The goddess Isis is the most famous goddess of antiquity, about whom they said that she had a thousand names. She was revered in Ancient Egypt as the patroness of fertility and navigation, mistress of the wind and water. They worshiped her as a symbol of femininity and selfless loyalty to her husband.
The goddess Isis enjoyed great love and respect in Ancient Egypt, which cannot be said about other beautiful goddesses. She is the only one of the cults of Egypt that went beyond the borders of this civilization. During the Hellenistic period, and later in Rome, she was worshiped throughout the Mediterranean. In addition, the cult of the goddess Isis competed with early Christianity. She was included in the pantheon of gods - the patrons of medicine.
In early mythology, Isis appears as the ruler of scorpions. The ancients believed that she gave bees to humanity and wedding dresses. Gave women the ability to spin yarn, weave fabric, and reap bread. Isis patronized women in labor and predicted the fate of born pharaohs.
Interestingly, her name translates as “throne”. Isis, thanks to her son, inspired the power of the king and was revered as the heavenly mother of any pharaoh, who gave him the throne.
Like the Babylonian Ishtar, the Egyptian goddess Isis was initially evil and fought even with her son. But over time, she becomes a beneficent ruler, a loving mother and wife.
In mythology, Isis is the daughter of Geb and Nut, the great-granddaughter of Ra, the twin sister of Osiris and his beloved wife. Almost all myths and tales about her are closely intertwined with tales about Osiris. In the mythology of various nationalities, the marriage of gods - brothers and sisters - was one of the indicators of their divine essence.
Surprisingly, the “Lady of Life” worshiped by the ancient Egyptians may not have been born due to an event that happened at the very dawn of time. At the time when Ra formed the world, his children - the god Shu (air) and (water) - fell in love with each other, and from this beautiful love Two gods were born - Geb (earth) and Nut (sky), who also fell in love with each other.
The love was so strong that heaven and earth united! The sun, air, water froze, their movement stopped. Ra's rage knew no bounds; he ordered his son Shu to punish the disobedient lovers, because of this several catastrophic earthquakes occurred. But it was too late, Nut was already bearing five gods in her womb.
Among them were the Egyptian goddess Isis and Osiris. Enraged Ra determined that these children could not be born in any of the 12 months of the year. He came to the rescue and exchanged five extra days with Luna. They were located after twelve months. Nut gave birth to Isis on the fourth day.
After the murder, Seth threw the body of his hated brother into the Nile, and the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis made a lot of efforts to find the remains. Her sister Nephthys helped the unfortunate woman in this. Two beautiful goddesses found Osiris and hid him in the swampy places of Khemmis.
But Seth did not stop his attempts to kill his brother, found the cache and divided his remains into 14 parts, after which he scattered them throughout Egypt. And yet the goddess did not give up. Having collected all the parts of Osiris, she, with the help of Anubis, created the very first mummy from them.
Isis sculpted a phallus from clay, which they could not find because, according to legend, it was eaten by fish. After this, she consecrated him. And with the help of magic spells she grew him to her husband’s body. With the help of magic, Isis, transformed into a female kite called Hut, spread her wings over her husband's mummy, whispered magic words and became pregnant.
In the temples of Hathor in Dendra and Osiris in Abydos, the most ancient relief compositions have been preserved to this day. They depict the divine act in which the son of the goddess was conceived when she took the form of a female falcon, spread out over the mummy. According to myth, Osiris became king in the afterlife, and Isis gave birth to a son, Horus. This occurred in the marshy reeds of Khemmis (Delta).
And now in Egypt you can see countless statues and bas-reliefs showing Isis breastfeeding her son, who took the form of a pharaoh. Together with the sisters Nut, Tefnut and Nephthys, the goddess Isis received the epithet “beautiful”. She was always nearby when the pharaohs were born.
The ancient texts about Isis say that she has a heart more rebellious than all people, and more intelligent than all the gods. Isis was considered by people to be a sorceress. She tested her skills on the gods.
So, with an indomitable desire, the goddess wanted to know the secret name of the god Ra, who created the world, as well as the sky and light. This would give her power over the most powerful god, and subsequently over all gods. In order to find out the secret of the head of the pantheon of Egyptian gods, the goddess Isis used a trick. She knew that Ra was old and that when he rested, saliva flowed from the corners of his lips and dripped at his feet.
She scraped off these droplets, mixed them with road dust and sculpted a snake. With the help of her spells, she revived her and threw her onto the road along which Ra was supposed to pass. After some time, the supreme god was bitten by a snake. Frightened, he called the children for help and explained to them that he had been bitten by something unknown, and his heart was trembling, and his limbs were filled with cold.
Isis, submissive to his will, also came to her father and said: “Reveal to me your name, father, because the one whose name will be mentioned in the spell will live!” Ra was confused - he knew about it, but he was afraid. He, pretending to give in to his daughter, read out a list of random names. But Isis could not be fooled, and she insisted that her father say his real name.
Ra, unable to bear the terrible pain, initiated her into a terrible secret. After which he was healed by his daughter. It is interesting that this name was not indicated in any of the texts currently known. In Christianity, no one knows the name of God either.
The cult of the fertility goddess Isis became widespread over time. She was revered everywhere: from all the lands of Ancient Egypt to the remote Roman provinces. Among the Greeks and Romans, the Egyptian goddess Isis, whose photos you can see in the article, was also a symbol and enjoyed universal attention. The Ptolemies of Egypt built many temples in her honor. Thus, the Debod sanctuary was built south of Aswan. And with the decline of the era of the pharaohs and the flourishing of the era of Rome, temples were built in Nubia. An example is the temple of Kalabsha (ancient - Talmis). But the most famous is the Temple of Isis, located on the island. Fillet (Pilak).
Pharaoh Nectanebo I from the XXX dynasty decided to build a majestic temple of the goddess Isis, which became the largest cult center of the goddess. The following pharaohs and emperors of Rome contributed in every possible way to the maintenance of this cult. The temple was closed during the spread of Christianity in 537, by order of Emperor Justinian. All the statues were transported to Constantinople, and the Hypostyle Hall was converted into a Christian church, which once again confirmed its connection with the Mother of God.
Main symbol The goddess described is the royal throne. His sign is quite often located on her head. Isis was worshiped by the great white cow of Heliopolis, who was the mother of the sacred Apis.
A widely used symbol of Isis is the Tet amulet, called the “Isis knot”. It is made from red minerals - jasper and carnelian.
The heavenly symbol of the goddess is Sirius. With the rise of this star, the Nile overflows from the tears of the goddess mourning her beloved husband.
Goddess Isis is one of the most popular goddesses of Egypt.Isis is the goddess of fertility, motherhood, childbirth, family fidelity, water and wind, “great with enchantments,” “mistress of sorcery,” a symbol of femininity, patroness of sailors, guardian of the dead.
In the established mythological canon associated with the Heliopolitan Enniad (the nine most important gods and goddesses of Heliopolis), Isis is the daughter of Geb and Nut, the sister and wife of Osiris, the sister of Nephthys and Set, the mother of Horus.
Isis (Isis) is one of the oldest deities of Egypt, but the origins of her cult are still unclear. It is likely that she was first worshiped as a local goddess in the Delta region around the cities of Buto and Busiris (see Map of Ancient Egypt), where the oldest cult center of Osiris was located.
Her cult later became popular throughout Egypt, she became a goddess with an extremely wide range of qualities, properties and abilities. No wonder in the Greco-Roman world they called her “she who has a thousand names.” Isis (Isis) is her Greek name, and she was known to the ancient Egyptians as Aset (or Ast, Iset, Uset).
In the traditional version of the myth of Osiris, Isis searches for the body of her husband, destroyed by the treacherous Set. She collected all the parts of the body of Osiris, which were scattered by the treacherous Set throughout Egypt.
Isis was identified not only with Hathor, but had much in common with other goddesses - such as Amentet, Nekhbet, Sekhmet, Bastet, Mut. She was one of the four protective goddesses (along with Bastet, Hathor or Nephthys, Serket and Neith) who protected the sarcophagus and canopic jars (vessels in which internal organs deceased).
It was believed that she helps the deceased on his difficult journey through the afterlife; she was sometimes also called as one of the judges of the dead.
Isis was worshiped in many temples, the most important of which were in the cities of Koptos (a city in Upper Egypt), Buchen (Nubia), Abydos (here she was part of the sacred triad along with Osiris and Horus) and the island of Philae (located near Aswan). Because of her close connection with the goddess, Hathor played an important role in Dendera (Hathor was the patron goddess of this city).
The cult of Isis survived the era of the pharaohs. During the Greco-Roman era, Isis was revered throughout the Mediterranean, far beyond the borders of Egypt. The cult of Isis lasted until the 6th century AD and was abolished by decree of the Roman Emperor Justinian around 537 AD.
The goddess's name possibly means "throne", although this is not certain. But what is certain is that she was associated with the royal throne, which is represented by the hieroglyph that is often depicted on her head. Isis was also believed to be the symbolic mother of the living pharaoh, who was the earthly personification of Horus - the son of Isis.
Isis is usually depicted as a woman with a throne symbol on her head, sometimes as a woman with the horns of a cow and a sun disk between them. She also appears in Egyptian iconography with wings attached to her hands, or as a bird (here the relation is noted to the episode of the Osiris myth in which she restored the breath of life to him with the help of wings).
Isis was also depicted as a cow. Could be depicted as a woman wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt with the feather of the goddess Maat. Lots of figurines last period ancient Egyptian history, where Isis is depicted breastfeeding her son Horus (Horus), sitting on her lap.
A widespread symbol of the goddess was the tet amulet - the so-called “Isis knot”, or “blood of Isis”, often made from red minerals - carnelian and jasper.
Isis, an ambitious goddess whose main duty is considered to be caring for her family, never forgot about her own importance. That’s why the beauty put so much effort into returning the throne to her own son, because being the mother of a pharaoh is much more honorable than being a simple fugitive. However, even without the brilliant Horus and the faithful Isis occupied an important place in the Egyptian pantheon of gods. The patroness of women and fertility knew exactly what mere mortals needed.
The origins of the cult of the goddess lie in the small city of Sebennit, located in the Nile Delta. Before taking the place of the patroness of the pharaohs, Isis was revered mainly by Egyptian fishermen. The city of Buto was considered the place of worship of the goddess.
The initial image of the woman is noticeably different from later images of the beauty. Isis was depicted with the head of a cow, but the spread of the cult was reflected in the woman’s appearance. As the influence of Osiris' wife expanded throughout ancient Egypt, the cow's unattractive face was replaced with a beautiful face. Only the horns remaining in the same place reminded of the previous image.
The goddess gradually acquired relatives, as well as her own myths and legends. With the advent of the Ancient Kingdom, Isis acquired the status of wife and assistant to the divine pharaoh. And if earlier beautiful woman perceived as the patroness of the sky, now Isis was assigned the responsibility of controlling the wind. From that moment on, the goddess was depicted as a winged maiden.
Merging with the cult of Osiris provided the woman with greater influence and more responsibilities. Now Isis was perceived as the protector of the dead, the patroness of pregnant women and a symbol of fidelity, femininity and maternal love.
The goddess began to be depicted with flowing hair. The woman was dressed in a silver dress, the goddess often held a bucket in her hands (the Nile flood) and musical instrument sistr. Often the statue of a beauty was wrapped in a cloak, the hem of which was embroidered with flowers. This served as a reminder that Isis is an expert medicinal herbs and decoctions.
By the time of the formation of the New Kingdom, Isis had become more famous in Egypt than her own husband. The cult of the goddess spread to Greece, where it was initially renamed cult. But later the woman gained fame under her own name. True, the goddess lost its main meaning, while acquiring erotic symbolism.
In the 2nd century BC, the name of Isis sounded in the territory Ancient Rome. Temples were erected in honor of the goddess in Pompeii and Benevento. From there the cult spread to Europe and Asia. Researchers claim that some elements of the worship of the Egyptian deity are reflected in Christianity.
Isis is the eldest child of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut. Soon after the girl’s birth, the couple had more heirs: Osiris and Nephthys. After Osiris was proclaimed pharaoh of Egypt, the goddess married her younger brother.
The marriage, which others considered political, was built on love and mutual respect. Therefore, when the evil Set killed Osiris, the woman directed all her strength to return her beloved.
The suffering widow searched for the body of her lover for a long time and accidentally discovered the coffin with Osiris in a tree that had sprouted on the banks of the Nile. Isis turned into a kite, hugged the body of her dead husband and, casting a spell, resurrected Osiris. Alas, the magic was only enough to indulge with the god of love. After this, Osiris returned to the world of the dead, and Isis was left alone with the newborn baby Horus in her arms.
The exiled wife of the pharaoh vigilantly looked after her son and tried in every possible way to return the throne of Egypt to the rightful heir. When Horus became old enough, Isis convened a council of the gods and demanded justice. Knowing that the truth was not on his side, Seth insisted that Isis not be allowed into the council.
With the help of magic, the woman turned into an old woman and, deceiving the guards, went to the chambers of the invader pharaoh. Before entering her younger brother, the goddess took the form of an unfamiliar beauty. Seth, who always paid attention to attractive women, could not resist this time either.
The man tried to take possession of the stranger, but the disguised goddess asked to first listen to a sad story. Isis said that she married a shepherd who was killed. And a stranger came and seized the husband's cattle, depriving the shepherd's son of his inheritance. The blinded Seth cried out that the stranger must be punished and the herd returned to the heir. At that very moment, Isis became herself again.
However, even such a recognition did not bring Isis and Horus closer to the throne. There were still a number of tests to be completed. The mother, who wanted to help her beloved son, threw a harpoon at Seth during the duel of the gods. The younger brother begged his sister to release him. Despite her hatred of the tyrant, Isis took pity on her husband’s murderer. Seeing that the goddess had freed Seth, the angry Horus rashly cut off his mother's head.
Of course, the great patroness of the dead did not die. The head immediately grew back to the neck. The loving mother was not even angry with her son and forgave the proud young man for his ardent outburst.
Having achieved justice for her son, the goddess wanted to raise given name among the gods. To gain more influence, Isis decided to find out the secret name of God. Such knowledge would provide a woman with influence and power.
Noticing that Ra was already old and sick, the goddess began to collect the dripping saliva of the patron of the sun. Mixing the liquid with dust, Isis created a snake that bit the god. Ra, suffering from severe pain, called on the gods. Isis also responded to pleas for help. The woman promised to cure the god if he told the goddess his own secret name. The old man obeyed, and Isis received the status of mistress of the gods.
Isis was the Egyptian Goddess of Magic. Initially she was associated with the throne of Egypt, which had magical power because he could turn a prince into a king.
Later, Isis “absorbed the attributes of most other goddesses and gods and became the supreme deity known for her healing and redemptive powers.
She was the sister and wife of Osiris. In Ancient Egypt, incest was considered normal in the lives of the Egyptian gods as it maintained the sacred bloodline divine image. The Egyptian goddess Isis was endowed with everything that the ancient Egyptians respected most in female image. After her husband's death, she became the protector of the dead. In her love and devotion to Osiris, Isis became the symbol of a loving wife, and after he passed into the world of the dead, she became a symbol of the Mother in her protection and devotion to her only son Horus.
Everyone bowed before her kindness and gentleness, regardless of class: slaves and “sinners” prayed to her. She also supported nobles, rich people, and royalty. She was everyone's ally...
The goddess Isis personified fertility and love for everything around her. As the goddess of magic, she represented death, healing and birth. Isis used her magical knowledge and connection with nature to help others. She happened to become the first child of the God of the Earth - Geb, and the heavenly goddess Nut.
The name "Isis" that we use today comes from the Greek "Isis", which we pronounce as "eye-sis", although the Greeks would say it more like "es-es". "Esis", "Isia", "Isi" and "Esia" are other Greek variations. In Latin, her name became "Isis" and "Isis".
Both the Greek and Latin forms are in turn derived from ancient Egyptian variations, "Aset" also spelled "Auset" and "Ast". The final "t" is a traditional feminine suffix in ancient Egypt. In more later periods it was sometimes dropped in pronunciation. All the names of the goddess were related to the word “throne”.
An important role of the goddess Isis was that of protector of the dead. They prayed to her and asked her to help her soul go a long way. She is one of the guardians of sarcophagi from evil spirits. Isis guarded the vessels that contained the internal organs of the deceased. She was associated with the kite hawk, which was seen flying over dead bodies, and was seen by the ancient Egyptians as a form of protection for the dead.
The myth of Isis and Osiris is perhaps the greatest love story of ancient times. Osiris, brother and husband of the Egyptian goddess Isis, was to inherit the world and be the king of men. When he was alive, he ruled Egypt in his human form and was considered a great and good ruler. He was loved by both mortals and gods... except one... her younger brother Set. Seth was unhappy with this and began to feel great envy towards his sister's husband.
At some point, Osiris left Egypt to spread civilization to other lands, and Isis was left in charge of governing the country, with the god Thoth appointed as her assistant. She coped well with her new mission, but now the time has come for her husband to return. But Set betrayed the trust of Osiris, drove him into a trap and killed him.
When Isis became aware of what her brother had done for the sake of the inheritance, she could not come to terms with the death of her husband and decided to return him. Set, having killed Osiris, tore his body into many small pieces and scattered it throughout the Egyptian land. Anubis came to the aid of Isis (the illegitimate child of Osiris and her sister Nephthys, whom Isis adopted and raised as her own). Together, Isis and Anubis pieced together the body of Osiris and created the first Egyptian mummy. Isis, taking the form of a female falcon, sat on her husband and covered him with her plumage, quietly chanted a spell and conceived her first-born (Horus) from dead husband. Unfortunately, no magic was strong enough to return her husband to the throne, and he went down to reign in underworld, becoming the God of the Underworld.
Having given birth to her son Horus, Isis is forced to hide in the eastern part of the Nile River to protect her child from Set. She raised and educated him until he, as an adult, was able to receive a legal inheritance. At the divine trial, Isis forced Seth to confess to the treacherous murder of Osiris and transfer the inheritance to Horus. For a very long time, Isis was next to her son and helped him in the fight against Seth. She knew that Horus would not only become an avenger of his father, but one day he would come and rightfully conquer the throne of Egypt.
There are two most common images of Isis, which appear in sculptures, frescoes and sarcophagi. The first image is where she is kneeling or floating with her green (when colored) wings outstretched. Sometimes in these images her skin has a blue tint. The second image is where she wears a headdress made of cow horns and a sun disk, as well as a belt associated with tit, the magical knot that gives life. In this depiction, she is usually seated on a throne feeding Horus, or she is standing holding a sistrum (musical rattle) in her hand.
In the first image the wings, headdress, colors used and gestures depicted have symbolic meaning. The wings of Isis symbolize either falcons or kites, which are birds of prey. They scream with sounds “reminiscent of the screams of distraught women.” Thus, wings represent both strength and mourning. They also symbolize the resurrection power of Isis, who, through her plumage, tries to give breath to her dead husband.
From time to time the wings become colored green, as green symbolizes life and resurrection in Egyptian art. They also symbolize security because they are depicted as prostrate, which is a protective gesture for the Egyptians.
Her headdress is the Egyptian hieroglyph for throne, which is also the hieroglyph for her name. As the hieroglyph for throne, it represents her magical powers because the throne was believed to have magical powers. In addition to this, the throne represents the "primary order of beginning" because "in its forms lies the original hill" which "first emerged from the waters as habitable land." The throne is associated with the circle of Isis on the head, and through this the headdress reinforces the belief that the king's strength depends on it. The headdress is often depicted as blue, symbolizing the heavens and the primordial flow (and by extension, life and rebirth). Thus, the headdress refers to Isis's ability to give life to the king through the power of the throne. The fact that Isis's skin is sometimes depicted in blue color, strengthens faith in her powers over life and death and her significance for all people.
Virgin and Mother, healer of body and soul
The glyph for Virgo is the letter "mem" from the Hebrew alphabet, symbolizing the Virgin with the tail of Pisces (the mystical polarity of the sign Pisces) raised up. This magical glyph suits Hermes with the healing caduceus. Isis also corresponds to the herald - Hermes, the messenger, the mediator between man and God. Like her Christian equivalent, the Virgin Mary, the Reconciler, Isis receives her power from a male deity (Thoth) and plays the role of messenger—the primary role of the Virgin. The story of Isis is one of humility, efficiency, hard work, and technical improvement. She conveyed to humanity the secrets of the gods
so that it can be healed and be assured of immortality.
Isis was reputed to be very educated. She was taught by the Egyptian Hermes, a mentor god named Thoth, the scribe of the Sun god, Ra. He taught her the sciences and art of healing through medicinal herbs, spells, the use of beetles, toads, and stones, and even the ability to raise the dead with the power of Ra. She was a very capable healer both mentally and physically. physical levels. Inscriptions in her shrines and temples say that those who slept there received comfort from Isis in their dreams and were cured of emotional problems. Virgins dedicated themselves to Isis, taking vows of celibacy as they served and studied in her temples. She was given symbolic names: Wise, Enchantress, Goddess Isis, She whose words have power. In a ceremony that could well have been astrological, the initiate was led through the 12 halls of the Temple (House of Isis) and in each hall a new cape with a hood depicting an animal was thrown over him. The initiate prayed, fasted and left the last hall towards the Nile to see the Boat of Isis sail by and to feel the peace of Osiris. The initiate was then called the Conqueror of the Seven Planets, which probably meant the conqueror of the natal chart, the master of his own individuality.
Before we explore the story of Isis, let's stop for a moment and look at what the potential of the Virgo sign is. The cult's statues were considered most powerful when Isis did not stand alone, but held her child, Horus, in her arms. In art, the image of a mother and child is one of the most significant characters worldwide. Such a statue represents the realization (child) of potential (womb). A self-sufficient Virgo standing alone, no matter how wise she is, is not complete. Completeness is new form. Whether it's a child, or a book, or the founding of a Center for Holistic Medicine - whatever it may be creative creation- any real new form must appear. This form usually requires a long and painful pregnancy and childbirth, similar to the sad birth of Isis that resulted in Horus. For Virgo, apprenticeship may mean having a mentor who keeps her on the minimum for too long wages in your office, laboratory or school. This may include struggles with finances and self-confidence, doubts about a mentor, even hesitation about the value of service in general. But at the end, usually after a long period of gestation, Virgo's esoteric ruler, the Mother of Form, the Moon, gives birth to her new creation.
Another pattern that can be seen in the story of Isis and in the life of the Maidens is the twilight deception of Hermes, a cunning that surrounds them whether they actively and consciously participate in it or not. Things are often not what they seem. Isis's suffering began when her half-brother, Set, deceived and killed her husband. Isis did not know for sure that her husband was dead, but from the early stages of her pregnancy she began a long, painful, lonely journey, hiding in the guise of a lowly nanny. Think of Isis when you see your Virgo friends hiding behind the images of teachers and administrators. Who might this person have been in the past? A hidden alchemist on a lonely journey through a foreign land? The Transformative Power of Speech
, which also belonged to the goddess Isis, potentially exists among these Virgos, leading their modest lifestyle. Perhaps respect for the power of speech warns them against writing and speaking in public until they receive communication about it. This long pregnancy or apprenticeship often seems to be self-imposed by the Virgo perfectionist herself.
Myth of Isis
Isis and her husband, Osiris, ruled the Nile Delta in Egypt as queen and king. They were happy, their subjects loved them, but the life of the spouses was darkened by the fact that they did not have a son who would inherit the kingdom. 
Osiris is famous for bringing arts and crafts to Egypt. He often traveled abroad to teach less fortunate nations. While he was away, Isis ruled “wisely and well.” She also kept an eye on her half-brother, the envious red-bearded Seth, who was biding his time to seize the throne.
One day, during the journey of Osiris, Set and his friends made a coffin exactly suitable for Osiris. It was made of fine cedar and decorated with gold. When the king returned to the Nile Delta, they held a feast in his honor. (Isis was far away at that time, in the city of Koptos). After everything was drunk, Seth's friends invited everyone to try on a beautiful coffin suitable for a king. All the guests were either short or too tall, except, of course, Osiris. As soon as he lay down in the coffin, Seth slammed the lid tightly and his friends sealed the coffin with molten lead. They carried him to the Nile and pushed him into the river. Set was happy to declare himself the new ruler of Egypt. Osiris died at the age of 28, on the day of waning.
While in Koptos, Isis heard about the death of Osiris, but she could not believe it. She put on black clothes and cut her hair. Isis walked along the banks of the Nile, looking for a coffin among the reeds where it could be thrown. She cried because only now she realized how deeply she loved her husband. Some strangers told her that the coffin washed ashore in Syria and was washed up on the trunk of a tamarisk tree. King Melqart of Syria, walking along the river one afternoon, was amazed to see a tree and ordered it to be cut down and made into a pillar for the palace. Isis came to the palace, sat down on the veranda and pressed her cheek to the pillar. The court women approached her. She taught them how to wear their hair in an Egyptian style. Queen Ishtar, of course, asked the maids who did their hair and perfumed them with incense. They replied that their hair was combed by a simple Egyptian woman in white linen. Ishtar sent for Isis and made her her son's nanny.
Isis, having spent a long time in the palace, fell in love with the baby. At night she held him over the fire to burn out the mortal toxins from him so that he could become immortal. Each time, having completed this procedure, she turned into a black swallow and flew around her husband’s coffin in a column of light, passionately wanting to hug Osiris and dreaming of having her own child.
One night, Queen Ishtar entered the room while Isis was holding the baby over the fire. Ishtar screamed in panic and broke Isis's spell, thus robbing her prince of immortality. Isis was forced to tell Ishtar who she really was - goddess of abundance,
Queen of the South (the underworld). Ishtar knelt before Isis and then helped her remove the body of Osiris from the tamarisk tree. The two women wrapped the trunk in white linen and placed it with respect in the temple for worship. Isis then placed the body of Osiris in a boat and sailed down the Nile, hiding as she performed secret rites. With the help of Thoth - Hermes, she was able to revive Osiris for some time in order to conceive the Divine Child, Horus, so long awaited by her. It was worshiped as the House of Horus or the Temple of Horus in memory of the amazing magical conception.
The birth of Isis, however, did not take place in a manner worthy of a goddess and queen. She was hiding from Seth, who was raging and looking for her up and down the Nile. Seth heard a rumor that Isis claimed that she was pregnant with a child from the deceased Osiris, but he refused to believe in this miraculous conception. He believed that Isis's child would be illegitimate, but did not want to take the risk. Isis knew that he would kill her and the child if he found them. She squatted down in the reeds and gave birth like a simple peasant woman. For several hours she was in agony, between life and death, until finally help came with amulets of frogs and stones to help her: A child was born - the One Who Was Long Awaited, Horus, the Avenger of His Father, Horus , Hawk of the Sun God. His birth occurred on the day of the spring equinox, when the Earth is most fruitful.
His father, hidden in his coffin, sometimes came to Horus and taught him. They discussed weapons and the art of war man to man, because they knew that someday Horus would be forced to fight for the throne with the powerful Set.
One day Osiris asked a child: “What is the most righteous deed that a person can do?”
"Avenge your father."
“Which animal is the most useful?” - Osiris continued.
“Horse,” the boy quickly answered.
Osiris was puzzled, because usually the most significant animal was considered to be the lion, which in the form of a constellation is overhead at the time when the Nile begins to fill with water.
“Why do you prefer a horse?” - the father asked his son.
“Because a horse is faster and more useful in intercepting and cutting off enemy forces. The lion is stronger, but the horse is faster."
One day, when Isis went into the city to replenish supplies, leaving her child sleeping alone on a mat, a scorpion crawled in and stung Horus. When Isis returned, she saw that her son was motionless and cold, his limbs were swollen, and white foam appeared on his lips. She experienced indescribable horror when she took her child in her arms. She and her sister called upon the sun god Ra with such force that the Disc stopped above in its orbit. The journey of Ra, which lasted millions of years, was interrupted for the first time. Thoth, the god of science and scribe Ra, the mentor of Isis, flew to her aid down from the boat of the Disc of the Sun.
He had an encyclopedic memory and wrote many voluminous treatises on magic, mathematics, astronomy and astrology. Even more important than knowing which spells were appropriate to heal Horus, they needed to be cast correctly. While Isis wept over the body of Horus, Thoth - Hermes taught her how to pronounce words properly. The wound opened and poison flowed out. Horus began to speak again!
“Horus is alive! Horus is alive! - the crowd shouted.
He returned to the boat of the solar disk, and the goddess Isis received a new title - Mistress of Magic
.
Isis passed on the magic spells that Thoth taught her to the priestesses of her temple so that not a single child in Egypt would die from a scorpion sting.
Meanwhile, word reached Seth that the boy, the son of Isis, continued to grow. He had heard that the child was skilled with weapons, and that Horus's magnetism even attracted Set's own warriors from his palace.
Every night Seth left the palace, ostensibly to hunt, but in reality to find Horus and kill him. He searched all the caves by the light of the moon. One day on a full moon, he discovered the coffin of Osiris, opened it and cut the body into 14 pieces, and then threw them into the Nile. The next morning, Isis saw that the sarcophagus was destroyed. She made a light boat from papyrus and went down the river to look for parts of the body of Osiris. Horus, meanwhile, studied the black and white magic. He told his mother that he would meet her at the temple in Abydos, where a wooden coffin made of tamarisk was kept. Isis had to bring parts of the body there so that they could restore it again with the help of rituals.
Isis, during her journey down the Nile, met many cruel crocodiles, but they had such respect for her that they did not eat a single part of Osiris's body. Since that time, crocodiles began to be considered sacred animals in Egypt. Isis found 13 parts, but the fish ate the phallus, and therefore she brought Horus a body that was not whole - one very important part was missing.
In the temple of Abydos, they collected body parts and added to them a model of the phallus, which Isis herself made. They had to perform many rites over the body during the 14 days of the waning moon cycle. Only after the ritual was completed was Horus able to go in search of his uncle to reclaim his throne.
God Thoth descended from the Disc to act as messenger and arbiter to judge the battle between Set and Horus, between uncle and nephew. Some sources say that he may have come anticipating that Isis would need him.
Did Thoth really know everything in advance, but Isis certainly needed him. At first, Set and Horus fought for three days like “great bears.” Then Horus was able to win and put his uncle in chains. He brought Seth to his mother, pushed him to the floor, and then put his foot on his big red head. Afterwards, leaving the queen to guard his captive, Horus went to dispose of the army of Set.
As soon as Horus left, Seth began to beg Isis to let him go. “The prison is cold and dark; this is an unworthy place for a great king.” “Of course, the earth will restore its abundance more quickly if you free me.” "I am your brother after all." When all these arguments failed, Seth showed her the wounds that Horus had inflicted on him. His condition finally moved Isis to pity, and she freed him.
Horus, the impetuous Aries, born on the day of the spring equinox, returned to find that his mother had forgiven and freed the man who had twice killed his father and deprived him of his rightful throne. Exhausted from the battle and maddened by this news, 
Horus drew his sword and, in a fit of rage, cut off his mother's head. He, however, stood nearby and was able to immediately utter the right words to save Isis. He replaced her severed head with that of Hathor, the ancient Egyptian cow goddess. Then Isis began to be called Hathor, the eldest earthly goddess, the Patroness of childbirth.
Mother and son then pursued Seth together. They drove him to the shores of the Red Sea. He never returned to Egypt, and the Nile Valley once again became prosperous under the reign of Horus and his four sons, who ruled consistently with justice and harmony.
Isis and Osiris became judges of the dead in the afterlife. There they meet the newly arrived souls and judge them according to the 42 commandments.
At first glance, this story might seem more like a solar than a lunar myth. Sunny Horus fought to regain his kingdom, captured by his evil uncle. But if we look again, we will see that in fact this story is about Isis and the subtle one, magical power Female, that is, this is a Lunar myth. And yet, Isis is not the Great Mother who own strength and with authority exercises control over life, death and rebirth, and the Helping Virgin is the humble Virgin, the child and disciple of Hermes - Thoth.
Virgo is a more gentle autumn goddess, she does not possess the Shakti of the Great Mother. Isis informs Ishtar that she is the queen of the South, the setting Sun - the Sixth House, or the twilight region of the natural Zodiac. We understand Isis' role as mediator when Plutarch tells us that she is the daughter of Hermes. She is the Virgin and Mother, the supplicant and mediator of the gift of divine grace and wisdom. But she remains completely dependent on Thoth, her Divine Guide, when she brings consciousness to humanity. In this myth, Isis does nothing herself, with her own power. She is a humble means, a Temple of Horus, through which healing methods are transmitted.
The Virgo Goddess learns, waits, asks, believes (Pisces polarity) and acts effectively and correctly in a crisis situation. Isis shows mercy to Seth, which comes, we are told, from “pity for all his human weaknesses.” Yet, as a reward for all her quiet humility, Isis wins in the end; the solar figures are not as strong as she is. Even Set was driven out of Egypt thanks to her patient, constant efforts.
The son of Isis Horus, the Divine Child of Ra, the god of the Sun, owes everything to his mother - his miraculous birth from the seed of his deceased father, the fact that he survived during childbirth, the fact that he was hidden from the warriors of Set in caves along the banks of the Nile, his miraculous healing from the sting of a scorpion, the opportunity to learn magic from Isis and the art of war from Osiris, and thus, indirectly, even his victory over Set in the struggle for the throne. He owes all this to the Feminine, his humble mother. In fact, he owed too much to his own ego, and in the end he cut off his mother's head in order to achieve his own freedom and space for personal growth. Thus, Horus became able to take the throne and rule under his own authority.
The myth of Isis contains many characteristic features Virgo: humility, perfectionism (magic words must be pronounced absolutely correctly), effective action during a crisis, applying acquired skills and methods to solve a problem, interceding for others before the gods (many Virgos are involved in the work of intermediaries in personnel selection, child psychotherapy, middle management links in government structures, etc.), healing (without damaging the body). Healing is another trait common to Virgo and also to the quest of Isis. First she kept the body of Osiris intact, then she saved and revived the cold body of Horus, and finally, in the case of the enemy, Set, Isis decided to release him. She did this not to restore the kingdom, and not because he was her relative, but because he was wounded in battle and should not have ended up in a cold, dark, damp prison. He needed sunlight and healing. Isis could not allow even her enemy to experience physical suffering.
In "esoteric astrology" Alice Bailey draws attention to the fact that the duality of Hermes expresses itself in the sign of Virgo as a dichotomy of soul and body. Pisces polarity emphasizes this dilemma because it emphasizes the giving up of possessions, sometimes even including things necessary for health such as vitamins, whenever transits come against Virgo energy in the horoscope.
Thus, esoteric Virgo can fluctuate from an emphasis on the body to an emphasis on the soul depending on the time of year - transits through the midpoints of the Sixth - Twelfth Houses or the opposition of the Sun in Virgo, Virgo ascendant. Healing the body, mind or soul (mental healing)
— natural look searching for people of this archetype, but Virgo has periods of doubt. Should she forget about her own body and her health, or should she renounce all of this and work on developing Pisces' intuition, imagination, and capacity for renunciation? Meditate more? Or maybe look for monastic solitude?
Waiting, hidden life, service
- these are also characteristics of Virgo. Isis and Osiris were expecting a child for a long time. They seemed to think that they had a lot of time ahead of them, and thus Horus became the posthumous Divine Child of Osiris. Many Virgos take a wait-and-see approach, like Isis or Persephone, until mid-life before making a major decision. Isis did not understand until Osiris' death how much she loved him. Many Virgos do not respond to their inner needs and feelings until mid-life or even later, until the moment when the esoteric ruler turns to individuality.
Virgo's quiet, hidden life may be spent in teaching, hospital or public service as a low-paid employee who actually knows that he is intelligent and talented enough to get ahead. Virgo spends a long period of apprenticeship, like Isis and Thoth, before she herself became a Goddess.
Often Virgo, Virgo rising asks, “Why does it seem like I’m a late bloomer?” If we think about the nature of Hermes, who has two opinions about the possibility of taking a risk and leaving his safe, secure apprenticeship, and Isis's remark that until Osiris died, she did not understand how much she loved him and how much she wanted from him child. Before the tragedy with Osiris, life for her was simply an opportunity to learn. She eventually gave birth to a Divine Child of her own, but only after first helping Ishtar raise her infant.
Thus, Virgo often gives life to their own creative projects after playing a supportive (lunar) role in the creation of another's creative enterprise.
