Ubasti - Bastet

[EmoEskimo]

I just recently got to attend my first Pagan Pride Day, and while I was there, I bought a Ubasti figure of her in her cat form. The first night I had it in my room, I had a dream a black cat walking into my bedroom and that was the whole dream.

I've always felt really connected to cats, but I thought it was just a cliche witch connection, but what if this whole time, it's been her calling me.

Even when I was young I always had an interest in Ancient Egypt, and have studied much of their culture everything thing from the Old to New Kingdom but never learned much on Ubasti.

If she has been calling me my whole life, I want to answer her call and quite ignoring her. But there is only so much google can teach me. Please if there is someone who sees this and know anything, and I really do mean anything even if its just a one lined fact, I have to know. I can't get her out of my head and I can't get the cats out of my dreams.

I'm yours to teach =D

[Devo]

What exactly are you wanting to know?

I can tell you that Bast is an Eye of Ra, making her solar and fierce. She used to be a protector of Ra- leaving the hearts of enemies at his feet. She wasn't always pictured in house cat form. Originally, she looked more like Sekhmet- a lion. Later in AE history, she became more about family, households and fertility. I believe sistrums are a symbol for her (as well as Hathor).

You could probably find more information looking in the Kemetic section :)

-Devo

[EmoEskimo]

Thanks. I've been browsing around there a little.

It frustrates me because there is only so much I can learn about her before information starts to repeat itself...
But maybe I can dig a bit deeper there and find something new.

[TarotCanada]

She is the Goddess of Marijuana too.

[EmoEskimo]

She is the Goddess of Marijuana too.


myth: the pleasure goddess
Some modern day worshippers have gone so far as to try to link the Bast from antiquity with all acts of pleasure -- up to and including drugs that are otherwise illicit in most countries. This is a modern conclusion that has absolutely no relation to the ancient concepts of Bast (the Egyptian as well as the Greek and Roman ones). While the Egyptians did use hemp for their ropes, we have no records of them burning it for recreational or visionary purposes. The only classical society that burned marijuana for this purpose was the Assyrian culture, who used it at funerals for fumigation [23].

"Bast, Goddess of Cats and Pleasure" is a title taken directly from the Deities and Demigods sourcebook of the 1st Edition AD&D roleplaying system. It has no basis in appellations from antiquity.

That actually is a very modern thing. I'm looking for more classical knowledge. A bad thing about Westerners, we like to add new things to ancient folklore.

^Not meaning to sound like a smart a**

[MonSno_LeeDra]

She is the Goddess of Marijuana too.

That's one of those modern day stories that goes along with the "She's Goddess of Lesbians!" thing. The problem one keeps running into when looking into the popular gods / goddesses with the neo-pagan and new age crowd spewing so much misinformation.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Thanks. I've been browsing around there a little.

It frustrates me because there is only so much I can learn about her before information starts to repeat itself...
But maybe I can dig a bit deeper there and find something new.

The thing with Bastet is sometimes you have to look away to truly see her. There is little info on Pahket but some researches think her limited history shows what Bastet was actually like. You have to look to Sehkmet to a degree as well for parts of Bastet as the Eye of Ra are hidden with her. Then you have to look to the notion of the Eye of Ra and The Eye of Horus as they are both atributes to Bastet though from differing ages. That doesn't even touch upon things such as Paschet which is a mistranslation that originates around 1910 when Bastet was only refered to as Ubasti in scholary works.

The other thing is Bastet is like the sands of the Sahara. You may look through thousands of them that seem the same before you find that one that is just different enough to make you see something different. Yet if you do not take the time to look at each grain you can never find that special or unusual one.

Heck Bastet even made it into the bible under another name as well as her city of Baubastia (sp). Its a short passage in Ezekiel 30:17 talking about the fall of the city (Pi Beseth)

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Heck see if you can find a copy of "Potophar's Wife" as it talks a bit about Bastet and how she was honored only in it she is called "Pasht The Cat"

[EmoEskimo]

The thing with Bastet is sometimes you have to look away to truly see her. There is little info on Pahket but some researches think her limited history shows what Bastet was actually like. You have to look to Sehkmet to a degree as well for parts of Bastet as the Eye of Ra are hidden with her. Then you have to look to the notion of the Eye of Ra and The Eye of Horus as they are both atributes to Bastet though from differing ages. That doesn't even touch upon things such as Paschet which is a mistranslation that originates around 1910 when Bastet was only refered to as Ubasti in scholary works.

The other thing is Bastet is like the sands of the Sahara. You may look through thousands of them that seem the same before you find that one that is just different enough to make you see something different. Yet if you do not take the time to look at each grain you can never find that special or unusual one.

Heck Bastet even made it into the bible under another name as well as her city of Baubastia (sp). Its a short passage in Ezekiel 30:17 talking about the fall of the city (Pi Beseth)

Thanks =]
Will read into all of that. Heading to the library in a few days, thanks for the keywords.
By the way, you my friend have just made my day.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Something else you might consider is there is a book uploaded in PDF format on www.scribd.com (http://www.scribd.com) that is titled bubastus which is about the archelogical evidence found in excavating of her temple ruins. It's a dated book as the excavations where 1887-1889 but it gives some historical facets not just religious. Shows a number of the heirglyphs found there as well

[EmoEskimo]

Could you give me a more direct link?
Looked and I can't find it. When was the last you knew it was up?

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Sorry, I had seen it a few months ago but couldn't find it. It's copywrited 1891 so i'm uploading my copy so it should be there in a bit. file name is bubastis08navi

[EmoEskimo]

Again, thank you.
You've been an amazing help.

[Devo]

Be careful with sources that are that old. They are unreliable. The field of Egyptology and the knowledge therein has changed drastically in the last 50 years, let alone the past 100+.

-Devo

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Be careful with sources that are that old. They are unreliable. The field of Egyptology and the knowledge therein has changed drastically in the last 50 years, let alone the past 100+.

-Devo

NOrmally I'd agree but the excavation I referenced is the most detailed and current with regards to Baubastia and most academically recognized. So sometimes one has to trade off age against what is available.

But as a norm I do agree that older resources can be highly suspect.