Notes from Sacred Journeys to Ancient Egypt
It may cost you only 5 Egyptian pounds (about 1 Aussie dollar) to get on a camel, but it could cost you 100 pounds to get off. It’s challenging to interact with ancient Egypt without confronting modern society but the experience is unforgettable.
Traffic lights are just a suggestion – first glimpses
From the airport, through the noisy streets of Cairo with its delightful mix of erratically driven cars, donkeys and carts, richness and chaos blend. First sights include the sun glinting behind date palms, half-built apartments housing both goats and families, street vendors selling falafel and bread, and multi-national businesses. Everything was different.
Eventually our bus swings into the majesty and tranquility of Mena House, our hotel at Giza. Its ancient and celebrated vibrations are palpable. Under the all-knowing gaze of the Great Pyramid I felt that anything was possible as I sat on the balcony of my room with the most sublime view of the ancient world.
The Sphinx
Tourists are often kept behind a fence at the Sphinx. My sacred journey eclipsed these usual arrangements. At the magical time of dawn our group meditated between the paws of the Sphinx and contemplated its secrets. As the Milky Way shifts gently to blue the Sphinx radiates power and mystery – an exquisite life memory.
The Sphinx is the Greek name allocated to this powerful being. The correct name for the Sphinx is “Horemakhet” or “Hor in the horizon”.
The shushing of the breeze on the Giza plateau seems to hold the answers one is seeking. The silence is magical. At the Sphinx, the Great Pyramid, the Step Pyramid, the Isis and Edfu Temples, and particular sanctuaries, the visits were outside of tourist hours or tourist accessibility. The vibrations reduce conspicuously with the arrival of hundreds of people, so was grateful for the special experience of the private time at these powerful centres.
Plying the sacred waters of the Nile
The cruise on the sacred river, protected by Hapi (the Neter or God of the Nile), provided an opportunity to connect on a deeper level with new friends, the scenery, the firmament and ancient life. From our comfortable ship on the sacred Nile that we took excursions to the Valley of the Kings and the marvelous temples like Kom Ombo, Abydos, Dendera, Edfu, Luxor and Karnak. Afterwards I had a choice of relaxing on my private balcony while watching the children on the banks or sitting on the top deck to watch the sunset or contemplate the stars. Truly magical.
The Temple visits
Arriving by boat at the Temple of Isis, Philae, was the highlight for me. The early morning wake-up call at 4.15 am was no challenge (even for a sleepy-head like me). In the stillness of pre-dawn, the ferry plied its way from Elephantine Island to Agilika. A reverent hush cloaked the group as the magnificent pylons of the Temple loomed before us and commanded the soft, star-lit sky. This was the journey of the priest/ess bought to life in the 21st century. We walked in silence through the magnificent hypostyle hall with its glorious hieroglyphics, along the candle-lit path to the Isis sanctuary where we meditated and welcomed the ancient energy. The experience was enchanting; and, for me, offered a feeling of immense truth that nature and its wisdom were tantalizingly close.
Isis is the Greek interpretation of her name and most well-known – her ancient name is Auset or Ast. Even though the current temple is relatively new compared to more ancient Egyptian sites and it was moved from Philae (another Greek adaptation) to Agilika, the feelings of the past are within reach.
All the temples are fabulous. Every site sparkles with mystery, conscious activity and dedication. From the majestic sacred geometry to the life-affirming knowledge of nature and wellbeing portrayed in the hieroglyphs, the answers to every question, I believe, lie in and around the sanctuaries of the temples. Sekhmet’s chapel (Karnak Temple) at dawn on my first trip was unforgettable. During meditation, the great lioness Sekhmet actually purred! For ages! Not everyone heard her – in that tiny sanctuary I felt blessed.
Shopping
Khan e-Khalili is confronting and exhilarating all at once. Imagine walking down exotic lanes hundreds of years old; that twist and turn and are filled with the most amazing sights – from spices and traditional clothes (galabayas) to gold and silver, brass goods, carpets, jewelry, perfumes and precious stones. The excited chatter of the tourists searching for gifts and the constant clamor of the stall-holders promising you “best price” builds to an unforgettable experience which might be good or not so good depending on whether you can negotiate the hassle and the essential bargaining. You can always sit and drink coffee if it gets too much.
Inside the Great Pyramid
On my second trip to Egypt in November 2007, our group trailed inside the Great Pyramid, waiting for the last of the tourists to descend from the Kings Chamber. A clattering of hurried footsteps and a man’s voice yelling, “Slow down!” attracted my attention. A woman then came into view, flustered and scurrying down the ramp. I wondered what she’d experienced but attempted to project energy of peace towards her to help dispel her clearly distressed state. The private and group meditations we did prepared us for the visit and we asked permission to enter the Great Pyramid and every sacred site. I think this made the difference
While not to detract from the amazing feelings and insights at the temples, it’s the Great Pyramid that everyone yearns to experience. Amongst like-minded people I took long, deep breaths to assist being “right here, right now” and to ensure my mind didn’t wander to the occasional discomfort of crouching to negotiate the fabulous passage-ways that lead into privileged places.
A two-hour private visit inside the Great Pyramid is truly a life-revitalising experience. Our visit offered time to meditate and connect with the energy. If you’re intuitive you might hear the Neters and ascended masters speak to you.
As I silently climbed the steps, I heard Seshet (a favourite Neter of mine because she’s the Goddess of writing amongst other things) laugh at me, saying, “Honestly, you humans always do things the hard way!” I think she was referring to the somewhat contentious theory of the ancients using a particular energy to move themselves and other things, such as the gigantic stones of the pyramids, that we can no longer access. I don’t hear her again this day, but I connect with her peers in the Sirian engergy chamber. The sensations I felt are visual – a brilliant white, and a surreal lightness of being. Lying in the sarcophagus in the King’s Chamber I felt I was being pulled through the back of my neck. I experienced a previous life-time … but that’s private.
Jacqui’s article, above, was published in Spheres, The Spirit Guide magazine, Issue 24
