All Activities listed will happen,
maybe not necessarily in the order stated!
(Be prepared—Spontaneous changes are part of the fun!)

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Day 1, Sunday, November 9 -- Depart for Cairo:

EgyptAir Flight #986 leaves JFK at 6:30 PM. Dinner and overnight on the plane.

Day 2, Monday, November 10—Arrive Cairo/Opening Circle/Welcome Dinner

The group will arrive at the Cairo Airport at about 11:25AM local time, where we will be met by our local Quest tour managers. They will assist us through customs and immigration and transfer us to the luxurious Mena House Hotel in Giza, with a direct view onto the Great Pyramid from its garden oasis. Relax and get settled in, then we will meet in the late afternoon to hold our Opening Circle and Welcome Dinner (exact time/location tba). Overnight Mena House. (Breakfast on plane, Dinner)

The Step-Pyramid at Sakkara

Day 3, Tuesday, November 11 – Giza Plateau/Sphinx/Camel Ride/Sakkara

We will begin this day with an amazing private sunrise visit to the Giza Plateau. During our ritual we will pay our respects to the Sphinx, the guardian of the Mysteries, who sees all of our incarnations on this planet and keeps the Hall of Records where our stories are kept. We will set our sacred intentions and ask permission to enter into the magical mysteries of Egypt. Explore the pyramids on the Giza Plateau and experience first-hand the only one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world still in existence. Enjoy a camel ride in the desert if you choose. Nothing can prepare you for your first connection to this ancient ground.

Later we will have a meeting and lunch on the way to Sakkara, where we visit the oldest pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and its temple of sound and healing. Sakkara was masterminded by Imhotep, the high priest, vizier and architect to King Djoser during Dynasty III. This magnificent site includes other Old Kingdom tombs, among them those that hold the earliest known hieroglyphs, the Pyramid Texts that were the model for the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Overnight Mena House. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Khan el Khalili Market, CairoDay 4, Wednesday, November 12 — Cairo Museum/Khan Bazaar/Flight to Luxor/Afandina

After some free time in the morning to relax at the hotel, we will check out and head to Cairo, where we will visit the famed Egyptian Museum of Cairo to view the spiritual legacy of priest kings, queens, scribes and healers. The museum holds an astounding collection of EgyptianSekhmet at Karnak antiquities and exhibits over 120,000 artifacts, including those from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Later we will have lunch (location tba) and opportunities to shop at the Khan al Khalili Bazaar. The atmosphere at this traditional market, together with the labyrinthine layout of the surrounding streets gives you a glimpse into medieval times. We will take an 8pm flight to Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes that was the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom. There we will board our beautiful traditional Egyptian sailing boat, the Afandina. Overnight on the Afandina. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5, Thursday, November 13 – Afandina/Karnak/Luxor Temple

Free morning to relax, sleep in and enjoy the Afandina. In the afternoon we tour Karnak, one of the largest and most magnificent temple complexes in the world. It is dedicated to the Gods Amun and Mut. Outside the main halls is a small chapel dedicated to Sekhmet, her consort Ptah and their son Nefertum. Sekhmet is the lion-headed Goddess of compassion and courage. She is associated with feminine fire and healing through destruction. She is a renowned healer, known for her magic and ability to hunt down an imbalance in its origin. In a potent private initiation we will honor the Goddess and receive the gift of courage to be our authentic selves. Later you will have some free time to explore the wonders of Luxor’s market, museum and other sites. We will visit Luxor Temple in the evening to invoke the sacred within the human vessel. Overnight on the Afandina. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

In the Temple at Abydos Day 6, Friday, November 14 – Dendera/Abydos

This morning we head to Dendera where we will visit the exquisite temple dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of love and joy, and receive her blessings.

The temple includes a zodiacal ceiling that recalls the origins of Egypt and a gorgeous chapel to the sky goddesses Nut and Hathor. Our ceremony to connect with Hathor’s love and magic will be a highlight of our pilgrimage. We then continue north to the temple at Abydos, dedicated to Osiris and housing the nine great beings (the Ennead). This temple rests next to and above the most ancient Osirion, one of the premier power places on the planet. It includes a more recent temple built by Seti I, which contains the most beautiful bas reliefs of any temple in Egypt. There we will journey to receive an initiation from the Osirion mysteries. Overnight on the Afandina. (Breakfast, Lunch Box and Dinner)

Day 7, Saturday, November 15—West Bank/ Tombs of the Pharaohs

This morning we make a sunrise pilgrimage to Deir el Bahari, the funerary temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. We also visit the Necropolis of Thebes on the West Bank of the Nile. The West Bank holds the tombs of the pharaohs that are inscribed with sacred transformative texts, including the books of knowing light and dark, the book of what is in the underworld, the book of caverns, and naming and taming the hours of the night. Here are the tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramses III and VII, Seti I, Thutmosis III, and many others (not all are open for viewing). We will also see the mortuary temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon. Back onboard our dahabaya, we will set sail toward Esna, and delight in watching the timeless beauty along the Nile. We will meet on deck or in our lovely living room to have a writing and sharing experience. Overnight on the Afandina. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

In the Temple at Edfu Day 8, Sunday, November 16 – Nile Sailing, Esna, and Possible Village Visits

Today we sail onto Esna. During the sail, we will meet on deck or in one of the lounges to bind our circle with the sharing and processing of our experiences. At Esna we experience the Esna Lock, where the river shifts in size. There is plenty of time to luxuriate on deck enjoying the timeless Nile beauty. We may make a spontaneous visit to one of the many little villages along the way. In the evening we will enjoy “God and Goddess” karaoke, and overnight anchored at an island along the way to Edfu. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Day 9, Monday, November 17 – Sail to Edfu/Visit Edfu Temple

We enjoy another on-board class as we continue sailing to Edfu, where we will have an afternoon visit to the Temple of Horus, one of the most beautifully preserved in Egypt. Here, we follow the pattern of the hero’s quest as we learn how Horus and his followers (the Shemsu Hor) conquered chaos, and we see the sacred marriage of the king and queen as the embodiment of Horus and the goddess Hathor. Horus is associated with higher vision and clarity. The eye of Horus greatly relates to his myth and power. The left eye represents the lunar, the moon, the intuitive, the feminine energy. The right eye is connected to the solar, the masculine, the action, and the yang energy. Both are necessary for true power to exist. In a private empowerment we will work with balancing the lunar and the solar energies inside of us and awaken our intuitive centers to be able to experience a higher perspective. The side chambers of the temple show the complexity of the rites that include a healing chamber, a perfumery, and singers’ rooms. One chamber, called the House of Life, stored all of the sacred texts used in seasonal and daily rituals. We spend the night near Edfu on our dahabeya. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Group Circle at Kom Ombo

Day 10, Tuesday, November 18 – Kom Ombo

We will gather on deck to journal our journey, share our experiences and discuss our writing projects as we sail to Kom Ombo. There, we visit the only dual temple in Egypt. This dramatic temple poised between the edge of the river and the encroaching desert sand was dedicated to two gods - Sobek the crocodile god of strength, fortitude, fertility and rebirth, and Horus the hawk-headed son of Isis and Osiris. The duality of light/dark, yin/yang, conscious/unconscious is apparent in this ancient site. One of the most powerful places in Kom Ombo is the Seat of Neutrality, which is placed on the exact centerline between the parts of the temple that are dedicated to Horus/Sobek and Light/Dark.

We will dock our dahabeya at an island near Kom Ombo for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)

Day 11, Wednesday, November 19 – Sail to Aswan/Elephantine Island

Today we sail to Aswan, the mythical origin of the Nile River and the home of Nubian kings and queens during the later dynasties of Egypt. We will enjoy a felucca sail to visit Elephantine Island and walk through the layers of time that archaeological explorations have unveiled. Atop the island we gather at the temple of Khnum for an important initiation and affirmation. Overnight on the Afandina. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Day 12, Thursday, November 20 — Philae/Temple of Isis/Aswan

Normandi and Nicki will lead us through a private sunrise meditation and ritual to receive the blessings of Isis, the Great Mother, at her beautiful island temple at Philae. This temple was moved piece by piece from a nearby island that was inundated when the dam was built. This isle represents a fusion of three great civilizations – Egyptian, Greek and Roman. The presence of Isis is palpable in the inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies of her temple. After exploring the grounds and some storytelling on the island, we return to the boat for breakfast. We will enjoy a special afternoon of free time in Aswan, where you can explore the local market and/or check out the very fine Nubian Museum, which beautifully reflects the history and culture of the region. Later we will gather on deck to share our experiences and discuss our creative projects. Overnight on the Afandina. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 13, Friday, November 21– Flight to Cairo/King's Chamber

We will say farewell to our beloved Afandina and take a 9am flight to Cairo where we will have some free time to relax at the Mena House. We will meet in the afternoon to prepare for our upcoming private visit to the Great Pyramid, where we will have a culminating initiation in the King's chamber. Here, we unite our life story with the story of those who have come before us and those who will come after as we embrace the transformation that we have experienced. Free evening to enjoy the hotel or explore Cairo. Overnight Mena House. (Breakfast and Lunch)

Day 14, Saturday, November 22— Optional Old Cairo Tour /Farewell Dinner

In the morning there is an optional tour of Old Cairo, or you can choose to relax at our beautiful hotel or head into Cairo for some last-minute shopping. The SphinxThe group will meet in the late afternoon for our closing circle and farewell dinner. Overnight Mena House. (Breakfast and Dinner)

Day 15, Sunday, November 23 — Farewell to Egypt/ Final Departure

We depart for New York on Egypt Air at 10:30AM, and arrive in JFK at 3:25PM. (Breakfast)

Contacts:
Mena House Oberoi
Pyramids Rd., Giza, Cairo, Egypt
Phone: +20 2 33 77 3222, +20 2 33 76 6644
Fax: +20 2 33 77 0718 Or toll free from the US 1-800-562-3764

Quest Travel
Phone: 011-202-3376-8444
Fax: 011-202-3376-3810 011-202-3376-8000
*When dialing from the US add 011- to each of the numbers above

Shamanic Journeys, Ltd
Phone: 541-484-1099 (Oregon, PST)
Fax: 541-686-5960
Email: office@shamanicjourneys.com

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