March marked the beginning of the sailing and travel season in the ancient world. Learn about the Isidis Navigium ritual of antiquity that was reconstructed for a modern context on the Malibu beach!
Isis and sacred travel go hand in hand. In fact, in March, in the ancient world, devotees from all classes came together to participate in the Isidis Navigium, or Isis Navigates festival also called the Ploephesia. People would gather at the sacred temple dressed in costumes or their finest clothes. Men might dress as women and women as men. There were no taboos about cross-dressing in the ancient world. In fact their mores were probably a lot less restrictive than some cropping up today. According to scholar, R.E. Witt, author of Isis in the Ancient World, they would dance, and carry poles with small altars attached on top. Some would walk wild animals on leashes. It was a festive ritual with lots of wine and song to honor Isis and ask Her blessing for the upcoming sailing season when people would be traveling and vital grain would be shipped from Egypt, the grain belt of the Roman world. Romans were literally relying on Egyptian agriculture and navigation for their daily bread.
The annual procession, precursor to today’s modern parades, would proceed down to the docks where a boat would be prepared, laden with offerings from Isis’ devotees who were petitioning Her mercy and grace for that which they needed to sustain themselves, for love, happiness or good health. Once the boat was filled to the brim, it would be launched out to sea, signifying a gesture of sending it off to Isis – not unlike when we build energy in sacred space then release and send our prayer to Isis, hoping She heeds our petition.
Now, I’ve always wondered what happened to that boat when it got out of sight or the crowds thinned. I’d imagine the priest class reclaimed the boat and filled the coffers of the temple with everything that had been offered to She of Ten Thousand Names. Perhaps they also helped feed the poor.
In contemporary times, my Iseum of Isis Navigium, (yes it was named after this ritual) would hold this reconstructed annual ritual as the precursor to Spring and we’d gather on the beach in Venice or Malibu and ask Isis for Her blessing in our “sacred travels or sailing season” ahead – in other words, as we lived our everyday lives, or our journey in the coming months. We too would come dressed in our ritual finery. We would sing, pray, make offerings and raise energy. We launched colored boats made of ice which each attendee would receive. Attendees would be instructed to breathe their petition into the boat before launching it upon the waves. This works even better with a river that can carry the boats downstream! But the ocean will do!
We held this ritual for many years and it became more and more elaborate and I felt we were gifted for our efforts as we always saw sea lions, dolphins, whales and once a beetle appeared upon the beach. Some people who would happen upon us in our sacred regalia and mobile temple would ask if we were a movie crew our presentation was so impressive – our labor of love to our Divine Creatrix. I’ll post some pictures for your enjoyment
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