On the seventh day of our trip through Egypt, we went to visit an ancient quarry where much of the stone that was used to build the Egyptian monuments originated. (I believe we actually saw part of this quarry called Gebel El Silsila the day before during our afternoon sail and you can revisit that post if you would like to see more pictures of that part of the site.) This was an interesting location because in addition to having structures with lovely hieroglyphs to see inside, there were other ancient markings outside on the cliff walls of the quarry itself. These figures reminded me more of the petroglyphs that I have seen at historical Native American sites in New Mexico. My memory fails me here, and I cannot recall if the various burial chambers we visited that day had separate names, but I believe the overall location was named the Al-Kab monuments. What I mainly remember about the structures there were the beautiful and amazingly well-preserved colors of some of the art on the walls within them. While the statues of those to whom the tomb belonged did not fare so well as far as preservation, many of the reliefs were still rich and multicolored. The images depicted things like plates piled high with food and offerings for the Gods and Goddesses and many wonderful scenes of daily life. The amount of time and labor that went into them was apparent. Not only was the chiseling out all of these reliefs impressive, but each and every character was then carefully painted down to the smallest detail. In some places that we visited, they even then went back and outlined everything again in fine black lines so it stood out even more. I cannot imagine how long it must have taken. The people who did this obviously took great care and pride in their work and nothing ever looked rushed or lax. Their skill is awe-inspiring. One of the things that I loved the most about this day was the ride out to the quarry itself. We were taken from the bus to the location in the back of several safari-type vehicles. These were also painted and decorated very vibrantly! Color is a big thing for me and the bright greens and yellows of the caravan of trucks against the intense blue sky and the beige sand of the desert terrain was so uplifting. I do love my luxury, but it was so enjoyable to feel like you were on a more obscure adventure. Being packed into these smaller buses and bumping along while holding on to the makeshift bar overhead was just exciting. I did also so enjoy just being able to wander around the place so I could take it all in, and there was ample time for that on this day. I love nature in all its “outfits” and the landscape of Egypt may not have been as lush and green as it is in the place that I am from, but it was beautiful just the same. We must not have had such an early wake-up call that morning because I do remember that everyone seemed even more upbeat and happy than usual. The group had all had time to get to know each other by then and we were just comfortable with one another and were really having a good time. When we were in the sacred temples, obviously the energy was more reverent and respectful but being outdoors, we were able to laugh and joke and just be silly for a while. I would choose to correlate this day to the Chariot Tarot card. The obvious connection between our means of transportation to the quarry and the evident travel vibe of The Chariot card is apparent, but additionally its symbolism in regard to gaining control of your mind/body/spirit “vehicle” is suitable as well. Up until this point I had been rather overwhelmed by the whole experience and my emotions had been somewhat erratic, but by the seventh day, I was starting to feel adjusted and more comfortable with the people and the place in general. The kindhearted people of Egypt are always greeting you with,” welcome home” and they refer to Egypt as your “second home” if you are visiting. And about that they were exactly right. I had always known that Egypt was my home away from home, but it was so good to be there and to feel so relaxed, at ease and settled in. The Chariot card also has to do with grabbing the reins and taking control of your life and steering your own course or destiny. The more time that I spent in Egypt, the more that I felt this was something I was beginning to do. There is just something about traveling that seems to function as a reset button for me. I am always telling people that changing your perception physically can shift your perception mentally too, and I really do believe that’s true. At this point I had traveled by plane, bus, boat and car and I was definitely sensing the shift of my own inner landscape as well as that of the topography around me.
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AuthorRev. Kennedy Turner is the owner of The Cat's Meow, Tarot and Talismans, LLC in Louisville, Ky. She is a Psychic Medium, Professional Intuitive Tarot Card Reader, and Certified Healing Reiki Practitioner. She also designs and blesses jewelry for use as protective personal talismans and charms, tailored to meet your individual needs. Archives
August 2023
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