Today is Valentine's Day and to celebrate it, I invoke the Egyptian cow goddess of love and beauty Hathor. Here's a bit of information from the all-knowing sage Wikipedius:
Hathor (ḥwt-ḥr, Egyptian for Horus's enclosure),[1] was an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy.[2] She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. Hathor was worshiped by Royalty and common people alike in whose tombs she is depicted as "Mistress of the West" welcoming the dead into the next life.[3] In other roles she was a goddess of music, dance, foreign lands and fertility who helped women in childbirth,[3] as well as the patron goddess of miners.[4]
According to the Book of The Heavenly Cow, the people of Lower Egypt rebelled against the sun god Re who was in human form at that time. Ra knew that the people planned to assassinate Him and so He told His daughter Hathor. Hathor became so angry She became the war goddess Sekhmet and proceeded to slaughter the people. Sekhmet became bloodthirsty and refused to stop massacring when Ra told Her to stop. When Ra tricked Her into drinking wine (disguised as blood), Sekhmet got drunk and transformed back into the gentle Hathor.
It is speculated the the golden calf worshiped by the Hebrews and ordered by the legendary magician Moses to be destroyed was an image of Hathor although it could be a different cow/bull deity from other ancient Middle-eastern cultures. The Ancient Greeks who came to Egypt adore Her and identified Her with their love goddess Aphrodite. Depending on which temple, Hathor is either a consort to Horus the Elder or the wise and knowledgeable Thoth. In the temple Kom-Ombo, Hathor is the wife of the crocodile Sobek and the mother of the moon god Khonsu thus forming what I call the Sobekian Triad.
How they ended up together, I may never know.
So, by the power of Lady Hathor, I send you blessings on this Valentine's Day. Now go and eat your chocolates.
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