The Wise Woman's Tarot
A Multicultural, Matriarchal Deck and Book
II. Illumination - Isis
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II. Illumination - Image - Isis (Moon)
Lady of the Moon
Healing of the Soul
Isis -- Isis
veil lifter -- shape shifter
Goddess of 1,000 names,
wisdom that survived the flames,
lift the veil for us once more
that we may enter your sacred door
to heal our souls from deep inside,
no secrets left for us to hide...
From the womb to the tomb
we adore you, Mother Moon
For this card I chose the Egyptian Goddess Isis or Au Set (as she was
called before the Greeks altered her name), in her dark or veiled aspect. She
represents the gateway to the soul. Isis is the initiator to the hidden or
"dark" mysteries of the moon. Her secrets involve those mysteries pertaining to
nothing less than the continual cycles of life, death and rebirth, as exemplified
by her three changing phases. "The Veil of Isis is the flesh or human form,
which must be lifted to find spirit; it is the door of every mystery."
Those capable of enduring the initiation of the Moon Goddess become her
children and are awarded the Rose of Isis. In this ritual, she is portrayed as
the holy bird, with dark, vivid blue feathery wings. In this image, the bird-head appears above her lunar headdress. Isis is
shown flanked by her serpent-entwined sceptre, her feathery arms extended,
drawing down the moon. This is one of her sacred duties, as are ceremonies which
include the drawing and pouring of water. She is standing in her shrine,
straddling the grotto where her waters trickle freely into a pool reflecting her
lunar ruler. A small carved stone, moon-shaped boat, with a likeness of the
Goddess, is also floating in the pool. These stone boats are typical of those
found in all the temples to Isis.
In Egypt she was known as Au Set, meaning "exceeding queen," or simply
"spirit". The Greeks called her Isis and she assumed the roles of many lesser
deities to become the Goddess of Ten Thousand Names. Being a priestess of Isis past, present and future, I have a great deal of
memories regarding various initiations that were guided by Isis (Au Set, as she
was known before the Greeks) and her followers. Many rituals had to do with
the cycles of life, death and rebirth, and the birth and death experiences were often
simulated through these rites.
These are some excerpts from my book Temple of Isis: A Past Life Memory:
"I wasn't sure if I was awake or asleep as a dim golden light led me onward
and inward. A gentle rocking movement made me aware that I was on a small moon-
shaped boat. Two women shrouded entirely in dark robes pulled this lunar ship
silently over black waters lit only by the moon playing hide and seek with dark billowing clouds.
It was eerily peaceful and almost too quiet. My mind began to race!
"'Nefra,' a soft voice came from one of the cloaked women. 'Now you must
swim to find your treasure.
I was terrified. Swim in this blackness? 'No, no,'
I screamed, waking myself from a deep sleep.
"The Ancient One came in to my room early that morning with a sly grin across her wrinkled face.
'Sweet dreams, Nefra?' she cackled.
'No, not at all,'
I answered defiantly.
'Well today, Nefra, you must be silent. I will stay with
you but words must not escape your lips. If you can do this and enter your dream
again ...' her voice trailed off.
I was always amazed at how she knew what
happened to me without my uttering a single word."
"She helped me slip off my robe and covered my eyes with thick gauzy material. Next she led me down the steps into the cool water and proceeded to
lead me around the pool in concentric circles til we had created a whirlpool.
Then suddenly, she was gone. My blind hands searched for her but I was alone in
the whirlpool. Inside my head I could hear the Ancient One's voice. 'Nefra, you
must learn to see in the dark.'
"I wondered how this would happen, when my mind became flooded with rapidly
changing images. I willed my vision to slow down so that I could focus on each
picture. The mast of a small ship came into view complete with my two shrouded
dream friends. Not this again, I thought. I could feel the water all around me
lapping hungrily at my sides. Somewhere inside me I knew that I was in a
friendly pool, but fear and doubt were crashing in against my knowing. Panic tried to wrench my wisdom from me, pulling me into
an abyss of paranoia. Monsters loomed everywhere. I lost all sense of time and
space in this pool.
"After what seemed like many hours, I remembered a breathing technique I
had learned from Sepi that helped me relax. I breathed deeply into my belly and
felt it cycle up through my heart. After several breaths I felt my fear finally
recede and be replaced by a warmth spreading through my body. As my terror left
me, my visions returned and a perfect white rose appeared in my mind's eye. I
swear on Hathor's Eye that I could even smell that rose."
I was constantly fascinated by the words that came flying out of my pen
without effort. I learned much and did some profound inner healing as this
lifetime revealed itself. I strongly encourage any of you who feel in touch with
a particular past life to take pen in hand and open your mind and spirit for
revelation.
The healing that I feel is most profoundly reflected by Isis is the healing
of the soul. She beckons you inward to truly known yourself. She lifts the veil
and you must be brave enough to stare at the mysteries of the universe as well
as your own. We are entering a time when transpersonal awareness is crucial.
We are inter-penetrating light beings with knowledge and soul-food for each
other. When any of us raises our level of awareness the planet is uplifted. As
we engage our personal work, we are indeed in service to the collective. We need
not all stay in personal work at all times but periodically we must all come home
and clean house.
The Moon is the planet in our astrological charts most closely associated
with the soul. It also reflects our need for comfort and nurturance. The Moon
in each of our charts can be a crucible for change, understanding and soul
growth. Because the moon essentially wants to stay comfortable through her
awakening process, we must approach her tenderly and with much love for
ourselves and the hidden fears we may uncover.
Many find Isis to be an enigmatic figure, staring back blankly, like the
Mona Lisa. When her card appears, she demands that we seek within ourselves for
the answers and dig deeper; then, and only then, does she lift the veil. Hers
is a tradition that teaches us to find the Goddess within. That is when we truly
make contact with her divine lunar energy and feel the illumination which comes
from listening to our intuition.
This last segment of the "Charge of the Goddess" sums up my feelings about Isis:
"And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will
avail you not, unless you know the Mystery; for if that which you seek, you find
not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been
with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of
desire."
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