Ten Day Tour of Sacred Egypt, with Phil Teertha Mistlberger (dates TBA)
Egypt is the land of mystery and high magic, and lies at the source of the Western spiritual tradition. On this 10 day trip we will visit several of the more important and famous Egyptian monuments and sites, and in addition, we will study, discuss, and practice some of the elements of Egyptian spirituality that are archetypal and foundational to the Western psyche, and to our relationship to the higher, spiritual principles of life.
1. Travel to Cairo. Group meeting in Cairo.
2. We explore the Giza plateau. Here stands Egypt’s greatest monuments: The Great Pyramid, the 2nd and 3rd pyramids, and the Sphinx. Giza is located on the outskirts of Cairo. The Giza monuments are generally credited to the Old Kingdom phase of pharaonic Egypt, dating to around 2500 BC, but there are arguments that they are older, particularly the Sphinx. This whole area is a major power spot. It takes a full day to properly explore the Giza plateau.
3. Saqqara/Dashour. The Red Pyramid, Bent Pyramid, and Imhotep’s Step Pyramid, the Pyramid of Unas, as well as the mysterious Serapeum. Saqqara and Dashour are about 20 miles south of Cairo. The Pyramid of Unas is the site of the vitally important “Pyramid Texts”, from which the Egyptian “Book of the Dead” evolved. These contain teachings important to our study of Egyptian mysticism and high magic. The Step Pyramid is usually credited to King Zoser and his architect Imhotep, and is often considered the oldest pyramid in Egypt, dating to around 3000 BC. The Red Pyramid is almost as large as the Great Pyramid of Giza, but not as high.
4. Workshop day.
5. Travel day, Cairo to Luxor. Luxor, formally the ancient city of Thebes, contains Egypt’s two greatest temples, Luxor and Karnak. The Luxor museum houses incredible art. We visit Luxor temple, an important center of symbolism
6. We explore Karnak temple, the bigger of the two temples at Luxor.
7. We travel to the Valley of the Kings and Queens. This is across the Nile, accessible by ferry, from Luxor. Is the valley that contains the Collossi of Memnon, and the tombs of the buried pharoahs, including those of Tutenkhamen and Queen Hatshesput.
8. Workshop day.
9. Travel back to Cairo. Cairo Museum/optional second visit to the Giza plateau. The Cairo museum is a treasure trove. It probably has more artifacts in it than any museum in the world. The Tutenkhamun room and the room of Mummies are especially interesting.
We will also take in the Sound and Light show at the Giza plateau, in which floodlights bathe the monuments at night while a booming voice, seemingly coming from the Sphinx itself, narrates Egyptian history. A bit garish, but fun.
10. Workshop day, and closing meeting.
11. Return flight
Useful source books/video for trip:
John Anthony West: Serpent in the Sky: The High Magic of Ancient Egypt
John Anthony West: The Travellers Key to Ancient Egypt
P.D. Ouspensky: In Search of the Miraculous
Gerald and Betty Schueler: Egyptian Magick
Israel Regardie: The Tree Of Life: A Study in Magic
Video: Gurdjieff in Egypt: The Origins of Esoteric Knowledge, by William Patrick Patterson
Workshop teachings to be given:
1. Very brief outline of Egyptian history
2. Basics of sacred geometry
3. Basics of ceremonial magic deriving from Hermetic and Egyptian mystery schools
4. Basics of Gurdjieff’s teachings (”the Fourth Way”) and esoteric Christianity, and the link between esoteric (higher) spiritual wisdom and ancient Egypt
5. Instructions for specific spiritual methods, and their connections to the sacred sites
Cost for trip — TBA shortly.
For more information, or to book your place for this journey, contact Tatiana Nemchin at 613-421-3392 or tatiana@pathtopeace.ca, or Phil Teertha Mistlberger at pmistlberger@yahoo.com