Mistress of the Throne ~ Handmade Candle inspired by Isis

‘Mistress of the Throne’: A Homemade Artisanal Candle Inspired by Isis, the Egyptian Goddess of Magic, Healing, and Motherhood

She who rises with the morning star and shields the flame of love and loss

Mistress of the Throne is the scent of sovereignty, sacred mystery, and the unwavering power of Isis, the great queen and divine mother. It opens with the top clarity of jasmine and ozone, a breath of the heavens descending upon earth, evoking the goddess’s dominion over both mortal and divine realms. As the heart deepens, tonka bean and leather intertwine with the grounding richness of sandalwood and patchouli, embodying the strength of a ruler, the wisdom of a sorceress, and the devotion of a mother who bends even fate to her will. In the base, light and dark musk merge with amber, creating a veil of soft powder that leaves behind an aura of immortal grace, mystery, and the enduring legacy of a goddess whose throne will never be shaken.

Mistress of the Throne is a tribute to Isis’s indomitable spirit, a fragrance of power, magic, and the eternal embrace of the divine.

Curious about how the layers of scent unfold? Learn more about scent profiles ~ top, heart, and base notes at this blog post: Scent Profiles, Top, Heart, and Base Notes.

Our candles are lovingly handcrafted in our home studio, Nimue’s Lair, nestled in Walnut Creek, CA. Each one begins with a luxurious blend of coconut-apricot wax, carefully infused with premium fragrance oils. Poured by hand into elegant glass vessels and amber jars, they’re finished with hand-cut labels and enchanted final touches. Every candle is a small ritual, infused with magick, intention, and the quiet glow of story.

Content Warning:

This post explores ancient myths that include themes of violence, including assault and warfare, which may be sensitive for some readers. Please proceed with care and be mindful of your well-being while engaging with these stories.

Through her eternal dance of death and rebirth, Isis embodies the ceaseless rhythm of existence itself, teaching us that in the great wheel of being, every ending contains within it the seeds of a new beginning.

Her myth resonates across the ages not merely as historical artifact but as living truth, for in her journey we recognize our own quest for healing, wholeness, and transcendence. Like the star Sopdet (Sirius) with which she was often associated, Isis continues to illuminate the path for those who seek divine wisdom in the darkness of uncertainty, her light undimmed by the passage of centuries.

Harmonic Duality: Isis and Nephthys as Guardians of Ma'at

From the shadowed corridors of prehistory emerged a goddess whose very name, Aset, "the Throne", would illuminate the pathways between earthly power and celestial authority. Like a star ascending through the vault of heaven, Isis transcended her origins as an obscure regional deity to become the living embodiment of cosmic order itself. In her role as the divine throne incarnate, she did not merely support pharaonic power; she infused it with sacred legitimacy, transforming mortal authority into a reflection of celestial harmony.

As the living foundation of royal sovereignty, Isis created a mystical bridge spanning the chasm between temporal and divine realms. Through her presence, the pharaoh's earthly throne became a nexus of cosmic power, where the energies of heaven and earth converged in perfect alignment with ma'at, the ineffable principle that maintained order in both celestial and terrestrial spheres.

In the grand tapestry of Egyptian cosmology, the relationship between Isis and her twin sister Nephthys manifested as a sublime dance of complementary forces. Like dawn and dusk engaged in eternal embrace, these divine sisters embodied the essential polarities of existence: Isis radiating the golden light of life while Nephthys wrapped herself in the violet shadows of twilight. Their sacred partnership transcended simple opposition. Indeed, together, they wove the fabric of reality itself, each sister's nature completing and enhancing the other's power.

This divine sisterhood embodied the profound Egyptian understanding that all existence flows from the harmonious interaction of opposing forces. Through their eternal dance, Isis and Nephthys demonstrated how ma'at, the cosmic principle of truth, justice, and harmony, emerged from the perfect balance of light and shadow, life and death, creation and dissolution. Their relationship illustrated the ancient wisdom that no force exists in isolation; each power contains within itself the seed of its opposite, just as the brightest day carries within it the promise of night.

At the heart of this celestial dance stood the triad of Osiris, Isis, and Horus—a sacred family whose love and loyalty transcended the boundaries of the mortal world. In Isis, the ancient Egyptians found a goddess who encapsulated the very essence of divine harmony and balance. Like the Nile itself, she nourished the land with her boundless compassion and healing touch, assimilating the traits of other goddesses, Hathor, Nut, and Demeter, until she became a universal symbol of love, magic, and protection.

As the tides of history ebbed and flowed, Isis's influence grew stronger, her worship spreading like a divine wind across the ancient world. From the sun-drenched shores of Egypt to the misty hills of England, from the rugged mountains of Afghanistan to the verdant plains of Italy, her temples and shrines became beacons of hope and solace for all who sought her blessing. Merchants, traders, and sailors carried her message along the great trade routes, ensuring that her cult flourished from Pompeii to Meroë, from Ephesus to the distant reaches of Roman Britain.

In Isis, the ancient world found a goddess whose love and wisdom knew no bounds—a divine mother who offered comfort, guidance, and the promise of eternal life to all who called upon her name. Hers was a legacy that endured through the ages, a shining testament to the enduring power of faith, family, and the unbreakable bonds of the human spirit. Those who aligned themselves with these cosmic principles, living in harmony with ma'at, were promised peace in mortal life and transcendent joy in the Field of Reeds, the eternal paradise where justified souls dwelt in perfect communion with the gods. As Guardian of Universal Harmony, Isis stood watch over this delicate balance, ensuring that the cycles of existence continued their eternal rotation, like the great wheel of stars wheeling overhead in the vault of night.

When Isis found Anubis suckled by desert dogs, her heart swelled with compassion, and she claimed him as her own, an act that spoke volumes of her boundless capacity for love and forgiveness.

Undaunted, Isis pressed on, only to learn that Osiris's sarcophagus had been encased within the trunk of a tamarisk tree, now harvested to serve as a pillar in the Byblian royal palace. Arriving too late to intercept it, Isis's divine radiance drew the notice of the queen's handmaidens, who found themselves entranced by her unearthly grace. When word of this encounter reached Queen Athenais, curiosity compelled her to seek out the mysterious visitor.

During her sojourn in the palace, Isis's compassion moved her to heal the monarch's ailing child, a feat that laid bare the depths of her magical prowess. Some say the queen stumbled upon Isis in the midst of her sorcery; others whisper that she waited in the shadows to glean the goddess's secrets. Regardless, the revelation of Isis's divinity proved a turning point. In certain accounts, she demanded the tamarisk pillar as recompense; in others, it was freely given, a token of gratitude. Either way, Isis recovered Osiris’s body, but her overwhelming grief caused the child she was healing (or his sibling, in other accounts) to die of fright.

This moment bears a striking resemblance to the myth of Demeter, who also served as a nurse to a royal household during her search for Persephone. In their grief and determination, both goddesses formed profound connections that intertwined their divine missions with the lives of mortals, underscoring their sacred roles as protectors and restorers of life across the boundaries of the celestial and terrestrial realms.

Yet even as Isis reclaimed Osiris's body, Seth's malevolence knew no bounds. In a final act of desecration, he dismembered his brother's corpse, scattering the fragments across Egypt like seeds of sorrow. Undeterred, Isis and her sister Nephthys gathered the dispersed pieces while Anubis, the god of mummification, made Osiris's body whole once more. It was then, in a moment of purest magic, that Isis breathed life back into her husband, resurrection and conception intertwined as they came together to create a new bringer of life: the infant Horus.

This sacred myth illustrates the transformative power of Isis's love ~ a love that could conquer death itself. In her journey, we see a mirror for the human experience of loss, mourning, and ultimately, renewal. For the ancient Egyptians, Isis was more than a goddess; she was a luminous beacon, guiding their spirits through the shadows of grief toward the promise of eternal rebirth. Her story, with its themes of healing, magic, and the unbreakable bonds of family, continues to resonate across the ages, a timeless reminder of the resilience and beauty of the soul.

This promise found vivid expression in the visual representations of Isis that graced the tombs and sarcophagi of the deceased. In these exquisite depictions, Isis appears with her wings outspread, a living canopy of divine protection enfolding the body of the departed. Her wings were no mere adornment; they were a tangible manifestation of her role as a cosmic guardian, a nurturing mother figure who sheltered the souls of the dead as they navigated the uncharted waters of the afterlife. In the gentle flutter of her wings, the Egyptians saw a symbol of the breath of life itself, a celestial wind that would fan the spark of existence into an eternal flame.

But Isis's role extended far beyond the poetic and the symbolic; it was also deeply entwined with the physical realities of the mummification process. As the protector of Imsety, the human-headed son of Horus who guarded the liver, Isis played a vital part in safeguarding the integrity of the body, which the Egyptians saw as a sacred vessel for the soul. The preservation of the liver, placed with reverence into a canopic jar under Imsety's watchful gaze, was an act imbued with the very essence of Isis's power. In this delicate interplay of ritual and belief, Isis became the ultimate guardian of wholeness, ensuring that the physical form remained a worthy receptacle for the eternal spirit.

Through her presence in these multifaceted funerary traditions, Isis embodied the quintessential balance of ancient Egyptian belief - the perpetual dance of life and death, the unending cycle of renewal and transformation. Her influence wove a sacred thread through every rite and ritual, from the mournful strains of the Lamentations to the painstaking art of mummification. In Isis, the Egyptians found a source of comfort and hope, a divine beacon illuminating the shadowed paths of the underworld.

To comprehend the true significance of Isis's funerary role is to grasp the very heart of the Egyptian understanding of existence itself. For the Egyptians, death was not an ending but a transition, a pivotal threshold in the soul's eternal journey. With her boundless love and mastery of the secrets of resurrection, Isis served as a guide and a guardian for all those who crossed that liminal space. Her presence offered a profound assurance - the promise that, even in the face of the ultimate mystery, there was still the possibility of regeneration, of new life springing forth from the depths of darkness.

In the aftermath of this momentous event, Isis emerges as a figure of unparalleled maternal devotion, a goddess whose love for her child knows no bounds. With the aid of her faithful allies, Nephthys, Wadjet, and Hathor, Isis navigates the treacherous landscape of Set's domain, constantly on the move to shield her infant son from the relentless pursuit of his vengeful uncle. Through her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment, she nurtures Horus in secret, laying the foundation for his eventual ascent to the throne and the restoration of ma'at, the universal balance that underlies all of creation.

The iconic image of Isis nursing the infant Horus has become one of the most enduring and influential representations of divine motherhood in the annals of human history. This timeless portrayal of a nurturing goddess cradling her child in her arms encapsulates the essence of maternal love, protection, and sacrifice, transcending the boundaries of culture and belief to resonate with the deepest yearnings of the human heart. The tender embrace of Isis and Horus speaks to the universal human need for comfort, security, and unconditional love, evoking a profound sense of connection to the sacred bond between mother and child.

As the centuries unfolded, this potent archetype of divine motherhood underwent a remarkable metamorphosis, crossing the threshold from the realm of Egyptian mythology into the iconography of early Christianity. Reflecting the lasting power and adaptability of Isis's maternal symbolism, depictions of Mary and the Christ Child began to draw from the visual language established by the ancient Egyptian goddess and her divine son. This seamless blending of religious motifs highlights the extraordinary capacity of Isis's mythos to transcend cultural boundaries, speaking to the fundamental human experiences of love, nurturing, and the sacred connection between the human and the divine.

The metamorphosis of Isis's maternal imagery into Christian art did not diminish the profound significance of her original role; rather, it expanded and enriched the universal resonance of this timeless archetype. In the figure of Mary, the virtues embodied by Isis found new expression, reaffirming the unremitting importance of maternal devotion, protection, and spiritual guidance in the lives of the faithful. This remarkable cultural and religious transition highlights the adaptability and endurance of Isis's mythology, underscoring her ability to speak to the deepest needs and aspirations of the human soul across the ages.

Enraged by this grievous insult to their mistress, the seven scorpions gather secretly, their hearts burning with the desire for retribution. In a display of unity and shared purpose, six of the scorpions transfer their deadly venom to Tefen, the fiercest among them. With stealth and precision, Tefen infiltrates the noblewoman's house, delivering a venomous sting to her innocent child, who falls gravely ill in the wake of the attack. The once-haughty mother, now gripped by panic and despair, rushes through the streets of the city, her anguished cries for help being disregarded as she is met with the same callous indifference she had shown to Isis.

In this moment of bitter irony, the noblewoman comes to understand the true weight of her actions, realizing that she is now experiencing firsthand the pain and rejection she had so thoughtlessly inflicted upon another. It is a lesson that strikes at the very heart of the Egyptian concept of ma'at, the celestial order that governs all creation, and the importance of treating others with empathy, compassion, and respect.

Yet even in the face of such a grievous wrong, Isis, the embodiment of divine mercy and forgiveness, cannot ignore the suffering of an innocent child. Hearing the noblewoman's desperate pleas, the goddess intervenes, invoking the scorpions' secret names and neutralizing the deadly poison that courses through the boy's veins. With words of power and ancient spells, Isis heals the child, showcasing her boundless compassion and unwavering commitment to preserving life.

In the New Kingdom tale The Contendings of Horus and Seth, Isis stands as a pillar of strength and wisdom, guiding her son through the treacherous labyrinth of divine politics and courtroom intrigue. Her strategic cunning and unshakable resolve prove invaluable in securing Horus's ultimate triumph, a powerful illustration of a mother's love and the indomitable power of the feminine divine.

Yet even in this grand narrative of cosmic struggle and divine justice, there are moments of profound humanity, instances that reveal the complex web of emotions and loyalties that bind the gods to one another. In one pivotal scene, Horus captures Seth and entrusts his safekeeping to Isis, confident in his mother's ability to keep their enemy at bay. However, Seth, ever the master manipulator, plays upon Isis's sense of familial loyalty, convincing her to release him from his bonds in a moment of misguided compassion.

When Horus learns of his mother's apparent betrayal, he is consumed by a rage so fierce and all-encompassing that he strikes her head from her shoulders in a single, terrible blow. It is a moment of shocking violence, a reminder of the primal passions that can overtake even the most divine of beings. Yet even in the face of this horrific act, Isis's fortitude and timeless spirit shine through. Through the intervention of Thoth, the god of wisdom and magic, her severed head is replaced with the radiant solar disk and horns of Hathor, a symbol of her divine stature and her inextricable connection to the sun's life-giving power.

This adaptation highlights Isis's ability to transcend even the most unimaginable of traumas, to emerge from the ashes of suffering and betrayal with her dignity and divinity intact. It is a reminder that no matter how deep the wounds or how bitter the betrayals, there is always the potential for healing, forgiveness, and the triumph of love over hatred and division. In the end, Isis and Horus reconcile their differences, and their bond as mother and son proves stronger than any temporary discord or misunderstanding.

Observing that Ra drooled as he traversed his celestial path, Isis collected a portion of his spittle, a divine essence imbued with a fraction of his immense power. With this precious substance, she mixed it with clay, her deft hands shaping the malleable material into the form of a serpent, a creature revered for its wisdom and feared for its deadly venom. Through her incantations and spells, Isis imbued the serpent with a poison derived from Ra's own being, a venom so potent that it could fell even the mightiest of gods.

With the stage set, Isis placed the enchanted serpent along Ra's path, its iridescent scales glinting in the celestial light, a mesmerizing lure for the unsuspecting deity. As Ra walked his accustomed route, his mind focused on the weighty matters of cosmic order; he failed to notice the danger that lurked beneath his feet. In a flash of movement, too quick for even divine eyes to perceive, the serpent struck, its fangs sinking deep into Ra's flesh, injecting its venomous payload into the very bloodstream of the sun god.

The effect was immediate and devastating. Ra, the invincible, the eternal, was wracked with pain beyond imagining, a searing agony that coursed through his divine form like liquid fire. His screams of anguish echoed through the heavens and the earth, a sound that struck terror into the hearts of gods and mortals alike. In his suffering, Ra called out for aid, seeking relief from the unbearable torment that consumed him.

This audacious act of magical extortion exemplifies Isis's unparalleled cunning and her mastery of the arcane arts. It showcases her ability to bend even the most formidable divine powers to her will, to manipulate the fabric of the cosmos in service of her goals and desires. In securing Ra's true name, Isis not only elevated her status among the gods but also ensured that her beloved son Horus would one day claim the sun god's legacy, ascending to the throne of Egypt as the rightful ruler of the Two Lands.

The tale of Isis's magical extortion of Ra's true name vividly illustrates the goddess's prodigious intellect, her unwavering determination, and her profound understanding of the intricate workings of divine power. It is a story that speaks to the transformative potential of wisdom and cunning and of a goddess whose mastery of the arcane arts is matched only by her fierce devotion to her family and her unwavering commitment to securing her son's rightful place in the pantheon of the gods.

Yet perhaps no symbol is more intimately associated with Isis than the enigmatic tyet amulet, an emblem that has captivated the imaginations of scholars and devotees alike for centuries. Often likened to the ankh, the hieroglyphic symbol of life, the tyet is distinguished by its downward-curving arms, a shape that has been variously interpreted as a stylized representation of a woman's reproductive organs, a ceremonial girdle or tie, or a sacred knot imbued with magical power.

The tyet's rich red hue, often rendered in the vibrant tones of carnelian or jasper, evokes the life-giving blood of the womb, the crimson flow of menstruation that signifies the cyclical renewal of fertility, and the promise of new beginnings. This connection to the feminine mysteries of birth and regeneration underscores Isis's role as a goddess of motherhood and a guardian of the generative forces that sustain all life.

In the funerary traditions of ancient Egypt, the tyet amulet took on a profound significance, its presence on the mummified bodies of the deceased serving as a powerful conduit for Isis's protective magic and a tangible reminder of her role as a guide and guardian in the perilous journey through the underworld. Placed with reverence upon the corpse, the tyet was believed to channel the goddess's divine energy, shielding the vulnerable soul from the dangers and challenges of the afterlife and ensuring its successful passage to the eternal realm of the blessed.

But Isis's iconography extends far beyond the realm of human-made emblems and amulets; it is also deeply entwined with the natural world, particularly the sacred animals that were seen as earthly embodiments of her divine essence. Chief among these is the kite, a majestic bird of prey whose soaring flight and keen vision were seen as a reflection of Isis's own far-reaching wisdom and her ability to traverse the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead.

In the ancient Egyptian worldview, the kite was revered as a powerful symbol of transformation and regeneration, its ability to extract nourishment from carrion mirroring Isis's own miraculous feat of drawing new life from the lifeless body of her husband Osiris. This connection between the goddess and the bird underscores her role as a mediator between the realms of existence, a divine figure who holds the key to the eternal cycle of death and rebirth.

Equally significant in Isis's iconography is the serpent, a creature whose sinuous form and inscrutable nature have long been associated with the mysteries of wisdom, regeneration, and the transformative power of the divine feminine. In her guise as a serpent-headed goddess, often linked to the enigmatic figure of Renenutet, Isis embodies the primal forces of fertility and abundance, her presence a guarantor of bountiful harvests and the enduring prosperity of the land.

Yet the serpent is also a creature of venom and danger, a reminder of the potent magic that Isis wields and the formidable power that lies within her grasp. This duality is mirrored in another of her sacred creatures, the scorpion, an arachnid whose deadly sting and fierce protective instincts reflect Isis's own role as a guardian and defender of her loved ones and her devotees.

Under Emperor Caligula, the Isiac Festival was established to honor her, and during the reigns of Vespasian and Domitian, major temples, including the Iseum, were built in her name. Hadrian, deeply captivated by her mythology, adorned his villa with scenes from her stories. Temples dedicated to Isis emerged across the Roman Empire, from Pompeii and Londinium to Germania, Gaul, and Hispania, underscoring her widespread influence.

By the time Christianity began to take form in the Mediterranean, Isis was the preeminent deity across Europe and the region, associated with older goddesses like Inanna/Ishtar and Aphrodite. Her worship became so prevalent that elements of her iconography and titles transitioned into Christian symbolism. The image of Isis cradling the infant Horus influenced depictions of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, while epithets such as "Mother of God" and "Queen of Heaven" were transferred from Isis to Mary. This blending of religious traditions highlighted Isis’s eternal archetype as a maternal and protective figure.

However, the rise of Christianity posed a direct challenge to the cult of Isis and other “pagan” practices. In 391 CE, Roman Emperor Theodosius I decreed the closure of all pagan temples and outlawed non-Christian rites, marking a turning point in religious history. Despite these measures, the worship of Isis proved remarkably resilient, with her temple at Philae in Egypt continuing to function long after others were dismantled or converted into Christian sites. Philae’s role as a bastion of Isis’s cult underscored the goddess’s lasting appeal even in the face of widespread suppression. It was not until Emperor Justinian issued an order in 529 CE that Philae was finally closed, signifying the end of the ancient worship of Isis. This marked the last holdout of paganism in a world increasingly dominated by Christianity.

With the closure of Philae, the cult of Isis was eclipsed, yet her legacy endured. Much as Isis, Osiris and Horus had replaced earlier Egyptian deities, such as Amun, Mut, and Khonsu, who formed the Theban Triad, the Christian Trinity supplanted the Abydos Triad of Isis, Osiris, and Horus. Triads were a common feature in Egyptian theology, symbolizing harmony, balance, and the interconnectedness of divine roles. The Abydos Triad, central to Egyptian religion, embodied themes of life, death, and renewal: Osiris as the ruler of the underworld, Isis as the mother and healer, and Horus as the avenger and living king. The Christian Trinity similarly emphasized unity through distinct roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This transition of spiritual landscapes across the ancient world illustrates the adaptability of religious frameworks to new ideologies. Such adaptability and resilience solidify Isis’s status as one of the most durable and universal deities in human history, her presence resonating across cultures and centuries.

References:

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Illes, J. (2010). Encyclopedia of spirits: The ultimate guide to the magic of fairies, genies, demons, ghosts, gods & goddesses. Harper Collins.

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“You see me here, Lucius, in answer to your prayer. I am Nature, the universal Mother, mistress of all the elements, primordial child of time, sovereign of all things spiritual, queen of the dead, queen also of the immortals, the single manifestation of all gods and goddesses that are. My nod governs the shining heights of Heaven, the wholesome sea-breezes the lamentable silences of the world below. Though I am worshipped in many aspects, known by countless names, and propitiated with all manner of different rites, yet the whole round earth venerates me.”

~ Apuleius, "The Golden Ass"