People were afraid of Sekhmet because along with her healing and protective powers, she was also destructive and retaliating. The ancient Egyptians believed that the "Seven Arrows of Sekhmet" would bring bad luck, so they used many charms and spells to protect themselves. There was a "Book of the Last Day of the Year" which they recited over a piece of cloth and wore around their neck at the end of the year. This was considered to be a dangerous time. On the first day of the New Year (Wep Ronpet), people would exchange amulets in the form of Sekhmet to keep the goddess happy.