 |
Bast
Her
paws whisper on temple floors
Her
eyes
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
Posessor
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,
Bast
luxuriates in her sensuality and agility
She
plays with her children:
But
leaps ferociously to their defense.
She
is 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!”
Here
is her blessing
Her
secret wisdom is yours to know:
Sunny
spots are
best for dreaming.
Never
waste a moonlit night,
and
accept reality with supreme
indifference
To
the opinions of mere mortals.
by Mary Kay Landon with Diane Darlilne (2000)
