Nephtys, wanting desperately to conceive a child,
disguised herself as Isis to seduce Osiris. When Set found out
about the affair he murdered Osiris. Fearing for her sons life,
she had Isis help her hide the child away in the desert. Isis,
still in grief from losing her husband, agreed to help her sister
in exchange for her sister's help in finding the pieces of Osiris'
body.
This is where the myth has many differences. Some
say that Nephtys hides her son, and only after Anubis is older
does Isis go to save him and then Anubis helps her to find the
body pieces of Osiris. This second version of the myth rings more
true because Anubis has the duty to guard Osiris' body after death,
and brings the souls of the dead to Osiris for judgement. There
are also legends of Anubis being husband to Ma'at and Lord of
the Underworld; bringing the souls of the dead to Ma'at to have
their hearts weighted against her feather before then taking the
souls to Osiris.
Anubis was worshipped even before Osiris throughout
Egypt. He is associated with the Eye of Horus. He is the God of
death, embalming, protection, and is the guardian of all the gods.
Although he is the son of Nephtys, he is the companion and loyal
guard to Isis, and Isis is seldom seen without her canine accompanying
her. He is the statue on the right of Osiris in the tomb, and
is the lead in all processions of the dead.
In dreams or visions you would see him as a big
black dog or a man with a mask of gold and black head of a jackal.
He holds a green palm branch and either a wand or staff. In most
processions, you'll see him leading the way, followed by a cow
walking upright on its hind legs, the cow representing the Goddess.
He is guardian and protector to all the gods, and bringer of the
knowledge to all those who seek it. He is particularly associated
with Isis because she saved him from the desert after his mother,
Nephtys, abandoned him. He is often seen as her son, but there
is always a dog with Isis which represents Anubis. She is often
seen riding a large black dog as a symbol of the two searching
for the pieces of Osiris' body.
He is seen as the horizon bridging between the night
and day, which represents his mother (Nephtys) and Isis. He is
the solar opposite to his half-brother Horus. Horus is the day
and Anubis is the night. Both are seen on opposite sides of Osiris
in his tomb. Anubis is the god to call on for protection, knowledge
and help against temptation. There are visualizations that you
can use to call upon Anubis to help you resist temptation, using
the biblical term "lead me not into temptation," and
to help you get yourself out of whatever bad situation you might
be in. He is guide, protector, and teacher. He is also represented
as an archer, which corresponds with Siris the Dog Star.
People who associate themselves with Anubis find
themselves to be an extremely loyal friend, adventurous and usually
young and good looking. Problem areas are losing interest in someone
or something after they have passed the challenge of that relationship
(i.e. getting a date, learning a new skill, etc.). Anubis only
allows select people into his inner circle, though sometimes he
will call upon others, only to ignore them the next day as if
nothing had happened. You must prove yourself to become one of
Anubis' loyal followers.
CORRESPONDENCES:
Dogs or any type of canines
Palm trees
Wands and staves
House and home
Death and the afterlife
Justice and protection
Loyalty and companionship
Teacher and guide
COLORS: Black, Brown, Green, Gold, and Orange
MONTHS AND HOLYDAYS: Summer Solstice, June, July, also Samhain,
dusk and dawn, noon & midnight
DIRECTION: North
ELEMENTS: Earth, Sand and Fire
TAROT CARD: Justice, Death, Judgement and Temperance
ZODIAC: Sagitarius, sometimes Libra or Leo
STAR: Siris, the Dog Star