Sekhmet
Sekhmet “She Who Is Powerful”
Wall relief of Sekhmet, Temple of Kom Ombo
Sekhmet is the Egyptian goddess of chaos, plague, war and healing. She is the daughter of the sun god Ra and got the name the Eye of Ra as she acted as her father’s hand of vengeance. When mortals on Earth started to conspire against Ra, he sent Sekhmet down to destroy them and stop the rebellion. After all of her enemies were vanquished, Sekhmet’s blood lust was not quenched. She continued on her killing spree, destroying all those who stood in her path without discernment.
In order to put an end to her reckless murder spree and keep Sekhmet from destroying all of humanity, Ra and the other gods devised a plan. They spilled a lake of wine onto the Earth, and upon seeing it, Sekhmet thought it was blood and drank every last drop. By the time she was finished, she was so inebriated that she returned with Ra willingly and let her desire to kill subside.
Sekhmet is the ideal deity to work with when you want to honor your righteous anger and call on the power of the dark feminine. She does not want to be worshiped, she only wants you to honor the part of you that mirrors her enormous power. She wants you to listen to your anger and recognize that it is the part of yourself that loves you. Your anger sees mistreatment you are enduring or your own insecurities getting in the way of your happiness and demands that you take action.
While honoring your anger can be cathartic, the story of Sekhmet is a perfect example of where it can go too far. Once she acquired the taste for blood, she couldn’t get enough. She became too wrapped up in her quest for vengeance that she lost sight of the true purpose behind her actions. Be careful that you do not become like your enemy in your quest for vengeance.
The key takeaway from Sekhmet’s story is that if you are to act on your anger, make sure that it is righteous. Do not act out of impulse or pride. Just as Sekhmet can send the plague, she also provides the cure. The punishment must fit the crime as we are supposed to be evening the scales, not enacting revenge.
Crystals For Sekhmet
Ruby
Fire Agate
Carnelian
Garnet
Citrine
Yellow Jasper
Herbs For Sekhmet
Cardamom
Lotus
Cinnamon
Incense/Oils For Sekhmet
Sandalwood
Myrrh
Dragon’s Blood
Vanilla
Mahogany
Oak
You can also honor by getting a statue of her and leave the offerings in exchange for her wisdom.
