The Beautiful Star of Isis now called Sirius, but anciently called Sothis by the Greeks and Sopdet by the Egyptians, was considered to open the way for the Nile flood, which brought life and fertility back to the land of Egypt. About five thousand years ago the heliacal rising of Sirius occurred on the Summer Solstice which falls on June 21st. This means that Sirius rose just ahead of the Sun and was visible again for a few brief moments after a 70 day absence from the skies of Egypt.
As the bright Star of Isis shone briefly before mingling Her light with Her Divine Grandfather, Ra, the God of the Sun, great joy and reverence spread throughout Egypt, for the arrival of the Nile Star meant salvation and life for all in the land. It was thought that the tears of Isis brought the Nile floods as Isis mourned and wept for Her beloved Husband, Osiris/Asar/Usir, who was, in a religious sense, considered to be the first Pharaoh or King of Egypt. In the old story it is said that Osiris was betrayed and murdered by His Brother, the ancient Egyptian "Evil One."
The story of Isis and Osiris was a great love story, a story of betrayal, of death and resurrection. It was also a story of the miraculous conception and birth of their divine Son, Horus/Har/Hor/Heru, the Egyptian Savior God, who was destined to avenge the death of His divine Father and restore divine Order to the kingdom of Egypt. In the old belief, ever after Horus succeeded in his task, all Pharaohs who followed Him in succession were considered to be incarnations of Him, and thought to be Sons of Isis. This legitimized their rule for Isis was considered to be the embodiment of the Royal Throne.
The day that the Star Sirius returned, appearing just ahead of the Sun at dawn, was considered to be the beginning of the ancient Egyptian New Year. In our day and age, this day falls on or about August 1. Three thousand years ago this day occurred in early July. This shift of dates is due to the apparent slow shifting of the stars from our point of view on earth. Before the building of the Aswan Dam the Nile floods still began to rise and get their start in late June and by August 1st the inundation of the land of Egypt was going strong.
The ancient Egyptians believed that their most beloved Goddess, the Divine Mother, Isis (Aset, Ast), was the Soul of the Star Sirius/Sothis/Sopdet, and they saw Sirius as a cosmic manifestation of Her. Isis has many names, titles and functions, among them She was known as the Great Muse, the Lady of Love, healing, protection, fertility, beauty, abundance, art, magic, mystery and miracles. Many people in our time believe in and work with this wonderful Being. From the Judaeo Christian point of view one might think of Isis as a great Archangel. Though superficially it appears that the ancient Egyptians had many Gods, there was an underlying awareness of and belief in the One from whom all emanate.
On New Years in our time, Sirius appears on the midheaven at midnight exactly. This means that if the skies are clear you can look to the south and see Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, shining down on our planet and heralding the arrival of our own New Year on January 1. The blessings of the Star of Isis shall be with us each New Year at midnight for some time to come (through out this century) according to the research of the Astronomer Jack Horkheimer of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium.
The astrological influence of this star is said to be like a combination of Mars and Jupiter. The star Sirius carries energies of great strength of will, strength of mind, passion, and courage combined with energies reminiscent of the beneficent, jovial, fortunate, spiritual, farseeing, perceptive, foresightful, prophetic planet of good luck, wealth, the higher mind, religion, law, philosophy, wisdom and blessings, Jupiter. What a wonderful energy this is that touches and blesses us all as we begin each new year. May the blessings of Isis and Her Star, Sirius, bless all on Earth. Happy New Year!
Replies
Hi Pat,
I see, we start to remember who we are, the beautiful blue Star is the same........... now we are able to understand more........and more open to receive her wisdom....
Hi Carmen,
Interesting. Sirius, again, has for a long time, been full of myths and legends as it were.... but has been coming into its own for some time now.
Pat