Osiris
Intention: Reflect on death, judgment and rightful renewal
Offerings & Symbols
- Green or black cloth (his skin is often shown these colors)
- Wheat or barley
- A small scale image
Culture: Ancient Egyptian Domain: The underworld, death, resurrection, agriculture
Osiris was murdered by his brother Set and, through Isis's magic, resurrected long enough to father Horus before becoming ruler and judge of the dead in the underworld. As lord of the afterlife, he presides over the weighing of the heart, and as a green- or black-skinned figure, he is closely tied to the Nile's fertile renewal each year.
Associations
Death and judgment, resurrection, agricultural renewal, rightful kingship restored.
Ways people honor him (modern)
- Reflect honestly on your own conduct, as if weighed for judgment
- Mark agricultural or personal cycles of renewal
- Keep green cloth or grain on the altar
- Read the fullest account of his myth, preserved by the later Greek writer Plutarch
Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.
