Bast

Goddesses and Personal Archetypes

Archetypes are inner images that embody universal characteristics and experiences. They are responsible for the persistent themes we see surfacing in our own lives. Myths and fairy tales, many artistic images, and many of the characters we encounter in our dreams are expressions of these archetypes. As inner guides that exist in your personality, the goddess archetypes influence how you behave, how you think and feel, and how you relate to others. Since the goddess stories that are passed on in the mythology of human cultures embody the expression of female character, they provide us with a rich and fascinating way to gain access to the personal archetypes that are active in our lives.

How to Use Your Personal Goddess Type:

The interpretation of your goddess quiz begins on the next page. Each section starts with a brief guide to understanding the information, followed by your personal results. Before you begin to study it, take a few minutes to review a few basic concepts that will help you use the goddess report to:

Understand/accept yourself as the unique goddess you are meant to be.
Learn how to use the guide on the goddess path to personal fulfillment.

The results of your goddess assessment can be used in several different ways. One is to treat your report simply as interesting reading to be enjoyed. As the 100-year-old woman answered, ” Sure, Sonny, I believe in horoscopes. At my age I believe in anything that makes life more interesting!” Have fun with the report. Use it, and information available at the website, as an entrance to the fascinating world of mythology and personality type. Learn to recognize patterns of behavior among your family, friends, and coworkers while you gain a better picture of your own strengths, abilities, and vulnerabilities.

A second approach is to use your results to learn to relax and accept yourself for who you really are. Recognizing the strength and beauty of your own personal goddess type can be a deeply empowering experience. If your goddess type is not one that is valued highly by society, your sense of self-esteem will almost certainly have been threatened. Take comfort from learning about the richness of your goddess type and realize that, even if it seems you are often “marching to the beat of a different drummer”, you share your type with many others and don’t have to try to force yourself into the mold of a more socially acceptable type. You are not alone.

The third approach is to use the report as a guide on your path to personal growth. It can help you see and understand the underlying reasons for the patterns of your life. Each goddess type has both strengths and weaknesses. Knowing about your goddess type, you can capitalize upon those strengths (and guard against the weaknesses) while you begin to work on your underdeveloped traits. The more you function within your inherent goddess type, the stronger and more confident you will become, the more control you have over your life, and the better prepared you are to make the choices that create the life you want. You can enlist the help of other, less well-developed goddess types, thereby enlarging your repertoire of attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. You will be less rigid and more flexible, better able to meet the wide variety of challenges and demands that your life may present. Your report highlights ways you can assist this process of “becoming”.

Your Personal Goddess Type:

Her Story and Her Symbols

Each one of us is born with an inherent temperament that predisposes us to develop as one of a number of goddess types. These “goddess gifts” reveal themselves at an early age and remain fairly constant throughout our lives. They influence how you learn and think, how you decide and act, who you select as friends and mates, even where your talents lie, in short, everything that makes you unique and guides the direction of your life. This gift, your personal goddess type, is your favored, most trusted style in dealing with the outer world.

Egyptian Goddess of Protection and Sensual Pleasure

Bast, Egyptian goddess of sensual pleasure, protector of the household, bringer ofhealth, and the guardian saint of firefighters — Bast was was original mistress ofmulti-tasking!

Also called Bastet, the goddess Bast is widely known today as the Cat Goddess. Legendhas it that, by day, Bast would ride through the sky with her father, the sun god Ra, hisboat pulling the sun through the sky.

Ever watchful, she protected Ra from his enemies. Thus she became known as the Lady ofthe East, the Goddess of the Rising Sun, and The Sacred and All-Seeing Eye.

But by night, she was a different creature entirely! Bast transformed herself into acat (renown for its superb night vision) to guard her father from Apep (also known asApophis), a serpent who was her father’s greatest enemy.

Ra’s priests burned wax models of the snake and wrote his name with green ink, tryingto put a ‘hex’ on him — but to no avail. Finally Bast, with her cat eyesshining in the dark, managed to kill the evil serpent.

Credited with killing the vile Apep, the goddess Bast ensured the warmth of the sunwould continue to bless the delta of the Nile with fertile soil and abundant crops and washonored as a goddess of fertility.

Because of her all-seeing sacred eye (called the utchat) that magically saw through thedark, Bast is one of the few sun goddesses that is also classified as a moongoddess…with her glowing cat’s eye reminding us of the moon that it reflects.

One of the most ancient of the Egyptian goddesses, the sun goddess Bast is depicted asa slender woman having the head of a domestic cat. Sometimes she is shown holding asistrum, a rattle used as a musical instrument in ancient times. Agile and lithe, Bast wasrecognized as the goddess of music and dance.

The worship of Bast began around 3,500 B.C.E., before the invention of writing. In 950B.C.E. it became the ‘national religion’ when her hometown, Baubastis, became the capitolof Egypt. Her shrine in Baubastis, fashioned from blocks of pink granite and the lengthyentrance lined with enormous trees, was considered to be one of the most beautifultemples in the world. The grounds held an extensive cat cemetery, where her belovedcompanions after being mummified, were entombed so they could join Bast in the spiritworld.

Cats were honored in the temples of Bast and many felines were in permanent residencethere. If a local house caught on fire, the cats would be dispatched to run into theflames, drawing them out of the building. (History’s first record of a fire brigade!)

Undoubtedly many returned to the temple a bit singed, but as heroes of the townspeople.Any unfortunate kitty who perished in the undertaking would be restored to life by thegoddess. Bast and her feline friends are possibly the source of the belief that cats have nine lives.

Consistent with her cat-like image and her status as a fertility goddess, Bast wasassociated with childbirth, perhaps because of the mother cat’s continuous production oflitters and the loving way she fiercely defends and cares for her kittens.

As a gentler, more benevolent, evolution of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet, herviolent and bloody sister who could bring plagues, the goddess Bast could be invoked toprevent the spread of illness.

Most households contained a small statue of Bast as a form of household protection.Statues of Bast, The All-Seeing Eye, to ward off thieves. . . Bast, as the Cat Goddess, to keep the house free of snakes. . . and Bast as the healer to ward off infectious diseases.

An amulet with the utchat (all-seeing eye) hung over the door deterred thieves andvandals, placed over the mantel it averted illness, worn around the neck it protected youas you traveled. An amulet featuring a mother cat with several kittens suckling or playingat her feet was often given as a wedding present to a bride, invoking the help of thegoddess to insure that a woman would be able to conceive and bear children.

Bast, more than any other of the Egyptian goddesses was perceived as a protector andfriend of women and young children. It is hardly surprising that the ancient Greeksreferred to Bast as the Egyptian Artemis.

Does this goddess sound like a gal that the phrase “sex kitten” would beinvented for? Hardly! But, of course, there is more to the story than we’ve told so far;we saved the juicy parts for last.

For starters, one of the oldest incarnations of thegoddess Bast was known by the name ‘Pasht’, from which our word passion was derived. (Andfrom which the English term “Puss” may have arisen.)

Her name itself shares the hieroglyph of abas-jar, a large pottery jar, usually filled with expensive perfume, a valuable commodityin a hot climate. Indeed, her son Nefertem, a sun god, became the Egyptian god of alchemyand perfumes.

It’s not surprising she had a reputation, since Bast herself had three husbands and wasacknowledged as a sexual partner of every god and goddess (bisexuality was socially acceptable in the ruling classes of that time and would be an accurate description of her nature).

The rituals performed in her temples, designed for healing, protection, and insuringfertility, were decidedly sensual, full of music and dancing. The priestesses of Bast,dressed in “her color” which was red were famous for their erotic dancing.

Many festivals were held in honor of Bast, and they tended to be quite rowdy affairs.During the major festival of Bast, thousands of men and women (children weren’t invited)traveled on barges down the river to Baubastis, drinking and partying mightily. With loudmusic, women shaking their rattles, others gyrating in dance, and some lifting theirskirts to “flash” the townspeople lined up on the riverbank to watchthe procession, the feasts of Bast may have been a precursor to the Mardi Gras andCarnivale, and perhaps is even responsible for the word ‘floats’ that describe thedecorated rides in a parade.

The Egyptian goddess Bast reminds us of all that is feline and feminine. Hergifts, very cat-like in nature, include the refusal to be at everyone’s beck and call andan insistence on the freedom of expression.

She teaches us to relax and never waste energy, reminding us to luxuriate in beauty,perfume, and to sway in graceful movement. Bast refuses to take anything too seriously.

But most importantly, Bast leads us to accept the true nature of things (ourselvesincluded) and helps us remain unswayed by the opinion of others. Curled up like a catlying in the sun, the goddess Bast forms a complete circle . . . a symbol of the eternal.

Bast’s Symbols

General:

Cats, rising sun, utchat (the “All-Seeing Eye”), pottery jars as perfume holders, parades (and floats), castanets and rattles (as musical instruments), beer, music and dance

Animals:

Domestic cats

Plants:

Cattails and other reeds, yew, cypress, mint (especially catmint), barley, and hemp

Perfume/Scents:

Musk, cinnamon, frankincense, myrrh, hemp, catnip, vervain, sandalwood, geranium, and lavender

Gems and Metals:

Cat’s eye, Sunstone, Agate, Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, and Pyrite

Colors:

Black, gold, red, turqouise, clay,and silver

The Bast Archetype

Every woman’s personality is actually influenced by numerous different goddesses (traits that exist in her personality, or roles that function in her life). One goddess, however, predominates. It is this goddess, your personal goddess type, that is detailed in this report because she represents the core part of your personality that establishes your identity and most influences how you express it to the outer world. Think of it as your own personal “comfort zone”; your personal goddess type represents your basic, in-born core: the way you “really” are. When you are functioning within the boundaries of your goddess type, you feel “at home with yourself”. Anxieties will be dissolved, priorities clearer, and you will feel energized, resilient, and capable. If your circumstances are well matched to your goddess type, your normal coping mechanisms will work well, and you will feel a sense of control over your destiny.

Bast Characteristics

When a Bast enters the room, even the most routine, mundane events become supercharged from her presence. Her friendly, sophisticated style is bound to attract. As a Bast you probably know all the best restaurants, and the waiters probably know you by name!

Bast radiates warmth, an enjoyment of life, and an incurable optimism. She is witty, charming, and clever. Very responsive to her environment, she is great fun to be with, and is one of the most generous of all the goddess types.

It’s always easy for a Bast to find company since others find them highly charismatic and entertaining-which is a good thing because she avoids being alone for very long. A Bast loves excitement and tends to create it wherever she is. Somewhat flirtatious, her joy in living is contagious, and her flowing conversation witty and amusing. It’s no wonder she leaves a mood of gaiety following in her wake!

A Bast woman lives in the immediate moment — she’s not likely to be thinking ahead to tomorrow or worrying over yesterday’s spilt milk. She lends excitement and unpredictability to any relationship. A Bast has a low tolerance for anxiety. She will not hang around very long in situations that are filled with ongoing hostility or tension. Instead she meets life head-on with a hearty appetite for the good things in life, searching out excitement and beauty, and always courting Lady Luck in one way or another. No shrinking violet, a Bast is always taking risks in the search for some excitement in her life.

Most Basts have an air of sophistication about them. You’re likely to be dressed in the latest fashions and display a fondness for all the good things in life-gourmet food, fine wines, theater, art and music, beautiful surroundings, and happy times. You probably dress in original, eye-catching clothes that are somewhat casual in style. You appreciate the feel of fine fabrics, and are up-to-date on all the latest trends.

Basts are supremely self-confident, believing themselves (and rightfully so) to be unique and special. Confident of their abilities, they expect others to treat them well and are unabashedly open about their dreams and aspirations. A Bast is usually able to accept compliments, gifts, and praise with exceptional grace.

With a fine eye for beauty and quality, combined with her high self-regard, Basts often find life rather expensive. In short, Basts can often be quite impulsive and extravagant. Since she is always generous with her family and friends as well, sharing anything she gets freely with others, her bank account may be overdrawn at times and she is often close to the limit on her credit cards!

Over time, a Bast can learn to be exhilarated by, and somewhat addicted to, living and working “on the edge”. She has nerves of steel and doesn’t mind taking a risk or two to reach her goal. She can become a bit ruthless, a pragmatist for whom “the end justifies the means”. But she usually doesn’t bother much to justify her life to anyone . . . after all, she’s ready to move on to the next excitement! Needless to say, her love of excitement can tempt her in dangerous directions, and she can turn into an opportunist, becoming deceptive and devious, even engaging in antisocial behaviors such as writing bad checks and swindling.

Basts usually are extremely attentive, focusing intensely on the person she is with. She is likely to be very verbal, able to carry on engaging and amusing conversations; laughter surrounds her. She’s never without a wonderful story, delightful joke, or witty comment. Some Bast types can be quite “earthy”, shocking others with their bawdy comments.

A Bast has a talent for reading the feelings and motivations of others for they are extremely sensitive to nonverbal cues that others usually miss. This unusual ability, combined with her intense attentiveness, makes it understandable that the recipient of her attention may get the erroneous impression that she is more emotionally invested in them than she really is. Actually it is not that the Bast is particularly empathetic, it is just that with her unusual ability to “read minds”, she is so acutely aware of the cues they are emitting that she is usually several jumps ahead of them.

Many Basts excel as saleswomen because they can “read” their customer and streamline their approach to match the customer’s desires. Additionally, Basts often have a considerable “edge” in any argument because of their ability to anticipate the opponent’s next response, quickly disarming them. Basts excel at the art of maneuvering others with great skill and winning them over to their position. Even slight acquaintances are often anxious to do their bidding.

Basts often make wonderful “trouble shooters” whose skill and persuasiveness can pull troubled programs or institutions out of difficulty very quickly. Although they can sell any idea or project quite easily, Basts seldom like to bother with the tedious details involved in follow-up. Even though they have good ideas and can “sell” them, they may not flourish in institutional settings where they often don’t get sufficient credit for what they’ve done because of all the things they’ve left undone. Likewise, a Bast who goes into business on her own may not succeed because of her reluctance to bother with the day-to-day details. If at all possible, a Bast should try to work with a partner who looks after the details; otherwise an excellent project can fail.

Your Personal Characteristics

Like the Bast that you are, you are extroverted, friendly and sociable. You enjoy being with other people and find that it energizes you, heightening your natural enthusiasm for life and all its possibilities. Exuberant, optimistic, and energetic, you are at your best in a social situation.

The goddess Bast needed to live and work with a lot of companionship and excitement in her life. Most Basts enjoy
being with people, are full of energy, and tend to be enthusiastic. They genuinely like other people and openly
demonstrate positive feelings toward them, finding it easy to form close relationships and tending to make friends
quickly. Your responses on the quiz indicate that, while you may not be as friendly as some, you are still well
within the range of the typical Bast type.

Basts usually find the company of others pleasantly energizing and enjoy the company of others and the excitement of
crowds. Your quiz indicates that you are somewhat less gregarious than most Basts, needing to occasionally have some
privacy and some time for yourself.

Like Bast, you’re a woman who approaches life realistically and who isn’t inclined to engage in much fantasy, idealism, abstractions, or anything else far removed from concrete experience. Details, technical precision, and practical applications are far more appealing to you. You are not particularly impressed with people who “may be smart but don’t have much common sense”.

Although you respect tradition and the time-honored ways of doing things, you prefer novelty, variety, and change. The physical atmosphere of your surroundings greatly influences how you feel. When you enter a room you instantly form a first impression that takes in every detail. Ownership may give you a strong sense of security, creating an attachment to your possessions.

You are definitely not one who wears her heart on her sleeve. Unlike Bast, your head usually rules your heart. Although you care a great deal about other’s opinions of you and crave love and acceptance as much as anyone else, others might not notice it from your somewhat detached appearance; you aren’t one to freely express your emotions.

Unlike Bast, your needs are fairly simple, and you are not usually difficult to please. You have a moderate or
average desire for stability and peace. Although you may enjoy occasional travel or the adventure of new
experiences, you do not require them to feel fulfilled like Bast did. Instead, you are comfortable with familiarity
and routine and do not find them intrinsically boring, consequently you are not compelled to seek adventure or
thrills at every turn.

Like Bast, your levels of excitement- and thrill-seeking are average, indicating you have neither a tendency toward
either high or low levels of risk-taking behavior. You can tolerate a fairly high level of noise and commotion
without feeling over-stimulated.

Unlike your goddess Bast, you are not particularly prone to challenging authority, convention, or traditional values.
But neither do you insist on the security and stability brought by strict conformity to tradition that is noticed in
other goddess types. You are about average in the extent to which you experience ambiguity, chaos, and disorder as
stressful.

Many of the legends of Bast recount stories that demonstrate her ability to act quickly and spontaneously, if not impulsively. As a Bast you may also prefer to remain somewhat flexible and spontaneous in your general approach to life.

The advantages of this approach are readily apparent — not being rigidly “bound” by schedules, planners, and a wide variety of other organizational aids gives Basts a freedom to “seize the moment”, to make a snap decision, and to act on their first impulse. At play this spontaneity and impulsivity can be exciting and great fun. Others usually see spontaneous people as colorful, wacky, and fun to be with. The accompanying tendency to put off unpleasant tasks until the absolute last minute may not win her many awards, but at least she doesn’t have to worry about becoming a serious “workaholic” who leaves her friends and family in a state of serious neglect.

Planning, on the other hand, leads to consistent success in projects that require organized efforts during stages in a sequence. Without it a woman’s accomplishments will likely be rather small, scattered, or inconsistent. However much she may be criticized for unreliability, lack or ambition, or failure to “stay within the lines”, one thing she’ll never be called is stuffy!

In her myths Bast is usually depicted as someone who is fairly confident in her ability to accomplish her goals,
someone who believes she has the common sense, the drive, and the self-control to overcome the obstacles in her
path. Your level of confidence in your ability to succeed is also moderate like hers.

You are well organized and like to live according to routines and schedules, your attention keenly focused on what
you have to accomplish, but, sometimes you may be so bound up in your lists of “Things To Do” that you overlook
valuable opportunities to enrich your life.

Bast was not widely known for having a strong sense of duty and moral obligation. Unlike her, your sense of
obligation is average. You usually honor your commitments and seldom find contracts, rules and regulations overly
confining.

The goddess Bast was often impulsive. You, however, usually take your time before speaking or making decisions, considering your alternatives and carefully weighing the consequences of your actions. Impulses are not inherently bad; acting on our impulses can be an effective response in situations requiring snap decisions. Additionally, acting spontaneously and impulsively makes play possible. People who are impulsive are often seen as being colorful, exciting, and fun. Nonetheless, excessive impulsivity can lead to trouble: examples include using illicit drugs that eventually destroy one’s health, responding with an insult during an argument leading to the destruction of an important relationship, or excessive socializing that results in being fired from one’s job. Your level of impulsiveness is lower than average. Bast rarely paused to think things through carefully before she sprang into action. And often wasn’t very deliberate or cautious when making decisions. Unlike her, you usually take your time before deciding and seldom say or do the first thing that comes to mind without deliberating your alternatives and their probable consequences.

How a Bast’s Mind Works

Your goddess type is largely determined by the neurological hard-wiring you received at birth. It governs the way you think and learn. Unfortunately, most of us have been exposed to a “one-size-fits-all” educational system that fails to take into account that not everyone has the same style of learning. Understanding how you think and learn best can help you be more productive at work or in school.

Although Bast is generally portrayed as being a realistic, practical, and down-to earth type, your quiz reveals that
you are more imaginative and creative than the typical Bast. While most Basts are more oriented to facts than
fantasy, you often use your imagination, and keen sense of what is possible. You are also able to use your
imagination, and keen sense of what is possible, to create a richer, more interesting world.

One area in which you differ from your personal goddess type Bast is in your cognitive style. While Bast preferred
dealing with people or things rather than ideas, your level of interest and comfort in thinking abstractly is
average instead of low like hers.

Bast was certainly not famous for her self-discipline or will power. Unlike hers, your level of self-discipline is average. You are often able to overcome your reluctance to begin a task (even a disagreeable one) and to stay on track despite distractions. You don’t seem to find it overly difficult to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks, seeing them through to completion.

At odds with most traditional educational settings and procedures, a Bast learns best through experience. She doesn’t share the teachers’ agenda of “preparing for the future” as much as wanting to discharge the impulsive of the moment, being free for physical activity, being surrounded by beauty, sounds, color, and motion. Book learning is seldom enough for her. Basts need the pleasure of hands-on and active learning situations to inspire them–they need the freedom to act spontaneously and chafe at restrictions and constraints. Simply sitting and listening to a lecture is seldom inspiring for the Bast type. Opportunities to operate, construct, and manipulate objects help fulfill the Bast’s need for physical involvement in her learning.

A Bast thrives on competition and risk. She finds contests, instructional games, role-playing, drama, and media presentations stimulating. Traditional lesson plans that require paper and pencil-work tend to make her bored. She does not perform as well as others in tests of verbal ability where speed is a factor and can usually benefit from courses on test taking methods.

Basts often find it difficult to maintain interest in rigidly controlled learning environments, and may create their own excitement through unconventional means if they are under-stimulated in the setting.

Bast At Work

Just as your inborn goddess type impacts the way you think and learn, it also greatly influences your life at work. When your goddess-given strengths and patterns of behavior have become habitual, certain jobs or careers will be more “natural” for you. When your job allows you to capitalize on your goddess type, it is interesting and energizing, almost fun. So if you’re about to enter the job market, use you knowledge of your goddess type as a guide to selecting an ideal position that is a good match for your goddess type.

None of this means you can’t be happy in other fields. Lots of other factors influence job satisfaction, your boss and coworkers, the pay, the dress code, for example. Most people manage to adapt, to develop and strengthen their less developed skills and interests when working in a job, unless other factors introduce too many problems in the setting.

Finally, if you aren’t satisfied at work or don’t feel you’re very effective, you can use what you learn about your goddess’ strengths to examine the match between your goddess type and your current job and career.

In comparison to the goddess Bast, whose quest for achievement was low, your level is high. Those with a drive to be
recognized as successful often have a strong sense of direction in their lives and strive hard to achieve excellence
in their chosen pursuits. Taken to the extremes, high achievement-seeking may result in an individual who is too
single-minded and obsessed with her work-or at the other extreme, an individual content to get by with only a
minimal amount of work, even if it means being seen by others as lazy. Your level of achievement striving is high.

Bast at work tends to be:

Active

Impulsive

Adaptable

Logical

Adventuresome

Observant

Calm

Practical

Charming

Talkative

Curious

Team player

Common-sensical

trouble-shooter

Like Bast, you pay great attention to facts, valuing what has been proven by experience. You can usually be counted on to be accurate. You like to do tasks that you’ve learned to do well and to see the results of your work quickly. You may excel at jobs that require paying a lot of attention to detail.

As a Bast, you probably enjoy setting up systems that improve how a process works and like to proceed in a logical step-by-step fashion, following established procedures so that everything runs smoothly. You seldom mind having to repeat a task or use a skill once you’ve mastered it. Boredom is rarely a major issue for you in your job.

Solitary work is not for a Bast like you. For one thing, you tend to “think out loud” and may actually need to talk to be able to do your best thinking. Brainstorming sessions and committee meetings are often where you have your best ideas. It’s as if a thought forms in your head but becomes “fleshed out” as you discuss it with others.

Your business-like demeanor and professional approach often inspires others to look to you for leadership. You tend to be fairly assertive, matter of fact, and impersonal . . . getting right to the point without a lot of chitchat. As a result some of your coworkers or customers may think you are blunt, or even tactless. Your natural abilities in logical analysis and objective decision making allow you succeed in a competitive environment. You don’t mind working at a rapid pace, moving quickly from one task to another.

A Bast like you is likely to function best in a job that allows you to be your casual and spontaneous self, able to just “go with the flow”, jumping from one task to another with great aplomb. After all, for a Bast woman, reaching the goal is not always as important as enjoying the process of getting there! Although you occasionally lash out and invest in a calendar, date books, and other aids to help you get organized, you usually find that choosing an elaborate system is a lot more satisfying than using one: and abandon them as soon as the novelty wears off. Instead of discarding paperwork or promptly filing it away, it tends to build up on your less-than-tidy desk. (Although you may have an almost uncanny ability to find your “stuff”, your co-workers aren’t likely to view you as well organized!)

A Bast doesn’t like to be pressured into making decisions until she feels she’s amassed enough information . . . after all, she likes to keep her options open until she’s sure. Besides, your great strength is your adaptability. This can, at times, lead to procrastination and missed deadlines. At other times this willingness to leave things unresolved for the time being is an advantage. It makes it easier for you to quickly change tack, diverting your efforts into new directions that are more likely to succeed.

Bast Women Often Find Careers in These Fields Rewarding:

Administrator

Marketing

Bank officer

Military service

Budget analyst

News reporter

Chef

Physical therapist

Community service

Pilot

Computer programmer

Police, detective

Corrections officer

Private investigator

EEG technician

Promoter

Electrical engineer

Public relations

Emergency medical tech

Radiology technician

Entrepreneur

Real estate broker

Exercise physiologist

Sales

Flight attendant

Small business owner

Games(electronic) developer

Stockbroker

Insurance agent

Teacher: trade, technical

Land developer

Therapist, health care

Management consultant

Tour agent

Manager

Trainer: technical

Bast’s Relationships

When we encounter people whose god or goddess type matches our own, people who have similar traits, we are usually attracted to them and often make them a part of our social circle. This is not surprising for they tend to think like you, have similar interests, treat you as you treat others, and are easy for you to communicate with. You feel comfortable and energized when you are with them. When you spend much time with someone of an opposite type, you may feel drained of energy if it becomes a struggle to find common ground. Other types truly see the world through different eyes and approach life from a very different perspective. Depending on the situation in which you find yourselves, you may be able to recognize your differences and essentially “agree to disagree”.

Try to learn more and use your understanding about different god and goddess types, remembering that even though they differ, each type has its unique strengths and beauty. After all, it is the incredible diversity that makes life so colorful!

The natural expression of a spirit of cooperation and friendship is your goddess gift. Like the goddess Bast, you are a natural diplomat-you are reasonable, tolerant, and fair. Willing to listen to everyone’s viewpoints, you are always ready to see their side. Harmony in your social relationships is important to you, so you generally go out of your way to be considerate, friendly, generous, and helpful. Endowed with an optimistic view of human nature, you tend to believe that others are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.

At times your generosity can seem excessive and may cause you problems. You may need to set limits on your giving nature and learn not to trust others so readily. Because of your strong desire to be liked, and your need for acceptance and approval, you can easily be influenced by the opinions and desires of others-and suppress your own needs and values in order to please them.

You usually take a friendly, cooperative approach rather than a forceful “we-should-do-it-like this” position. You’re more likely to use your charm in an understated, non-combative fashion to try to reach your objectives. But if all else fails (or if the stakes are high or you’ve just been pushed-too-far) you are perfectly capable of being assertive since your quiz reveals that your assertiveness level is neither high nor low, but within the average range.

You approach your relationships as if they were an art form, and like Bast, are very skilled in this area since you
possess both a high sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others as well as a genuine concern for their well
being. Others see you as an agreeable, cooperative, and nice person for this is the face you choose to show to the
world . . . even though there is much more to you than this. Because of your harmonious disposition you usually get
along easily with others and have a pleasant, agreeable manner that most find appealing.

Bast was not one of the goddesses who were well known for being altruistic, always helping others in times of need.
Unlike her, you find helping other people genuinely rewarding and have a strong need to be of service to others. For
you, helping others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than sacrifice. Your level of altruism is high

Bast was noted for being moderate, neither high nor low, in terms of her agreeableness, her willingness to lead or
participate in group efforts. Although she, like most of us, preferred to avoid conflict or confrontation, she would
not easily abandon her own needs and interests just to avoid a confrontation. Realistic and pragmatic, you tend to
be an excellent strategist who attains success by relying on your tactical strengths rather than on tact and charm.
You do not run away from confrontations and, like Bast, are usually unwilling to deny your own needs and interests
simply to get along with people. As a result, sometimes others may find you a bit intimidating or uncooperative.

Like your personal goddess type Bast, you are not affected strongly by the suffering of others. Priding yourself on
your ability to judge objectively, you are more concerned with impartial justice, truth, and fairness. It is not
that you are uncompassionate, but that you do not, as a rule, vicariously experience the pain of others as readily
as do some other goddess types. This average level of tender-mindedness is advantageous in situations that require
tough decisions or objectivity.

Bast As a Child

What you were like as a child and the messages you received from your parents have undoubtedly influenced your development, for better or worse. Lucky for you if your family enjoyed and encouraged you to develop naturally as the Bast that you are. Chances are you felt good about yourself and got a big head start in developing all your Bast strengths.

Sometimes, however, having “too much” family support can cause a problem. When parents give their little goddess unlimited approval for the traits of her natural goddess type to the exclusion of helping her develop the helpful traits of the other goddesses that exist as potential in her personality, she can grow up too one-sided. Take, for example, the young Artemis who is a natural athlete and fierce competitor. While her parents are busy applauding her for all her trophies and carting her to competitions, they may forget to similarly encourage her to keep up with her assignments and she fails to sufficiently develop her intellectual skills.

Also unfortunate is the girl whose goddess type meets with her parents’ disapproval. Their opposition won’t change her inborn type; it just leaves her feeling bad about herself for being who she is, feeling inauthentic if she tries to conform to their expectations by pretending to be “the other girl” that she sensed they would have preferred, or even making her rebellious.

A natural “flirt” from infancy, a Bast instinctively knows how to “goo and giggle” and how to gaze adoringly in everyone’s eyes to get their full attention. In short, you were probably born affectionate, sensitive, playful, high-spirited, and rather dramatic in your efforts to be the center of attention. Your parents probably called you their “Little Chatterbox” because you were full of questions and a never-ending stream of comments. You were active, fearless, and energetic-at times this translated into reckless and daring. You probably tested your parents’ patience at times with your tendency to “forget” your commitments (or even the rules).

Basts often work hard to receive attention and appreciation for their accomplishments. Well-liked by other children and by adults, you were probably among the most capable and responsible children in your class. Most likely you were active in school clubs or student government. Odds are that you never failed to impress others with your happy-go-lucky enthusiasm for life!

The expression “She’s seven, going on thirty” was coined for a Bast child. By the second grade she’s usually begging to have her ears pierced, is adept at applying eye shadow, and is receiving correspondence from a rock band’s fan club.

Not surprisingly, adolescence and young adulthood are crucial stages in the life of a young Bast. Between hormonal upheavals and the urgings of her Bast archetype, this happy-go-lucky young lady faces many major choices that can have profound consequences on her future life. Her affectionate and responsive nature, coupled with her tendency to only see the good in others, leaves her vulnerable to manipulation. If she’s also a bit impulsive, she doesn’t always slow down to weigh the possible consequences of her choices . . . bad reputations, unplanned pregnancies, and damaged self-esteem may result. It is the lucky Bast teen who has the guidance and protection of caring adults who help her express her boundless enthusiasm for life while helping her learn how to safely navigate in the world around her.

Remember that your parents, like most, probably assumed that you, their child, were pretty much like them. All parents have a different view of the ‘right way’ to rear a child, one that reflects their own god or goddess type.

Bast As a Parent

Armed with your new understanding of how the goddess types work, you will not be surprised to hear that one other factor, the goddess or god-type of your child, will play a big part in how well you will fare in your role as a parent. Bear in mind that, whichever little gods or goddesses reside in your pantheon, the wise goddess avoids trying to reshape them and allows them to grow into their true goddess-given selves with her understanding and support.

Basts live in the present and lend excitement and unpredictability to the role of parent. As a parent, a Bast will be entertaining, generous, a good friend, and a source of great fun and excitement. She is usually very loyal and expects her children to be both responsible and organized.

A Bast’s children will shine brightly as she focuses her charismatic attention on them, making them feel incredibly special. But they sometimes feel acutely disappointed as she moves ahead to her next enthusiasm. And when there is sickness or trouble, she’s likely to get impatient and want to absent herself. Never a hovering mother, her greatest strength is her innate ability to be nonjudgmental and accepting, allowing her children to thrive as they develop their own unique personalities.

Bast and Her Mates

Is there one perfect match for your goddess type? Some types may be naturally better suited than others. After all, the more similar two types are, the more they understand each other for the more values and interests they have in common, the easier they can communicate, and the less work they have to do to get along. They may, however, have to make an extra effort to stay interesting to each other.

But what about opposites? Opposites may attract, but too often they don’t manage to stay together. When a person from a very different type comes into a romantic relationship with you, you may find yourself drawn to them because you are intrigued by their difference. (Sometimes this may be a sign that they have a quality or strength you admire that isn’t a part of your goddess type and that you need to develop in your self.) Too soon the magical courtship stage is over and you begin to notice that the differences between you are less appealing, maybe even a source of annoyance and conflict. Perhaps you start seeing signs that there isn’t good chemistry between you, or that you need to pull back and not invest so much of yourself. If you think there is enough positive about the relationship and can thoughtfully examine the differences objectively, you may decide to live with the differences between you. Sometimes, though, the differences are just too great to overcome or do not justify the amount of energy it takes to maintain the relationship. If you choose not to deal with the differences, it is wise to move on and find other mates who are more compatible with your goddess type.

But if you’re already deeply invested in such a relationship, or if you simply like a challenge, much can be gained in a mating of opposites. Rather than unintentionally turning your differences into a source of frustration and dissatisfaction, you can learn to celebrate them. Unfortunately, the tendency is to instinctively follow the path of the Pygmalion archetype. In this legend the sculptor Pygmalion, unable to love any of the women he met, carved a statue . . . a perfect and beautiful image of his “ideal woman”. Over the course of his labors he grew madly in love with her, but fell into despair because, as a lifeless statue, she could not love him in return.

Like Pygmalion, we (in ways subtle, and not so subtle) try to make our partners change, to become more like us. Chipping away at our loves and marriages with constant tension, criticism, and complaints, we try to pull our partners out of their own god- or goddess- types. Such efforts are destined to fail. Even if it could be successful, it would extinguish their personality, leaving them as lifeless and cold as a statue. Although Bast took pity on the poor sculptor and brought his statue to life in the legend, we must make our own miracles . . . by understanding our differences and seeing them not as problems but as incredible opportunities to breathe life into our own relationships.

This section will guide you to a general understanding of how your goddess archetype exerts a profound influence on the course of your love life. Perhaps the most important aspect of this report is the recognition that the very same differences that attract a woman and her mate to each other can also be the cause of most of the conflict between them, and that it is how these differences are handled that really matters.

Long-term commitments don’t always come naturally to the Bast woman. Unless she has a strong Hera or Demeter archetype present in her personality, she is apt to follow the goddess Bast’s example by following a pattern of serial romances (or marriages). Her own warmth and attentiveness, combined with her lust for life, understandably makes her very attractive to men-her attention makes them feel sexy and special. Learning how to reject the advances of those responding to her charisma, and how to dampen the ardor of those who have misread her intentions, are an important undertaking for a Bast woman. Many Bast types are especially attracted to unconventional partners, especially men who are complex, creative, and moody.

But once they finally decide to settle down, Basts are usually exciting partners, affectionate and fun to be with. Easy-going by nature, a Bast is usually supportive of her mate and tries to see that her family is happy and well cared for. Since they usually have a wide circle of friends and love socializing, their homes are often filled with guests. Every Bast’s goal is to be sure her home is a harmonious and a fun place to be.

Sometimes a Bast will see the relationship as a “task”, something that can be created, a role to perform, and will adopt the role of the perfect love with a “script” of romantic things to say. But under all this, she needs to feel loved, not for her performance, but for who she really is.

Often a Bast finds it easier to be responsive to her mate’s physical needs than the emotional ones. A Bast’s dislike of confrontation can present problems. Sometimes it leads her to avoid conflict at any cost, even the healthy discuss of problems with her mate. She hopes any problem will simply go away if she ignores it long enough.

Because she has little patience for, and doesn’t much see the need for lengthy soul-baring conversations, a Bast often tends to keep communication on a rather superficial level that can prevent her partner from feeling that she is truly caring and understanding.

A Bast partner needs to know her mate appreciates her for being a responsive and helpful partner. Even more importantly, she needs to know that she is loved for herself, and not just for her winning image and style. Feeling that she is being listened to and treated with respect by her mate is a major factor influencing her satisfaction with the relationship-just as important to her as the fact that they are having fun together.

Visit the reference section at www.goddessgift.com to find valuable resources that will help you “love the one you’re with”, getting past the ancient conflicts and behavior patterns that have the power to destroy relationships. Learn to appreciate, even honor, each other’s complementary, but differing, ways of being. By developing insight into the ways the god and goddess archetypes interact, you can learn how to make your differences complement one another as intensely as they might otherwise clash.

Bast Under Stress

Your goddess type impacts every aspect of your life, including your health and sense of well-being. In fact, recent research suggests a direct link between personality and illness. Your goddess type represents the orderly arrangement of your personality that helps you deal with life. If your life is highly compatible with your goddess type, all is well. If, however, your circumstances force you to function largely outside your personal type, you will view your life from a negative perspective and experience stress and emotional discomfort. Our thoughts and emotions are deeply intertwined. Negative thoughts provoke negative feelings that rob the body of the energy it needs to remain in healthy balance, leaving us susceptible to illness.

Consider this example: Amy’s goddess type is one that finds it very difficult to say ‘no’ to anyone. Consequently, she is always trying to do too much and is frequently behind schedule. Missing deadlines and being late for appointments causes her to feel guilty, so every time she is late creates additional stress for her. That stress results in a negative chemical reaction in her body, which, if continued over a long period of time, can ‘wear down’ her body’s natural defenses, leaving her accident prone and vulnerable to infections and a number of other stress-related illnesses.

Another body of fascinating research suggests that each personality type is linked to its own specific areas of vulnerability, or ‘weak sites’, within the body . . . an Achilles’ heel, so to speak. It is thought that these particular areas may be more sensitive to stress-related chemical imbalance.

This section will help you identify:

Typical ways your type functions under stress
Characteristic negative thoughts (fears and anxieties) that produce stress
Vulnerable areas of the body and major health issues for your goddess type
Behavior patterns that may put you ‘at risk of developing a specific health problem

As a Bast you tend to work and play hard, continually pushing yourself, often to the point of exhaustion. Consequently your health behaviors may be less than adequate: skipping meals, ignoring the need to stretch or empty your bladder, finding it hard to fall asleep with so many thoughts in your head. You probably even find it to relax when you’re on vacation!

Your anxieties center around fears that you may not be able to make things happen the way you need them to in order for you to achieve success. Basts feel a strong need to earn their place in society and are prompted to make considerable efforts to prevent and control disorder.

Not always appreciating the far-reaching consequences of her behavior, women with Bast as an archetype occasionally find themselves at odds with family members, friends, and coworkers. A Bast’s skills in improvising can result in their taking shortcuts that fail to produce the results expected by others. When a Bast then is chided or constrained, thus losing the ability to act freely on her impulses, she chafes greatly under the restrictions. At such times, she may become defiant in an attempt to regain a sense of control.

When placed in an ongoing situation where she is restricted, a Bast’s stress increases and she begins to feel hollow, empty inside, or “dead to the world”. Frequently her first impulse is to “get even” by ridiculing the values of her perceived oppressor, by making dramatic displays of her disdain for their rules, and otherwise becoming increasingly defiant. By causing a “scene”, she is able to reenergize her failing spirits while simultaneously punishing those who she has judged to be oppressive. A more effective strategy, that taken by the goddess Bast herself, is to dismantle the barriers to freedom by gaining the trust and cooperation of others.

When a Bast is “stressed out” or overly tired, she can become emotionally overwhelmed, even to the point of becoming distraught. In this state you may literally feel unable to think clearly and barely able to cope. You may become repetitious in what you say, or even blaming of others for what you see as their “failure” to pick up their share of the load. In this frame of mind you may begin to nag them, succeeding only in driving them to further withdraw when what you actually need at this time is their reassurance and support.

If stress is not quickly resolved, it is common for a Bast to feel fatigued, beset by unusual and unpleasant sensations in their bodies, or even to succumb to an illness. When incapacitated, even for a brief time by a minor illness, a Bast usually begins to feel increasingly left out and unappreciated. Feeling “powerless” and “out of control” is very stressful and uncomfortable for a Bast like you.

A Bast’s weak sites include her pelvic area, digestive and circulatory systems, and her immune system, particularly the adrenal glands. Health issues likely to be of special importance to her include: frequent colds and viral infections, urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, low back pain, leg cramps or sciatica, gastroesophageal reflux (symptoms of heartburn), indigestion, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety disorders or panic attacks, alcohol abuse, and insomnia. It is important for you, as a Bast type, to recognize the extent to which your goddess type may be encouraging you to neglect your own health needs and to consciously attempt to remedy this situation.

Situations most likely to trigger a Bast’s level of stress are those that evoke:

the fear of being unsupported (or even abandoned)
frustration at feeling restricted, controlled or otherwise manipulated
resentfulness about feeling unappreciated or misunderstood
feeling victimized and powerless to take control of one’s life.

Major stressors that arise in the lives of a Bast are often related to her:

need to socialize, sometimes at the expense of her other obligations
attempts to resist regulations and control over her behavior, which she experiences as a loss of freedom, and
a tendency to feel anxious about life, whether or not she will ever have enough or be “good enough”.

Bast’s Personal Goddess Path

While your goddess type is the strongest, most developed, preferred, and “natural” to you, you potentially have aspects (or traits) of all the goddesses in your personality. They are willing to come to your rescue if needed. As your life unfolds over time, you will be presented with different challenges that are not in your goddess’ “area of expertise”, challenges that another goddess would be better equipped to handle. You can recognize when this occurs because you may feel drained of energy, “mentally fuzzy”, and less sure of your ability to cope. Your life may feel out of control, or you may even have a strong sense of being “numbed” or detached from what is going on around you. Here is where those other goddesses can come to your rescue.

Bast’s Allies

Your goddess allies are Demeter and Rhiannon. Already present in your personality, they can be called into play to help you adapt and grow. Which goddess is active at any given time depends on a combination of factors that interact-how many (and which) goddesses are in your repertoire and your predisposition to use them. The situation you find yourself coping with and the roles it calls forth in you, even your hormones, and your stage of life are also important factors.

Think of your life as an improvisational play with several actresses in the cast, each with a different role. One actress (your personal goddess type) will play the lead and be on-stage most of the time since she is your strongest, most experienced performer. However, the others will be called on-stage occasionally when the play takes a direction that calls for their “special” skills or attributes.

You can also activate a goddess archetype intentionally, by consciously focusing on her (through study, meditations, rituals) or by “doing” those activities with which she is associated, such as taking a college course to “activate” the logical Athena. All you need do is honor her and consciously invite her presence: a process called “invoking” a goddess. This section identifies the other goddesses in your makeup and some of the ways you can summon, or invoke, these goddesses in your life-to solicit their aid during times of crisis or to strengthen their impact and increase your psychological flexibility.

Like Bast, your ally Demeter was in touch with her emotions, able to examine herself and to understand her motives. As the most selfless, and most nurturing of the goddesses, it must have been very difficult for Demeter to refuse to provide the harvest until her abducted daughter was restored to her. As an ally, Demeter can help a Bast to soften the emotional toughness that sometimes results in her being manipulative, devious, or deceptive to win the approval of others. And she can assist you in learning to make commitments and to follow through on them.

Basts are often filled with longing for something they sense is missing in themselves, or in their relationships, and fill this void by impulsively seeking pleasurable experiences. Once Rhiannon’s presence is activated, a Bast develops an ability to stand back and view her life more objectively, coming to a better understanding of cause and effect, and learning to calm live less impulsively. Rhiannon can also come to a Bast’s assistance in making her more comfortable with change and ambiguity, in situations which may challenge her by requiring her to be more introspective and when outcomes are uncertain.

To develop a healthy balance you need to integrate characteristics of each of the goddesses into your life. By so doing, you can recognize needs you’ve left unfulfilled. Then by attending to those needs, you can become happier and more self-confident. Visit the website again (www.goddessgift.com) to learn more about the different goddesses and to learn specific ways to strengthen their presence in your life.

Recognizing Your “Missing Goddess”

Just as your goddess type is dominant in your makeup, there is also one specific goddess that will be the weakest in you. Psyche is your missing goddess. Recognizing this goddess, and honoring her presence, is critical to your well-being because, if she remains neglected, she is apt to appear at the most unexpected time to create havoc in your life.

Most of us have witnessed, at one time or another, an acquaintance who, in the face of some seemingly trivial irritation, explodes into a tirade, ready to “take the skin off” the offender. Normally a sweet-natured, compliant and somewhat self-effacing type, she pays for ignoring her missing goddess (in this case one who is more demanding or judgmental than her own goddess type). Had she acknowledged these needs within herself and developed a few simple assertiveness skills, she would have been spared this embarrassment.

You’ve probably encountered the motif of the “uninvited guest” that appears in many fairy tales and legends. Usually the story begins with a celebration to which everyone in the kingdom is invited, everyone that is except for one certain person (often a witch or a troll who is disliked because they seem ugly or evil). This uninvited guest, understandably miffed at having been excluded, invariably shows up anyway and places a terrible curse on the hosts, the infant who is being christened, or even on the entire kingdom! The terms “uninvited guest” or “missing goddess” refer to the neglected or rejected side of our selves we’ve forced out of our conscious awareness. In Jungian psychology, these disowned aspects of the self, forced to reside in the darkness of the unconscious mind, are called the “shadow”. It is the part of our self that we feel least comfortable with and have rejected as not being a part of “who we really are”.

The goddess Psyche is your missing goddess, the goddess least represented in your personality. This suggests that you do not find it natural, or easy, to embody or demonstrate many of Psyche’s traits, especially her intuitive spirit, her appreciation for the intangible, theoretical, and mystical.

Psyche can help you be more authentic, your behavior more congruent with your true values. A Bast who has neglected to develop her Psyche archetype can be deceptive and devious at times, with an opportunistic eye toward “looking good” even if it means violating her own principles. Honoring and developing Psyche will help you be true to your inner self, to act is ways that align with what you really think and feel (instead of just projecting an image so you will be accepted and applauded).

Psyche was a beautiful young mortal who became a goddess when Zeus ordained her marriage to Eros, the god of love who was the son of Bast. Psyche had to prove her worth by accomplishing a series of seemingly impossible feats required by her demanding mother-in-law. In so doing, she embarked on a remarkable journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Having learned to confront all the dark and mysterious places of the soul, Psyche was well prepared for her eventual reunion with her beloved. Read the story of Psyche @www.goddessgift.com. Make it a point to remember her and honor her regularly. Practice her strengths. She would like to become one of your allies, so welcome her into your life.

Approaching the Triple Goddess

Before the Titans and the Olympians (the gods and goddesses with their very human-like traits and personalities) appeared in Greek mythology, and long before the 5,000 year reign of male deities, people recognized a Triple Goddess who symbolized the three faces of the original Great Goddess. Often depicted in association with the changing phases of the moon, the Triple Goddess moves between her many roles with the changing seasons of her life. In Greek mythology her three faces are described as the:

Maiden/Virgin Skilled, self-defining, achieving, and focused

Mother/Matriarch Relationship-oriented, nurturing, loving, generous

Wise woman/Crone Contemplative, spiritual, compassionate, able to laugh, an agent of transformative change in society

In Native American mythology the Triple Goddess was represented by the benevolent Changing Woman who could change back and forth from an infant to a young or old woman at will. She reminds us that a full life is rooted in our own nature as well as the seasons of our particular stage of life. Although recent social changes such as our ability to control the timing of childbearing have loosened the ties of the various stages to a woman’s chronological age, it is still common for most women to develop psychologically following this age-old sequence.

The major developmental task of the young woman, in her maiden stage, typically is to claim and embrace her own personal goddess and to fully develop and strengthen the character of her personal goddess type. Having done so, at mid-life (the phase of the mother/matron), her personal growth is enhanced by nurturing the presence and the strengths of the other goddesses who have remained less developed in her personality. With her primary goddess now strong and experienced, she can now afford to attend to the areas of her life she has heretofore neglected. And in the third phase of her life, generally occurring when she is postmenopausal, she reaches the stage of the wisewoman or crone. Her task at this stage is to pull back some from the more external and active involvement of her earlier years, to integrate all that she has learned, and to draw inward, finding her own voice and purpose. She emerges more spontaneous and less restrained by convention, more contemplative, more compassionate and self-accepting. She can be quite outspoken, in touch with her anger on behalf of herself and others. She is fully capable of forcing social changes that are needed. Using the wisdom she has gained, she now is able to weave her unique perspective into a tapestry that is a full expression of the sacred feminine.

Ways to Grow

As a Bast you have probably developed your social skills and creativity. You may have done so at some sacrifice of the more tender, nurturing qualities that are often considered to make a woman “vulnerable”. It is likely that you have perhaps neglected developing some of the traits, which are associated with autonomy and independence. Your journey toward completeness will center on the need to more fully develop your potential in these directions.

Learn to appreciate solitude and silence. Turn off the TV and the stereo. Learn to live with less external stimulation.
“Be careful what you pray for, because you might get it” the old saying goes. It is important that a Bast makes sure that what she wants will actually be good for her in the long run because she is particularly susceptible to wanting things intensely and is often a bit impulsive. Give some thought to the long term consequences of your goals and be sure they will bring you the happiness you seek.

Closing the Circle: Finding Completion on the Goddess Path

Even before the appearance of the Triple Goddess, humankind recognized the existence of a “Oneness”, a creator, a “giver of life”, a spiritual presence who was complete, in and of herself. She was known by many names, among them the Great Goddess, Ishtar, Gaia (Mother Earth). All powerful, she was life energy itself, and a goddess unafraid to venture into the underworld, the symbol for the soul. She reminds us that we must ground ourselves in the reality of our nature and incorporate all sides of ourselves, whether they be light and pleasant or dark and wrathful. She demanded that we connect to the inner wisdom inside our selves and that we manifest that wisdom in the world.

A Final Note

Although in contemporary times we are more likely to speak of mental health, self-actualization, or even spiritual enlightenment, the quest remains the same – growth that leads to personal authenticity. Recognizing and nurturing your goddesses within is a good beginning. As you continue on the goddess path in your quest for a meaningful life, we at Goddessgift wish you good luck and . . . well, Goddess-speed!

We wish to gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Dr. John A. Johnson for allowing the use of comments he authored concerning the description of personality traits measured by the IPIP items contained in the goddess quiz, and to Steven E. Brenner who authored the original IPIP analysis program on which our program is based.