Faces of the Goddess Magazine SGC 21

It is well known that Sekhmet was the patron
Goddess of doctors and deeply associated
with healing. Indeed, many ancient Egyptian
doctors, physicians, and magicians also
doubled up as priests of Sekhmet, with
priesthood being a role that was fulfilled for
a limited duration of time, before returning
to one’s usual occupation. The Egyptians
believed that diseases and afflictions,
both natural and supernatural, came from
Sekhmet’s wrath. As such, her priests were
best equipped to appease her and pray for her
mercy and protection, carrying over her favour
to their medical professions.
Sekhmet embodies the intensity and
wildness of the lioness, ferociously protective
of her cubs and merciless in her hunt for food
so that her pride will survive. If you have ever
seen a lioness hunt and feed, you will surely
understand how nature can be truly brutal.
Both these roles - ensuring protection and
obtaining food – necessitates a violence in the
animal kingdom which is required to maintain
nature’s balance. Similarly, natural afflictions
such as disease are undeniably nasty and
devastating, but they are not evil, they are
nature (though human activity can indeed
make diseases and natural disasters worse).
Sekhmet forces us to become accustomed
to nature as it really is, discouraging us from
trying to romanticise or tame it.
There is plentiful evidence of prayers and
amulets beseeching Sekhmet’s protection
as well as those seeking protection from
her. Sekhmet was able to provide healing
because she, and her daemonic emissaries,
were responsible for spreading disease and
pestilence in the first place. She was the
Dreaded Archer, who could unleash her Seven
Arrows, either on the land as plague, or on the
Battlefield, defending Egypt and its Pharaoh.
This defensive side is embodied in her role
as the Eye of Ra, depicted as a rearing cobra
ready to spit fiery venom at the enemies of
Creation.
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Just as the sun is a source of life, keeping
us warm, ensuring plant growth, and the
cycling through night and day, it also has
destructive potential, burning, consuming,
and causing drought. Sekhmet’s fiery breath
can be felt on especially hot days, where
heat waves are visible before your very eyes.
On days such as this, one can tangibly feel
the lioness’s hot breath panting over them,
resulting in unbearable humidity, sun burn,
and unquenchable thirst… Sekhmet’s dual
nature is illustrated through her well-known
mythology. A section from the Book of the
Heavenly Cow describes Sekhmet’s mythical
origins. Today this myth is more commonly
known as The Myth of the Destruction of
Mankind and takes place at a time when
humanity had begun to rebel against the
Creator, Ra, and destroy parts of his created
world. Moved to take serious action against
this, Ra heeded his council’s advice to send
out his daughter Hut-hor, the Eye Goddess, to
stop these agents of Chaos. Hut-hor wasted no
time in responding and, finding delight in this
righteous vengeance, she exclaims:
‘“I have overpowered mankind, and it was
agreeable to my heart.”
And so, Sekhmet came into being.’
Through the act of justified divine
retribution Hut-hor manifests her incarnate
power and becomes ‘the Powerful One’;
she becomes Sekhmet. This myth therefore
explains how Sekhmet came into being and
how her first action upon this Earth was
feasting upon the enemies of Ra.
Unfortunately, not only did Hut-hor-
Sekhmet wreak vengeance on the evildoers,
but she smote humankind indiscriminately.
The myth continues, describing how,
overcome with a taste for consuming human
blood, nothing could stop her. Ra knew he
would have to intervene if he was to prevent
the entire annihilation of humanity between
Sekhmet’s jaws. The Goddess could not be
tamed, nor be reasoned with. Ra had only