I am thrilled to share with you my recent "rediscovery" of Venus and Aphrodite, as embodiments of the earlier Egyptian Goddess Hathor.
This podcast covers some history about Hathor. Hathor is the Egyptian goddess of joy, pleasure, fertility, and all things feminine. She was one of the most important goddesses in ancient Egypt and popular among royalty and common people alike. Hathor personified the principles of love, beauty, music, dance, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. She was worshiped over several thousand years, from the early years of the ancient Egyptian religion (c. 4000 BC) until its end (c. 500 AD).
"Hathor was the golden goddess who helped women to give birth, the dead to be reborn, and the cosmos to be renewed. This complex deity could function as the mother, consort, and daughter of the creator god. Many lesser goddesses came to be regarded as "names" of Hathor in her contrasting benevolent and destructive aspects. She was most commonly shown as a beautiful woman wearing a red solar disk between a pair of cow's horns."
(Pinch, G. Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press, 2004. Page 137)
To the left is the head of a statue of Hatshepsut, the first woman to rule with the powers of a male Pharaoh. Here Hatshepsut is wearing the horns of Hathor and the sun disc atop her mortar crown. This is all we have left of a bronze statue of the extraordinary queen-king of Dynasty 18. It is the exquisite femininity of this sculpture that makes it so exceptional. Sometimes, but extremely rarely, Queen Hatshepsut was portrayed not only with the fine facial features of a woman, but as a woman as we see here. It is wonderful to remember that this female Pharaoh was known to worship the Goddess Hathor and sought to embody Hathors energies.
Below is Hatshepsut's temple at Dier el-Bahri:
Below are images of Hathor on the columns at Dier el-Bahri:
Finally a video recording from the first Goddess Gathering. There is still time to join us on the journey! More information about the course can be found here.
2 Comments
Welcome to Chiron retrograde. This podcast explores the deeper aspects of the myth of Chiron, his amnesia of abandonment, his wound and life time seeking of a cure. I also love (spoiler alert) that ultimately he heals himself by transcending his ego and separation and taking selfless action.
Transcending ego and taking action are definitely in the air. These energies will likely continue for a while, as Chiron is retrograde through December 15, 2020. As the "wounded healer" Chiron supports us in reexamining our wounds, ultimately healing them as we move away from the illusion of separation and into the reality of oneness and wholeness, both within ourselves and with our world.
We have with us, literally coming down from the heavens the "apus".. these are the primordial and powerful earth mountain spirits from Peru. They are typically (at least in our Western culture) felt in Machu Picchu.
In Inca mythology, apu was the name given to powerful mountain spirits. The Incas also used apu to refer to the sacred mountains themselves; each mountain had its own spirit, with the spirit going by the name of its mountain domain. Inca mythology worked within three realms: Hanan Pacha (the upper realm), Kay Pacha (the human realm), and Uku Pacha (the inner world, or underworld). Mountains—rising up from the human world toward Hanan Pacha—offered the Incas a connection with their most powerful gods in the heavens. The apu mountain spirits also served as protectors, watching over their surrounding territories and protecting nearby Inca inhabitants as well as their livestock and crops. In times of trouble, the apus were appeased or called upon through offerings. It's believed they predated people in the Andes regions and that they are constant guardians of those who inhabit this area.
Also, the Goddess Course is launching. There is a window to join us through July 2020. Out first gathering is July 19. Regardless of whether you do, I felt called to share with everyone some of the content from the course, as I feel it is quite relevant to the deconstruction and reconstruction that we are all collectively experiencing.
You can find two readings/excerpts below that offer an alternative view of the feminine principle; specifically as the central organizing principle. Enjoy and share these readings! I believe they are powerful medicine for our transformational times. |
AuthorLisa Marie Haley Archives
November 2024
Categories |