Tuesday, 1 August 2023

August Full Moon Altar: Sekhmet


This month's full moon altar honours the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, "She Who Is Powerful." With the head of a lioness and the body of a woman, Sekhmet has a paradoxical dual nature as a goddess of both destruction and healing. Crowned with the golden ouraeus (cobra) and solar disc of divinity, she can bring epidemics -- and cure them. She's still a popular goddess. People want to stay on her good side.


In her most famous myth, Sekhmet once went on an angry, murderous rampage, killing all life around her. The unprecedented bloodshed and death are represented here by the red altar cloth, red candles, and skeletal pillars flanking the goddess. All the other deities got together but even collectively were not strong enough to stop her. So instead, they created a huge lake of beer, which Sekhmet drank to the last drop (destruction being a thirsty business). She got so drunk that she passed out and thus, the world was saved.


In front of Sekhmet on the altar is a bowl containing a libation (offering) of beer. The bowl I used was purchased many years ago from a prairie potter and has a grain motif appropriate for this beverage. My statue of Sekhmet was found here in Edmonton in a spirituality store about 20 years ago.


The black-and-white skeletal pillars are, in fact, two cans of craft beer called "Dead Guy Ale" by Rogue Brewery in Oregon. I tried to find Egyptian beer in Edmonton but alas, could not locate any. But this brand caught my eye as a substitute because both its contents and aesthetics are perfect for Sekhmet!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2023]

35 comments:

  1. there's no egyptian beer in edmonton? time to move!

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  2. Oh, the fact that I found out that destruction makes you thirsty is my learning moment of the day.
    Also, that duality is found in may gods/goddesses, right? That penchant for creating and then blasting everything to heavens.
    Deities, they're just like us.

    XOXO

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  3. What a great altar! The beer cans worked out perfectly.

    Love,
    Janie

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  4. Hello Debra, I was going to point out that today men are blamed, not thanked, when they try to get women drunk, but instead I'll tell you about the wonderful show of Egyptian artifacts from the reign of Amenhotep III, which I was lucky enough to see and which included several colossal Sekhmet statues. Amenhotep III especially revered Sekhmet, and there was a long alley of large Sekhmet statues in front of his temple, and hundreds more scattered about his kingdom. If you watch the auction sites, authentic Sekhmet statues or fragments occasionally come up for sale, but not within my budget! See also this article:
    https://arce.org/resource/statues-sekhmet-mistress-dread/
    --Jim

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  5. So that’s where the pandemic came from…glad she got drunk when she did!

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  6. Another wonderful altar and explanation. This is great, and I love how modern beer stepped up appropriately.

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  7. To quote Homer: “To alcohol! The cause of... and solution to... all of life's problems”

    The Dead Guy Ale cans are great!

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  8. @ Parnassus (Jim) -- Thanks for that interesting info and link!

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  9. Interesting that Sekhmet has a lion's head since leo♌ is the sign for August and for me!
    Here in S. CO, August came in last night with lightning ⚡ flashes to the North and this gorgeous, orange full moon in the SE sky!
    I guess Sekhmet let us know she had arrived!

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  10. @ Marcia LaRue -- The August/Leo connection didn't occur to me, so thanks for pointing it out! I love synchronicity like that.

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  11. Fantastic altar. Sekhmet is indeed a powerful deity! I love that the entire pantheon couldn't stop her until the lake of beer idea. And she drank it all... impressive. I thought I recognized the Dead Guy Ale cans. Way to represent, Oregon! Your libation bowl is lovely.

    E

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  12. The altar is so beautiful. The statue of Sekhmet is amazing, I didn't know that about her being both of destruction and of healing.
    -Quinley

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  13. A beautiful and symbolic alter
    I love how you repurposed the beer cans. Very clever.

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  14. Two full moons this month. Is she claiming both of them? 😁

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  15. @ Mike -- No, I'll have another special full moon altar for August 30th!

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  16. Thanks for sharing this cool story about Sekhmet. I recognized the beer can in the first photo because it is a favorite beer of my FIL.

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  17. I always find these posts interesting…. I guess it’s a good thing that.Sekhmet drank too much. Fun story..

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  18. Maybe destruction can be beautiful too? What a bipolar strength of the goddess

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  19. I just hope that beer didn't make her sick in other ways. Who wants a Lake Upchuck?

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  20. Oh what a surprise that a fickle goddess of destruction has feline associations. I am so surprised. Look at how surprised I am.

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  21. Note to self: Always keep the lake filled with beer.

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  22. I like this altar very much.

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  23. That's my kind of Goddess with her love of beer.

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  24. I know too little about Egyptian Mythology. Need to read more about it. I do vaguely remember a thing or two about Sekmeth.

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  25. That is one Goddess I would want to be friends with, and never piss her off!
    Crazy about the beer....I love your twist on this altar to make it all work together.

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  26. I had never hear about Sekhmet getting drunk by drinking a huge lake of beer. I wonder if there are any more myths like that in other cultures. I hope you were able to see the August Supermoon. I saw it in Nova Scotia, and it was beautiful.

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  27. Sekhmet, who are you? What is your calendar? Everyone is talking about the two supermoons of August, as if it is a big deal. As if August is a real month, anyway. It is not. It is a time of year.

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  28. What a cool set-up! I love those cans of beer. Such an awesome way to use them.

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  29. I thought I recognized those skeletons! I'm not a big beer drinker but my brothers in law are.

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  30. Wow she look dynamic
    Full of grace and terror at the same time
    Her destruction story is scary
    Your love and care for alter moon statues is inspiring

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  31. here you go . . . .

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yygW6psCIM4

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  32. They should have just given her a 5 gallon bucket of Jager

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  33. @ Ur-spo --Thanks for the link to the much fuller and more entertaining version of Sekhmet's myth! I always wondered why she was called the Eye of Horus, so now I know!

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