Rating: Summary: Review wriiten for ... Review: All souls who travel down their life-path looking for the answer to the question "why am I here" have seminal books that are signposts to help them on their way. One of mine is "Winged Pharaoh" by Joan Grant. I could not put it down until I had read it from cover to cover. It was the temple training of her main character Sekhet-a-ra that spoke to me through the pages of her book.So what is the book about? It is the 'autobiography' of a First Dynasty Egyptian Princess who later goes on to become joint Pharaoh with her brother. Before she can take her place beside him on the throne of Egypt she undergoes training to become a priestess of Anubis. The book is set out in three distinct parts. The first deal with her childhood, the second with her training to be a priestess and the 'graduation' ceremony (which is truly traumatizing), and the third covers her life as Pharaoh. In reality the book is divided into eight parts, but in truth the life is clearly demarcated by those three main sections. That is a dry description of a narrative that grips the reader. You live Sekhet-a-ra's life with her from the time she is a small child being cared for by her nurse Maata until she dies at the age of fifty-three. Her childhood makes you feel the dry sands of Egypt, the gardens of the palace and the training necessary for her future role as joint Pharaoh with her brother. I had the good fortune to meet Joan Grant in her later years. Did we discuss deep and meaningful things? Once or twice we did. In fact she shared some insights that I did not understand at that time, but now do. Mainly I fulfilled small services to make life a little more comfortable for her, such as sending her talking books back to the library they came from. I hope that those small services repaid in some measure the pleasure, knowledge and understanding that her 'novels' and especially "Winged Pharaoh" gave to me. I want to pass on to you the fact that this precious book exists and that for anyone interested in reincarnation and astral traveling it deserves to be on their reading list.
Rating: Summary: Vivid Historical Novel Review: As a recreation of ancient Egypt, this feels authentic. The people are as wise, noble and spiritual as we'd like to believe the ancients were. The novel is as much philosophy as story, and there is much to provoke thought. However, the book can be enjoyed whether you take it as past life memory or just an escape to another time. Sekeeta is a princess born to a First Dynasty pharaoh. When the young girl shows a talent for clairvoyant dreams, she is sent to train as a Priestess of Anubis, the god of prophecy. Her temple teachers are wise, and train her to use her gifts to serve her country. When she is grown, she rules as co-Pharaoh with her brother Neyah. As noted above, this book is philosophy in novel form. It is to our conventional idea of the novel as the Egyptian wall painting is our idea of painting. The traditional elements of conflict, action and strong character development aren't much in evidence here. That doesn't make it unreadable, just different. The language is stylized but beautiful, with a certain biblical flavor, the imagery vivid and poetic. In the childhood part of Sekeeta's life, she is told child's stories with simple, sound lessons, like The Monkey Who Wanted to be a Man. Also interesting are the meanings behind some hieroglyphic symbols; in Grant's view, the images were metaphors for spiritual concepts or lessons. The word "beloved," for example, was written as a plow to show that, as a plow makes the earth fertile, so love does likewise to the heart. On the whole, this a book that I return to and enjoy.
Rating: Summary: Thank you GOD for this book! Review: I am a member of a religious organization which uses Spiritual Dreams as a GATEWAY into the other worlds of GOD. This book was recommended to me by a member of my religious organization, ECKANKAR. Apparently the current spiritual leader of ECKANKAR, Sri Harold Klemp said that "although the author was not a member of ECKANKAR you could place the name ECK on the book and it would be an ECK book". My interest was stimulated so I ordered the book. As soon as I started reading it I was excited! Sri Harold was right! This was indeed an ECK book, a FIRST RATE ECK book. (ECK stands for the Holy Spirit, Devine Spirit, ... "your name for the essence of GOD"). If you have ever had a lucid dream, an experience of the Light of GOD, or an out-of-body experience then you will both learn from and recognize truths in this book. Enjoy it. I did.
Rating: Summary: Thank you GOD for this book! Review: I am a member of a religious organization which uses Spiritual Dreams as a GATEWAY into the other worlds of GOD. This book was recommended to me by a member of my religious organization, ECKANKAR. Apparently the current spiritual leader of ECKANKAR, Sri Harold Klemp said that "although the author was not a member of ECKANKAR you could place the name ECK on the book and it would be an ECK book". My interest was stimulated so I ordered the book. As soon as I started reading it I was excited! Sri Harold was right! This was indeed an ECK book, a FIRST RATE ECK book. (ECK stands for the Holy Spirit, Devine Spirit, ... "your name for the essence of GOD"). If you have ever had a lucid dream, an experience of the Light of GOD, or an out-of-body experience then you will both learn from and recognize truths in this book. Enjoy it. I did.
Rating: Summary: Mesmerizing! Review: This adventure novel recalls the majesty of ancient Egypt. Through the eyes of Sekhet-ara-, daughter of Pharoah, the author offers us irrestible detailed images of initiation into mystery schools, "out of body" experiences, dreams, clairvoyance, battles for power, and love. The lyrical quality of Joan Grant's words shift the sands of time, and we are drawn into this mesmerizing drama. A spiritual adventure. A beautiful tapestry of the journey of many Souls fulfilling their destiny.
Rating: Summary: Mesmerizing! Review: This adventure novel recalls the majesty of ancient Egypt. Through the eyes of Sekhet-ara-, daughter of Pharoah, the author offers us irrestible detailed images of initiation into mystery schools, "out of body" experiences, dreams, clairvoyance, battles for power, and love. The lyrical quality of Joan Grant's words shift the sands of time, and we are drawn into this mesmerizing drama. A spiritual adventure. A beautiful tapestry of the journey of many Souls fulfilling their destiny.
Rating: Summary: Fictional story of Ancient Egypt's First Dynasty Review: This fictional account is of a girl who becomes co-pharaoh of Egypt with her brother during the First Dynasty. It is lyrically and almost magically written, giving a sense how ancient Egyptians might have thought about themselves, their life and their religion. It is, however, hard to know and separate what are solely the imaginings of the author from what is based on known facts about ancient Egypt at that time.
Rating: Summary: Inspired Review: This is Joan Grant's great work. Even if she didn't say it was a "far memory" of a past life, it would be easy to imagine the story is true. She starts as a small girl and her speech is very simple. As she grows, so does the level of vocabulary and conversation, but imperceptibly. Also, this book is so real and yet magical, I wished I was in it! I read a chapter of the little girl section to my 6 year old niece who hated to go to bed and she made me read that same chapter over and over and over in the same sitting! It is sooo beautiful! I've read just a chapter to adults and they had to read the whole book. Make people get their own copy, though -- I've noticed they don't like to give it back!
Rating: Summary: Inspired Review: This is Joan Grant's great work. Even if she didn't say it was a "far memory" of a past life, it would be easy to imagine the story is true. She starts as a small girl and her speech is very simple. As she grows, so does the level of vocabulary and conversation, but imperceptibly. Also, this book is so real and yet magical, I wished I was in it! I read a chapter of the little girl section to my 6 year old niece who hated to go to bed and she made me read that same chapter over and over and over in the same sitting! It is sooo beautiful! I've read just a chapter to adults and they had to read the whole book. Make people get their own copy, though -- I've noticed they don't like to give it back!
Rating: Summary: A Life in Ancient Egypt Review: This is the life story of Sekeeta a daughter of Pharaoh in ancient Egypt, gifted because of her ability to remember her dreams and experience consciousness while dreaming. The book follows her childhood in the palace, her years in the temple preparing for initiation, her spiritual education and study of ancient legends. Later after the initiation she "marries" her brother and they become co-pharaohs ruling Kam. Many of Sekeeta's experiences as a ruler are described - holding audience and passing judgements, a sea journey to Minoa, the war with the Zuma. First published in 1937 this is apparently an autobiographical account of one the author's previous lives, but even if you can't accept the idea of this as a past life recollection, at the very least it is a really great read for historical fiction fans. So frequently characters in ancient fiction seem to speak and function like twentieth century people with materialistic goals and romantic sentiment, but "Winged Pharaoh" has an authentic feel to it transporting the reader to another time and headspace.
|