Seshat is the Patroness of all knowledge and a very respected Goddess of supernal power. In Ancient Egypt, many of Her functions related to the dedication of buildings. As a Patroness of divine geometry and mathematics, this was in no way a minor role. Every aspect of Egypt's religious system was dependent on the visions laid forth by Her.
She advised Astrologers, astronomers, architects and others on the optimal conditions to build lasting structures and eternal monuments, emblems of civilization as a whole. Her instructions led people to find the most energetic areas for further growth of any project, including temples and settlements necessary for the expansion of Egyptian civilization. Egypt's uniquely enduring and everlasting imprint as a visible civilization of tens of thousands of years can be attributed to the precepts of Her Orders.
The Complete Temples of Egypt, Richard H. Wilkinson
Seshat’s name in Hieroglyphs means 'female scholar' or 'female scribe'. Within this is not just a code to Her sex as a Goddess, but also a reference to the types of occult processes in Seshat's concerns, which are negative and magnetic in terms of polarity, of the female characteristic.
Her functions were not merely in the endowment of structures or settlements. Seshat was always engaged in writing the Book of Life and Death delineating the lifespan of beings. Similarly, Seshat was known to dwell by the Tree of Life itself alongside Her husband and Her inscriptions on the fallen leaves below the Tree were said to indicate a being’s finite lifespan, evocative of one of the lines of the Iliad:
Iliad
In contrast, having one’s name etched on the trunk of the Tree by Thoth or Seshat indicated potential immortality and engagement in the process of Magnum Opus.
Seshat, like Thoth, occupied a distinct position as a psychopomp or guide to the dead. Allusions exist to Her importance in this being to guide people to say the correct words in death and to continue to incarnate to higher realms of existence by using their intelligence, courage and wiles.
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The Greeks knew Seshat by the concept of the Fates or Moirai, named as Klotho (Spineress), Lakesis (Apportioness of Lots) and Atropos (She Who Cannot Be Turned). Atropos in the image above holds a scroll analogous to the tablet or scroll of Seshat. Via their spindle, the Moirai would spin a thread demonstrating the lifespan of any being visually. This concept of Fate indicates Seshat’s primacy in ordering the forces of destiny and Karma. Nemesis, who is equivocated with Ma’at, was the sister of the Moirai and dealt with enforcing natural laws surrounding the beginning and end of beings.
In this kind of imagery, Klotho carries a spindle and distaff, Lakesis carries a staff or spindle pointing to the horoscope to a globe representing the set ‘lot’ of a being and Atropos carried a tablet and a stylus used to inscribe the names of Life and Death. They were said to rule over the substance of moira which the Gods were not involved with as They held the free will of beings to be sacred: only Zeus Moiragetes as the Head of Gods could control moira. Yet Their decrees were still conditional, as one could avert the Fates and Their moira, provided they possessed the ultimate wisdom. One code here is that the use of proper intelligence as represented by Thoth (Hermes) and Seshat can alter the mandated pathway and limitations of a being altogether. The Fates play a major role in the ascension of the soul and Magnum Opus in ‘allowing’ the seemingly impossible to be made possible.
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In Greek mythology, Seshat was also represented by the Titaness named Mnemosyne. Here Her roles were consigned to being a divine figure presiding over the functions of memory and being a patroness of the arts, bearing the Nine Muses ruling over the creative arts by Zeus. She was involved in transcribing the deeds of rulers and invoked whenever poems, stories or plays were about to begin.
Her role in the Greek pantheon may seem indirect, yet in speech Mnemosyne was the most invoked Goddess in conversation of the entire pantheon. Greek culture strongly relied on oral retelling and sophisticated methods of mental acquisition through dialogue. It was hoped via the intercession of Mnemosyne that the parties involved would remember all important elements and draw on their talents of all lives past and present.
SYMBOLS OF SESHAT
Seshat is associated most with the seven-pointed horns emerging from Her headdress. Seven as a number is important to Her symbolism, being a union of the spiritual and physical and the birth of the mind. For this reason, one of Her names was 'Seven-Horned'.
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These seven horns represent the empowerment of the seven Chakras and the balance in taming the whims of the seven stars (planets) associated with those Chakras in attaining ultimate wisdom. In dwelling next to the Tree of Life, Thoth and Seshat both wrote the names of immortals on the trunk of the sacred Tree, an analogy for the ascension and eternal life.
In this sense, with the ever-present symbolism of using Her stylus and pen, Seshat represents what is 'inscribed' and 'recorded' in one's Karma and the House of Life, analogous to Her representation as Moirai or the Fates.
Most of all, She represents that the proper use of wisdom from the seeds of knowledge can overcome all aspects of personal Karma in relation to these hitherto unknown forces and lead one to immorality if wielded correctly. Visually, the horns of Seshat are analogous to the the rays of light from a light source, the sturdiness of a tree, the life-cycle of a flower and other visual symbols related to being enlightened, growing and patient.
Seshat serves as a symbol of enlightenment. She is a master scientist and mathematician. The imagery of Her starry headdress serves as a symbol for the progression of civilization through technological achievement as well as the soul and indicates Her link to Isis (Astarte). Her collaboration with Thoth shows that the male and female union when guided properly can produce genius, an allegory for the hermaphroditic nature of Mercury as a planet. Some male-female teams throughout history have led to significant advancements, such as Pierre and Marie Curie.
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One symbol of Seshat that is known visually is the procedure of the 'stretching cord' used at temples where She would be accompanied by Horus or Thoth to establish certain angles and perspectives for corners of the temple in relation to the stars and the horizon for any prospective building project. The ending procession parallels the clockwise ending motion of
the Standard Ritual: it would begin at the east (the horizon point, the gate of entrance for the temple) and end at the north (the point of darkness).
Seshat was commonly associated with Bastet and Ma'at, alongside Horus, Hathor, Isis and Nephthys. In tandem with Bastet, Seshat’s divine role consisted in laying the foundation for Bastet to use her own forces of power, protection and longevity for any fixed entity. Both Goddesses ruled over aspects of time: Seshat was considered the ‘Mistress of Keeping’ with her powers called forth during important dates such as the thirty-third year of the ruling Pharaoh’s reign. Both Bastet and Seshat were associated with the Powers of Thoth.
Her role in respect of Ma'at concerned recounting deeds of the individual when weighing the 'feather in the balance'. She often is represented wearing clothing made of leopard skin which was also worn by priests of Egypt and represented the stars, also representing her immense powers in maintaining the cosmic order.
OCCULT ASPECTS OF SESHAT
As Seshat did not have sprawling temple structures related to Her, many modern historians consider Her role to be minor or downgraded in lieu of Her husband, Thoth. This is a misconception about the occult nature of the roles of Thoth and Seshat. Even in Egyptian works, Seshat is referenced as being
the Equal in Power and Justice to Thoth.
Conversely to Thoth, Seshat represents the type of knowledge that is passively gained from inscription in the memory. She also represents the point in mental processes at which this can be brought out via recall and refined into something durable and coherent, similarly to the foundation or cornerstone of a building. Another aspect of the mind that She represents is the point where knowledge is not directly pursued and simply accumulates with necessary rest, day by day, a required function for any kind of acquisition of knowledge.
This resting quality is part of why She is related to books and documents, being a Patroness of libraries, archives and other kinds of institutions concerned with what has been written down and symbolically becomes memory in reserve beyond the view of perception. One of her names is She Who is Foremost of the Library. All realms of literature are also under Her command.
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She was also the Patroness of history in itself. In terms of altered states, Seshat rules over certain types of psychic powers such as remote viewing that humans are able to unlock at certain levels of development. Psychic abilities such as remote viewing make the past, present and even many futures accessible and inscribable. These qualities are largely represented in Mnemosyne who was also equated with being the arbiter of history and the literary arts.
Seshat is known as a friendly Deity to humanity who will often assist whenever Thoth (Hermes) cannot do so. Both Thoth and Seshat are exceptionally hard-working and high-level Deities. Her eternal and enduring bond with Thoth is highly known.
May the intercessions of Divine Seshat give us all the words that help our lives endure forever, the memories that will assist us in solving any puzzle the universe brings forth and the fortitude to have our names written on the Tree of Life. May Seshat bless your minds and souls to climb higher and achieve full potential!
SOURCES
The Complete Temples of Egypt, Richard H. Wilkinson