Eye, the Sacred

The sacred eye, or the eye of Ra, or heaven, is the sun, a poetic symbolism used by poets throughout time, "heaven's eye" being a frequent Shakespeare an phrase. Horus says, "I am he who resides in the middle of the eye." But there are usually two eyes represented, and called the eyes of Horus, a left and a right. They sometimes represent, the right the sun, and the left the moon; but some other meaning must be inferred when it is said of Ra, "Thou openest the two eyes and earth is flooded with rays of light." When Ra says "Call unto me mine eye," he refers to the godde Sekhet (q.v.). Another text speaks of Kadesh as the "eye of Ra," and "eye of Tum." The Egyptian word for this eye is *Uzat* or *Utchat*, which signifies "the healthy" or "flourishing."