Nephthys The Egyptian Goddess

Areas of Influence: Nephthys the Egyptian Goddess symbolised the transitional nature of death. In one Egyptian myth she helped Isis collect the scattered limbs of Osiris to reconstitute his body.

In her funerary role she was considered a fearsome but necessary companion, assisting the dead through the different levels of the afterlife.

She was also the Goddess of mourning, comforting the relatives of the deceased. These wailing mourners were described as the "hawks of Nephthys".

This Goddess was the guardian of Hapi who protected the Canopic jar which contained the lungs.

She protected the Pharaoh in life as well as in death, incinerating his enemies with her fiery breath. This Deity also gave the Pharaoh the power to see that " which is hidden by moonlight," linking this Goddess to the powers of darkness and magic and making her a popular Deity with witches and magicians.

Her importance has been overshadowed by her sister Isis. In reality whilst Isis governed the energy of birth, growth, development and the visible she represented death, decay, stagnation and the invisible. In many ways she can be viewed as being the opposite force or the other side of the coin to Isis. However, because many fear death and magic in the modern world, rather than recognizing these forces as part of the cycle of life, her role has been sidelined.

Even this analogy does not truly represent the importance of this Goddess, recent evidence suggests that although there are no surviving temples dedicated to this Goddess she was worshipped widely. This Goddess also performed an important role at births where she stood at the head of the bed to comfort and assist the mothers whilst her sister Isis, acted as midwife.

This Goddess was worshipped by nursing mothers as she was considered to be the nursing mother of Horus and the Pharaoh himself.

This Goddess was also known as Nebethet and Nebkhat. 

Origins and Genealogy: Seb and Nut were her parents of. Her siblings included Isis, Osiris and Set.

Married to Set the Egyptian God associated with the barren desert and sterility meant she was often thought to be a childless Goddess. Later myths however, suggest that after a union with Osiris she gave birth to Anubis.

Strengths: she is a protective Goddess and represents the cycle of death and rebirth. 

Weaknesses: The duality of her nature means she is often neglected and misunderstood.

 Symbolism

In her funery role Nephthys was often symbolized by a hawk, falcon or a woman with wings outstretched in protection.

She is also shown with her Hieroglyphs (a basket and a house) balanced on her head. 

Sacred Birds: Falcons and Hawks.

Additionally this Goddess is the protector of the Pheonix whose rise from the ashes symbolises rebith. 

Nephthys 's Archetypes

The Witch

Uses knowledge of the universal laws of nature, the conscious mind and esoteric powers to manifest their desires.

The shadow witch uses their gifts to increase their own power.

This deity was associated with the unseen world and magic. 

The Crone

The Crone represents the wise old woman whose child bearing days are behind her. Other associations with this Archetype include: compassion, transformation, healing and bawdiness death and endings. She is the respected older woman or grand-parent at the heart of family who enjoys life and sharing her experience.

Unfortunately the word Crone or Hag often has negative connotations as many wise woman and midwives were persecuted as witches in the middle ages.

Shadow Crone is the bitter, old woman who has failed to learn from her life. She blames all her failings and unhappiness on a society that no longer respects the elders. As a result she becomes increasingly isolated and fearful.

Nephythys is a crone goddess as she is the goddess that assists with death and dying

Please follow this link to the Archetypes page to discover which other Goddess Archetypes resonate with you.

How to work with This Archetype

The Witch

The Witch maybe one of your Archetypes can if you have the gift of understanding how to transform situations, influence people, and make your visions and dreams a reality.

The Shadow Witch reminds you not to use these abilities to gain power over others as this is not magic but sorcery.

Return from Nephthys the Egyptian Goddess to the Egyptian Goddess Main Page. 

The Crone

This maybe one of your Archetypes if you have gained wisdom, learning from your mistakes and showing a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.

You are experiencing the Crone's shadow if you have become rigid in your beliefs and have become stuck in a rut having lost all ability to let those areas of your life go that no longer serve you.