the last centuries BC, until it was eventually banned by the Christians in the 6th century.
Despite the Isis mystery cult's growing popularity, there is evidence to suggest that the Isis mysteries were not altogether welcomed by the ruling classes in Rome. Her rites were considered by the princeps Augustus to be "pornographic" and capable of destroying the Roman moral fibre.
Tacitus writes that after Julius Caesar's assassination, a temple in honour of Isis had been decreed; Augustus suspended this, and tried to turn Romans back to the Roman gods who were closely associated with the state. Eventually the Roman emperor Caligula abandoned the Augustan wariness towards Oriental cults, and it was in his reign that the Isiac festival was established in Rome. According to Josephus, Caligula himself donned female garb and took part in the mysteries he instituted, and Isis acquired in the Hellenistic age a "new rank as a leading goddess of the Mediterranean world."
Roman perspectives on cult were syncretic, seeing in a new deity merely local aspects of a familiar one. For many Romans, Egyptian Isis was an aspect of Phrygian Cybele, whose orgiastic rites were long naturalized at Rome, indeed she was known as Isis of Ten Thousand Names.
In the Golden *** (1st century), Apuleius' goddess Isis is identified with Cybele. (http://www.crystalinks.com/amphibiousgods.html)
Temples to Isis were also built in Iraq, Greece, Rome, even as far north as England where the remains of a temple were discovered at Hadrian's Wall.
At Philae her worship persisted until the 6th century, long after the wide acceptance of Christianity.
http://www.crystalinks.com/isistemple107.gif
http://www.crystalinks.com/isistemple.gif
The Isis Temple on Philae was built in the 30th Dynasty on an island in the Nile - originally faced a neighboring island, Biga, which was reserved for the priesthood of Osiris and was believed to be the first land to have emerged from the primordial chaos as well as supposedly being one of the burial places of Osiris.
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Looking out from the temple sanctuary, or Holy of Holies, where the goddess resides. The sanctuary was thought to be the source of the waters of life and was once separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain.
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Looking out from the temple sanctuary, or Holy of Holies, where the goddess resides. The sanctuary was thought to be the source of the waters of life and was once separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain.
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The first pylon (the wall surrounding the entrance) is 18 metres high and 45 metres wide. The base stones represent the stones which appear as the waters of life recede.The small door in the west section of the pylon leads to the Birth House. At right angles to the pylon is the Gate of Ptolemy. The main portal in the center dates from Nectanebo II.

To be continued

[Spiritlite]

http://www.crystalinks.com/isis6.gif
The second pylon shows pharoah (Neos Dionysos) offering sacrifice to Horus and Hathor; in the smaller scenes (above) he offers a wreath to Horus and Nephthys and incense before Osiris, Isis and Horus.
Associations
Because of the association between knots and magical power, a symbol of Isis was the tiet/tyet (meaning welfare/life), also called the Knot of Isis, Buckle of Isis, or the Blood of Isis.
The tiet in many respects resembles an ankh, except that its arms curve down, and in all these cases seems to represent the idea of eternal life/resurrection.
The meaning of Blood of Isis is more obscured, but the tyet was often used as a funerary amulet made of red wood, stone, or glass, so this may have simply been a description of its appearance.
The star Spica (sometimes called Lute Bearer), and the constellation which roughly corresponded to the modern Virgo, appeared at a time of year associated with the harvest of wheat and grain, and thus with fertility gods and goddesses. Consequently they were associated with Hathor, and hence with Isis through her later conflation with Hathor. Isis also assimilated Sopdet, the personification of Sirius, (http://www.crystalinks.com/sirius.html)since Sopdet, rising just before the flooding of the Nile, (http://www.crystalinks.com/inundation.html)was seen as a bringer of fertility, and so had been identified with Hathor. (http://www.crystalinks.com/hathor.html) Sopdet still retained an element of distinct identity, however, as Sirius was quite visibly a star and not living in the underworld - Isis being the wife of Osiris, (http://www.crystalinks.com/osiris.html) king of the underworld.
In the duality of our reality - Isis represents our feminine aspects - creation - rebirth (http://www.crystalinks.com/elliesarchives.html)- ascension - intuition - psychic abilties - higher chakras (http://www.crystalinks.com/chakras.html) - higher frequency virbations - love and compassion. She is the Yin energies - the mother nurturer - the High Priestess - the Goddess of all mythological tales - to other female icons in the mythologies of creation. (http://www.crystalinks.com/creation.html) She is the essence of the feminine energy which is part of us all.
Isis - the iris of the eye - the eye of Horus (http://www.crystalinks.com/horus.html)Isis linked with Sirius - eye of Ra - and the source of creation. Osiris - 'O'=completion of the work of Isis of this level.
http://www.crystalinks.com/osiris.jpg
http://www.crystalinks.com/osiris_isis.jpg
The Osiris Legend
http://www.crystalinks.com/isisosihorus.jpg
This myth is filled with metaphors based on the creational patterns of Sacred Geometry (http://www.crystalinks.com/sacred_geometry.html). You must read beyond what is given to understand the true meaning.
The Legend of Osiris is one of the most ancient myths in Egypt, and it was central to the ancient Egyptian state religion. The myth establishes Osiris' position as god of the dead and lord of the underworld, and Horus' (and thus all the pharaohs) right to kingship. It also demonstrates the powers and duties of the other major gods as well as setting up the Great Adversary, Set also known as Seth. Yet oddly enough, we have yet to find a complete version of the story. What we have has been cobbled together over many years from many different documents and sources.
According to Niel Gaiman the legend is one of the Great Stories. The Great Stories are part of the core human experience and never change except in the most superficial ways. They defy any attempts to rewrite them with drastic changes, always returning to their original forms. The setting might be modified depending on who's telling it, the characters have different names, but fundamentally, it's still the same story. A version of the Osiris myth exists in every culture: the just king murdered by his cruel brother, only to be avenged by the prince who follows in his father's footsteps. Sometimes the dead king is rewarded for his upright ways and gains great reward in the next life. We find its echoes in nearby civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans, in far-off Japan and China, in Christianity, even in Shakespeare, where the avenging prince is named Hamlet.
In the beginning, there was the mighty god Ra and his wife Nut. Nut was in love with the god Geb. When Ra found out about this union he was furious. In his rage, he forbid Nut to have children on any of the 360 days that currently made up the year. Nut was very sad.
She called on her friend, Thoth, to help her. He knew that Ra's curse must be fulfilled, but he had an idea. Thoth engaged the moon goddess, Silene, in a wager. At the time, Silene's light (the moon) rivaled the light of Ra (the sun). Thoth was victorious, he was rewarded with one seventh of Silene's light. This is why the moon now wanes each month. Thoth took this light and added five days to the calender, bringing the year from 360 days to 365. This gave Nut 5 days on which she could have children, while at the same time obeying Ra's commandment. On the first of these days, Nut gave birth to Osiris. On the second day Horus was born, Seth on the third, Isis the fourth, and Nephthys on the fifth day. At the time of Osiris' birth, a loud voice was heard all over the world, saying, "The lord of all the Earth is born."
Osiris grew and became a mighty king. He went about the job of civilizing his people. He taught them agriculture and animal husbandry. He gave them a code of laws to live by and showed them the proper ways in which to worship the gods. Egypt became a mighty land under his kind and gentle rule. His subjects gladly worshiped the ground on which he walked. When Egypt was civilized, Osiris left to bring his teachings to other lands. While Osiris was away, he left his wife, Isis, in charge. She ruled the country in the same fashion. But Osiris had an enemy, his bitter and jealous brother, Seth.
Seth began scheming against the great king. He aligned himself with Aso, the queen of Ethiopia, and 72 other conspirators. But nothing could be done while Isis ruled the country, her authority was unquestionable. Upon Osiris' return, an evil plot was put into motion. Seth secretly acquired the measurements of Osiris and began having a wonderfully decorated box built to fit those measurements. When the box was finished, Seth had a great feast to which he invited Osiris and the 72 conspirators. Having absolutely no evil in him, Osiris suspected nothing.

To be contined:

[Spiritlite]

http://www.crystalinks.com/seth.jpg
When the feasting was done, Seth had the box brought out. He offered it as a gift to anyone whom the box fit. One at a time they tried to fit into the box until it was Osiris' turn. He layed in the box suspecting nothing. The conspirators slammed the lid, nailed it closed, and poured molten lead in the seam to seal his fate. They threw the great chest into the Nile river. Osiris was never seen again, walking in the land of the living.
Isis was not afraid of Seth. She searched all of the Nile for the box containing her beloved husband. Finally she found it, lodged in a tamarisk bush that had turned into a mighty tree, for the power of Osiris still was in him, though he lay dead. She tore open the box and wept over the lifeless body of Osiris.
She carried the box back to Egypt and placed it in the house of the gods. She changed herself into a bird and flew about his body, singing a song of mourning. Then she perched upon him and cast a spell. The spirit of dead Osiris entered her and she did conceive and bear a son whose destiny it would be to avenge his father. She called the child Horus, and hid him on an island far away from the gaze of his uncle Seth.
She then went to Thoth (http://www.crystalinks.com/thoth.html) who knows all secrets, and implored his help. She asked him for magic that could bring Osiris back to life. Thoth, lord of knowledge, who brought himself into being by speaking his name, searched through his magic. He knew that Osiris' spirit had departed his body and was lost. To restore Osiris, Thoth had to remake him so that his spirit would recognize him and rejoin. Thoth and Isis together created the Ritual of Life, that which allows us to live forever when we die. But before Thoth could work the magic, cruel Seth discovered them. He stole the body of Osiris and tore it into 14 pieces, scattering them throughout Egypt. He was sure that Osiris would never be reborn.
Yet Isis would not despair. She implored the help of her sister Nephthys, kind Nephthys, to guide her and help her find the pieces of Osiris. Long did they search, bringing each piece to Thoth that he might work magic upon it. When all the pieces were together, Thoth went to Anubis, lord of the dead. Anubis sewed the pieces back together, washed the entrails of Osiris, embalmed him wrapped him in linen, and cast the Ritual of Life. When Osiris' mouth was opened, his spirit reentered him and he lived again.
http://www.crystalinks.com/isisanubis.jpg
Yet nothing that has died, not even a god, may dwell in the land of the living. Osiris went to Duat, the abode of the dead. Anubis yielded the throne to him and he became the lord of the dead. There he stands in judgment over the souls of the dead. He commends the just to the Blessed Land, but the wicked he condemns to be devoured by Ammit.
When Seth heard that Osiris lived again he was wroth, but his anger waned, for he knew that Osiris could never return to the land of the living. Without Osiris, Set believed he would sit on the throne of the gods for all time. Yet on his island, Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, grew to manhood and strength.
The depiction of the seated holding or suckling the child Horus
http://www.crystalinks.com/isishorus.gif
is reminiscent of the iconography of Mary and Jesus.
Many believe Mary, mother of Jesus, was an incarnation of Isis.
Set sent many serpents and demons to kill Horus, but he defeated them. When he was ready, his mother Isis gave him great magic to use against Seth, and Thoth gave him a magic knife.
Horus sought out Seth and challenged him for the throne. Seth and Horus fought for many days, but in the end Horus defeated Seth and castrated him. But Horus, merciful Horus, would not kill Seth, for to spill the blood of his uncle would make him no better than he. Seth maintained his claim to the throne, and Horus lay claim himself as the son of Osiris. The gods began to fight amongst another, those who supported Horus and those who supported Set. Banebdjetet leaped into the middle and demanded that the gods end this struggle peacefully or Maat would be imbalanced further. He told the gods to seek the council of Neith. Neith, warlike though wise in council, told them that Horus was the rightful heir to the throne. Horus cast Seth into the darkness where he lives to this day.
And so it is that Horus watches over us while we live, and gives guidance to the Pharaoh while he lives, and his father Osiris watches over us in the next life. So it is that the gods are at peace. So it is that Set, wicked Seth, eternally strives for revenge, battling Horus at every turn.
When Horus wins, Maat is upheld and the world is at peace.
When Seth wins, the world is in turmoil. But we know that dark times do not last forever, and the bright rays of Horus will shine over us again.
In the last days, Horus and Seth will fight one last time for the world. Horus will defeat Seth forever, and Osiris will be able to return to this world.
On that day, the Day of Awakening, all the tombs shall open and the just dead shall live again as we do, and all sorrow shall pass away forever.
It is said that this battle of good verses evil still rages, but some day, Horus will be victorious and on that day, Osiris will return to rule the world.
The Osiris Legend and Precession (http://ancientegypt.hypermart.net/osirislegend/)
The Osiris Legend and the Tree of Life (http://ancientegypt.hypermart.net/treeoflife/)
Magic
Isis was a magician, possibly the archetype for the high priestess of the tarot. She learned her magic from Thoth, although according to some legends she obtained her powers from Ra himself by tricking him into revealing his name to her, thus acquiring his full magical knowledge.
In order to resurrect Osiris for the purpose of having the child Horus, it was necessary for Isis to learn magic, and so it was that Isis tricked Ra (i.e. Amun-Ra/Atum-Ra) into telling her his "secret name", by getting a snake to bite and poison him, so that he would use his "secret name" to survive. This aspect becomes central in magic spells, and Isis is often implored to use the true name of Re while performing rituals. By the late Egyptian history, Isis becomes the most important, and most powerful magical deity of the Egyptian pantheon.
Magic is central to the entire mythology of Isis; arguably more so than any other Egyptian deity.In consequence of her deeply magical nature, Isis also became a goddess of magic. The prior goddess to hold the quadrupole roles of healer, protector of the canopic jars, protector of marriage, and goddess of magic, Serket, became considered an aspect of her. Thus it is not surprising that Isis had a central role in Egyptian magic spells and ritual, especially those of protection and healing. In many spells, she is also completely even merged with Horus, where invocations of Isis are supposed to automatically involve Horus' powers as well.
Depictions
In art, originally Isis was pictured as a woman wearing a long sheath dress and crowned with the hieroglyphic sign for a seat, sometimes holding a lotus, as a sycamore tree.
After her assimilation of Hathor, Isis' headdress is replaced with that of Hathor: the horns of a cow on her head, and the solar disc between them. She was also sometimes symbolised by a cow, or a cow's head.
Usually, she was depicted with her son, the great god Horus, with a crown and a vulture, and sometimes as a kite bird flying above Osiris's body.
Isis is most often seen holding only the generic ankh sign and a simple staff, but is sometimes seen with Hathor's attributes, the sistrum rattle and the crescent moon shaped menat necklace.
Isis is often depicted with a throne on her head and with wings, meaning ascension, linked with the Phoenix (http://www.crystalinks.com/phoenix.html) the female bird of resurrection.
To be contined

[Spiritlite]

http://www.crystalinks.com/isisblueredwings.gif

http://www.crystalinks.com/isiswingsgoldgreen.gif

http://www.crystalinks.com/isis_winged.jpg
http://www.crystalinks.com/isiswingsgold.gif

[Spiritlite]

http://www.crystalinks.com/isiswings.gif

http://www.crystalinks.com/isisprofile.gif

http://www.crystalinks.com/isis2.gif
http://www.crystalinks.com/isisblack.gif
BLACK ISIS (http://www.crystalinks.com/blackisis.html)

[Kapitan_Prien]

Lot of interesting material there. I read just a little bit on Isis when learning about that Isis-Barnacle-Crater quartz that I have. It helped me understand things a bit better.

I understood it that, in my view, Isis is an 'archetype' of traits - not an actual 'being'. I thought the whole Isis-Osiris myth was interesting as I read about it with regards to the quartz piece.

It just helped me to understand...and I guess that's all I wanted to do.

[Spiritlite]

I hope it helped Kapitan.
Spiritlite

[Animus27]

Lots of good info about Isis! But I think it might be worth mentioning that Isis is not purely Egyptian in origins. Isis is a Hellenized version of Aset. When She was introduced to the Greeks they began to identify her as a universal mothering figure and as time went on, Isis became more distinct from Aset.

Where Isis is considered to have Lunar attributes; Aset does not. Isis is thought of as a great mother to all people; while Aset is only a mother to the Pharaoh, which is Horus' physical manifestation in Egypt.

Just throwing that out there. It's really interesting.

[nventr]

Lot of interesting material there. I read just a little bit on Isis when learning about that Isis-Barnacle-Crater quartz that I have. It helped me understand things a bit better.

I understood it that, in my view, Isis is an 'archetype' of traits - not an actual 'being'. I thought the whole Isis-Osiris myth was interesting as I read about it with regards to the quartz piece.

It just helped me to understand...and I guess that's all I wanted to do.

It is not only an archetype, but also a Way. A way of being. A way of thinking. A way of creating.

[God-Like]

I'm very drawn to her...
.
Hi Spiritlite.

I am also. I had a past life as Egyptian royalty and there's connection with ISIS and Orion.

I never really gave much thought to Gods/Goddesses but they do keep coming up for me that's for sure.

I can't remember the name but a lady In my circle had a half fish half man demi kinda God the other day that connected back to Nimrod stuff..

The weirder the better I say ..hehehe hehe

x daz x

[lanbee]

I love Isis too. When I started my "journey", ancient Egypt is what I read on first. Named my daughter's new kitten Isis for her.:smile:

[Spiritlite]

I'm so happy you guys like the info and I thank you all for your input.......
xoxo
Spiritlite.

[ShamanWoman]

I love Isis too. Back when I was a Christian I asked God for a sign in my dreams. That night, out of nowhere, I distinctly heard the name Isis, twice. It was unrelated to anything I was dreaming about. I've kept her in my heart ever since.

[Spiritlite]

Wow Shaman that's amazing :) Thanks for sharing.
Spiritlite.

[Apakhana Akshobhya]

Golden penis.... huh. Lol.
Thanks for posting this, lot's of cool info. I knew some of it and other parts I didn't.

So, is the month September named because of the star Sirrius (Sept) begins rising over the eastern Horizon?

[Spiritlite]

I'm bumping this up LOL
Just cause.

[Kapitan_Prien]

Re Nventer: I agree. I think that was also mentioned that it was 'A Way' too.

[Spiritlite]

OH goddess Isis how I love you
Spiritlite.