From a spell in the Papyrus of Ani:

"The blood of Isis, the spells of Isis, the magical words of Isis shall keep this great (or shining) one strong, and shall protect him from whosoever would harm him\do to him such things as he abominateth."

The knot resembles an ancient charm for menstrual cramps, which involved insertion of a knotted cloth.

The tyet is also known as the buckle of Isis.

 

This symbol illustrates a knotted piece of cloth whose early meaning is unknown, but in the New Kingdom it was clearly associated with the goddess Isis, the great magician and wife of Osiris. By this time, the tyet symbol was referred to as the "blood of Isis" and scholars have suggested that it might depict the cloth a woman used during menstruation. Knots were widely used as amulets because the Egyptians believed they bound and released magic. The tyet sign was considered a potent symbol of protection in the afterlife and the Book of the Dead specifies that the tyet be made of blood-red stone, like this example, and placed at the deceased's neck.

 

THE BUCKLE OF ISIS

"The blood of Isis, the virtue of Isis, the
magic power of Isis, the magic power of
the Eye, are protecting this the Great
One; they prevent any wrong being
done to him." Thus reads a portion of
the 186th chapter of the Egyptian Book
of the Dead, which was engraved, often
with other invocations, on the Buckle
of isis amulets. Great faith was placed in
the magic power of this buckle or tie. It
was believed that the wearer would be
protected and guarded from every kind
of evil for ever and ever.

 

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The name Buckle of Isis -- in some old books rendered as Girdle of Isis , Belt of Isis , Tie of Isis , Knot of Isis , or, seemingly without reason, Blood of Isis -- is a euphemistic English translation of a word that sounded too strange to prudish 19th century scholars to be spoken in Egyptian. We call the ankh, the djed, the menat, and the wadjet by their proper Egyptian names, but this amulet's proper name -- the tit or tyet -- has until recently been hidden away in musty tomes.

The funny thing is that not only was the word tit suppressed in popular English books on Egyptology -- so was the true translation of the word. Think about it for a moment: what would the "Buckle," "Girdle," "Belt," "Tie," "Knot," and "Blood" of a mother goddess REALLY signify? Look at the amulet itself -- and note that it is almost invariably carved of red jasper stone. Ten points to the women who have figured it out already. That's right, gals, the Egyptian tit or tyet amulet actually represents "the Menstrual Pad of Isis " -- or, as some scholars would argue, "The Menstrual Tampon of Isis ."

I knew you'd like that. I can't tell you how smug i felt when i learned the truth. Now go back and read that quotation from the 186th chapter of the Book of the Dead again. Makes more sense this time, doesn't it? Damned straight it does!

The use of menstrual blood for casting as love spells and sexual fidelity spells is common in ancient and modern "women's" folk magic, including Italian stregheria, Mexican brujeria, and African-American hoodoo More unexpected is the reference to the "the magic power of the Eye" in conjunction with the protective power of menstrual blood.

It might be assumed that the eye in question here is the wadjet or Eye of Horus, the son of Isis , but it is also conceivable that the eye is in this case the eye of Isis , and one wonders whether by that is meant the single "eye" of her cervix, from which both life and blood issue. Thoughts of ancient Sumerian "eye-goddesses" also come to mind, and the protective function of this amulet leads me to note, for what it's worth, that old Egypt lay well within the realm of ancient evil eye belief. Isis was a mother-goddess, often shown suckling her son, and since the evil eye is said to particularly affect children and nursing mothers -- and to be repelled by the colour red and by images of eyes -- perhaps the magical protection afforded by the tit may have been against the evil eye.
 

 

 

The ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol of life. Also known as an Ansata cross, it is a visual representation of a sandal strap.

The horizontal and vertical bars of the lower tau cross represent the feminine and masculine energy, respectively. This combination of male and female symbols (the cross and circle) in the ankh suggest fertility and creative power. The top loop also symbolises the sun on the horizon, and suggests reincarnation and rebirth.

The ankh appears frequently in Egyptian writings about rebirth, and for a short time was adopted by Coptic Christians to symbolize the resurrection of Christ.

The Ankh is also considered to have meaning in Ritual magick and in Wiccan/Neopagan traditions, as a symbol of immortality and completion.

 

Ankh

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph signifying "life," a cross surmounted by a loop and known in Latin as a crux ansata (ansate, or handle-shaped, cross). It is found in ancient tomb inscriptions, including those of the king Tutankhamen, and gods and pharaohs are often depicted holding it. The ankh forms part of hieroglyphs for such concepts as health and happiness. The form of the symbol suggests perhaps a sandal strap as its original meaning, though it has been seen as representing a magical knot.

 

Possibly one of the most widely recognised symbols other than the cross, sacred to the ancient Egyptians, and often used as an amulet, this symbol is basically the T or Tau cross supporting a circular shape.  Giving the appearance of the shape of a key, in Egyptian hieroglyphics this symbol stands for life or living, and forms part of the Egyptian words such as 'health' and 'happiness'.  Linked with Egyptian gods and goddesses, such as Isis (eternal mother and High Priestess) and Osiris, most gods would appear to have possessed the ankh, to symbolise life and immortality, and it is thus often referred to as the Key of Life, or even the cross of life, because of its creative power. The loop of the ankh is considered to be the feminine, whilst the T shape is considered to be the masculine.  Together, these symbols reflect a continued existence.

Many illustrations of Egyptian gods show them wearing or carrying ankhs as an amulet to signify their immortality.  Combining the eternal with the physical, this symbol being both male and female, is worn by both sexes as an amulet.  If you are unfamiliar with the word amulet, it is basically a protector, or something which is considered to bring good luck to the wearer.  Coming from the Latin word amuletum, meaning 'means of defence', amulets are always considered to have inherent protective qualities, and have been used by many civilisations, not only the Egyptians who would have always had at least one amulet each, usually in the form of ornate jewellery, in their households.  Kings were given an amulet of an ankh by birthright.  A talisman, however, is a specific charm meant to have a specific purpose - such as attracting monetary gain, or helping to attract a partner.  It is well known that many witches wear the ankh as a protector.  An amulet of an ankh was given to all those who died, who, after their Day of judgement, were found righteous.

To some, the ankh signifies the Sun rising over the horizon, and thus regeneration, regrowth and renewal, whilst to others it resembles the human being, with arms extended, the loop representative of the head.

Considered by many to have powerful protective qualities, this symbol is actively associated with health, prosperity and long life at every level

 

Ankh the most valued symbol of the ancient Egyptians, also known as crux aitsata, or the 'ansate' or 'handled cross'. It combines two symbols, the tau cross - 'life', and the circle - 'eternity', thus together 'immortality', and also the male and female symbols of the two principal Egyptian deities Osiris and Isis, thus the union of heaven and earth. In hieroglyphic writing, it stands for 'life' or 'living', and forms part of words such as 'health' and 'happiness'. Egyptians wore the ankh as an amulet to prolong life on earth, and were buried with it to ensure their 'life to come' in the afterworld; belief in the ankh's power was reinforced by its resemblance to a key which would unlock the gates of death. This 'key' symbol was also carved on canal walls on the Nile, in the belief that its presence would control the flow of water and so avoid both floods and drought. The ankh was adopted by the early Coptic Christians of Egypt who also used it on their monuments to symbolise life after death. In more recent times, the ankh has been used by witches in spells and rituals involving divination, fertility and health. During the hippie movement of the late 1960s, it became a popular symbol of peace and truth

 

This is a symbol for the goddess Osiris. It symbolises sex, fertility, and reincarnation. The ankh was a very powerful symbol in Egyptology. Most pictures drawn in that period have ankhs in them. The Pharaohs were buried with this symbol because they believed it would help them in their next life
 
 
Egyptian towns usually had their own local sacred animal. It was thought that some gods and goddesses represented themselves on earth in the form of a single representative of a specific species, and honoring that species of animal would please the god or goddess associated with the animal. The animal believed to be the incarnation of the god or goddess lived a pampered life in and near the temples and religious centers.

Baboon  - The dog-headed baboon was one of the manifestations of both Thoth, god of writing, and Khonsu, the youthful moon god. Both deities were related to the moon. Hapy, the son of Horus who guarded the canopic jars that held the lungs, had the head of a baboon. There was also a baboon god in the Early Dynastic period named Hedjwer, 'The Great White One', who became closely linked with Thoth. Sometimes Thoth was shown in baboon form, perched on top of the scales of judgement in the underworld.

 Cat  myw - Many deities were depicted as cats, both domestic or wild, and so they were seen as benevolent, sacred animals. Bast, originally a desert cat, was later depicted as a domestic cat. Ra was shown as 'The Great Cat of Heliopolis' who defeated Apep in 'The Book of the Dead'.

Cattle  mnmnt - Hathor, Isis, Nut and Bat were three goddesses who were often depicted as cows, with the horns of cows or with the ears of cows. Because of this, and because of the relationship of the pharaoh as a living god, the cow came to symbolize the mother of the pharaoh. The cow was also a solar icon, where Nut carried the sun across the sky on her back, when she was in cow form. The cow was linked to female fertility and to the mother of the pharaoh. Osiris was related to the bull - the Apis bull, after death, became Osiris-Apis. While it was still alive, the Apis bull was seen as the Ba of Ptah, mummified god of creation. The Mnevis bull was regarded as the Ba of Ra-Atum. The bull, therefor, was linked to masculinity and the pharaoh.

 Cobra  djt - The cobra was sacred to Wadjet, the cobra goddess of Buto, who represented Lower Egypt and kingship. The cobra goddess Renenet was a fertility goddess who was sometimes depicted as nursing children and as protector of pharaoh. Another cobra goddess was Meretseger, 'she who loves silence', who could punish criminals with blindness or her venom.

Crocodile  msh - Ammut, the demoness at the judgement hall, had the head of a crocodile along with other fearful creatures, and was known as 'the devourer of the dead' who punished evildoers by eating their hearts. The god of the Athribis region, the solar god Horus Khenty-Khenty, was sometimes shown as a crocodile. But the crocodile was also sacred to Sobek, who was portrayed as a human with the head of a crocodile, or as the crocodile itself. The temples of Sobek usually had sacred lakes where crocodiles were fed and cared for. The hippo goddess of childbirth, Taweret, was thought to have the back and tail of a crocodile, or was shown with a crocodile perched on her back.

Falcon / Hawk  byk - The sacred bird of the falcon-headed solar god Horus, it was also regarded as his Ba. The falcon was a bird that had protective powers, and was frequently linked with royalty, where it was depicted as hovering over the head of the pharaoh, with outstretched wings. The falcon was also sacred to Montu, god of war, and Sokar, god of the Memphite necropolis. The bird of prey was sometimes associated with Hathor, 'The House of Horus'. The son of Horus, Qebehsenuef who guarded the canopic jar of the intestines, was a falcon-headed god. The human headed ba-bird was sometimes given the body of a falcon.

 Frog  qrr - The frog goddess Heqet was often shown as a frog-headed woman or as a frog. Because the Egyptians saw that there were many frogs, all appearing from the Nile, they associated the frog with fertility and resurrection, and so Heqet was a goddess of childbirth. The four male primeval gods of the Ogdoad - Nun (water), Amen (invisibility), Heh (infinity) and Kek (darkness) - were all frog gods.

Goose  gb - The goose was the sacred animal of Geb, who was also known as 'The Great Cackler' when he was in goose form, and had the sign of the goose as his headdress. Isis was sometimes described as 'the egg of the goose', being the daughter of Geb.

Heron  bnw - The bnw-bird was represented as a heron, and was thought to be the original phoenix - it was a bird of the sun and rebirth, the sacred bird of Heliopolis, closely linked to the primeval mound. It was also thought to be the Baof both Ra and Osiris.

Hippopotamus  db - Set was thought to have turned into a hippopotamus during his fight with Horus, where he was harpooned by the falcon god. The male hippopotamus was Set's animal, and an evil animal. Ammut, the female demon who ate the soul of the dead if they failed judgement against Ma'at, had the rear end of a hippopotamus, and was combined with the body parts of other fearsome Egyptian creatures. The female hippopotamus, on the other hand, was the manifestation of Taweret, the benevolent hippo goddess of fertility and childbirth. She was one of the most popular goddesses of the household, particularly among expectant mothers because of her protective powers.

 Ibis  hb - Regarded as the reincarnation of Thoth, the sacred ibis was sacred to the god of knowledge, who had the form of an ibis-headed man. The Akhu, part of the soul, was written with the sign of a crested ibis, known as the Akhu-bird.

Jackal  sab - Associated with Anubis, the god of embalming and mummification, who was depicted as a black colored jackal (or dog) or a man with the head of a black jackal or dog. One of the four sons of Horus, Duamutef, was a jackal headed god who guarded the canopic jar that held the stomach. The other jackal god was Wepwawet, the Opener of the Ways, who performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony on the pharaoh so he would be able to speak in the afterlife. There was also a jackal god named Sed (after whom the 'sed festival' or royal jubilee' was named) who was closely linked to Wepwawet. The jackal was thought to be a guide to the newly dead because they were often seen around the desert and mountains where the tombs were usually built.

 Lions  may - The lion was connected with the rising and the setting of the sun, and so were thought to be guardians of the horizon and were linked to solar deities. The earth god Aker was shown in the form of a 'double sphinx' - two lions seated back to back - and was thought to guard the sun as it entered and exited the underworld at the eastern and western horizons. Shu, god of dry air, and Tefnut, goddess of moist air, were lion-headed and lioness-headed deities respectively. Tefnut was given the title, the Eye of Ra. Many pharaohs associated themselves with lions, and so the lion came to symbolize rulership. Lions were also linked with ferocity and war-like deities. Sekhmet was either shown as a lioness, or a lioness-headed woman who came into being as the Eye of Ra to destroy mankind for Ra, who was also known for her healing powers. Hathor, goddess of love, was thought to have been sent out as the Eye of Ra, and so was also linked to lionesses. Even the cobra goddess, Wadjet, had a lioness form when she was identified as the Eye of Ra. Mut, too, had a lioness form when she was showing her more war-like side. The son of Bast or Sekhmet (there was confusion over the motherhood of this god in ancient times), Nefertem, was a lion-headed sun god of the lotus, healing and perfume. Another lion god was Apedemak who was known as 'the splendid god at the head of Nubia, lion of the south, strong of arm'. Bes, dwarf god of sexuality and childbirth, was shown with either the ears and mane of a lion or as wearing a lion-skin cape.

Ostrich  nyw - Ma'at, the personification of order, was shown as a seated woman wearing an ostrich feather as her headdress or as the feather itself.

Pig   rry - The pig was an animal sacred to Set, god of chaos. Set took the form of a pig and blinded Horus then disappeared. Eventually Horus regained his sight. The eyes of Horus was thought to represent the sun and the moon, and the legend of the blinding of the god was an explanation of solar and lunar eclipses. Plutarch says that, once a year, pigs were sacrificed to the moon.

 Ram  Ba - The ram was sacred to Banebdjedet, ram-god of Mendes, and Khnum the god who created men on his pottery wheel. Amun also had a ram form, though this was a different species of sheep. Rams were a symbol of fertility, and as such, the fertility god Heryshef took the form of a ram or a ram-headed man.

Scarab Beetle   khprr - The personification of the scarab god Khepri, a solar god of resurrection. As the scarab pushes its dung behind it in a ball, so the Egyptians thought that Khepri pushed the sun across the sky. Young scarabs emerged, born out of the dung, and so the scarab also came to symbolize new life and creation. The scarab was also linked to Amen, as was Khepri himself.

 Scorpion  srq - Serqet was a scorpion goddess and was usually depicted with a scorpion on her head and featured in spells to both avoid and cure venomous bites. Shed, a god known as 'the savior', was linked with the scorpion and gave protection against its sting. Tabitjet was another scorpion goddess, relating to the bleeding caused by the loss of virginity. The scorpion was sacred to Isis who was thought to have been protected by scorpions while Horus was young.

Snake  djdft - The snake had mixed popularity in Egypt because snakes caused the danger and the cure to the venom. Apep was a snake-demon of the underworld, who tried to stop Ra on his nightly journey through the land of the west. The four primeval goddesses of the Ogdoad - Naunet (water), Amaunet (invisibility), Hauhet (infinity) and Kauket (darkness) - were also snake goddesses. There was a snake god called Nehebkaw who was depicted as a man with the head and tail of a snake.

 Turtle  shtyw - The turtle was associated with Set, and so with the enemies of Ra who tried to stop the solar barque as it traveled through the underworld. This was because the turtle was associated with night, and so came to symbolize darkness and evil.

Vulture   nrt - sacred to Nekhbet, goddess of Upper Egypt and Mut, mother goddess. The vulture often holds the shn symbol of eternity in its talons, offering eternal protection to the pharaoh. As such, the vulture is closely linked to rulership.
 

The Uraeus is the serpent emblem found in Egyptian portrayals of Royalty and Deity. It is a symbol of divine authority, representing the Goddess Wedjat as the all seeing eye of Ra, who was believed to protect the Pharoahs by spitting fire, and the emblem of the Lower Kingdom of Egypt. According to legend, the Cobra was given to the pharoahs as a sign of kingship by the God Geb.
 
  Amulets and their history

 

 THE AMULET OF THE HEART,

The heart was not only the seat of the power of life, but also the source of both good and evil thoughts; and it sometimes typified the conscience. It was guarded after death with special care, and was mummified separately, and then, with the lungs, was preserved in a jar which was placed under the protection of the god Tuamutef. Its preservation was considered to be of such importance that a text was introduced into the Book of the Dead at an early period, with the view of providing the deceased with a heart in the place of that which had been removed in the process of mummification. The text reads:--

"May my heart be with me in the House of Hearts! May my breast be with me in the House of Hearts! May my heart be with me, and may it rest there, or I shall not eat of the cakes of Osiris on the eastern side of the Lake of Flowers, neither shall I have a boat wherein to go down the Nile, nor another wherein to go up, nor shall I be able to sail down the Nile with thee. May my mouth [be given] to me that I may speak therewith, and my two legs to walk therewith, and my two hands and arms to overthrow my foe. May the doors of heaven be opened unto me; may Seb, the prince of the gods, open wide his two jaws unto me; may he open my two eyes which are blindfolded; may he cause me to stretch apart my two legs which are bound together; and may Anpu (Anubis) make my thighs to be firm so that I may stand upon them. May the goddess Sekhet make me to rise so that I may ascend into heaven, and may that which I command in the House of the Ka of Ptah be done. I shall understand with my heart, I shall gain the mastery over my heart, I shall gain the mastery over my two hands, I shall gain the mastery over my legs, I shall have the power to do whatsoever my ka (i.e., double) pleaseth. My soul shall not be fettered to my body at the gates of the underworld, but I shall enter in and come forth in peace."

When the deceased had uttered these words, it was believed that he would at once obtain the powers which he wished to possess in the next world; when he had gained the mastery over his heart, the heart, the double, and the soul had the power to go where they wished and to do what they pleased. The mention of the god Ptah and of his consort Sekhet indicates that the Chapter was the work of the priests of Memphis, and that the ideas embodied in it are of great antiquity. According to the Papyrus of Nekhtu-Amen, the amulet of the heart, which is referred to in the above Chapter, was to be made of lapis-lazuli, and there is no doubt that this stone was believed to possess certain qualities which were beneficial to those who wore it. It will also be remembered that, according to one tradition,  the text of the LXIVth Chapter of the Book of the Dead was found written in letters of lapis-lazuli in the reign of Hesep-ti, king of Egypt about B.C. 4300, and the way in which the fact is mentioned in the Rubric to the Chapter proves that special importance was attached to it.

 

Nefer-uben-f, a priest, guarding his heart against the destroyer of hearts.
(From Naville, Todtenbuch, vol. I. plate 39.)

But although a heart might be given to a man by means of the above Chapter, it was necessary for the deceased to take the greatest care that it was not carried off from him by a monster, who was part man and part beast, and who went about seeking for hearts to carry away. To prevent such a calamity no less than seven Chapters of the Book of the Dead  were written. The XXVIIth Chapter was connected with a heart amulet made of a white, semi-transparent stone, and reads:--

"Hail, ye who carry away hearts! Hail, ye who steal hearts, and who make the heart of a man to go through its transformations according to its deeds, let not what he hath done harm him before you! Homage to you, O ye lords of eternity, ye possessors of ever lastingness, take ye not this heart of Osiris into your grasp, and cause ye not words of evil to spring up against it; for it is the heart of Osiris, and it belongeth unto him of many names,  the mighty one whose words are his limbs, and who sendeth forth his heart to dwell in his body. The heart of Osiris is triumphant, and it is made new before the gods: he hath gained power over it, and he hath not been judged according to what he hath done. He hath gotten power over his own members. His heart obeyeth him, he is the lord thereof, it is in his body, and it shall never fall away therefrom. I, Osiris, victorious in peace, and triumphant in the beautiful Amenta and on the mountain of eternity, bid thee [O heart] to be obedient unto me in the underworld."

Another Chapter (XXIXB) was connected with a heart amulet made of carnelian, of which so many examples may be found in large museums; the text reads: "I am the Bennu, the soul of Râ, and the guide of the gods who are in the underworld. Their divine souls came forth upon earth to do the will of their doubles, let therefore the soul of the Osiris come forth to do the will of his double." The Bennu was also the soul of Osiris, and thus the amulet brought with it the protection of both Osiris and Râ.

But of all the Chapters which related to the heart, the most popular among the Egyptians was that which is commonly known as XXXB, and its importance from a religious point of view cannot be overstated. The antiquity of the Chapter is undoubted, for according to the Papyrus of Nu,  a document of the early part of the XVIIIth dynasty, it dates from the time of Hesep-ti, king of Egypt about B.C. 4300, and it seems that it formed a pendant or supplement to the LXIVth Chapter, which professed to give the substance of all the "Chapters of Coming Forth by Day" in a single Chapter. In the rubric to the longer version of the Chapter, given in the same papyrus, Chapter XXXB is connected with Herutâtâf, the son of Khufu (Cheops), a man famed for wisdom, and it is there ordered that the words of it be recited over a hard, green stone scarab, which shall be laid in the breast of the deceased where the heart would ordinarily be; this amulet would then perform for him the "opening of the mouth,"  for the words of the Chapter would be indeed "words of power." From reciting the words of the Chapter over a scarab to engraving them upon it was but a step, and this step was taken as early as the IVth dynasty. The text is as follows:--

"My heart, my mother; my heart, my mother! My heart whereby I came into being! May naught stand up to oppose me at [my] judgment; may there be no opposition to me in the presence of the sovereign princes; may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of him that keepeth the Balance! Thou art my double (ka), the dweller in my body, the god Khnemu who knitteth and strengtheneth my limbs. Mayest thou come forth into the place of happiness whither we go. May the Shenit, who form the conditions of the lives of men, not make my name to stink. Let it be satisfactory unto us, and let the listening be satisfactory unto us, and let there be joy of heart unto us at the weighing of words. Let not that which is false be uttered against me before the great god, the lord of Amentet. Verily how great shalt thou be when thou risest in triumph."

It was this Chapter which the deceased recited when he was in the Judgment Hall of Osiris, whilst his heart was being weighed in the Balance against the feather symbolic of right and truth. From certain papyri it seems as if the above words should, properly, be said by the deceased when he is being weighed against his own heart, a conception which is quite different from that of the judgment of the heart before the gods.

 

The scribe Nebsent being weighed in a balance against his heart in the presence of Osiris.

 THE AMULET OF THE SCARAB,

From what has been said above it will be seen that the amulet of the heart, which was connected with the most important and most popular of the Chapters for protecting the heart, was directed to be made in the form of the scarab at a very early date. We can trace the ideas which the Egyptians held about this insect as far back as the time of the building of the Pyramids, and there is no doubt that they represented beliefs which even at that early period were very old. The Egyptian seems to have reasoned thus: since the physical heart is taken from the body before mummification, and the body has need of another to act as the source of life and movement in its new life, another must be put in its place. But a stone heart, whether made of lapis-lazuli or carnelian, is only a stone heart after all, and even though by means of prayers properly recited it prevents the physical heart from being carried off by "those who plunder hearts," it possesses nothing of itself which can be turned to account in giving new life and being to the body on which it lies. But the scarab or beetle itself possesses remarkable powers, and if a figure of the scarab be made, and the proper words of power be written upon it, not only protection of the dead physical heart, but also new life and existence will be given to him to whose body it is attached. Moreover, the scarab was the type and symbol of the god Khepera, the invisible power of creation which propelled the sun across the sky. The particular beetle chosen by the Egyptians to copy for amulets belongs to the family of dung-feeding Lamellicorns which live in tropical countries. The species are generally of a black hue, but amongst them are to be found some adorned with the richest metallic colours. A remarkable peculiarity exists in the structure and situation of the hind legs, which are placed so near the extremity of the body, and so far from each other, as to give the insect a most extraordinary appearance when walking. This peculiar formation is, nevertheless, particularly serviceable to its possessors in rolling the balls of excrementitious matter in which they enclose their eggs. These balls are at first irregular and soft, but, by degrees, and during the process of rolling along, become rounded and harder; they are propelled by means of the hind legs. Sometimes these balls are an inch and a half or two inches in diameter, and in rolling them along the beetles stand almost upon their beads, with the heads turned from the balls. These manÅ“uvres have for their object the burying of the balls in holes, which the insects have previously dug for their reception; and it is upon the dung thus deposited that the larvæ, when hatched, feed. It does not appear that these beetles have the ability to distinguish their own balls, as they will seize upon those belonging to another, in the case of their having lost their own; indeed, it is said that several of them occasionally assist in rolling the same ball. The males as well as the females assist in rolling the pellets. They fly during the hottest part of the day. Among the ancients several curious views were held about the scarab, whether of the type scarabæus sacer or the ateuchus Ægyptiorium,  and Ælian, Porphyry, and Horapollo declared that no female scarab existed. The last named writer stated that the scarab denoted "only begotten," because it was a creature self-produced, being unconceived by a female. He goes on to say that, having made a ball of dung, the beetle rolls it from east to west, and having dug a hole, he buries it in it for eight and twenty days; on the twenty-ninth day he opens the ball, and throws it into the water, and from it the scarabæi come forth. The fact that the scarab flies during the hottest part of the day made the insect to be identified with the sun, and the ball of eggs to be compared to the sun itself. The unseen power of God, made manifest under the form of the god Khepera, caused the sun to roll across the sky, and the act of rolling gave to the scarab its name kheper, i.e., "he who rolls." The sun contained the germs of all life, and as the insect's ball contained the germs of the young scarabs it was identified also with the sun as a creature which produced life in a special way. Now, the god Khepera also represented inert but living matter, which was about to begin a course of existence, and at a very early period he was considered to be a god of the resurrection; and since the scarab was identified with him that insect became at once the symbol of the god and the type of the resurrection. But the dead human body, from one aspect, contained the germ of life, that is to say, the germ of the spiritual body, which was called into being by means of the prayers that were recited and the ceremonies that were performed on the day of the funeral; from this point of view the insect's egg ball and the dead body were identical. Now, as the insect had given potential life to its eggs in the ball, so, it was thought, would a model of the scarab, itself the symbol of the god Khepera, also give potential life to the dead body upon which it was placed, always provided that the proper "words of power" were first said over it or written upon it. The idea of "life" appears to have attached itself to the scarab from time immemorial in Egypt and the Eastern Sûdân, for to this day the insect is dried, pounded, and mixed with water, and then drunk by women who believe it to be an unfailing specific for the production of large families. In ancient days when a man wished to drive away the effects of every kind of sorcery and incantations he might do so by cutting off the head and wings of a large beetle, which he boiled and laid in oil. The head and wings were then warmed up and steeped in the oil of the âpnent serpent, and when they had been once more boiled the man was to drink the mixture. The amulet of the scarab has been found in Egypt in untold thousands, and the varieties are exceedingly numerous. They are made of green basalt, green granite, limestone, green marble, blue paste, blue glass, purple, blue and green glazed porcelain, etc.; and the words of power are usually cut in outline on the base. In rare instances, the scarab has a human face or head, and sometimes the backs are inscribed with figures of the boat of Râ, of the Bennu bird, "the soul of Râ," and of the eye of Horus. The green stone scarabs are often set in gold, and have a band of gold across and

 

The scribe Ani holding a necklace with pectoral, on which is a figure of the boat of Râ containing a scarab, or beetle, in the presence of Anubis, the god of the dead.

down the back where the wings join; sometimes the whole back is gilded, and sometimes the base is covered with a plate of gold upon which the words of power have been stamped or engraved. Occasionally the base of the scarab is made in the form of a heart, a fact which proves the closeness of the relationship which existed between the amulets of the heart and scarab. In late times, that is to say about B.C. 1200, large funeral scarabs were set in pylon-shaped pectorals, made of porcelain of various colours, upon which the boat of the Sun was either traced in colours or worked in relief, and the scarab is placed so as to appear to be carried in the boat; on the left stands Isis and on the right Nephthys. The oldest green stone funeral scarab known to me is in the British Museum it was found at Kûrna near Thebes and belongs to the period of the XIth dynasty, about B.C. 2600. The name of the man for whom it was made (he appears to have been an official of the Temple of Amen) was traced on it in light coloured paint which was afterwards varnished; there are no "words of power" on this interesting object.  When once the custom of burying scarabs with the bodies of the dead became recognized, the habit of wearing them as ornaments by the living came into fashion, and as a result scarabs of almost every sort and kind may be found by the thousand in many collections, and it is probable that the number of varieties of them was only limited by the ability of those who manufactured them in ancient days to invent new sorts. The use of the scarab amulet passed into Western Asia and into several countries which lay on the Mediterranean, and those who wore it seem to have attached to it much the same idea as its early inventors, the Egyptians. From a Greek magical papyrus translated by Goodwin we may see that certain solemn ceremonies were performed over a scarab before it was worn, even in the period of the rule of the Greeks and Romans. Thus about the "ring of Horus" and the "ceremony of the beetle" we are told to take a beetle, sculptured as described below, and to place it on a paper table, and under the table there shall be a pure linen cloth; under it put some olive wood, and set on the middle of the table a small censer wherein myrrh and kyphi shall be offered. And have at hand a small vessel of chrysolite into which ointment of lilies, or myrrh, or cinnamon, shall be put, and take the ring and lay it in the ointment, having first made it pure and clean, and offer it up in the censer with kyphi and myrrh; leave the ring for three days, and take it out and put it in a safe place. At the celebration let there lie near at hand some pure loaves, and such fruits as are in season, and having made another sacrifice upon vine sticks, during the sacrifice take the ring out of the ointment, and anoint thyself with the unction from it. Thou shalt anoint thyself early in the morning, and turning towards the east shalt pronounce the words written below. The beetle shall be carved out of a precious emerald; bore it and pass a gold wire through it, and beneath the beetle carve the holy Isis, and having consecrated it as above written, use it. The proper days for the celebration were the 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 21st, 24th, and 25th, from the beginning of the month; on other days abstain. The spell to be recited began, "I am Thoth," the inventor and founder of medicines and letters; "come to me, thou that art under the earth, rise up to me, thou great spirit."

 THE AMULET OF THE BUCKLE

This amulet represents the buckle of the girdle of Isis, and is usually made of carnelian, red jasper, red glass, and of other substances of a red colour; it is sometimes made of gold, and of substances covered with gold. It is always associated with the CLVIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead, which is frequently inscribed upon it, and which reads:--"The blood of Isis, and the strength of Isis, and the words of power of Isis shall be mighty to act as powers to protect this great and divine being, and to guard him from him that would do unto him anything that he holdeth in abomination." But before the buckle was attached to the neck of the deceased, where the rubric ordered it to be placed, it had to be dipped in water in which ânkham flowers had been steeped; and when the words of the Chapter of the Buckle given above had been recited over it, the amulet brought to the deceased the protection of the blood of Isis, and of her words of power. It will be remembered that she raised the dead body of Osiris by means of her words of power, and there is a legend to the effect that she smote the Sun-god Râ with severe sickness by the magical power which she possessed. Another object of the buckle was to give the deceased access to every place in the underworld, and to enable him to have "one hand towards heaven, and one hand towards earth."

THE AMULET OF THE TET.

This amulet probably represents the tree trunk in which the goddess Isis concealed the dead body of her husband, and the four cross-bars indicate the four cardinal points; it became a symbol of the highest religious importance to the Egyptians, and the setting up of the Tet at Busiris, which symbolized the reconstituting of the body of Osiris, was one of the most solemn of all the ceremonies performed in connexion with the worship of Osiris. The Tet represents neither the mason's table nor a Nilometer, as some have thought, It is always associated with the CLVth Chapter of the Book of the Dead, which reads:--"Rise up thou, O Osiris! Thou hast thy backbone, O Still-Heart! Thou hast the fastenings of thy neck and back, O Still-Heart! Place thou thyself upon

 

The mummy of Ani the scribe, lying on a bier, attended by Isis, Nephthys, Anubis, the four children of Horus, the ushabti figure, his soul, the TET, etc..thy base, I put water beneath thee, and I bring unto thee a Tet of gold that thou mayest rejoice therein."Like the buckle, the Tet had to be dipped in the water in which ânkham flowers had been steeped, and laid upon the neck of the deceased, to whom it gave the power to reconstitute the body and to become a perfect KHU (i.e., spirit) in the underworld. On coffins the right hand of the deceased grasps the buckle, and the left the Tet; both are made of wood, notwithstanding the fact that the rubric to the Chapter of the Te orders the Tet to be made of gold.

. THE AMULET OF THE PILLOW,

This amulet is a model of the pillow which is found placed under the neck of the mummy in the coffin, and its object is to "lift up" and to protect the head of the deceased; it is usually made of hæmatite, and is inscribed with the text of the CLXVIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead, which reads:--"Thou art lifted up, O sick one that liest prostrate. They lift up thy head to the horizon, thou art raised up, and dost triumph by reason of what hath been done for thee. Ptah hath overthrown thine enemies, which was ordered to be done for thee. Thou art Horus, the son of Hathor, . . . who givest back the head after the slaughter. Thy head shall not be carried away from thee after [the slaughter], thy head shall never, never be carried away from thee."

 THE AMULET OF THE VULTURE,

This amulet was intended to cause the power of Isis as the "divine mother" to be a protection for the deceased, and was made of gold in the form of a vulture hovering in the air with outstretched wings and holding in each talon the symbol of "life"  and was placed on the neck on the day of the funeral. With this amulet the CLVIIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead was associated, and it was ordered by the rubric to it to be recited over it; this text reads:--"Isis cometh and hovereth over the city, and she goeth about seeking the secret habitations of Horus as he emergeth from his papyrus swamps, and she raiseth up his shoulder which is in evil case. He is made one of the company in the divine boat, and the sovereignty of the whole world is decreed for him. He hath warred mightily, and he maketh his deeds to be remembered; he hath made the fear of him to exist and awe of him to have its being. His mother the mighty lady, protecteth him, and she hath transferred her power unto him." The first allusion is to the care which Isis shewed for Horus when she was bringing him up in the papyrus swamps, and the second to his combat with Set, whom he vanquished through the might of Isis.

THE AMULET OF THE COLLAR OF GOLD,

This amulet was intended to give the deceased power to free himself from his swathings; it is ordered by the rubric to the CLVIIIth Chapter of the Book of the Dead to be placed on his neck on the day of the funeral, and to be made of gold. The text of the Chapter reads:--"O my father, my brother, my mother Isis, I am unswathed, and I see. I am one of those who are unswathed and who see the god Seb." This amulet is very rare, and appears to have been the expression of beliefs which grew up in the period of the XXVIth dynasty, about B.C. 550.

 THE AMULET OF THE PAPYRUS SCEPTRE,

This amulet was intended to give the deceased vigour and renewal of youth; it was made of mother-of-emerald, or of light green or blue porcelain, and, when the words of the CLIXth Chapter of the Book of the Dead had been recited over it, it was placed on his neck on the day of the funeral. In the XXVIth dynasty and later it seems as if the amulet represented the power of Isis, who derived it from her father, the husband of Renenet, the goddess of abundant harvests and food. At an earlier period, judging from the text of the CLXth Chapter, the amulet is put by the god Thoth into the hands of the deceased, who says, "It is in sound state, and I am in sound state; it is not injured, and I am not injured; it is not worn away, and I am not worn away."

 THE AMULET OF THE SOUL,

This amulet was made of gold inlaid with precious stones in the form of a human-headed hawk, and, when the words of the LXXXIXth Chapter of the Book of the Dead had been recited over it, it was directed by the rubric to the Chapter to be placed upon the breast of the deceased. The object of the amulet is apparent from the text in which the deceased is made to say, "Hail, thou god Anniu! Hail, thou god Pehrer, who dwellest in thy hall! Grant thou that my soul may come unto me from wheresoever it may be. If it would tarry, then let my soul be brought unto me from wheresoever it may be. . . . Let me have possession of my soul and of my spirit, and let me be true of voice with them wheresoever they may be. . . . Hail, ye gods, who tow along the boat of the lord of millions of years, who bring it above the underworld, and who make it to travel over Nut, who make souls to enter into their spiritual bodies, . . . grant that the soul of the Osiris "may come forth before the gods, and that it may be true of voice with you in the east of the sky, and follow unto the place where it was yesterday, and enjoy twofold peace in Amentet. May it look upon its natural body, may it rest upon its spiritual body, and may its body neither perish nor suffer corruption for ever!" Thus the amulet of the soul was intended to enable the soul both to unite with the mummified body, and to be with its spirit (khu) and spiritual body at will.

 

Crook (Sceptre. Was Sceptre)
 
Symbol of Guardianship.
The symbolism of the crook is similar to that of the stick and its derivatives, namely; power and authority. The royal Egyptian symbol was called heka when it was in the shape of a shepherd's crook, and was when it had the head of a canine animal and a two pronged base. The triple sceptre was made up of a whip, a staff and stick, representing domination over matter, control of feeling and domination of thought. It is a symbol of the central axis, like the king himself, the intermediary between god and his subjects, a guarantee of peace and justice. The royal symbol of the kings was adopted from the god Osiris and the ancient shepherd deity, Andjeti. It denoted Pharaoh's role as guardian of the People of the Nile. The crook and flail were used in all royal ceremonies and were part of the mortuary regalia of the kings, ensuring the continued welfare of the deseased in the Afterlife.

 

The crook was carried by kings, gods and high officials. It derived from a shepherd's staff, and in this form, it was carried by Anedijti, the shepherd god. Later, it was depicted as a smaller sceptre, and it came to denote the carrier as a 'ruler'. The crook is often depicted being held with the flail across the chest. Opinions differ regarding the origin of this symbol, it possibly representing a shepherd's whip or a fly-whisk. It was associated with the gods Osiris and Min, but when carried by kings it symbolised authority, hence the combination with the crook denoting the 'authority and power of the ruler'.

 Designed to resemble the eye of a falcon, this symbol is called the Eye of Ra or Eye of Horus represents the right eye of the Egyptian Falcon God Horus. As the udjat (or utchat), it represented the sun, and was associated with the Sun God Ra (Re).

The mirror image, or left eye, represented the moon, and the God Tehuti (Thoth). (A very similar concept of the sun and moon as eyes appears in many religious traditions)

According to legend, the left eye was torn from Horus by his murderous brother Seth, and magically restored by Thoth, the God of magick. After the restoration, some stories state, Horus made a gift of the eye to Osiris, which allowed this solar deity to rule the underworld. The story of this injury is probably an allusion to the phases of the moon as the eye which is "torn out" every month.

Together, the eyes represent the whole of the universe, a concept similar to that of the Taoist Yin-yang symbol. Spiritually, the right eye reflects solar, masculine energy, as well as reason and mathematics. The left eye reflects fluid, feminine, lunar energy, and rules intuition and magick. Together, they represent the combined, transcendent power of Horus.

The Eye of Horus was believed to have healing and protective power, and it was used as a protective amulet, and as a medical measuring device, using the mathematical proportions of the eye to determine the proportions of ingredients in medical preparations) to prepare medications.

The Masonic all seeing eye, the Eye of Providence symbol found on American money, and our modern Rx pharmaceutical symbol are all descended from the Eye of Horus.

 

the EYE OF HORUS (udjat, wadjet)
 Appearance: The udjat is depicted as a human eye and eyebrow as they would be seen looking at a person full-faced. The eye is decorated with the markings that adorn the eyes of hawks.

Usually, it is the right eye shown as the udjat, although the left is not uncommon. This is probably because of another myth that say that the sun and the moon were the right (sun) and left (moon) eyes of the sky god and the sun is seen as more powerful.

As an amulet, it was often fashioned out of blue or green faience or from semi-precious stones.

Meaning: Also known as the Eye of Horus or the wadjet, this eye is a symbol of the god Horus as both the son of Osiris and Isis and as the sun-god. Egyptian myths state that Horus lost his left eye in his war with Seth to avenge the death of his father. Seth tore the eye into pieces. The left eye, being the moon was discovered by Thoth (the god of wisdom and magic) lying in pieces, but he was able to reassemble them into the full moon.  Having been reassembled, Thoth gave the Eye to Horus. Horus, in turn, gave the eye to his murdered father Osiris, thereby bringing him back to life.

The reverence shown to parents is one of the virtues symbolized by the udjat, and the amulet could be used as a substitute for any of the offerings an eldest son was supposed to provide daily at his father's tomb. It was believed to ward of sickness and capable of bringing the dead to life (as it did with Osiris). The eye was also placed in the wrappings of the mummies over the incision where the embalmers removed the internal organs. Damaging the body in any way was considered bad luck for the deceased, and the Egyptians hoped to protect it by placing the amulet over the cut.
 
 Cartouche

Sign for Encircling Protection
In the form of a knotted rope it was used to enclose the royal name of the pharaoh; the cartouche signified the concept of encircling protection. The cartouche may also have symbolised the universe being circled by the sun. Even the sarcophagus of some of the 18-19th dynasty pharaohs take on this shape and some tombs are also cartouche shaped, eg Tuthmoses III, affording the king that extra protection.

 

In the ancient world of Egypt, cartouche hieroglyphics were used to form an oval plaque representing the birth name of pharaohs, queens and other persons of high standing. A line was placed at the end of the oval, indicating the royal stature of the person whose name it represented. Egyptian pharaohs typically had five names, one which was bestowed upon them at birth and another four names that were not given until they took the throne. The final four names were bestowed upon the king to officially commemorate his transformation from a mortal to a deity. The birth name of the pharaoh seems to have remained very prominent in the pharaoh's life. It was the birth name that was primarily used in the cartouche and the name by which the pharaoh was most commonly known.Cartouche hieroglyphics were not introduced into Egyptian society until the Fourth Dynasty, when they were instituted by King Snerfu. The Egyptians did not refer to these ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics as cartouche, this name was given to the royal nameplates by Napoleon's soldiers. Instead, the Egyptians called the oblong plaque shenu.

Prior to the introduction of the cartouche, the serekh was used to signify Egyptian royalty. The serekh was used from the earliest dates of the Egyptian kingdoms and almost always ancient Egyptian symbols referencing the god Horus, who was thought to be the protector of the king, his palace and all its inhabitants.

The Importance of Hieroglyphics and Cartouche
It was believed that this type of nameplate, consisting of an oval encircling Egyptian symbols, would protect the person or site where it was placed. Archeologists have discovered that it was quite customary to place cartouche hieroglyphics upon tombs of ancient Egyptian royalty. This custom has greatly facilitated the identification of tombs and the mummies that lie within.
Due to the protective qualities thought to be contained within cartouche hieroglyphics, jewelry was also often engraved with these Egyptian hieroglyphics. Jewelry with hieroglyphics and cartouche remain in demand today.
 
 

Sphinx
 
Sign of Wisdom and Protection
With a human head, body of a beast, the sphinx had access to all wisdom and stength and symbolised the riddle of human existence.

 Shen
 
Sign for the Eternity of the Universe
Circle of rope denoting infinity, often associated with the god, Horus. It was commonly used decoratively in pendants, earrings, rings and necklaces. The cartouche is the elongated form of the shen symbol.

 Pyramid
Symbol of Ascension
As a certain amount of astronomical observation was involved in the building of the pyramids, in particular the precise alignment with the cardinal points, it is believed the pyramid was a representation of the world's axis, with the body of the structure symbolising man's ascent to the heavenly skies - in particular, Pharaoh's ascension to Heaven and the Afterlife. It has also been proposed that the pyramid may have symoblised the sloping rays of the sun as a source of eternal strength and energy. Or it could have been designed to represent the Primeval Mound of Creation on which the sun-god was said to have been born.

 

Ouroboros ( Auroboros )

Sign of Totality
The snake swallowing its own tail represents; rebirth, immortality, the round of existence, evolution, continuity, and perpetual movement of the universe. It symbolises unity and infinity, with no beginning and no end. The cycle of day and night, life and death, heaven and earth, good and evil are all represented by the endless turning on itself. A symbol in both Egyptian and Greek mythology.

 

 

Lotus

Sign for Rebirth
The emblem of Upper Egypt. Temple pillars often have lotus carved capitals. The lotus was symbolic of rebirth, since one of the creation myths describes how the new born sun god rose out of a floating lotus. To celebrate this occurrance there was a hymn sung in the temple on festival days, the Lotus Offering, especially at the cult centre of Edfu. The blue lotus was also the emblem of the god Nefertem; 'The Lord of Perfume'. The lotus also appears to have been strongly connected with enjoyment and sensuality.

 

 

Frog
 
 
Symbol of Fertility and Regeneration.
The frog had several Egyptian names but the most commonly used was kerer which represented the sound of a frog. The life cycle of the frog, which of course included the tadpole (hefner) stage, became the hieroglyph for 100,000, and it often decorated the shen ring (see below) thereby wishing Pharaoh a 100,000 year reign. Heket, the goddess of childbirth, particularly in the final stages of labour, was the diety most closely associated with the frog. Plus four of the eight gods connected with the creation legend were said to have frog faces. These were Heh, Kek, Nun and Amun. As such, the frog was also thought of as 'the emblem of chaos', of primal matter, wet and unformed - the symbol of unformed man. Frogs were carried as talismans and were often placed within the wrappings of mummies as magical amulets to ensure rebirth for the deseased.