TYPE 4

INFO ON BAST

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INFORMATION ON BAST

from ancient Egyptian sources

Powers and Attributes of Bast:

Lady of the East (IVth Dynasty on)

Female Personification of Fire

the Light Bearer, Female power of Light, Heat, Sun, Fire, Mild Heat of the

day and Year.

Power of germination of seeds

Power of early Summer

Goddess of the Birth Chamber

Goddess of Full Moon

Goddess of Cats & protection.

Bast festivals occur in April and May in her temple at Bubastis, always

invoke Her facing East.

The Greeks associated her with Diana.

Bast was also used to learn words of power to vanquish the powers of

darkness (IVth Dynasty).

Bast attributes are also related to cats.

Bast had at least four different forms.

FROM BRANDY WILLIAMS Ref.: THE BOOK OF GODDESS &

HEROINES by Patricia Monaghan.

"She originated in the Nile delta, but by 930 B.C., the power of Bast

was acknowledged by all Egyptians. At first she was a lion-goddess of

sunset, symbolizing the fertilizing force of the sun's rays. Later her image

grew tamer: she became a cat carrying the sun, or a cat-headed woman who bore

on her breast-

plate the lion of her former self." Bast ruled pleasure and dancing, music

and joy. At Bubastis ("House of Bast"), the center of her worship, great

celebrations were held. Herodotus said - were greeted by pleasant flute

melodies as they debarked for a worship service combined with a vast trade

fair. Bast's followers believed that in return for this reverent celebration

Bast bestowed both mental and physical health.

As a cat goddess of the moon she lit up the night, throwing light on things

which would otherwise be concealed. Moon lights up a world hidden in

darkness, and the cat gives us insight with her light of the under, or inner

world. The Moon is the searc her, a seeker of Truth.

Bast is known as the Lady of Truth. Beams of the moon point the way and a

narrow path called a cat walk, usually called in Egyptian as the Middle Way

or Path.

When a cat curls up with its head touching its tail, it forms a circle,

symbol of eternity.

Bast also symbolizes sensuality, grace, coordination of movement.

Bubastis (town of Bast) also called Per-Bast, Pa-Bast, Pibeseth, Tell-Basta

Location: lower Egypt, northern kingdom and capital of the 18th nome or

state, Am-Khent.

Egyptian cats are typically orange-brown, ginger and a gray tabby.

As a lioness, (her earliest forms), painted green, she personifies the

Sun. As a cat, she has connections with the moon.

Mother of lion god Ari-hes of Aphroditopolis, Mother of Sekhem, of

Denderah

Bast is also considered to be the Soul of Isis.

Forms usually seen:

1. Upright cat, holding a sistrum and aegis, surrounded by four

protector cats.

2. woman's body, head of lion or cat, holding sistrum and either a

basket or a aegis (can hold uatchet)

3. Aegis of Bast sometimes has a head of a cat crowned with solar

disk and uraeus, emblems of Sekhmet.

4. Lion headed woman, oldest form of Bast. In 5th Dynasty temple

called, "Bastet, Lady of Ankh-Taui."

Also associated with:

Mut-Bast: personification of the moon in Thebes, she is a woman

wearing horns on her head with a sun's disk between them. Mut-Bast is

the counterpart of Amen-Ra-Temu-Khepera-Heru-Khuti

Sekhmet, as a counter-part

Assessor Thenemi (he who goes backwards) and who comes forth from

Assessor Basti

A good description of the Festival of Bast, called the Festival

of Lights, has been described by various Greek and Roman writers.

The temple of Bast in Bubastis, while on a island, is lower than

the rest of the city, and therefore, is the only temple that the

people can see into the courtyard. Also there is a sacred grove of

trees in the courtyard (the only one known of all temples in Egypt).

At the festival of Lights, all light in the city is extinguished. then

a new fire is made in the temple and the priests come out to light the

torches of the people who then parade throughout the city to relight

all the home fires. by the Greek/Roman period there was also a kind of

sexual license at the time at the festival. Food and drink for all

(which is typical of the temple festivals)

BLESSED BE.