Home

Search on blog

Symbolism of the eye of Horus or oudjat eye

By : Veronique - Categories : All about symbols

At the heart of ancient Egyptian mythology, the Eye of Horus stands as a symbol of a wealth of meanings, closely linked to religious beliefs and transcendent abilities.

Depicted as the left eye of the falcon god Horus, this icon takes shape in Egyptian hieroglyphics, evoking notions of protection, healing and clairvoyance.

New Kingdom documents, notably the Rhind Papyrus edition, played a crucial role in the discovery of new sources revealing the Eye of Horus as a common denominator in eternal life and the victory of good over evil. Egyptologists such as Jim Ritter and Georg Möller have devoted extensive studies to identifying this eye, exploring its power to ward off the evil eye and absorb negative energy through magic. Pre-dating the great flowering of ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus persists as an enigmatic symbol, transcending texts, notations and even mathematical studies, capturing the imagination and admiration of the modern world.

The eye is a symbol of such profound significance, present in so many different traditions, that it couldn't be overlooked.

In fact, "seeing clearly" is a recurrent notion in esoteric teachings, as it is the goal of the disciple on the path to enlightenment: to see clearly.

Seeing clearly enables one to know oneself, see clearly enables one to understand the worlds around one, and above all, see clearly enables one to penetrate the opaque veil of this world's illusions.

The symbol of the eye through the ages

In ancient Egypt, people spoke of the eye Udjat, the eye of the falcon god Horus. Horus, child of Isis and Osiris, is said to have fought his uncle Set to avenge Osiris' murder and take back the throne of Egypt, and to have been victorious because he had the eye of the Sun, the inner eye.

A few centuries later, this teaching took the form of the Buddha's eye. In Nagarjuna's Treatise on the Great Virtue of Wisdom, the five faculties of perception are referred to as the 5 eyes:
- The eye of flesh, which is the physical eye;
- The divine eye, which enables us to apprehend the essential qualities of things;
- The eye of wisdom, which enables us to understand the changing and interdependent aspect of all that is;
- The eye of the Law or eye of Dharma, which enables us to grasp a reality beyond appearances, and;
- The eye of the Buddha, the eye of compassion, which enables us to grasp the real nature of all life.

This eye of Horus and Buddha is the third eye or the eye of the soul in many traditions. Beyond the physical eyes, it designates a third eye, that of self-knowledge.

In the Hindu religion, the third eye is nicknamed jnanachakshu, the eye of knowledge, and is located at the level of the sixth chakra, ajna chakra or eye of Shiva. To this end, the saints and deities of Hindu tradition are depicted with a dot or mark on their foreheads.

In India, this is worn between the eyes, like a third eye, called a tilak. The God Shiva is also often depicted with a third eye, a symbol of wisdom.

Oeil-Horus-egypte.jpg
Oeil-de-Bouddha.jpg
Tilak.jpg

In the Tradition of Light, this inner eye is called "Jupiter's rose", which blooms in the student when the virtue of discernment is brought to maturity. This blossoming rose is the opening of the flower of meditation or the water-lily flower, the opening of the eye of the Sun. The word sun itself derives from this idea of the unique eye of God, the "one eye".

Omraam Mickael Aïvanhov, used to teach that "before we get up in the morning, we must open our eyes first, then look towards the eye within; being thus attentive towards the interior of ourselves, we must listen to what speaks within us. We then hear the program of the day that is about to begin."

So, this teaching on the divine eye is not a novelty, an invention, it's a continuation of the teaching of Tradition, with the aim of transmitting this clear vision, this discernment, this ability to see clearly who we are and the subtle worlds that surround us.

Egyptian eye or Oudjat eye

According to Wikipedia, in transliteration of the hieroglyphic script, irt means "eye" and oudjat is a verb meaning "to preserve" or " protection ". Irt oudjat, or more commonly oudjat, in transcription therefore means "preserved eye", in this case the Eye of Horus. For this reason, the eye is considered a powerful symbol of protection. It is said to have a magical function for most people in the Middle East.

Egyptologists generally consider the representation of the oudjat eye to be a hybrid of human and falcon eye: it combines parts of the human eye, conjunctiva, pupil and eyebrow, with presumably the spots below the falcon eye.

What's the difference between the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Ra?

The Eye of Udjat should not be confused with the Eye of Ra or the Eye of Horus. The Eye of Ra can be identified by a disk of the sun, with cobras around the disk and the white and red crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. According to the Egyptians, the Eye of Ra is characterized by the sun disk, while the Eye of Horus is represented by the Moon.

According to Wikipedia, in the Myth of the Eye of the Sun (Demotic literature), the Eye of Ra, or Eye of Ra, symbolizes the goddess Sekhmet (or Tefnut), who went into exile in Nubia. Thoth brought her back to Egypt by seducing her with moralistic animal fables.

The Eye of Ra was invoked in many areas of Egyptian religion, and its mythology was incorporated into the worship of many related goddesses.

Left or right Eye of Horus?

In Egyptian mythology, the Eye of Horus comes in two forms: the left Eye of Horus (known as "Oudjat" or "Oeil Oudjat") and the right Eye of Horus (called "Oeil de Râ" or "Oeil Oudjat de Râ"). These two eyes have distinct but complementary meanings.

The left Eye of Horus represents the Eye of the Moon and is associated with magic, intuition, healing and maternal protection.

The right Eye of Horus symbolizes the Eye of the Sun (attributed to Ra, the sun god) and is linked to logic, clairvoyance, strength and the destruction necessary for regeneration.

Together, these two eyes embody the idea of balance between opposing and complementary forces. Legend has it that the left and right Eyes of Horus were lost and restored by the god Thoth, symbolizing death and rebirth.

Oeil-Horus-egypte-1.jpg

What is the legend of the Eye of Horus?

Horus, often depicted as a falcon or a man with the head of a falcon, is associated with the role of God of the sky. Horus was worshipped as the falcon god, representing the daytime sky, light and protection. He was considered the son of Isis and Osiris, and his eye, the Eye of Horus, was also a powerful symbol of protection and clairvoyance. Belief in Horus was widespread in ancient Egypt, and there are many variations on the Horus legend in different parts of the country. The notion of pharaonic royalty was often linked to Horus, considered the protector of the reigning pharaoh.

According to myth, Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, lost an eye in a battle with his uncle Set to avenge his father's murder. During the fight, Set tore out his left eye, cut it up (into six pieces, according to one version of the legend) and threw the pieces into the Nile. Using a net, Thoth fished out all but one of the pieces. Thot added it, thus restoring Horus' vital integrity. In 1927, when the Eye of Udjat was still associated by some with fractions (a speculation now disproved), Egyptologist Alan Henderson Gardiner proposed that the sum of these fractions being only 63/64, the missing 1/64 was the magical link added by Thoth for the eye to function.

The Eye of Udjat had a magical function linked to prophylaxis, restoration of wholeness and vision of the "invisible". It was depicted on sarcophagi and pectorals. Countless oudjat-shaped amulets were worn to protect against "bad luck". During mummification, embalmers placed it over the incisions they had made. The oudjat eye was also painted on the prows of boats, enabling them to "see" and stay on course.

What is the spiritual meaning of the Eye of Horus?

The oudjat eye, the eye of Horus, is the eye of magical clairvoyance, enabling us to perceive the invisible reality of the higher and lower planes and to act magically. The man who possesses such an eye is an initiate, a magician. He can perceive not only thoughts, feelings, dreams, desires, forces and influences, but also the entities behind them. In this way, he can restore order to his life.

The oudjat eye was a symbol of protection for the ancient Egyptians, who wore it as a good-luck talisman, symbolizing health, fertility and clairvoyance. Depicted on sarcophagi, it protected the deceased from evil spirits.

Meaning of the Eye of Horus in a triangle or pyramid

This stylized eye, with an eyebrow above and a curl below, represents the omnipresent vision of the Sun God Horus and is an important symbol in Western magical tradition where it represents, among other things, secret or occult wisdom. Did the Egyptians use to paint this eye on the sides of funeral coffins? For what? In the hope that the deceased can see their way through the journey to the afterlife.

The Eye of Horus is a symbol of protection, healing, clairvoyance and regeneration. The triangle, because of the number three, is naturally associated with notions of trinity, stability, force or balance.

The fact that the Eye of Horus is inserted in a triangle reinforces the protective and regenerative qualities of the eye.

Have you ever seen this eye in a triangle anywhere else? I'm sure yes! It is called the eye of providence or the all-seeing eye. It is a symbol showing an eye surrounded by rays of light and usually inside a triangle. It is generally interpreted as the representation of the "eye of God" exercising its surveillance over Humanity.

It was taken up by the Freemasons, and appears on the US 1 dollar bill because Roosevelt, president at the time of the “design” of this bill, was a Freemason.

The equilateral triangle was, from Greek antiquity, a symbol of the divine. It then became the sign of God, One and Trinity. It was in the Middle Ages that the triangle appeared in churches and cathedrals.

The symbolism of the eye is also present in Christian mythology. We of course recognize the eye of God in the triangle symbol of the trinity.

Oeil-horus-dans-triangle.jpg

What is the power of the Eye of Horus?

I talked about it a little above: the Eye of Horus is often associated with the following powers and symbolism:

• Protection: It has the power to repel evil and protect against negative forces.
• Healing: It can bring health blessings and promote physical and spiritual healing.
• Clairvoyance and Wisdom: It represents the ability to see beyond appearances and acquire a deep understanding of things.
• Balance: The two eyes of Horus, left and right, symbolize the balance between opposing forces.
• Regeneration: The mythological story of the Eye of Horus symbolizes the cycle of death and rebirth.

But there is a more unknown aspect that I would like to address and personally I find it fascinating.

What you need to know above all is that the ancient Egyptians mastered the integration of anatomical knowledge and mythological stories into symbols and artistic figures.
• Artistically, the Eye is made up of six different parts.
• Mythologically, each part is considered an individual symbol.
• Anatomically, each part corresponds to the center of a particular sense.

The Eye of Horus was divided into six different parts called Heqat fractions, in which each part was considered a symbol in itself. The Heqat is one of the oldest Egyptian measurement systems.

The fragments of the Eye of Horus were organized together to form the entire Eye, similar to the myth, and these fragments were given a series of numerical values with a numerator of one and dominators to powers of two: 1/2 , 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64. Some historians have suggested that each part of the eye represents one of the six senses: smell, sight, thought, hearing, taste and touch.

1/2 represents smell, 1/4 represents sight, 1/8 represents thought (smell), 1/16 represents hearing, 1/32 represents taste and 1/ 64 represents touch.

oeil-horus-mathematiques.png

Surprisingly, if we superimpose these suggested parts onto the midsagittal image of the human brain, each component corresponds to parts of human neuroanatomical features.

The Eye of Horus has been used for many metaphors over the years, for example "Eye of the mind, third eye, eye of truth or insight, the eye of God within the 'human spirit'.

Even more surprising, we can compare the shape of the eye of Horus to that of a part of our brain. This figure shows the different parts of the Eye of Horus corresponding to the anatomical structures that provide a special brain function represented by the Heqat fractions.

Did you know all this? Tell me in the comments!

oeil-d-horus-cerveau.png

How to use and activate the Eye of Horus

Beliefs linked to the legend of the Eye of Horus have made this symbol a success. Some symbol specialists, such as Dominique Coquelle, point out that specific practice and a high-quality connection are required to access these arcana, and that the Eye of Horus symbol will always be there to remind us of this.

While it's clear that the Eye of Horus can be equated with the third eye and the symbol of the inner eye, i.e. the vision of worlds, this vision can be altered by the deep forces that rise up within us (forces symbolized by Set and the underworld).

This battle between Horus and Set is the symbol of every human being's inner management between his spiritual and divine dimension and his human part.

The teaching of the eye

The symbol of the eye speaks to us of the soul's gaze, the inner gaze that we must awaken within ourselves to put our lives back in order and enter the path of awakening.

Energy passes through the eyes, and through them we can give and receive.

Through the eyes you can also lose your energy, have it stolen from you. Everyone has seen how big cities, with all their advertising, can drain the soul. Everything is done in advertising to capture the attention of the eye and through it awaken the desire in the soul. It's a form of attraction akin to that of the sexes, which ends in fertilization.

I don't know if you remember this phrase from TF1 executives in the 2000s.

" Basically, TF1's job is to help Coca-Cola, for example, sell its product. But for an advertising message to be perceived, the viewer's brain has to be available. The aim of our programs is to make the viewer's brain available: in other words, to entertain it, to relax it, to prepare it between two messages. What we sell to Coca-Cola is available human brain time".

Patrick Le Lay's formula appears in his 2004 book, Les Dirigeants face au changement. At the time, Le Lay was CEO of the TF1 group. From this point of view, what's at stake in television is not the quality of the programs. Programs only serve to prepare and shape the availability of the viewer's attention, which can be bought and sold.

That says it all.

Capturing and attracting the eye is a challenge. You don't necessarily have to resist it, but simply be aware of it. In everything, awareness will restore the right balance in you.

To develop this awareness, pay attention to all the seemingly insignificant little things, which in truth are not insignificant at all. Huge sums of money are spent every year worldwide by advertisers on these little things, and they know very well what they're doing.

The big question is: who is fertilizing your soul?

If you want to regain full possession of your gaze, you need to become aware of your unconscious gazes. Learn to look deliberately and consciously at things that awaken in you the beauty, the inner light, the eternal soul. No one will do it for you, it has to come from you.

You need to develop a new way of looking at the world.

Sacred geometry symbols help you awaken beauty and surround yourself with positive vibrations.

But you can also go out into nature and look at the flowers, the trees, the sun and the butterflies. All this beauty will awaken your eyes and fill your soul with the purest beauty.

If you liked this article, please feel free to comment, share and subscribe to our newsletter to be informed of future issues.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Sources :

Wikipedia
Le pouvoir des symboles, Éditions Trajectoire
Maîtriser sa destinée, Éditions Essenia

Refaey K, Quinones G C, Clifton W, et al. (May 23, 2019) The Eye of Horus: The Connection Between Art, Medicine, and Mythology in Ancient Egypt. Cureus 11(5): e4731. DOI 10.7759/cureus.4731

Share this content

Add a comment

1 comments

Arzo khan23 - 05/06/2023 19:42:24


The Wedjat Eye amulet was shaped like an eye and featured a distinctive design that represented the markings on the eye of the god Horus. The eye was often decorated with symbols of protection, such as the ankh and the scarab beetle. The amulet was worn as a pendant, bracelet, or ring, and was believed to protect the wearer from evil and harm. It was also thought to have healing properties, and was often used to treat eye diseases and other ailments.