Bast

Her paws whisper on temple floors
Her eyes are luminous as the moon
Her ears pricked, alert to danger
Her whiskers sense currents from the unseen world.

Guardian of cats and women and children
Possessor of the uchat, the all-seeing eye
Bast wards against dangers in the spirit world
Evil beings, enchantments, nameless things
Visible only to cats.

Daughter of Ra, the sun
Lady of the East, the Moon
Her eyes hold light in darkness

Listen:

Ra the mighty sun appears at dawn as a baby
At sunset he is dying, and when he dies
Darkness falls but Bast prowls the Nile,
gazes into the setting sun
Holds his fire in her eyes
Shining in the dark, until Ra is born again.

Bast is Mistress
of the science of relaxation.
She luxuriates in her sensuality,
She plays  with her children
But leaps ferociously to their defense -
The One Who Tears, Little Lion -

Her sharp claws are the vengeance of Ra.

Those who love Bast honor every cat
Speak to them with respect
Lay gifts at their paws.
They call to her:
“Mau Bast! Mau Bast!”
They petition her blessings by stroking her soft fur
Which She may accept, or ignore.

Here is her secret wisdom:

Sunny spots
are best for dreaming.
Never waste a moonlit night,
and accept reality with
supreme indifference 

To the opinions of mere mortals

.