RED ~ The Spirit of the Divine

Goddess of the Month : Sekhmet

The Goddess Sekhmet, 1986 by Diana Vandenberg

A Hymn of Sekhmet says:
Mine is a heart of carnelian, crimson as murder on a holy day.
Mine is a heart of corneal, the gnarled roots of a dogwood and the bursting of flowers.
I am the broken wax seal on my lover's letters.
I am the phoenix, the fiery sun, consuming and resuming myself.
I will what I will.
Mine is a heart of carnelian, blood red as the crest of a phoenix.

Sekhmet (pronounced sek’ met) is one of the oldest known Egyptian deities. Her name is derived from the Egyptian word 'Sekhem' (which means "power" or "might") and is often translated as the "Powerful One". She is depicted as a lion-headed woman, sometimes with the addition of a sun disc on her head. Her seated statues show her holding the ankh of life, but when she is shown striding or standing, she usually holds a sceptre formed from papyrus.

Sekhmet was often closely associated with Hathor (the goddess of joy, music, dance, sexual love, pregnancy and birth). In this partnership, she was seen as the harsh aspect of the friendly Hathor, and given the title Eye of Ra. According to myth, Ra became angry because mankind was not following his laws and preserving Ma'at (justice or balance). He decided to punish mankind by sending an aspect of his daughter, the Eye of Ra. He plucked Hathor from Ureas on his brow, and sent her to earth in the form of a lion. She became Sekhmet, the "Eye of Ra" and began her rampage. The fields ran with human blood. However, Ra was not a cruel deity, and the sight of the carnage caused him to repent. He ordered her to stop, but she was in a blood lust and would not listen. Ra poured 7,000 jugs of beer and pomegranate juice (which stained the beer blood red) in her path. She gorged on the ‘blood’ and became so drunk she slept for three days. When she awoke, her blood lust had dissipated, and humanity was saved.
To pacify Sekhmet, festivals were celebrated at the end of battle, so that there would be no more destruction. On such occasions, people danced and played music to soothe the wildness of the goddess, and drank great quantities of beer.

Sekhmet was represented by the searing heat of the mid-day sun (in this aspect she was sometimes called ‘Nesert’, the flame) and was a terrifying goddess. However, for her friends she could avert plague and cure disease. She was the patron of Physicians, and Healers and her priests became known as skilled doctors. As a result, the fearsome deity sometimes called the ‘lady of terror’ was also known as 'lady of life'. Sekhmet was mentioned a number of times in the spells of The Book of the Dead as both a creative and destructive force, but above all, she is the protector of Ma'at (balance or justice) named ‘The One Who Loves Ma'at and Who Detests Evil’.

She was also known as the 'Lady of Pestilence' and the ‘Red Lady’ (indicating her alignment with the desert) & it was thought that she could send plagues against those who angered her.

Sekhmet is the power of anger within every woman, the force that motivates us into action. Invoke Sekhmet to connect to & control your anger and rage, to express emotions freely in a way that you will be heard, for strength, independence, assertiveness, protection, healing disease, & healing sexual issues, including rape & molestation.

Visit The Temple of Sekhmet in Nevada



	Goddess of the Month : Sekhmet The Goddess Sekhmet, 1986 by Diana Vandenberg A Hymn of Sekhmet says: Mine is a heart of carnelian, crimson as murder on a holy day. Mine is a heart of corneal, the gnarled roots of a dogwood and the bursting of flowers. I am the broken wax seal on my lover's letters. I am the phoenix, the fiery sun, consuming and resuming myself. I will what I will. Mine is a heart of carnelian, blood red as the crest of a phoenix. Sekhmet (pronounced sek’ met) is one of the oldest known Egyptian deities. Her name is derived from the Egyptian word 'Sekhem' (which means "power" or "might") and is often translated as the "Powerful One". She is depicted as a lion-headed woman, sometimes with the addition of a sun disc on her head. Her seated statues show her holding the ankh of life, but when she is shown striding or standing, she usually holds a sceptre formed from papyrus. Sekhmet was often closely associated with Hathor (the goddess of joy, music, dance, sexual love, pregnancy and birth). In this partnership, she was seen as the harsh aspect of the friendly Hathor, and given the title Eye of Ra. According to myth, Ra became angry because mankind was not following his laws and preserving Ma'at (justice or balance). He decided to punish mankind by sending an aspect of his daughter, the Eye of Ra. He plucked Hathor from Ureas on his brow, and sent her to earth in the form of a lion. She became Sekhmet, the "Eye of Ra" and began her rampage. The fields ran with human blood. However, Ra was not a cruel deity, and the sight of the carnage caused him to repent. He ordered her to stop, but she was in a blood lust and would not listen. Ra poured 7,000 jugs of beer and pomegranate juice (which stained the beer blood red) in her path. She gorged on the ‘blood’ and became so drunk she slept for three days. When she awoke, her blood lust had dissipated, and humanity was saved. To pacify Sekhmet, festivals were celebrated at the end of battle, so that there would be no more destruction. On such occasions, people danced and played music to soothe the wildness of the goddess, and drank great quantities of beer. Sekhmet was represented by the searing heat of the mid-day sun (in this aspect she was sometimes called ‘Nesert’, the flame) and was a terrifying goddess. However, for her friends she could avert plague and cure disease. She was the patron of Physicians, and Healers and her priests became known as skilled doctors. As a result, the fearsome deity sometimes called the ‘lady of terror’ was also known as 'lady of life'. Sekhmet was mentioned a number of times in the spells of The Book of the Dead as both a creative and destructive force, but above all, she is the protector of Ma'at (balance or justice) named ‘The One Who Loves Ma'at and Who Detests Evil’. She was also known as the 'Lady of Pestilence' and the ‘Red Lady’ (indicating her alignment with the desert) & it was thought that she could send plagues against those who angered her. Sekhmet is the power of anger within every woman, the force that motivates us into action. Invoke Sekhmet to connect to & control your anger and rage, to express emotions freely in a way that you will be heard, for strength, independence, assertiveness, protection, healing disease, & healing sexual issues, including rape & molestation. Visit The Temple of Sekhmet in Nevada