Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

HATHOR

Hathor was worshipped as various cow goddesses in different parts of Egypt, but was early identified as Hathor of Denderah. She was represented as either a cow with a solar disc or a woman with cow horns between which was a solar disc. Sometimes she even appeared as a hippopotamus, although her epithet was always "the golden". As a goddess of fertility, Hathor was at childbirths, and regarded as the tutelary deity of beauty, love, and marriage. Occasionally she was identified with Isis, the wife of Osiris.

According to one legend Re used Hathor to destroy mankind. When old and uncertain of his powers, Re thought men were plotting against him, so he dispatched the Eye of Re, in the form of Hathor, to eliminate the impious. But, unable to witness the total massacre of humankind, or changing his mind, Re flooded the earth with beer containing a colouring of red ochre to resemble blood. Entranced by the sight as well as her own reflection, Hathor forgot her awful task and became intoxicated. So humanity was spared.

By tradition Egyptian deities could assume seven to nine forms; Hathor adopted seven. In her aspect of mother goddess, she lived in the Tree of Heaven and nourished the souls of men. The Seven Hathors performed this office for the deceased and for the newborn. At the birth of every child the Hathors announced its fate, generally calling this Shai, but identifying it with Renenet when particularly favourable.

The Hathors were usually represented as a group of young women playing upon tambourines wearing the disc and horns of Hathor. In Ptolemaic times they were identified with the Pleiades.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc