Feather of Shu “Symbol of Air & Wind”

The feather of Shu symbol is one of the most ancient and mysterious symbols in Egyptian mythology. It represents the principle of air, breath, and life, as well as the power of creation and order. Shu was the god of air and the firstborn son of Atum, the creator god. He was also the father of Nut, the sky goddess, and Geb, the earth god. Shu was often depicted as a man wearing a single ostrich feather on his head, or as a lion-headed man with four feathers. Many can confuse the feather of Shu with the father of Maat by at some point in time Maat became the main figure in the judgment process and her feather form became the ultimate judge. The feather of Shu was believed to have magical properties that could separate the sky from the earth, create winds and storms, and sustain life. Shu lifted up his daughter Nut to form the arch of the sky and placed his son Geb beneath her as the earth as believed according to the creation myth. He then placed his feather between them to keep them apart and prevent chaos. Another myth tells how Shu used his feather to create the first human beings from clay. He breathed life into them with his feather and gave them a soul which would explain why he is being involved in the judgment of souls in the first place. Note: The shu symbol of the embodiment of the god Shu of the air who is by far of the oldest deities of the Heliopolis cosmogony.

was one of the primordial Egyptian gods, spouse and brother to the goddess Tefnut, and one of the nine deities of the Ennead of the Heliopolis cosmogony. He was the god of peace, lions, air, and wind.According to the Heliopolitan cosmology, Shu and Tefnut, the first pair of cosmic elements, created the sky goddess, Nut, and the earth god, Geb. Shu separated Nut from Geb as they were in the act of love, creating duality in the manifest world: above and below, light and dark, good and evil. Prior to their separation, however, Nut had given birth to the gods Isis, Osiris, Nephthys (Horus) and Set. The Egyptians believed that if Shu did not hold Nut (sky) and Geb (earth) apart there would be no way for physically manifest life to exist.