Isis, Great Of Magic, She Of 10,000 Names: An Introduction To The Egyptian Goddess (No AI)

The name Isis is one that is recognised by most people in the western world. Without much effort, many can conjure up ideas associated with this name, whether it be images of a golden-winged goddess, the story of a god's murder, or descriptions of ancient Egyptian temples. This is partly down to her popularity in the ancient Mediterranean, which has had an enduring influence on western cultures to this day. Another explanation for her survival is that she is incredibly relatable and approachable to all kinds of people from the past and the present. There is a reason why her cult extended far beyond Egypt and was still remembered during the middle ages when other pagan cults had been lost to antiquity. The image we have of Isis is one that has been coloured heavily by ancient Greco-Roman perceptions. The goddess known as Asset wove her magic through Egyptian culture for millennia before the Greeks and Romans adopted her into their own religious systems, reinterpreting and renaming her Isis. This Greco-Roman form is the common image that we have inherited of Asset today, in part because of this period of time, 332 BCE to 395 CE, was when her cults were at their most widespread both within and beyond Egypt. On the other hand, however, such reinterpretations have perpetuated a Mediterranean portrait of Asset, following the antiquarian trend of claiming Egyptian heritage for Eurocentric narratives of history. It is therefore essential that we collectively reclaim Asset's North African Egyptian origins, understanding that her development into Isis is a testament of North African influences on ancient Mediterranean religions and giving credit to this cultural heritage. The name Isis itself is of Greco-Roman origin. The Egyptian form of Asset was quite different from her latter manifestations, though she always retained her core essence. This goddess went through a considerable transformation and shape-shifted to such an extent that she became known as Isis of 10,000 names, identified with countless other goddesses. In Apolliosis' Metamorphoses, better known as The Golden Ass, Isis expresses this herself. I, the mother of the universe, mistress of all the elements, and first offspring of the ages, mightiest of deities, queen of the dead, and foremost of heavenly beings, my one person manifests the aspect of all gods and goddesses. If Isis is a shape-shifting universal goddess, what makes her unique? What powers does she possess, and what is Isis a goddess of? Firstly, Isis is a goddess of magic par excellence. Her magic weaves its way through each of her stories, through acts of trickery, healing, regeneration, and transformation. She is also a goddess of grief, of divine love, motherhood, protection, and sovereignty. Isis flies between life and death and warring gods. Her empathy reaches royal families, priests, and common people, who are all united in their shared human experiences of love gained and lost, families built and torn apart, the quest for knowledge and the dignity of personal autonomy. Despite overlaying Mediterranean concepts upon Isis' character and iconography, she never lost touch with her Egyptian roots. Isis and her cult remained exotic and foreign outside of Egypt, perhaps adding to her appeal as well as her condemnation. Ancient Egyptian ideology and religious ideas were born from how the occupants of the Nile Valley interpreted the natural and societal world around them. Isis' origins are firmly planted in the soil and sands of the Egyptian landscape. The context of her homeland is important to understand if one is to appreciate her genesis fully. Located in the northeast corner of Africa, Egypt was surrounded by influencing cultures such as the people of Sudan to the south, Libya to the west, the Mediterranean in the north, and the multitude of near-eastern cultures to the east. The Nile River with its rich floodplain lies at the heart of Egypt, which is otherwise surrounded by arid desert. As a result of Neolithic climate change, Egypt's savannah landscape dried out, leading communities of people closer to the Nile as the primary source of life. Egypt's ancient river cuts through the centre of the valley, flowing from the south, upper Egypt to the north, lower Egypt. The river expands out into a floodplain, cradled on either side by sandy hills. Beyond these lie the Saharan Desert to the west, and ancient Wadis leading east to the Red Sea. The sun would rise over the top of eastern mountains, peaking above the Nile and setting behind the mountains in the west. This created an image of the sun rising and setting from within the earth itself. In the months of August through to December, the season of Akhet, the Nile would flood, covering the agricultural lands in water. The water brought dark silt to the floodplain, refertilizing the land. This was the inspiration for the Egyptians calling their country Kemet, the Black Land. Once the water receded from January to April, the Egyptians planted new crops during a season aptly named Peret, emerging or coming forth. Finally came the season of Shomu, where these crops would be harvested. The Egyptian summer would have been too hot and dry for life to thrive, and so the next flood was highly anticipated for agricultural renewal. This perpetual cycle taught the Egyptians that as the plants grew, died, and grew again, so too would they live, die, and live again. The hot summer brought endings, dried fields, and diseases, whilst the cool winter heralded growth, water, and prosperity. In addition to understanding Egypt's landscape, one should be aware that ancient Egyptian history spans from around 3000 BCE to 30 CE. We oftentimes like to maintain an unchanging romanticized image of ancient Egypt. However, 3000 years is an incredible amount of time for a human society. The people of Cleopatra's 7th Egypt would be further away in time from the people of the Old Kingdom than we are today from the ancient Romans. Naturally, the cult of Isis would have gone through considerable changes from her first adaptation in the Old Kingdom to her influence in the Roman world. Isis is a diverse goddess whose wings stretch across time and geography. Her mythic narrative takes her from playing the trickster, the wife and queen, to become a grieving widow, mother, and healer. She has dominion over the magical and healing arts, over the sun and moon, the stars, earth, rivers, harvest, and seas. Her name has been sung for 4,500 years across North Africa, the Near East, the Mediterranean, and into Europe and Britain. For a time, her sacred significance had been downplayed due to the arrival of new religious ideas. However, over the last century, her worship has seen a remarkable revival. Dion Fortune's famous novel, The Sea Priestess, originally published in 1938, features Isis as the divine teacher of a contemporary priestess. This work has been influential to many within the goddess revival. Organizations such as the Fellowship of Isis are dedicated to honoring the goddess in her many forms, using Isis as the figurehead for the universality of the divine feminine. Temples are being erected in her name, such as the aforementioned Isis Oasis, and revival groups such as Kemetic Orthodox are worshipping her Egyptian form as Asset. Isis is the ultimate shape-shifting goddess, and this, combined with her empathy for the human condition, is why she has survived to this day. Whoever one sees her in her traditional form as the solar magician goddess Asset, or her lunar maternal form as Isis, she is a shape-shifting goddess with extraordinary magical ability. Isis is a goddess who is a mother to all people. Isis does not discriminate against one person or the next. It matters not where you are from, your gender, sexuality, class, or profession. Isis is a timeless goddess who is just as relevant to a 21st century westerner living in a British seaside town as she was to the infamous Queen Cleopatra VII over 2000 years ago. Ultimately, whatever aspect of Isis you identify with most, Isis is a goddess sympathetic to the human experience, who understands our deepest feelings. If you open your heart to her, she will open her wings to you. And if you happen to be looking for an ally in your magical workings, there is none better than she. You can learn more about Isis with our book, Pagan Portals Isis by Olivia Church, who also provided the words for this video. Isis has a history spanning millennia and an influence stretching across land and sea. She is a goddess who transcends time and geography, remaining one of the most popular goddesses from the ancient world to this day. The book explores Isis' mythic journey and how she became the goddess we recognise today, striking a balance between the old and the new. Pagan Portals Isis provides a historical account of her mythology and worship alongside modern pagan perspectives, and offers the reader tools for Isis' contemporary veneration. It's available from Moonbooks Publishing. Thank you so much for watching, a special thank you as always to our members. You too can become a member and gain early access to videos just like this one. Hit the join button for more information. Subscribe for weekly videos, ring the bell for notifications, and we will see you next time.