Guest Post by Vicky Alvear Shecter + Giveaway of Cleopatra's Moon

I am so pleased to welcome Vicky Alvear Shecter, author of Cleopatra's Moon, to Passages to the Past!  I had the recent pleasure of reading Cleopatra's Moon {you can read my review HERE} and enjoyed it immensely!

Thanks to Vicky I also have 1 copy of Cleopatra's Moon up for grabs, so be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post.

Take it away, Vicky...

Isis and the Jackass Roman

We know a little about Isis worship in the ancient world thanks to a man who became an ass. No, seriously. The Roman writer Apuleius wrote about his initiation into the Mysteries of Isis in his novel, The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, commonly known as The Golden Ass. 

Apuleius’s main character had many adventures, one of which was being turned into a jackass. He had tried to use magic to turn himself into a bird but it backfired. The Goddess Isis, the Great Lady of Magic, eventually became his salvation. He was so grateful for her help, he entered her mysteries to become a priest of the goddess. 

The Goddess Isis

Although Apuleius described his encounter with Isis after cleansing himself in the sea, he never revealed the details of the actual initiation rites. The ancients must have taken this vow of silence very seriously because no one has uncovered anything that describes the actual rites. 

Most scholars believe, though, that the rites contained some kind of dramatization or re-enactment of death and re-birth. After all, it was Isis (with the help of Anubis) who brought her murdered husband, Osiris, back to life in the Egyptian religion. 

I used Apuleius’s account of Isis as a starting point for describing the goddess as she shows up in Cleopatra Selene’s dreams in my novel about her life, Cleopatra’s Moon. I also created a death/re-birth rite for her to undergo, imagining the details as they might have occurred. 

The concept of dying to our old selves and being reborn in the light of a god’s love had its roots in Isis worship (as well as in Mithras worship, but that’s another post!). Also, many believe that the classic Christian iconography of Mary nursing the infant Jesus was appropriated from the very common depiction of Isis suckling her son Horus. Apuleius also explained that roses were closely associated with Isis. Thousands of years later, roses are still the sacred flower associated with the Virgin Mary. 

Christianity eventually toppled Isis worship, replacing all of the old pagan gods throughout the Roman Empire. But this fascination with the powerful, loving, redeeming goddess, apparently, was never completely conquered. 

For more information please visit Vicky Alvear Shecter's Website and  Facebook Page.

ABOUT CLEOPATRA'S MOON...

"The Luxe" meets the ancient world in the extraordinary story of Cleopatra's daughter.

Selene has grown up in a palace on the Nile with her parents, Cleopatra & Mark Antony—the most brilliant, powerful rulers on earth. But the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants Egypt for himself, & when war finally comes, Selene faces the loss of all she's ever loved. Forced to build a new life in Octavianus's household in Rome, she finds herself torn between two young men and two possible destinies—until she reaches out to claim her own.

This stunning novel brings to life the personalities & passions of one of the greatest dramas in history, & offers a wonderful new heroine in Selene.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION...

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the giveaway).

- Giveaway is open to US and CAN only!

- For +5 additional entries become a follower of Passages to the Past. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries. 

- For +3 additional entries join the Passages to the Past FB Page.

- For +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting this giveaway on Facebook.  You can use the SHARE buttons below.

- Giveaway ends on August 28th.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!