Sacred Circles' Coven

SEKHMET

Ancient Egyptian Goddess

The ancient Egyptian goddess Sekhmet is known as the Eye of Ra. She is the power that protects the good and annihilates the wicked. Sekhmet is the wrathful form of Hathor (goddess of joy, music, dance, sexual love, pregnancy and birth). With leonine head, female human body and the strength of her father, she is the noontime sun--- intense blinding heat.

In Tibet she is known as Senge Dong-ma, lion-headed dakini, "Guardian of the Secret Tantric Teachings". She is called Simhavaktra, in India where she also has a male reflection in the lion-headed incarnation of Vishnu, Narasimha. Pure shakti, she is doubtless a close relative to lion-mounted Durga, "Keeper of the Flame". Indeed, another Egyptian title for Sekhmet is Nesert, the flame. In the ancient Near East she was called Anat, Ashtoreth and Astarte.

To the Old Kingdom Egyptians, Nu was the divine father of the primordal waters from whence Ra, the sun, came forth. Ra gave birth to Shu, god of the wind, and Tefnut who was called "the spitter" because she sent the rain. Together Shu and Tefnut were the Twins of our heavenly constellations. Tefnut and Sekhmet both have human female form with a head of the lion and both are recorded as daughters of Ra by the Egyptians. Sekhmet is perhaps a later manifestation of Tefnut, but in any event they are one and the same.

Sekhmet, goddess Hathor, is the daughter he plucked from his head and sent out into the universe to avenge his anger. Nu spoke, "Let thine Eye go forth against those who are rebels in the kingdom." Then the gods spoke together, "Let thine eye go forth against these rebels. When It cometh down from heaven, no human eye can be raised against it."

Sekhmet/Hathor, in the form of a lioness, hurled herself upon the men who had rebelled against Ra. She attacked them with such fury that the sun god feared she might exterminate the entire human race and begged her to stop the carnage. She had no ears to hear it. So Ra spilled 7,000 jugs containing a magic potion composed of beer and pomegranate juice in her path. Sekhmet, mistook the red liquid for human blood, lapped it up and become too drunk to continue the slaughter.

On the feast day of Hathor/Sekhmet as many jugs of reddened beer were offered as there were priestesses of the sun.

Mistress and lady of the tomb, gracious one, destroyer of rebellion, mighty one of enchantments. Her body draped in red, Sekhmet faces West; her sister-daughter Bast in green, personification of the domestic cat, faces East.

Sekhmet is the triad goddess of Memphis with her husband Ptah, god of arts and crafts. Nefertum was their son and the third member of the triad. Ptah is the creative potter-god who shaped the world and heavens assisted by the seven wise worker-dwarfs of Khnemu.

The Egyptian Goddess was the called "the terrible one", the Powerful, the Beloved of Ptah. She represented the destroying power of the Sun and was crowned with a disk and coiled cobras. Although she was the goddess of war and battles, she was also patroness of physicians and bone-setters. As an aspect of Hathor, she once nearly annihilated humans for disrespect to Ra.

At this time of year, when the Sun's rays are weakest, Sekhmet presents a more gentle side. Like many Sun gods, her life and powers seem to ebb and flow with the yearly cycles of the Sun. However, Sekhmet is never to be treated lightly. Her powers always deserves the utmost respect and consideration before calling upon her aid. In Egyptian legend it is said she torments the evil and law-breakers in the Underworld. Today, she can be called upon to right wrongs, not by narrow standards, but by her more expansive ones. She is a protector of the under-dog and the helpless. Social status means nothing to her when she set out to balance the scales of justice.

Birth of Freya

The Norse Vana-Goddess Freya was very important to the welfare of the existence of the Gods. This went far beyond her aspect as a fertility goddess, for there was a long series of battles between the Gods and the Giants over Freya. Freya had many names; Syr, Lady, Great Goddess, Mardoll {She who shines over the sea}. She is the sister of Freyr and the daughter of the sea god Njord.

Myths hint at her marriage to a mysterious god named Od who disappeared. Although Freya is linked closely with the powerful Odhinn, she is not his wife, not the wife of any god. When she weeps, her tears fall as drops of gold; when the tears fall into the sea, they become amber. Her magickal cats, Bygul {Bee Gold Honey} and Trjegul {Tree -gold amber}, pull her chariot, but she also has a battle-boar {Hildisvini} which she rode. She owns the necklace Brisingamen and keeps half of the slain warriors in her hall.

Freyja is the mistress of cats, leader of the Valkries, a shape-shifter, and the Sage or sayer who inspires all sacred poetry. Thirteen is her number and Friday is her day. Her special magick seider was primarly women's magick, a type of shamanism and prophecy. Some myths hint the runes were hers long before Odhinn gained them.

Freyja has power over love, beauty, animals, sex, cats, childbirth, fire, horses, enchantments, witchcraft, gold, wealth, trance, jewelry, wisdom, foresight, magick, luck, long life, fertility, the Moon, the sea, death, music, poetry, and protection.

To petition Freyja for aid in developing psychic talents and performing magick, anoint a green candle with juniper oil or pine oil {a green cat candle works best in cat magick}, working from the wick to the bottom. Wear a necklace of pendant of a necklace of amber in honor of Brisingamen; or at least hold a piece of amber in your hand. Wear a green robe or one with green in it. Sit in a comfortable chair where you will not be disturbed. Chant.

She-Falcon! The Moon sails through the trees.
Freyja! I call the weeper of gold!
Lady of Sorcery! I stand before you unafraid.
Keeper of Brisingamen! Reveal to me secrets of knot and braid.
Freyja! Moon Goddess! Queen of Valkyries!
Give me the key to deep magicks.

Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Feel your body relax. Before you will be brilliant door of light. Visualize yourself walking through it. You are in Freyja's hall in Asgard. The goddess is sitting at her throne. There is a stool. Spend as much time as Freyja allows talking with her and listening to her wisdom.

When you are dismissed, return through the door of light to your physical body. Breathe deeply again. Then repeat the chant and thank Freyja for her help.

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