Invoking the Scribes of Ancient Egypt:
The Initiatory Path of Spiritual Journaling

by Normandi Ellis and Gloria Taylor Brown

Review by Aauriane Veleda

To be honest I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I volunteered to be a book reviewer. I wanted to get more involved in Keltria and this was a chance to help redirect my life to where I thought it should head. Much to my delight I got this book in the mail and at the same time I was a bit lost as to how to relate a book on the Egyptian Scribes to my personal Celtic journey contemplating the Druid path. I undertook the reading; what follows are my interpretations of this text.

This book, as it will tell you, was actually the start of a trip to Egypt for a group of writers wanting to expand upon their own abilities and challenges; each was drawn to Egypt for their own special reasons. Some knew they had been there before and others felt called, but none of the characters in the book knew each other previously. They represented a mix of cultures and it was interesting to read they always sought the blessings of the directions in their own ways before undertaking any journey. In this instance it was offered by Kathyrn Ravenwood and who shared her mix of Native American, Egyptian and Christian belief.

Each participant in this journey shared of themselves and their writings as they traveled. A selection of some of the special ones are included  in each segment. Responses to each piece of writing from the other travelers are also included.

Some of the exercises included the Personal Universe Exercise, Meditation on a Journey Down the Nile, Writing About Your Hero’s Journey, Writing the Stepping Stones, and Writing the Becoming Poem. These are focused on the Egyptian theme of the trip and the interest these authors have in the Egyptian way. This book offers an opportunity to look at the Egyptian spiritual and religious life in a different way. It encourages the reader to take the Hero’s Journey, Make the Salmon leap and find the dark inner part and bringing it to light so you may know yourself and your path better.

Can it be applied to Druidry? Absolutely!  The authors’ personal feelings, thoughts and experiences can be applied to a metaphorical spiritual journalling while traveling in the Celtic lands if you take the exercises and apply them to the sites you wish to experience. And with planning and forethought one could potentially set up an entire “Druidic or Irish” journey and plan writing activities at each site, imbuing the energy and mystery of the places into your own writing and self journey.

I will use the ideas in this book as part of my own process to learn more of myself and my path. A few of the exercises, even in their Egyptian context, led to some interesting insights.

I recommend this book for anyone who would like to see Egypt through a writer’s passionate gaze or as a guide for looking into the journey of spiritual writing regardless of your path. This book is an excellent guide for basic layouts for writing and as such I will continue to work with. The writers share some deep and truly beautiful insights into the land of the Scribes of Egypt. Come join them, take a beautiful journey and then embark upon your own Spiritual Initiatory Journaling experience.

Invoking the Scribes of Ancient Egypt: The Initiatory Path of Spiritual Journaling
Paperback: 336 pages
Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Publisher: Bear & Company; Original edition (October 28, 2011)
ISBN-10: 159143128X
ISBN-13: 978-1591431282
List: $18.00 – Amazon: $11.53 – Kindle $9.90