The Goddess Bast
Great Goddess Bast
You move silently in the night
When shadows shift in dim moonlight
You lie in ambush biding your time
You are Bast, the cat divine
The enemies of Light and Ma'at
Are desperate not to cross your path
For while you move on velvet paws
You rend your foes with deadly claws
Only fools judge you by your size
Thinking you naught but the doom of mice
While you slay creatures of decay and strife
You are Bast, the Daughter of the Light
(Copyright © Avalon Sakti 2006)
About Bast
Bast
is an ancient Egyptian goddess. Her origins go back to a time long
before cats were domesticated in Egypt. It is believed that her form
originally was not a domestic cat but some other feline, possibly a
lioness or leopard. Personally I think of her as a panther.
As opposed to other Neteru (Egyptian gods) not much is known about her. Whilst for example, we still have ancient hymns of Isis and invocations of Sekhmet, there are no rituals, chants and invocations of Bast that have survived to modern times. (If any of you out there know of any, please let me know.)
The Goddess Bast was a goddess of Lower Egypt. Her sacred animal, of course, is the cat. Cats were sacred in Egypt because they decimated the mice population which threatened the food supply of vital grains. In fact cats were valued so much that when a house was on fire the cats were carried out first and then -- if there was still time -- the people were saved. Cruelty against a cat, or killing one was a crime, punishable by death. During excavations many mummified cat bodies were found around the ancient temple of Bast. They had been embalmed, which was a costly process normally reserved to royalty.
Bast can appear in the form of a cat, or fully human, as a woman, or as a mixture of both: with a woman's body and the head of a cat. Her fully feline form is her fiercer aspect. She was said to be capable of great generosity to her devotees, yet she could be cruel and merciless to evildoers. This shows clearly that she is not a goddess to be underestimated. Neo-Pagans often make the mistake of thinking of Bast as a cuddly kitty goddess. Well, she is not! While it is true that she is a goddess of dance and music, she is also a dark goddess, an Underworld goddess and a destroyer of evil!
Her sacred rites were held once a year at Bubastis. This was a very great event and many people would travel on the Nile in boats for the celebration. The people on the boats would sing and dance and when passing settlements the women would lift up their skirts and taunt the onlookers! Once in Bubastis the singing and dancing continued together with inebriation. Large amounts of beer were drunk and there was dancing and music. Orgies were an integral part of the celebration as well!
As opposed to other Neteru (Egyptian gods) not much is known about her. Whilst for example, we still have ancient hymns of Isis and invocations of Sekhmet, there are no rituals, chants and invocations of Bast that have survived to modern times. (If any of you out there know of any, please let me know.)
The Goddess Bast was a goddess of Lower Egypt. Her sacred animal, of course, is the cat. Cats were sacred in Egypt because they decimated the mice population which threatened the food supply of vital grains. In fact cats were valued so much that when a house was on fire the cats were carried out first and then -- if there was still time -- the people were saved. Cruelty against a cat, or killing one was a crime, punishable by death. During excavations many mummified cat bodies were found around the ancient temple of Bast. They had been embalmed, which was a costly process normally reserved to royalty.
Bast can appear in the form of a cat, or fully human, as a woman, or as a mixture of both: with a woman's body and the head of a cat. Her fully feline form is her fiercer aspect. She was said to be capable of great generosity to her devotees, yet she could be cruel and merciless to evildoers. This shows clearly that she is not a goddess to be underestimated. Neo-Pagans often make the mistake of thinking of Bast as a cuddly kitty goddess. Well, she is not! While it is true that she is a goddess of dance and music, she is also a dark goddess, an Underworld goddess and a destroyer of evil!
Her sacred rites were held once a year at Bubastis. This was a very great event and many people would travel on the Nile in boats for the celebration. The people on the boats would sing and dance and when passing settlements the women would lift up their skirts and taunt the onlookers! Once in Bubastis the singing and dancing continued together with inebriation. Large amounts of beer were drunk and there was dancing and music. Orgies were an integral part of the celebration as well!
She of the Perfume Jar
Bast's
name means "She of the Perfume Jar". Her hieroglyph is made up of the
hieroglyph "bas" which means perfume jar, and two breads (which
incidentally make a good offering for her). Her name is sometimes
written as Bastet but that is due to a mistransliteration of her
hieroglyphs. The second letter t was only to signify a female ending.
The correct pronunciation should be Bast.
Common Misconceptions
There
are many misconceptions about the Goddess Bast. For example, many
people think of her as a fertility goddess and automatically assume that
her sacred colour is green and her day Friday. However, fertility is
not Bast's main aspect at all. Her nature is ecstatic, wild and
orgiastic rather than purely procreative. Of course cats can be prolific
breeders. However, it was said that the sacred Egyptian cat would give
birth to one kitten in her first litter, to two the second time, to
three the third time and so on until with the ninth litter the full
number of nine kittens per litter was reached. (Strangely this has
proven to be true for my own cat and familiar. Fortunately for me
she hasn't reached nine yet but in her first litter she gave birth to
one single kitten who was extremely large. The second time around she
gave birth to two kittens. Of course I kept them all, they were gifts
from the Goddess and bring me great joy. My cat household always has a sacred number of magickal cats.)
As to correct colours, the most important colours in Egypt were black and red. Black generally symbolised the forces of order and good, while red was a more destructive colour and symbolised the forces of chaos. Therefore Bast's sacred colour black shows that she is on the side of good and order, on the side of Ra, not of Seth. The colour black also stands for her ability to travel by night and into the dark regions of the Underworld. Cats are night active and so Bast's power too lies in the darkness and the silence of the night. Priestesses of Bast too can be quite nocturnal -- I definitely am. Black also stands for the void and the mystery which Bast knows and teaches to those who are ready to embrace all, even their shadows, even their own inner darkness. Bast teaches us fearlessness, stillness and the meditative power of the cat!
Sometimes Bast is seen as a sister to Sekhmet, but this is also incorrect. Neither is she a solar goddess. She does not wear a solar disc as Sekhmet and Isis do. Her energy is lunar rather than solar. She is a goddess of intuition and can enter our dreams. She helps us to access our Underworld and face our deepest issues and fears. She demands total devotion, and can at times be demanding. She is very loving to her devotees but will have no scruples to do what is necessary for their growth, even if it means giving them pain to shake them up!
As to correct colours, the most important colours in Egypt were black and red. Black generally symbolised the forces of order and good, while red was a more destructive colour and symbolised the forces of chaos. Therefore Bast's sacred colour black shows that she is on the side of good and order, on the side of Ra, not of Seth. The colour black also stands for her ability to travel by night and into the dark regions of the Underworld. Cats are night active and so Bast's power too lies in the darkness and the silence of the night. Priestesses of Bast too can be quite nocturnal -- I definitely am. Black also stands for the void and the mystery which Bast knows and teaches to those who are ready to embrace all, even their shadows, even their own inner darkness. Bast teaches us fearlessness, stillness and the meditative power of the cat!
Sometimes Bast is seen as a sister to Sekhmet, but this is also incorrect. Neither is she a solar goddess. She does not wear a solar disc as Sekhmet and Isis do. Her energy is lunar rather than solar. She is a goddess of intuition and can enter our dreams. She helps us to access our Underworld and face our deepest issues and fears. She demands total devotion, and can at times be demanding. She is very loving to her devotees but will have no scruples to do what is necessary for their growth, even if it means giving them pain to shake them up!
Bast the Powerful
Bast
is not a fluffy kitten. She is a powerful Neter (Egyptian god/dess) in
her own right. She appears deceptively harmless, yet within her velvet
paws sharp claws are ever ready. She bears no weapons as her teeth and
sharp claws are weapon enough. Bast can be a destructive goddess and at
times she is ruthless. When she is angered she can be very fierce, but
she is also fierce in her protection of her devotees and priestesses.
She is also a great healer, which is the other side of being a
destroyer! It has been said that a witch who cannot curse cannot heal.
For full power all duality and judgement must be overcome. As long as there is a fragmentation of good and evil, dark and light, as long as there is separation and judgement we too remain incomplete. The Goddess with her many faces and names teaches us to be beyond the duality, beyond judgement. Therefore you can find many stories of goddesses showing both cruelty and compassion, destroying with one hand and healing with the other. The Goddess teaches us to be beyond the illusion and aligned to the Divine, to see the bigger picture, instead of adhering to rigid moral judgements.
Bast who was said to be both cruel and kind is one example of dual nature of the Goddess. To embrace her fully we have to let go of all our judgement and prejudice, of our fear of power and follow our instincts, as a cat does. When we go beyond, we realise that destructive power too has its uses. Transformation is often preceded by destruction. The tree destroys the seed. A true healer needs to be able to harness destructive energy as some conditions and problems cannot be overcome without destruction of the opposing force.
For full power all duality and judgement must be overcome. As long as there is a fragmentation of good and evil, dark and light, as long as there is separation and judgement we too remain incomplete. The Goddess with her many faces and names teaches us to be beyond the duality, beyond judgement. Therefore you can find many stories of goddesses showing both cruelty and compassion, destroying with one hand and healing with the other. The Goddess teaches us to be beyond the illusion and aligned to the Divine, to see the bigger picture, instead of adhering to rigid moral judgements.
Bast who was said to be both cruel and kind is one example of dual nature of the Goddess. To embrace her fully we have to let go of all our judgement and prejudice, of our fear of power and follow our instincts, as a cat does. When we go beyond, we realise that destructive power too has its uses. Transformation is often preceded by destruction. The tree destroys the seed. A true healer needs to be able to harness destructive energy as some conditions and problems cannot be overcome without destruction of the opposing force.
My Personal Experience with Bast
When I began to study the Craft of the Wise and working with the Goddess
I spent at least half a year looking for my personal goddess. There
were a few who drew me, some very strongly, but in the end Bast clearly
won the race. I then set up my first altar to her and began to worship
her in my own way and as best as I could. To get to know her better I
also did guided meditations, but I soon felt that they were too
restrictive and didn't leave enough room for the unexpected and the magick to happen.
One day, during a shamanic journey I met Bast unexpectedly. The journey was very intense and really stirred me up. Bast told me then that she wanted me to be her priestess and placed her mark upon me. It actually hurt! When I came out of the journey I still felt a burning pain where she had scratched me with her claws. The mild pain lasted for hours! From then on I worked with her much more deeply and she showed up during many of my shamanic journeys.
She also began to come to help me in healing. Once I was doing a chakra healing on a friend of mine who, as it turned out, had no base chakra at all. This shocked me. I desperately wanted to help her but didn't know how. I was used to cleansing and repairing chakras, even in cases of very serious damage. But how do you repair something that isn't even there? While I was still pondering the question and stuck in the dilemma, Bast suddenly appeared and handed me the base chakra of my friend. All I had to do was install it! And that was easy! Bast soon became my greatest helper in healing. She also often shows up during medicine ceremonies.
About a year later I had the great good fortune to meet a true devotee of the Goddess who initiated me into working with Egyptian Neteru, and taught me the method of the Goddess Devotional Period as a preparation for initiation (read more about devotional periods in Becoming a Priestess). I plunged into the prayer writing process with great enthusiasm but was frustrated by the lack of information on this beautiful Goddess whom I deeply loved. I did a lot of research but all I found out was that I didn't know much about her -- and neither did others! What were her sacred plants? What food offerings did she prefer? What was her sacred colour? What incense should I offer? With what words should I invoke her? These and many other unanswered questions were in my mind when I began my devotional period.
My initial confusion soon vanished as I developed a deeper connection with her. Over time she revealed to me secret recipes for incense and anointing oil, invocations and more. One day she emphatically told me that she wanted different offerings from now on. She was very specific about what she wanted. I have listed her offerings below. Sorry, I am not going to share my recipes, but you can buy my Bast incense in the Magick Shop. The smell is very earthy and rich and conducive to trance, astral projection and Underworld work.
For those who like me struggle to find out more about Bast and maybe wish to set up a shrine to her, I have compiled some information on this mysterious Goddess.
One day, during a shamanic journey I met Bast unexpectedly. The journey was very intense and really stirred me up. Bast told me then that she wanted me to be her priestess and placed her mark upon me. It actually hurt! When I came out of the journey I still felt a burning pain where she had scratched me with her claws. The mild pain lasted for hours! From then on I worked with her much more deeply and she showed up during many of my shamanic journeys.
She also began to come to help me in healing. Once I was doing a chakra healing on a friend of mine who, as it turned out, had no base chakra at all. This shocked me. I desperately wanted to help her but didn't know how. I was used to cleansing and repairing chakras, even in cases of very serious damage. But how do you repair something that isn't even there? While I was still pondering the question and stuck in the dilemma, Bast suddenly appeared and handed me the base chakra of my friend. All I had to do was install it! And that was easy! Bast soon became my greatest helper in healing. She also often shows up during medicine ceremonies.
About a year later I had the great good fortune to meet a true devotee of the Goddess who initiated me into working with Egyptian Neteru, and taught me the method of the Goddess Devotional Period as a preparation for initiation (read more about devotional periods in Becoming a Priestess). I plunged into the prayer writing process with great enthusiasm but was frustrated by the lack of information on this beautiful Goddess whom I deeply loved. I did a lot of research but all I found out was that I didn't know much about her -- and neither did others! What were her sacred plants? What food offerings did she prefer? What was her sacred colour? What incense should I offer? With what words should I invoke her? These and many other unanswered questions were in my mind when I began my devotional period.
My initial confusion soon vanished as I developed a deeper connection with her. Over time she revealed to me secret recipes for incense and anointing oil, invocations and more. One day she emphatically told me that she wanted different offerings from now on. She was very specific about what she wanted. I have listed her offerings below. Sorry, I am not going to share my recipes, but you can buy my Bast incense in the Magick Shop. The smell is very earthy and rich and conducive to trance, astral projection and Underworld work.
For those who like me struggle to find out more about Bast and maybe wish to set up a shrine to her, I have compiled some information on this mysterious Goddess.
Goddess Bast's Profile
Sacred animal: Cat
Sacred colour: Black; alternatively midnight blue.
Sacred weekday: Saturday (there was no specific weekday for any of the Neteru in ancient Egypt.
However Saturday seems most appropriate because as a dark goddess and Underworld Goddess the energy of Saturn suits Bast best.)
Sacred plants: Catnip, vervain, cinnamon, cannabis
Sacred symbols: Sistrum, perfume jar, ankh, cats
Abhors: Cruelty to cats; uncleanliness; denial.
Sacred colour: Black; alternatively midnight blue.
Sacred weekday: Saturday (there was no specific weekday for any of the Neteru in ancient Egypt.
However Saturday seems most appropriate because as a dark goddess and Underworld Goddess the energy of Saturn suits Bast best.)
Sacred plants: Catnip, vervain, cinnamon, cannabis
Sacred symbols: Sistrum, perfume jar, ankh, cats
Abhors: Cruelty to cats; uncleanliness; denial.
Worship Materials
Bast statue: Must be properly consecrated and blessed and should ideally be of stone or clay
(resin is a poor power conduit).
Altar cloth: Black
Candles: Tea lights in a nice glass or candle globe with cat motives.
This is closest to what the Egyptians had: oil lamps.
No need for expensive taper candles and no wax spillage on your altar cloth!
Incense: Resin and herbs mixture to be burned on charcoal.
No commercial incense sticks or cones as those often contain cow
dung, which is taboo for Egyptian Neteru!
Note: I offer special Bast incense in my Magick Shop. The recipe was given to me by the Goddess directly.
(resin is a poor power conduit).
Altar cloth: Black
Candles: Tea lights in a nice glass or candle globe with cat motives.
This is closest to what the Egyptians had: oil lamps.
No need for expensive taper candles and no wax spillage on your altar cloth!
Incense: Resin and herbs mixture to be burned on charcoal.
No commercial incense sticks or cones as those often contain cow
dung, which is taboo for Egyptian Neteru!
Note: I offer special Bast incense in my Magick Shop. The recipe was given to me by the Goddess directly.
Food and Drink
Drink: Beer, preferably dark beer; occasionally red wine.
Food: Grains, preferably brown rice or barley; wholemeal bread rolls; onions (red preferably).
Prepare an offering plate with a bit of each: some grains, one or two brown rolls and onions.
Food: Grains, preferably brown rice or barley; wholemeal bread rolls; onions (red preferably).
Prepare an offering plate with a bit of each: some grains, one or two brown rolls and onions.
Flowers
I
offer her red roses, as this is what Bast told me she wanted me to
offer her. I used to offer bluish coloured flowers, until one day Bast
said she wanted red roses. This may be because Bast prefers roses or
because the rose happens to be one of my power plants. But as we are all different she may have a different flower for you. If you are unsure stick to roses!
Other Offerings
Song and dance!
Bast is very pleased when her devotees dance and sing for her!
Especially if they can hold a tune! lol!
Use a sistrum or at least a rattle when you dance and sing to her!
Bast is very pleased when her devotees dance and sing for her!
Especially if they can hold a tune! lol!
Use a sistrum or at least a rattle when you dance and sing to her!
Ritual Jewellery
For a special touch wear this beautiful Blessed
Bast Charm Necklace with genuine tiger eye and black onyx tooth beads during your Bast rituals or for every day protection and
connection to Bast. Handmade by an ordained priestess of Bast!
For more details or orders visit the Enchanted Jewellery section of the Magick Shop.
Hopefully the above will get you started in getting to know the Great Goddess Bast!
Many Bast blessings,
Avalon Sakti
Hopefully the above will get you started in getting to know the Great Goddess Bast!
Many Bast blessings,
Avalon Sakti
Copyright © Avalon Sakti Tiamat, 24.02.2009
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