Bastet the Mother and sensitivity

[Wannabewizard]

I am really struggling at times without having an obvious deity symbol.
I have had cats in my dreams lighting my way through darkness.
And who doesn't like a Sexy cat goddess, especially one that escorted the ladies in such a provocative way down the Nile

Bastet seems a mother figure that could help heal the mother wound, I need a positive image of woman to recover from misogyny.
It's also a deity away from anything christian, so a wonderful act of blasphemy and disapproval, a deep shadow work process.

I see deity like this
An Archetype first,
Psychic contact with powerful spirit second,
Establishing Bastet cult and obsessive daily worship thirdly, is optional.

As I have a tendency to regress to a small child wearing a wizards hat far too easily, and jump strait to the third option, I am cautious about this and any kind of 'possession' or saying something stupid to annoy a goddess. Part of me says 'yeah this is cool', another has extreme caution about entertaining any spirit.

Most of an adult lifetime was spent oblivious to what Bisexality is, despite getting a lot of attention and not wanting it. I still don't consider my self that way, even if there is part of me inside that does. The price of trauma and identity confusion.
I liked girly stuff early on - as that meant actually feeling loved as opposed to feeling dead inside.
The result is a feminine sensitivity and masculine strength, which I have concluded is probably why my father was such a bastard towards me.

So I have this thing whereby the feminine is easier to approach, but even that has issues...
I guess you could say I feel called by Bastet and maybe pair up with Anubis, but it could just be insanity.
Is goddess work going to help, or even a good idea?

 

[Galahad]

I am really struggling at times without having an obvious deity symbol.
I have had cats in my dreams lighting my way through darkness.
And who doesn't like a Sexy cat goddess, especially one that escorted the ladies in such a provocative way down the Nile

Bastet seems a mother figure that could help heal the mother wound, I need a positive image of woman to recover from misogyny.
It's also a deity away from anything christian, so a wonderful act of blasphemy and disapproval, a deep shadow work process.

I see deity like this
An Archetype first,
Psychic contact with powerful spirit second,
Establishing Bastet cult and obsessive daily worship thirdly, is optional.

As I have a tendency to regress to a small child wearing a wizards hat far too easily, and jump strait to the third option, I am cautious about this and any kind of 'possession' or saying something stupid to annoy a goddess. Part of me says 'yeah this is cool', another has extreme caution about entertaining any spirit.

Most of an adult lifetime was spent oblivious to what Bisexality is, despite getting a lot of attention and not wanting it. I still don't consider my self that way, even if there is part of me inside that does. The price of trauma and identity confusion.
I liked girly stuff early on - as that meant actually feeling loved as opposed to feeling dead inside.
The result is a feminine sensitivity and masculine strength, which I have concluded is probably why my father was such a bastard towards me.

So I have this thing whereby the feminine is easier to approach, but even that has issues...
I guess you could say I feel called by Bastet and maybe pair up with Anubis, but it could just be insanity.
Is goddess work going to help, or even a good idea?

I perceive many threads here and I can identify with most of them, especially when I think back to my teens.

In the first thread, I perceive there is a desire to reclaim the mother-aspect of the feminine but coupling that with personal freedom. I may be way off, but I'd hazard that past experience of female authority has been puritanical and/or miserable. I'm biased: I have felt Her tread alongside me all of my life but, still, I cannot think of a better goddess to connect with than Bast to blow all of that away.

Bast combines a strong maternal, nurturing and protective dimension with the capacity to take pleasure from your pleasure, in the way a loving, supportive parent would or, in fact, as cats generally do for the humans who they've chosen. This is all especially powerful if you're engaging with your sexuality and confronting desires. Many of the qualities thought to belong to cats come to the West and the Middle East from Egypt (and, to a lesser extent, Japan) and so the magic, sensuality, intelligence and so on that are commonly perceived in cats, indicate qualities which were once associated with Bast. It's worth remembering too the ancient idea of cats as warders-off against evil. This falls under their protective nature and, in the case of Bast, this can involve a transformation into Sekhmet. In other words, while She plays the doting mother to those She takes as Her own, woe betide those who would try to harm those who She's adopted.

The second thread connects with this. Worship in a context such as this is less about "obsessive daily worship". Grovelling is, in fact, antithetical to the force which Bast represents. A better approach is to honour the force by honouring its presence within yourself. This could involve allowing expression of sensuality in an affirmative, nurturing way and developing in your personality other patterns associated with cats like gracefulness, quick wit, perception, etc. It also involves literally taking care of cats as participants in Bast. All cats point towards the presence of the goddess, simply by being themselves. You may not be in a position where you can adopt but you can still honour this principle by donating cat food to shelters, using your internet presence to call for better treatment of cats, etc., etc. All of this will deepen your connection and, in time, you will begin to perceive Bast in Her essence, that is noetically.

Is goddess work going to help, or even a good idea?

In the instance you've mentioned, I do not see a downside. It will contextualise your Work and lead to you developing a number of characteristics which will be of use to you in any context. These can be adapted if you later discover that you'd like to draw other gods into your personal Work. You'll also be of some practical virtuous use to the world by making the lot of beautiful creatures a little easier than it might otherwise have been.

If you want to engage in a working of "blasphemy" against the forces of stupidity (which so fear the idea that beauty, power and intelligence might be gathered in one image

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) aligning with Bast will repudiate all of that, while strengthening you. It would be an excellent move to make.

 

[Wannabewizard]

Excellent, thank you. Very encouraging. Your right on, it is difficult to say something that overlaps so much.

Statutory has arrived and been cleansed with incense. the whole room looks 'right' now and lit up with gold. I know what this is, shadow gold. I was unaware that this was even a thing until recently, as everyone goes on about the shadow darkness so much.

I did actually used to have a black cat, born as the only kitten from a white cat that I treated badly, (a long time ago) with all my unconsciousness from my father. That is until a neighbors racing dog got to it. I had no emotion by that point. Things have changed.

They did what to cats? I have heard of scapegoating, but cats?

How I view the feminine is already changing.
Had a cat vision as I was setting up. The same vision cat is smacking nasty thought forms around nicely.
I am informed that if I honor Bast, Bast will honor me. Bast is taking up my feminine position, where my mother was (or the corrupt thing that looked like her)
This is a total reprogramming.
I think this needs some kind of initiation rite.
Do you know of some references as how to get up and running properly?

 

[voidcat]

Bastet seems to be a good deity in my experience tho I'm biased as she's my main deity.

In my experience she is very vocal however and direct. Ever tried ignoring a cat? It's not easy. She has helped mea lot in accepting my feminity and in healing childhood trauma as well as helping me a bit with my sexuality.

Do you know of some references as how to get up and running properly

I have a book i can suggest. It's called Sekhmet & Bastet: The feline powers of ancient egypt by Lesly Jackson

I dont have a pdf version that I can post in the book shares section as it's a paper copy I have. Otherwise I would post it there it's a fantastic book. Not exactly an initiation rite but can help with info on the deity.

 

[HoldAll]

I have a book i can suggest. It's called Sekhmet & Bastet: The feline powers of ancient egypt by Lesly Jackson

I dont have a pdf version that I can post in the book shares section as it's a paper copy I have. Otherwise I would post it there it's a fantastic book. Not exactly an initiation rite but can help with info on the deity.

Just posted it:

Book – PDF - Lesley Jackson - Sekhmet & Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt

Sekhmet & Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt is a detailed study of the history, mythology, symbolism and worship of the lion and cat goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Lesley Jackson traces the evolution of Sekhmet and Bastet within the context of Ancient Egyptian religious rituals, beliefs and...

wizardforums.com

 

[voidcat]

Just posted it:

Book – PDF - Lesley Jackson - Sekhmet & Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt

Sekhmet & Bastet: The Feline Powers of Egypt is a detailed study of the history, mythology, symbolism and worship of the lion and cat goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Lesley Jackson traces the evolution of Sekhmet and Bastet within the context of Ancient Egyptian religious rituals, beliefs and...

wizardforums.com

Thanks. It's a good book I hope people get a lot of use out of it.

 

[Wannabewizard]

Oh, good a book! More than I had hoped for.
This may sound really stupid and horrible and you may not be able to help, buts it's worth an ask.

I did not know at the time of writing, it was still coming clear to me, but I had been exposed to animals being harmed including cats.
The god form of Sekhmet was used to attack me 'for failing to protect the kittens' (paraphrased). It was basically a mindfuck.
So I am coming to terms with what I experienced, plus a genuine liking for cats, as I have know the entire life cycle of felines, seeing them give birth, everything cat. I may actually be a catman

I decided I will not hold it against the godform and I confronted this head on after experiencing dreams/visions about the harm/experiences.
I went strait for exposure. I have apologized, made offerings and so on.
I'm working on the fly here by instinct with no experience, and I knew right away Bast is the mother of us all, then found the poem.
I think many gods are what we expect them to be, so maintained that I would change the negative image I held.

Although it may be a lot later on in life now, the issue of beating cowardliness/fear is real. Small children might not get a choice, but as an adult one can overcome. I don't need misogyny, but I suffered at the hands of the corrupt feminine/authority who are supposed to protect.

I have a strong psychic sight and hope I am getting this right, rather than crazy, ie 'bast shows herself to me in this way too' kind of thing.
Bast is a great dancing lady and I have a lot to learn. likes the finer things like me. Wont touch slightly older offerings, has to be fresh.
I could use some guidance, especially in healing. I want to make sure I have made peace, no matter how insane it sounds.