Bast: The Egyptian Cat Goddess 🐈

Bast, also known as Bastet, is a goddess of ancient Egyptian mythology who represents protection, love, and harmony.

Prayer-to-Bast-Printable
Click the image to print the prayer to Bast

Her appearance is that of a woman with the head of a cat or a domestic cat, carrying an ankh (the Egyptian cross of life) or sometimes a sistrum (musical instrument) since she likes that humans dance and play in her honor.

What is an Ankh? β˜₯

In Ancient Egypt, this symbol was usually carried by representations of gods and goddesses, indicating their authority regarding life and death. It was also a token of their eternal existence; highlighting the human search for immortality.

The Cult of Bast

Initially, Bast was a fierce lioness warrior goddess of the sun, but later she was changed into the cat goddess that is familiar today, becoming a protective goddess. This happened with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, when deities of similar characteristics were joined, losing or gaining attributes.

The cult of Bast was centered mainly around the city of Bubastis, located in the Nile’s Delta. Hertemple was surrounded by water channels, since according to the myth, a fierce and angry lioness settled by the water that surrounded the temple and became a peaceful kitten.

Hundreds of cats were raised within the temple, since they were her representation, and at their death they were mummified and buried in specific tombs for them.

Priests would chose a cat with special traits as an object of adoration and veneration, and this cat would be considered the reincarnation of the goddess.

The popularity of Bast grew from her role as protector of women and the household. Further, women in Egypt were held in high regard and had almost equal rights which almost guaranteed a goddess who protected women and presided over women’s secrets an especially high standing.

Bast Rituals and Celebrations

An Egyptian woman who would like to have children, would wear an amulet of the goddess with as many cats as she would like children.

Pregnant women wore amulets of the goddess to protect them during pregnancy and to help them during childbirth.

The people of Egypt came annually to the great festival of Bast at Bubastis which was one of the most lavish and popular events of the year. Geraldine Pinch, citing Herodotus, claims, β€œwomen were freed from all constraints during the annual festival at Bubastis”. Source

Altar, Prayer and Offerings to Bastet

An altar for Bast (Bastet) usually has a white tablecloth, white, green or yellow candles, incenses such as Cinnamon, Frankincense, Myrrh, or Almond, figures and/or images of the goddess (either her figurine or an Egyptian cat) and white wine. Some people usually invoke her by playing music for her, saying a prayer, chanting a hymn, or simply lighting the incense.

Candle for Bast: Black or white

Incense for Bast: Cinnamon, Frankincense, Myrrh, Almond.

Offerings to Bast: Chrysanthemums, Chocolate, Cotton, Feathers, Figs, Honey, Milk, Sunflowers, White wine, Cat figurines.

Bast Prayer for Protection

Find the full prayer here: Bast Devotional on Spells8

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Have a blessed week!:cat2:

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By far one of my favorite Goddesses

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Awww I just started my altar in the LR for Bast… thank you for this.

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@Francisco Thank you for this well put together information on Bast.

My local occult shop has some beautiful statues, which I was drawn to, and hers was one who caught my eye. I had not done any research yet on Deities and Gods/Goddess as I had not planned to have any on my altar this early, as I have just started on this path and creating my own space.

Yesterday as I did the Daily Rituals for Saturday (which I love by the way, as I enjoy that they give me a routine) and lit my black candle :candle:, I felt a pull to listen to the Bast Protection Devotional. This led to my own research on the Goddess. I feel like even more in this current climate of our world that as a woman, I feel even more pull to her.

Oddly (or I guess maybe not as much, now I think on it) I always had dogs growing up, and I have always loved them. As an adult once I was out on my own, I have always had cats drawn to me. I have rescued 3 cats in my adult life, and currently have a former shelter cat who had been abandoned, and had been in the shelter several years. I’d gone in for a kitten (I’d always wanted a black cat :black_cat:) but they would only adopt them in pairs or more, and I was not ready to take on more than one cat at the time. So, I found Meg and she is almost like a shadow now, and I love her :hearts:

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