Regular visitor to Egypt Jo Buchanan is used to well laid plans going awry. But the prophetic date of 11.11.11 posed a unique challenge.

“Experience Egypt in ways that normal tourists never do - join us in meditations and private ceremonies in some of the most amazing locations on the planet, including inside the Great Pyramid on 11:11:11.”

That's what our website announced, describing an upcoming tour to Egypt. In the 16 years I have been escorting groups to Egypt, we have always included a meditation inside the Great Pyramid. The privilege has always been voted the highlight of our tours. But this trip would be different. We would be inside on 11:11:11.

Seventeen of us set off from Australia on October 31 and right from the start began receiving unexpected gifts from the Universe. Due to our tour guide Sarwat's friendship with archaeologists working on a newly excavated temple, we were granted permission to visit the restricted site.

Walking through the outer compound, we marvelled at piles of ancient clay urns. We entered a crypt in which wall murals retained their original, exquisite colour due to protection from air and sunlight for thousands of years. And unbelievably, we were given permission to take photographs, as long as we didn't use a flash.

One evening we descended underground, into the tomb of Ramses V1 in the Valley of the Kings for a Planetary Healing meditation and past life regression.

When we emerged two hours later, it was to discover that an enormous ring had been formed around the moon. The only other time I have witnessed such a phenomenon was on the first trip to Egypt 16 years ago after doing a planetary healing inside the Great Pyramid.

We visited the Temple of Isis in pre-dawn darkness to participate in a Dawn Ceremony and at Karnak Temple in Luxor, granted individual private time inside Sekhmet's Sanctuary for personal meditation.

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Welcome to 2012!

By the time you read this issue, the clock will have struck midnight once again on New Year's Eve and we'll be embarking on a new year of challenge and opportunity. My Scottish grandmother used to love the custom of "first footing" where crossing the threshold of neighbours' homes as soon as the New Year strikes brings bountiful good luck - and loads of good cheer!

And even though we celebrate in quieter style these days, her girlish sense of excitement, and my mother's too, still stays with me. Hogmanay was something special in our home, the hilarious highlight of the year.

So much has been prophesised for 2012 that this New Year just has to be a standout. It reminds me a little of the turn of the millennium when the world was meant to collapse into chaos because of the 'millennium bug'.

Remember that strangely silent little creature? We were in India at the time, holding our breath as the countdown began. We all know that in India anything can happen! But as it transpired, the only bug in the system was the fireworks display at our hotel that spluttered and died and the other little bug in our son's tummy that reduced his celebrations to a bowl of boiled rice.

As we soon realised, India was the very best place to be just in case any major system malfunctioned because that was almost a daily event! The evening ritual of the 7pm blackout followed five minutes later by the generator cranking into action comes to mind. Every hiccup was overcome with a shake of the head and that amazing Indian resourcefulness. I'm sure it's different now but hopefully that unflappability remains.

In our theme of Learning this month, we've taken a broad brush approach as some very powerful stories have come our way. The state of our major river systems is a national tragedy, yet despite the obvious need for urgent action we're floundering.

Internationally respected water authority Professor Jorg Imberger from the University of Western Australia has contributed a thought provoking article that looks in depth at the Swan-Canning river system but also has implications for all our estuarine rivers.

It's not shallow (pardon the pun) but anything worthwhile rarely is...

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by Nova Editor
Margaret Evans