Making our way through the dark waters of the Nile, before the sun had risen over the low laying hills, our tiny boat made its way through the mist to the shores of Philae, home to the Temple of Isis. We climbed out of the boat, feeling the soft, cool sand beneath our feet and made our way into the back of the temple, the innermost sanctuary. Everyone was quiet, breathing deeply with anticipation, walking softly and slowly. With the smell of burning frankincense opening the gateways to the 'otherworlds', I draped a red silk cloth over the old altar stone and began playing my lyre with cords of ancient Egypt.
We opened ourselves to the healing powers of Isis as we sang to her.
Ancient mother, I hear you calling.
Ancient mother, I feel your pain.
Ancient mother, I see you laughing.
Ancient mother, I taste your tears.
As the sun was just beginning to rise, we finished our ceremony and spent some time exploring the beautiful temple, before heading back to our boat. We made our way back through the Nile, this time with a clear path as the mist had vanished with the rising sun, and we blessed the water with a trail of dried rose petals.
This was just one of our magical experiences at one of the many temples we visited during our sacred journey to Egypt. We were immersed in the Divine Feminine, abundant with love and many beautiful smelling oils. (The ancient Egyptians were the first to discover the many uses of essential oils and I found an amazing alchemist that we spent the evening with in Luxor.)
Our other most memorable experience and I believe the culmination of our whole two weeks was our visit to the King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid. We left the Mena House, our wonderful hotel in Cairo, at 5:00 in the morning and made our way through the dark to the entrance of the pyramid. Climbing the steep steps up to the King's chamber we each found a place to settle in, and to meditate with only the soft glow of a single light. I stood in front of the sarcophagus, waiting for everyone else to settle in. As I stood there, I could feel a message trying to come through. It was a message I shared with everyone in our small group. A message for the future, the star seed, being activated, awakened, like a seed in spring getting doused with the warm spring rains. Before leaving we offered a Native American song to the 'old ones', giving gratitude for all they had given us. And while we descended the stairs, the pyramid sang back to us.
It was a powerful trip. My nine months of preparing for this journey, reaching out to Isis for her blessings, connecting with the ancient ones, did not fail me. We were carried, fed and protected with the most welcoming of arms.