Echoes of the Eternal: My Journey Through Egyptian Sacred Architecture

In a previous blog post, I delved into the substantial impact René Schwaller de Lubicz has had on modern esoteric thinking about ancient Egypt. His profound insights and scholarly work opened a new window through which we could view the ancient Egyptian mindset and its manifestation in sacred architecture.

As I reflect on the mysteries of Egyptian sacred architecture, I am constantly reminded of the deeper truths that de Lubicz unveiled. Through the time I have spent in temples such as at Abydos and Philae, together with my own research, I’ve come to appreciate the ancient Egyptians' structures as not just physical edifices but as embodiments of metaphysical principles. They stand as silent narrators telling a story of a people who understood the cosmos in ways that we are only beginning to grasp again.

In May 2018 I was lucky enough to spend ten consecutive days, meditating in the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, for hours at a time, each day. Abydos is my personal favourite place in Egypt, and like Patricia Cory and Omm Sety before me, I have come to realise what a truly magical place that temple is.

Through my experiences in Abydos, and inspired by the works of de Lubicz, I’ve recognised that Egyptian temples were meticulously designed as microcosmic reflections of the macrocosm. Each temple I've had the privilege of walking through resonated with the idea of 'symbolique'—the belief that every aspect of the temple, from the orientation to the proportions, is a symbol encoding esoteric wisdom.

In the past, I shared how de Lubicz’s 15-year study of the Temple of Luxor influenced my perspective on the intentionality behind sacred architecture. I echo his belief that the Egyptians used architecture to harmonise the human experience with the principles of the universe, a concept he termed the 'doctrine of the Anthropocosmos'. This doctrine places humanity at the centre of a sacred geometry that mirrors the cosmos itself, where the design of the temple could elevate the human consciousness to divine heights.

Influenced by de Lubicz, I’ve also come to see how John Anthony West expanded on these esoteric principles (“The Serpent in the Sky”). He argued, and I have come to agree, that the temples were an environment designed to initiate and transition the soul—a threshold between worlds that could transform the spiritual state of the seeker. West taught us to read the language of symbols, a language that conveys eternal truths about existence. I recommend simply taking time to meditate on Hieroglyphic symbols that draw you to them, and see what insights you get. There are many layers of meaning encoded into these symbols that start to reveal themselves as you open yourself up to them.

Many years ago, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and I had a long discussion around the ancient Egyptians practising acoustic alchemy within these stone sanctuaries. Like the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, I am convinced that these spaces were engineered to create a resonance with the very vibrations of life—a testament to the ancient knowledge of sound’s power to transform consciousness.

The journey along the temple axis, which I have traversed both physically and metaphorically, is a path that mirrors the soul's journey. It guides us from the profane towards the sacred, moving us closer to the divine presence that resides in the innermost chambers of the temple—and within ourselves.

In my explorations of light and shadow within these sacred spaces, I've experienced the divine play of hierophany (manifestation of the sacred). These moments of celestial illumination, where statues of gods were brought to life by the sun's rays, have left an indelible mark on my understanding of the Egyptians' use of natural phenomena to express metaphysical concepts. At the right time, this can be seen today both in the Temple of Abu Simbel and in the Sanctuary of Sekhmet at Karnak.

My studies, which have been greatly informed by de Lubicz's interpretation of harmony and proportion, reveal that the Egyptians may have encoded the very fabric of life into their architecture through sacred geometry. I have come to understand that these principles reflect a cosmic order that is not only aesthetically pleasing but vibrates with the essence of life itself.

De Lubicz and West have shown me that to truly connect with the wisdom of the ancients, we must see beyond the stone and mortar and into the profound spiritual knowledge that these monuments were designed to convey. It is a journey I am still on, and I invite you, to join me in unraveling the sacred tapestry of ancient Egyptian thought—one temple, one symbol, one revelation at a time.