The Power of Sekhmet

Sekhmet, the Great Goddess of Ten Thousand Names

       The Powerful One, The Fierce Protector,

           The Devourer, The Eye of Ra, 

                The Great Destroyer, The Goddess of War,

         She Who Rises With the Sun, 

             The Great Mother, Goddess of Creation

These are just some of the names of this amazing lion-headed Egyptian Goddess.  She, like so many women, can truly do it all, and for those who lose sight of their power, she is there to remind them of their ability to handle all of life's challenges even when they don't feel like they can go another step.  

Like so many in the Egyptian pantheon Sekhmet is a Goddess who will eventually find you....and she found me.  I want to share an excerpt from my writing which is included in the

Daughter of the Sun: A Devotional Anthology in Honor of Sekhmet   because her message is always timely, always appropriate, and always something that we need to be reminded of.  I hope you enjoy...

A Message From Sekhmet

One powerful experience with her happened while I worked as a volunteer at the Indianapolis Zoo.  Every two weeks I spent my Thursday mornings cleaning out the barn that houses the African Plains animals.  Before my shift began, I checked in with the zookeepers at the Lion/Baboon barn.  It was here that I had the opportunity to be a little bit closer to the lions than the general public, which still meant that there were two sets of bars between us!  On several mornings, the lions would begin their morning roaring session and inside the closed concrete walls the sound reverberated around the room and traveled straight to my Solar Plexus and up to my Heart chakra.   I think it changed me.

One morning, a female lioness had my undivided attention as she lay on top of her perch within her enclosure.  As she looked directly into my eyes she impressed upon me the raw power within her body.  Then she stood up, moved purposefully off of her perch and began to pace back and forth with her eyes never leaving mine.  I watched as she moved gracefully on her tremendously large paws and watched the muscling in her shoulders and sides as she took each step with incredible confidence that was truly breathtaking and I thought of Sekhmet.

That evening I went to yoga class and moved through each asana very aware of the different sensations in my body, even on a cellular level.  I knew I was fighting off a cold, but tried to stay mentally healthy knowing that it could stabilize my physical body.  We reached the end of our practice then laid on our mats in "Corpse Pose" and connected to the power of the Earth and the power of the Universe through our breath.  It was at this moment of deep surrender that Sekhmet appeared to me.  

Suddenly I was aware of her presence, as I could feel her vibrations throughout my body, and she began to remind me of her story in which she was commissioned by her father, the great Sun God Ra, to deal with some of his destructive and conspiring subjects.  She took this mission very seriously but after their destruction the taste of blood became an addiction and she continued to slay humanity to the point that Ra feared she would annihilate all of mankind unless she was stopped.  He consulted with Thoth (who is sometimes shown in the form of a baboon) who instructed the priests to make large quantities of beer and to dye it red.  They poured the beer all around the Goddess while she slept and upon waking she drank it all, becoming once again docile and subdued.

She then gave me a message that she wanted me to share.  She said,  "For too long you have been drunk in your bodies.  You have become drunk upon fear and uncertainty which has left you numb and without direction.  You have allowed yourselves to become complacent, waiting for someone else to come along and straighten things out.  There you sit, with no passion for life, not experiencing those things which bring you joy.  You are also not allowing yourself to experience any of the pain which, while it may be uncomfortable for you, it will bring you to freedom!  Emotions are meant to be moved through and understood.  Feel once again the fire that burns within your bellies!  If you do not have control over one thing, find what is within your control and focus there.  What areas of your life and attitude can you control?  These are the things that need to be focused on now, before your bellies become extended with numbing thoughts and you will become more deeply entrenched in your negative thought patterns.  

"I am here to welcome you to your power.  I am here to help you to move through powerful and painful emotions to bring you peace, freedom, and passion.  I am here to remind you to breathe into your centers the breath of fire which can spark creativity, action, a sense of purpose, and ultimately joy and fulfillment in any area of life that you wish.   Come with me to my temple and sit with me a while.  We will find your voice together and you will begin to roar!  This sound of your own voice will shake and awaken that part of you that is asleep and unconscious and you will be empowered with strength and wisdom.   Rise up!  Be in control of yourself!  Feel your power and express yourself.  All is not lost, my friend.  I am here with you."

Sending you so much love...

 

A Auset Rohn2 Comments