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Book Review – Awakening Osiris: The Spiritual Keys to the Egyptian Book of the Dead by Normandi Ellis
Book Review Awakening Osiris: The Spiritual Keys to the Egyptian Book of the Dead by Normandi Ellis Publisher: New Page Books 240 Pages Publication: June 2023 “…The Egyptian Book of the Dead is one of the oldest and greatest classics of Western spirituality. With Awakening Osiris, Ellis has transformed the ancient stories told through hieroglyphs for modern readers and approaches the Book of the Dead as a profound spiritual text capable of speaking to us today. These writings suggest that the divine realm and the human realm are not altogether separate; they remind us that the natural world—the substance of our lives—is fashioned from the stuff of the…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Horus Horus was the ancient Egyptian god of the sky, the sun, and kingship, worshiped for more than three thousand years. During that time, he appeared in many manifestations, each embodying a different facet of his being. Egyptians recognized each incarnation to be aspects of the same god. He is best known as the son of Isis and Osiris. His brother, Seth, killed their father, so to keep him safe, Isis hid Horus beside the Nile. When he grew strong, he fought his brother to retake his father’s throne, thus associating him with kingship. Considered Egypt’s first divine king, those on the throne after Horus…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Anubis Anubis is the Egyptian god of the underworld, of the afterlife, and mummification. He helped judge souls after their death and guided lost souls into the afterlife. While it is generally believed Anubis is the son of Osiris and Nephthys and the product of adultery, this is not confirmed. What is known is he had a daughter known as Kebechet (or Qebehet) with the head of a serpent. A jackal-headed deity, and sometimes with the head of a dog, Anubis is the Greek name for “the guardian of the tombs.” He’s also known as the Lord of the Necropolis. For ancient Egyptians…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Nun The oldest of ancient Egyptian gods is Nun (also Nu), the father of Ra, the sun god. Nun means “primeval waters.” Although the Egyptians had many creation myths, all agreed the universe came from Nun’s primordial waters. The sun rising from the sea each morning was considered a reenactment of the creation myth. Legends have said at the end of the world, everything will sink beneath the waters of chaos from which creation begun. No priesthoods, cults, or temples were devoted solely to Nun, but when digging foundations for temples, Egyptians dug down until they reached water so the temple was literally rising out of…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Ra Merry meet. Cultures since the beginning of time have worshiped the sun. In Egypt, which extends south into the Tropic of Cancer, Ra the sun god was powerful. He was the creator of everything as well as king of all the gods. As such, Ra was a just ruler and a kind father. He’s also a warrior and can dispel darkness with his light. His representation varies: while the most often he is depicted as a man with the head of a hawk crowned by a solar disk he carries across the sky each day, he is also shown as a man with the head…
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She Who is All – The Goddess and The Divine Female
Tawaret/Tauret (Photo Credit: www.commons.wikimedia.org) Tawaret is the ancient Egyptian Goddess of fertility and childbirth, a protector of women and children and the Goddess of the annual Nile flooding, which brings with it, its’ fertile soil, which brings life to the Land. She is a Goddess of female sexuality. Originally seen as evil and associated with the Northern sky (Nebetakhet), which was cold, dark and dangerous, She was known as the Mistress of the Horizon. Over time, She became to be seen as nurturing and protective, with a ferocious streak when it came to protecting women and children. She is also a Mother Goddess, who was associated with Hathor, as can…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Osiris Osiris was the god of death and the afterlife – one of the Egyptians’ most prominent gods. He judged the souls of the dead to determine who was worthy of reincarnation. He was considered a kind, merciful, and loving judge, bringing comfort and protection, not fear, to the people. Osiris (also know as Usir) was also identified with nature’s cycles, such as the Nile River’s annual flooding, and the growth of crops and other vegetation. In English, the original form of Osiris’ name means Almighty or The Powerful. Osiris is also known as the Lord of Silence, the Lord of Love, and He Who…
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The Goddess of Ten Thousand Names
Healing Goddesses (Previously published July, 2015, with some modifications) Like so many others, I am saddened, devastated and scared by the outbreak of this horrific and deadly virus that has stricken our world. This month’s Goddess column will be on just a few of the Healing Goddesses, whom I ask to please look kindly upon us all, to send us the strength and courage that we will all need to persevere through this. Coventina The British Goddess of springs and wells, she was also a Goddess of abundance and inspiration. Her sacred well, located in Northumberland, is considered a sacred healing site. Anaita While there is not much information…
