The Eye of Horus
Horus, in ancient Egyptian religion, was a god in the form of a falcon whose right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence, and whose left eye was the moon or evening star, representing healing.
The story began when God Horus lost his left eye in a battle with Seth, according to Egyptian legend. Hathor magically repaired the eye, and the act of creating whole and healing became associated with it. The Eye of Horus is used even today as a symbol of protection. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the Eye was a source of healing because it had been restored after being torn into six pieces by Seth. In addition, the Eye of Horus is a symbol of knowledge and health. The Eye was also used to represent fractions and the six senses. The Ancient Egyptians developed fractions, and the Eye was divided into a fractional unit. The right side of the eye is 1/2, the pupil 1/4, the eyebrow 1/8, the left side of the eye 1/16, the curved tail 1/32, and the teardrop 1/64. Adding the fractions equals 63/64, with the myth being that, because this is not a whole number, it represents that nothing in life is going to be perfect.
The Eye of Ra
It was said that the Egyptian sun god Ra sailed in his boat across the sky during the day and transported it back to the underworld at night.
There is a myth that the human Ra was old and very weak and because he was vulnerable, his people began to ignore his laws and instructions. He sent his daughter, the lion’s eye of Ra, to punish his people. The eye became angry and destroyed humanity. The gods feared that the eye would kill all humans. Ra used red beer to get his eyes drunk and passed out. Then the eye was calm again and returned to Ra.
This eye is represented in amulets capable of repelling all negative energy and restoring harmony, that’s why the pharaohs used them to defend themselves against any element or enemy that tried to destabilize their government. One must be careful when invoking its energy because it can get out of control and become very violent. The amulets were painted with a dark red color and also work to protect against evil entities or spells and attract good health.
While the names are often interchanged; The gods and the eyes associated with them have different origin stories, and each variety of eye has a unique symbolic meaning. The Eye of Horus, also known as the Wedjat eye, is connected with healing and wisdom; Whereas the Eye of Ra is linked to power and destruction. The difference is that the Eye of Ra is drawn as a right eye, while the Eye of Horus is drawn as the left eye.
Regardless, the eye was regarded as a strong emblem in ancient Egyptian civilization for both meanings.
I Spy with my Egyptian Eye
