Day three took me to a sunrise visit to the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, one of very few female pharaohs. There is something very special about this place. The reliefs tell tales of her journeys to Africa to trade, and of her "birth" as a pharoah through her offerings and dedication to the gods and her leadership. All of her birth reliefs and offerings begin to Amun to become a daughter of Amun and take the responsibiltiy of leadership of her country, as well as small chapel/mammisi/temple to Hathor where you see Hathor in the form of the cow. Hatshepsut is feeding from the cow in one image, and feeding the cow in another. Displaying her belief that "we feed from and to the gods". This place felt innovative, like Hatshepsut lead with a different perspective. One that felt balanced, as if she had found a sacred union within.
I felt beautifully overwhelmed with emotion after the chapel of Isis - Del er Shelwit. Like something within me has been restored, remembered. Science and magic - logic and intuition - the mind of the heart reawakened.
Out of respect for privacy and custom I will only share photos of the exterior of this chapel, yet walking through this holy sanctum I came home. A spiral back through the civilisations who continued to worship the goddess through their own interpretations. Through their worship these places continued to live on. It’s now our turn to be proud of what we believe in and to live and be it. Not just speak it and adorn ourselves with replica clothing, not to visit the lands and sacred places leaving our energetic footprint, but to come with respect, with honour. To allow the remembrance that is taking place to take place through us and change us as it does.
Medinet Habu
As beautiful as it was to see the original colours on the reliefs at Medinet Habu I felt it hard to enter the “holy space” here, instead seeing it as the hub that it is. Medinet Habu is a city or town for the worship of many different gods . The word Habu has origins that connect it with the translation of snake, other interpretations are connected to Thoth. The kings/Pharaohs of the time have displayed their stories here too so you do get a feeling of a city or meeting place rather than a temple complex. That said, there were moments where I felt time slow down and carry me close to something untangable. Often I find that deepening a relationship with a deity begins by “dipping the toe” into the ethereal waters of their world, and as my first time visiting this place that’s what I feel was happening.
Temple for Ptah - From my morning explorations Ptah can be seen clearly in three locations within this city (maybe more). Ptah is seen as Aquarius in Egyptian Astrology, and is the creator god who speaks things into being. I am past the dipping my toe point with Ptah, today I feel I took a step with him.
Both Ptah statues that I have seen have no head. I find this intriguing because Ptah is often depicted with a blue skull cap/head indicating he touches the sky along with being bound in mummy cloth like Osiris indicating that he is also touching the lower world. His head is literally in the sky - higher realms - invisible. Aquarius, although known as the water bearer, is actually an air sign, the element of air being the carrier of the breath and words being spoken into being.
We can amplify our process of thoughts becoming things with the aid of Ptah. I feel the pharaohs of this time utilised the energy of Ptah and his consort Sekhmet.
Divinely timed to this visit we have Pluto - Osiris in Egyptian Astrology who has been dancing in and out of Capricorn and Aquarius all of this year. Pluto is the regenerative energy of death-rebirth just like Osiris. Showing us “immortality” as an ever evolving process. Pluto has been in Capricorn for 16 years and on 19th November he moves into Aquarius (Ptah) until 2043.
Moving from Capricorn- Khnum another creator god, but creator of form and the body into Ptah creator god with/through air. A contrasting jump.
Through time, Osiris and Ptah later became “fused” as many gods do, this combination at this time may be an important key to the changes we are collectively going through.
It's been really wonderful to hear how you are all feeling and tuning in to the energies of the photos - feel free to keep on commenting, emailing etc!
With love,
Gemma x
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