Isis: Egyptian Goddess of Magick

Isis is the most powerful of all the ancient Egyptian goddesses. Her primary role is that of a great magician with an unparalleled mastery of the magickal arts. She’s known as an enchantress and speaker of spells who has dominion over the healing arts.

Overview and History

The cult of Isis has been the longest-lasting and most widespread of all goddess cults. Her power stretches across vast deserts, oases, and through the sands of time. She’s woven her magick through various civilizations for millennia through acts of healing, regeneration, transformation, grief, motherhood, and divine love.

The diverse goddess Isis imparted valuable knowledge to ancient Egypt, or Kemet, such as healing practices, medicine, and the institution of marriage. Her name was invoked when curing the sick, particularly children’s ailments.

The unmatched mystique and intrigue surrounding Isis make her one of the most well-known goddesses in history. The earliest mentions of her come from a distinct group of writings known as the Pyramid Texts between 2350 and 2100 B.C.E. 

Her stories also come from the Egyptian Book of the Dead (written on the pyramids’ walls), which were meant to assist people as they transitioned and moved through the underworld.

Amongst scholars, there’s speculation that ancient myths are original stories involving real and extraordinary people who were apotheosized and became gods.

It’s important to note that the name Isis, as the goddess is most commonly known, is her Greek name. Her Egyptian name is Aset (or Eset). She became known as Isis when the Greeks and Romans adopted her into their pantheon of gods after Alexander the Great’s conquest of ancient Egypt. However, for this article, she’ll be referred to as Isis.

Royal Pedigree

Isis was born of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, who embody “As Above, So Below.” They begot four children; two daughters, Isis and Nephthys, and two sons, Osiris and Set.

The two daughters married their brothers, as it was standard practice for pharaohs to marry their sisters, cousins, and nieces during this period. Osiris was the oldest and became the king of Egypt, with Isis as his wife and queen. They had a son, Horus, who is often depicted at Isis’s breast in hieroglyphs.

The Murder and Resurrection of Osiris

The love story between Isis and her brother-consort, Osiris, is one of ancient Egyptian mythology’s most influential, compelling, and elaborate tales. It’s a story of love, family, loyalty, sibling betrayal, and life after death.

During the reign of Isis and Osiris, Egypt was prosperous and peaceful. The royal couple was known for “civilizing” Egypt. Isis taught the people how to weave, bake bread, and brew beer. She was regarded as a queen goddess who embodied divine feminine aspects.

The king and queen were well-loved and revered by the land’s inhabitants, who rejoiced at having a strong and moral king who taught agriculture and commanded the respect of those who lived on earth and the gods who dwelled in the netherworld.

However, their brother Set—God of chaos and destruction—was not respected. He became resentful and jealous of the power his brother Osiris possessed (a repeated theme in world mythology, the Cain and Abel story, only much older).

In an angry rage, Set murdered Osiris, dismembered him, and scattered his body parts throughout Egypt. With Osiris gone, although by murder, Set became the king, with his sister Nephthys as his wife.

With the death of Osiris, Isis became inconsolable, as it is said that Isis and Osiris loved each other profoundly from the time they were in the womb. Nephthys observed her sister fall into deep despair and felt sorry for her. She decided to help Isis.

Out of their love for their brother, the two sisters set out to find Osiris’s severed body pieces. They found every part of him except his penis, which had been eaten by a fish in the Nile.

With her magical powers, Isis resurrected Osiris by breathing the breath of life into him long enough to stimulate his power of creation. The two were temporarily united, and Isis became pregnant with Horus, the rightful heir to the throne would later avenge his father’s death and become king of Egypt. (The revival of Osiris became the paradigm for the subsequent Egyptian mummification process and funerary practices.)

After his last encounter with Isis in the physical world, Osiris descended into the underworld and became the lord of that realm. For her role in the resurrection of her husband, Isis became known as a protector of the dead.

Isis’s Integration Into Greco-Roman Religion

Following the Alexander the Great conquest, when Egypt was under Hellenistic rule from 323-30 B.C.E., the Greeks integrated the golden-winged goddess Aset into their pantheon of gods and religious systems. Consequently, she went through a metamorphosis and became Isis.

Her popularity during the height of Greco-Roman times transcended borders. She was favored as a multi-faceted goddess. Her reach was broad, and her cult grew exponentially (395-332 BCE was the height of her cult influence).

In her new form as a Greco-European goddess, Isis’s image began to lead new Eurocentric narratives of history, and her image had an enduring influence in the Mediterranean.

The infusion of Aset into Greco-Roman culture was a testament to North Africa’s wide and influential reach to ancient Mediterranean religions. However, it’s essential to maintain Aset’s North African Kemetic origins and her cultural heritage.

Isis and the Seven Scorpions

Isis is known for her affiliation with scorpions through the poignant story of her going into hiding after giving birth to Horus to protect him from Set, who had murdered Osiris and also wanted to kill Horus.

A mother dressed in rags emerged from the Nile carrying her infant son. Seven sacred scorpions accompanied her. The goddess of venomous creatures, Serket, had sent her fiercest servants to protect Isis and Horus.

The disguised Isis went to the village to beg for food and find a place to dwell. She appealed to a wealthy woman who lived on the river bank with her young child. But the mistress denied Isis shelter and sent her and her unusual companions away at once.

Isis approached a young poorer woman with meager accommodations but who immediately created a safe space and prepared food for the mother and child.

The scorpions, offended at how the first woman had treated their queen, devised a revengeful plan that night. They poured all their venom into the most powerful among them, Tefen, who journeyed out into the night, crawled into the child’s resting place and stung him.

The infant’s mother wept in terror as she ran out into the night to find help for her child. When Isis heard and saw this, she realized what her scorpions had done. She came to the child’s aid, cradling him and using a magickal incantation to save him:

“O poison of Tefen, come out of him and fall upon the ground! Poison of Befen, advance not, poison him no longer, come out of him and fall upon the ground! For I am Isis, the Great Enchantress, the Speaker of Spells. Fall down, O poison of Mestet! Hasten not, poison of Mestetef! Rise not, poison of Petet and Thetet! Approach not, poison of Matat!”

She invoked the scorpions’ names and neutralized their powers. The child’s mother repented when she realized how poorly she had treated the queen. She lamented her callousness and offered all her wealth to Isis in gratitude.

(Note how disguise plays a significant role in ancient myths.)

Iconography

Isis is recognizable by various memorable features, including a disk crown with horns on the sides, her white sheath dress, and her iconic falcon (or kite) wings. Accounts vary, but these wings represent female birds of prey that, according to Barabara Lesko, cry in a way that’s “reminiscent of the cries of distraught women” (Lesko 163).

Therefore, these wings represent strength, mourning, and the resurrection powers that Isis possesses. The following are symbols and associations of the goddess Isis:

• Winged
• Wearing a white sheath dress
• Adorned with royal robes
• Bull horns with a disk
• A vulture headdress
• Scorpions
• The Cobra
• Sycamore trees
• The blue lotus and roses
• With Horus at her breast
• The Dog Star, Sothis
• Goddesses Hathor, Bastet, and Nut

Conclusion

As a wife, queen, grieving mother, and healer, the mythic narratives of Isis have earned her a favorable status from her followers for 7,000 years. She’s a relatable figure who represents the divine feminine and is most commonly known for her loyal role as a wife and protective mother.

Although some would argue that the worship of Isis ended with the onset of Christianity in the 4th- 6th centuries C.E., her cult following is still very active today. The stories she’s associated with, such as disguising herself to save her child and the resurrection myth, continue to play out in all world religions and are considered to be the origin of these shared, cros-cultural myths.

*Lesko, Barbara. The Great Goddesses of Egypt. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. 1999.

https://www.arhs.vip/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Egyptian-myth-of-Isis-and-the-seven-scorpions.docx.pdf

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Perfect! Here’s the Sources & References section for “Isis: Egyptian Goddess of Magick” with shortened Claims sections:

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Sources & References

Claims Based on Documented Sources

• Isis as most powerful ancient Egyptian goddess: Documented in Egyptian mythology and scholarly historical records
• Isis as great magician with mastery of magical arts: Documented in ancient Egyptian texts and scholarly studies
• Isis as enchantress and speaker of spells: Recognized in Egyptian mythology and historical accounts
• Isis association with healing arts: Documented in ancient Egyptian healing practices and mythology
• Cult of Isis as longest-lasting and most widespread goddess cult: Documented in religious history and scholarly research
• Isis’s reach across deserts, oases, and civilizations: Documented in historical spread of Isis worship
• Earliest mentions in Pyramid Texts between 2350-2100 BCE: Documented in Egyptian archaeological and textual records
• Isis stories in Egyptian Book of the Dead on pyramid walls: Documented in ancient Egyptian funerary texts
• Speculation about ancient myths originating from real apotheosized people: Recognized in scholarly mythological analysis
• Isis as Greek name; Egyptian name Aset/Eset: Documented in Egyptological scholarship and linguistic research
• Greeks and Romans adopted Isis after Alexander the Great’s conquest: Documented in Hellenistic and Roman historical records
• Isis born of Geb (earth god) and Nut (sky goddess): Documented in Egyptian creation mythology
• Four children of Geb and Nut: Documented in Egyptian theological texts
• Pharaohs marrying siblings during this period: Documented in Egyptian royal history
• Isis and Osiris’s prosperous reign civilizing Egypt: Documented in Egyptian mythology
• Isis teaching people weaving, bread-baking, beer-brewing: Documented in ancient sources and mythology
• Isis as queen goddess embodying divine feminine: Recognized in Egyptian mythology
• Set’s jealousy and murder of Osiris: Documented in Egyptian mythology and texts
• Osiris dismemberment and scattering: Documented in Egyptian mythological accounts
• Isis’s magical resurrection of Osiris: Documented in Egyptian mythology
• Osiris’s descent to underworld as lord of afterlife: Documented in Egyptian theology
• Isis as protector of the dead from resurrection role: Documented in Egyptian religious beliefs
• Greco-Roman integration of Aset/Isis: Documented in religious history (323-30 BCE Hellenistic period)
• Height of Isis cult influence 395-332 BCE: Documented in religious historical records
• Serket as goddess of venomous creatures: Documented in Egyptian mythology
• Seven scorpions protecting Isis and Horus: Documented in Egyptian mythology
• Isis’s magical incantation saving child from scorpion venom: Documented in Egyptian mythological texts
• Isis’s iconography: disk crown with horns, white sheath dress, falcon/kite wings: Documented in Egyptian art and mythology
• Falcon wings representing strength, mourning, resurrection: Documented in Egyptological interpretation
• Isis symbols: winged, royal dress, horns with disk, vulture headdress, scorpions, cobra: Documented in Egyptian iconography
• Sycamore trees, blue lotus, roses associated with Isis: Documented in Egyptian mythology
• Dog Star Sothis associated with Isis: Documented in Egyptian astronomy and mythology
• Goddesses Hathor, Bastet, Nut as associated with Isis: Documented in Egyptian theological connections
• Worship of Isis continuing today despite Christianity onset: Documented in contemporary religious practice

Claims Based on Historical Documentation

• Pyramid Texts dates and content: Documented in archaeological records
• Book of the Dead contents and purposes: Documented in Egyptological scholarship
• Lesko, Barbara. The Great Goddesses of Egypt. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. 1999: Academic source on goddess studies
• Wings representing cries reminiscent of distraught women: Documented in Egyptological interpretation by scholar Lesko

About the Author

Tina Caro is a professional witch with 10+ years of spellcasting experience and has worked with hundreds of clients worldwide. She is the owner of Magickal Spot and specializes in deity work, goddess magic, and connecting practitioners with ancient spiritual traditions.

Note

This article presents Isis mythology based on documented ancient Egyptian texts, Pyramid Texts, Book of the Dead, and contemporary Egyptological scholarship. The article maintains awareness of Aset’s North African Kemetic origins while acknowledging her integration into Greco-Roman traditions as Isis. Scholarly interpretations of mythological narratives and historical dating are drawn from peer-reviewed Egyptological research. The article acknowledges that modern worship of Isis continues among contemporary spiritual practitioners.