The Egyptian Myth of Isis and Osiris Zachary F. Lansdowne

Ancient Egyptian Myths

Helena P. Blavatsky (1831–1891), co- founder of the Theosophical Society, be- lieved that ancient myths contained concealed truths. She wrote: “Myths... are now proved to be fables, just in proportion as we misunder- stand them; truths, in proportion as they were once understood.”1 Regarding ancient Egyp- tian myths, Blavatsky stated: “The Egyptian priests have forgotten much, they altered noth- ing. 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.”2

We will investigate the truths concealed within the ancient myth of Isis and Osiris, which is perhaps the best known story in Egyptian my- thology. There are several versions of the myth.3 The version that we will consider has four main characters: Osiris, who is king of Egypt; Isis, who is the wife of Osiris; Seth, who is the brother of Osiris; and Horus, who is the son of Isis and Osiris. Each of these char- acters is regarded as a god or goddess.

This version has three main segments: first, after Seth seals Osiris in a chest and throws it in a river, Isis searches for and eventually re- covers the chest; second, after Seth cuts up Osiris’s body into multiple parts, Isis searches for those parts and eventually finds them; and third, Horus struggles with Seth for the right to rule the kingdom and eventually defeats him. As shown by the myth, Egyptian gods and goddesses are similar to human beings, be- cause they lived, died, gave birth, went into battle, and had human emotions.

Spiritual Journey

We will compare the ancient myth of Isis and Osiris with the modern description of the spiritual journey given by Alice A. Bai- ley. According to Bailey, the spiritual journey contains a series of milestones, called “initia- tions,” that define discrete segments of that journey. In this context, the word “initiation” denotes an entrance into the spiritual life, or into a new stage in that life. The first segment is called the “path of probation,” and it extends from the beginning of the spiritual journey to the first initiation. Bailey writes, “The Proba- tionary Path... marks that period in the life of a man when he definitely sets himself on the side of the forces of evolution, and works at the building of his own character. He takes himself in hand, cultivates the qualities that are lacking in his disposition, and seeks with dili- gence to bring his personality under control.” ...

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