IsisBy MoonDancer
Isis
is a goddess from the Egyptian Pantheon who is about as old as the history
of Egypt itself.
She is a goddess of all
things, known as the goddess of 10,000 names. Throughout history
She
has been worshipped by thousands
of people all over the globe. She has appeared to many of her
followers-answering their
prayers, requests, and questions.
While it would be impossible
to list all prayers to Isis, or all rituals, accounts of her appearances,
all her followers, what
I will attempt to do here is give some of her history, prayers, and rituals.
I will list her sacred
holidays, some accounts of her appearances, and list some of her known
followers from both the
past and the present. While some of this material is historical in
nature,
I just want to point out
that most rituals and prayers I got from recently published authors.
Come now and meet
the magnificent and beloved goddess revered for centuries-the goddess Isis.
For those of you who know
nothing of the Goddess, her myth, her sacred symbols,
or animals, please click
here. I hope the condensed explanations found there will help
you understand
her better. For those
of you already acquainted with the goddess and her family, please continue
on.
Isis has been worshipped
in thousands of countries by thousands of names by thousands of people
since the spread of Her
worship from Egypt during the Greco-Roman times. In DeTraci Regula's
book
Mysteries of Isis, she lists
some of the followers found inscribed on temple walls. Here is a
brief list
taken from that source (p.
79 Regula):
Personal Names of Priestesses,
Priests, and Devotees
Alexandra (f)
Anthia (f)
Antonius (m)
Appollodorus (m)
Cleopatra (f)
Diodora (f)
Harpocrates (m)
Isidora (f)
Lucius (m)
Parthena (f)
Serapion (m)
Tryphaena (f)
Perhaps one of the most famous
from this list is the pharaoh Cleopatra. It is said that Cleopatra
dressed occasionally as
the Goddess Isis Herself for meetings and sacred rites. She is known
to
have been a devout follower
of Isis. Another famous follower of Isis is Isidora Duncan, a Latvian
born
dancer who shocked the world
by being the first woman to cast off her Pointe shoes and dance barefoot.
Much of her repertoire explored
dances of ancient civilizations-Egypt included. Her name in and of
itself means "Gift of Isis."
Currently, an organization
called the Fellowship of Isis
exists with its members spanning several
countries. This organization
has its own manifesto, several programs of learning, and its own worship
centers all over the globe.
The organization can be joined simply by going to www.fellowshipofisis.com,
reading the manifesto and
following the appropriate links. Also links regarding correspondence
courses,
groups, and ordination can
also be found on this web site.
Famous Accounts
As stated earlier, it would
be impossible to list all the places and people Isis has appeared, list
whose
prayers She's answered,
or even the types of prayers She is famous for answering, for indeed they
run
the gamut. But I will
give you a snippet of an account (the full text of which can be found in
DeTraci
Regula's Mysteries of Isis)
of a man by the name of Lucius (p. 70-71 Regula).
Apuleius' Adoration of
Isis
...I decided to address
in prayer the sacred image of the goddess now present in my person...I
gladly
and eagerly arose...to purify
myself, I went to bathe in the sea. Seven times I plunged my head
under
the waves, since the divine
Pythagoras pronounced that number to be very specially suitable in sacred
rites. The with a
tear-stained face I prayed to the all powerful goddess...
He then prays, knowing not
whom he is about to encounter. He asks that whoever it is to please
help
him get out of his trouble,
"strengthen [his] crushed fortune, grant [him] respite and peace after
the
endurance of dire ills;
restore [him] to the site of his loved ones."
Isis then appeared and said
"Lo, I am with you Lucius, moved by our prayers, I who am the mother of
the universe...Queen Isis.
I am here taking pity on your ills; I am here to give you aid and solace."
Isian Holidays
Almost everyday in ancient
Egypt was a holiday, but no other was greater than the celebration of the
Mysteries of Isis and Osiris,
which was celebrated in the fall. In preparation for the Mysteries, the
festival of Lamentation
was held, when a priestess with the goddess’ hieroglyph tattooed on her
arm
enacted the part of the
mourning Isis. This festival had three days devoted to Isis’ loss
and quest.
Each day marked a specific
part of the Goddess’ quest for her lover; the first day She sought Osiris,
the second day She grieved
His loss, the third day She found His body (163 Monaghan).
Her birthday was celebrated
in the summer, and was called Night of the Cradle. Her mother Nut
was
also acknowledged on this
day because "the mother gives birth to the daughter, and the daughter gives
birth to the Mother" (163
Monaghan). The next day was also an Isian feast-which was Osiris’
birthday.
Osiris was connected with
the annual rising of the Nile River, celebrated as New Year’s Day.
The Egyptian version of
New Year’s Eve was Night of the Drop, when the grieving Isis was imagined
to
swell the Nile with her
tears (163 Monaghan).
A fall festival celebrated
the motherhood of Isis who was fertile enough to be able to conceive through
an artificial phallus.
Woman’s sexuality and fertility were at the center of a feast called Opening
the
Bosom of Women, celebrated
with appropriate orgiastic behavior. This festival was a part of
religious
and civic duty for many
thousands of years from the 3rd millennium BCE to the first of the Common
Era
(164 Monaghan).
In the spring a festival
was celebrated as Isidis Navigatum, or the Blessing of the Fleets.
This was a
feast that celebrated Isis
as ruler of the seas. It was said that Isis opened the Mediterranean
to
navigation. The celebration
began with a statue of the Goddess being carried to the water, where
flower-wreathed women offered
her mirrors so that She could see Her beauty. Priests poured milk
on
the sands from a pitcher
shaped like a breast, and then sprinkled the statue with precious perfumes.
As the final part of the
ritual, a crewless boat, whose prow was shaped like a water bird was filled
with
spices and sent out to the
sea as an offering to the Goddess (164 Monaghan).
Rites of Isis
As Her worship spread into
the Greco-Roman world, with its complex panoply of public rites festivals,
and high holy days, even
more dates because associated with Isis. Many rites of Isis were
nocturnal,
and colored lights (Possibly
candles in glass containers or lamps of colored translucent stone filled
with salt and oil) decorated
temples and private homes the length of Egypt, much as Christmas lights
decorate some parts of the
world today (101 Regula).
Many pagans do devotionals
or meditations honoring different gods. In ancient times, any time
there
was a significant change
in the daylight/moonlight, this was considered to be a sacred time to honor
Isis-such as sunrise, noontime,
sunset, and mid-night when the moon rose. Please find below rites
to
honor these sacred hours
taken from DeTraci Regula’s Mysteries of Isis.
Morning Rite-Prayer of
Awakening (4 Regula)
Awake, awake, awake,
Awake in peace,
Lady of peace,
Rise thou in peace,
Rise thou in beauty,
Goddess of Life
Beautiful in heaven.
Heaven is in peace
Earth is in peace
O Goddess!
Daughter of Nut
Daughter of Geb
Beloved of Osiris
Goddess rich in names!
All praise to You
All praise to You
I adore You
I adore You
Lady Isis!
Noontime Rite (86 Regula)
From the land of morning
I hail you Isis
I thank You for Your guidance
Through the hours between
night and noon
Welcome to the softer sky
of afternoon
Look ahead to the respite
of dusk and evening
An Evening Orison of Isis
– The Evening Rite (198 Regula)
Hail Isis, glorious Goddess,
Day is done and the night
is come,
The sun is set and the stars
emerge
This is the Evening Rite,
The rite to end the day
of light.
Let your instrument sound
Your name,
Hailing You with all homage,
Isis glorious Goddess.
To the candle which the
match I rise
On the altar set to You,
Isis, glorious Goddess,
And the nighttime incense
rises, sweetly mixed,
To put me in the mind of
perceiving You
Isis, glorious Goddess
Who rises behind me like
a flame of gold
And brushes my back with
deft wings.
I make open the nape of
my neck to You.
Let your portal welcome
You, O Isis,
Great and glorious Goddess.
Up my hands rise and hold
The curved bow of exaltation,
And rise once more
To the sharp angle of invocation.
Come, oh great and glorious
Goddess,
Come into the fullness of
force and love,
Let your garment for a moment
clothe You,
O Isis, Goddess great and
glorious.
Rite of Night – A Nighttime
Prayer (105 Regula)
I hail You and praise You,
Glorious Goddess,
At the end of this day which
You granted me.
May my actions within its
hours be
judged to be justified,
And my words within its
hours found to be true.
Drain from me all ill intent
and action;
I offer to You all energy
I have locked
In unworthy action or reaction
May tomorrow by Your grace
find me
Wiser and my joy in the
Universe still greater.
I ask Your welcome now in
the Temple;
Accept me this night for
rest, for study, and for worship;
Grant me dreams of meaning
and the memory to recall them.
Hail to You, Goddess of
the Starry pathways,
Hail to You, Goddess of
the Deep Black,
Hail to You, Goddess of
the Shining Sun at Midnight,
May I partake of Your glory
forever.
Monthly Observances
The Full Moon is especially
a sacred time to worship Isis, who is also considered a lunar deity.
Below is a ritual from DJ
Conway’s Moon Magick, which is slightly altered by myself.
Astrological Time: Full
Moon
Supplies: Bowl of water,
a light flower that can be floated (or just get a floating flower candle),
1 white candle, flowery
incense, fresh flowers (or artificial ones) of your choice
Ritual:
Cast circle as usual.
Set up your altar as you see fit, putting the bowl of water in the center.
Light the incense.
Put the flower or floating candle in the bowl of water. When the
Full Moon is up
light the candle.
Sit in the darkness with only the candlelight. Look at the floating
flower and think
about the wonderful powers
of Nature that brings flowers back year after year. Contemplate the
way
this power touches your
own life. Feel yourself rooting into the Earth, from which you can
draw
sustaining energy.
Feel the energy being fed back to you. Now, reach your arms upward
toward the
Moon. Feel its energies
adding to those of the Earth. Let these energies swirl around you,
cleansing,
healing, balancing.
To break the flow, place both hands on the floor. Let the energies
sink back into
the Earth.
Thank Deities.
Open Circle
It is my hope that you have
enjoyed the journey to Isis. Isis has been called upon for all kinds
of
reasons. She assists
anyone with any need. You can call upon her for healing, protection,
good
fortune, for helping in
love, the arts, and any other thing you can possibly imagine. What
follows is a
prayer that I wrote which
I use when healing others.
Great and Holy Isis,
I ask Your assistance tonight
(this day) in healing (name of person).
You who are compassionate
and loving,
You who breathed life into
the dead
You the Great Healer,
Please wrap your wings around
(name of person).
Take away all (name of person’s)
(sickness, negative thoughts, etc.)
Fill (her/him) with your
love
Fill (her/him) with your
light
I thank you Isis!
All hail the holy mender!
All hail Goddess Isis!
Picture her embracing the
person and filling them up with white light until they glow with it all
around them. Give
thanks in your own appropriate method.
Bibliography
Conway, DJ. Moon Magick:
Myth and Magick, Crafts and Recipes, Rituals and Spells. Llewellyn Publications,
St. Paul, MN1995.
Monaghan, Patricia. The
Goddess Path: Myths, Invocations, and Rituals. Llewellyn Publications,
St. Paul, MN 1999.
Regula, DeTraci.
The Mysteries of Isis: Her Worship and Magick. Llewellyn Publications,St.
Paul, MN 1999.
All Material Here Is The Intellectual Property of MoonDancer
Copyright 2001