Lost Symbols of Egypt

Our lives are the sum of our days and our days are the sum of the myriad of seemingly small decisions we take each day.   When I decided to take my first holiday in Egypt I had no idea I was going to end up selling my house in Ireland and building Mara House in Luxor.  I certainly had no idea I would consequently have my life there turned upside down overnight and live through the Arab Spring revolutions in the Middle East in 2011, the turnaround of the army takeover in 2013 or the shattering covid years of 2019 – 2021

Sometimes a thought just will not leave me alone until I either write it down or act upon it.  In early 2012 several thoughts would not leave me alone

• “Everything here is made in China”
• “Nobody here has steady employment”
• “Surely to God everyone can learn how to make SOMETHING!”

Blogging or ranting was not going to clear these thoughts—in fact, I was so frustrated myself I was doing little or no writing anyway.  Along with everyone else in Egypt I kept waiting for the miracles promised by the revolution and the new President.  I waited, we waited.  I thought – not sure what many others were thinking, but one thing was certain: nothing was moving, nothing was improving, and it was about to get even worse.

During the recession of the early 80s in Ireland, many people, including myself, had turned our hands to craft work, so I was now filled with ideas of gathering groups of people together and learning/reviving Egyptian craft work.

👉 Explore all my transformative travel stories from Egypt

Now, here in Egypt, I was becoming obsessed with the power symbols of the ancient Egyptians.  Three in particular would just not leave me alone.

They were the Djed, the Knot of Isis and the combined symbol of the Key of Life + Djed + Was.

I searched the souks, shops, and bazaars but could not find them.  The Ankh was everywhere, but it seemed that many of the other ancient symbols had been, or were being, forgotten.  I felt impelled to have them created once again in stone as they were in ancient times.

My encounters with the craftsmen I went to see left me angry and confused to the point I was ready to give up on the idea.  Because I was a foreigner and asking for something they were not already making, they thought I should pay an exhorbitant amount per piece.  These were people working (or rather not working) for a now non-existent tourist market!

Once again, Providence stepped in and a new, but now very dear friend. set up a meeting for me with yet another craftsman.  I swore this was going to be my last attempt.  I met a talented, honest father of 6 who was happy to experiment on my behalf without demanding stupidly exorbitant prices.  And now you can find these same symbols selling in many of the souvenir shops and the tourist souk in Luxor.

The symbols of Egypt remind us to focus on our positive desires, for health and well-being, in moments when our surroundings or circumstances may indicate otherwise.  Gemstones and minerals are believed by many to have healing and other helpful properties since time began.  In our darkest moments it can help to have something to touch, hold, and draw emotional strength from—we can use any tool to draw strength and energy through – talismans and amulets in the form of jewelry are a great way to keep a touchstone handy.

But these sacred symbols are much more than touchstones – they are amulets that can carry the Heka magic of ancient Egypt.  And while today’s craftsmen and stone carvers may not be breathing the Haka into them as they did in ancient times – you can do that yourself.  You do it by placing your attention and intention on them while invoking a blessing and breathing it onto the amulets.

If the ancient symbols still speak to you as they do to me, you may enjoy my recent reflections on Heka — the ancient Egyptian understanding of magic.  It is, I believe, the thread that ties together both their world and ours.