Goddess Column: Isis

It is in the divine multitudes of the Egyptian goddess Isis that we can embrace our own depths. This is a goddess of magick, of protection, fertility and motherhood and of death. If you are scared of a goddess who contains layers, who is not easily able to fit into one container, then Isis may not be your girl. But if you’re looking for a deity who invites you to blaze fully, to explore every facet of your divine nature, and to honor your sensuality and light as much as your intensity and shadow, then you have absolutely nothing to fear and everything to embrace.

It is through the myth of this goddess that we can better understand her nature and her power. Isis was born of the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, and she is said to have three siblings; Osiris, Seth and Nephthys. Isis married Osiris, the King of Egypt, and became a patron for the women of the country, teaching them domestic activities like weaving and baking. But when Isis’ brother Seth becomes jealous of Osiris, he kills him and tears his body into fifteen pieces and scatters them across Egypt. Isis goes on a search to find the remains of her lover, and is only able to find fourteen pieces. The only part of Osiris’s body that was missing was his penis, which is said to have been eaten by fish. There are different parts of this story, like in some versions where Isis carves a penis for her lover out of mud and gold. Either way, she mummifies her lover and brings Osiris back to life in a feat of magick. They conceive a son together named Horus (who she at one point heals from illness and comes to be associated with healing even more.) Osiris becomes the god of the dead, and Isis becomes associated with death, rebirth, magick, healing and regeneration. Of course there’s more to this story, and there are other deities involved, but since this is a column about Isis, we’ll focus on her.

Isis becomes one of the most powerful goddesses in Egypt, and her name may be interpreted as “goddess of the throne.” Worshipped as the “ideal fertile mother” this is a goddess you can call on to learn about the secrets of healing, to help find protection (since she was the patron of women and the protector of the home), to tap into your sexuality and obviously to learn about the secrets of necromancy. Depicted wearing a crown of a circular sun disk with horns and with outstretched wings, Isis reminds us of our inner power, of our ability to heal and protect, and of our ability to work with magick. She is both a goddess and emblem of divine rule.

When we work with Isis consciousness and tap into her energy, we’re tapping into the energy of ancient divine, feminine power. She is a beautiful and shining example to the modern woman, because she is as much a healer and a magician as she is a wife. When we work with her, we’re working with power, discernment and sexuality. We’re working with an ancient, ancient goddess of healing and regeneration. Isis was as much a goddess of pleasure and sensuality as she was a mother, protector and mystic. She is often depicted beautifully, draped in her colors of gold, wearing obsidian and lapis lazuli. She embodies the energy of the great mother, and it is through her that we can invite the mysteries of the divine feminine, of the ancient priestesses and the magick of the Egypt into our lives.

So why work with Isis? Because she’s familiar to many of us. To those of us who straddle roles, who walk between worlds, who act as sacred priestesses to the divine feminine. Isis is beauty, she is a goddess of love, she is a goddess of devotion, she is a goddess of immense strength and power. She is like a familiar guide who can help lead us back to the long forgotten crevices of our self and soul.

Sacred Symbols and Offerings

Something I want to emphasize is that working and honoring a goddess is a relationship like any other- it takes time and energy. And the only secret is to be respectful and do the best you can. A really beautiful way to begin cultivating this connection is to create an altar in dedication of the goddess you want to work with. This will serve as an energetic focal point for your work where you can pray, leave offerings, work magick and focus on your intention. Creating an altar is a deeply intentional and personal act and will hopefully help you create an intimate relationship with Isis. You may wish to write a prayer you read to her every day, you may wish to leave some sacred herbs you use to cleanse yourself with every day, maybe you have a candle you light every day in her honor, maybe you make art or simply meditate on this goddess. Get creative! Whatever inspires and guides you is only going to help you form a deeper relationship to the divine.

Crystals: Lapis lazuli, tourmaline, gold, carnelian, silver

Colors: Silver, black, red, green, cobalt blue, gold

Scents: Sandalwood, firewood, anything evocative and deep with spicy and strong scents

Sacred Associations: Rivers, knots. Cobras and snakes, the moon, crocodile, the ankh

Offerings: Honey, wine, gold, sweet cakes, liquor, flowers, holy water

Mantras: I embrace my divine multitudes

I am protected, healed and seen.

I am made of magick and I am of the divine.

I am rooted, grounded and strong.

All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.

A Meditation to Embody the Ankh for Protection

In this simple meditation, we’ll be working with the energy of Isis and the message of the Ankh, which represents life and eternity. Before you begin, make sure to turn your phone off, make sure pets are taken care of and that your space is set. You can light any incense or candles you wish and then you can find a comfortable seat.

Close your eyes and start to connect to your breath. Take in a few deep breaths from your belly, and exhale through your mouth. Start to come back into your body and into the present moment. Feel the earth beneath you and then start to feel a white, healing light surrounding you, moving down from the cosmos and enveloping you. Breathe into this and know this is the divine energy of the universe and of Isis clearing away anything that you no longer need to carry. Once you feel cleansed, present and grounded, start to connect with the energy of Isis and Egypt. Imagine that you are in the temple of Isis, thousands of years ago. You feel the sand beneath your feet and the sun is shining outside. You feel mysteries and ancient energies around you. Notice all you can about your surroundings, if you’re in a temple or home. What it looks and feels like. And then when you’re ready, stand up and use your hand to trace an ankh; a cross with a loop at the top. As you trace this, you leave behind a glowing gold ankh. You step into this symbol and feel yourself surrounded by vast and ancient wisdom. You feel protected, you feel sensual, you feel yourself fade from time as you exist in the all. And you know that this is Isis consciousness. You may wish to converse with the goddess, asking for protection and healing, telling her thank you, simply existing in her energetic vibration. Honor whatever comes up, and stay here as long as you need, feeling into the energy of life and the everlasting symbol of the ankh. Absorb all its lessons and when you’re finished, simply step back from the symbol as you watch it dissolve back into the universe. Thank Isis for all her wisdom and gifts, breathe into what you learned and start to come back into your body. When you’re ready, gently open your eyes, and record any visions, downloads, or messages that came through. Drink some water and thank the cosmos!

A Ritual for Protection, Healing and Sensuality

You will need: a white chime candle and plate to burn it on, a lighter, salt, red lipstick, a mirror, a pen and paper. Optional: Lapis Lazuli, sacred herbs like Mugwort or Sweetgrass, sex toys and lube.

Read through this ritual before you begin so you know the steps; you may also have it near you to help. Remember- you can always adapt to what feels right for you.

Step 1: Set up the space

Before you begin, make sure your space is set! Put your phone on silent, let roomies or partners know not to disturb you, light any incense, put on some ambient music, take any pets out. If you want to cleanse with sacred smoke now is the time! Cleanse your space and self, making sure to get your palms, the bottoms of your feet, your limbs, between your legs and the top of your head. Gather your supplies somewhere you can let your candle burn safely, and then find a way to a seated position and close your eyes.

Step 2: Ground and call in Isis

With your eyes closed and your focus on the present, start to connect to your breath. Breathe in presence and exhale anything that’s on your mind, or that you’re thinking of. Continue to breathe, feeling your belly fill with air. I like taking at least ten deep breaths before beginning a ritual or meditation, but do what works for you. When you’re called to, start to imagine a white, healing light moving from the cosmos, down to the top of your head, down your spine, through your body, down through the base of your spine, connecting to the core of the earth beneath you. This light is healing, it’s pure and it’s protective. It’s the energy of the universe, of the divine. Once you feel grounded in this light, and once you feel present and focused, you may call on Isis and ask for her guidance, healing and compassion in this ritual to honor our divine multitudes. Ask her whatever you need, or simply sit and feel her warm, glowing and powerful presence surrounding you.

Step 3: Align with your intention and light the candle

Before we light the candle and begin that portion of the ritual, it’s important to figure out our intention. Are you wanting to work with Isis to call in more protection? Do you want to embody your sensuality more? Do you want to find some healing and renewal? Whatever this is, get clear about it and write it down. Take as much time as you need here before making your way to the candle.

Before you start, you’re going to be making a circle of salt around your white candle to symbolize protection. Once you’re finished, you may place the candle in the center of this (I always run my lighter over the bottom of the candle so it melts it and it stays on the plate.) You may wish to place a lapis lazuli on the plate, or in front of the candle as well. Then, take a second to connect to your breath and light the candle. Focus back on your intention and read it out loud to the flame.

Step 4: The invocation

After you’ve read your intention, make the symbol of the ankh (a cross with a loop on top) in front of the flame. Say the following, or adapt as necessary:

Through the flame, through the ankh, I am protected throughout this life. Through Isis I align myself with my multitudes, and I align myself with the divine.

Then grab your mirror and lipstick and put it on and then say:

Through sensuality, my Self affirmed, I honor my pleasure and magick. I embody and embrace my fullest self, my beauty and all the rituals that allow me to come back to my purpose.

Now, envision the white light from the heavens surrounding you again. Know this healing light will always be there for you and say:

Through Isis, through the fertile mother, I am healed. I return to myself, to my natural state of health and radiance. It is through the divine I only allow that which serves my highest purpose to grow and evolve.

Step 5: Optional: Dedicate it

If you want to raise energy for this intention, you may wish to work with sex magick and orgasms as a way to embrace your own inner power and sensuality. As you masturbate, you’ll focus on your intention and how you felt in this ritual. Continue to breathe and connect to your body, and as you climax send out this release of energy to this ritual and your intention.

Step 6: Close the ritual

Once you’re ready to close the ritual, find a comfortable seat and once again, begin connecting to your breath. Feel the earth beneath you and feel the power of Isis running through your veins. Connect to the divine light you felt before from the heavens, that moved down your spine and into the earth. Thank Isis for her guidance, protection and love and let her know that the ritual is closed. Spend as much time as you need here, before envisioning the light from before moving up from the earth, up your spine and out the crown of your head back to the heavens above you. When you’re ready, press your forehead into the earth like in child’s pose, imagining any excess energy returning to the earth where it can be transmuted back to light. Thank yourself for this ritual, drink water and enjoy the rest of your day!

Chakrub: The Amethyst Yoni Egg

Isis may be a goddess of protection, of death and mysticism, but she’s also a goddess of love, sexuality and pleasure. What would be a better fit to work with this divine being than an amethyst yoni egg? Amethyst helps us open our third eye, the energetic center of intuition located between our brows, allowing us to see the world in all its mystical layers. This stone can help us release negative programming, opening us to what’s truly in alignment with our highest self. Amethyst is a master healer and one of the most high vibrational stones as well, much like the goddess Isis herself. And since this crystal is a yoni egg, it helps us tap directly into our sexuality and our sacral chakra, helping us heal any energetic wounds and trauma we may carry with us. Work with this yoni egg to connect to the depths of Isis’s magick, to help reclaim your sensuality, magick and passion.”

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Feature Image by Alexandra Kacha