The Goddess: Hathor

A wild horned cow goddess of eternal love, Hathor also signified happiness and glad tidings throughout the Egyptian kingdom. She was also the god of happiness and good tidings, apart from acting as the custodian of women, dance, and music. In the early images and paintings available in the texts, she wears the head of the cow or also as a woman wearing the wild horns of the cow. He also represented things like papyrus reeds, the snakes, and a rattle named sistrum.

Working with the Goddess Hathor

If you do some research, you will soon realize that Hathor is one of the most well known and loved figures of the ancient Egyptian pantheon of deities.  Aside from being a nurturing figure equivalent to Isis, she is also known as a protective and creative goddess.  This includes being a patroness of musical and artistic pursuits as well as matters related to fertility.  

General Description of Hathor

Throughout Egyptian history,  Hathor was described as being a woman with a sun disk and two cows horns sitting on her head.  She is also often symbolized by a cow or two feathers. It is important to note that the Egyptians did not include Hathor in the Apis cult.  The latter was dedicated to bulls, or male cattle, while Hathor was depicted by female bovines.  Interestingly enough, Hathor was also known to take the identity of other deities. For example, she could assume the role of Sekhmet for the purpose of vanquishing enemies or destroying those who meant harm to the pharaoh.

Importance Outside of Ancient Egypt

Aside from having robust and long-standing popularity in Egypt, Hathor was also worshiped in Canaan and Greece.  As time went on, the myths associated with Hathor became synonymous with Aphrodite.  By the time the Romans co-opted Aphrodite into Venus, there was little, if any remnants of Hathor.  Nevertheless, as we learn more about the history and lineage of deities, the true divine feminine power of Hathor once again reflects both the power of love and its capacity to protect and nurture humanity.

Why Hathor is Important Today

It is fair to say that women in the modern world constantly struggle for a sense of identity.  No matter how hard women try, they must either become more masculine or remain trapped in cycles where being “feminine” means having stereotypical emotional and mental responses.   On the other side of the equation, healthy emotional love, and the power of the protective feminine forces are as misunderstood as they are unrecognized.  In that sense, Hathor represents a welcome path to rediscovering the divine feminine and the true equality and balance that it has with the primal male force. 

Working With Hathor in Rituals and Magic

As with several other gods and goddesses found in the Egyptian pantheon, you should be prepared for a few surprises.  In particular, you should never simply assume that Hathor will keep the same spiritual signatures, let alone assume that she is not capable of possession.  You will need to make sure that you fully understand the benefits of merging with or connecting with this deity as well as the risks.  If you are truly committed to working with Hathor, you should take the time to learn how to access the spiritual realms safely as well as function there in a responsible manner.

Over the years, a number of archaeologists have provided evidence of matrilineal cultures, as well as ones where women were more powerful than men.  There is no question that ancient Egypt represents one of the cultures where women enjoyed far more freedom and power than contemporaries in other areas.  Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the Egyptians looked to Hathor as one of the most powerful and respectable deities in their pantheon.  No matter whether she assumed the form of Sekhmet to defeat enemies of the pharaoh or helped a woman in childbirth, it is safe to say that Hathor touched every single area of life in ancient Egypt. As a result, if you are interested in working with her in a responsible way, she can easily be a powerful ally that helps you in every area of life.  

The Power of Hathor Ritual

If you would like to use the Powers of Hathor to your benefit, I highly recommend the Power of Hathor Ritual. It is one of the strongest love spells available to mankind and can solve the hardest and most complex problems effectively. This special love spell will be customized to your exact needs and wishes. Contact me for details.

A Look at History

Very early in the Egyptian myth, she was the mother of Horus; her name, Hathor means the “house of Horus”, which provides us a clue of her link with Horus. The queen of Egypt identified very closely with Hathor, as the queen was the mother to the mighty pharaoh, who is also the living Horus. Legend also provides us an invaluable clue about the immortal power of Hathor; as soon as a child took his birth, seven important Hathors used to come near the bedside to foretell the future and the hour of death of the just born child. Hathors were so considerate that they always used to exchange the ill-fated child with a more fortunate child that lived longer and happier. The group of sisters, as Egyptians knew Hathors, always played tambourines and wore disks and horns of Hathor.

However, The Story of Re tells us that she was the child created by her father Re as Sekhmet, who was the destroyer of men disobedient to the father. After being distressed by seeing the killings, he wanted to stop her from killing too many men, but she went on with her habit of killing without any mercy. As a final effort, Re disguised beer in the form of blood and offered his daughter the pitcher containing beer. As soon as Hathor drank the pitcher full of beer, she became intoxicated and forgot to kill men; later, Hathor became the great goddess of love and affection. She was active in the parts of Dendera, where she was the goddess of rebirth and fertility, while in the great city of Thebes she was the goddess of death!

Quote

Hathor (ḥwt-ḥr, Egyptian for Horus’s enclosure), was an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt…

Quote Source: Wikipedia

Hathor Correspondences

• The Goddess of Love, the Sky, the Sun and Mirth
• Sacred Animals: Cattle, Gazelle, Cat, Hippo, Snake, Vulture, Lion
• Gemstone: Malachite, turquoise
• Color: Red
• Metal: Gold, Copper
• Number: 4
• Planets: Pluto, Sun
• Zodiac: Leo, Taurus
• Plants: Myrrh tea, date palm, fig, henna
• Element: Air
• Patron of: Sun, Women, Mothers, Universe, Dancers, Children, Musicians, Pharaohs, Miners.
• Spheres of Influence: Arts, Astrology, Beauty, Children, Childbirth, Dance, Family, Femininity, Fertility, Flowers, Foreign Lands, Joy, Love, Mining, Moon, Motherhood, Music, Pleasure, Prosperity, Pregnancy, Sexuality, Sky.
• Festivals
  • August 7th (New Year)
  • September 17th (Hathor’s Birthday, Festival of Het Heret)
  • November 2nd (The Plucking of the Papyrus for Hathor)
• Offerings: Cows, Cosmetics, Horns-and-Sundisk Headdress, Menat (a type of ritual necklace possibly used for percussive music), Mirrors, Sandalwood, and Rose Incense, Sistrum (a type of rattle), Papyrus Reed.

Image Credit: “Hathor” by Jeff Dahl – Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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