my top 10 learnings from my pilgrimage in egypt:
X. the first recorded mention of the jewish people in history
(the merneptah stele is located at the egyptian museum in cairo - the oldest archaeological museum in the middle east. the site holds the largest collection of pharaonic antiquities in the world, spanning the pre-dynastic period until the graeco-roman era)
IX. coptic art is gorgeous and features references to lilith and the four astrological fixed signs
(the coptic museum houses an impressive collection of religious artifacts spanning centuries of coptic history. in addition, the st. mary's monastery of the syrians, functional since the 4th century, is one of the most important orthodox christian monastic center. both sites are actively involved in the restoration of manuscripts, including, for instance, the book of psalms)
VIII. the ibn ezra synagogue is remarkable, but anti-semitism is still a reality
(the ben ezra synagogue, located in the fustat section of old cairo, is believed to stand on the site where baby moses was found. the book of secrets - a text of angelic magick that deeply interests me, was discovered there. the only sad part was learning that praying is forbidden inside the synagogue)
אַהֲבָה
VII. achieving one of my dad's dream was unimaginably sublime
(visiting the great pyramid of giza and the great sphinx of giza was one of my dad's wishes when he was alive. i'm so grateful i was able to do this for us. also, the worker's barracks were solid proof that the pyramids were not built by aliens 😛)
VI. cairo has an intense energy, but it's also very poor
(i had mixed feelings while exploring cairo. while perhaps the poorest place i've been in my life, it was still so full of things to see. one of the most interesting places was khan el-khalili, the marketplace with spices, perfumes, and antiques. the sufi immersion in the old quarter and the archeological site of heliopolis - the ancient cult center of ra-atum - were both pretty awesome.
the experience made me wonder how could we help to bring wealth to the region as we work toward building a better world in the coming decades)
V. sleeping in the middle of the desert with thoth was both scary and life-changing
(new hermopolis is located in a small village in the south of el minya, near the origin of hermetic thought, the subterranean sanctuary of thoth, el amarna, and the akhenaten's royal tomb - the ancient egyptian city of the sun, where the world's first monotheistic religion emerged. the sky at night was incredible, my room was called goethe 🥲, and i had the chance to experience a blue lotus ritual for the first time)
IV. pyramids are big ol' cypher(punk) artifacts, and trying to decipher hieroglyphics is pretty fun
(every pyramid i visited was breathtaking. everything really started here — alchemy, astrology, gnosticism, hermeticism, the birth of the earliest christian monks, and the origins of kabbalah)
III. the bibliotheca alexandrina got me emotional
(especially the manuscript museum with all its antiquarian books, maps, and papyrus scrolls - which included ancient occult magick and astronomy/logy)
II. egypt has a beautiful history of brave men who sought peace with israel
(anwar sadat was a true hero)
I. my community is strong, and the network effect of my work is starting to show
(the future is bright 😌)
you're foolish, o my companion, to desire death before your time
you must endure, for the gods have set your days
death is bitter for those who seek it before their time
and the one who has no tomb is lost in the afterlife
you must endure, for the gods have set your days
death is bitter for those who seek it before their time
and the one who has no tomb is lost in the afterlife
- dispute between a man and his ba
◼️♄, شكرا مصر
