The next Egyptian Odyssey in December 2023 is being planned now. Stay tuned for updates and the upcoming Brochure!

As we made our way back to our hotel after our amazing pre-dawn audience with the goddess Sekhmet, it became more and more evident– we were home. We were home in Egypt, we were home with each other, we were home with ourselves.

The rest of our day was packed with great experiences and adventures, each of them in some way, a spiritual ceremony in a temple-like setting.

The first I call “ceremony of the scarves”. One of Rina’s merchant friends, the coat-maker, asked Rina to show us the scarves and tapestries the people of his village had made. I thought that it was a good idea, but I didn’t know how they’d be received by the Odyssey-ites because they were “just scarves”. We met outside Rina’s hotel room where she’d opened the scarf trunk and displayed the colorful, beautifully made scarves and tapestries of all descriptions. What followed next was an intense shopping frenzy!

They weren’t “just scarves”– some were a luxurious 2-color cashmere-blend, and others were magnificent pieces of vibrant, woven art. No matter what the design, each beautiful scarf was a piece of cloth carrying the ages-old energy of Egypt. (For information on where to obtain one of these beauties, please see the note at the end of this article.)

Needless to say, Rina’s supply of scarves soon sold out and we were asking her to call him and get more scarves. Happily, more scarves arrived before day’s end.

Right after the scarves, we checked out of our beautiful Nile island resort, and were taken to the port where we boarded our home for the next four days– the cruise ship that would take us on a soul-recollection sail down the Nile River. The cruise ship was beautiful and each stateroom had windows that gave us our own personal view of an Egypt that you only read about.

We had a much-needed rest which fortified us for an enchanting visit to a generations old papyrus shop and our next “temple” adventure– jewelry shopping! It’s my personal feeling that we, our bodies, are temples housing the soul and we need to celebrate that by adorning our body-temples with objects of beauty, like jewelry. Jewelry is not just for decorative purposes; because it is Astrologically ruled by the planet Venus, which rules self-value, it also functions as an indicator of how much you value yourself. We all chipped in and got our travel agent, Sharon Polidoro of Berkshire Travel Group, a cartouche with her name on it written in hieroglyphics. We agreed that Sharon, whom I call a “travel angel”, worked miracles arranging our travel plans.

 

That afternoon in the jewelry shop, we were paired with an attendant who helped us discover our own personal indicators. If they didn’t have what we wanted in stock, they’d custom alter an existing piece of jewelry for us. One of the things I loved most about our time in the jewelry temple was how we Odyssey-ites helped each other when we were stuck in an old belief pattern that negated our value and tried to convince us that we didn’t deserve to treat ourselves well.

We gave ourselves the power of permission to be, to do, to have as we spotted our treasures, negotiated the prices, assisted each other, and adorned ourselves as the royalty we are. Each of us displayed our now conscious knowledge of our worth by choosing jewelry pieces that regally reflected our true selves. One of Thomas’ acquisitions was a silver band ring with raised gold hieroglyphics– so simple, yet so exquisite. I’m definitely getting one of those band rings on my next Odyssey.

One of the wonderful gifts I received while in the jewelry “temple” was from Ciera. As I sought but didn’t find a Sekhmet pendant design that would commemorate my time with her in her temple, I told Ciera of my search and frustration. She pointed at the Sekhmet cartouche I was wearing and asked, “What about the one you’re wearing?” I explained that it was one I’d bought in the States months before our Odyssey because I was told by the Goddess that I needed to wear her symbol at all times. Ciera then pointed out, “You wore that pendant when we were in Sekhmet’s temple so it’s infused with her energy.” I have no words for the joy I felt at that realization and the gratitude I felt toward Ciera for pointing it out!

At one point, I told Rina I wanted a Sekhmet pendant like the one she was wearing and a Ma’at feather pendant like the one she wore when we’d first met a year ago. She told me that those two pendant designs were from a different vendor, and she promised to get them for me.

Finally, we were done shopping at the jewelry “temple” and we boarded the coach for our return to the cruise ship where, over a delicious lunch, we enjoyed admiring each other’s acquisitions and showing off our newly acquired treasures. As we ate, talked, and admired, it was decided that the visit to the jewelry shop had only been a preliminary visit. One of the Jennifers turned to me and said, “Now that we’ve had time to admire and think about our purchases and experience, we realize there are some other pieces we want to look at and possibly buy. We’ve decided that the jewelry shopping needs to be done in two shifts, so we need to go back later today and complete the process.”

Rarely in life do you encounter true kindred spirits. My soul was overjoyed and my heart sang as I sat at that dining table, realizing again that I’d found my tribe. The first trip to the jewelry shop was considered a reconnaissance trip and we needed to make a second trip to the jewelry shop– yes, these were my kind of people! I spoke with Rina and she assured me that it could be arranged. Life is good!

After lunch we went to check out the “living room” of the ship– the top deck. A swimming pool, comfy deck loungers, a bar, dining tables, a stunning view of the Nile– more beauty and luxury and we were still in port!

Later that evening, just after dark, we returned to Karnak temple. This visit was different than the one we began our day with. For starters, we were different. So much transformation in such a short amount of time– the weight of lifetimes fallen away, the further discovery of our value, the irrefutable knowing of who we were/are– all priceless gifts. This visit was different, too, because the temple complex was crowded with people, some tourists and some Luxor residents. (Imagine what it must be like to live near Karnak temple, where you and your family take your nightly stroll!) This time, instead of having a specific destination in mind, we were given a meeting place and time and then instructed to wander and explore.

Everyone came back with stories of their own wondrous adventure. My favorite was Renata’s. In her wanderings, she came upon a group of Egyptian school kids on a field trip with their teacher. The kids instantly recognized the Light and beauty of her spirit and surrounded her, excitedly asking where she was from and what she did. When she told them she was an Intuitive, they all held their little hands out to her and asked her to read their palms! Can you imagine what that must have been like for the kids and Renata? All of that Light, wonder, joy, and curiosity! Lucky Renata, lucky kids!

We regrouped and boarded the coach for our return to the ship. Those of us who were completing the jewelry temple experience, were dropped off at the jewelry shop. Though late, they’d stayed open for us. They greeted us warmly and commenced to show us treasures we’d missed or hadn’t realized the value of on our first visit. They brought out some back-room treasures, too. Though tempting, I knew I was only accompanying the return group and wasn’t interested in buying any new pieces. So how did I leave there with a lotus ring, an Eye of Horus pendant, and an Anubis pendant? What can I say?– the heart wants what the heart wants.

Our little group returned to the ship in time to join the rest of the Odyssey-ites for a late dinner. We all had a great time talking about our experiences, sharing our insights, and showing off our beautiful new jewelry treasures.

Rina sat next to me and quietly got my attention. In her hand, she held a small, cloth wrapped bundle. She opened it and there were the Sekhmet and Ma’at pendants I wanted! My heart was so full. There was something very special and familiar about those pieces and just knowing that I could have them again (they were mine in a previous incarnation) was almost more than I could bear. I asked her, “How much are they?” as I reached for my purse.

She held my hand open in her hand and placed the pendants in it as she looked into my eyes and answered, “You are my sister and these are my gifts to you”. As I looked into her eyes, I saw again, scenes that confirmed lifetime after lifetime after lifetime that Rina and I are sisters, priestesses, healers, and warriors who’ve been in each other’s lives almost since time began. I don’t have words that describe what I felt. I wish I did, because I would tell you and then you would feel it, too. What I do know is this– everyone deserves to feel like that.

We went up to the top deck once more before we retired for the evening. Underneath the beautiful night sky, someone exclaimed, “Can you believe it, we are on a ship cruising the Nile River!” Doreene responded, “Again!” Yes, life is good.

***Melissa, the owner of Crystal Essence in Great Barrington, MA, has obtained several of these beautiful scarves for sale at her shop. Please contact the store for details and to buy your own piece of Egyptian energy– 413-528-2595 and/or email, CrystalEssence.com