juliecucciawatts
The card for the past week end representing the midway point between Equinox and Summer Solstice...
The Devil-Set
May 1st Midway between
Vernal Equinox And Summer Solstice
The image for the Devil card in The Journey into Egypt Tarot is two bale fires representing the eyes of Osiris. Set, a herder, is the jealous twin brother of Osiris and Isis who where farmers. Set is also husband/ brother to Nephthys sometimes thought of as Isis’s shadow. Set is the god of the encroaching desert, desert storms, rot, unclean animals, lust and the personification of all things destructive and vile. Pastoral Set takes the role of antagonist and shadow but also has a powerful role in the shamanic
dismemberment of Osiris who is cut into 14 pieces by Set and re-membered by Isis. This act gives Osiris the symbolic form of the moon and its phases. Set then becomes the High Priest. The evidence for this comes in the name of the very important festival in Egypt called the Sed festival, which is an event akin to a triathlon or the Olympics where the pharaoh must be tested physically. Set, also called Seth, may take the name Sed. There is no distinction between the letters, D, T and TH in the ancient Egyptian language. Set’s role in this rite is to break down the pharaoh/ god king to be sure he has enough hegemony and virility to be worthy of the role of Pharaoh. The Egyptians looked to the natural world for a better understanding of their universe. Set is a classic prototype for the modern Christian devil, who evokes fear and distain. The Egyptians understanding of their universe embraces the importance of life in decay, a philosophy misunderstood and not recognized by many modern cultures. Decay and decomposition is sacred and vital, as any gardener will tell you. The compost, manure, and rot play a huge role in the health of a garden and ecosystem. The role of the dog in Africa, as it was in all ancient societies, was one of the sanitation department; the dog followed humans and was one of the first animal to be domesticated by man because of human’s inefficient digestive system. The scat of humans is full of nutrients and the dog was keen for this easy meal and consequently followed nomads for this reason. The dog essentially cleaned up after the mess man made.
The modern world is “out of balance” and piles its waste into massive dumping grounds creating significant health hazards. One has to wonder if the distain for the Dark Lord hasn’t permeated into modern culture, driving our dichotomous philosophy of “good” and “evil” and not appreciating the importance of balance.
The Trials of Isis Story Part 1
In the beginning before Osiris became the god of the dead there was a time when Isis and Osiris lived in peace and prosperity together on the banks of the Nile River. Isis and Osiris inherited the land near the river, worked hard and everything they touched flourished. Osiris's brother Set inherited the desert outside the fertile lands of Osiris where he and his tribesmen hunted and made meager livings from the scant resources of the desert. Set became jealous of this happy couple and when Osiris invited Set to celebrate the harvest with them, Set devised a sinister plan to be rid of his brother.
Now perhaps Set was upset that Osiris slept with his wife Nephthys and got her pregnant, fathering Anubis and this is why he plotted against Osiris. The story is told that Set built a beautiful jewel encrusted box to fit Osiris's body perfectly. At the harvest celebration Set tricked Osiris into getting into this sarcophagus. Set told everyone at the party that whoever fit into the box could keep it. Osiris, being a man with a good and generous heart, trusted his brother and being impressed by the extraordinary workmanship on the box lay down in the jeweled coffin. Before Osiris realized that he was trapped, Set closed and bolted the lid, throwing his brother into the waters of the Nile. The sarcophagus with Osiris trapped inside drifted down the Nile for a long time until it came to rest on the shores downstream. Children playing by the water saw the box with the man drowning inside but were helpless to aid him. The box once again began to drift, flowing into the Mediterranean and ending on the shores near Byblos where it became lodged in a great tamarisk tree. Meanwhile, Isis began searching for her husband. Not finding him anywhere, she finally understood what Set had done from the children who played on the shores of the Nile.
Early spring means mild weather and a time of the Egyptian harvest. Prior to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the season got hotter and the desert encroached upon the river, which would have narrowed and withered and, as the Summer Solstice approached, life would have seemed to wane at the edge of death. It would have looked as if the desert would win the battle, overtaking Egypt. In the Northern Hemisphere the fight between summer and winter is also being waged.
Set may be the Egyptian version of an element of decay, filth and death but clearly he is not the embodiment of ultimate soul stealing evil or as diabolical as the later Christian devil. He is more like Cain in the biblical story of Cain and Abel.
Card meaning: This card signifies the karmic relationship. When this card is in a reading you should be prepared to learn a major life lesson from the person this card represents. The Devil is not necessarily a bad card, it is, however, a powerful card so be prepared to do some heavy shadow work.
©Julie Cuccia-Watts excerpt from The Journey into Egypt Guidebook
The Devil-Set
May 1st Midway between
Vernal Equinox And Summer Solstice
The image for the Devil card in The Journey into Egypt Tarot is two bale fires representing the eyes of Osiris. Set, a herder, is the jealous twin brother of Osiris and Isis who where farmers. Set is also husband/ brother to Nephthys sometimes thought of as Isis’s shadow. Set is the god of the encroaching desert, desert storms, rot, unclean animals, lust and the personification of all things destructive and vile. Pastoral Set takes the role of antagonist and shadow but also has a powerful role in the shamanic
dismemberment of Osiris who is cut into 14 pieces by Set and re-membered by Isis. This act gives Osiris the symbolic form of the moon and its phases. Set then becomes the High Priest. The evidence for this comes in the name of the very important festival in Egypt called the Sed festival, which is an event akin to a triathlon or the Olympics where the pharaoh must be tested physically. Set, also called Seth, may take the name Sed. There is no distinction between the letters, D, T and TH in the ancient Egyptian language. Set’s role in this rite is to break down the pharaoh/ god king to be sure he has enough hegemony and virility to be worthy of the role of Pharaoh. The Egyptians looked to the natural world for a better understanding of their universe. Set is a classic prototype for the modern Christian devil, who evokes fear and distain. The Egyptians understanding of their universe embraces the importance of life in decay, a philosophy misunderstood and not recognized by many modern cultures. Decay and decomposition is sacred and vital, as any gardener will tell you. The compost, manure, and rot play a huge role in the health of a garden and ecosystem. The role of the dog in Africa, as it was in all ancient societies, was one of the sanitation department; the dog followed humans and was one of the first animal to be domesticated by man because of human’s inefficient digestive system. The scat of humans is full of nutrients and the dog was keen for this easy meal and consequently followed nomads for this reason. The dog essentially cleaned up after the mess man made.
The modern world is “out of balance” and piles its waste into massive dumping grounds creating significant health hazards. One has to wonder if the distain for the Dark Lord hasn’t permeated into modern culture, driving our dichotomous philosophy of “good” and “evil” and not appreciating the importance of balance.
The Trials of Isis Story Part 1
In the beginning before Osiris became the god of the dead there was a time when Isis and Osiris lived in peace and prosperity together on the banks of the Nile River. Isis and Osiris inherited the land near the river, worked hard and everything they touched flourished. Osiris's brother Set inherited the desert outside the fertile lands of Osiris where he and his tribesmen hunted and made meager livings from the scant resources of the desert. Set became jealous of this happy couple and when Osiris invited Set to celebrate the harvest with them, Set devised a sinister plan to be rid of his brother.
Now perhaps Set was upset that Osiris slept with his wife Nephthys and got her pregnant, fathering Anubis and this is why he plotted against Osiris. The story is told that Set built a beautiful jewel encrusted box to fit Osiris's body perfectly. At the harvest celebration Set tricked Osiris into getting into this sarcophagus. Set told everyone at the party that whoever fit into the box could keep it. Osiris, being a man with a good and generous heart, trusted his brother and being impressed by the extraordinary workmanship on the box lay down in the jeweled coffin. Before Osiris realized that he was trapped, Set closed and bolted the lid, throwing his brother into the waters of the Nile. The sarcophagus with Osiris trapped inside drifted down the Nile for a long time until it came to rest on the shores downstream. Children playing by the water saw the box with the man drowning inside but were helpless to aid him. The box once again began to drift, flowing into the Mediterranean and ending on the shores near Byblos where it became lodged in a great tamarisk tree. Meanwhile, Isis began searching for her husband. Not finding him anywhere, she finally understood what Set had done from the children who played on the shores of the Nile.
Early spring means mild weather and a time of the Egyptian harvest. Prior to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the season got hotter and the desert encroached upon the river, which would have narrowed and withered and, as the Summer Solstice approached, life would have seemed to wane at the edge of death. It would have looked as if the desert would win the battle, overtaking Egypt. In the Northern Hemisphere the fight between summer and winter is also being waged.
Set may be the Egyptian version of an element of decay, filth and death but clearly he is not the embodiment of ultimate soul stealing evil or as diabolical as the later Christian devil. He is more like Cain in the biblical story of Cain and Abel.
Card meaning: This card signifies the karmic relationship. When this card is in a reading you should be prepared to learn a major life lesson from the person this card represents. The Devil is not necessarily a bad card, it is, however, a powerful card so be prepared to do some heavy shadow work.
©Julie Cuccia-Watts excerpt from The Journey into Egypt Guidebook
