Isis is the daughter of Geb, the God of the Earth and Nut, the Goddess of the Sky. She is also the sister and wife of Osiris, the Ruler of the Netherworld and Judge of the Dead, and the mother of the falcon-headed God Horus, the God of Day. Isis has always been considered an extremely powerful magician, and there are some who believe that she learned her magickal skills from Thoth. Others, however, do not share that view, instead believing that Isis acquired them when she learned the true secret name of Ra. Since Isis possesses such great and powerful magick, it can be easily seen why the High Priestess Card of the Tarot is believed to represent her.
Isis has frequently been thought of or looked upon as if she was a throne, or as if she was wearing a throne upon her head. It really matters little which way you happen to look at her, because Isis symbolizes the strong foundation of life, which has been built upon truth, authority and wisdom. Indeed, it is through that strong foundation, that women everywhere have been able to discover that same wisdom and strength within themselves.
Since Isis' name quite literally means throne, and since she was the Mother of Horus, the Divine Ruler and Living God of the United Kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt, it is quite understandable why Isis became the symbolic mother and protectress of all the Pharaohs to come.
During the 4th Century B.C.E., the worship of Isis reached great heights. Her worship took place in a magnificent temple upon the island of Philae, on the Nile River, which was constructed during the 30th Dynasty. Other sanctuaries in Egypt that were dedicated to Isis included one at Giza and another at Behbeit El-Hagar, both in the Nile delta.
The worship of Isis eventually became so great, that by the end of the 4th Century B.C.E., it had spread from Alexandria to all the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea; encompassing most of the Hellenistic world. Sanctuaries were also built to honor her in Greece, in both Delos and Pompei.
In Greece, Isis was frequently depicted in a triad with her son Horus and with Serapis, the Greek name for Osiris, as the Ruler of the Netherworld. Herodatus, the Greek historian, believed that Isis was an aspect of Demeter, the Greek Goddess of the Earth, Agriculture and Fertility, or of Ceres, Demeter's Roman counterpart.
In approximately 86 B.C.E., the Triple God-Goddess cult of Horus, Isis and Osiris spread to Rome, where it was an immediate success. In fact, it actually became one of the three most popular religions in Rome, joining the Cult of Cybele and Attis and the Cult of Mithra, the Roman religion of soldiers. Some time later, however, due to the sexual nature of many of its religious rites, the Cult of Isis was suppressed, and by the middle of the 6th Century C.E., when Christianity gained much strength and power in Rome, the few remaining Egyptian Temples that were dedicated to Isis were forced to close their doors forever.
Isis has always been thought of as a fairly ancient Goddess, although in no way as ancient as the Cow-headed Goddess Hathor, and while her worship may have originally begun in Egypt it spread quickly and widely, not only throughout Asia Minor, but throughout Europe and the British Isles as well. It was during that period that Isis and Serapis were worshipped as a mystery cult, within which a variety of Triple Goddess formations existed. Although little information remains regarding this cult, it is believed that it included mystical experiences, which its worshippers believed would grant them eternal life.
As time passed, Isis began to assume many of the characteristics that had originally belonged to several other Great Goddesses, and even those belonging to a few of the lesser-known Goddesses as well. Those characteristics included many of the amazing powers which had originally belonged to the Goddess Hathor, which made Isis the Goddess of Magick and Creativity.
Since Isis embodies so many different and unique characteristics and qualities, it is understandable why she became known as a Universal Goddess with all-encompassing powers. Being a Universal Goddess makes it extremely clear to the world exactly what Isis is, which is the embodiment of the Divine Feminine itself. Because her attributes were so numerous, and because she possessed the qualities of being a woman, as well as the qualities of being the Goddess of so many unique and different things, combined with being Osiris' wife and the Queen of the Netherworld, Isis actually became the culmination of all the Egyptians Goddesses combined into one.
Like the Greek Goddesses Artemis and Hera, Isis has also been known as a Patron of Women. Women have been known to invoke Isis, whenever they need help or guidance, or whenever they happen to be going through difficult periods in their lives. They frequently find themselves drawn to Isis, because she encompasses the most important qualities of women everywhere, such as compassion, tenderness and love.
It is for that reason that Isis represents the pure essence of positive feminine energy. This is only one of the many reasons why Isis is considered to beone of the greatest Mother Goddesses of all time, standing tall in the company of such other Mother Goddesses as Demeter and Kwan Yin.
Isis has frequently been depicted with her young son Horus sitting upon her lap. More importantly, however, she has also been depicted breast-feeding him. That one image of a Goddess breast-feeding her child just like any other mother, is an extremely important and powerful one, because it tends to remind us that all life and power come from the source, which is the Mother.
When the Christian Church first rose to power, it portrayed another, very different image of a mother and her child. That mother was Mary, and that child was the baby Jesus. When the Church began to convert Pagans to Christianity, it depicted Jesus’ mother Mary as a virgin, who gave birth to Jesus through immaculate conception. While the Church continued to praise the virginal qualities of Mary, it just as continuously degraded the sacred sexual union that was an integral part of the Pagans’ worship of the Goddess, going so far as to call it an act of heresy, and what the Church referred to as a cardinal sin.
Isis has also been known as a magickal and powerful physician, with the ability to cure on all three planes: the body, the spirit and the mind. In fact, all of Isis’ priestesses were well versed in the healing arts, much like the priests of the lion-headed Goddess Sekhmet. It was for this reason that Isis became known as a powerful healer, which is why she is so frequently pictured holding an ankh, a symbol of eternal life.
Women frequently find themselves drawn to Isis, because through her they are able to become at one with the Great Mother Goddess. It is through Isis as well, that women have discovered the Divine Feminine within themselves.
Once they discover the Divine Feminine, they begin to realize that they are able to use its abilities to heal others, as well as themselves, in times of need. They finally realize as well, that they have always had the ability to stand on their own as independent women, rather then just “existing,” in a patriarchal world.
Isis is one of the most amazing Goddesses of all time, and there is no way that she will ever be forgotten. Whether it is because of her innate ability to give women strength; or her total devotion to her beloved Osiris, in one of the most beautiful love stories ever told; for her devotion to her son Horus; for her tenacity in overcoming insurmountable odds; for her ingenuity in learning the secret name of Ra, and for one thousand other reasons, she will never, ever be forgotten. Instead, she will remain as she always has throughout history, one of the most magnificent Goddesses the world has ever known. Say her name out loud just once. Now, you will never forget it. As you say it feel the joy. Her name is Isis.
"Winged Isis"
by Joanna Powell Colbert
Used With Permission
