I spent yesterday working on a funeral for Osiris, and totally forgot to post. Oops.

Isis & Nephthys, as kites, and in human form, lamenting Osiris

This is something She asked me to do recently. And when the Goddess says, “do the thing,” you kinda gotta do the thing.

When I checked the skies for the winter solstice, I understood why She gave me such a strong prompt. This year, the winter solstice is on December 21, but at 7:03 in the morning. December 21 is also dark moon (at barely 1%, according to my lunar app). By doing my rite on the night of the 20th (or before sunrise on the morning of the 21st), both sun and moon would be at their darkest. It seemed the right timing for a funeral for Isis’ beloved—and, of course, the following resurrection.

I don’t have the rite finished yet, but I’ll share when I do.

In the meantime, here’s some background:

Some of you may recall that the famous Roman Calendar of Philocalus (354 CE)* lists a festival called “The Isia” from October 28 through November 1.**

Much earlier, in the 1st century BCE, the Greek mathematician and astronomer Germinos noted that the Greeks believe that the Isia—which was derived from the ancient Egyptian Khoiak festival—occurs at the winter solstice. (The Khoiak festival celebrated the death of Osiris and His finding, lamentation, and resurrection by Isis.) Germinos says that that was true 120 years ago, but that, in his time, it had shifted a month earlier. The modern Kemetic Orthodox religion celebrates the Khoiak Festival in late November; so just about now.

The Two Sisters work heka on Osiris

However, here in Portland, Oregon, at the 45th parallel, we are privy to a small calendar Mystery. The ancient Khoiak Festival took place in the fourth month of Inundation, which began on the Egyptian New Year. As you know, the New Year was heralded by the heliacal rising of Sirius, the Star of Isis. The festival took place over a period of many days, culminating at the end of the fourth month with the resurrection of Osiris.

In Portland, the Star of Isis rose this year on August 22. Four 30-day Egyptian months from that date is December 21, the winter solstice. (This year, it’s 121 days; hey, the universe is organic.) What I’m working on will be a very compressed Khoiak festival, a funeral for Osiris.

I’m taking as my guide, the introduction to a text containing the “Lamentations of Isis and Nephthys.” It dates from the second century BCE and is written in hieratic. The copy we have appears to have been part of a funeral rite and is shorter than the “Songs of Isis and Nephthys,” which are also laments, but significantly longer. I’ve adapted the Lamentations text a bit for what I want to do. You’ll find the texts here, if you’d like to use or adapt them for your own work.

For my mini-Khoiak festival, there will be lamentations, offerings, glorifying, a Mystery, and resurrection—under the Wings of Isis, the Beloved Sister, and Nephthys, the Beautiful Sister.

Magically, I hope it will help add to the energy of the return of the Light, which so many of us will be engaging in at this time of year.

*The reason Philocalus’ calendar is so famous, is that it contains the oldest reference to a regular celebration of the birth of the Christos. The calendar notes: “Eighth day before the kalends of January, Birth of Christ in Bethlehem of Judea.” Earlier, one of the Church fathers, Cyprian (200-258CE), commented how very, very providential it was the when the sun was born, so was Christ.

**If we go by Philocalus, that late October-early November date for the Isia, with its emphasis on death, lamentation, and renewal, makes a perfect option for our own Samhaim/Halloween celebrations.