Sekhmet

What does this mean for you? You have a fire in you that can never be truly dimmed, and you protect the ones you love with all of your might. That said, you may have a rebellious and/or vengeful streak that can come out when something or someone has pushed you too far. The fire and power of the Sun can heal as well as burn after all. 

The mythology of Sekhmet goes something like this: Amid the Golden Age of the Sun god Ra, creator of all the world, ruled Egypt from his flaming throne. Humans prospered during this time, but some decided to rebel against the Pharaoh. Furious over this prospect, he took from his eye the awful power of the Sun and sent it hurtling towards earth. This burning power transformed and became the goddess Sekhmet, fearson lioness and daughter of Ra. She became his fury–his avenger and protector. 

There amid her prowling lion form, she roared into the sands of the desert–personified rage and burning heat of the Sun, slaughtering any creature that crossed her path, animal or otherwise. She drank their blood, leaving rivers of red in her wake. It was once she started to reach civilization that Ra seemed to see the error of his ways, and sent messengers to find red ochre, a kind of pigment to mix into many vats of beer at the edge of a town. 

Rage turning her mind red, red was all she wanted–all that she saw, and those vats seemed awfully like blood to her. So she drank. And drank. And drank some more. Until she became flat drunk! It was the only way to stop Sekhmet. No warrior, god or otherwise, could stop her amid a rampage. 

It was in this pacified, intoxicated state that the goddess Sekhmet transformed once again. Hathor became her name, goddess of love and beauty, and one of the most beloved of all goddesses in the Egyptian pantheon. 

Upon her return, Ra threw a massive celebration, a festival that came down to humans as the Festival of Intoxication where men and women dance and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Hathor’s joy is radiant and she joins humans amid the festivities, forever a light in the dark, gentle and lifegiving, but no less powerful than Sekhmet. 

So ends the myth of Sekhmet’s rage. There are several other myths of Sekhmet for you to find should you look! The Distant Goddess is another. 

Now, a common person today may take one look at Sekhmet and renounce her as evil or a villain–a kind of rage that one does not want to possess, but the Egyptians saw something deeply profound within her. Although feared for her rage, she was incredibly beloved by the ancient Egyptians because of her aspect as a protector of all people, from royal kings to mothers in childbirth. As a lioness, she was also considered regal and many Pharaohs sought her approval during their reign. 

She is also the very essence in which the Sun burns. She and her sisters, that is. Sekhmet is considered one of the Solar Eye goddesses who personify the energies that helped creation manifest itself. While it is said that Ra created the world from the depths of the Nun, it was with a feminine principle–disembodied feminine energies later personified as the Solar Eye goddesses–that the world came into being. As a result, Sekhmet is both a mother-figure and a daughter-figure to Ra, just like her sisters and fellow Solar Eye goddesses (Tefnut, Bastet, etc). It is in this mother and daughter-like aspect that Sekhmet was beloved by the Egyptians as she is ultimately a fierce protector of their homeland. That said, Sekhmet is still not one to be trifled with. 

Now, what does this mean for you, dear reader and established Sekhmet? You have an inner fire and a fierce desire to protect the ones you love at all costs. Your loyalty is unwavering and you will fulfill the duty assigned to you. In the case of Sekhmet, maybe even a little too well.  No one can stop you once you’ve set your mind on something. Stubbornness is definitely a trait you possess. To a more extreme extent, you may overreact or have a vengeful tendency when either you or someone you love is wronged. This is not always wrong, but it is good to beware of your own passions as they may overpower you before you can think to stop it. 

Ultimately, Sekhmet is a powerful goddess and you share in the incredible protective instincts she has. Never forget, dear reader and established Sekhmet, the heart of the Sun burns wildly within you.