The Eye of Ra holds immense significance in ancient Egyptian culture, believed to possess potent protective and restorative qualities. As the female counterpart to the sun god Ra, it embodies both an extension of his divine power and an independent entity with its own attributes.
Often referred to as the “eye of truth,” it was thought to have the ability to perceive all things, granting it authority over humanity. This symbol is prevalent in various forms of Egyptian art, including hieroglyphs, carvings, and amulets, typically depicted as a stylized human eye resembling that of a falcon, with a teardrop below.
Associated with the divine female goddesses in Ra’s life such as Hathor, Sekhmet, Bastet, Uadyet, and Mut, the Eye of Ra could manifest in different forms to administer punishment or restoration. One notable myth recounts how Ra, displeased with humanity’s disobedience, sent his eye in the form of Sekhmet to Earth to unleash punishment. Sekhmet, embodying the power of the Eye of Ra, went on a violent rampage until Ra intervened by tricking her into consuming too much beer, causing her to become incapacitated.
The feminine energy within the Eye of Ra aligns with the Egyptian belief that the sun symbolizes growth, fertility, and birth, akin to the female body. In a myth surrounding Ra’s origins, the tears shed from his eye are said to have given birth to the first people on Earth, underscoring the symbol’s importance as the ultimate source of life according to ancient Egyptian cosmology.
