Three thousand years later, a young science teacher dug up this lost treasure and found she was heir to the secrets of Isis. And so, unknown to even her closest friends, Rick Mason and Cindy Lee, she became a dual person. Andrea Thomas, teacher and Isis, dedicated foe of evil, defender of the weak, champion of truth and justice. 
O my Queen, said the royal sorcerer to Hapsethsut -- with this amulet you and your descendants are endowed by the goddess Isis. With the powers of animals and the elements you will soar as the falcon soars, run with the speed of gazelles and command the elements of the sky and the earth. 
to rise above the natural. That the Mighty Isis' alter ego was a school teacher is not meaningless happenstance; the value of adornment increases the more we limit our social definition of women to the provision of services to children.
In this context I want to highlight a real-world analogue to this fictional transformation: the resurgence of cosmetics and fashion in China. The following from Andrew Sullivan aptly describes the scene captured in the photo that closes this post:
"An elderly woman checked before taking part in a traditional dance competition at a gala celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year on February 13, 2007 in Beijing, China. More than 400 elderly participants bought their own cosmetics, some wearing makeup for the first time. They were banned from putting on makeup during the Cultural Revolution when cosmetics, hair curling, wearing high-heel shoes and fashion were all a punishable offence, as this behavior was considered bourgeois and evil. Photo by Guang Niu/Getty."
Or as Andrea Thomas used to say when turning into Isis, "O Zephyr Winds that Blow on High, Lift Me Now so that I can Fly!"
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