Bessie Smith: Singing The Pagan Blues

Listen for the line: "you get a rabbit's foot to keep a waving hoodoo" (and more)

About the Artist: Blues Diva Bessie Smith was a powerful woman who lived a hard and fast lifestyle. She had a big, brassy and outspoken personality. "There ain't nothing I can do, or nothin' I can say, that folks don't criticize me," she said,... "But I'm going to do just as I want to anyway."

Bessie Smith became one of the worlds greatest performers: she was one of the most successful entertainers in the roaring 1920's. A car crash took her life at age 39. {{Feel the emotion in her song; below}}

Very Lucky Indeed

I have been so very lucky shopping at thrift stores and estate sales lately. Today I found two fancy and engraved daggars, a shadow-box displaying the Egyptian Pantheon and much more. May you, dear reader, also feel so lucky . . .

Beyond throwing salt over your shoulder (to dispel negativity) and more than just making a batch of "lucky rice" [see previous posting of that recipe, here at Cybercoven.blogspot.com] there are MANY "luck" recipes available on the web.

Meanwhile . . . many different herbs can also be used for generating luck.

St. John's Wart feels like a very lucky herb for me (it also can keep depression at bay when taken regularly as a medicine).

More on Goddess Sekhmet

My statue of Goddess Sekhmet (solar deity who often appears with the head of a lioness) arrived in the mail today. That inspires me to study her mythology even further and so I've just learned she is the younger sister of Isis (both of the above mentioned powerful Goddesses were born to Sky-Goddess Nut and to their snake-headed father: Geb).

Turns out, Isis is the eldest of the two.

Sekhmet's breath proved hot as the noon-day sun and she could breath fire into the arrows with which she hunted those who rebelled against her Father's kingdom.

Some sources claim she birthed Nefertem (as other Goddesses are also depicted as being his mother); the perfume deity. Some sources also claim Sekhmet is both mother and sister to Bast (domestic cat goddess; daughter of the creator God: Amun Ra). Yet other sources completely deny any familial connection between the two cat goddesses. Sekhmet was a Lion-Goddess of Upper Egypt, Bast was the domestic Cat-Goddess of Lower Egypt

Sekhmet - Powerful Healing Protectress

A friend of mine introduced me to Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet recently. Multiple resources say her name means: "She Who Is Powerful." Depicted as a lioness - you can imagine how the dessert-dwelling people feared her (as lions can cause great carnage when needed for self defense and lions are one of the greatest hunters known on earth).

I found her statue/likeness on sale through eBay (am waiting for it to arrive). What a great protectress she would prove to be! You can imagine a lion might make the most loving mother figure with the most healing and attentive care provided.

Interestingly, this great Lioness rules over all healers (can be called upon for assistance when caring for the infirmed). She also has the ability to destroy -- can send disease or pestilence to those who threaten or cause her displeasure.

Identified as daughter of Sun-God Ra, her popularity transplanted Horus worship (oddly enough). Horus, if you remember, is the falcon-god; son of Goddess Isis.