Egypt, My Spiritual Journey

My Egypt is Turquoise. It is the colour of the water of the Red Sea; combined with Lapis Lazuli and Carnelian, it is the dominant crystal in the Pharaoh's jewellery. The intricate and beautiful stories depicted on temple walls, high columns and tombs have bright yet gentle flashes of turquoise in abundance. The Temple of Hathor, (Egyptian Goddess of Love, Joy, Sound, Music, Healing and Song - wife of the Falcon God Horus) is exquisitely being restored and as the soot from fires made by early Christians is removed, painstakingly, the original turquoise splendor bursts through. The mountains in the Sinai Desert are rich with turquoise deposits along with copper and malachite. The sky, often a cloudless turquoise; the markets, the fabrics dotted with turquoise.

Dominant in my auric field, turquoise resonates with me. The turquoise crystal blends the energies of heaven and earth, this shamanic stone heals the spirit and promotes trust, kindness and wisdom.

My inner alchemy journey was just that - as base metals were turned to gold through sacred chemistry in times of old – so my tired and sometimes doubting spirit was magically conjured into solid gold by connecting to the powerful grounding, healing earth energies below and celebrating the connection with spirit above; reopening and renewing my gateway to spiritual trust. All the while the deep blue of Lapis Lazuli awaking my intuition, fully opening the third eye.

My journey to oneness and connectedness over the past few years, led me to the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Hanging onto the ancient belief that the sacred geometry of these gargantuan Pyramids was used to ascend realms, motivated by the significance of the number 11 in the design of the pyramids and the frequency of oneness being 11.11, further facilitated by the belief that the Great Pyramids have low earth resonance.

I entered the Great Pyramid of Cheops, without expectation, hunched over in almost a dwarf-like or foetal position climbing up the steep gradient of a small stone passageway for what seemed like kilometres; it reeked of oldness, the long passage of time... humid, hot and stuffy. Feeling nauseous and claustrophobic I plodded on scrunched over, bumping my head frequently, how significant that turned out to be. When I walked into the kings chamber, a sliver of light touched the floor, and I moved onto the light shadow and closed my eyes... unexpectedly I found myself in the presence of the Lords of Karma, their stern, no nonsense energy quite alarming whilst surrounded by tons of stone above and beneath my feet. Stammering I asked for release from a particular Karmic debt, which I have been burdened with over many lifetimes paying back and paying back. This has manifested in my life, all my life... bumping my head on the same lesson over and over. I didn’t expect their sanction, I expected rebuke on karmic debt... I sensed a hammer fall, and almost immediately a lightness of being overtook my form and tears rolled down my face in the dark chamber and I knew it was done! The senses of freedom so profound that the rocks above me may just have well have been polystyrene. And in that moment other travelers on the journey began to tone, with the Om chant, in the chamber... a sound so immaculate, so divine it will remain with me through eternity. In floods of tears, released and relieved I made my way down the narrow chamber, to get to the Sphinx in time for a meditation at 11.11am it was the 11th of November (11.11.11.11)...

The Sphinx, shrouded in mystery, is the guardian of the sacred knowledge, the Great Hall of Knowledge believed to be under the right paw; between the paws a red granite stela - a dream gate or stellar gate -that recounts the dream of Pharaoh Thutmose lV where he dreamed that he would accede the throne of Egypt if he freed the Sphinx from the sand, heralding the first restoration of this structure, symbolising the union of physical and spiritual power in the Pharaoh.

With special permission from the Egyptian Director of Antiquities, our group was both blessed and privileged to do the oneness meditation between the paws of this guardian and observer, at the dream gate. In a dream state under the hot Egyptian sun, below the Lion’s head of this ancient sculpture formed out of a single block of stone, I went within. I cannot recall much of that meditation, other than being overwhelmed by an intense connection with all galactic energies and earth energies. What transpired energetically shall remain a mystery, for within that dream state I have no recall. What followed was mind blowing...

The mediation ended before 11 minutes past 11 due to time related issues around the special permission. As I emerged from between the paws of the Sphinx bright gold beams of energy spiraled from the head and body of the Sphinx, all of the mineral energy and vibration pulsating against the turquoise sky and as I looked down at my watch it was 11 minutes past 11. Awed and at the side of the Sphinx, in the shade, I spoke with God and in that moment I realised just how blessed and loved we all are and how grateful I was for this planet earth and all the beings on it. I must have said thank you a hundred times; I would like to think that God was smiling at my fervor, thinking ‘funny’ child.

In my guided quest, to get to the Temple of Hathor in Dendara, my turquoise travels continued to the necropolis of Saqqara and the ancient city of Memphis - Saqqara takes its name from Sokkar the Memphite God of the Dead - and to the Step Pyramid of Zoser, the first free standing stone structure in the world (around 2605 BC). It was designed by the architect Imhotep who was held in high esteem by both the Greeks and the Egyptians and elevated to godlike status. One of the delights was a visit to the burial chamber of the two manicurists/hairdressers of the kings court, not open to the public, who were such close friends that they chose to share a burial chamber where the images depicted on the walls have them almost touching noses in a very compromising pose ... you can just imagine the newspaper headlines when the tomb was discovered at Saqqara in the early 1900’s!

Our guide assured us they were just close friends.

In the touristy and uninspiring remnant of the Ancient City of Memphis my o’ most serious spirit guide Farouk revealed that he did, in fact, have a sense of humour, although previously unapparent. The only memorable aspect of the day was that the loo was unusually clean and the stench of humanity tolerable, given that the soiled toilet paper is placed in basket next to the toilet and not in the bowl and flushing is either optional or non-functional. Standing in front of a small stone pillar of Hathor, wondering why ever this stop had been included in the itinerary, Farouk gave me my third symbol, in a series of which I now know to be five. Hastily I picked up a stick and drew the symbol in the sand committing it to memory, to transcribe on the bus; the meaning divulged as the bus ploughed its way through the chaotic Cairo peak hour traffic... to my shrieks of “O’ my hat” as we narrowly missed cars, taxis and curbs. It had been a day of silent chuckles.

The first symbol had been channeled on the 21st of March in a cosmic meditation, the second on the 2nd of April whilst on a walk in Sydney, Australia and now the third at the tourist Mecca and hawker’s paradise of Memphis... 1. Accept, 2. Listen and 3. Release... the fourth symbol was to be revealed at Dendara, the fifth is still out there in the cosmos awaiting the indulgence of divine timing.

I would like to think that I have a keen sense of humour, the non-conformist and moderately off the wall kind. I am, however, mildly dysfunctional, humorless and rather disconnected in the early hours of the morning, usually finding my personality at the bottom of a coffee mug after a considerable amount of pottering about aimlessly. The next leg of the trip had me being awoken at 1.00 am to catch an airplane at 3.00 am, in order to make a charter connection to Abu Simbel 280 km from Aswan at 7.00 am or thereabouts to see the two imposing temples of Ramses ll, the large one for him and the smaller for the Queen Nefritari.

This imposing Nubian temple was moved rock by rock and rebuilt to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser when the new Aswan Dam was built, a modern feat in the preservation of Egyptian history and antiquities. The Kings Temple has four 20 metre high colossal statues carved into the rock dedicated to Amun-Ra, Ra-Harakhty, Path and The God-King, Ramses ll, himself. By the time I had trudged around in the complex in the blistering Egyptian sun, experiencing no energy other than negative energy, probably my own, I had sufficiently convinced myself that neither my sense of humour nor personality would ever return. Feeling murderous and not very spiritual!

In Aswan we boarded our Nile Cruise Boat, which was superb! Recently refurbished to five star hotel standard, opulent cabins and with jet steam showers and spa baths in the bathrooms... A spa bath and copious cups of coffee was just what my weary travelling soul needed.

The afternoon was spent boating in amongst the Felucca’s on the Nile, being entertained by the local musicians and taking in the beauty; the stark contrast of the soft yellow dunes against the green banks and the deep blue water. Water soothes me and energises me.

The next leg of the journey was to some of the most breathtaking temples and burial chambers I have ever encountered. The Island of Philae and the Temple of Isis, birthplace of Horus, where the energy reverberated in every water molecule and in every stone particle. Kom Ombo the shared temple of Horus and Sobek, with its early recordings of ancient medicine and healing. Edfu, dedicated to the falcon God Horus, son of Isis and Osiris, husband of Hathor ... testament to the divine union.

Continuing from Aswan on my turquoise travels, we boarded a local ferry to The Temple of Isis on the Island of Philae, as the temple started to emerge from across the water behind the seemingly piled rocks; every rock and every particle of water displaced by the propeller reverberated with energy. As my view of the structure became larger and larger so my excitement and anticipation accelerated. For me the structure epitomised the merging of Egyptian, Greek and Roman culture, the magnificent colonnades in the forecourt beckoning, as I stepped off the ferry and onto the revered birthplace of the waters of the Nile the energy of the compassionate mother overwhelmed me; the Isis energy was Quan Yin, Mother Mary, Lakshmi the Karuna energy – and from a place of love I explored every corner of the complex.

The primary temple was constructed in around 200 BC dedicated to Isis, Goddess of Fertility and Life as well as her husband Osiris, God of the Underworld and son the Falcon God Horus, dominant Egyptian God of the Rising Sun. In this exquisite complex there is a birth house dedicated to Horus, as this is believed to be his birthplace as well as a structure that was later used as a Christian church, evidenced by the Coptic crosses. A majestic granite stone with images of the dedication of the temple to Isis, deeply etched into the stone, graces the north side. Old granite stairs worn by the feet of time took me down to the banks of the Nile, it was here that the girl in me came out to play; I dipped my toes into the turquoise water making a wish.

We meditated under the arches of the temple structure, overlooking the waters of the Nile; here, embracing the compassionate energy, I opened my heart centre releasing all past guilt and shame, forgiving myself for those things for which I have been ashamed, and forgiving those from this life and the lives before. Having released my Karmic debt at the Great Pyramid and now having opened my heart centre, for the first time since the late 1980s, was I finally able to trust and to open my heart to giving and receiving love without fear of betrayal and unconditionally .

On board our rather glamorous riverboat we sailed up river to Kom Ombo, on the hill of Ombos the Temple of Kom Ombo lauds over all the moored craft. This is the only temple dedicated to two Gods, the crocodile-headed Sobek (on the right) and the falcon-headed Horus (on the left). The duality of the temple represents the ‘Yin and Yang’, the ’Dark and Light’, Horus representing intuition and light and Sobek, darkness and fear this is supported by images indicating that the temple was not only used as a place of healing and as a birth house but also as a sanctuary used to physically initiate priests to release fear. The depictions deeply etched into the walls show medical instruments still in use today. This for me was a place of healing and early hospital and also a place of secrets, one wonders what early healers had to do to prolong the lives of the Pharaohs and to enhance the beauty of their queens...

The next temple the Temple of Horus at Edfu. With striking lion-head gargoyles at the entrance, this gargantuan and well preserved temple has beautiful pictorial depictions and inscriptions. Beyond the pylons there are majestic columns decorated with palm leaves and ritual scenes. Many of these depictions showing the divine marriage and thirty day union between Horus and his wife Hathor referencing the sacred barque being carried to the temple by the priests and the Pharaoh kindling incense in respect of this Goddess. The sanctuary has a black granite plinth to support the sacred barque, a reproduction of which is on display. The sheer romance of the divine union of God Horus and Goddess Hathor captivated me, anticipating my visit to Dendara.

The next leg on to the West Bank of Luxor to explore the Valley of the Kings, where exquisitely decorated tombs are carved deeply into chambers in the rocks, filled with treasures and teachings for the afterlife. Then onto the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only female ruler of Egypt, who was purported to have had an affair with her architect, although she lived her royal life as a man, King Hatshepsut. Then the Colossi of Memnon, two monolithic statues of Amenophis lll which stood on either side of a temple.

Queen Hatshepsut was the daughter of a Pharaoh and wife of King Thutmose ll when he died she took the role as regent for her stepson who was not yet of age and assumed the throne. In adulthood he killed the queen following her 20 year reign; his hatred of her so strong that he defaced and destroyed any record of her in the temple and destroyed any buildings associated with her across Egypt. The architect Senenmut, lover of the queen, designed the most beautiful temple for her, with two ramps linking three terraces, carved into a steep cliff. Two Persea trees still line the entrance after three and a half thousand years.

Our river boat moored on the banks of the Nile, my turquoise adventure culminated in the beautiful city of Luxor, splendor from times of old, horse drawn carriages everywhere. The lights of the Temple of Luxor, rising above the busy street in the early morning and watching the hot air balloons rising at 5am on the far banks, set the tone for the peace, serenity and tranquility that I would find in this special corner of the world which magnetically drew me in. Exploring Luxor at night under the clip clop of horses hooves the, streets of Luxor came alive with vendors, colorful people, fruit stalls, spice bazaars and heaving souks – the horse and carriage drivers weaving in and out of the busy traffic, bus, car, horse, bus, car, horse – not for the fainthearted and only superseded by the Cairo taxi drivers.

A night visit to the Temple of Luxor illuminated with light, gargantuan statues of Ramses ll towering at the entrance, and obelisks rising up whilst passing the Avenue of the Sphinxes, which stretched out in the foreground of the Temple, invoked an initial sense of awe! The Temple of Luxor was built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramses II around 1400BC, its main purpose was to celebrate the festival of Opet. Many rulers built on to the temple yet it always remained a place of worship for Christians and later Muslims. A mosque built inside the temple still exists. One of the most spiritually moving experiences was sitting outside of the temple walls listening to the Muezzin chant the Adhan from the minaret, the chants reverberating through the ancient structure. The vibration so intense I could feel it in my soul. And even more astounding was capturing hundreds of light orbs (beings in other dimensions) that were present at this temple with my camera.

The next day took us to The Temple of Karnak, also known as Ipet-isut (Most select of places) by the ancient Egyptians. It is a city of temples built over 2000 years and dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut and Khonsu; the largest and most sacred of temple complexes it used to be connected to, the Luxor Temple, via the Avenue of Sphinxes. Architecturally and historically impressive, Karnak did not resonate with me and I spent much of my time there at the coffee shop where the statue of a scarab next to the coffee shop was my final stop. Legend would suggest that rounding the scarab some predetermined number of times could bring a partner, spouse, children, health, long life or a new job...

The highlight of my spiritual journey was a day at the Temple of Hathor in Dendara, a very old sacred site. Hathor is accepted as the patroness of earthly love, the goddess of healing, and the great feminine source of all nourishment. It was a place of pilgrimage for healing where miraculous cures were effected by the goddess; it was a sort of hospital where various physiological, psychological and magical therapies were practiced; and it was the scene of great processions and festivals throughout the astrological cycle. Within a temple of the goddess Isis, and a brick sanatorium where divine healing was practiced. There is also an early Christian church and within the main temple it is interesting to study the beautiful and highly detailed astrological calendars carved and painted upon the ceilings, blackened by cooking fires.

Arriving at 8am I had the complex to myself until 2pm. At the temple I found many mysterious crypts, some underground, some enclosed within the massive double walls of the upper temple. I spent an hour or so underground in the crypts in meditation, bright green energetic light forms bouncing off the walls. In the Crypt of Hathor I experienced the most profound experience of true forgiveness.

It has been suggested that these crypts were the dwelling place of the goddess, where her statue and ritual objects were kept, and where began the great New Year's processions celebrating the dawn of creation. In the dark of night, the temple priests brought the statue of the goddess from the crypt, through the corridors of the enormous temple and, ascending to the roof, awaited the coming of the dawn. As the first rays of the morning sun broke upon the horizon, the statue was unveiled. Ancient texts speak of this ceremony whereby: "the goddess Hathor might be united with the beams of her father, Ra" and that "the sky rejoices, the earth dances, the sacred musicians shout in praise."

In the complex is a now dry sacred lake, filled with palm trees and shrieking crows, my totem animal. I was sitting in the bottom of the lake surrounded by the crows in deep meditation that I was transported to another time, the time of King Pepy ll... I heard the sound of crickets, no longer under the scorching Egyptian sun; I was transported into the dark under a blanket of stars, the sacred lake filled with water, a celebration underway. Peeping through the reeds I saw the priests preparing for the celebration of Isis’ meeting with Hathor, the beginning of a new year. “Nespet” a voice whispered, my teacher beckoned me to turn my face away; only the priests could witness the celebration of the Goddesses not a humble jewellery apprentice like me... And as quickly as day turned to night I was jolted back to reality by the security guard asking if I was OK, I couldn’t get back to that place although I knew that I had been taken back to the time the karmic debt of betrayal that I had released at the Great Pyramids. Full circle. Later my guide Farouk channelled the fourth symbol. Accept, Listen, Release, Rebirth... my journey had been a lesson in all four.

With the spiritual adventure concluded I then went on to Sharm El Sheik, for some seaside fun. The diving was great, quad biking in the desert amazing and a climb of Mount Sinai on foot a once in a lifetime experience. 

MY EGYPT IS TURQUOISE.

For your special tour to Egypt, contact Cecelia (number below). With her vast experience in planning tours to Egypt, and her special contacts and friends in the area, she can make your dream come true too.

For more information, contact Cecelia on +27 11 678 4777 or +27 11 478 2884 or email her on: info@egyptandbeyond.co.za.

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