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 The Modern Day Alchemist I’m in very good company in the pages of the upcoming “Modern Day Alchemist.” My fellow contributers include Nicki Scully, John Anthony West, Christian Bernard and Normandi Ellis, among others. A few of my chapters have been previously published here in Spirit Quest World, so I thought I’d share them with you: A Remarkable Encounter in Heathrow
A silent black & white film of the pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, Egypt from award-winning amateur filmmaker John V. Hansen’s travel footage, c. 1926-1930. The Pyramids at Giza are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are the only site from the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” list that are still in existence, and are an Honorary Candidate of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” The film clip is from the Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution collection of historical moving images. 
Cairo’s infamous “City of the Dead” is a centuries old cemetery that has become home to as many as 5 million Egyptians during the last decades. The buildings in the cemetery are like full-blown houses and the cemetery has long had mosques, school and markets. “The historic belief in Egypt is that the cemeteries are an active part of the community and not exclusively for the dead. Egyptians have not so much thought of cemeteries as a place of the dead, but rather a place where life Continue reading A Visit to Cairo’s City of the Dead [ November 8, 2009; 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. ] Join me on Sunday November 8th, from 4pm to 5:30pm, at the Theosophical Society of Seattle for a new talk on travel and spirituality called “The Secret Alchemy of Travel.” Theosophical Society of Seattle After more than a decade traveling to the world’s most sacred places, Greg has realized that, far from Continue reading The Secret Alchemy of Travel [ October 14, 2009; 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. ] A&I Photography Hollywood Few things are as alluring, or seem as glamorous, as travel photography. From lush tropical jungles to windswept deserts and glorious ruins, travel photography promises adventure and immersion in exotic lands for both the photographer and their audience. But how do you get started? Continue reading El Nur: Capturing the Light of Foreign Lands On our last trip we docked near a small village in upper Egypt and went into the town (this is one of the advantages to sailing on a private dahabeya) where we ran across a wedding celebration. The local woman were dancing in the streets and they just spontaneously invited us to join them. It Continue reading HD Video: Wedding Celebration, Egyptian Village near Kom Ombo Here’s a 7 minute promo video about our private luxury Nile cruise-ship “The Afandina.” Spirit Quest Tours’ next three trips will feature this incredible experience. Continue reading Video: The Afandina There’s a very nice interview with me about all aspects of spiritual travel in Circles of Light. Take a look: Continue reading A new interview in “Circles of Light” [ July 25, 2009; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. ] Saturday July 25th 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon Savvy Traveler Savvy Traveler Web Site At first blush you want to ask: what do China and Egypt have to do with one another? But further investigation reveals two of the Continue reading World’s Greatest Ancient Empires: China and Egypt – Presentation: Savvy Traveler in Edmonds, WA – July 25, 2009 I’ve had the great fortune of visiting this remarkable tomb several times. It’s normally closed and off limits, but I’ve been lucky enough to take groups inside it. Continue reading Zahi Hawass Inside the Mysterious Tunnel in the Tomb of Seti I Here’s another great little treasure from the immensely talented Paulo Coelho, that he’s made freely available to everyone. It’s called “Statutes for Life.” Continue reading Paulo Coelho’s Statutes For Life Here’s a wonderful short gem from Paulo Coelho – that in his typical generous manner he’s made freely available to all. It’s called “The Manual for Climbing Mountains” (even though I don’t think it actually has much to do with mountains). Continue reading Paulo Coelho’s Manual for Climbing Mountains This has long been one of my favorite sacred texts. Not only the pure sound of the Aramaic language, but the meaning of it as well. I grew up with a very different version in my head (as many of us did, I guess) and the differences between that, and this, are pretty profound. And Continue reading Abwoon D’Bashmaya – The Lords Prayer in Aramaic Here’s a terrific article on travel wellness by Spirit Quest Tours alumnus, and veteran world traveler, our dear friend Amy Mosher. Enjoy! Continue reading Eat, Pray, Puke? How To Be Healthy, Not Hurling, While Overseas “Historically, sound has been used as a means of spiritual awakening and to utilize the vibrations to resonate certain deep inner places and states within the seeker in a way that typical language cannot.” Continue reading RockOm interview with David Newman on Sacred Sound Where is the ONE place on the planet you would choose to go before your died? If you could only pick one place to visit – where is that, and why? It’s kind of a “desert island” question. I know – it sucks only being able to choose Continue reading Spirit Quest-ions: where is the one place you want to visit? An unedited clip shot at a friend’s stall in the “Alley of the Tentmakers.” Continue reading HD Video from Spirit Quest: The Alley of the Tent Makers Easter is not complete without loving the one who made it possible—Judas. Forgiveness becomes possible when we transcend appearances and realize that those people who represent the Judases in our lives and those qualities within ourselves that seem to have betrayed us have been the divine process growing us into Christs. It’s all Love. Continue reading A remarkable encounter in Heathrow: The Essence of Forgiveness Here’s an awesome piece of video – it’s period footage from Egypt circa 1932. Continue reading AMAZING period footage from Egypt, 1932. [ March 1, 2009; ] Wadi Natron is the center of Coptic Monasticism in Egypt and one of, if not the, earliest homes to Christianity. The name means "Valley of Natron" or "Valley of the minerals." Natron salts were used for the preparation of mummies during the pharaonic period. Christianity was brought to the valley by St. Mark during the Continue reading Images from Wadi Natron, Egypt There’s a wonderful new interview with Paul Coelho that’s just been published in The Guardian. Continue reading An interview with Paul Coelho: Author of “The Alchemist” About this talk Continue reading Video: A.J. Jacobs on his year of living biblically Here’s a wonderful TED talk video from Robert Thurman. I had dinner with Bob (some years ago, now) – he had steak, wine, brandy & cigars. I remember we discussed the point at which an animal or plant’s level of consciousness becomes an impediment to eating it. It was fascinating. I was also at a taping of the Continue reading Video: Robert Thurman on becoming the Buddha About this talk Continue reading Video: Karen Armstrong’s charter for compassion [ April 6, 2009 8:00 pm to April 9, 2009 8:00 pm. ] I’m headed to New York the week before Easter so that my daughter, Leslie, can check out the conservatory she just got accpted to (yes, I am proud poppa): The New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts.
While I’m there I’m hoping to have a chance to revisit a couple of modern urban sanctuaries that I’m really partial to: Continue reading Headed to New York in April What is the appropriate behavior for a man or a woman in the midst of this world, where each person is clinging to his piece of debris? What’s the proper salutation between people as they pass each other in this flood? -Buddha Shakyamuni Just before this last Christmas I flew from Los Angeles to Seattle to spend the holiday with my family. A sudden snowstorm closed the airport in Seattle and forced our diversion to Spokane, which ironically was itself sitting under 3 and half feet of snow, but where the airport was at least open. The scene at the airport was a kind of panicked chaos. It was now well past midnight and the tiny airport was overwhelmed with rerouted travelers from up and down the West coast. There were no facilities, no food, not much information, and many unhappy Continue reading Lessons from the Road: Hipless in Seattle Here’s a brief handheld POV clip, shot with a pretty crappy camera, of worshipers streaming into (and out of) Besakih Temple on the slopes of Mt. Agung, in Bali Continue reading HD Video from Spirit Quest: Besakih Temple, Bali Indonesia This is the first entry in a periodic series about the temples of the “Sacred Balinese Mandala.” Today we begin with the center, the heart, the most revered of all nine temples: Besakih. Continue reading Balinese Temples: Besakih – The Mother I don’t know much more about this than that it’s from a 30 episode Arabic language TV series. It look pretty good – in a slightly Cecile B. DeMille way. Continue reading Video: The Sword of God Wow. Now this is an amazing story. Talk about travel with a higher purpose: these three people are traveling more than 600 miles over three months, in the most extreme and dangerous condition you can imagine, in order to measure the polar ice cap. Here are three videos: two interviews with the leaders and overview of the Continue reading Video: Interview with Ann Daniels of the Catlin Arctic Survey [ March 1, 2009; ] HD video from the Cathedral of Deir Anba Bishoy in Wadi Natrun. A Coptic priest performs a portion of the liturgy during preparations for the communion service. This was part of the “transubstantiation” as the wine and bread are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. The big “bundle” in the center of the altar contains Continue reading HD Spirit Quest Video: Coptic Liturgy at the Cathedral of Deir Anba Bishoy [ March 9, 2009; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. ] This intriguing lecture will include sites in Bali, England, France, Eastern Europe, Hawaii, America, Egypt, the Sinai and the Holy Land. Topics will include geomancy and earth energies, sacred architecture and geometry, solar and stellar alignments, psychology, spirituality, religion, the alchemy of travel, quantum mechanics and some fascinating new discoveries about the science and psychology of Sacred Places. Please join Greg Roach, founder of Spirit Quest Tours, for an entertaining and compelling tour with beautiful pictures and fascinating details. Continue reading Sacred Sites Throughout the World – Presentation: Distant Lands in Pasadena, CA – March 9, 2009 Remember that trippy new-age song from the show “Hair” about the dawning of the age of Aquarius? Well, turns out it didn’t just rhyme. We are moving into the beginning of that Zodiacal age, and this Saturday the Moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars. Ring a Continue reading The Age of Aquarius Begins Here’s a video podcast of the inimitable Mr. Cleese making fun of standard issue tour Continue reading John Cleese Taking the Piss out of Tour Guides There are 9 “directional” temples that cover Bali. These temples are each dedicated to a different deity from the Balinese Hindu Pantheon. In addition each temple (and direction) is associated with a color, a weapon (or ritual object), a sound, a written symbol and a part of the body. This is also called “nawa sanga” (both “nawa” Continue reading The Balinese Sacred Mandala Pilgrimage [ February 13, 2009 to February 28, 2009. ] I’m just about to leave for Egypt: Spirit Quest is leading “The Spirit of Moses” for two weeks. Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Philae, Kom Ombo, Luxor, Karnak, Dendarah, Abydos, Edfu, Sakkara, Giza, Wadi Feran, Mt. Moses, St. Catherine’s Monastery. I am so EXCITED about this trip. We’ll doing a spiritual pilgrimage through Egypt and to Sinai, sailing the Nile Continue reading A Trip to Egypt: The Spirit of Moses Here’s an article that talks about some of the unusual acoustical properties discovered at Stonehenge. Those of you have ever been to an Egyptian temple or a European cathedral will find this familiar and interesting. And given what’s been learned about the acoustic oddities found in sites like Newgrange, this comes as little surprise. Take a look: Continue reading RaveHenge I’ve been recently reminded again of the great genius that is constantly at work behind the everyday events that seem, at first blush, to be accidental. Continue reading Happenstance, Coincidence and the Divine Mind I expect that by now many of you have seen the “Where the Hell is Matt” video – but it’s worth spreading the meme further. It’s terrific – Matt both lives in Seattle and worked in, then left, the videogame business. Even Continue reading Now THIS guy is on a Spirit Quest! [ February 8, 2009 to February 13, 2009. ] I’m taking a trip to Israel between February 8th and February 13th. I won’t get up to the north and the area around Galilee (which I love) or to Tsfat (one of the four Judaic holy cities and a center of the Kabbalah) but it will be great to return to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and En Continue reading A trip to Israel in February (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Dead Sea) During our last tour, with Houston Baptist University, I ran into my friend Robert Bauval over breakfast at the Mena House and he reminded about a spectacular phenomenon: the “solar rebirth” at the Temple of Karnak in Luxor which occurs at dawn on the morning of the winter solstice. I was familiar with this, but Continue reading Karnak Temple at Dawn Near the Winter Solstice Here’s a Flickr slideshow of some new shots of Luxor Temple (shot during Spirit Quest Tour’s recent HBU trip to Egypt and the Continue reading New Photos of Luxor Temple Check out our interactive flash magazine: http://www.traveletvemagazine.com/emagazines/spiritquest/ The folks at travel ETV magazine did a BEAUTIFUL job for Continue reading Spirit Quest Interactive Magazine Now Online [ January 24, 2009; 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. ] This intriguing lecture will include sites in Bali, England, France, Eastern Europe, Hawaii, America, Egypt, the Sinai and the Holy Land. Topics will include geomancy and earth energies, sacred architecture and geometry, solar and stellar alignments, psychology, spirituality, religion, the alchemy of travel, quantum mechanics and some fascinating new discoveries about the science and psychology of Sacred Places. Please join Greg Roach, founder of Spirit Quest Tours, for an entertaining and compelling tour with beautiful pictures and fascinating details. Continue reading Sacred Sites Throughout the World – Presentation: Savvy Traveler in Edmonds, WA – January 24, 2009 I have visited an awful lot of unique and unusual sites over the years, but rarely have I seen a place that is simultaneously as unassuming, and as evocative, as “Inscription Canyon.” Located deep in the Mojave Desert north of Barstow, California, you have to be willing to do some 4 wheeling in order to Continue reading Petroglyphs in Inscription Canyon For the last eleven years in Egypt, independent travel to places like Abydos or Denderah was forbidden by the government. Numerous cities could only be visited by tourists who traveled together in armed convoys. Happily this decade-long restriction has been lifted. This might seem like ironic news in light of the recent horrific events in Continue reading Tourism as an Act of Bravery Here’s a wonderful video from National Geographic about the New Alexandria Library. I had the great good-fortune to be invited by UNESCO to present a paper at the library’s grand opening back in 2001. It’s an amazing structure that rivals anything found in Europe or America. We always try and add the library (and Alex) to our Spirit Quest Tours Egyptian Continue reading NG VIDEO: Biblioteca Alexandria I ran across this very nice introduction to Egypt from National Geographic. These are all sites we visit on a Spirit Quest Tours trip – but we do them PRIVATELY!!! Imagine Continue reading NG VIDEO: Destination Egypt This detailed presentation will offer an in-depth examination of the many facts, mysteries and anomalies surrounding the Great Pyramid and other structures on Egypt’s Giza Continue reading Mysteries of Giza – Presentation: Bodhi Tree, LA – November 9th, 2008 Here’s a video slide-show of hundreds of beautiful shots from our recent “Sacred Mandala Pilgrimage” to Continue reading Video from Spirit Quest Tours: The Spirit of Bali I’ve just discovered a terrific video streaming/sharing technology for HD video called Vimeo. Since we’re shooting and editing in High Definition these days I was extremely happy to find something that it offered much better quality than Google or You Tube (all the way up to streaming HD), and I decided to repost the “Spirit of Egypt” video using Continue reading HD Video from Spirit Quest Tours: The Spirit of Egypt Friday, October 10th – 7pm This presentation will preview, through dozens of photos and the accompanying lecture by Greg Roach, founder of Spirit Quest Tours, the upcoming HBU-sponsored trip to Egypt, where we will delve deeply into these influences to create an experience that is provocative, enlightening and Continue reading Trip Overview – The Spirit of Ancient Egypt – HBU – October 10 Beautiful images from Egypt: the people, the cities, the land, the temples and the Continue reading Video: The Spirit of Egypt I think the best place to start is with my late adolescence – around age 10 or so. That’s when I first pursued an independent path of spiritual exploration. I was raised as a tepid Episcopalian. We hit church for all the biggies: Xmas, Easter, funerals, etc. But God didn’t intrude much beyond Continue reading Divide by Zero: A Spiritual Autobiography of Greg Roach Presentation about Spirit Quest Tours upcoming “Spirit of Moses” trip to Egypt and the Sinai – featuring 4 star accommodations, private temple and site visits (including a private visit to the Great Pyramid and Sphinx), a deluxe Nile cruise and much Continue reading Spirit Quest Tours: The Spirit of Moses A quick googling of “Spirit Guides” returns well over a million results. Just about every spiritual tradition on the planet embraces the idea of some form of spirit guide: whether they’re called angels, devas or ascended masters. And I have to say that I’ve had my share of experiences with these “non-embodied” helpers. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m referring to the real-life, flesh-and-blood, currently incarnated kind of “spirit” guides without whom meaningful experience, if not useful access, at sacred sites would be a lot harder to come by. All over the world I have consistently found myself dependent upon, and deeply blessed by, the kindness of strangers who would become Continue reading Spirit Guides: Bali, Egypt and Europe This detailed presentation will offer an in-depth examination of the many facts, mysteries and anomalies surrounding the Great Pyramid and other structures on Egypt’s Giza plateau. From the startling acoustic properties of the King’s Chamber to the controversies surrounding the age of the Sphinx, this remarkable site is a welter of mysteries that have fascinated and confounded humanity for millennia. Greg Roach will share an overview of some of what he’s learned through more than 10 years of travel to this amazing Continue reading Mysteries of Giza – Presentation: Theosophical Society, Seattle- September 21st, 2008 This FREE 90 minute workshop will offer a fascinating glimpse into the profound spiritual genius of the ancient Egyptians: using stunning photographs, maps, music, sound and story to transport you back thousands of years to the pinnacle of the Ancient world. Greg Roach, the founder of Spirit Quest Tours, will share with you his experiences and discoveries from a decade of travel to this beguiling and mysterious land. If you’ve ever been drawn to Egypt, please join us as we take you on a virtual journey to the roots of our civilization and Continue reading Sacred Egypt – Free Presentation: East West Books, Seattle – September 23rd, 2008 Here’s a video overview of one of our upcoming trips to Egypt – The Spirit of Ancient Egypt – with Houston Baptist University. Visit the site for this Continue reading Trip Overview: The Spirit of Ancient Egypt In upper Egypt there’s a temple dedicated to Hathor at Dendarah. It’s a remarkable site. While the current temple is Ptolemaic (i.e. very late in Egyptian history) it’s built on, and contains, elements from much, much earlier Continue reading The Mystery at Dendarah Two recent news stories – from very different parts of the world – help to confirm what we’ve known for a very long time: namely that sound was an integral part of ancient spiritual practices and that resonance was a key technology that was recognized, understood, and used, by the Continue reading The Use of Sound in Ancient Rituals As you would expect, there’s a never ending stream of discoveries coming out of Egypt. Here are a few of the Continue reading NEWS BRIEF: Recent Archeological Discoveries in Egypt The Balinese practice a unique form of the Hindu religion that they call Agama Hindu Dharma, which is something of an amalgam of “traditional” Hinduism, Buddhism, animism, ancestor worship, Zen and perhaps even a little Shinto. We in the West tend to think of Hinduism as a form of polytheism, but this is Continue reading Balinese Hinduism: Generator, Operator, Destroyer SACRED EGPYT: Mystery Schools and Spiritual Science Continue reading Sacred Egypt – Presentation: Theosophical Society in Seattle Practically everywhere you look in Bali you will see offerings made to the Divine: flowers, rice, leaves, food, candy, and even a little money. The tiniest offering is a delicate little cone made from banana leaves and flowers (it looks just like a sushi hand-roll), while the largest and most elaborate will be as tall as a Continue reading Balinese Offerings You can find the most amazing and beautiful things in Bali: from 12 foot carved stone Buddhas to the tiniest, most delicate silver filigree work – and everything in between. It’s all of the highest quality and the lowest Continue reading 10 for the price of 1: The Arts in Bali The average Balinese will, between birth and adulthood, pass through a whole series of ceremonies that ritually mark, and celebrate, the various stages of human progress. One of the most elaborate and important is the “matatah” or tooth filing ceremony. The optimal age range for tooth filing is generally considered to be between 6 and 18 years old – but even the elderly will have it Continue reading Balinese Tooth Filing The Balinese can be called by 6 different names: personal names, birth order names, kinship, teknonyms, caste names and public job Continue reading 2 of 6: Balinese Naming Our Balinese friends and guides, Yenta and Darta, often joke about “rubber” time in Bali (that’s one of the great things about our friends at Tour East – they’re always on time). But it’s not surprising that time would be perceived a little differently in Bali than here in the States. The Balinese use three different calendars at the same Continue reading Balinese Rubber Time SACRED EGPYT: Mystery Schools and Spiritual Science Continue reading Sacred Egypt workshop at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore |
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