NMR ISSUE 47

Activating Miraculous Success
Astrological Forecast 47
Editorial 47
Esoteric Symbology of the Tarot
Garden Rituals
Herbal Remedy for Summer Boredom
Herbal Sex
Isian Ceremony of Spiritual Renewal
Isis Play
Lazaris
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Letters 47
Magickal Garden
Other Editorial 47
Peacock, Ass/Donkey & Beetle
Potted Herbs - In and Out
Prayer to Isis
Reviews of Unusual Books
Skhmet: The Fire Within
Summoning Hathor
Waking up
Witch's Tor

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Isis Play

By deTraci Regula

Isis evokes several images to the modern mind. Perhaps a scene from one of the Cleopatra movies comes to mind, with a beautiful actress as Cleopatra portraying Isis. The more scholarly might recall the journal called Isis, a name chosen because of Her associations with knowledge and, more meaningfully, with wisdom. A computer whiz might have encountered a company called ISIS, which specializes in systems analysis and repair. Those interested in ancient Egyptian art might recall a motherly statue of Isis suckling Horus, a pose which caused confusion of Isis with the Virgin Mary. And one who had studied Egyptian folklore would be aware of Isis the Enchantress, who snatched knowledge from the very mouth of Ra, Her mythological father.

Isis was motherly, wise, erotic and magickal. She was protectress of the early scientists and researchers who studied in the splendid Library of Her sacred city, Alexandria. Also, She was a practitioner of magick. Isis was a tender wife to Her husband Osiris (or, later, Serapis) and a marvel of chastity. Yet, among Her legends is the story that She played the harlot at Tyre to support Herself and Her son, after Her husband's murder.

Historically, the religion of Isis is itself, hardly less contradictory. Ever beloved by women, Her priesthood was largely male. Though a goddess of Egypt, She was carried along with the tide of the Roman legions who established temples on the Rhine, in Britain, in France and throughout the Middle East. And despite persecution after the teetering Roman Empire renounced its pagan gods, Her worship continued at the island temple of Philae until A.D. 595, when it was ended by force. Even then, a Saint Isis, patroness of herbs, survived in the Middle Ages; and more than one church of the newer faith ignored the curiously Egyptian features of their statues of the Virgin Mary.

Finally, one last great and wonderful paradox. After fourteen hundred years of quietude, the faith of Isis has not continued its slide into obscurity. Instead, there is a revival of Isis worship as thousands find spiritual satisfaction in allying themselves with this ancient, complex goddess. Some approach Her through prayer and meditation, some through magick and ritual and some find Her their constant and faithful muse in their pursuit of the creative arts. Wiccans can find Her within their realm, as can ceremonial magicians. Those who resonate Isis' energy will greatly increase their richness of life and depth of spirit.

People have worshipped and worked with the goddess-force that is Isis (under a variety of versions of that name) for at least six thousand years. This may well be a conservative estimate, since even Egyptologists dispute Her origins and the pronunciations of Her name (Esa, Ahset, Eeset or Ahst). In modern times, some have suggested that Isis came to Egypt from Atlantis, Lemuria, South America or a planetary system around the star Sirius. Of course, when dealing with great Goddess archetypes, all may be true in some sense.

Goddess-forces are similar to versatile actresses who play many roles with ease. The force behind each character is the same, but the personification is very different. But, no matter how different the roles, the actress is recognizable as existing beyond and behind the characters she portrays, and as existing as a separate entity with a private real life as well. The various and often contradictory aspects of Isis (or any other deity) are clearer when one thinks of the different aspects as separate films in an acting career spanning millennia. We might see Isis starring in The Devoted Mother on a double bill with The Avenging Wife. She might portray a daughter of Ra in Betrayal of a Father. And, like many actresses rebelling against type casting, She might relish surprising Her fans with an erotic role in the story of The Temple Dancer. Each time Isis evokes sympathy and empathy for Her character, whether or not it is as a role or position we would like. Just as actresses inspire compassion for their characters, so Isis inspires understanding and that insight into life through the roles She has presented.

One thing that has insured our survival is our ability to adapt. We have learned to inhabit a broad spectrum of conditions, including arctic wastes, steaming jungles, arid deserts and even under the ocean and in space. As a form of embodied consciousness, the human race collectively plays many roles. Individually, the more versatile we are, the better we can adapt to the conditions in our lives (which can be psychologically as extreme as any ancient environment).

Through contacting the energy of Isis and taking Her as a model and advisor, modern women can learn to expand their capacity to function in many diverse roles and can become more personally integrated in the process. Modern men, through contact with the diversity of Isis, can discover non-diminishing ways of relating to the increasing complexity of female identity and expand their diversity as human beings. We are entering a New Age where the emphasis will be simultaneously on strengthening the individual and working in sympathy with the rest of humanity. After long periods of both matriarchy and patriarchy, this period will be one of energized polarity between the sexes, in traditional mating relationships, in business and professional alliances and in religious and spiritual workings.

This generation of adult women may be among the last to grow up expecting religious leaders to be male. But the unfortunate truth is that most women were trained early to believe that we are not religiously equal. At the very least, we were taught to believe that we need an intermediary to God for any matter beyond simple, virtually powerless prayer-by-rote. For this reason, one new role well worth exploring is that of Priestess: an empowered woman with direct access to her Goddess, which in this case would be Isis.

Real priestesship is usually long in coming, since, like most specialized professions, it takes years of study and practice before one can expect consistent results. But many of the psychological and spiritual results can be obtained by role-playing. In this method, women who want to explore their capacity for priestesship can do so in an experimental way, without fear of failure or making commitments to a group whose method that they may discover later is not right for them. This low-stress approach is an excellent way of tapping into ancient memories, collective or individual, of genuine priestesship. This may create dramatic results, like a child prodigy that plays the works of a master composer and then writes them!

We all learn best the things we enjoy and this method of learning and exploring priestesshood can be approached like any other activity that gives pleasure. For the best long-term results, however, keep in mind that a real priestess would probably adhere to certain basic disciplines. Play through these disciplines well, like children carefully keeping their favorite toys in perfect order, but rebelling if asked to clean their rooms. These basic disciplines may consist of nothing more taxing than a ritual purification (such as your usual daily shower) and daily prayers or contact moments with the Isis energy, which would take mere minutes to do. If some of your play edges on the stunningly dramatic, that's fine. Drama itself was born out of ancient religious rituals that used many dramatic devices still employed today. (However, wearing a whirling diaphanous gown and crescent crown to dart into the 7-11 for a package of household candles may create some interesting situations for your new priestess character to handle.)

Playful priestess exercises such as role-playing will expand your ability to share the energy of Isis, and easily increase your psychic awareness. Above all, use that undifferentiated part of you that is still capable of becoming anything you want or need to be. The role of Priestess of Isis contains a little of everything in Isis, Herself; learning this one role can enhance your life in all areas.

DeTraci Regula is an ordained Priestess of the Fellowship of Isis, co-author of Scott Cunningham's biography and producer of his Herb Magick video.