When your prayers are answered

This month has been full of surprises, most of which involve prayers I didn’t expect would be answered at all. If you’ve been reading my blog you’ll know I come from a Catholic background. During my seven years as a Catholic I’ve petitioned countless saints, asked Mary and of course prayed to Jesus. I’m sad to say hardly any of my prayers were answered. So when I came to Isis I had a little skepticism. I believed She heard me; I just didn’t expect an answer.

I’ll tell you a little about what I prayed for and how they were answered. It’s a testament to Isis’s love for us and that indeed She hears the prayers of all Her children.

Recently my writing business hit a bad dry spell. No customers and the phones were quiet. I started to lose hope that perhaps running my own business was the best career move. I asked Isis for help. I received a phone call the next day and almost instantly landed a new client.

I also noticed a difference in my self esteem and my desire to achieve. Before contacting the Netjeru I was pretty depressed, feeling helpless and figured what was the point? Then I felt some of my depression lift and felt a renewed sense of purpose. I had to do something. I have to say Djehuty helped me a good deal. After my prayer to Him (and I placed His statue next to my writing table) I’ve written every day and a lot more than I ever did in a month.

Also I’m going to mention the long-shot prayer. When I first prayed to Isis and gave Her an offering I asked for something I thought was well out of my reach. I was single for many years and believed there wasn’t anyone for me. I’d gone on many dating websites and went on a few dates, but nothing ever clicked. So I asked Isis (certainly believing there was no answer to this prayer) that if there was someone for me She’d send him my way.

Shortly after I felt like I needed to sign up on a dating website I’d never been on before. Then I met my boyfriend who seemed so uncannily like me in both interests and personality we seemed made for each other.

It really is surprising what She can accomplish and how the gods look after us. I notice that that many of the prayers require action on our part, but when we need that extra cosmic energy flowing in our direction the gods are there to help us.

I’d love to read about how the gods have answered your prayers. Do you have any stories you want to share?

A Vision of the Blue Goddess

I normally don’t get mental images when I’m praying. But last night I saw a sudden, clear and beautiful vision. It also was completely unexpected. It’s left me puzzling about what I saw. Perhaps you can help clue me in, but I thought it best to give you an idea what’s going on my life. It might shed some light on what I saw.

It’s been a rough couple of days for me. I was sick shortly after Thanksgiving weekend. This meant I was pretty limited in my devotions and even lazier when it came to writing. I also started to tentatively test the waters of online dating again. Perhaps it was fueled by loneliness or a belief I should be with someone.

Regardless I struck up an e-mail conversation with someone on the online dating site. It went well, but then he became pushy and insistent on meeting up. I’ve been dragging my feet and feeling something is not quite right about this person. Granted, he isn’t creepy, but there’s some negative energy surrounding him.

I had a real heart-to-heart chat with Isis last night. I didn’t feel the presence of Isis coming from any my statues. It seemed to emanate from the beautiful papyrus painting of Isis with the throne glyph. I asked her about the person I considered giving a date to. After some silence of being in her presence I felt the emphatic reply, “No.”

I also felt this was the best decision somehow and thanked Isis for her advice. Even an hour after prayers I still felt her powerful peaceful and loving presence still in the room. When I went to close my eyes I saw a very clear and brilliant image. I saw a woman in brilliant, shining blue dress. Her hair was black but with a tint of blue and a blue light seemed to shine from around her head. She was floating near the clouds as the light reflected off of them. She also had a crescent moon crown on the top of her head.

At first I thought it was Isis, but somehow she felt different. I checked online and wondered if who I saw was Hekate.

This looked a little like her, especially the crown which lacked the sun disk of Isis. This one statue of Hekate shows her wearing a bright blue gown although I believe this isn’t a traditional view of the goddess but more a modern interpretation.

This was very odd as I didn’t pray to Hekate or ask for her help. She didn’t appear scary or forbidding as I think this statue makes her. The blue goddess looked more natural, brilliant and unnaturally beautiful and free as she floated below the clouds.

What are your thoughts? Was it Hekate or Isis in another form?

Welcome home Gods and Goddesses!

Yes, Christmas came early for me this year. I opened the door and there was a package waiting for me. I took out each box from the envelope. I ordered the 3" collection of Egyptian gods to add to my shrine. Whether it was a coincidence or not (perhaps there are no coincidences with the Netjeru) each god and goddess pretty much followed the order in how much I've been thinking about them. This was the order in which I unpacked the boxes - Sakhmet, Osiris, Ra, Djehuty, Anubis, Bast and Set.

Currently I don't have Set out on my altar because He scares me. If anyone has worked with Set and has found He's okay send me a reply. Currently Set's statue is sitting in a drawer which probably will piss Him off even more.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun arranging them in my shrine and each of them had something to say about where I placed them.

It feels really nice to have the rest of the Egyptian pantheon. It seems more like a family now. For the experts out there, that little statue that was labeled Horus is actually Ra I believe from the sun disk on His head?

The god who insisted on having His separate space was Djehuty. Every time I placed Him in the shrine He made it known He wasn't happy. He wanted to be placed on top of the cabinet next to his pal Anubis. It seems He wants to be where the action is - namely the place where I write. He warned me I better be ready to write a lot when He's there.

Challenge accepted, Djehuty!

Have a blessed evening everyone! In-un-Ma'a (Truly it is)

Christmas and Kemeticism

Now that Thanksgiving is over the Christmas decorations are going up. You start to think of shopping for gifts and what it means to celebrate Christmas as a Kemetic. Is it hypocritical to be both a Kemetic and observe Christmas?

The short answer? No.

For one, many of the holiday traditions from decorating a Christmas tree to gift giving are pagan, not Christian, in origin. For me the Christmas tree is a symbol of life enduring even in the midst of death. The gifts we give our family and friends show our love for them.

Also it's easy to observe the birth of another divinity at the winter solstice. Now is the best time to celebrate any solar deity you wish. Instead of Christmas being a celebration of Jesus's birthday, I often celebrate the birth of Horus the Younger, Son of Isis.

During December I created a special devotion that focuses on the upcoming birth of Horus and the maternity of Isis. Early in the month I take Horus off my altar for the time being or place a cloth over the depictions of the infant Horus nursing at Isis's breast. I think about the trials Isis went through as she wandered into the marshes away from all the comfort and luxury a goddess should have. She did this so her child would be safe.

Many of my offerings are focused on the maternal/fertility aspects of Isis such as giving her bread, milk and fruit. I like to consider these offerings as going to Horus as well since I'm honoring the time he is still in his mother's womb. I try to focus on giving Isis any comforts I'd want if exiled somewhere. On the altar I give light (LED candles), a blanket (I wrap the statue in a warm cloth), food, drink and some incense.

December is a good time to reflect on Isis's love for us who is our spiritual mother. She cares and comforts us and would go to any length to protect us.  If you're ambitious you could get up before dawn to celebrate Horus's birthday with lighting candles and offering gifts to him. Since I like to sleep in on Christmas morning I wait until midnight then light all my altar candles and place an array of sweets (candy and hand-decorated Christmas cookies) on the altar for Isis and Horus.

The date of Horus's birthday is a bit of a sticking point. Should you celebrate Horus's birthday on December 25 or December 22? I tend to move Horus's birthday back to coincide with Christmas and the festivities. It might be more convenient to celebrate a day or two before if Christmas is a very busy family wise and a hectic time with little privacy.

A Message from the Goddess

As a new Kemetic I frequent the forums searching for similar experiences to my own. Maybe I want to confirm I'm on the right path or perhaps my spiritual journey is unique to me. Some Kemetics describe their gods as being possessive or having all the subtlety of a hammer. I'm thinking this is a combination of 1. What god are you working with? 2. What kind of a person are you?

While a whisper might work for one devotee a shout does well for another. When I started considering Isis I didn't have that bolt out of the blue Aha! moment. It would have been great to have an amazing vision or a voice from On High tell me I was chosen. But that's not what happened.

Recently I visited southern Europe where I saw Catholic cathedrals everywhere. Needless to say statues and depictions of Mary and the Child Jesus were everywhere. The odd thing was I didn't really see Mary and Jesus. Instead I saw the Goddess and her Son. I saw Isis and the Child Horus. I made the mistake of commenting to a friend (who is Catholic) that all the depictions of Mary were similar to many Mother Goddesses. My friend was offended I'd make the connection between Mary and a Goddess.

My fascination with Isis, however, grew over the trip. Finally it reached a point where you could say I received a sign. I was touring the Vatican Museum of all places. I'm sure the Vatican hoped pilgrims would receive a Christian religious experience. Instead I found myself staring back at an enormous statue of a Roman Isis.

I'd seen this statue many times before so when I saw it in a room I nearly missed at the Vatican Museum it was a shock. I was transfixed. It was as if there was enormous magnet in the room creating an attraction, drawing me to the statue. I tried to remain calm and unfazed as there was a guard in the room.

After I left the Roman Isis statue I wandered into the Egyptian area where I found many oxidized bronze statues of Isis and sistrums. It was a reminder of how close I was to Isis and her worship in the Roman Empire. I didn't tell my friend about my experience at the Vatican Museum, but I felt it was Isis's invitation to me.

When I finally made up my mind to offer my first prayer to Isis I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know if Isis still existed. Perhaps deities "die" after so long not being worshipped and remembered. During the prayer, I instantly felt her loving and warm presence. It was like a mother overjoyed to finally hear her from daughter after so many years.

What are your experiences with the gods? How do they connect with you?

Experiences with Thoth

Perhaps one of the perks of being a pagan is you can ask different deities for help. Recently I’ve started doing research on Thoth (Djehuty) because he is the patron of writing. Since I write for a living I often need inspiration and more than the occasional nudge to get my ass in the chair and start working.

A few nights ago I asked for Thoth’s help in a particularly difficult and uninspiring ad I was writing for a client. Nothing was coming and I stressed over coming up with something clever that would sell their product. Yes, for purely selfish reasons I asked for Thoth’s help.

I don’t know if i expected anything. Maybe I thought I’d get a big busy signal or maybe Thoth had other prayers to answer. What I didn’t anticipate was the Presence (with a capital P) Thoth filled the room with when he showed up. It was if a high powered executive just walked into the room. You had to take notice!

This isn’t to say the presence and the power that emanated from Thoth was intimidating or angry. After I was able to think again after getting used to the Presence, I asked Thoth for help and made an offering to him. While I can’t say I’ve come up with the perfect idea for the ad yet I’m getting many more ideas than yesterday.

Thoth seems to be a god I can work with although I have read how he can be overwhelming and sometimes demanding. I’m okay with it if he nudges me in the right direction and helps me to use my talent.

I have to say in the past it’s been tough for me to relate to the animal-headed gods in Kemeticism. Maybe I need a more human face to my gods. I haven’t prayed to Thoth simply because he looks strange with the head of an Ibis. I wonder if other Kemetics find this a difficulty in connecting with their gods or if this is something they celebrate.

Regardless I am cautiously enthusiastic in my devotions to Thoth.

Offerings to the Goddess

Isis has received a lot of strange offerings from me since I started my daily devotions. When I first began I was pretty traditional in what she received. Often I'd give her a cup of milk and a few pieces of chocolate. She seemed to enjoy them but I imagined she'd get bored of the same offerings every day. I also started reading about how the Ancient Egyptians didn't waste the offerings to the gods, but consumed them after the ritual. I imagined I'd start putting on weight if I was eating chocolates every night.

I began giving Isis non-food offerings as well. Incense is a favorite one and she seems to enjoy sandalwood incense. Also during the summer I'd cut fresh roses and place them in her altar. I especially offered her a hot pink rose. Not only did she love the color but the rose had a special significance to me. The rose bush I offered flowers from was in very poor health when I received it through the mail. As I nursed it back to health I asked for Isis to give me her blessing and to help the flowers bloom as a sign. The rose bush shortly thereafter flourished and produced many beautiful flowers before the frost.

My altar with a rose from my garden.

Isis also seems fond of offerings made specifically with her in mind. One night I thought of making a chocolate cake even though I hadn't planned on it. Isis kept giving a nudge she wanted chocolate cake. I finally told her, "I'll make you the cake if I can find some frosting." (I didn't know if I had any left.) Almost immediately I found a can of frosting so then I was obligated to make the cake! Needless to say we both enjoyed the cake and Isis was happy to receive that as an offering for most of the week.

Isis sometimes gets fresh-baked cake

I guess it's safe to say Isis has a sweet tooth! As a mother goddess she also seems to like anything connected with fertility symbols such as milk or grains. She loves it when I bring her fresh-baked bread or a sweet piece of fruit. Isis sometimes has received some odd offerings. Up to this point she hasn't complained though. 

Here's a list on some of the offerings I routinely give to Isis.

Sweets:

Chocolate

Cookies

Chocolate cake or brownies (she loves it more if you make them)

Carrot cake

Candy

Beverages:

Milk

Water

Tea (fresh brewed)

Wine

Other Offerings:

Breakfast cereal

Yogurt

Taffy Apple

Grapes

Crackers and Cheese

Sandwich

While some of these offerings are odd I've never gotten the impression Isis is upset or choosy about the offerings. Perhaps it's the love behind the offering that's more valuable to her. Some nights I feel more of an impulse to give her treats like a dessert while other times I want to give her something more substantial such as bread, cheese or fruit. This Thanksgiving she will receive a portion of the turkey with dressing. What better way to include the gods into our family by sharing a dinner with them?

Isis or Aset - What's in a Name?

I've frequented Kemetic forums and there seems to be a lot of debate in the name of the goddess. Some believe Isis is a Greco-Roman goddess completely different from the Ancient Egyptian goddess Aset or Auset. Most Kemetics look down on using the name Isis at all since it originated in Greece not Egypt.

Since I don't follow Kemetic Orthodoxy I believe there is some wiggle room in the names we use for our deities. Many of the common names we're familiar with are either Greek or Roman. The name Isis, for instance, was given to the goddess by the Greeks where her name probably sounded like Ees-ees. In my prayer I've tried both using the name Isis and Aset to see if there is a different feel to my worship and to determine if indeed they are two separate goddesses.

From my own experience using the name Isis is much more comfortable and accessible to me somehow. Perhaps it's because I'm accustomed to the name, but there is a beauty in the sound and a visual symmetry to the name Isis that Aset lacks somehow. That said, I don't restrict my worship of the goddess to just Isis or Aset. I use them interchangeably. My blog is named "Loves Isis" but my name is MeresAset means "Loving Isis." I truly believe Isis and Aset are not different goddesses but the same goddess who goes by different names as a courtesy to us so we might connect with her easier.

When the worship of Aset spread across the Mediterranean the goddess received a Greco-Roman "makeover." Instead of traditional Egyptian tube dress and formal pose, Isis wore a toga and had a much more natural style. The priests and priestesses of the Isis Cult realized the importance of making the goddess accessible and welcoming to many people within the context of their culture.

There were no dreams or visions (at least that we know of) where Aset showed her anger at being given a new name and a different look. First and foremost she the was mother to all who loved her regardless of whether they were Egyptian and called her by her Egyptian name.

Likewise today it's my belief that whether you call upon her as Isis or Aset she is the same goddess. She wants us to be comfortable in our relationship with her and she welcomes those who love her regardless of their place of origin. She has traveled a long way since those early days at the dawn of civilization on the Nile delta. Just as we change, grow and mature over time so does our goddess. Whether we call upon her as Isis or Aset it's our love for her that's important - not the name we use.

What I Love About the Goddess Isis

I've sometimes wondered myself why I found myself so attracted to the Goddess Isis. Perhaps it began in the Catholic tradition of the veneration of the Virgin Mary. Isis's maternal aspect certainly was appealing in the early stages I started learning about Isis.

I often was depressed as I was underemployed and suffered from low self-esteem. When Isis emerged in my life it was as a loving goddess who enfolded me in her wings. I felt no judgement or disappointment on her part. It was just love, peace and the warm protectiveness of a mother watching over her daughter.

My depression diminished and I felt a need to change my life. Isis started revealing ways I could improve my life situation and also some problems stemming from my lack of self confidence. Isis is an inspiration because she is a goddess who's experienced hardship, loneliness and grief herself.

Her husband Osiris was murdered by her brother, Set. She raised Horus as a single mother and lived an exile in the Nile Delta to protect her son from his uncle. Isis then had to use her cunning and magic to trick Set into acknowledging Horus's right to the throne.

What I find inspiring about Isis is her refusal to give up. Even in her grief she searched for her dead husband, Osiris. Set severed and scattered Osiris's body so Isis might never find him. Isis not only found her husband, she resurrected him with magic and bore him a son, Horus.

Isis stands for everything a woman should be - independent, self-assured and confident in her power. She isn't dependent on her husband or her son for her identity. Her strength and wisdom is within herself and she's willing to use it to receive justice and restore ma'at to the world.

She also draws strength from being a woman. Isis also is no second-class deity because she is a woman. She is not a passive goddess standing in the shadows of other male Egyptian deities. She has an unbreakable spirit and emerges triumphant through her magic and inner strength. I wonder how different women would be if they looked to Isis as their heroine and goddess rather than growing up believing they are second-class and powerless because of the "sin of Eve."

Building a Kemetic Shrine to Isis

One of the daunting but fun tasks you first do as a new Kemetic is building your own shrine to your chosen deity or deities. Coming from a Catholic background this didn't seem so taboo. Already I had a few Virgin Mary statues and Greek Orthodox icons of Jesus.

Before I'd bought any Isis statues the Mary statue to right I used as my representation for Isis. I still use this statue when I want a more realistic looking, natural statue during my devotions.

Building a shrine can be daunting especially for a new Kemetic. You wonder, "Am I doing this right?" "Is there something that must or must not be placed in my shrine?"

When I first started buying items for my shrine I was hung up in what had to be in the shrine. I needed traditional, Egyptian-looking statues of my chosen goddess, Isis. I wanted a Sistrum, an Ancient Egyptian style rattle. Due to the expense of buying a sistrum I ended up purchasing a string of jingle bells which sounds just as pretty as a sistrum.

I also wanted to purchase something lotus related to place in my shrine as the lotus was the sacred flower of Ancient Egypt. I bought a pair of crystal lotus votive candle holders. Fire safety was a concern for me since the shrine was located in my bedroom. I decided LED candles were a safer option and I could light them for long periods unattended without risk of a possible fire.

Incense is another common offering Kemetics offer to their gods. Incense is a problem for me as I don't want to keep anything burning in my bedroom. If I offer incense I usually burn it downstairs by the fireplace which is much safer and doesn't draw too much attention.

There really is no wrong way to build your shrine. It can large and complex or quite simple. As you can see I have a very minimal shrine with the focal point on my Isis statue.

I also venerate a beautiful papyrus painting I bought from Egypt with the Goddess Isis having the traditional throne glyph on her head. This throne glyph is a precursor to Isis's later crown with the horns and sun disk which later was incorporated into the goddess's identity when Isis merged with the Goddess Hathor.

Another question is where should you put the shrine? I cleared off space on my dresser. It's highly visible and a wonderful reminder to pray before I go to bed. It's also comforting to know the goddess is with you in your everyday living space and is watching over you even in the most mundane tasks. Having a holy place within your own house is very different from the separate sanctuaries in the Judeo-Christian tradition. A house shrine, however, invites the gods to be apart of your life and your home.

Daughter of Isis

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog. I've worshipped the Goddess Isis for three months now and it's been great. Contrary to what you might think I did not start out in Wicca and I'm not a witch. I don't use magick or have an altar. Before my epiphany to follow Isis I actually was a Catholic convert. Ten years ago I converted to Catholicism. I had a need to follow the Truth and the Way in Jesus Christ. The problem is I never really felt comfortable and ultimately Christianity wasn't a good fit for me.

I had problems with Christianity on many levels, but most of all what I hated was the Guilt Culture that is rampant in a sin/salvation-based religion. I felt no matter what I did I wasn't perfect enough and could never measure up to a divine/legalistic Creator. Somewhere in Heaven there was a bookkeeper tallying how many sins I had on my soul. I became sick of always feeling inadequate and after five years since my conversion I really fell away from the Church. I no longer wanted to feel like an imperfect being with Original Sin who was incapable of ever completely pleasing God.

Around this time I stopped praying to God and Jesus. I felt no connection to God and Jesus I felt too guilty to pray to. After all my sins was what put him on that cross. It's hard to have a comfortable relationship with the divine when you feel perpetually guilty.

I don't know when I felt my attraction grow for Isis. Perhaps it began when I started studying early Christianity and discovered the Cult of Isis in competition with the early Christian church. Maybe it was my fascination with Egypt that began in childhood. Regardless of the reason I wished the Isis Cult still existed.

There was no miraculous moment or breaking point when I officially left Catholicism. I'd long since drifted away from the Christianity. By the time I first called on Isis I'd been away from the Catholic Church for perhaps 4 years. My prayer was a simple one. I simply asked Isis to hear my prayer and to give me a sign she existed and was listening.

I felt an overwhelming sense of love, warmth and maternal care that I hadn't felt except during my prayers to the Virgin Mary. Yet this sensation wasn't quite the same as when I dealt with Mary. With Mary I always felt an incredible sense of peace. Isis, however, felt more like a mother who wants to guide her child on her first steps toward adulthood. Isis wanted me to grow and stand tall and proud based on my talents and abilities.

I'd yet to study Isis and her story in depth, but soon I'd come to realize what a powerful and loving ally I had in the Goddess Isis.