The Egyptian Myth of Isis and Osiris
Lansdowne, Zachary F.
The Esoteric Quarterly, Volume 4, Number 2. Summer (2008)
Abstract
The ancient Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris appears to be a dramatic tale of betrayal and revenge: Isis is the wife of Osiris, king of Egypt; Osiris is killed by his brother Seth; Horus, who is the son of Isis and Osiris, later fights with and defeats Seth. This myth, however, has a hidden, or esoteric, meaning. We will show that its hidden meaning is a detailed description of the spiritual journey and that this description is consistent with the modern treatment of that journey given by Alice A. Bailey.
Ancient Egyptian Myths
Helena P. Blavatsky (1831–1891), cofounder of the Theosophical Society, believed that ancient myths contained concealed truths. She wrote: “Myths… are now proved to be fables, just in proportion as we misunderstand them; truths, in proportion as they were once understood.” Regarding ancient Egyptian myths, Blavatsky stated: “The Egyptian priests have forgotten much, they altered nothing. The loss of a good deal of the primitive teaching was due to the sudden deaths of the great Hierophants, who passed away before they had time to reveal all to their successors; mostly, to the absence of worthy heirs to the knowledge. Yet they have preserved in their rituals and dogmas the principal teachings of the secret doctrine.
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