Without knowing where I came from or where I was going…and…wandering.

Walking along a path, I met a lioness with a flared crown above her head. This fearsome feline bowed before me, quietly. I was so taken back by the gesture that I asked, why?

This majestic creature, somehow without knowing me, felt as though I was worthy, but I clearly did not think so.

My question baffled the creature that it shook it’s royal head while it stepped back three times. The Crowned Lioness with great power and sekhem (might), this lioness that resided on top of a mountain and created and breathed ankh (life), this lioness with the healing waters and lands of the Nile within and took care of her people she loved. She loved for love sake, because it was her nature to nurture.

Then, she gestured for me to follow through the entire path and follow it to somewhere I have never been, a small cave with a pool of water three feet deep, and the walls were illuminated. Projected upon the walls where the water and the light danced in unison, created images. Those images flickered telling a story, about the lioness.

With her feline smirk, she watched upon my face and met my eyes, it was like the universe opened up for a long while. But, then she broke our gaze and looked at the wall. I guided my eyes there and saw the lioness with blood on her mouth and teeth and at war. The disturbing images played as a film on those slabs of gray stone. Wide and wild her eyes darted back and forth to all which she sought to destroy. This path only led her to destroy and feast on herself. Her wrath so hungry she could not quench it until consciousness arisen. Before that, she had to lay tired of feeling nothing but that wrath. The film played on while I looked at the lioness before me with worry and wonder. Her tongue, mouth and fur saturated with gore. Her talons bared and breaking flesh. Fighting because of fear? Unknowing? What had this crowned lioness done? Was this her past, future? Her present was in my presence along the path. She came to me quietly, knowing that I was out here in the world lost and confused about who and what I was and aided to me still. Licking my hand with her tongue, endearingly. Applying a balm to heal me, through my senses, though I had not understood what happened or where I was. Willing to me sanity to break through and find the truth, when no one in the world could.

I could not trust, because I could not trust myself. I could not love, because I did not know that I deserved love.

Instantly, she returned her sights upon me. Seeing I was in awe, she did not advance abruptly but took one step and bowed again. Without protest, I gazed into her eyes understanding, this time with more empathy than sympathy. I am now, where I needed to be again, to see. I am no one, nobody, and everybody all in one. In realizing this, the mighty lioness gestured to me to come closer to the little pond in the cave, where light exuded. Stepping lightly, I then kneeled beside her and looked in.

With my feline smirk and lion eyes, then in that moment a gasp escaped me. The image reflected my true self, which humbled me because I so loved that crowned lioness that rescued me from the path. She was me. That same lioness that was patiently loving me back with her grace, kindness, and strong will. Staring in the pond in disbelief, I then cried in realization of all I have done, suffered and was found again. From deep within the cave, the name was whispered to me as I was still in wonder, “Sekhmet”.

*Sekhmet is the Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) goddess of healing and health. She is a nurturer and a lover of nature. She is also one of the 7 forms of Het Heru. There is a tale that is told of Het Heru going to earth to avenge her father, Ra, and the form she chose for destruction was a lioness. Sekhmet is the lioness that was eventually guided by the goddess Djehuty, which came to her in a form of a baboon, telling her three stories, reminding her of who she really was until she became her goddess self.*

Disclaimer: This brief narrative or short story was created from my personal experience and my own spiritual practice and understanding. Thank you so much for your support. Please comment, criticize, make suggestions or say “hi”.

This is an original work of fiction imagined, created and copyrighted in 2019 by Juana M. Gumbs. All rights are reserved by her.