chapter 8
Hathor shakes her sistrum to chase away bad spirits; here, everything is safe. It is a walled garden, a sanctuary from evil. Children play insulated from harm, enfolded in her motherly love. Ribbons of scent unravel on the breeze: flowers and honey, freshly baked cakes, and rich dairy foods promise pleasure in futurity.
Hathor rattles her silvery sistrum and creates rhythmic music the small children dance to.
Her heavy cow’s head, long-lashed and smooth of line, nods in mild approval of the scene. Brown eyes reflect no sentiment, just a simple natural warmth and the will to gently protect. Her expression is opaque as milk, pure mystery of the mother-goddess.
The red-brown earth is rich as cake, and even difficulties here are made palatable. Hathor has designed her domain to delight. Plants and vegetables of all shades of green flow from their carefully nurtured furrows and beds, and they are graced by flowers and butterflies of entrancing color.
Frothy orchard trees grow at the base of one giant sacred sycamore—Lady Hathor’s den. Here she comes to consider those from whom life has been taken; here she brings foodstuffs and gifts for the untimely dead.
Nobody who supplicates Hathor will go without; she makes it a point of honor to give whenever asked. Beauty belongs to her, and it is her will to share it. In return, she asks only that her protégés be equally generous of self and that they too offer practical help to those in need. Need is anathema to Hathor: she would eradicate it if only the gods would permit.
Her rivals continually evoke imbalanced desire in humankind to tip the scales of Ma’at that she keenly observes. Still, Hathor and her kind will give and suckle and fortify and cushion and nurture until it is proven that the milk of kindness can never run dry. Milk is a better substance than blood, at least in Lady Hathor’s spellbook; blood can augur death while milk means life. Thus, she hopes to prove her loving point.
Hathor is one of the oldest Egyptian deities; she is sometimes represented as a woman wearing the horns of a cow on her head between which rests a solar disc, or else she has cow’s ears. However, she is more often to be found as a chimera goddess with the body of a human female and the entire head and neck of a cow. Cattle were revered in ancient Egypt for the same reason they are sacred in Hindu belief—their unquestioning beneficence. They provide their young and thereby us too with milk, the most obvious symbol of motherhood; they aid agricultural labor, fertilize the earth with their manure, and their providence seems unconditional like a mother’s love.
Hathor presides over conception and childbirth and is primarily a goddess of women. In the Coffin Texts of the Middle Kingdom, Hathor is called Great Mother, the Primeval, the Lady of All, and is said to live on Truth or Ma’at. Although many deities such as Nut, Isis, and even Sekhmet are attributed this archetypal role at times, her connection with Ra’s epoch of power, her solar disk headdress, and her night-sky-colored skin in early depictions suggest Hathor’s greater antiquity as such. She is Patroness of the Pharaoh and was considered to sustain him with her divine nourishment, just as she suckled Horus in his infancy. In accessing the Hathor within, we can tap into the eternally compassionate and unquestioningly loyal side of our natures, particularly into divine maternal love.
Another name for Hathor is “Mother of Light,” an appellation that underlines her life-giving properties. It was she who gave the souls of the dead the sustenance they required beyond the grave, so that they might live on and eventually return to be reborn. She wears a menat necklace symbolizing this regeneration. As a counsel of seven cows, Hathor determined the incarnational lessons of each soul and the circumstances required to facilitate them. She often appears as the Lady of the Sycamore Tree; this tree is said to have surrounded the body of Osiris when it was eventually washed ashore (in other versions it is tamarind). Many Egyptian coffins were made of sycamore in respect of this connection, a wood associated through Hathor and Isis with the properties of resurrection.
In the typical Egyptian manner, Hathor is both the daughter and wife of Ra, the supreme solar deity and master of magick until Isis supplanted him. Together they produce an aspect of Horus symbolized by the rising and setting of the sun: his diurnal regeneration. In other texts, Hathor is the wife of Horus, his parentage being of Isis and Osiris. As the son of the latter, other traits of Horus are emphasized, of personality and spiritual development. Hathor is connected with the physical dimension of the god and mistress of growth and its limits.
Just as the pharaoh became the living Horus, the queen became an incarnation of Hathor. Again, she functions as both his mother and his lover. It has been conjectured that in performing both of these roles, Hathor symbolically transcends all sexuality; conversely, it cannot be ignored that Egyptian mythology (and its history) is replete with incestuous relationships.
A much fiercer aspect of this generally benevolent goddess is her transformation into Sekhmet. Mythologically speaking, Hathor becomes the “Eye of Ra” and watches the transgressions of mortals from a solar vantage point. When roused by their vile behavior and their insulting of the gods, particularly of Ra, whom they call “old,” she transforms into Sekhmet, the bloodthirsty lioness whose wrath and bloodlust is so great that her feet become red from wading in the blood of the enemies of Divine Order. This is highly reminiscent of gentle Parvati’s transformation into Kali. Once her ire is roused, Hathor-Sekhmet can only be assuaged by trickery—alcohol colored red to resemble blood, which she thus drinks and falls asleep, thereby curtailing her slaughter. For his part, Ra is shocked that he has been unable to control his own kin, indicating his perceived decrepitude and outmoded rule at this point in Egyptian history.
The deities Hathor and Sekhmet may seem distinct and separate today, but their previous interplay reflects how deep still waters can run … and how far a tranquil personality can go when pushed. The divine Hathor is, however, an antithesis of Sekhmet: the ancient Egyptians were famously dualistic in stance. (For more on this, see for example the relationship between Isis and Nephthys.)
Hathor’s personal history is conversely devoid of complexity; though she may be coupled with other goddesses such as Nut and Isis, as an individual deity she exudes simplicity. She is, one could almost say, the fact of life, as well as its sustainer. She presides over love, music, joy, creativity and the harmonious domicile. As a deity to whom to appeal, she is eminently suited to long-term projects and can help us bring our ideas to fruition.
Many of us experience moods in which we feel suddenly inspired toward some definite goal, be it writing a novel, taking a university course, or bringing a child into the world. We usually feel strongly about it for a while, often long enough to initiate the scheme, but how often does the inspiration die in infancy? All too often we are left with a few chapters under the bed or on an old hard drive, a lot of boring work we don’t want to be bothered with, or a lifestyle whose compromise we resent. It isn’t that we’ve made the wrong choice or committed ourselves in the heat of the moment, it’s that we’ve lost track of the original inspirational plan. We’ve failed to nurture the seed we have sown.
It is ourselves—especially the Higher Self—we let down when we fail to maintain our dreams. This is a very understandable and common stumbling block; mundanity is often a stronger force than insight or foresight. However, it would be much easier and more positive to be consistent in application of self; Hathor, the most stable and giving figure in the Egyptian pantheon, can help.
Approaching Hathor: Preparation
Unlike the case with many other godforms, to become properly attuned to Hathor it is important to be well earthed. She is indeed a very down-to-earth goddess. An outside walk, some gardening or cooking or any other gentle, practical pursuit can help align you to the wavelength of this Goddess of
Beneficence.
Presumably, you have already decided what it is you want to nurture. Ensure it is something of a viable nature—if it is a difficult quest, but something you really wish to attain, fine; if it is totally illogical and lacking in practical foundation, however, Hathor energy will laugh you off. If you have decided your scheme is definitely within the realms of possibility, it is time to present your case to this kind and obdurate deity.
There is no need for breathing exercises or auric aerobics prior to this visualization; they will only put you in an overly mystical frame of mind. Instead, think of the most matriarchal woman you know; not the battle ax variety, but the strong, stable sort who makes sure she protects her own (usually, her family). These women are sometimes lacking in imagination and do not suffer “fools” gladly: i.e., ironically, those of us with unusual inclinations such as high-flying spiritual ideals. Do not be duped into thinking Hathor women are slow, far from it. They demonstrate a shrewd intelligence, particularly when it comes to social politics and money. They can steer the course of their often more creative and dreamy partners, and they are very successful as captains of large family ships. They provide the foundations on which their more expressive offspring flourish. As such, encountering Hathor herself will not lessen your creativity but rather, will help you provide a more stable base from which your creativity can reach new heights. It follows that the more earthed you wish to be, the more you should meditate on this most solid of goddesses.
Visualization for Nurturing a Project
Approach this visualization in a frank and determined frame of mind. You know what you want to do; ensure that you have the power to endure in your endeavor.
Hathor is standing in a kitchen, tending to numerous pots on the stove. Children’s voices can be heard in the next room and outside, chattering and laughing. The smell of baking bread permeates the room. Outside, the window branches hang heavy with apples ripening in the sun; flowers overflow their beds. There is a beautifully maintained vegetable garden in the foreground. The house is filled with an atmosphere of well-being.
Hathor glows with a deep yellow aura and halo. The effulgent goddess has the body of a stout human woman, representing her higher intelligence and sublime productivity, but her head and shoulders are those of a cow. A glow is visible on her cheeks. She seems very human but is blessed with a rare tranquility. Her eyes are superficially bovine—certainly imperturbable—but in their reddish-brown depths is a spark of sharp intelligence, of the power to defend. It is intelligence and force in reserve, however.
From her flow astral sustenance as well as physical well-being; she delivers a promise of a bright, safe future. Try to stabilize your own astral body and imagine yourself with your feet planted firmly in Hathor’s green garden; your roots extend down from the soles deep into the earth. Feel the power of the earth flowing up into your body, coursing through your veins.
Envision your plan as a small plant or shrub.
Hathor sees you in the garden and comes out to greet you; she wipes her hands on her apron as she emerges.
Stand planted firmly opposite this chimerical goddess. Feel the change in your vibrational rate as it slows to a steady, rudimentary beat. Speak to her mentally in any way you feel inclined. See how she responds. In the event that the response is unfavorable, go away and reconsider your project. Perhaps you can reformat your request into something more acceptable to this most utilitarian of deities.
Still envisioning your project as a sapling, admire Hathor’s garden with its fertile soil and flourishing greenery. Communicate your appreciation to her as you do so. Again, listen for any comments and feedback you may get. They may prove useful regarding the concept at hand.
Look again at your young plant and consider how well it would do if installed in Hathor’s own verdant garden! Taking as long as you need to explain your cause, ask Hathor if you may plant it here. If she assents, you are halfway to success already.
Envelop your plant in the yellowy aura you have developed in emulation of Hathor’s. Send energy to its base and plant it in the soil. Watch as it takes root; the deeper they go, the more definite a place it has in futurity.
Extend your aura and water your plant in whatever way suits you; a jug, or a sudden shower—whatever you prefer—and send it your devotion. Promise to tend to it every day, and to make practical moves in the outside world to bring it to the height of its manifestation. Ask Hathor to tend to it while you are away in the material world. While she babysits your dreamchild, you can create the physical channels to bring it into being.
To really ensure success, visit your “plant” every morning; nurture it and watch it grow. Sometimes it might seem germinal, in which case you need to pump more energy into it. At other times, it will reflect your effort and soon-to-be circumstances by appearing leafy and lustrous. Make sure that every time you visit it, you leave it larger than it was when you arrived; thank Hathor for tending it in your absence. Your dreams will surely come to fruition.