Bast is the Egyptian goddess who has been worshipped since at least the Second Dynasty of Epygt (2860-2575 BCE). Her name was extended to Bastet to include a female suffix to enhance the proper pronunciation. She is often put aside as a silly goddess of domestic cats who is only good for sex, music and dance. She is more than a playful goddess though.
Her worship centered in Lower Egypt, which is also the North and her temple was built in Bubastis. Her counterpart in Upper (Southern) Egypt was Sehkmet, another cat-headed goddess. They also share being Eyes of Ra and attacking the enemies of Egypt as avenging goddesses. According to the Wiki, due to Lower Egypt losing internal battles to Upper Egypt, this caused Bast to be seen as a less powerful goddess and thus over time reduced her to the goddess of domestic cats.
From per-Bast.org: The hieroglyphs for Bast are --the jar-like symbol representing "bas" [...] and the half-circle (a loaf of bread) standing for the feminine "-t" ending. The jar and two loaves of bread are the hieroglyphs for Bastet, a common source of confusion as to the translation of Her name. The bas-jars themselves are heavy vessels used to store perfume--one of the most valuable commodities of Kemet--and Bast Herself has relations to perfumery (a second translation of Her name is "Lady of the Ointments"). Contrary to claims made by Egyptologists at the beginning of the 1900's (as per E.A. Wallis Budge's The Gods of the Egyptians), Bast's name has nothing to do with "friction", "heat", or "fire".
Now this silliness, being the goddess of perfume actually has a solid function. This is the desert and the Egyptians were notorious for their obsession with hygiene, bathing, make up and... perfume. Being a goddess of perfume would only enhance her value to the Egyptians. She is also rumored to be the mother of Nefertem, the solar god of alchemy and perfume.
When the Greeks came to Egypt, they associated Bast, who over time became associated additionally with prosperity and fertility with Artemis, the virgin huntress. By this relation, she also gained a brother in Heru, who was to be her Apollo. By being sister to Heru, she became daughter to Aset (Isis). And by "being" Artemis, Bast became a lunar goddess, in addition to being the solar goddess that this Eye of Ra had always been.
From my research, much on the internet and in books contradicts each other. What shines through the nonsense though, and through my experience with Her, Bast is a warrior, who appreciates being pampered and knows a good party when She sees one. She hunts as a way to dispense justice. She is charming, clever, patient, graceful, strong, fast and unkind. She is also old. Her worship started almost 5,000 years ago, and it has changed with the culture surrounding it many times. She is cat, she is life, she is death, she is cat.
Associations:
Metal: Gold, silver secondary
Stone: Malachite, tiger's eye, calcite
Planetary: Sun - as both the Eye of Ra, the sun god and the goddess of
the dawn, Moon is secondary as she only became a Moon goddess after the
Greeks and Romans adopted her as a form of Diana/Artemis.
Symbol: Sistrum, Ankh
Animal: Cat, specifically the lion or domestic black cat
Time of day: Dawn
Sacred City: Bubastis (modern day Tell Basta, near Zagazig in Northern Egypt)
I have been called to Bast for a long time. In that time, I've created altars, a plate and now, a lariat.
I made this goddess plate
in the fall of 2003 at a paint-your-ceremics place in Round Rock, TX. I
selected the scalloped edge plate to represent the sun and painted the
plate to represent the colors of the rising sun. In the middle of the
plate, I have an ankh-person - in a Morticia-esque skirt, wearing cat
ears and a tail to represent Bast, cat goddess who often is portrayed
carrying an ankh. She is 'radiating' as she is Goddess and bringing the
energy of the sun up to the world. The reverse side is edged with a
royal purple. (Click on any photo to see the larger size!)
The Bast altar is one of several
I've had in the various places I've lived. The pink as a base, the silk
scarf to pay tribute to the colors of the dawn, cats in each quarter
and a white goddess candle in the shape of a cat. The large orange
calcite represents the sun and her role as the Eye of Ra. Malachite,
tiger eye and calcite are purported to be her stones so they are around
her plate, which is in the center of the altar. When I had my Bast
altar in TX, my roommate's cat would frequently curl up among the altar
items so I would joke that my Bast altar was infused with real cat
energy!
My lariat is a long, winding
strand resembling a cat's tail. Worn, it hangs long and lazy and if it
had the energy, it would swish its tail. The necklace uses malachite,
the stone sacred to Bast, to form a Y representing the female genitals.
The main part of the necklace is alternating peach aventurine and honey
jade. The alternating gives it the illusion of a striped cat's tail.
The necklace is long enough that the end of it dangles neatly
mid-cleavage. Perrrfect for the goddess who would use sexuality to her
advantage. It ends with a cluster of items that a cat would love to
play with - a perfume vial filled with the scent "Bastet", 2 silver
cats, 1 "gold" (brass) cat, a black feather to represent her connection
to Ma'at - Ma'at judged and Bast punished. 2 suns and 1 moon (the suns
as she is the Lady of the Dawn and only became a Moon goddess when
adopted by other cultures.) and some drops of desert-y stones to
represent Egypt. Other views: The Lariat as Worn. The Ending Cluster, close up. The Cluster as Worn.
Ritual
Excerpted from The Ultimate Guide to Goddess Empowerment by Sophia
The Ritual:
Close the curtains and go to the
sunniest location in your house. Place all items in the basket and
set everything up facing south. Do this rite soon after dawn. Have
cat things about. Wear any cat prints you have and amber jewelry, if
you have it.
Ring the bell all around the space, clockwise. Light the candle and incense saying:
Cat mother
Bast, Bubastis, Pasht!
Heka em Bast!
Sa Sekhem Neter Bast!
Bast
Lady of the sun and the moon
Goddess of pleasure and joy
Come now!
Join this feast of pleasure!
Fill me with your warm heat
Heka
Heka
Heka Bast!
Now face the North, hit the bell, and say:
I am Bast
Hear me purr
Do not rub my fur the wrong way
Of that you can be sure
Tua Bast!
Now face the East, hit the bell, and say:
Lady of the East
Kitty savant of the dawn
Your father was Ra the sun king
Who watches over all
Tua Bast
Now face the South, hit the bell, and say:
I salute the Goddess Bast
The slyest one of all
I welcome you goddess
To entertain one and all
Tua Bast
Now face the West, hit the bell, and say:
The moon has risen
I can see it in your eyes
When I see into the night
I have night vision
Tua Bast
Now sit in the center, hit the bell, and say:
Goddess Bast
Of the four corners
Goddess of pleasure of fun
With this empowerment
Enjoyment will be done
Tua Bast
When naked, become the goddess! Let her energy fill you! Say:
I am the Cat Goddess Bast!
I am lovely and lithe
I move across the dance floor
And all eyes are upon me
I slink around
I can leap over buildings
Hide underground
I am slight of figure
And am one of grace
I am the Goddess Bast
The cat goddess
I am a cat!
Pleasure
Joy
Grace
Power
Seduction
Stalking!
Heka Heka Heka
Bast!
I am feline joy
Of play not prey
The one who
Worships fun
Enjoyment and parties
Especially at night
I am Bast!
I prowl the world
Bring joy!
I am the Goddess Bast
I am the mistress of cats
I am the queen of music
I am the pleasure diva
I am the predator of the night
I have the reflection of light in my
eyes
Dancing and partying is that I do
All night and in the day I sleep
I am the Goddess Bast
The queen of the party
The kitty cat that reigns
Over a good time for all
Heka
Heka
Bast am I!
Now that you are undressed, congratulate yourself on a job well done. Place the statue of Bast on top of the basket and surround the basket with pink flowers and sweets. Sit down and have a drink of the beer or catnip tea. Become the goddess of pleasure. Stretch! Purr! Whisper:
I am the Goddess Bast
I will have a good time
Pleasure without shame
I will dance my cares away
Not a worry have I
Nothing can go wrong
I am a cat on the prowl
Now, take a very short catnap
and let Bast's energy settle in you. When you open your eyes, you are
back to being you, but the cat is still within. Blow out the
candle and sprinkle a few drops of beer or catnip tea about you,
saying:
Great Goddess Bast!
Black cat of joy and bliss
Fill me forever
With your happy kiss!
Af An Nuteru Bast!
Now clean up your things, get
dressed up, go out, and cat around!
References:
"Bastet." Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastet [Accessed July 3, 2006].
"Bastet." Encyclopedia
Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/bastet.html [Accessed July 03, 2006].
Cass, Stephanie. "Bast: Roles & Hieroglyphs" All About Bast.
http://www.per-bast.org/bast/essay8.html. 3 July 2006.
Sophia. The Ultimate Guide to Goddess Empowerment. Andrews McMeel, Kansas City. 2003.
Copyright 2006
This
page is the intellectual and creative property of Melissa
