Feast of Bast

Temple Ankh

Worshiping the ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses through Rituals, Prayers and Spells dedicated and directed to the Old ones who still hold the power of the universe.

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Feast of Bast

This Ritual celebrates the Great Goddess Bast, as a fertility Goddess.

Tools & Supplies Needed:
1 Green Candle (Altar Candle)	5 Statues of Bast
5 Green Altar Cloths	A bowl of warm water and a soft cloth
1 Large Coffee Can (to hold and melt candle stubs)

Wake up before dawn and take the statues of Bast into your Temple. Place a green cloth over the altar. Set the main statue upon the altar and set up a small table to serve as a mini altar at each of the Cardinal Points. Cover each mini altar with a green cloth and place a statue of Bast on each, along with the Cardinal Point candle for each element.

Starting with the main statue, wash each representation of the Goddess completely and gently. Repair any nicks or chips, and freshen up the paint if needed.

Try to complete these preparations so you finish just before sunrise. Sit quietly and watch the sun rise.

Once the sun has fully risen, the High Priestess stands and says:

We greet you, Great Goddess
And thank you for joining us
As we celebrate your gifts to us.
The gift of fertility and the gift of Joy.
Stay with us through this day
And direct our work, which we do in your honor.

Everyone says: As you will, so shall we do.

This ends the morning ritual.

Everyone gets cleaned up and enjoys a light breakfast. Spend the day celebrating the Goddess in whatever way you see fit. Take a nap, play games, work on projects, whatever makes you happy. If there are Temple Projects to be done, take care of them early in the day, before it gets to hot.

Throughout the day, each member should go to the Temple and perform a private rededication ritual to the Goddess Bast, if she is their main Goddess. When in use, the Temple is closed to everyone. If you must walk near, please be as quiet as possible, your head turned aside and always walk clockwise around the very edge. It is very rude to disturb someone in the middle of a private ritual, so only do this if you absolutely must.

As the sun begins to set, prepare your camp site for the evening, but leave all lanterns unlit. Everyone should assemble in the Temple in their Ritual robes or clothing. Within the Temple should be a table holding the feast foods you have decided on. The Ritual beverage in the altar chalice should be wine or catnip tea.

Invoke the Goddess Bast by lighting a green candle on your altar. The High Priestess, or a Priestess of Bast should preside over this Ritual. When the green candle is lit, the High Priestess says:

“We welcome the Great Goddess Bast.
And light this candle to you in honor of your names
The Eye of Ra, The Eye of Tem, Goddess of the Birth Chamber
Mother of Khensu, Keeper of the thigh of Osiris,
Artemis and Diana.
As the smoke from this flame does rise
May it carry our Prayers to your ears.
We ask that you look upon our souls
With gentle thoughts, knowing that everything we do,
We do in your name and for your Glory.
Please join us within this place
Which we have created in your honor
May your name live forever in the hearts of men.

Cast Sacred Space using only the statues of Bast and the elemental representations at the Cardinal Points.

The HPS hands the lit altar candle to the NCPH, who mixes a drop of wax from the candle with the salt. Then hold up the bowl of salt and say:

I spread this salt of our earth
Upon the ground to set the boundaries
Of this Sacred Space
No evil shall cross my mark.

NCPH sprinkles the salt around the perimeter of the Temple, beginning and ending at the North. As he passes the East CPH, he hands off the altar candle.

ECPH holds up the incense and lights it from the altar candle, then says:

I light this incense
So that’s it’s smoke
May be used as a pathway
To conduct our prayers
To the Gods ears

ECPH walks the incense around the perimeter of the Temple, beginning and ending at the East. As they pass the SCPH, they hand the candle off.

SCPH lights the red Fire candle from the altar candle and says:

This flame honors all Gods and Goddesses
May their names be praised on this day (or night)
Maiden, Mother, Crone
Heir, Pharaoh, God
All are worshipped at this site.

SCPH walks the candle around the perimeter of the Temple, beginning and ending at the South. As they pass the WCPH, they hand off the altar candle.

WCPH adds a drop of wax to the water in the seashell, holds it up and says:

From this water all life flows
From the beginning to the end
As was then, make it now
Seal our souls within Sacred Space.

WCPH sprinkles the water around the perimeter of the circle, beginning and ending at the west. As they pass the NCPH, they hand off the altar candle.

The NCPH uses the Altar candle to light the green candle and says:

I invoke the Great Goddess Bast
As the Goddess of the midnight fire.
And Lady of Bubastis
May your name be praised in all your forms.

NCPH hands the altar candle to the ECPH, who uses it to light the yellow candle and says:

I invoke the Great Goddess Bast
As Goddess of the Rising sun
And Lady of the East
May your name be praised in all your forms.

ECPH hands the altar candle to the SCPH, who uses it to light the red candle and says:

I invoke the Great Goddess Bast
As The Tearer
Fierce destroyer of the enemies of Ra
May your name be praised in all its forms.

SCPH hands the altar candle to the WCPH, who uses it to light the blue candle and says:

I invoke the Great Goddess Bast
As Goddess of the birth chamber
As Artemis and Diana.
May your name be praised in all its forms.

WCPH hands the altar candle to the NCPH, who hands it to the HP, who gives it to the Temple Guardian to light the balefire with. He then places it back on the altar, and says:
The Great Goddess Bast
is a very ancient Goddess
who has gone by many names
throughout recorded history.
Her name may have been changed,
but her Glory, her Goodness,
and her Great Works have not changed.
She is a fertility Goddess and a
Goddess of Health and Happiness,
Who is fully capable of sending a disease
to those who do not remember her name.
Today we celebrate her Feast
To show this Great Goddess
that we will never forget her name.
Long live the great Goddess Bast.

And everyone replies:

May the Great Goddess Bast be Blessed.
And may she Bless us.

Each person should step forward and make an offering to the Goddess. Best choices are catnip, cattails and milk. As they make the offering, they should ask for health or happiness from the Goddess. Offerings of herbs should be thrown into the balefire, and the milk should be placed into a large bowl and set outside for the animals once the ritual is over.

Once this is done, then everyone partakes of the feast foods. Good choices for foods are, meats in gravies, mashed potatoes, breads and fresh veggies. Make sure to prepare a plate for the Goddess Bast first, and place it beside her main statue. Prepare another plate as an offering and leave it on the offering table at the end of the Ritual.

When everyone is done eating, close your circle, and continue the party in the Temple. However, make sure that those who are partying are spending the night. No One parties and drives home.

Circle Closing

With everyone back in the places they had for the Casting, the WCPH snuffs out the blue candle and says:

We thank the Great Goddess Bast
for providing the waters of life.

The SCPH snuffs out the red candle and the fire candle and says:

We thank the great Goddess Bast
For providing the passions of life.

The ECPH snuffs out the yellow candle and says:

We thank the Great Goddess Bast
For providing the breath of life.

The NCPH snuffs out the green candle and says:

We thank the Great Goddess Bast
For providing the stability of life.

The HPS snuffs out the altar candle and says:

We thank the Great Goddess Bast
for providing us with this Temple
and these friends,
that we might know the happiness
of her worship and the health
which stems from her hands.

The Ritual is finished.

News & Upcoming Events

March 16-20 - Spring Equinox celebration. Main ritual will be on the 18th starting at 10:00 a.m. and lasting until we get sleepy.

April 29th - Beltaine celebration beginning at 7:00 p.m.

June 20 - 25 - Second annual Trial of Set game!

June 24 - Midsummer celebration beginning at Noon and lasting until 11:00 p.m. Main ritual begins at 6:00 p.m.

September 22 - 24 - Autumn Equinox Celebration. Main Ritual will be on the 23rd beginning at 7:00 p.m.

October 26 - 29 - Harvest celebration. Main Ritual will be on the 28th, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

For more information on any of these events, please email Nydia. Please put 'Rituals' as the subject line of your email.