94 isis Frankincense was sometimes used in casting spells, and the magician might burn the substance at specific times while conjuring a spell. To ensure that a bad dream would not come true, a priest magician could recite a spell and then give the dreamer a bit of bread moistened with beer and covered with myrrh, which he was directed to smear on his face. To have a vision from the god Bes, the dreamer was directed, among other things, to obtain ink made from the blood of a cow, the blood of a white dove, frankincense, myrrh, black writing ink, cinnabar, mulberry juice, rainwater, and the juice of wormwood and vetch. With this mixture the petitioner was to write his request before the setting sun. Chapter 140 in the Book of the Dead included a spell to be recited on the last day of the second month of the second season to ensure that Re the sun god would ferry the deceased to the Netherworld. Cones shown on the heads of banquet guests in tomb paintings have been a source of debate among Egyptologists. It is believed that, during the banquet, these cones, made of wax mixed with incense, would melt into the wig and drip onto the shoulders of the guests, creating a pleasant aroma. Other scholars believe that the tomb depictions are not literal and that cones merely illustrate the idea of fragrance wafting around the heads of the guests. Cones of incense have never been found, so it is impossible to say if they existed or if they were simply an artistic device.
Isis
ãµb (Ist)
The great Egyptian mother goddess and the manifestation of all that is feminine, Isis embodies all the virtues and goodness of the divine wife and mother. She was said to be the feminine power who created and nurtured every living thing. The Egyptians believed she could influence the heavens, the Earth, and the realm of the dead. As the Great Enchantress, Isis held immense magical powers and knew all secrets. Isis’s celestial symbol is the star Sirius, and her husband, Osiris, was Orion. In the Lamentations of Isis, the goddess cries, “Thy sacred image, Orion in heaven, rises and sets every day. I am Sothis (Sirius), following him, and I will not leave him. . . .” Because the star Sirius appeared at the beginning of the New Year and announced the beginning of the inundation, the flooding of the Nile, Isis is also associated with the fertility of the land. Isis was the symbolic mother of the king and the benefactress of the people, and her universal appeal arose from her devotion to her husband, Osiris, and her son Horus.
Isis, the great Egyptian mother goddess and goddess of great magical power. One of her attributes is the throne of Egypt that she wears on her head. (Drawing by Mary Jordan)
The Birth of Isis The cult of Isis is among the most ancient, and her first cult center arose in the Delta, where she was worshipped at Sebennytos. The priests of Heliopolis included Isis in their creation myth (Heliopolitan Ennead) as one of the