The Eye of Horus

The Wadjet is another name for the eye symbol which is very popular in Egyptian art, both in the long ago past and the present. It is also commonly called “The All-Seeing Eye” and is said to ensure the health & protection of the person who carries an eye amulet with them. It is also supposed to bring wisdom and prosperity to the wearer. In Egypt you can buy copies of the Wadjet in jewelry made of silver, gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, porcelain and wood to wear or to hang from the rear-view mirror of your car. Besides promising safety to the wearer, the Wadjet is also a symbol of the forces of destruction, such as the searing heat of the sun, a powerful source in Egypt, represented by the god Ra. Ra’s daughter, known as the goddess Wadjet, is the source of one of the names for the All-Seeing Eye. The name, Eye of Horus comes from the legend of the god Horus, a hawk god, son of Osiris & Isis, and that is why the eye of the symbol has markings around it resembling those that are found on hawks.

Do you enjoy Egyptian art? Have you been to Egypt? Do you own an Eye of Horus amulet? I own some paintings done on papyrus, but I don’t have an Eye of Horus – maybe one day I’ll get one. A good friend of mine has one in her car to protect her from accidents. Whether you have a Wadjet because you believe in it’s power or whether you see it as a beautiful piece of art, they are a part of Egyptian history to be enjoyed in the present.