Guiding Goddess and Lunar Horoscope for November 2020

Guiding Goddess and Lunar Horoscope for November 2020

November 2020 guides us into a space of duality and the gifts of transformation. This month, it is the dark love and dedication of the Egyptian Goddess Nephthys which guides our journey.

Nephthys is the Egyptian Goddess of the Dead, Divine Psychopomp, and the Keeper of the Hidden. In Egyptian mythology, she is the daughter of Geb and Nut, and sister to Osiris, Isis, and Set.  The mirror image of the Goddess Isis in both appearance and skill, she is at times considered to be the shadow side of her sister instead of a separate entity. She is consort and sister-wife of Set, the evil God of deserts, disorder, storms and violence. In later periods of antiquity, Nephthys is said to have consorted with Osiris to become mother of Anubis, the God of the Dead.

Nephthys is the Greek translation of the ancient Egyptian Nbt Hwt, and has been translated as  Mistress of the House, the house being the temple, tomb, or divine space. According to the Pyramid Texts, Nephthys was a powerful Goddess, before whom demons trembled in fear. Her magical spells and guidance were necessary for any soul navigating the various levels of Duat, the Egyptian Underworld, and only she had the power to breathe life back into the dead.

As Goddess of the Dead she ruled funerary practices, including embalming and mummification; in ancient scripts her hair is often compared to the strips of linen used to shroud the dead. She is mentioned in Old Kingdom funerary literature as the “Friend of the Dead” and the “Protector of Souls”, offering comfort and companionship to the deceased on their journey to the afterlife.

The power she holds over death isn’t always physical, as there are the spiritual deaths, emotional deaths, the death of a particular way of life. All death is a transition, and Nephthys is the escort, lovingly protecting and guiding you along the transformational path. She has great magickal power rooted in the darkness of transformation, and words of power (mantras, spellcasting, lamentations).

She is often referred to as the “invisible goddess” by scholars, as older Egyptological books show that Nephthys was only worshipped in the company of Isis and had no temples of Her own. However, modern practitioners have come to worship Nephthys in her own right, and new research has discovered several Nephthys temples throughout Egypt.

Nephthys is almost universally depicted as a woman with a headdress of a basket and a house/temple, stacked on top of each other (the hieroglyphic symbols of her name). However, at times she was depicted as a kite or some other form of falcon/hawk. These wings connect her with Her-ur (Horus the Elder) and Horus the Sun/Son of Isis, as well as connecting her with solar magick. 

OCTOBER 31ST 2020: FULL MOON IN TAURUS

The Full Moon in Taurus is the second of the month and occurs on one of the holiest and most magickal days of the year. Whether you call it Halloween, Samhain, Day of the Dead, Witches’ New Year, this is a powerful day of honorings, endings, beginnings, and celebrations.

This moon continues the re-set/re-birth theme of the month, now that you’ve gone through the emotional upheaval and cleanout provided by Mercury and the New Moon. This is a passionate, artistic moon providing you with the inspiration and vitality perfect for transformation, manifestation, and transitional magick and rituals to pave your new path.

As Nephthys is the death-power of mortal transition and spiritual transformation, She is a powerful Goddess ally to cultivate at this time of year. Whether you are honoring your ancestors or your participating in your own birth-death-rebirth evolution, Nephthys will hold your hand and guide you to the magick and oracular practices best suited for your journey. Lucid Dreaming, guided meditation, and automatic writing practices are wonderful tools for this work.

 

NOVEMBER 15th 2020: NEW MOON IN SCORPIO

New Moon in Scorpio creates the need for connection. Emotions are deeply felt this week, especially considering the “quarantine fatigue” many of us are experiencing. Spend some time this lunar cycle exploring new, unique ways to stay intimate and in communication with those you love. The energy this week operates in a well of rich, dark feelings that desire to be expressed in the most authentic ways possible. Be true, be brave, and be passionate. The New Moon and the water vibration of Scorpio will cleanse the duplicity, the fear, and the stagnation you’ve been carrying.

In many of Her myths, Nephthys is a deeply feeling Goddess, Her love of Divine Family and humanity a motivating force in Her decisions and magick. And one of Her symbols is the scorpion! Call to Nephthys during this time to help you discover every aspect of your emotional heart – the dark and the light.

 

NOVEMBER 30th 2020: FULL MOON LUNAR ECLIPSE IN GEMINI

The Full Moon Eclipse in Gemini highlights the battle within: the light and the dark. One is reminded of the parable of the two wolves, because this moon’s strength depends on the direction you focus it. Your best bet is to channel this energy towards symbiosis – a balance between the joy, empathy, love and the fear, anger, sadness. The Gemini Twins in this lunar cycle are a representation of the shadow and light found within. You want these two halves of yourself to support one another, not one voice drowning out the other. Striving towards positive feelings all the time makes us inadvertently avoid (and therefore deny) the negative. Focus on the negative stagnates movement, and tends to make the joy of life seemingly impossible to reach. This eclipse season, find the strengths and magick in both your Dark and Light Self and teach them to support one another instead of battling for control.

Nephthys and Her sister Isis are the duality of Egyptian spirituality and Divine Feminine magick. One is the mirror image of the other, balanced forces which represent the heavenly light and underworld darkness. Working with these two Goddesses this Full Moon Eclipse can lead to great manifestations and understanding of your inner self. Try reading the myths of Nephthys and Isis for inspiration for your rituals and meditations. Also, chanting their names together (Isis-Nephthys) before entering into a lucid meditation or dream state is a powerful practice for this time.

 

 

 

Nephthys Correspondences

Animals: kite, falcon, hawk, scorpions, vultures, snakes, crows, beetles 

Colors: indigo, black, off-white (linen), red

Crystals: black amethyst, obsidian, jet, lapis lazuli, carnelian, quartz

Metaphysical properties/rules over: The dead, death, decay, souls, magick and sorcery, immortality, rebirth, resurrection, words, mourning, the night sky, hidden mysteries, transformation, secrets, the afterlife, the unconscious mind

Offerings: strips of linen, maps, songs of grief and mourning,

Symbols: the tomb, pillars, baskets, coffins, jars, linen dresses, braids, stars within the night sky, New Moon

Resources:

Nephthys Guiding Goddess Oil  (limited quantities, available only during November 2020)

Meeting the Dark Goddess eCourse with Priestesses Brandi Auset and Kimberly Moore

Lucid Dreaming Tea and Lucid Dreaming Kit

Full Moon Guided Meditation

New Moon Guided Meditation

 

The Goddess ISIS and Her Dark Twin, the Goddess Nepthys an article by Isidora Forrest

Nephthys an article by Joshua J. Mark

The Laments of  Isis and Nephthys via sacredtexts.com

Awakening Osiris: The Egyptian Book of the Dead by Normandi Ellis

The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day by Ogden Goelet 

The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts (v. 1-3) by R. O. Faulkner

 

 

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