The Eye of Horus

The Eye of Horus is one of the most important symbols in Ancient Egypt. The symbol represented royal power, protection, and good health. Losing a war, Horus lost his left eye to Set who tore it into six pieces. Each of the six pieces of the Eye of Horus corresponds to the six senses: touch, taste, hearing, thought, sight, and smell. The left side of the eye, in the form of a nose, represents ½ and smell. The centre pupil represents ¼ and sight. The eyebrow represents ⅛ and thought. The right side of the eye, pointing towards the ear, represents 1/16. The curved tail represents 1/32 and taste. The vertical piece represents 1/64 and touch. The most interesting thing from my findings is how the RX symbol associated with medicine originates in the Eye of Horus. When placed next to each other, the resemblance is uncanny. 

In Chinese culture, 4, 7, and 14 are inauspicious numbers that are associated with death. In Cantonese and Mandarin, 4 and 14 are homonyms for death. The only time one should have 7 dishes on a table is after a funeral. Something I’ve found quite interesting is how some apartment tower elevators in Vancouver, Richmond, and Burnaby skip floors 4, 13, and 14. To me, it has connotations of being both inclusive and manipulative. 

Another number that has significance for me is pi. The education I received in elementary school had an emphasis on memorization and recall. At the time, I had memorized 300 digits of pi. In grade 4, when I first discovered how to make an email account, I made over 100 accounts by adding the next digit. 

97 is a number that I have historically been displeased by for a variety of reasons: it was 3% off from 100%, it was a prime number, and I didn’t like the way it looked aesthetically. However, now that I am an adult who shops at Costco, I have learned to look out for 97 since it indicates clearance items. 

The Eye of Horus. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.landofpyramids.org/eye-of-horus.htm