One of my first major experiences with her came as a neophyte Priestess while living in the Virgin Islands in the East Indies. It was my first Drawing Down the Moon ceremony, performed within a circle of three women. We were high upon a whitewashed roof on top of a mountain overlooking the deep blue velvet sea. The moon was so large and bright over the ocean, it seemed i could just reach up and touch it! As we moved in to the ceremony, and I reached up to the beautiful moon, I felt the energy of Unconditional love flowing through my body like a river, washing away everything not in alignment with my heart. I was in total ecstasy! For a few moments, the full pleasure of orgasm created through love of and union with the Divine flowed through me>
Suddenly, I realized I was no longer in my body, but was flying through the air, as a large cat-being with wings, flying into the jungle and stretching out upon a tree branch, I luxeriated in the feeling of stretching my legs in front of me. I was totally aware of the pure essence of raw power, power of cretion, destruction, birth and death, all within me, a total and complete being vibrating in Union with the One. It was as if even though I was physically upon this island, I was also across all levels of space and time, feeling the birth of whole universes within my womb, and the centropy of collapsing stars at the same time. I stretched my toes out, and started flying through the air again, this time circling over my cottage on the hill...
At the time, I was in a relationship with someone I loved very much, however he was going through some issues at the time that led him into drinking way, way too much for my taste. When he drank, his moods would swing back and forth erratticly, and sometimes, he would not exactly be kind towards me emotionally or verbally as his moods crashed. While perhaps in my human body, this was acceptable, as the Goddess, this was unthinkable! Circling the house, I moved down and landed on the balcony...
My boyfriend was passed out from drinking on the large bed, mousquito netting all around, myself, as the Goddess moved to the bed and woke him up, springing onto the bed and sitting on top of him. The Goddess looked deep into this eyes and said, "How DARE you treat me in this way? How DARE you dishonor the body I have given you in this way? You must change you ways, for I am upon you. I am the Goddess of life, and in me you may find your peace, or your end, it is your choice."
With that, she gazed long into his eyes, sending forth a beam of energy of Unconditional Love. He was not prepared for this energy influx, however, and felt terrified at seeing this cat-woman over him! Then I swooped out of the room, and next thing I knew, I was back onthe roof, with my firends looking very concerned at me being gone for so long. I had no idea who the form of the Goddess was that moved through me that night, I started researching, and decided it was either Frejya, or Sekhmet, but I had not worked especially with either one up until that point. It was her first major entrance into my life, from that moment on, she had chosen me as Priestess.
After Sekhmet's scolding, my boyfriend started acting much more congenial towards me, he admitted he had a drinking problem, and started to seek help for it, and I supported him in that. We were having some trouble, however, with some rather unscrupulous Santeria Magic practicioners in the neighborhood who targeted some racially motivated magic towards out home. Racial tensions on the island were high, and the neighborhood we lived in was once ancient slave quarters. I came home to find strange symbols on my door, small magical packages and stones, even broken glass around the house.
It reached a point of terror for me one night while driving home from work, I had a mob of men try to grab me out of my car through the sunroof. (My sunroof was permenantly stuck in the open position, a bummer when it rained, but not too unpleasant most of the time!) A few days later, my boyfrind and I had a mob corner our car in a narrow street, and they threw broken bottles at us, while a mand stood at the window, and threatened to kill my boyfriend with a large rock he was holding above his head. These attacks were not specifically directed at US, but our neighborhood was a focal point of the energies, and somehow we managed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I knew it was time to call upon some major protection and transmutation! I asked what to do, and was instructed by the Goddess Sekhmet as to what I needed to do. She had me first cleanse my car with salt and violet flame, and to visualize it surrounded by protective white light and unconditional love. Next, I drew a color picture of Sekhmet upon an 11x14 paper, and wrote upon the poster: "This car and it's occupants are under the Divine Protection of the Goddess Sekhmet, and any who harm them shall suffer her vengance"
I then drew several Sacred symbols upon the car with permanent magic marker, (This was OK as the car was about 25 years old, I had no qualms of ruining the paint job, or what was left of it!) and surrounded it with a ring of Tuna cans, open for all the cats of the neighborhood to come and eat and enjoy in the night. (There were a LOT of cats in the neighborhood!) She instructed to visualize as I drove at night that the headlights were beams of light from her eyes, beams of unconditional love...
NEVER again did I have ANY trouble while driving that car. As a matter of fact, as we drove through the most violent parts of the ghetto, people would actually back away from the car and allow us safe passage. The men on the street corners who in the past had tried to grab me, and always shouted crude remarks when I was alone now turned their heads as I passed, or else nodded at me in silent recognition as I went past. Not only that, but the car had bad brakes, and I'm sure that on more than one occasion, with smoke flowing out of the brakes, the Divine lady had something to do with our safe passage down the steep mountain roads, somehow stopping us at the bottom, and steering us safely through intersections where we couldn't possibly have stopped!
The Goddess instructed me to use the image of Kali to protect my house, and so I drew a picture of her facing both entrances to my house, to stand as guardian, and NEVER again did I have any trouble around our home. Divine mother looks out for her children, we need only ask, and be aware of the Universal laws, and how to use energy, light and Love in a responsible way when loving-force is needed.
A few years later, going through a rather difficult time in my life, I made a pair of leather moccasins in her honor. Upon the toes of the shoes were beaded flames, designed to remind me when I wore them that I walked in the fire of Sekhmet, and could transform whatever issues, energies and pain was around me. Those shoes were a Goddess-send, whenever I wore them, I felt totally surounded by love, visualizing the flames burning away within my energy fields the issues that I was clearing at the time. I had been going through a difficult situation with my sons father, my ex-husband. Even though I had joint custody, he was refusing to let me see my son, and this had been going on for months.
Calling uon Sekhmet for assistance, as she is protector of Mothers, I beaded a medicine bag in her honor for protection. I kept visualizing the cleansing fires clearing the energy surrounding the situation, and praying for Love to come through. The day after I made the medicine bag, I recieved a letter from a friend Darlene. She had sent me a beautiful painting of Sekhmet, by request of the Lady, and a letter advising the Goddess had told her I was under her protection. I started crying and crying, the emotions were so overwhelming with that beautiful gift! I did not need confirmation from the Goddess, yet the gift I recieved was like an answer to my prayers to Sekhmet, she was letting me know that she heard, and that it was being answered.
It was less than two weeks later a miracle came through, and I was able to see my son, and the situation continues to improve to this day. I know that Sekhmet's love was what transformed this situation, and I am so grateful for her love and assistance, grateful beyond words!
What I hope to share with you through writing about some of my experiences here, is that the Goddess is not some distant entity that is unreachable or unattainable, she lives within all of us. When we reach inside, and pray, meditate, and then move forward with the highest truth we can find, she is always standing with us. She is a living force, a love, a life energy that teaches us how to use our power. When we need it, she gives us a swift reminder of what is real, and when we are straight in our path, we are blessed with the love of Creation flowing all around us.
Knowing the Goddess only requires surrender. Surrender into Love, and passion, and something greater than and larger than our own ego's. If we can do this, it is possible to experience total , complete Union with the Divine Goddess within.
Peace, and may you find Grace within the Heart of Sekhmet