A Humble Temple

written April 19th

Talk about the most powerfully spiritual location you have ever encountered.

The most powerfully spiritual location I have ever encountered was the Sekhmet Temple in Indian Springs, Nevada, about 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas.

Honestly, the Temple grounds are not overly impressive in and of themselves, especially when compared to the massive temple structures that dominated Ancient Egypt.  But this gave the whole area a definitely more "intimate" charge to the air.  I am sure the Ancient Egyptian temples stunned with their massive grandeur, but this humble temple in the middle of the Nevada desert?  You could practically feel Sekhmet's whiskers brush past you.  And yes, that ancient Lioness Goddess of the Desert walked these lands freely and often.

Ever since dedicating myself to Sekhmet back in 1997, I have held lofty dreams of paying homage to Her before one of Her numerous, human-sized statues at some point in my life.  Even now, 18 years into my service to Sekhmet, that dream, that longing, has not waned in the slightest.  It is just that a trip to Egypt is not currently feasible for me financially at this point.  But one day, I will pay my respects in one of Her original temples.  But this small temple in the Nevada desert, open to the heavens and the elements, complete with a human-sized statue of Sekhmet would make a fine stand in.

I came to the Temple a few days before I was to get married in Las Vegas.  The desert swallowed me up in its seemingly endless expanse.  But you can physically feel the divine presence there.  Maybe it's because there is NOTHING else to act as a barrier there.  The trees are humble, the cacti sparse, and there you are under an endless blue sky stretching out in all directions to touch the red, red earth.

I knelt before the seated Sekhmet and asked Her to bless my marriage.  I renewed my vows of dedication to Her as well.  I felt two heavy lioness paws upon my shoulders, and was enveloped in a massive embrace of desert heat.  I could feel the rasp of Her lion fur upon my cheek.  Only in one other ritual have I ever felt more physically close to my Scarlet Lady.

I knew whatever words I spoke here instead this humble temple, here at Her statue's red clay feet, She would hear.  She would take all my words to heart and hold me to any and all vows I dared to make in Her presence.  It is so very awe-inspiring to feel a Presence so vastly ancient...and to feel it turn all of its attention to you.

I had these grand plans to bring offerings of incense and garnets to lay at Her feet.  But in the craziness of planning, and packing, and traveling for my own marriage out of state, those items were sadly left behind.  I expressed my dismay at coming to Her holy shrine empty handed.  She shrugged it off and merely purred that I will remember to bring the gifts next time.

And yes, there will be a next time.  I will return to this humble desert temple.  I will bring offerings of incense and garnets.  I will kneel at Her clay statue's feet once more.  And I will renew any and all vows that need rededication.  I even hope to have the resident priestess perform a Handfasting Ceremony (a Pagan wedding) for David and I one of these days.

May it come to pass!