Bastet
Bastet (or Bast) is the Egyptian goddess with the head of a cat, protector of home, family, women, children and harmonic feminine sensuality. Originally goddess of the lioness with martial aspect, evolved towards the maternal-cat aspect that is the most known. Daughter of Ra, sister of Sekhmet (the leonine), her cult was widespread throughout the Egyptian world.
Mythology
Bastet ("she of the city of Bubastis", her main temple) is one of the most popular Egyptian goddesses. Initially she was a lioness goddess (warrior) — like her sister or different aspect Sekhmet — but from the second millennium BC the dominant iconography became cat (or female cat with the head of a domestic cat, more gentle). The Egyptians venerated cats as her sacred animals; killing a cat in Egypt was a death penalty offence.
In the city of Bubastis there was a great temple to Bastet, with extensive necropolis of mummified cats (over 300,000 cat mummies have been found archaeologically — the cats received the same funerary treatment as the humans). The annual festival of Bastet attracted hundreds of thousands of pilgrims; was a celebration of joy, music, dance, abundance — Bastet is festive goddess, not severe. Her main aspects: protector of home, fertility (mothers and pregnant women), music and dance, harmonious sensuality, protective guard of the deceased.
Symbolism and modern invocation
Symbols: cat (her sacred animal — many statues and amulets are cats), sistrum (Egyptian ritual rattle that she carries in her hand for music), aegis (a stylised collar of leonine head), kittens (representations of her with young cats around symbolise abundant fertility and family protection). Sacred colours: golden, black (the night cat), red.
In modern esoteric tradition, Bastet is invoked for: 1) Home and family protection (especially of children). 2) Healing of the wounded sensual feminine — Bastet is harmonious feminine that lives joy and sensuality without aggression or repression. 3) Cat lovers — connecting with the sacred energy of these animals. 4) Subtle and refined magic — Bastet has elegance more than brute force. 5) Joyful celebration of life — antidote to spiritual seriousness; reminder that the spiritual is also dance, music, joy. 6) Independent feminine that does not renounce community — Bastet is autonomous like a cat but socially festive and protective of her tribe.
Also known as
- Bast
- Bubastis (epithet by city)
- Cat goddess