Begin the ritual with a breathing exercise to relax the participants and enliven their energy. Now light the anointed candles which stand before the goddess. Next, construct a cone of power. The cone is a travelling one, and the participants must visualize it leaving this world, travelling through space back in time to ancient Egypt, and alighting in the desert.
The visualizer now takes over, and says:
Step out of the cone and into the desert. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and the burning heat of the sand beneath your feet. In the distance you can see a vast temple rearing up to meet the sky. Begin to walk towards the temple, noting anything that you see on the way. As you draw closer you pass by an oasis pool surrounded by tall palm trees. Lionesses doze in the shade of the trees and as you pass by they lift their heads as if to grant you passage into the temple.
Walk on, past the lionesses, towards the temple. As you get closer you begin to realize what a massive structure it is. It is constructed of vast columns, which are intricately carved with symbols and hieroglyphs. Ahead of you there is a wide sandstone path leading up to the main entrance, which is flanked by two huge obelisks. These are constructed of rough golden sandstone and are so tall that they seem to reach up to the sky. Walk up the path and amongst the columns. Once you are in their shade the air feels cool and refreshing. It seems like a haven from the relentless heat of the desert. You can smell a strong fragrance of cut blooms on the air and the subtler scent of exotic musky incense.
You find that you are standing in the outer courtyard of the temple. There are trees cultivated here and in the centre you can see a large circular pool. This pool reflects the burning gold of the sun in the daytime and the silver light of the moon by night for these are both aspects of the Goddess. There are temple staff around you, all going about their duties. Many of them smile at you in greeting but none approach you. It is as if you are expected here.
At the back of the courtyard you can see a huge doorway which leads to the outer shrine. Walk towards it. Either side of this great doorway you can see that the walls are carved with pictures of cat headed people and seated cats. You can reach out and run your hand over the warm stone. Feel the contours of the carvings beneath your fingers.
Step inside the shrine now. The room is dimly lit, let your eyes adjust after the bright sunlight outside. After a moment you can see that before you stand a statue of a great cat carved from smooth, black stone. It wears thick gold earrings and an ornately crafted collar of faience. At its feet lie offerings left by visitors to the temple. You can see many flowers and perfume jars, as well as statues and figurines. Priests and priestesses are in the shrine, tending a multitude of cats. The air around you is full of the music of the cats; their purrs and cries. Pause to pay your respect to the sacred cat of Bast, and then walk on down a corridor to your right.
You are making your way towards the inner sanctum of Bast down a short corridor lit with flickering lamps and candles. At the far end the corridor opens out into a vast room lined by pillars. At the other end of the room, so huge that it fills your vision, is a flight of golden steps that leads up to an immense golden statue of the goddess. She is depicted as a beautiful cat-headed woman. She wears heavy jewellery at her ears and throat and is swathed in a robe carved from gold. In her hand she carries a golden sistrum, her sacred rattle, and at her feet are tiny golden kittens. The steps below her are covered in cats, sleeping, grooming, playing. The room is full of soft but lively music, played by priestesses on flutes and drums and rattles. Other priests and priestesses dance sinuously to the music, like cats themselves. The floor is covered in petals and as you walk upon them, they release their heady fragrance. Approach the foot of the stairs and raise your arms.
The visualizer shakes a sistrum three times. The charge-reader says:
Oh, Bast, lady of Asheru,
ruler of Sekhet-Neter,
Ruler of the divine field, lady of Ankhtawy, Life of the two lands,
We, your priestesses call to you.
Hear our prayers.
We come before you in love.
We come before you in peace.
We come before you in joy.
And ask that we might speak with you.
May your essence enter into the statue before us.
And become your living body in this world.
Dwell here in gentleness, Bast,
And let your blessings be upon us.
The whole group shake their sistra, conjuring the Heka ofBast to enter the statue, both in the visualization and in the statue at home.
Concentrate on this happening. When you feel a change in the energy of the room let the shaking die away. (A group may need a few attempts before they sense energy in unison but it will happen with practice.)
The visualizer resumes:
Now visualize that the statue before you begins to comealive. The eyes become the living eyes of a cat, and gradually the gold turns to furry skin. The kittens at her feet begin to play and the folds of her dress flow softly. The goddess begins to descend the stairs towards you, her eyes full of benevolence and peace.
While this is happening, you must cast your inner eye back to the room where your statue of the goddess stands before the anointed candles. Imagine that the light of these candles shines into the statue, which is like an extension of the senses of Bast in the temple. Through the light of these candles, Bast can see your soul, and recognizes you.
The visualizer shakes the rattles. The charge-reader says:
Oh, Bast, queen of all cats, Daughter of Ra,
We bring offerings to you
As symbols of our love and respect.
We offer food to the great goddess in the temple of Bast.
We offer drink to the cat of the heavens.
We offer incense to the gentle cat.
We offer love to the daughter of Ra.
Now burn some incense and eat the feast, but leave a small portion of each item you eat for Bast. These morsels should be pIaced in a separate dish. The feast can be shared with any cats that are present. Pass round a goblet of wine (which can be refilled as often as you like), each person present splashing a little of it over the other offerings in the dish. Try to imagine that you are still in the temple rather than at home; the visualization has not ended. After this has been done, place the dish of offerings on the altar before the statue. Now close your eyes and make yourself comfort able to return to the visualization.
The visualizer shakes the sistrum three times, and says:
See the temple clearly once more around you.
Bast is standing before us, enjoying the offerings we have given her.
The visualizer shakes the sistrum three times again. The charge-reader says:
Oh Bast. daughter of Ra. Divine cat, lady of all magic,
Accept our offerings for they are given in love.
Grant to us our desires and come to our aid.
Reach out to us with gentle hands,
And let your blessing be upon your priestesses.
So it is spoken, so it is done.
Each member of the group now visualizes clearly in pictures exactly what he or she wants from Bast. Imagine yourself as happy, carefree, loved and loving, but show it in pictures rather than words. After an appropriate time, the visualizer shakes the sistrum and the charge-reader says:
Oh Bast, queen of cats, Lady of laue and pleasure,
We offer you our humble thanks for all that you have granted to us.
Continue to share with us your strength and your fire.
Lend us your understanding, show us your wisdom.
Give us the courage to be all that we may be
And the ability to know ourselves as you know us.
May we take with us from this temple a feeling of peace that will be with us in the days and weeks to come.
May we feel enlivened and liberated from all care.
May you strengthen this sisterhood,
With love, unity and grace.
We ask this in your name, Bast, Lady of Ankhtawy, lady of Asheru,
Ruler of the divine field,
Ruler of Sekhet-Neter.
Continue the visualization for a few moments. It is time for all present to commune privately with the goddess. She may have. knowledge to bestow or gifts to impart. She may take you to other parts of the temple, or elsewhere in her realm. You may meet other people or gods. After an appropriate time, the visualizer shakes the rattles, and the charge-reader says:
Oh, Bast, we thank you for this audience.
We go from your temple with your presence in ourhearts.
We are your priestesses and will do all in our power
To protect your children on this earth.
When we make love, we will do so as an offering to you.
When we partake of delicious food and drink, we will do so as an offering to you.
When we dance, we will do so as an offering to you.
When we sing, we will do so as an offering to you.
We give you our love and our gratitude,
Be forever in our hearts, Bast, even when we here present are apart.
The visualizer resumes:
Now bow to the goddess, and see her begin to retreat up the stairs. When she reaches the top she assumes her normal position and turns back into a sleeping statue of gold. When you are ready, bid farewell to the priests and priestesses, and to all the cats. Walk back down the corridor again. In the outer shrine it is time to have a few thoughts for your own cats. Perhaps you may like to ask for Bast's protection for them. You can also ask for her blessing for any other loved ones. When you have finished bow your head to the statue to show your thanks and continue on out of the temple. Make your way back through the outer courtyard and out of the huge entrance again. You can see the cone of power shining in the distance. Walk towards it, past the oasis pool and the lionesses. Once you reach it step inside and sit back down.
The person designated to construct the cone now brings it back to present space and time, and dismantles it. When this is done, he or she says, 'When you are ready, open your eyes.'
After the ritual
Once everyone has opened their eyes, it is a good idea for them to talk about their experiences. Some people might feel that their visu alizations are too personal to discuss at that time, and this must be respected. In our group, we always tape the results of a working, and type it up afterwards as a permanent record. You may like to make a note of your experiences in your magical diary.
After the discussion, we always enter party mode. The first thing we do is dance for Bast. We play our favourite songs and usually sing to them - badly, it has to be said, but we are sure Bast does not mind that! On many ritual nights we have sat up drinking wine and talking until dawn. These are special nights, and everyone should enjoy them as they see fit.
The remains of the feast should be cast out over a garden or some other appropriate spot. During the following days, many of us also like to make some kind of donation to a charity associated with cats, whether in cash or simply a can of cat food in one of the many charity dump bins in pet stores.
This rite can be adapted for use as a simple 'thanks' ritual. Instead of asking Bast for her help, the time in the ritual apportioned for requesting boons can be spent simply thanking the goddess for past help and for her presence in our lives. We think it is as important to do this as any potent ritual to improve a situation or create opportunities. The aid of the gods should never be taken for granted.
