Sekhem (sḫm)

Power / luminous force

Sekhem — the personal power or luminous force of the justified deceased. The word covers a range from royal authority to divine efficacy; as a soul-component it is the radiant capacity that distinguishes an akh from a mere shade. It is closely associated with the goddess Sekhmet (whose name is the feminine form of the same root) and with the lion-headed image of overwhelming, focused force. Budge counts sekhem among the soul components of the deceased; Allen and most contemporary Egyptologists regard it as a divine attribute that the akh acquires rather than a separate component, which is why some modern lists make this the 'ninth' part and others omit it.