Sekhmet - The Lioness of Balance

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Sekhmet – The Lioness of Balance

Her story begins within the ancient lands of Egypt.

Ra, the mighty one looked down upon all that he had created and was not happy. He had taken his immense power to shape a world that should work in perfect balance. His children were assigned roles and had done all that was needed to support the ones that would live within this realm so that they could exist in harmony.

However, these mortals had lost their way. They had fallen prey to indulgences and ill thoughts. The land was disrespected, as were the creatures who inhabited the world. It was as though they had forgotten this realm was a gift to cherished, instead it had become a playground for entitlement.

Ra had created Ma’at, a supreme energy of order and peace that would serve as a foundation for this world. Now it was thrown asunder as disorder and chaos reigned, in turn breeding more disaster and imbalance. 

The Mighty Father watched all of this unfold.  Firstly, with pain in his heart. This would then turn to fury as he watched the descent of his people deepen and worsen with time. Even the hardships that resulted from their disrespect, such as disease and lack of food, couldn’t make the people change their ways. He would now have to act, lest all be lost into this affray of energies.

Ra would have to send someone to act out his retribution, as he could not leave his place within the heavens, but as he looked around at his family he could not imagine taking any of them away from their duties and risking any more imbalance. No, this required new energy from a god or goddess whose sole duty it would be to restore Ma’at and remind the people of the true and honourable way of living.

So it was that as he looked down upon the lands of his kingdom, the fire of his eye burned even brighter than it usually did. His eye was the source of all light upon the world, that warmed it and nurtured the plants. It now intensified with his anger and from this inferno stepped a new goddess- his daughter, Sekhmet.

While her body was that of a woman fully grown, her face was that of a lioness. This pleased Ra, as he knew that while she would seem like a woman sent to nurture them, her face would let all know that she could also be ferocious.

Born with an innate sense of Ma’at and the justice inherent within its energies, Sekhmet soon felt the same anger as her father as she looked out upon the chaos. Instantly she knew the people were beyond the realms of reason and gentility. This task would require discipline and reckoning of the highest order.

She threw open her arms and raised her face to the sky, then let out a mighty roar that was heard across the lands and into the heavens. Every being now knew she had arrived, and her intention was not of any question.

Not only did they hear Sekhmet’s roar, but it’s sound also carried across the land as a hot wind leaving everything in its path scorched or turned to ash. The sound carried within it plague and its hardships so that all suffered with no-one spared and this delighted Sekhmet to know she was fulfilling her role. Spurred on by her success Sekhmet continued.

The illnesses began to take lives, but she ensured they agonised before their demise. The decimation of crops brought on famine and those that survived illness began to starve. Still Sekhmet continued, felling livestock and stopping the rains needed for new harvests to flourish.

At first Ra had been so proud and satisfied with his daughter’s work. Sekhmet had honoured his request and the people had seen the folly of their disrespect. However now Ra’s heart began to ache.

His lands would soon be beyond recovery and there would be no-one left to live within his beautiful world. Sekhmet had lost her way and the very essence of what she had been sent to do. Now it seemed like she was destroying and punishing with no true purpose, but for what seemed like the joy of doing it.

Ra wanted to weep for his daughter but his fear of losing all he had created called up his strength. The Almighty One gathered a group of gods and goddesses and set them a mission.

He asked them to gather red ochre and crush it into a fine powder. They would use the crimson dust to dye thousands of bottles of beer and then pour the red liquid into The Nile – his mighty river and giver of life.

When it was done Sekhmet looked at the crimson water and in her state of utter savagery took it to be blood. She ran to the river’s edge. Falling to her knees, she cupped her hands and pulled handful after handful to her mouth. She drank…and drank….and drank as though her thirst could never be satisfied.

Then finally the beer worked its wonder and Sekhmet fell upon the river’s sandy bank and into the deepest sleep one could ever know.

The lioness dreamt of rivers of blood, of plains decimated by plague and scorching hot winds. Then she saw her father crying as he looked upon the destruction, and her tears joined his. Together they washed the Earth. Rains fell and rivers flowed. The waters nourished crops and were gathered in jars for drinking and cooking. The hot winds were cooled and calmed.

Sekhmet saw the world replenished and nourished. It was green and tranquil. Once more there was the balance that was Ma’at. 

The people celebrated. They prayed and gave thanks at temples and within their homes. Sekhmet heard them promise to never forget their respect for the world that was created for them by the mighty father, Ra.

The goddess felt her anger and aggression dissolve. As it did, she then sensed the people sending their love and prayers to HER. They thanked her for showing them the right and honourable way, and underneath all this was the knowing of what would happen should they forget.

Sekhmet woke and opened her eyes. She looked around and saw that her dream was in fact a reality.

Before her was the god P’tah who took her hand in his.

“This was too much for you to do alone. I will walk with you now. Together we will uphold Ma’at.”

So it was that Sekhmet now had a consort, a partner and a balance.

The goddess would always be remembered whenever a hot wind blew in from the desert or when disease would make its way amongst the people. They would call out to Sekhmet using any one of her four thousand names.

Sekhmet’s strength would protect them in battle and her nurturing would heal their illness. But her most powerful role would always be the reminder that there is a balance in the world that all play a part in maintaining. She would always be their guardian of Ma’at.