This article originally appeared in the June, 2007 issue of Immanence, printed under the name Morag Grayheart.
This column is partly history, partly mythology, partly religion. It is an attempt to reawaken knowledge of the Divine in All Life.
Isis (Greek form of Auset) is arguably the most important Egyptian Goddess—certainly the most well-known one. She was the personification of the Ultimate Female Creative Force, and possessed great skill in magic. Her titles include Queen of All Gods, Lady of Heaven, and Maker of Sunrise—to name a few. She was worshipped not only in Egypt but also in Greece, Rome, and Western Europe. Her attributes were bestowed upon the Virgin Mary as well, carrying on Her veneration into Catholicism.
Isis is Goddess of All Things, but specifically motherhood, family, and magic. She was considered the noblest example of a loving wife and mother, and was central to spells for protection and healing. Her herbs include fig, heather, wheat, barley, wormwood, vervain, rose, palm, and the sacred lotus.
Today Isis is worshipped by modern Pagans and Witches, and continues to be an important figure of mythology and history.