
Forrest says,
"This is the ritual that begins a Votary's relationship with Isis. During the course of the rite... you will vow yourself to Isis for a period of time... With this holy vow, you become devoted to Isis for that specific period.I have no idea, for the record, if this is actually where the phrase "tying the knot" originated. Seems unlikely, though I do appreciate the symbolism.
The key symbol ... is the Knot of Isis, the Tiet... the magical, protective, and sacred Knot that is a special emblem of the Goddess. As a knot joins two things, this ritual of Tying the Knot of Isis joins the Votary to the Goddess for the specified period. The Votary gives to the goddess her... devotion, attention and energy; in turn, the Goddess gives to the Votary Her protection, communion, and as always, Her Divine Love." (Isis Magic, p. 263)

We spoke vows to the desires of the heart (in connecting to Isis), strength of spirit and the mystery of the soul. Speaking these in community is weighty - I have done this once before with Brighid. I find my heart racing, my hands shaking, but my voice is strong and sure. Sharing this with T wove a really beautiful web of distinct but connected intention. You can see the tokens of heart, spirit and soul nestled in the center of the Tiet - mine are on the left.
The last thing that I want to touch on was in our meditation on Isis - this came after vows and the knot. I have had connections with Isis before and they generally include her winged form. During this time of deep prayer, I felt a warm and close sense of being enfolded in dark wings, and a surprisingly sexual, yet protective, connection with Isis.
Post ritual, I reconstructed my personal Isis shrine, including the knot and tokens. I'm looking forward to this journey. I have several meditations and rites ahead of me. I have had a sense of the direction of my priestesshood with Isis - in helping first myself, then others to calling back the pieces of Self. The delicate balance of this, the Work of it, is in doing this while maintaining healthy boundaries. For now, I'm focused on myself. I will see where the path takes me as the journey unfolds.
![]() |
Isis Altar, August 2013 |