Bast--the Cat Goddess of Egypt

"Her name was originally B'sst which became Ubaste, then Bast, then Bastet; the meaning of this name is not known or, at least, not universally agreed upon." ~ (Definition of the goddess Bastet or Bast, or B'sst at ancient.eu)

On researching the history of the Egyptian cat goddess, Bast as we all know her, I found some interesting history on her for those of you who aren't familiar.

Her cult was located in an Egyptian city called Bubastis, whose ruins lie one mile north of the modern city of Zagazig. In (c. 2890 - c. 2670 BCE), followers of the cult of Bastet, revered cats and worshiped her in this city.

Bast, as an Egyptian goddess was the protector of women and children, the home, secrets, all things feminine such as perfumes and ointments. She is the daughter of the sun god, Ra and it says she is also associated with the symbolic all-seeing eye of Ra, so popular even in today's pop culture.

She governs over the plant we all know as catnip or catmint. I've enjoyed watching mine grow so large this year and so have my cats. Lovely to watch the bumblebees and butterflies flocking around the tiny purple flowers, pollinating and drinking the nectar of this mysterious plant. Our cats love it.

The ancient Egyptians made this sound pssst or bssst to mention her name. We still use this ancient sound unknowingly when we call our cats or want to get their attention. And they indeed pay attention! As if we're calling on the spirit of this ancient deity they seem to understand genetically and they come running when we go "b'sst, b'sst, b'sst."

The Philosophy Behind the Symbol of the Pentagram

As I was reverently lighting some candles to perform an ancient Norse ritual the other night, I looked down at a Pentagram that I'd recently purchased at a local Beltane Fair.   It was upright.  It looked just like the familiar Leonardo da Vinci sketch of a man in a circle, The Vitruvian Man.

THE VITRUVIAN MAN

The Vitruvian Man was drawn by da Vinci around 1490.  The original drawing currently resides at the Gallerie dell'Accademia, an art museum in Venice, Italy. 

UPRIGHT PENTAGRAM

"Every man and woman is a star"  ~ Crowley

Here, mankind is standing firmly in the material world, or planet Earth.   His limbs and head turns around the Earth (circle).  This represents the lifetime and knowledge attained on the physical plane. Consider revolving the body of The Vitruvian man like that of the rising and setting of the sun, starting from east and ending in the west, day after day.  In witchcraft traditions, mankind is also turning with the rhythms of the elements spirit, air, earth, fire and water every day.  If you look at the head of da Vinci's work compared to the Pentagram, you will notice where the head should be.  The head of the Pentagram may very well represent the knowledge and wisdom humanity attains in a lifetime on earth.  All experiences including the relationships we have, the situations and the people we meet, our families, our loves and also our enemies.  What have we and can we glean from a lifetime of living ?  What choices are we going to make and what will be  the consequences of the choices we make ?  Mind and matter living simultaneously.


Now, when we flip the Pentagram it becomes what we call The inverted Pentagram.  The Vitruvian Man's head is turned 180 degrees upside down.   Now we get a further symbolism of the Pentagram as a whole.  As many already know, the inverted Pentagram is the symbol of darkness, arcane mysteries, the left hand path, the adversary or the opposite.  We might study more of the symbolism of the Hanged Man in the Tarot deck and see how we can best understand the meaning behind the inverted Pentagram.  I posted a link at the bottom of this article to a very good description of this Tarot card.

UPSIDE DOWN OR INVERTED PENTAGRAM

This symbolism represents our inner darkness, the demons that we carry with us throughout life,  These demons represent the things we do that we keep secret from the majority because they might not understand.  This is the symbol of the rebel, the radical, and the man or woman who lives in-between worlds.   It represents the above that affects the below in Hermetic philosophy.  It also represents hidden knowledge, even forbidden knowledge, and original sin according to the Christian/Judaeo mindset.  Metaphorically speaking, the inverted pentagram also looks like a tree.  This could also represent the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that tempted Eve with the idea of becoming "like the gods."

It is also the opposite compared to the upright Pentagram in that The Vitruvian Man's head falls between the material elements starting at the western setting sun of the earth (night fall/darkness)  (water, fire, air, earth) as a way to gain the power over the elements on a different realm, much as we believe the gods could.  Even in The Fairy Tradition, we who have studied it know that the spirit of the Fae and Elfin, live between the worlds.  This is exactly what the Vitruvian Man's head seems to be on each turn of the astral Earth.   Inverted the Pentagram represents night time and upright, daytime.  A lot of mathematics could be used to describe the symbolism of the Pentagram, but I'll leave that to the mathematically inclined.

Yes, the Pentagram as a whole represents the life of man but also his conscious/unconscious mind, the collective mind, and both physical and arcane knowledge.   The desire to go forth and discover more about the Pentagram as a tool for initiation is left up to each individual.

We might also study the Heathen saga of Odin, hanging upside down from the World Tree in order to obtain the knowledge of the Runes. (my favorite pantheon)   Christ hung upright on the cross (tree), but Odin hung upside down.  Christ's sacrifice represents a good life for mankind while Odin's sacrifice represents obtaining arcane secrets for the sake of mankind.  Both heros ae speared in the side.

Whether upside down or right side up, the symbolism of the Pentagram is crucial to all people on a magical path.

Below is a link to Biddy Tarot, one of Google's top ranking explanation sites.  Her description of the hanged-man is perfect to describe an explanation of the inverted Pentagram.

HANGED MAN TAROT CARD MEANINGS AND DESCRIPTION

"The Hanged Man shows a man suspended, upside-down, from the living World Tree, rooted in the underworld and supporting the heavens. Given the serene expression on his face, it is believed he is hanging on the tree of his own will. His right foot is bound to the tree but his left foot remains free, bent at the knee and tucked in behind his right leg. His arms are bent, with hands held behind his back, forming an inverted triangle. The man is wearing red pants representing human passion and the physical body, a blue coat for knowledge, and yellow shoes representing his high ideals. Around the Hanged Man’s head is a bright yellow halo showing spiritual attainment, with the grey background suggesting invisibility (a good reminder to not flaunt your spirituality). This is the card of ultimate surrender, of being suspended in time and of martyrdom and sacrifice to the greater good. This is the archetype to meditate on to help break old patterns of behavior and bad habits that restrict you.

The Hanged Man’s number is 12 – a higher octave of the number 3, representing careful planning and orderly growth leading to spiritual development. 1 (beginning) + 2 (the reasoning force) = 3 (the product of rebirth). The ruling planet is Neptune, the planet of self-sacrifice and idealism.

Note: The Tarot card meaning description is based on the Rider Waite cards."

all credit for the above Tarot description is here at Biddy Tarot:  Biddy Tarot ~ The Hanged Man

Maags