Bastet

Culture: Ancient Egyptian   Domain: Cats, protection of the home, joy, fertility

Bastet, shown as a cat or cat-headed woman, protects the home and family, and was honored with famously joyful festivals involving music, dance and celebration at her major cult center of Bubastis; she evolved over Egyptian history from a fiercer lioness-warrior figure into the gentler, protective cat goddess more commonly pictured today.

Associations

Cats, home protection, joy and celebration, fierce warmth, fertility.

Ways people honor her (modern)

• Care for cats, your own or through rescue and welfare support
• Celebrate genuinely and joyfully, echoing her famous festivals
• Keep a cat figurine on the household altar
• Read about the ancient festivities at Bubastis described by the historian Herodotus

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.