The Pagan Heart
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February 2005 Issue
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Isidis Navigatum - Festival of Isis
By Adishakti Chauturopayini
There are a great many festivals celebrated in March; the most obvious being Ostara. This month we are going to stray from the generic Wheel of the Year festivals and focus on one originating in the Egyptian culture: the Festival of Isis. In order to understand the Festival of Isis, we must first have knowledge of the ancient Egyptian Goddess Aset. This cunning, fierce, and protective solar goddess's festival is held in the season of Shomu, the harvest season. In ancient Egypt the harvest occured at the start of the summer, rather than the end of it as in western cultures. In many earth-based traditions, the festivals revolve around the rythms of nature. In Egypt the lands near the Nile river were quite fertile and ideal for crops. At the start of summer, the waters of the Nile began to recede and the harvest began - before the weather grew too hot and the crops died. Aset is written using the heiroglyph for "throne", which may suggest that she was seen as the One who and from which the Pharoah rose. This indicates the possibility that Aset was the symbolic mother of the king and therefor held a special significance. However, in the days before the Greeks and Romans incorporated Aset into their culture as Isis, she was not viewed as a great mother goddess, but rather, a mortuary deity watching over those that had died and were making passage to the Afterlife. Chapter 15 of The Book of Going Forth by Day (otherwise known as The Egyptian Book of the Dead illustrates this in a hymn to Osiris. "Aset will embrace you in peace
Again, in Spell no: 142:4 of the same book, a wonderful look at the many sobriquets of Aset: "...Aset the great, Mother of the God; Aset the Divine, Aset the daughter of Nut; Aset the Great of Magic; Aset the possessor of magical protection, Aset the possessor of rolls; Aset who protected her Father, Aset the Ruler of rolls; Aset in Asyut, Aset as ruler of (the city of) 'Shesmin', Aset in Bahbit (Iseum); Aset in Pe, Aset in Dep, Aset in Coptos, Aset 'in charge of' Pe, Aset in Akhmim, Aset in Abydos, Aset in King's House; Aset in the Sky, Aset in the earth, Aset in the southern (and northern) chapel (of Sais), Isis in the northern chapel (of Sais); Asset in all her Manifestations, Aset in all her characters, Aset in all her Aspects, Aset in (every) place where her Spirit desires to be;..." Aset, like her future incarnation as Isis, had many names and functions. She was known as the "Eye of Ra" as she learned the secret name of Ra (the heavenly body itself who rode across the sky in his sun chariot). She was also known as the "Mistress of Magic". Also called the "Great Mourner" after her husband Wasir was murdered by Set. She wept so much that the waters of the Nile river rose so much that in the thousands of years since, there has not been such a deluge. A few of Asets other titles were "Female Heru, Crown of Ra-Heru, Lady of the New Year, Maker of the Sunrise, Lady of Heaven, the Light-giver of Heaven, Queen of the Earth, and Lady of Abaton (Lady of the Tomb)". At this point, it shold be noted that it was quite common in Egyptian culture to have various deities draw down aspects of other gods or goddesses becoming an entirely different deity for the purpose it was needed for. Through the reign of various dynasties references to Aset occured, like the cycles of the moon, waxing and waning until eventually she gained quite a popularity among the commoners. By the time the Greeks and Romans arrived Aset had incorporated many of the characteristics and traits held by the other great goddesses as well as a few gods. Her sufferings as a widow and forlorn mother helped women to identify with her along with her ability to heal and protect. At this juncture Roman culture adopted Aset, interpreting all that she represented to reflect their own religious and cultural views. She slowly began the metamorphosis into the Roman Isis, Queen of 10,00 Names. Isis absorbed many qualities of the most important Egyptian goddesses, predominantly Aset (with whom she ultimately became synonymous in the common mind), and eventually grew to the status of a universal mother goddess throughout the Mediterranean. As a universal mother goddess, Roman Isis has numerous names and titles in many different languages. These reflect different places and times throughout history when people have called upon an aspect of the Great Mother, as well as representing the many aspects of the Egyptian goddess, Aset. This Lady of Ten Thousand Names, Ruler of Life, presides over fate, motherhood, breath of life, growth, death, decay, regeneration, cycles, the seas, the heavens, human affairs, agriculture, sprouting of seeds, opening of flowers, the universe and the Mysteries - to name just a few. Aset-Isis has many sacred plants, including barley and all grains, heather, laurel, flax/linen, lotus, madonna lily, myrrh, onion, rose, orris root, vervain, and wheat. The date palm, palm, fir tree, sycamore, and all fruits that grow on trees are sacred to this Mother of the Gods. Sacred animals of Isis include the cow, ape, cat, dog, scorpion, cobra, all serpents, and every kind of cattle. The goose, hawk, kite, eagle, falcon, vulture, and swallow are her sacred birds. Being such a loved deity that plays such an integral part in the Roman pantheon, it is only obvious that there would be a great many celebrations to reflect her many aspects. Throughout the year there are festivals that celebrate Aset-Isis in her many forms. March celebrates the spring Festival of Isis, Mother of the Season. This festival is known as the Isidis Navigatum, or the Vessel of Isis. It is this festival that celebrates her as the patroness of travel by sea and inventor of the sail, as the ruler of the crashing waves and the ebb and flow of the tides. It should be noted that the Egyptians used a lunar calendar to record all religious celebrations. The start of their calendar year was at the first New Moon following the helical rising of Sirius. This makes it difficult to pin down the exact date, but as Aset was transformed into Isis, Roman tradition used a fixed date of 5th of March for the Isidis Navigatum. There is quite a bit of elaborate ritual involved with this festival as seen by John of Lydia. He reported watching costumed people lead a procession from the Temple of Isis through the streets to the harbour. After them came women attired in beautiful clothing and crowned with garlands of flowers. Some scattered more blossoms as they walked, while others sprinkled perfumes about them. Women bearing combs followed them - combing the air as if it were Isis' hair. Musicians and singers paraded after, and men calling out to "Make way for the Goddess". After this, the priests of Isis came bearing breast-shaped urns of milk and then men bearing jugs of wine. Then commoners costumed as Egyptian gods, especially Anubis and Hathor - most strongly associated with Aset - a carry-over from the Egyptian rituals where priests and priestesses took on the rainment of the deities and provided a body for the spirit of the god to inhabit during the observation. Lastly, priests carrying sacred objects from her temple. Flowers were strew in her path, people danced and sang in her honour, music filled the air. At the dock a carefully crafted boat waited for her - painted with Egyptian hieroglyphics. Within its hold rested precious spices, gifts for Isis and written prayers the people wished to ask of her. After dedication by the priests, the boat was set free - an offering to Isis, the mistress of the waters and of navigation - in the hopes that the winter's storms have gone and fair sailing season will return, and that Isis will guide all the ships safely home. The observation is also tied to an awareness of Isis as a goddess of birth, death and rebirth - she who brings us into the world, oversees our death and steers our souls onwards towards rebirth. The sailing ship, launched out into the ocean, can be seen as symbolic of the human soul. Containing the gifts we are born with, the prayers and wishes we have for our life, the fragile vessel sails out across the water. Water is, of course, a symbol of life and death. We pray that Isis will take a hand in steering us forward through this life and into the next, keeping us safe from storms and bringing us safely home. Isis manifests as sea mist and thus invoking Isis for this festival is best done at beaches, streams, rivers and sea. These power sites can play a wonderful role for your Isis celebration. Honouring Isis as the Goddess of Moisture at this time aids us in connecting with the waters of rebirth and life and growth, even death Isis aids us as we return to our beginnings. Without Her life-giving waters there would be nothing. Offer libations of music, and dance in your celebratory rituals. Food and drink of honey, cresent shaped cakes and rolls, tree fruits, sweet wines and milk are appropriate. Offer a bit of milk to appease Isis by pouring it into a stream, river or ocean. Create rose garlands and offer one to the waters for Isis. Go sailing or play in the life giving waters. Create leaf and flower boats and send them sailing down stream while singing and chanting praises to the many names of Isis. As you can see, from Aset to Isis, there has been a strong transformation over the thousands of years. Use this time of growth to celebrate the cycles of life from birth through death. Remember that through it all Aset-Isis will be by your side protecting you as you travel your path. Invocation of Isis
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