Saturday Goddess Blogging

Sekhmet was generally portrayed as a woman with the head of a lioness surmounted by the solar disk and the uraeus. The name "Sekhmet" comes from the root sekhem which means "to be strong, mighty, violent".

She was identified with the goddess Bastet, and they were called the Goddesses of the West (Sekhmet) and the East (Bastet). Both were shown with the heads of lionesses although Bastet was said to wear green, while Sekhmet wore red.

Sekhmet represents, according to Amy Sophia Marashinsky, the destructive aspects of the Sun (Re in Egyptian).

She was the goddess of war and destruction. She was the sister and wife of Ptah. She was created by the fire of Re's eye. Re created her as a weapon of vengence to destroy men for their wicked ways and disobedience to him. When Sekhmet went on her killing spree, Ra, the high God, put vats of beer, mixed with pomegranate juice in her path. Sekhmet thought that these were vats of human blood and eagerly drank them down. She became intoxicated and fell asleep. When she awoke, her rage was gone.

Sekhmet was feared by the Egyptians, who developed an elaborate ritual in [the] hopes [that] she could be appeased. This ritual revolved around more than 700 statues of the goddess. Egyptian priests [performed] a ritual before a different one of these statues each morning and each afternoon of every single day of every single year. Only by the strictest adherence to this never-ending ritual could the ancient Egyptians be assured of their ability to placate Sekhmet.

Sadly, Sekhmet's qualities as Healer, Mother,and Protector are often overlooked. In the realm of Ancient Egyptian Medicine, almost all healers and surgeons of Ancient Kemet would most certainly have fallen under Sekhmet's jurisdiction.

Sekhmet was worshiped throughout Egypt, particularly wherever a wadi opened out at the desert edges. This is the type of terrain that lions are often found, having come from the desert in order to drink and to prey upon cattle in the area. It is said that Her worship was possibly introduced into Egypt from the Sudan, because lions are more plentiful there. Sekhmet's main cult center was located in Memphis and was part of the Divine Triad there, which was made up of Ptah, Sekhmet, and Nefertum.

Sekhmet is the wife of Ptah, the 'Creator' of the Ancient Egyptians, and their son is called Nefertum, who is also closely associated with healers and healing. Because of the shift in power from Memphis to Thebes during the New Kingdom (1550- 1069 BC) and to the Theban Triad, made up of Amun, Mut (Amaunet), and Khons, Sekhmet's attributes were absorbed into [those] of Mut.

Marashinsky says, Rage is accumulated anger, gone out of control. Sekhmet says that our anger is part of our power as women. Don't give away your anger. Learn to express it in a way that can be heard.

Art found here, here, and here.