Egyptian eye. Eye of Horus Tattoo: The Secret Meaning of an Ancient Egyptian Symbol

The meaning of the eye symbol (eye of Horus, Isis, Ra, all-seeing eye)

It is believed that the image of the all-seeing eye (an eye in a triangle) symbolizes God. But is it?

The eye (great eye) is one of the symbols that appears almost at the very beginning of the oldest coherent texts that have come down to us (the texts of the pyramid of Pharaoh Unis in the middle of the third millennium BC).

The fields located in the akhet [great flood - the flood of the Nile] are landscaped. Unis plants the grass on both banks of the akhet so that he can bring [apparently as a sacrifice] earthenware for great eye located on the field. (Entrance to the front room of the Pyramid of Unis §507a-510d)

The element of water is a common ancient attribute of the feminine principle. Associated with the period of floods of the Nile (akhet) is the goddess of the creation of the world and fertility Sopdet, who is represented in the sky by the star Sirius and could be identified with Isis - the sister and wife of Osiris, the mother of Horus. By faience, perhaps, we mean bowls, jugs, mortars and other round dishes, which in ancient times often served as an attribute of female deities. Egyptian goddesses were not depicted with jugs and bowls, since in Ancient Egypt they used ankhs, snakes, etc. as female symbols. But historically and geographically close ancient goddesses widely used the symbolism of round dishes.

One of the most famous ancient eye symbols is the Egyptian wadget, left eye of the god Horus. This god, by the way, is also one of the main “characters” of the texts of the Unis pyramid. The right eye of Horus in Egyptian mythology symbolized the sun, the left eye symbolized the moon, which in turn was one of the important attributes of Isis.

Thus, by comparing the water element, the fertility rite in the fields, the moon (a symbol of the night and the feminine principle) and Isis, we can assume that the eye, as an ancient religious symbol, may be a symbol of the feminine principle of the Great Mother.

It is interesting that the image of the hieroglyph of the eye, if rotated 90 degrees, turns into a clear volvar female symbol, which is similar to the vulvar forms from Paleolithic sanctuaries, passages of sanctuaries, dolmens (paired phallic menhirs and cromlechs), yoni and other ancient religious objects of worship of the Great Mother (feminine origin).

Phallic and vulvar ancient artifacts Vulvar and phallic ancient artifacts

The logic of this assumption is confirmed by the symbolism of another important ancient Egyptian deity - the god Ra (the sun god). The female form of Ra was a goddess who could take the form of other female Egyptian goddesses, appearing as the mother, sister, spouse or daughter of Ra. The goddess Eye of Ra was depicted as follows:

The circle is entwined with snakes and ankhs. This image contains triple female symbolism:

1. The circle is a common and universal feminine symbol.
2. Snake, dragon, reptile - female attribute in ancient religions
3. Ankh is an ancient symbol of the feminine principle (womb, uterus), paired with the phallic djed

Whose all-seeing eye is looking at us?

Now let's return to the historically closer sign of the all-seeing eye (the eye in a triangle). Most popular images of this symbol today feature the left eye (moon, night, feminine principle), or a symmetrical stylization of the eye, where it is not clear whether it is the left eye or the right. On the dollar, for example, the left eye of the female origin is indicated, this can be seen from the strokes that indicate the direction of eyebrow growth:

The triangle is also an ancient feminine symbol. A triangle can be a masculine sign if next to it there is a triangle with its apex pointing downwards. In this case, a triangle with a vertex at the bottom is interpreted as feminine, and a triangle with a vertex at the top is interpreted as masculine.

The triangle itself as a symbol in its pure original form is identical to a pyramid, temple, sanctuary, dolmen, cave, which themselves had obvious female symbolism.

And if we remember that the all-seeing eye is one of the favorite symbols of the Freemasons, who attach particular importance to the feminine principle and ancient Egyptian religious symbolism, and also wage an uncompromising fight against “male” monotheism, then it will become clear to us that the image of the all-seeing eye (eyes in triangle) may well be interpreted as a “modern” symbol of the Great Mother with all the ensuing consequences:

• The fight against monotheism (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)
• The fight against the traditional patriarchal family
• Promoting feminism and LGBTQ
• Sexualization of culture (orgiastic cult of fertility)
• Ecologism (purification and liberation of Mother Earth from worries)
• Atheistic mothers ism (mundaneity) versus religions (etymologically the restoration of a lost connection with God)
• Primate mothers mental (maternal, feminine) over spiritual (masculine). The cult of money, success and pleasure by any means - oblivion of morality and ethics
• Other "pleasant" phenomena

The Eye of Horus can be found on the pages of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The all-seeing great eye of Horus - the solar deity, the son born of Osiris and Isis, appears above the bonds of death, luck and conduct.

The traditional ritual, when the deceased acquires the eye of Horus, was very important and implied the endowment of the deceased with a life force called Ba, and the transition to the eternal world. The mountain symbolizes the image of a vigilant falcon, but its main symbol, as a rule, lies in the hands of the lapwing-headed Thoth. Another name for this symbol is “Udjat”. It was made by craftsmen as a gold amulet decorated with enamels.

Also, the material for its creation was “Egyptian faience” (colored glass). They preferred to wear it on the chest or place it in canons. In Ancient Greece and Egypt, dark red grapes were also called the “eyes of Horus”, giving the life-giving power of the great luminary - the Sun.

If we turn to mythical ideas, then according to them the eyes of Horus are the Sun and the Moon. That is, the right eye of Horus symbolizes the Sun, and the left, respectively, the Moon.

The Egyptians generally had unique knowledge. They were aware of the existence of dimensions, moreover, their teachings also mentioned a higher level - the fourth dimension, called the “other world”. Modern ones were left as a legacy to humanity by the great Pharaoh Akhenaten himself. This refers to the schools of the Eye of the Mountain: right - a school that is dedicated to the left or male hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for calculations, logic, understanding of geometry and the perception of spatial relationships. Its main task is to prove the presence of the spirit that exists in everything and everywhere.

The Left Eye of Horus is a school that is dedicated to the female right hemisphere of the brain. Namely - sensitivity and emotions.

And the middle eye of the mountain is a school that is dedicated to life itself.

The purpose of these three schools was to restore the ancient knowledge of the “One True Power of the Almighty”, who always and everywhere exists and is present in everything. Egyptian idols at all times depicted only one true God - Neter Neter, who has no definition. The level was so high that it earned the title of a symbolic method of calculation through which sages could interpret the progress of spiritual levels and the spiritual landscape. The point of these religious teachings was monotheism and unity, but they never moved beyond the limited definition of Neter Neteru.

There is an ancient legend according to which he lost his left eye in a battle with the treacherous god Set. But it was restored by the god of wisdom Thoth (it was with him that alchemists traditionally identified the author of the Emerald Tablet, Hermes Trismegistus). Traditionally, the eye of Horus began to be depicted on the noses of Egyptian vessels. The right eye symbolized the Sun, and the left eye symbolized the Moon, so the eyes of the deity protected people both on a sunny day and a moonlit night.

This is the gift I recently received:

This ancient Egyptian symbol is called Wadjet (udjat, eye of Horus). This amulet was accompanied by a small explanatory text:

UDJAT The Holy Eye of Horus (God of Heaven) symbolizes foresight and omniscience acquired through sensory perception of the world. It means omnipresence, the constant presence of gods who see always and everywhere. The eye reminds of this. Worn as an amulet, it protects from the unkind views of superiors in any hierarchy, from envy and jealousy, which could complicate fate or hinder one’s career.

In my opinion, this description is somewhat limited. To clarify the meaning of this symbol, it is better to turn to the myth (here I will present it very briefly and “averagely”, because there are several variations of this myth):

A bit of mythology

Once upon a time there lived the god Osiris with his wife (aka his sister) Isis. Together with Isis, Osiris did a lot of good for people - he taught agriculture, crafts, etc. In general, he was a positive god and reigned over Egypt. Osiris had a younger brother named Set, who was angry with Osiris. The nature of this anger is not very clear - maybe envy, or maybe that as a result of intrigue, Osiris entered into an intimate relationship with Seth's wife (and his sister) - Nephthys.

One day Seth decided to destroy Osiris. To do this, he and his accomplices built a luxurious sarcophagus that suited Osiris. And at the dinner party, Seth showed this sarcophagus and invited everyone to try it on themselves, as in the fairy tale about Cinderella. Naturally, it did not suit anyone, and when Osiris lay down in it, Seth and his accomplices quickly locked him in it, walled him up and threw him into the Nile. Along the river, the Sarcophagus of Osiris set off in an unknown direction. And Seth seized power over Egypt.

Isis decides to find and save her brother-husband. She goes on a search, first down the Nile, then across the seas and finds her husband's sarcophagus in another country. By that time, a tree had already grown through the sarcophagus, from which the local ruler had already managed to make a column for his palace. Isis negotiates with the ruler, and he gives up the column with the sarcophagus.

Isis transports the sarcophagus to Egypt, where she hides it in the swamps. She decides to resurrect her husband, for this she becomes pregnant by him, and this leads to the birth of a son - Horus. Further, Isis and Horus constantly wander around Egypt from the persecution of Set. One day, Set sent a scorpion to fatally sting Horus. This bite resulted in Horus' death. However, through the efforts of Isis, Thoth and the magical “moisture of life”, Ra managed to revive Horus.

At some point, Set finds the body of Osiris, tears it into 14 pieces and scatters them throughout Egypt. Isis goes in search of these parts and where she finds them, she erects a stele that reminds people of Osiris. Thus, Isis finds all parts of Osiris except the genitals. They were eaten by fish.

Horus grew up, and the spirit of his father, Osiris, appeared before him, he called on Horus to restore justice and defeat Set. And Horus went to the gods. They agreed that Set had seized the throne dishonestly, and that the throne should belong to the son of Osiris, and not to his brother. However, Set intervened in the dispute, pointing out that he had more rights, since he turned out to be stronger than Osiris. Ra agreed that Egypt should be ruled by a strong “leader”; one who is weak cannot be placed on the throne... In general, Horus had to engage in a duel with Set and defeat him. To do this, they turned into hippopotamuses and entered into a fight at the bottom of a deep reservoir. The fight went on for a long time, and Isis decided to help. She threw a harpoon at Seth, but missed and hit her son. After that, she pulled out the harpoon and threw it again. This time it hit Seth. He turned to Isis with a request to let him go, and reminded her that he was her brother. And out of compassion, Isis let him go. Horus was offended and, in a fit of hatred, cut off Isis’s head, after which he left the battlefield. He restored Isis's head.

At night, Seth attacked Horus and gouged out his eyes. After some time, Thoth and Hathor restored Horus' sight. Then Horus thought a lot and realized that his anger was preventing him from defeating Set (there is another version of the myth where Set tears Horus’ left eye into 64 pieces and scatters them throughout Egypt. Horus goes in search of parts of his eye and in the process of this search rethinks a lot. 64 parts is a special number, and one of the purposes of the wadget is a symbolic display of fractional numbers).

Next, Horus tries to revive his father. To do this, he tries to unite all the collected parts of Osiris previously scattered by Set. He secures the connection with his left eye of the moon; for this, Horus allows Osiris to swallow this eye. Osiris comes to life, but without genitals it is difficult for him to continue to be the god of fertility, so he becomes the ruler of the underworld and the judge of all the dead.

The supreme god Ra demanded a truce between Set and Horus, he demanded the joint rule of Set and Horus, which they did. However, Seth did not stop his intrigues and periodically substituted Horus. Several more battles follow between Set and Horus. The situation was resolved by Osiris, who, as the ruler of the underworld, demanded that the gods restore justice and transfer the throne to Horus. The gods had to listen to Osiris, because he threatened to release demons from his kingdom. Horus became ruler, and Set was sent to Heaven, where he became the Lord of Storms and Protector of the Rook of Millions of Years.

Psychological meaning

What happens in myth can also be looked at from a psychological point of view. As a result of Seth's aggression, Osiris found himself divided into many parts and found himself in a lifeless state. And in psychological practice we often deal with some lack of integrity in people. One way or another, internal conflicts are associated with “opposing factions” within a person, when one part wants one thing, and the other part wants the opposite. And this leads to an internal crisis. Often this division begins in early childhood as a consequence of an unsatisfactory relationship with the mother. As a result, a person finds himself divided into parts and feels his own incompleteness, inner emptiness. While in contact with one part, it does not take into account the other part. And vice versa, being in contact with another part, a person excludes the first. This leads to a polar view - everything is divided into good and bad, right and wrong, ideal and mediocre. This is reflected in the way you look at other people, in relationships, and in your perception of yourself. And in this regard, the myth gives us a hint of how we can help a person - Horus, using his left eye, connects together the disparate parts of Osiris. Only by connecting all the disparate parts can you “come to life”.

And in psychological practice we look for disparate, rejected parts of people’s personalities. Where does everything that we don’t want to accept in ourselves go to? That's right, into the unconscious. That is, these parts are beyond our awareness. Therefore, in psychological practice, we explore the inner unconscious world of clients in order to discover there what, for some reason, was out of sight, and this creates a feeling of internal incompleteness. And therefore it is no coincidence that in the myth Horus uses his left eye, which was traditionally associated with the moon and the unconscious. To “heal” we must look into this night and darkness. It is no coincidence that in the dark, many people’s fears worsen - monsters, ghosts, threatening objects, in general, the fear of everything that is not accepted within themselves. And the more a part is not accepted, the further away it is. Remember how in various fairy tales and myths the main character has to go somewhere very far away, where there are many dangers. And there the hero finds something very valuable to him.

In addition, myth encourages us to turn to our existential experiences. How alive do we feel? This is not a question of biological existence, but of inner self-awareness. How alive do we feel? James Bugental cited an interesting metaphor-cartoon from a newspaper, when a family leaves the cinema and a child asks his parents, “Are we alive or are we also recorded on film?” In this regard, the fate of Horus is very complex. He was born for a specific purpose, he had a destiny - to continue his father’s work. He was brought up in this spirit. But in this myth, no one asked Horus if he wanted to continue his father’s work? Does he want to participate in all these intrigues? Or could its essence be better expressed in other areas? I think that these experiences are better shown in the books about Harry Potter, you will agree that the plot of Harry Potter is very similar to this myth: Harry’s parents had a conflict with someone who should not be spoken about out loud (it is noteworthy that at a certain stage Seth’s name could not be spoken either out loud, - at one time, everything bad was attributed to Seth, he was an analogue of Satan), and Horus and Harry went through death at an early age, and from one and from the other, everyone around them expected the restoration of justice, they were both the chosen ones. But Harry Potter has long defended the fact that he is not the chosen one...

In our lives, we also face certain expectations from us (from parents, spouses, society, etc.). And these expectations are not always in accordance with our inner feelings and needs. How aware are we of systemic family processes in our family, in our clan? And if we are aware of them, then what do we do about it? Don't we sometimes live some unlived life of our parents? Are we in some kind of matrix? In the myth, Horus was born into a difficult family. Before his birth, a lot of things happened in his family - conflicts, murder, squabbles, incest (although the latter was within the norm in ancient Egypt). Having been born, Horus became part of a system, and any system requires compliance with the functions expected of its components.

Total

Wadjet is a multi-valued symbol that refers us to the events of the myth of Osiris. The Eye of Horus in the myth restored, united the disparate parts of Osiris, in fact, it protected him from death. Therefore, this symbol is often used as a talisman, it protects and restores. In Egypt, this symbol is very popular in this vein (protection from diseases and evil forces). In ancient Egypt, it was customary to paint images with the Eye of Horus on ships. Any symbol is very multifaceted; it allows you to come into contact with the experiences that it symbolizes. Therefore, the use of this symbol as a protective one can also be looked at from the angle that through it a person can come into contact with his deepest experiences (the very evil forces from which he protects).

In modern psychotherapy there is a direction called “symboldrama” (catatymic-imaginative psychotherapy). As a symbol of this direction, its founder, Hanskarl Leiner, chose the Eye of Horus. The Eye of Horus symbolizes the ability of symboldrama to address a person’s unconscious and restore the traumatized psyche.

The article was written by psychologist Roman Levykin (http://site/)

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The All-Seeing Eye amulet has a long history. It was known to many peoples in ancient times and is popular now, in our time.

In the article:

History of the All-Seeing Eye amulet

The All-Seeing Eye amulet was revered by many peoples, especially the Egyptians. It has many names - ujad, udyat, wadjet, God's Eye, eye of Horus and a few more. The Egyptians believed that his influence extended not only to the world of people, but also to the kingdom of the dead. Ujad symbolized the eternal life of the human soul and its resurrection.

Some civilizations depicted a symbolic eye on the tombstone so that the spirit of the deceased would not be lost in the afterlife. They were also found in Egyptian burials; it was believed that without the eye of Horus, the deceased could not be resurrected after his death. The talisman is also related to the god Ra, therefore it also symbolizes light, the Sun and victory over darkness.

According to Egyptian legend, one of the gods is Set, had a grudge against his brother Osiris and tried to kill him several times. The first attempt was unsuccessful, Osiris was brought back to life by his wife Isis. After this, the son of Osiris and Isis was born - Gore. During the second attempt to kill his brother, Seth dismembered him into many pieces to make resurrection impossible. Horus began to take revenge on Seth for his father and began to fight with him. Other gods also took part in many battles, for example, Thoth and Anubis.

In a battle with Set, Horus lost an eye, after which Thoth healed him. Horus gave his eye to the dead Osiris, but this resurrection attempt was unsuccessful; Osiris was unable to return to the world of the living and became the ruler of the kingdom of the dead. After this, the eye of Horus became an amulet that symbolized the return from the world of the dead, immortality, protection and healing.

The American Indians had a similar symbol called the eye of the Great Spirit or the eye of the heart. They believed that he sees everything and personifies all-seeing. The ancient Greeks considered the eye to be a symbol of the sun. In Iranian mythology there are stories about a man who had the sun's eye and was immortal. There are references to similar amulets among the Phoenicians, Sumerians and some other peoples.

In Christianity, this symbol has names God's Eye, Eye of the Most High or All-seeing eye. It first appeared in temple architecture in the 17th century. Basically, the pediments of temples and government buildings were decorated with the Eye of God. It symbolized the Almighty, his light, holiness and strength. The eye may have been enclosed in a triangle and surrounded by a glow. In the 18th century, it appeared in icon painting, and there are still icons of the All-Seeing Eye.

The Masons have a very similar image of the eye. They call him Radiant Delta or Through the eye of providence. This is one of the most important symbols of Freemasonry, symbolizing the power, wisdom and vigilance of the Creator, the Supreme Intelligence, which guides students in their quest. Currently, such images can be seen on banknotes and awards, on personal amulets and in the architecture of buildings and structures.

The meaning of the God's Eye amulet

Now exists in the form of an eye. This is a Christian symbol in the form of an eye inside a triangle, and the Egyptian Eye of Horus, and many others. In ancient times, different peoples attributed almost the same meaning to them. Now they symbolize the same thing, albeit in different contexts.

The Eye of God has very strong protective properties. First of all, it symbolizes help from above in difficult situations. He is in any business. Another meaning is healing and protection from disease.

This amulet is very powerful. It can be considered not only protective. The All-Seeing Eye gives a person spiritual strength, strengthens willpower, helps in the development of intuition, clairvoyance, and teaches one to feel the world. It is believed that a person who has been carrying such an amulet with him for a long time cannot be deceived, he is perceptive, one might say, he sees right through everyone.

The All-Seeing Eye can seriously influence your destiny. With its help, you can find the right path in life, see a situation from different sides and solve problems more easily, learn to make the right decisions and take a high position in society, or achieve any other goal.

How to wear an eye amulet

Eye amulets were common among most civilizations on our planet. There were a lot of materials on which their images were applied. Basically, they depended on the country in which the talisman was made.

For the most part, this is a personal amulet. It is not entirely suitable for home use, but some people use it that way. Sometimes you can find such amulets in offices. This is a good option, especially if the image is placed in a place that has something to do with your goal to achieve. If the qualities of the Eye of Horus are needed in a career, then it is better to place it on the desktop or in one of its drawers.

As a personal amulet, the eye is made from any metal, earthenware, clay, wood, stone. You can use absolutely any material. It could be a pendant, bracelet, ring, or even a high-quality drawing on paper that will always be with you.

In general, regardless of religious preferences. The talisman has practically no negative meaning.

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Ancient Egypt is often called a place of miracles. The Egyptians had a huge amount of knowledge, which allowed them to do many interesting and inexplicable things. The most popular talisman of this country is the Eye of Horus. It is usually brought from Egypt by travelers. What it means and how to use it correctly will be discussed below.

The Eye of Horus (also called the All-Seeing Eye) is. This is a symbol of God's eye, which observes everything that happens on earth and protects people.

The talisman is depicted as an eye with a spiral line enclosed in a triangle. This line represents energy that is in constant motion. An eyebrow is often depicted nearby, symbolizing power. The triangle signifies endless divine energy and the Holy Trinity. It is impossible to cognize these energy flows with human senses.

In Christianity, this symbol is found in chapels, temples, and cathedrals. Christians do not have a cult of worshiping him, but he is considered an amazing talisman with special miraculous powers. He reminds a person that God watches his actions, forcing him to live honestly and correctly.

The eye is distinguished between white and black. The right eye is called white, symbolizing solar energy, daylight hours, our future. The left eye, which is black, represents the moon, the night and everything that happened in the past.

The right one is more often used as a talisman; it will help attract more positive things into life and change it for the better. With the help of this talisman you can achieve your goals and get what you want. It brings success in everyday affairs and is more suitable for those who would like to establish a connection with the world of their ancestors in order to ask them for protection.

Amulet "Eye of Horus"

Various world religions use this symbol.

The Greeks call the symbol Apollo or the Eye of Jupiter.

For several centuries now, the Eye of Horus has demonstrated its power. In addition to patronage and protection, it helps a person become wiser, changing his attitude towards life, and makes the spiritual component of life especially valuable, and not just the material benefits that most of us strive for.

It is thanks to its uniqueness and strength that the Eye of Horus has not been lost and proves its power in the modern world.

Eye of Horus Tattoo

Eye of Horus Tattoo

Tattoos with special protective symbols applied to the body are quite popular. The secret symbol will be with the owner constantly, it cannot be forgotten or lost, which allows you to be protected all the time. By resorting to the help of experienced image painting artists, you can get not only a very effective sign, but also a rather beautiful decoration of your own body.

The Eye of Horus “Wadget” tattoo has been very popular lately; it is translated as “protecting”. This is a fairly simple and harmonious talisman, which is also a very strong amulet. It conveys enormous strength and wisdom to its owner. It is better to refrain from applying the symbol to exposed parts of the body. It is depicted away from prying eyes on areas covered with clothing or on the neck under the hair.

By following all the above recommendations for activating and wearing the Eye of Horus amulet, you can be confident in its magical help.