The Eye of Horus is a striking and unmistakable image that’s familiar to many, but even if most people have seen this motif, far fewer are likely to know what it means.
The symbol is an old one, dating back to the early days of ancient Egypt – and to help you understand its magic and powers, in this post, we go into the details of the Eye of Horus spiritual meaning.
Eye of Horus Spiritual Meanings
1. The battle between Horus and Set
The origins of the Eye of Horus lie in the battle between the ancient Egyptian deities Horus and Set, an important episode in ancient Egyptian mythology.
Although there are many versions and variations of this story, in essence, it goes something like this.
The gods Horus and Set were at war because Set had killed Osirus, the father of Horus. He had done this because while Osiris had given Horus all the fertile lands of Egypt, Set received only the barren lands that were left over.
During their battle, Set, sometimes in the form of a black boar, steals, plucks out or removes one (or both) of Horus’ eyes. According to some versions, he then trampled on it or ate it.
Following this, the eye is then healed and restored to Horus by another deity – usually Thoth but sometimes Hathor.
After defeating Set, Horus becomes king. He then gives offerings – sometimes including his eye – to his dead father to help sustain him in the afterlife.
In another version of the story, it was Horus himself who gouged out his own eye to give as an offering to his father, thus representing an act of supreme selflessness and devotion.
2. Funerary offerings and remembering the dead
The provision of offerings by Horus to his deceased father became a central aspect of ancient Egyptian belief about the afterlife and funerary practice, and this act is also a major part of what gives the symbol of the Eye of Horus its spiritual meaning and power.
The Eye of Horus thus came to represent funeral offerings and the act of providing sustenance and provisions for the dead. By extension, it also became associated with all offerings made to the gods in temples.
3. The Moon
In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus also has some association with the Moon, for several reasons.
First, Horus was a deity of the sky, and some believe his left eye, the one he lost, represented the Moon while the other represented the Sun.
According to one version of the story, Horus’ eye was restored by Hathor, a sky deity and the consort (or mother) of Ra. She did this by filling Horus’ empty eye socket with gazelle’s milk, which is suggestive of the waxing Moon.
Finally, Egyptian festivals and religious observances were based on the progression of the Moon’s phases, and the waxing of the Moon that determined these observances was seen as being represented metaphorically by the healing of Horus’ eye.
4. Healing
More broadly, the symbol of the Eye of Horus was also seen as being connected to healing and protection against sickness and disease, especially diseases of the eyes and blindness.
For their time, the ancient Egyptians were advanced in medical terms, but medical practices involved physical interventions and medicines along with the use of spells and imprecations.
All of these elements of medicine were considered integral to healing, and little distinction was made between what we would now consider proper yet rudimentary medical practices and more supernatural methods.
Of course, due to the major role the story of Horus and Set played in the mythology of ancient Egypt, it is unsurprising that the healed Eye of Horus also figured prominently in medical practice, and its invocation is commonly encountered in spells of healing.
Nowadays, in modern spirituality, some people also wear an Eye of Horus amulet for the same reason since it is believed to offer protection against ill health and disease.
5. Protection and protective magic
In ancient Egypt, amulets and charms depicting the Eye of Horus were worn from the latter part of the Old Kingdom period, which ran from around 2700–2200 BCE – and they remained popular until the New Kingdom, which ended in the 11th century BCE.
They were worn for their protective powers, especially during dangerous times such as childbirth.
For similar reasons, the Eye of Horus was often painted onto the bows of boats to keep the sailors safe during dangerous voyages at sea.
Many people still believe in the protective power of this image, even if they don’t believe in the gods of ancient Egypt.
This means the Eye of Horus has become a popular talisman of protection against all kinds of accidents, mishaps and misfortune.
Some people hang an Eye of Horus image in their home to invoke its protective powers, and giving an Eye of Horus amulet as a gift also makes a good going-away present to protect the person who is leaving, echoing the Eyes painted on Egyptian boats millennia ago.
6. Protection against the Evil Eye
Belief in the Evil Eye and the idea that people who possess it can curse you, intentionally or unintentionally, simply by looking at you is widespread. Many people also believe that the Evil Eye can be brought upon you inadvertently through excessive praise.
Wherever this belief is found, so is the idea that you can protect against the Evil Eye through amulets and charms – such as the nazar amulet – and the Eye of Horus is another image that is believed to protect against its malign powers.
To protect yourself against the Evil Eye, or to protect yourself against other curses and spells, you can wear an image of the Eye of Horus, perhaps as a pendant or as part of a bracelet.
This way, it will deflect the Evil Eye and any other harmful energy, keeping you safe from harm and misfortune.
7. Rejuvenation
As an icon of health, the Eye of Horus is also associated with rejuvenation, and it can be incorporated into modern spiritual practices in this way.
One way to do this is to relax or meditate with an Eye of Horus in your hand.
Through simple relaxation, it will enhance your sense of calm, conferring its restorative powers upon you and helping bring peace and tranquility to your mind.
On the other hand, you may also choose to focus on the Eye of Horus during meditation, allowing it to bring inner stillness and healing to your body and your mind.
8. Positive energy
If you are in need of a boost of positivity while expelling any pent-up negativity that you may be carrying around with you, the Eye of Horas is an image that can help.
It has the power to drive away negative energy and protect you from its effects, so if you can’t avoid being surrounded by negative people – perhaps in your office, for example – wearing an Eye of Horus amulet will provide the protection you need.
Similarly, by wearing a piece of jewelry that incorporates an Eye of Horus while you sleep, or even placing one under your pillow at night, you can benefit from the positivity it brings and will enjoy a deeper, more restful slumber.
9. Harmony
The Eye of Horus can bring harmony to your world, so if you feel you have been losing some of your balance of late, you can use the Eye of Horus to help bring you back to a state of equilibrium.
This could mean you want to find a better work-life balance, in which case meditating with the Eye of Horus will help you identify which things in your life are not essential and which you can let go, enabling you to make the necessary changes for a more fulfilling existence.
On the other hand, you may have lost some of your spiritual balance of late – and through meditation or other spiritual practices, the Eye of Horus can also help you find the balance you need.
10. Mathematics
The Eye of Horus is thought to have been an important part of Egyptian mathematics, with different portions of it representing fractions.
In one version of the myth, Horus’ eye was broken into six parts – and the six parts of the Eye of Horus came to represent the fractions ½, ¼, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32 and 1/64.
However, as any keen-eyed mathematicians will have noticed, these fractions only add up to 63/64. This is because the final 1/64 was kept by Thoth when he healed Horus’ eye!
11. Good luck
Finally, as an amulet of protection and positivity, it can also be used simply as a good luck charm – so if you need a change of fortune and don’t seem to be having any good luck of late, an Eye of Horus could contain the power you need to help change things for the better.
An important image in ancient Egypt that still has power today
As we’ve seen, the Eye of Horus was a deeply significant image to the ancient Egyptians, but even today, it still has great power and spiritual importance.
It is an ancient symbol of devotion, healing and protection that brings positive energy, peace and harmony to all those who wear it.
