Isis


"Lo, I am with you, Lucius, moved by your prayers,
I who am the mother of the universe,
the mistress of all the elements, the first
offspring of time, the highest of deities,
the queen of the dead, foremost of heavenly beings,
the single form that fuses all gods and goddesses;
I who order by my will the starry heights of heaven,
the health-giving breezes of the sea, and
the awful silences of those in the underworld:
my single godhead is adored by the whole
world in varied forms, in differing rites
and with many diverse names."

- Isis to her worshipper Lucius, in Apuleius' "Metamorphoses"

An Introduction to the Goddess

Isis is the mother goddess in Egyptian mythology. She is the supreme goddess, and the most widely-known. She is all Egyptian goddesses in one, as well as all three aspects of the goddess: maiden, mother, crone. She is daughter, sister, wife, mother, and widow. She is Queen of the Nile, Lady of the Moon, and Mistress of the Underworld. She is my personal guide through Wicca, my teacher, mentor and friend.


Goddess of a Thousand Names

Isis is known for the myriad of names she possesses. The Egyptians tended to give their gods many names, which is one of the reasons why Egyptian mythology is hard to comprehend. The Egyptians also did something that I find interesting, which is to say that a certain god was in the "garb" of another. For example, a certain story might say that Nepthys was in the form, or guise, of Isis when she seduced Osiris (true). I have tried to make this easier to understand, and I have included a list of Isis' names which are most widely-used and seen.

  • Amenti: "The Hidden One"
  • Ankhet: "Producer and Giver of Life"
  • Aset: An Egyptian pronunciation of her name
  • Ast: Another pronunciation
  • Auset: Another pronunciation (and the one I use)
  • Isis: The Greek spelling
  • Isis-Hathor: When Isis is confused with the cow-goddess, Hathor, she is given this title
  • Meri: Isis as a sea goddess
  • Polyonymos: "The Many-named"
  • Pterophoros: The Winged-Isis
  • Sothis: Isis as the goddess of the star Sothis, or Sirius, and of the New Year
  • Uadjet: Isis as the Cobra Goddess
  • Usert: Isis as the Earth Goddess

The History of the Goddess

So, you want to know Isis' story? Well, it's long and confusing, but I will try my best to make it as easy to understand as possible.


First, you might want to read about the Egyptian Creation Myth, and about Isis' birth.


Egyptian Magick

Egyptian Creation Myth

Personal Deities

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