“Nejma’s themes are protection, health, courage, and organization.  Her symbols are caverns and water.  In Morocco, Nejma oversees all other health and healing spirits, organizing their efforts to ward off spring colds and other maladies. Local legends claim that She lives in the grotto of d’El Maqta, which is likely representative of a motherly womb in which our spirits are made whole.

On the first day of summer in the Moroccan region, locals use the solar symbolism to avert evil and danger. We can adapt their customs by taking baths, which invoke Nejma to strengthen the body, and by staying awake longer than usual, which purportedly raises courage. Additionally, eating carrots, turnips, beets, or other vegetables internalizes Nejma’s protective qualities for year-round well-being.

You can honor Nejma, inspire Her energy, and help yourself by seeing to matters of personal health today. Get a checkup, eat well-rounded meals instead of junkfood, review your diet, take a healthy walk, start an exercise program, let some fresh air into the house or smudge it with sage for purification, visualize yourself being washed clean by white light. And don’t forget to think positively! An upbeat mental outlook puts you much closer to the goal of being whole in body, mind and spirit.”

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)

During my research for this entry, I found no mention of this Goddess except in Encyclopedia Mythica.  It states that Nejma is “a healing spirit in Moroccan folklore. She is the chief of the healing spirits that inhabit the grotto of d’El Maqta.” [1]  Now, this entry from Encyclopedia Mythica is dated 2006 with no sources or references listed; whereas Telesco’s book is dated 1998 – so I can’t help but assume that Lindemans’ source of information may have been Telesco’s book and not from another independent source – make of that what you will.  Of course Nejma could be mentioned in a book somewhere that I don’t have access to at this moment, but it seems as though I would’ve found mention of Her somewhere on the internet when I Googled Her…If anyone reading this has any info from outside sources, I’d love to hear from you! 🙂

“Female siren” by ~XiaoBotong

I also could find no mention of a place (village, town or city) called d’El Maqta, let alone a grotto located in said place in Morocco.  The only mention of any Moroccan deity I could find was that of a female mythological figure called Qandiša.  “Qandiša is known in folk tales either as a Goddess of lust, or simply as a female demon who lives in springs and rivers.  She is said to seduce young men and then drives them insane.  On the summer solstice, sacrifices are made to Her.  Qandiša is a possible version of an older Goddess such as Astarte.” [2]  So, They have the water aspect in common, but driving young men insane is anything but healing…

                   

Upon researching the name “Nejma“, I came across a variant – “Nejmah” meaning “‘star’ in Arabic and refers to the eight pointed star that is a common repeating motif in Islamic art.” [3]  Hhmmm, an eight pointed star is also a symbol of Inanna, Ishtar and Venus…Interesting…..

Sources:

Kimball, Carolyn. Etsy.com: KimballPrints, “Nejmah“.

Lindemans, Micha F. Encyclopedia Mythica, “Nejma“.

Wikipedia, “Qandisa“.