Seshat Egyptian Writing Goddess

 

Goddess Seshat

 

From “She Who Scrivens” by Laurie Brockway

 

Seshat is the ancient Egyptian Goddess of writing, wisdom, reading, arithmetic, record-keeping, measurement, libraries, astronomy, astrology, and architecture. She is often depicted as the wife, consort, daughter, or female counterpart of the wisdom god Djeuty/Thoth. Her name means “Female scribe.”

 

Appearance:

Seshat was the first female scribe, often seen wearing a leopard-skin dress or leopard over her shoulder, holding a pen and stylus, with a seven-pointed star on her head. The leopard skin over her shoulder represents power and triumph over danger. Seven is a sacred number/seven planets, seven chakras etc. representing completion. The star relates to the realm of the gods. The seven-pointed star represents seven as a scared number (seven chakras, seven meaning completion). The star could also represent a cannabis leaf, and the symbol over her head could resemble a bow and arrow, the curved arch representing dexterity and precision. The arch could also symbolize a halo. The notched palm-leaf rib where she etched the years of the pharaoh’s reign, represents the passage of time.

 

Role:

Seshat appeared in the second dynasty as a female scribe. She assisted the pharaoh in a ritual called Stretching of the Cord. The ritual took place before the building of a temple, the goddess was consulted before the building’s creation. It consisted of the measuring of the temple’s dimensions, measuring by the positions of the stars. Seshat’s helped measure the structures of temples, pyramids, and buildings for pharaohs and the gods/Neteru, with astronomy and astrology. She etched the pharaohs’ years of reign on palm fronds/papyrus scrolls. She also recorded the king’s speeches during the Sed Festival, the number of foreign captives, number of cattle, and other goods gained in the pharaoh’s military campaigns.

 

Seshat was considered the patroness of libraries, and keeper of the House of Books. It was believed by the Egyptians that actions and written works on Earth would be transferred to Seshat, who placed them inside the celestial library. She took care of Thoth’s library of spells and scrolls. What happens on earth would be reflected in the celestial world/spirit realm. As above, so below. The written words from mortals would be housed in the celestial library, immortalizing them. Creativity and the written word grants immortality.

 

Like many Neteru, she also guided the dead in the afterlife. Seshat was often depicted alongside Nephthys, in reviving the dead in the afterlife so they could face judgment from Osiris, helped soul access spells in the Egyptian Book of the Dead to make it to the hope of paradise.

 

Unlike other Neteru, she didn’t have a temple of her own. In her time, she was one of the most widely known deities, but she is not as popular in modern times.

 

Colors: gold, blue, yellow, midnight blue

Symbols/tools:

Ankh

Blue candles

Blue lotus

Calculator

Cannabis leaf

Egyptian stencils

Feather quill

Knotted cord

Leopards and leopard clothing

Measuring tools

Palm-leaf rib

Papyrus scrolls

Pens and pencils

Seven-pointed star

Sistrum

Stylus

Tablet

Writing journal