Sekhmet
Mythology & History:
It is true that Sekhmet is another aspect of Bastet, but only to a brief extent. Sekhmet and Bastet share three main similarities — they are both felines, they are both warders against evil, and they are each an eye of Ra. Over time, Bastet evolved from Sekhmet. It is vital to establish that Sekhmet came to Egypt first. Most likely, since Egypt tends to lack an extensive lion population, Sekhmet’s image arose from the south, as trade with Africa and India first began (Hill, J). Sekhmet is known to be a ridder of pestilence and disease, and a spreader of the two as a defense mechanism against enemies of Egypt. Bast became a much softer and more benevolent deity, and a savior of sorts, as small cats began to populate Egypt and rid the crops of pests — and of course, the diseases those pests carry.
Yet the two goddesses are, for all intents and purposes, completely different entities. Bast told me, when I invoked Her last August at the Lammas Monologues, that She is “The Mother of All Felines.” Bast may also be the Mother of large cats, but lions, jaguars, cougars, tigers, and other wild cats are Sekhmet’s children as well. Sekhmet encompasses both the subtle and significant energies of large felines, as She is a “Goddess of divine retribution, vengeance, conquest and war (Crystalinks).”
In addition to Bastet, Sekhmet is also “believed to be a closely related aspect of Hathor.” In fact, legend foretells that Hathor morphed to Sekhmet in order to purge the land of evil, as the mortals were not abiding by the principles of Ma’at, or justice. Sekhmet essentially went on a massive killing spree, slaughtering and drinking the blood of all the land of Egypt. Ra, deciding that perhaps his daughter had gone a wee bit too far in her need for revenge, poured 7,000 jugs of beer, dyed with pomegranate juice to resemble blood, into the Nile River. In her blood-lust, Sekhmet slurped up every drop of liquor, and became so intoxicated that She slept for three days. When She awoke from her drunken stupor, She was once more reformed as the “docile” Hathor (Egyptian Gods and Goddesses).
As previously stated, Sekhmet’s image likely came to Egypt from Africa, due to the abundance of a lion population in the area, however, a large chunk of her legends clearly originated from India. In Phoenix’s Hindu Mythology course, we learned the stories of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the world’s creator, Vishnu is the world’s preserver (he takes multiple physical incarnations on the earthly plane to maintain balance and rid the world of evil), and Shiva is said to be the deity who shall end the world. In Memphis, once a thriving capitol of lower Egypt and where Sekhmet was most largely worshipped, Sekhmet held the role in legends of the destroyer. In turn, her consort, Ptah, is considered to be the creator, and the goddess Nefertum is the “healer (Hill, J.)”
At some point in history, there was a shift in the locations in which Bast and Sekhmet were worshiped most. Bast’s following drifted south, and Sekhmet’s moved up north. The cause of this change can only be speculated. My personal theory is that trading routes allowed for the sharing of myths, and citizens’ needs for a specific representation of the protection they required, were exchanged.
As a “fierce lioness,” Sekhmet was often “depicted in red, the color of blood (Crystalinks).” Like Bast, Sekhmet is often pictured holding the Ankh. She is frequently sporting “a sun disc circled by a cobra on her head (Egyptian Gods and Goddesses).” Sekhmet is associated with the sun and solar energies, and unbeknownst to many, snakes are highly sacred to Sekhmet.
Hands On Experience:
Invoking Sekhmet is quite intimidating, to say the very least. I definitely didn’t jump directly into it. Beginning with research was vital, as was meditating with Her gently on a daily basis. I’m extremely grateful that I didn’t invoke her immediately on day one; I’m fairly certain I would have exploded. I am, in fact, still slowly weening myself into full invocation. What I’ve been doing so far, is soft-invoking, and reciting the Charge of the Goddess in Her voice. Her words are utter power and ferocity. Through these small steps, She has taught me aspects of Herself that research can barely scratch the surface of.
She is violence, destruction, and revenge. She is motherhood, protection, and the embodiment of wild felines. She is sacred-selfishness as well as altruism. She is a huntress and a warrior. In countless ways, She has taught me to nourish myself spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. She is a constant reminder that there is no shame in feeding yourself. Starvation is not beauty, and neglecting your basic needs in a futile attempts to please others is a form of weakness.