Daughter of Isis, Lilian Nirupa [books to get back into reading .txt] 📗

not speak until everyone left the room? Lizla was puzzled and genuinely scared now. She tried to meditate but her mind was too agitated.
She went back to her astrological chart and tried to remember what Ra-Ta has said about her cycles. They had not studied cycles in school yet; Suryananda mentioned that they would be taught later in the year, so she had to rely on her memory from Ra-Ta’s reading.
How she loved Ra-Ta! She had been introduced to the mysteries by him; he was her Guru, Astrologer, teacher and guide. And the priests of Amon-Ra were the most trusted advisors of Pharaoh. If Ra-Ta went to Thebes and returned with bad news, it might mean that the whole country could be in danger, not to mention her family.
Her current life cycles were: Jupiter / Rahu, she remembered. Ra-Ta had also said that she had three years more to finish her Jupiter cycle. She figured that would coincide with her Temple education. Then the Saturn cycle would come, a long cycle of 19 years. She also knew her Saturn was in the sixth house: work, enemies, war, healing and service. That was exactly what the Goddess had said too. That was what she felt that afternoon in the Nile.
That contemplation calmed her down a little. Maybe disaster was coming, but it was written, so the Gods would be in control. Ra-Ta had told her once in a rare moment of tender sympathy – as he was always more severe, like the stern servant of the God Sun-RA –that she had many gifts, but her most precious gift was faith. Lizla inwardly prayed to Isis to give her faith. But no sooner had she closed her eyes that she felt a knock at the door of her room.
Lizla was apprehensive about answering, but then she heard the sweet voice of Iris, the youngest of the Isis priestesses that had been assigned as one of her pages. “Are you awake my princess?”
Lizla answered dreamingly, “Please come in.”
But the expression in Iris face was not comforting as her usually sunny smile was replaced by a look of fear and her voice had a grave tone. Iris said, “My princess; a palanquin awaits you outside. Here is the message.”
And she stood besides the blond young man who seemed to be waiting for a reply. As Lizla looked at him, he bowed deeply with that mocking attitude that foreigners often expressed in the presence of Egyptian royalty.
“Savages,” Lizla said and immediately she felt ill at ease. “Poor man, “she mused “he is probably hungry and tired.” Turning to Iris, Lizla said with an air of disdainful indifference, “Has this man being offered refreshment?”
The young man smiled and answered coldly but politely with an even deeper bow, “I have been helped madam.”
Without looking at him, Lizla addressed Iris, “Please call Manu, he will escort me,” and she opened the message roll. It only contained a brief message. “Please meet me at the Temple of Love school back entrance and tell no one where you are going; just bring Manu.” Lizla could not help a fast smile as she recognized both her beloved mentor’s Ra-Ta writing style and the familiar caring thought for her personal safety.
With a cold but serene look and a reassuring node of approval, Lizla announced to both Iris and the young messenger, “We will leave at once. Just leave me alone for a minute.” Then Lizla started refreshing her make-up and combing her hair. She had not seen her master for a long time.
Then she immediately reproached herself. Could she be so irresponsible to worry about beauty at a time like this? “But beauty is close the center of the Temple of Love teachings, isn’t it? Will they be able to preserve it through crisis?” she thought almost absent-mindedly as she followed the slave who was doing his best to cover the lantern with a green shade while looking around him with both fear and suspicion....
Lizla wondered what the changes could be in the sacred secluded garden of the Temple of Isis compound, in case of an emergency. Then she remembered Isis’s words and the letter as she pressed on, following the slave to the underground entrance behind a flowering orange tree.
The entrance led to a dark corridor with lamps fueled by olive oil and barley showing the presence of the large doors on both sides. They looked like servants’ quarters. Was Ra-Ta there? Finally they arrived at one door that said in red hieroglyphics over a white frame, Healing and Operating Room.
Lizla’s heart jumped. Ra-Ta was in a hospital!
The slave knocked on the door quietly three times.
“Who moves?”
But Lizla ignored the question. With an impervious gesture from her small jeweled hand, she commanded the guard to step aside and let them in.
Ra-Ta looked tired and his skin had a greenish look, reflecting the dangerous journey and the last couple of sleepless nights. His eyes shone when he saw Lizla coming, but even then, a shadow of worry drew a frown upon his forehead.
Lizla bowed to her teacher, who quickly took her hands in his and bowed back. Her heart almost stopped as she stood up looking with concern at the hint of pain and foreboding she saw in her teacher’s eyes. Ra-Ta made a sign to his assistants to leave. Immediately they both responded, bringing their right hand over their chests in a sign of obedience, as they bowed and left.
Lizla was puzzled and immediately curious, but waited to be addressed by her teacher, as was the custom.
Ra-Ta smiled softly and said, “My beloved Princess, thank you for coming in the middle of the night. I hope you forgive me, but what we have to discuss is urgent.”
Lizla nodded assenting to the unnecessary explanation. “Of course, but please tell me how are you? I have received this letter from you and then several distressing reminders...”
Ra-Ta’s face was briefly lifted up with a sad smile. “Please sit down, there is much to discuss and we do not have much time.”

Lizla wanted to say that she suspected the urgency when they were meeting in the middle of the night like this, but she nodded and sat down quietly.

“I was on my way to Thebes for some Temple business after my short retreat so I have not seen you. How are you? Have you started the Temple of Love classes? I barely made the initial ceremony.” Ra-Ta was impeccably polite as always, so Lizla was happy but not surprised that he was withholding his urgent news and first attending to his duties as a teacher and mentor.

“My beloved teacher. Much has happened and yes I did miss you! I felt your presence and guidance from far away, but how I wished I could discuss some things, but please, first tell me, are you all right? I have been having these ominous dreams and visions; the last one included you.”

Lizla’s anxious voice brought a deeper smile to Ra-Ta’s face and he bent to hold her hand in support. “My dear Princess, please tell me about it; I am sure our experiences are related.”

Lizla described her descent into the lower platform of the Eastern Front of the Isis Temple and her brief but overwhelming encounter with Horus, and the strange story of Mikos and his engraved ancient coin. Ra-Ta frowned upon it, but signaled her to continue. Lizla related then her encounter with Psusennes, and his confirmation of the rumors she had heard from Princess Lillie and the Persian mysterious voice.

“Which rumors and which friends of Lillie? She entertains many visitors...” Ra-Ta frowned deeper this time.

“Well, it was just after the eclipse, the day that Ketu went over Ra, when Suryananda, our astrology teacher, said that the eclipse meant a temporary setback of the Pharaoh’s forces in Aswan, but that eventually the Egyptian forces would triumph.”

Ra-Ta made a gesture of recognition, Ah! The eclipse, how come he did not think about that? This time he felt irritated with himself. It had happened again; whenever he got distracted with government affairs, his scholarly duties suffered. He should have been there to protect Lizla and train her in the rules of cosmic protection.

“Oh my dear Princess, you went through all that alone? What else did he say and what happened to you?”

Lizla tried to reassure him. She was not alone anymore and felt protected in the Temple. She answered quite assuredly, “My revered master, I feel protected here and the training I got from you was a great guidance to understand and study Suryananda’s classes, as well as Princes Ishtar-la’s classes.” Lizla could not avoid a tinge of pride, as she thought over his introduction to the Temple of Love’s first lesson.

Ra-Ta held both his hands in his lap and smiled to himself. “Venus in Leo, the true heart of a queen...” Then he replied, “Of course my Princess, you have been selected to this training because of your gifts and destiny. You also have the protection of the Gods, although you seemed to have been afraid of Horus, why? Did he look threatening to you?”

Lizla tried to remember. “No, it was that his pyramid was made of a blue light, and I could go in without problem, but Mikos was kept outside. He said it was like an electric current, like the one in the fountain.”

Ra-Ta raised his eyebrows. Mikos was a Greek boy; the electric properties of the fountain were a secret of the Egyptian initiates.

Lizla reassured him as she continued, “Mikos has an Indian Guru, he was an Initiate.”

Ra-Ta signaled her to continue. “And then what happened?”

“Well, the pyramid’s blue light turned to red. When I went inside it, it seemed to palpitate like a heart, then a blue eye stood in the middle. I remember that I closed my eyes because I was so afraid; also my own heart seemed to stop, so I was truly terrified. When I finally opened my eyes, the blue light was back and someone touched my shoulder. I was told I lost consciousness. Next thing I remember, Mikos was shaking me up and we ran back to the platform.”

In spite of his age and wisdom, Ra-Ta could not contain his surprise and admiration, and he was also trying to hide a bemused smile at his disciple’s need to control her emotions to such an extreme. He said, “Oh my dear princess, once again you have been truly blessed! What a grace-filled experience! One that many wise men would dream about. Lord Horus was showing you the way to your own heart. That is why it felt like yours had stopped. But at that point, your mind intervened and in trying to understand, that is to control the situation, you closed your eyes and it disappeared. It was your Ka who touched you on your shoulder. Remember that from our desert classes?”

Lizla assented, a bit ashamed now. Such a beautiful and rare experience and she had ruined it with her need to control everything. The anxiety of the day made her feel especially despondent. “Oh my beloved Master, you are wasting your time and wisdom on me with my foolish ways, and maybe even attracting the wrath of the Gods.” Lizla’s eyes were full of tears.

“Oh my Princess, don’t worry, the Gods understand, but Lord Horus was trying to teach you that the answers to your questions are in your heart, through meditation; did you ask him any questions?”

Lizla remembered. “Yes, I asked him about the meaning of my visions and the engraved ancient coin...”

“Well, that was your answer.” Ra-Ta forgot