Bast ~ The Original Catwoman ~ Ancient Egyptian Goddess
Bastet was a very important goddess of protection, she was quite feisty and is associated with fire & water. Goddess of cats, home, fire, music, dance, sunrise, pleasure as well as sexuality, fertility, family, pregnant women and children. She was known to help the ancient Egyptians put out & prevent fires. She had the head of a cat, and body of a goddess. She is associated with protection, good fortune & good health. Bastet was the daughter of Ra, and Sekhmet was her sister - which makes complete sense! Bast was worshipped frequently as a deity in lower Egypt and was celebrated every year with a festival called: The Festival of Bastet at Bubastis. Bubastis is on the Nile Delta. The Nile river was sacred to Ancient Egyptians as it provided a source of water, food, transportation & soil.
She holds with her a sacred sistrum, and is usually seen with kittens surrounding her feet. She possesses the Utchat, also known as the Eye of Horus, similar to the all seeing Eye of Ra. You can call upon Bast to guide and help you with protection from evil spirits in your home, & prevention of diseases in women and children. Tell Basta - or Per-Bast (Bubastis) is an ancient city that still stands in Egpyt today and is located north of Cairo. This location is known as the House of Bastet. The earliest temple to Bastet appears to have been built around 2400 B.C.E., with later pharaohs continuing to build temples to her. It's important to never underestimate the power of this ancient catwoman. If any cats were harmed in ancient Egypt, it was an automatic death sentence for the perpetrator. Cats were regarded as divine beings, and some believe they still are!
