Nesret, Goddess of the Flame,
piercing arrow of heaven!
Lioness in Your fury,
light the valley with Your gaze!
Shake the mountain as You roar!
Tumble towers and high walls!
Kings and princes, trembling,
kiss the ground as You draw near!
Beautiful, You come to remind me
to respect Your awesome power.
Beautiful, You come to remind me
of the curse and gift of anger.
Beautiful, You come to remind me
to see clearly what’s before me.
Beautiful, You come to remind me —
Nesret!
Treading softly in the night,
vast and silent as the sky,
when You settle by my side,
velvet paws and dreaming eyes.
In the ring of firelight,
in the candle and the spark,
burning, burning, You are there
in the mirror of my heart.
Beautiful, You come to remind me
that Your love will cast out all fear.
Beautiful, You come to remind me
to walk tall and hold myself dear.
Beautiful, You come to remind me
of the strength that shines within me.
Beautiful, You come to remind me —
Nesret
Nesret
Nesret
Nesret
Notes: Written in February 2012. Nesret means “She of the Flame,” an epithet of various Goddesses. I primarily use it for Bast.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
You kiss the sleeping earth.
You wake the land to rebirth.
You kiss the sleeping earth.
You wake the land to rebirth.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
You rise, You rise, You shine.
Notes: Written in February 2012 for the Procession of Nesret in the month of III Peret. Nesret means “She of the Flame”; in this case, referring to Bast. In my personal practice, this festival, along with the Feast of Heryshef at the start of the month, signals the beginning of the return of spring.
With the blessing of Weret-Hekau,
my desire will come to be.
Speak the secret words, Weret-Hekau,
shape the form of reality.
Teach me magic, O Weret-Hekau,
wake my sekhem to work my will.
May my wish become, Weret-Hekau.
In ma’at may it be fulfilled!
Notes: Written in February 2012. Weret-Hekau is “Great of Magic,” a title applied to various Goddesses. Sekhem means “power,” here in the form of inner power or life energy.
Jackal of the North, let loose the wind of freedom,
refreshing our souls in a dry season.
Jackal of the South, herald of Inundation,
a drink of cool water in a dry season.
Jackal of the East, You bring us inspiration,
showing us the way in a dry season.
Jackal of the West with ungents and fine linen,
restore us to life in a dry season.
Guardians of gates and places of transition,
liminal You walk at the borders of Creation,
watching over us from every direction —
Sabu! Wep! Wep! Wep!
Notes: Written in February 2012. The howl at the end is probably entirely ungrammatical Kemetic: sabu means “jackals,” and wep is some form of the verb “to open.”