Swimming in the Nile

The Nile River is an amazing vein of magic that runs through the heart of Egypt.  It carries the boats and tourists.  It carries the hopes and dreams of the people who live along its banks.  It carried the body of Osiris and the tears of Isis.  The land of Egypt and the stories from the waters and the sands of Timelessness there have been able to reach me in the middle of the Midwest and I was curious as to how my experiences would be actually BEING in the magical place.  Egypt and her gods and goddesses and even the Nile did not let me know...it was still amazing and powerful!

From my Diary:  Dec 3, 2016

The morning started easily. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then Emil announced that if we wanted to swim, now is our chance. I asked if the hot tub was warmed up and hot enough and he said, "No! Go for a swim! In the river!"

Oh! So I ran to get my suit and get into the Nile! As I headed onto the sand, he was calling out to another woman who was swimming next to the boat that the current was very strong and to swim to the back of the boat. At that point I got nervous... I am not a strong swimmer and I didn't know if that meant there was an undertow and I didn't know how deep the water was. I asked how deep it was and he said, "Go! Just jump in!"

I stepped into the water... it was cold! I looked into the water to see how deep it was and the shelf didn't seem very big before it dropped off. But I knew I just had to get in.... so I did. I just sort of jumped in and I was so scared and then so cold! And then so scared and working through the fear. After only a few minutes it was okay. I swim a little and then stood, my feet could touch the bottom. I decided that as long as I didn't get more than ten feet from the shore or far away from the boat I would be fine. I noticed the feel of the silk under my feet. Osiris. (Osiris is the black fertile land of Egypt and the silt during the flood fertilized the farmland along the banks of the Nile)  I noticed the scratchy feel of the river grasses. Set.  (Set a lot of times represents struggle and hardship as well as restriction and he ensnared Osiris within tree branches in the river when he killed him)  As I swam a little the grasses came up and wrapped themselves around my ankle. I kicked but they seemed to entangle me more. As I freed myself from their grasp, I laughed and said, "Okay Set! I got it!"  I was living the stories of Egypt in the river and soaking it all in.

Emil took some pictures of me in the river and got one that I didn't ask him for specifically but one that I wanted.  Then I was cold after 10 minutes or so and got out to warm up on a rock on the shore. I heard a bird calling and looked up to see a small kite flying and calling down the river. Isis calling for Osiris.

As I dressed for the day I wondered what I should wear and I felt led to wear black and white and the leggings which were tight..Set seem to like those LOL. My roommate wore a form-fitting long red beautiful dress and looked like Hathor in the flesh. She has a special relationship with Horus as I have with Set. So being dressed as Hathor this was perfect as the temple we were going to visit was Edfu, the Temple of Horus, built on the top of a temple to Set. I was really looking forward to this place to be with Set. From Khnumn's Temple I had gotten dried flowers that I took to scatter as offerings as my feet touched the ground from the boat and as I entered deeper into the temple. The temple it did not feel like I expected it to and I kept offering flower petals to express my admiration.

Emil wanted us to reach the temple at lunchtime while midday prayers were being done in order to ensure us a private visit. We were instructed by Indigo to be mindful of Set as this was a place where typically people would trip or get injured in some way. We needed to be mindful and honoring of the possibilities of chaos to arise from under our feet.

In our Temple experience, Set was embodied by one of the guards who put his arm around my roommate and also around Indigo. This is something that is very inappropriate in their culture, to touch a woman in this way, and that caused a lot of trouble for that guard/guide. In the end, it was interesting the way we both totally lived the stories and their energy on this day and in this place. Mine in the river and hers in the temple.