I hear this expression so often, and it is certainly one of the ultimate compliments that could be bestowed upon a woman. What's peculiar about these words is that they convey a much more positive image of a woman than the male equivalent, "He's an absolute god!" Hearing someone utter this conveys notions of narcissism and power issues. Calling a woman a goddess, on the other hand, succinctly defines someone who portrays the aspects of the ultimate universal female authority. We often read articles or books that promise to help us seek out our inner goddess, suggesting that finding this attribute within ourselves can lift our spirits and bring us happiness.

In a world of male-dominated religion, I think it's important for women look back at the female deities who watched over different cultures in ancient times and find ways to learn from them. This process is not any kind of religious movement, goddess worship, or even part of finding "the goddess within"; rather, it is a lesson in women's studies. Through discovering different qualities of the ancient goddesses of the world, we learn more about the universal female archetype and see how significant her contributions have been throughout history. This can be just as empowering as personal soul searching, often leading to the same positive results.

One of the goddesses who provides me with this insight is Isis, the Egyptian goddess of magic, motherhood, creativity, and rebirth. Isis was not a holier-than-thou goddess -- the Egyptians believed that she lived among humans, teaching them how to weave, make corn meal, and mother their children. She and her lover/brother Osiris (they both were created by Set, the Earth god and Nut, goddess of the Sky) represented a passionate and equal union, a rare find in modern religion.

In the most famous of Egyptian myth, Osiris is murdered by his jealous brother, Seth, and his body is sealed in a sarcophagus and sent up the river Nile. Isis sets out on a quest to find her husband and, when she does, recover his body, Seth dissects Osiris into fourteen pieces. Through the use of her magic, Isis reassembles his body (all but the phallus, which she constructs from gold) and conceives Horus, whose cult was the longest lasting in Egypt. Horus' famous eye remains as one of the major icons of Egyptian religion, and he was the only god who was embodied by humans: the Pharaohs were believed to be manifestations of Horus in human form.

Isis represented the ideal woman of ancient Egypt. Aside from the conventional "dedicated wife and mother" title, Isis had a proactive approach to survival and saving her family. Upon conceiving Horus, Osiris did not reunite with Isis to raise their son. Her husband descended among the dead and became ruler of the underworld, while Isis continued to walk the earth as a teacher, a protector, and a representation of compassionate love, as well as a mother to the most understood and heralded gods of Egyptian mythology. In no way did she subscribe to a supportive role, but an independent one, separate from her consort.

Another aspect of Isis that motivates and inspires me is her practical response to grief. Rather than seal herself off from the world or demand help from more powerful deity, Isis sets out on a sole quest and, with some guidance from her siblings, finds the sarcophagus containing Osiris. When his body is recovered, she is determined to resurrect him herself in order for them both to fulfill their individual fates -- Osiris as protector of the dead and the underworld, and Isis as the loving link between the gods and humankind.

As the mother of the human manifestation of the Divine, Isis has often been compared to Mary in Christianity. The statue of Isis and Horus that sits in the Louvre is undeniably reflective in the many depictions of the Madonna with Jesus. Though Mary's role in religion has been conventionally criticized as subordinate, many Christian women uphold her as a holy symbol of compassion and charity. I think it is important to recognize that the popular interpretations of female religious figures are what render them secondary in function and importance, rather than the actual roles these figures played in religious history. Nowhere in Egyptian artifacts do we find hints of Isis's powers being regarded as weaker or less valuable than those of Osiris, Anubis, or Thoth.

Honoring the stories of female religious deities is a practice that can put the patriarchy in perspective. It unveils the notion that there was a time in human civilization where male and female roles were regarded as equally important facets of creation and divinity. In daily life, honoring the myths and beliefs of ancient cultures helps us appreciate our own ancestry and the women in our own families whose contributions assisted in nurturing the success of generations to come. This is an empowering practice in honoring herstory and womankind. Taking time to get to know Isis, along with her many other transcultural counterparts, can help us understand ourselves as women, not to mention goddesses of the 21st century.

Work Referenced:
Bonheim, Jalaja, ed. Goddess: A Celebration in Art and Literature. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1997.