Feast of Sekhmet at CounterPulse SF

Ali created the central painting Ascending the Priestess Path and shaped the visual and ritual language of the Feast of Sekhmet. She conceived the full‑size Sekhmet statue and guided its design, presence, and ceremonial purpose, inviting collaborators into the making through shared intention and devotional conversation.

She developed the five devotional alignments photographed for the gallery, each grounded in the priestess practices she teaches. The opening included the release of her book Sekhmet: Honoring the Goddess Within, which frames the priestess path at the heart of this work. For the closing ceremony, she created the slideshow that traced the Feast’s journey from pilgrimage (her travel to Egypt) to creation to invocation.

Ali held the ritual arc of the event, carrying the aesthetic, energetic, and ceremonial coherence that allowed the Feast to unfold as a living offering to Sekhmet. She not only created the devotional field of the Feast - she shared it, sustained it, and invited others to enter it, forming the community that gathered around this work.

Dhaisha supported the creation of the five devotional‑alignment photographs by providing makeup and adornment that clarified and strengthened the visual expression of each embodiment. Working from Ali’s descriptions, she chose colors and details that helped the intentions of each alignment read clearly in the images.

For the opening ritual, she painted Z’s body in gold and added the ankh, shaping the visual presence of the devotional dance. She also helped load in and set up the gallery, coordinated food for the celebration, and crafted the bead necklace for the Sekhmet statue. Her contributions supported both the practical setup and the ritual flow of the Feast.

Elizabeth supported Ali in shaping her first book, offering guidance on how to build the collection and how to work with a publisher. She helped Ali think through which poems belonged in the book, how they might be ordered, and how they could sit alongside the ritual art. Her support helped Ali navigate the practical and structural decisions involved in bringing the book into form.

Fiona created the skirt worn by the Sekhmet statue, working from fabric chosen by Ali and from their shared conversation about the garment’s form and intention. She designed the skirt and constructed it with care, shaping the statue’s final presence. Fiona also assisted with elements of Ali’s ritual dress. Her work supported the visual coherence and overall presentation of the Feast.

Ali envisioned using her painting Ascending the Priestess Path as a backdrop through which aspects of Sekhmet could be embodied and conveyed in photographic form. Through ongoing conversations, Joe stepped into that intention and brought his photographic craft to shaping how the alignments could be expressed.

Their dialogue guided the process: Ali chose the outdoor location and spoke to what she was embodying; Joe determined placements, offered pose guidance, showed initial images; and together they chose which expressions carried the clearest ritual meaning. His technical adjustments (including, in one photograph, shifting the background into grey and white) strengthened the presence they were working to reveal.

Joe’s work responded to Ali’s vision with both skill and creative intuition to realize the alignments as living embodiments of the priestess path.

WolfMercury Photography

Kevin handled the tech that brought the ritual onto Zoom, widening the circle of those who could participate.

Lanise supported Ali throughout the entire project of staging the Feast of Sekhmet. She worked alongside Ali in every phase of realizing Ali’s vision for the Protectress‑of‑Ma’at statue. Their collaboration included ritually purifying the mannequin, painting and modifying it, shaping the lion mask together, and incorporating the paper‑mache torso cast from Ali’s body. Lanise took the lead in painting the mask. Ali describes Lanise as an “accomplice builder,” reflecting the depth of their partnership in bringing the statue into form.

Lanise was one of the three people who prepared the gallery, hanging and staging the art.

Lanise stood before the statue altar to read from Ali’s book of poems, offering the words as a devotional act, invoking the community’s connection with Goddess Sekhmet.

Lori photographed the Feast at CounterPulse, creating a visual record of the gathering and its rituals.

Ali and MawuLisa talked together about what songs could hold the opening and closing of the Feast. Through that conversation, they found the pieces that fit the ritual shape Ali was creating, and MawuLisa carried them into the space with her voice.

MawuLisa sang at both the opening and the closing, giving the gathering its first breath and its final release. Her singing was invocation. MawuLisa’s presence and voice helped anchor the Feast, giving it tone, grounding, and a felt sense of ceremony that supported the ritual arc.

Ali was new to mounting an art exhibition, and Rick became her main guide to CounterPulse, helping her navigate the space and the setup process.

Rick stayed present through the setup, coordinating with security and the sound/tech staff so everything could run smoothly. During the event, he held the door, welcoming people in, keeping the threshold steady, and offering the kind of grounded presence that makes a ritual gathering feel supported from the moment someone arrives. He was also simply a kind friend to Ali throughout a process that held many firsts.

Other CounterPulse staff, Min and Gabriel, were part of the on‑site support that helped the Feast take shape in the space. Behind the scenes, Justin Ebrahemi and Kevin Lo provided the technical support.

Rick’s care, coordination, and steady presence helped the Feast land in the space with ease.

Ali and Z talked together about the many names and aspects of Sekhmet. The dance offered by Z at the Feast was inspired by those names.

Z performed this ritual embodiment of aspects of the Goddess with their body painted in devotion, standing upon a gold-rimmed mirror‑altar crafted for the purpose by Ali. From a crystal lotus cup, Z anointed participants with a touch of gold paint. This dance brought forward the power and eros of the Goddess.

For the closing ceremony, Z presented their ritual dance film For Sekhmet — A ritual to make love out of what is not yet love. The film includes the line, “We listened to Sekhmet through the voices of: Malcolm X, Letetra Widman, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde”.

Z’s offerings brought movement, anointing, eros, and artistic clarity; helping the Feast carry Sekhmet’s fire into truth, repair, and the courage to confront what must change, deepening the emotional and ritual arc of the Feast.