The Egyptian goddess is known by many as Bastet, her name is transliterated as b-ꜣ-s-t-t and is pronounced as “Bast”. The Hieroglyphs for her name look something like this: 𓎯𓏏𓏏𓁐 or 𓎯𓏏𓏏
She is most notably a goddess of domesticity, the home, cats, and women. Bast was among the most popular Egyptian deities and her cult ran as far as Rome.
Originally she was depicted as a goddess with a lioness’ head instead of a cat, and she was closely related to Sekhmet, the warrior goddess. Bast’s role was that of protector and avenger of Ra Over time Bast’s depiction softened and she became a goddess related to domesticity and the home. However, she kept the ferocious side of her, only ever using it when needed. She was known to be loving and nurturing but also she was a force to be reckoned with. Bastet used this fury to avenge those who have been wronged, carried on through her son, Maahes, the protector of the innocent.
Due to her association as the Eye of Ra, Bast was more of a solar deity before she became conflated with the Greek Artemis.
Isis (mother, later in antiquity)
Horus (brother, twin brother later in antiquity)
Nefertum (son, sometimes)
Beautiful sistrum (rattle) player
The Golden One/The Beautiful One
The Eye of Ra - a title held by a group of deities.
Goddess of the Rising Sun
Sacred and All Seeing Eye
Her name also is rendered as B'sst, Baast, Ubaste, and Baset
Though sometimes synchronized with Mut, the goddess Bast was never depicted as fully human. She was always depicted as either a cat or a woman with the head of a cat, lion, or desert cat.
In Ancient Greece, she was known as Ailuros (”cat”) and she was likened to Artemis. Because of this association, she was given a twin brother just like Artemis has: Horus became her twin brother and since Horus is Isis’ son, Bast became Isis’ daughter.
Bast was also synchronized with Sekhmet, Hathor, and Isis and picked up some of their associations throughout time.
The meaning of her name is uncertain though it’s possible that her name meant She of the Ointment Jar (Ubaste). This would also point to her relation to perfume.
The central city of her cult was Bubastis. People would travel to this city to have the bodies of their pet cats who have passed buried.
It’s common for people to view Bast as a sexual deity or a goddess of lust, but she tends to lean more toward domesticity and protection. This misunderstanding likely came from her later conflation with Hathor as well as one account from Herodotus who had observed the festival in Bubastis in honor of Bast.
An annual festival was held at Bubastis where supposedly all constraints on women were released and they would celebrate “by drinking, dancing, making music, and displaying their genitals" (Gerald Pincher, quoting Herodotus). This display depicted the fertility aspect of the goddess as well as being a sign of freedom from societal constraints.
Bast has been depicted holding a sistrum, a musical instrument similar to a rattle.
Bast is one of many gods who are referred to as the “Eye of Ra”, a title that belongs to deities that are protectors or avengers.
She has been known as the protector of the dead as well.
As cats were sacred to this goddess, to harm one was seen as a slight to Bast.
Mummified cats were often delivered to Bast’s temple as an offering.
These are modern correspondences, anything with historical or traditional backing will be marked with a (T).
Gold (T) - Cats of royalty were sometimes known to don gold jewelry
Bronze (T) - Bronze statues were used as votive offerings for Bast
Mint (catnip is in the mint family also)
Cat, namely housecats but all cats could qualify
Whiskers, claws, and teeth of cats (only if sourced ethically!)
Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Emerald, Carnelian, Quartz, Malachite, and Galena were used in Ancient Egypt for jewelry or various cosmetics and could be offered. (The Structure of Crystals. Early historical notes)
Alcohol (such as wine or beer)
Donate to, volunteer at, or otherwise support cats at shelters.
Pray to her or write poems in her honor
Honor your mother or the mother figure(s) in your life
Protect and fight for the innocent
Play music or curate a playlist in honor of her
Learn about perfume and scented oils and how they were used and made in Ancient Egypt
Of course, these are only suggestions based on my research but when making offerings to deities it's always best to do what feels right to you. You can also reach out to the deity and ask them yourself if you feel comfortable doing so.
References and Further Reading
Bast - eqyptianmuseum.org
Per-bast.org (The whole website is informational but this link will send you to their sources page!)
Offerings for Bast - The Gourmet Witch (blog)
Kemetic Offering Guide - The Twisted Rope (blog)
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