Neter: Sekhmet
Dates: 25th July to 20th August
Appearance: Usually depicted as a lioness, a solar goddess, or represented as a lion-headed woman wearing a solar disc crown with the uraeus serpent.
Symbols: Fire, Lion, Cat Kingship/sovereignty, Female power, fire, protection/guardianship
Other titles: "Eye of Ra"
"The Powerful One" Principle: Purification
The energy dynamic/power is directed towards removing invasion, intrusion and disorder. Her influence is formidable and should never be called upon for frivolous purposes. Rituals of her temple were known to utterly destroy those they were directed toward, and may have been the only ones that used blood sacrifice, though none have survived the ages. She is protector of soldiers, law enforcement, and psychic healers
Function: Purgation
As healer, Sekhmet removes impurities from the body, though her presence may bring fever and eruptions of the skin. However, she brings the appropriate medical assistance when invoked, and she is patroness of all healers, therapists and physicians.
Energies: Myth Sekhmet is a goddess of war and destroyer of the enemies of the sun god Ra. She is associated with both disease and with healing and medicine. The dreadful lion-headed daughter of Ra, like other fierce goddesses she was called 'The Eye of Ra' and the consort or wife of Ptah.
Her titles include:
"The Strong One"
"Mistress of Life"
"The Powerfull One"
Also the eye of Ra
She was both a warrior and a champion of the gods. She represented the ferocious aspect of female divinity. Mistress of war and strife, she helped the king to slaughter his enemies. According to one myth there was a time when Sekhmet almost wiped out the entire human race. The sun-god at one stage felt that humans were plotting against him and sent his daughter Sekhmet to punish them. Sekhmet slaughtered so many people that she had to be stopped. Afraid that no one would be left to look after the temples and make offerings; Ra poured out a lake of beer and coloured it to look like blood. The following day, blood thirsty Sekhmet drank the beer thinking it was blood, became intoxicated and wandered away - she then had to be reminded (by Tehuti) of her divine self and humanity was spared from extinction.
This blood thirsty goddess who could kill could also cure (she could be persuaded to remove epidemics through the performance of the rite of "Appeasing Sekhmet." Sekhmet also drove away sickness (making her mistress of healing). The title 'priest of Sekhmet' came to mean the same as 'doctor'
Her arrows were said to bring death and illness, pestilence (archer) - (Sekhmet Bast)
Text from the Cairo Calender (24 November) says "The gods are joyful with the offerings of Sekhmet on this. Repeat the offerings. It will be pleasant to the heart of the gods and the spirits." On the assumption that she could kill as well as cure, she was later worshipped as the 'lady of life'
Duality - Bast and Sekhmet combine the opposing nature of the cat - domestic/untamed.
"She is the one who paves the way to spiritual evolution by destroying the evil of ignorance and sinfulness in the human heart." - Ashby.
She defeated the serpent Ibipi
She is the Goddess of Military Battles - Much of Milliary insignia today still carry a representation of a lion
Her chief sanctuary was in Memphis (considered wife of Ptah and mother of Nerfertem; and thus a member of the Triad of Memphis.
Personality Traits: Strength and stability
Lion Heart
Honest and loyal
Courageous
Determined / dynamic
Hard working
Extrovert and fun-loving
Generous nature
Stubborn / bossy
Can be aggressive, deceitful and annoying
Obstinate spirit
Tendency to offend without intent
Frequently fail to seize opportunities offered on a plate
Preserver of status quo rather than revolutionary
Body parts: Heart [functional/metaphysical = circulatory/individuation]
Amber allows the body to heal itself by absorbing and transmuting negative energy into positive energy. It may be used on the appropriate charka to facilitate opening and cleansing. It stimulates and opens the crown charka. It was burned in medieval days, as a fumigant and as an incense to clear the environment of negativity.
Other Correspondences
Neter Sekhmet
Season Harvest
Month Pharmouthi
Planet Sun
Element Fire
Body part Heart
Gemstone Amber
Tree Yew
Food Apple
Flower Foxglove
Colours Red, Deep Purple, Gold
Lucky Number 3
Inscence/Perfume Frankincense
Metal Gold / pyrite
Chakra Crown
12 Tribes of Israel Judah
Suitable Occupations
Famous People under this sign Halle Berry. Jennifer Lopez
Western Sun-sign Approx. Leo