Statue goddess Sekhmet standing black made in Egypt

History

Sekhmet is an ancient Egyptian Goddess of war and destruction, plagues and healing. Her name means “The Powerful One,” and She is linked in some tales with Hathor. She is depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, sometimes also with the sun disk and uraeus on Her headdress, Who symbolizes the destructive heat of the sun. Sekhmet, Her husband Ptah, and Their son Nefertum or Imhotep make up a triad of Deities especially worshipped in Memphis. She is also closely connected with Bast, the cat-headed Goddess of pleasure and luxury.

The tale is that Ra, the old king of the Gods, became angry with wayward humankind and in His wrath ripped out His own eye and threw it at mankind. This Divine eye became the Goddess Sekhmet, Who in the form of a lioness set about slaughtering humans, butchering them and drinking their blood. Ra, seeing this, realized that at the rate She was going no one would be left on Earth and tried to calm Her. But She refused to listen, joying in killing. So Ra then filled a lake with a mixture of beer and pomegranate juice, and Sekhmet, thinking it blood, drank the whole thing. . .and then fell asleep. When She woke the next morning, She was much calmer, though She had a terrible headache!

Sekhmet, though sometimes a violent Goddess, was however also known as a healer who set and cured broken bones. She is said to cause epidemics when She is not honored properly; but when She is, She can stop them as well.

Sekhmet is the wife of Ptah, the patron of artisans, and their son is Nefertum. Later the deified architect Imhotep was named Her son. Imhotep was a real man who worked under the third dynasty pharoah Djoser and was responsible for building the Step Pyramid, the very first pyramid. After his death He was worshipped as a God, and became the patron of doctors. Miraculous cures were His specialty.

Sekhmet in a reading indicates issues of revenge and anger, and a warning not to get carried away. In this situation it is very easy to go too far and let things get out of control. Or it can indicate that old grudges and patterns are getting in the way of needed change. Let these things go, and work on forgiveness. Remember, Sekhmet’s tale of massacre is sometimes told of Hathor, meaning that when we can let go of our anger and forgive old hurts, joy and celebration are waiting for us.

Alternate spellings: Sakhmet, Sekhemet