Working with Bastet: Protection & Joyful Entrepreneurship
Who Is Bastet?
Bastet (also known as Bast, Ubasti) is the Egyptian goddess of protection, joy, music, dance, fertility, and domestic life. She is the cat goddess, the protector of home and family, the bringer of joy and celebration, and the fierce defender when needed. Depicted as a cat or woman with a cat head, often holding a sistrum (sacred rattle), Bastet embodies protective love, joyful living, playful energy, fierce defense of home, and the balance between gentleness and ferocity.
Bastet represents the protection that comes from love, the joy that sustains life, the playfulness that keeps us balanced, the fierce defense of what we cherish, and the celebration of beauty and pleasure. She teaches that protection can be gentle, that joy is sacred work, that play is necessary, and that fierce love defends what matters.
Working with Bastet is a journey of protecting your business and home with love, infusing your work with joy and playfulness, celebrating success and beauty, balancing work with pleasure, and understanding that the fiercest protectors are often the most loving.
Bastet's Domains and Powers
- Protection: Gentle yet fierce protection, especially of home and family
- Joy: Happiness, celebration, pleasure, delight, fun
- Music and Dance: Rhythm, movement, celebration, artistic expression
- Cats: Feline energy, independence, grace, hunting, protection
- Home and Hearth: Domestic protection, family, sanctuary, comfort
- Fertility: Abundance, creativity, birth, growth, prosperity
- Playfulness: Fun, games, lightness, balance, joy in work
- Beauty: Aesthetics, grace, elegance, sensual pleasure
- Fierce Defense: Lioness aspect, protecting loved ones, warrior when needed
- Balance: Work and play, gentle and fierce, rest and action
Bastet's Symbols and Correspondences
Sacred Symbols
- Cat: Her sacred form, independence, grace, protection, hunting
- Sistrum: Sacred rattle, music, joy, celebration, driving away evil
- Ankh: Life, vitality, joy, celebration of living
- Basket: Her name means 'she of the basket,' container, abundance
- Kittens: Fertility, abundance, playfulness, new beginnings
- Perfume Jar: Beauty, sensual pleasure, luxury, self-care
- Mirror: Beauty, self-reflection, vanity as self-love
- Lioness: Her fierce aspect, protection, warrior energy
Sacred Animals
- Cat: Her primary form, sacred animal, protector, hunter
- Lioness: Her fierce aspect, warrior protector, solar power
- Kitten: Playfulness, fertility, joy, new beginnings
Sacred Plants
- Catnip: Sacred to cats, joy, playfulness, feline magic
- Lotus: Beauty, pleasure, sensuality, Egyptian sacred flower
- Myrrh: Perfume, beauty, sacred offering, luxury
- Rose: Beauty, love, pleasure, sensuality, joy
- Jasmine: Sensual pleasure, beauty, night-blooming, joy
Colors
- Gold: Solar power, wealth, beauty, celebration, divinity
- Turquoise: Protection, joy, beauty, Egyptian sacred color
- Green: Fertility, growth, abundance, prosperity, life
- Orange: Joy, playfulness, celebration, warmth, creativity
- Pink: Love, gentleness, beauty, pleasure, joy
Crystals and Stones
- Tiger's Eye: Cat energy, protection, confidence, balance, grounding
- Carnelian: Joy, creativity, vitality, playfulness, courage
- Citrine: Joy, abundance, celebration, success, happiness
- Turquoise: Protection, joy, communication, ancient Egyptian stone
- Rose Quartz: Love, gentle protection, beauty, self-care, joy
- Green Aventurine: Prosperity, fertility, abundance, growth, luck
- Cat's Eye: Protection, intuition, feline energy, awareness
Numbers
- Nine: Cat's nine lives, completion, magic, protection
- Three: Joy, creativity, celebration, manifestation
Why Work with Bastet?
Bastet calls to those who are:
- Building joyful, sustainable businesses
- Protecting their home, family, or business with love
- Seeking to infuse work with play and pleasure
- Needing gentle yet fierce protection
- Celebrating success and beauty
- Balancing work with rest and enjoyment
- Creating abundance through joy
- Honoring the sacred in daily domestic life
- Understanding that fierce protectors can be gentle
- Cat lovers and those who resonate with feline energy
She is especially powerful for:
- Joyful entrepreneurship: Business infused with pleasure and play
- Gentle protection: Loving defense of home and business
- Work-life balance: Integrating joy, rest, and celebration
- Abundance creation: Prosperity through joy and creativity
- Home protection: Sacred sanctuary, family defense
- Creative celebration: Music, dance, beauty, artistic expression
- Self-care: Beauty, pleasure, sensual enjoyment, rest
Signs Bastet Is Calling You
You may be called by Bastet if you experience:
- Being drawn to cats or feline energy
- Seeing cats repeatedly or cat imagery appearing
- Dreams of cats, music, dancing, or joyful celebration
- Feeling called to infuse your work with more joy
- Needing gentle yet effective protection
- Being drawn to music, dance, or celebration
- Wanting to balance work with pleasure and play
- Feeling called to protect your home or business
- The number 9 or 3 appearing repeatedly
- Sensing a playful, protective, joyful presence
Learn more about deity signs: How to Know Which Deity Is Calling You
Bastet's Personality and Energy
Bastet is:
- Joyful and playful: Celebrates life, finds pleasure, enjoys play
- Protective: Gentle yet fierce defender of loved ones
- Graceful and elegant: Cat-like grace, beauty, poise
- Independent: Self-sufficient, autonomous, free-spirited
- Loving: Warm, affectionate, nurturing, caring
- Fierce when needed: Lioness aspect, warrior protector
- Celebratory: Music, dance, festivals, joy, pleasure
- Balanced: Work and play, gentle and fierce, rest and action
Important: Bastet teaches that joy is sacred work, that protection can be gentle, that play is necessary for sustainability, and that the fiercest protectors are often the most loving and playful.
How to Build a Bastet Altar
Essential Items
- Statue or image: Bastet as cat or cat-headed woman with sistrum
- Cat imagery: Cat figurines, photos, feline symbols
- Sistrum or bells: Sacred rattle, music, celebration, joy
- Candles: Gold, turquoise, green, or orange candles
- Offering bowl: For milk, cream, fish, or offerings
- Crystals: Tiger's eye, carnelian, citrine, turquoise
- Altar cloth: Gold, turquoise, or green
- Beautiful items: Mirrors, perfume, flowers, aesthetic objects
Optional Items
- Real cats (if you have them!)
- Catnip or cat toys
- Music instruments or music
- Dance imagery or scarves
- Rose or jasmine flowers
- Perfume or essential oils
- Items representing your business or home
- Basket (her symbol)
Altar Placement
- In your home or business space
- Where you can see it daily
- Near where you work or create
- Where cats can visit (if you have them)
Complete altar guide: How to Build a Deity Altar
Offerings for Bastet
Traditional Offerings
- Milk or cream: Cat's drink, nourishment, abundance
- Fish: Cat's food, sustenance, offering
- Beer: Ancient Egyptian sacred drink, celebration
- Perfume: Beauty, luxury, sensual pleasure, myrrh
- Music: Sistrum, bells, singing, joyful sound
- Catnip: Sacred herb, cat offering, playfulness
Modern Offerings
- Joyful work: Infusing business with pleasure and play
- Protecting lovingly: Gentle defense of home and business
- Celebrating success: Acknowledging wins, enjoying achievements
- Music and dance: Creative expression, movement, celebration
- Self-care: Beauty rituals, rest, pleasure, sensual enjoyment
- Playing: Fun, games, lightness, balance with work
- Cat care: Loving and caring for cats
Acts of Devotion
- Infusing your work with joy and playfulness
- Protecting your home and business with love
- Celebrating your successes and beauty
- Dancing, making music, creating art
- Taking time for pleasure and self-care
- Playing and having fun regularly
- Caring for cats or supporting cat welfare
- Balancing work with rest and enjoyment
Full offerings guide: Deity Offerings Guide: What You Need to Know
How to Work with Bastet
Step 1: Approach with Joy and Respect
Bastet values those who honor joy, playfulness, and the sacred in daily life.
Step 2: Set Up Your Altar
Create a beautiful, joyful space with cat imagery, music tools, flowers, and aesthetic beauty.
Step 3: Make Your Introduction
Light candles, offer milk or fish, ring bells, and speak:
"Bastet, Joyful Protector, Cat Goddess, Lady of Music and Dance—I come to you seeking to infuse my work with joy, to protect what I love with grace, and to celebrate the beauty of life. Teach me to balance work and play, to defend gently yet fiercely, and to find pleasure in my path. Bastet, I honor you."
Step 4: Listen for Her Response
Pay attention to:
- Feeling more joyful and playful
- Cats appearing in your life or dreams
- Opportunities for celebration and pleasure
- Increased protection around home or business
- Desire to dance, make music, or create beauty
- Sensing a playful, protective, loving presence
Step 5: Infuse Joy into Your Work
Bring playfulness, celebration, and pleasure into your business and daily life.
Step 6: Honor Joy and Protection
Bastet expects you to:
- Infuse your work with joy and playfulness
- Protect your home and business lovingly
- Celebrate successes and beauty
- Balance work with pleasure and rest
- Honor cats and feline energy
- Create and enjoy music, dance, and art
Bastet's Sacred Times
- Spring: Fertility, new beginnings, growth, celebration
- Full Moon: Celebration, joy, feline magic, abundance
- Festivals: Any celebration, party, joyful gathering
- When celebrating: Success, achievements, milestones, wins
- Evening: Cat time, twilight, playfulness, rest after work
- When needing joy: Burnout, heaviness, need for lightness
Magic and Rituals with Bastet
Joyful Business Blessing
- When starting or blessing your business
- Light gold and turquoise candles
- Hold citrine or carnelian
- Invoke Bastet as joyful protector
- Bless your business with joy and playfulness
- Ring bells or play music
- Speak: "My work is joyful. My business is protected. I celebrate success."
- Offer milk and flowers
Home Protection Ritual
- When protecting your home or sanctuary
- Light green candles
- Hold tiger's eye or turquoise
- Invoke Bastet as home protector
- Walk the perimeter with bells or sistrum
- Visualize cat guardians protecting your space
- Speak: "My home is protected. My family is safe. Love guards this space."
- Offer catnip or fish
Work-Life Balance Ritual
- When needing to balance work and play
- Light orange candles
- Hold rose quartz or green aventurine
- Invoke Bastet as teacher of balance
- Commit to specific play and rest time
- Dance or move your body joyfully
- Speak: "I balance work and play. I honor rest. I celebrate joy."
- Offer perfume or music
Celebration and Success Ritual
- When celebrating achievements or wins
- Light gold candles
- Hold citrine or carnelian
- Invoke Bastet as celebratory goddess
- Acknowledge your success and beauty
- Dance, sing, or make joyful noise
- Speak: "I celebrate my success. I honor my achievements. I am joyful."
- Offer beer and flowers
Working with Bastet: Tips and Insights
- Infuse joy: Work doesn't have to be suffering
- Protect lovingly: Gentle defense is still powerful
- Celebrate often: Acknowledge wins, enjoy beauty
- Balance work and play: Rest is sacred, play is necessary
- Honor cats: Feline energy, independence, grace
- Create beauty: Aesthetics matter, pleasure is sacred
- Dance and sing: Movement and music are offerings
- Work with Sekhmet: Her fierce aspect, lioness energy
Bastet in Egyptian Mythology
Key Myths
- Daughter of Ra: Solar goddess, eye of Ra (gentler aspect)
- Protector of Pharaoh: Defended divine kingship and home
- Festival of Bastet: Huge celebrations with music, dance, wine
- Lioness to Cat: Transformed from fierce Sekhmet to gentle Bastet
- Mother of Cats: All cats sacred to her, protector of felines
- Fertility Goddess: Abundance, many kittens, prosperity
Names and Titles
- Bast (original name)
- Ubasti (Greek name)
- Lady of the East
- Eye of Ra (gentle aspect)
- Lady of Bubastis (her cult city)
- Goddess of Joy
Crystals for Bastet Work
- Tiger's Eye: Cat energy, protection, confidence, balance, grounding, focus
- Carnelian: Joy, creativity, vitality, playfulness, courage, action
- Citrine: Joy, abundance, celebration, success, happiness, manifestation
- Turquoise: Protection, joy, communication, ancient Egyptian sacred stone
- Rose Quartz: Love, gentle protection, beauty, self-care, joy, heart
- Green Aventurine: Prosperity, fertility, abundance, growth, luck, opportunity
- Cat's Eye: Protection, intuition, feline energy, awareness, vision
Final Thoughts
Bastet is the goddess of joyful protection, playful entrepreneurship, celebration, and balanced living. She teaches that joy is sacred work, that protection can be gentle yet fierce, that play is necessary for sustainability, and that the most loving protectors are often the most joyful.
Working with Bastet means:
- Infusing your work with joy and playfulness
- Protecting your home and business with love
- Celebrating success and beauty regularly
- Balancing work with pleasure and rest
- Honoring cats and feline energy
- Creating and enjoying music, dance, and art
If you hear her call—if you seek joy, if you protect lovingly, if you celebrate life—answer it. Bastet is offering you the gift of joyful entrepreneurship and the protection that comes from love.
You are joyful. You are protected. You are celebrated.
Explore more Egyptian deities: Egyptian Deities Magic: Complete Guide
New to deity work? Start here: Deity Work Basics: What You Need to Know
