Great One. Lord of the Sky. Pillar of His Mother. Dappled Within the Womb of Nut. Lord of the Sky.

Lord of the Horizon.

He is Horus. Or perhaps they are Horus. A complex Deity, he might be a singular entity with many aspects, or a multitude of Deities who share similar names and functions. The two most well-known and well-loved are Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder) and Heru-sa-Aset (Harpocrates or Horus the Younger). Heru-Wer is a cosmological being of right order and civilization. His right eye is the sun and his left eye is the moon. Heru-sa-Aset is the son of Isis and Osiris who defeated Set in battle and assumed his rightful throne; every Pharaoh is an incarnation of Horus the Younger, and the Eye of Horus is a symbol of prosperity, protection, and healing.

The hymns, poems, essays, rites, artwork, and short stories of this collection reflect that ambiguity, that individualized devotion and understanding. Some of these pieces focus exclusively on Heru-Wer/Horus the Elder. Others center on Heru-sa-Aset/Horus the Younger. Other writings look at still more entities or aspects. Each of these hymns, poems, essays, rites, works of art, and stories begins to build a picture — incomplete though it is — of Horus.

There is a glow on the horizon. The Sun is rising. Warm yourself in its light, and give thanks.