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.