Greetings from Kemet

I bring greetings from the land of our ancestors,

This is the first blog I've been able to post, so I have a lot of making up to do. This past week in Egypt has left such an impression on my spirit that I cannot even begin to describe the feelings I've been having, so at the very least I can share what has affected me. From the pyramids, the sphinx, the tombs and temples to the market place, the nubian village and the bazaars, I feel that I have seen the world and it's only been one week. And beyond what we're seeing in Egypt, what we're learning is also amazing.

Since I've been in Egypt I've had to confront the eurocentricity that I realize is very present in my own mentality though I try to repudiate its existence. And notions such as black Egyptians, though they were enticing sounded fallacious to me. But I have seen the hieroglyphics depicting a great people with black skin. I have heard the history and I am now rejecting the lies that have been forcibly fed to my consciousness. The ancient Egyptians were a great and mighty people and every pyramid, every hieroglyphic is a testament to their might. Walking into each building is a spiritual event because I recognize that the contributions of these people are still evident and very relevant to contemporary life though I never knew it.

Take the story of Auset, whose Greek translated name is Isis. She, the maternal line, transmitted power to the rulers. She is identified by the thrown that is placed above her crown in hieroglyphics because she transmits kingship; she transmits power; her son becomes ruler. The Goddess Isis has been worshipped by different names all over the world and her contemporary counterpart is the Virgin Mary, praised for the life she brought into this world. When I heard this I was amazed.

There is so much more I would like to share, but I'm pressed for time.

Until next time,

ankh, udja, seneb (life, prosperity, health)

Gloria