ancient & ageless

In the early 70s I was a rebellious teenager in an all girls Catholic school run by German Benedictine nuns. Lucky for me a young nun came to be our high school principal and she was more open to having us express our new found angst in more productive ways.

We had much to vent as it was not just the birth of flower power and the all too controversial contraceptive pill, it was also the coming of age of the infamous Philippine dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. But that is a long and sordid tale I shall save for the more appropriate telling in my Change Warrior blog instead.

Jesus & Horus

Back then I thought being a hippie chick was the coolest thing. I loved beading my own headbands, wristbands and chokers. Embellishing and embroidering my clothes with thread, leather, cords and fringes would just put me in my creative zone.

Two favorite pieces of jewelry then were an ankle cow bell and an ankh pendant. What was it about that old brass ankh that just made me gravitate towards it? In love with the piece and in rebellion against all authority, I avidly pursued my growing attraction to Ancient Egypt.

Isis with son Horus & Mary with son Jesus the Christ

Myths and legends, gods and goddesses, temples and sacred script, hieroglyphs and art - there was a lot of fascinating information to keep me interested and inspired. Yet through the years other pursuits intervened and these all lay aside and forgotten.

Egypt changed its religious doctrine only twice. Initially in the first century with Judaism or early Christianity and then with Islam in the seventh century. The essence of ancient Egyptian doctrine is centered on faith in resurrection after death, reckoning, paradise and hell. All of which are essential components to all Abrahamic religions.

ankh & cross

The oldest creed that Egypt had known for thousands of years was based on the Holy Trinity, the Father God Osiris, the Mother Goddess Isis, and the Son Horus, whom Isis birthed by immaculate conception.

The first monk in history was the Egyptian saint, Anthony the Great, who was born in Thebes in 251 and lived for more than a hundred years. He was the first to establish the monastic system and the rules of residence in the monasteries.

Four tales on Anthony the Great
by Vitale da Bologna, c. 1340

Until recently in more shamanic work with Sandra Ingerman we were introduced to her spiritual guide, Isis. In one of our journeys I had a vision of standing inside a pyramid between the towering figures of Thoth and Ma'at.

As I sit with them and listen to what they wish to share with me at this moment I am happy to return to my roots and beliefs in deeper and wider ways than I ever imagined - beyond any limiting labels and concepts. That's another great story I'll save for another telling.

Thoth and Ma’at