Journey to Egypt

Pictured above is a familiar scene in the sands of time of the Pyramids of Egypt located in Giza. Monuments widely associated with the golden years of an ancient civilization that has fascinated the world for centuries. A place that attracts tourists every year with its monuments, locations, culture, and history.

And soon, 28 days from now, I will be there too. I will be standing in the sands of time on a pilgrimage tour with 26 other people whose connection with Ancient Egypt has begun or blossomed over the last two years.

I have never been more excited about something in my life! It's a dream come to life!

My fascination with Egypt began young and grew by watching Rick O'Connell in The Mummy movies on repeat. It was then that I delved into the world of Ancient Egypt. I found every book I could and watched every documentary I came across. My thirst for knowledge knew no bounds. I am pretty positive I drove my family to insanity with it. Even now, at 29 years old, the interest has never waned.

Then, in February 2016, I was struggling. I was suffering emotionally and mentally from personal demons. I didn't know where I was going.

I had two jobs, my family and friends, and a roof over my head. I graduated with a BA in Creative Writing and two minors the December prior. I wanted nothing, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't dig myself out of the hole I had created for myself.

I couldn't find my purpose. I couldn't find something to be passionate about that would get me out of bed in the morning. As much as I hate to admit it, the battle happening within myself was going south.

Then, I had a dream. A dream that changed everything and that I recall so vividly I could tell the story a thousand times. People would tell me it came out of a novel. If you are interested in the whole story, please check out my website (do not judge, I was young.)

However, I will give the cliff notes version:

I stood on the edge of the Nile in pajamas and found a line of crocodiles waiting at the water's edge. Their wet skin gleamed in the sunlight which scorched my pale skin.

I knew they were the manifestations of my inner demons and that if they reached me, I wouldn't wake up the next day. I would lose the internal struggle I had been battling for months.

Then, as the crocodiles decided to approach-I stood frozen. I couldn't move. I was rooted to the spot, but I couldn't get my feet to move. My feet became frozen in the sand and my heart was pounding loudly in my ears.

As they came closer and I shut my eyes in surrender, a roar echoed from the opposite bank that made the crocodiles halt. I waited to see what new horror had joined the game of cat and mouse, but nothing happened.

I peeked and found that the crocodiles had retreated to the water. I opened my eyes and saw a large lioness across the opposite bank who met my gaze with dark red eyes. I shivered. The lioness looked me up and down. Then, in one grand leap, the lioness crossed the bank and sauntered to stand before me.

My legs collapsed beneath me. I stared up at the beautiful golden creature with reverence. As I stared in silence, the lioness transformed into a tall woman. She had the face of a lioness and a male lion's mane. Her eyes were still red, but they held kindness and compassion.

She informed me that my time on Earth was not over and that there was much I had yet to do. She said her name was Sekhmet, Goddess of War and Healing, the Eye of Ra, and the Destroyer of Enemies. She stated that I was now one of the Pride, one of her chosen daughters and that my purpose was to serve in Her name.

When I awoke in the morning, I started digging into all the ancient goddesses of Egypt again, searching for Sekhmet. I scoured the internet for information on Sekhmet and her associations until I started looking for physical books about Her until I had exhausted all options.

Then I came across Nicki Scully's book launch for "Sekhmet: Transformation in the Belly of the Goddess," and everything changed.

(If you would like to look into Nicki Scully, her book, or any of her other shamanic work you can find it here: https://shamanicjourneys.com/)

I found my love for Egypt went far deeper than just the history of Egypt. In reality, my shamanic connection to Egypt's gods and goddesses held the key to my awakening! I will be forever grateful to Nicki for that book launch and the subsequent Transformations in the Belly of the Goddess courses that followed every year until her unofficial retirement.

Because then, Zahra Indigo and her courses lead me to this upcoming trip!

Around the end of 2020, Zahra Indigo proposed an opportunity for interested students to journey with her to Egypt in 2022. Those students who agreed to this pilgrimage would spend 2021 learning about the ancient deities, how to connect with them and build our inner temple. The process would come full circle in Egypt in February 2022. It would be a year-long course filled with growth, exploration of the self, and understanding our purpose on this planet.

So, I diligently went to all classes. I filled out all the forms. I paid all the installments, frantically applied for a passport, and bought my tickets for the trip. I had plans to meet up with others along the way in Paris. Together we would fly into Cairo! It was the most out-of-character thing I could do!

It would be my first international trip. It would be the first time I had a flight that was more than a couple of hours. It would be my first time in a foreign country (one with a more conservative view of women as well.) I was thrilled. It was all I could talk about for a year!

Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit harder than anticipated. The trip was put on hold until February 2023. The group as a whole was devastated. We had worked so hard to get to Egypt. It was now a whole extra year away, but we knew it was for the best because our health and safety were more important.

Now, 28 days from flying out on February 12th, I am both excited and thrilled. Admittedly though, I am also a little nervous because this is a big trip. There are a lot of firsts happening 28 days from now. By the end of this trip, my life will change forever. I could come back to my small hometown and no will recognize me. I might not even recognize myself at the end, but there is one thing I do know-now is the time.

There will never be a better time than right now. I might come back changed, but I will be a better version of myself upon my return.

These last few years have been a roller coaster of emotions and change within myself because of what I learned and experienced in class. I have changed because of the wonderful people I have met and connected with through my computer screen. People I will finally meet in person.

Though it seems like my journey will soon be coming to an end, the reality is-that it is only just beginning.

I hope you enjoy the ride as I share my journey with you into the sands of time.