July 11 - August 6
A Cherry Hill Seminary Foundations Course
by Rosemary Clark

 

The Sacred Key to Ancient Egypt

 

We begin with an audiovisual excursion into the mystic environments of Egypt's temples,

tombs, and pyramids to prepare you for discovering some of the "ineffable mysteries" of the ancients. Contemplating the world view of the Egyptians allows us to see their beliefs and customs as a rich heritage that guided their civilization for thousands of years and still influences the modern world.

 

Egyptian Symbol and Language

Egypt's long-lived culture remained indecipherable for centuries because its linguistic code was lost. We will look at hieroglyphic script as both a spoken and symbolic language - one that conveyed words, ideas, and timeless concepts for thousands of years.

 

Sacred Architecture

All construction in ancient Egypt had a symbolic function as well as a practical one. We will look at the basic approaches the ancients used in planning and building homes, temples, tombs, and pyramids. Canons of measure, design of the home, and land use will also be discussed.  

 

Religion and Spirituality: gods, spirits, temple traditions  

Most find the maze of religious images and beliefs in ancient Egypt to be confusing and fantastic. Were they monotheists or polytheists? Some surprising answers will be drawn directly from the Egyptians themselves. Besides well-known pharaonic traditions, we'll also examine the spiritual life of ordinary citizens - their beliefs, superstitions, and taboos.

 

The Literature of Ancient Egypt

 A rich legacy of writings disclose a surprising timelessness in Egyptian thought. Didactic literature, monumental records, and the sacred texts all reflect a respect for life and a profound belief in the existence of a divine world.  

 

Magic and Mysteries  

Miracles and saints appeared in ancient times, too. We'll look at the records of divination,

enchantments, and ghosts to see how the Egyptians dealt with such phenomena. Other cultures considered Egypt to be the fount of a secret knowledge; we'll also look at how the Greeks and Romans (among many others) regarded it historically and culturally.

 

Recommended texts are available in the CHS online bookstore:

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Note: no class meetings for this course; all online posts.

 



















Rosemary Clark is an independent scholar and interpreter of Egypt's sacred legacy. Her study of the religious canons and metaphysical traditions of antiquity encompass a lifetime of historical research, Mideast travel, and the development of a repertoire of unique skills in the re-creation of temple ritual and ceremony.

 

 

 Clark is well versed in the reading and writing of hieroglyphic script and articulating the heritage of the pharaonic and Hermetic traditions. These have coalesced in the publication of several books and the founding of a modern temple school dedicated to guiding students of metaphysics and alternative religions toward discovering the perennial wisdom of Egypt's spiritual past. 

 

"The Egyptian world view is as relevant today as it was centuries ago," she explains. "The unity of life and our role in it is an approach the ancients understood in profound ways, and it encompassed knowledge of the immaterial worlds, including death."

 

  

Sacred Egypt Sacred Science was the basis for an annual course presented by the University of Virginia Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning, cited for being the institute's most popular program. 

 

From 1976-1981, Ms. Clark was associated with Omm Seti of Abydos, Egypt - the Englishwoman whose memories of ancient temple life have been documented on film and books in recent times. After their initial meeting in 1976, both Rosemary and Omm Seti recalled their former relationship as mother and daughter in ancient Egypt. Through meetings and conversations they communicated during Clark's pilgrimages to Egypt that lasted until their final reunion, three weeks prior to Omm Set's passing in March, 1981.

 

 

"In the years that I have traveled and taught about ancient Egypt," she says, "there is one universal sentiment that people express, no matter their age or background. And that is a deep feeling of being connected to Egypt, spiritually and emotionally, throughout their lives." Rosemary Clark's work has been devoted to encouraging, cultivating, and reawakening the Egypt connection that so many pursue through her teachings and writings. She demonstrates how the re-creation of Egypt's spiritual practices in the everyday, modern world can enrich the present and give life once more to the past. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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