The Time Magic Found Me in the Middle of Nowhere
“Like the sails of a ship, once you release the tight grip [you have on your life], you’ll be sailing off ever so gracefully,” Emilia*, the tarot card reader said as we sat in a traditional Siwi mud-house. “Mark my word, this is the beginning of your true journey — the start of something big.”
It’s easy to yearn for magic in your life, but unless you’re strolling down Diagon Alley, you won’t find it behind a window shop with neon lights that read ‘Magic for Everyone’. More often than not, it hides in the simplest places, only revealing itself to those who genuinely seek it out.
As I set out on a six-week-journey to Siwa — an oasis in the heart of Egypt’s western desert — to explore its indigenous Tamazight culture, little did I know that I was about to venture on a voyage through the psychic realms of my soul, transcending the pragmatic vicinity of my intellect. But in order to do so, I had to find the right mentors — or let’s say, they found me.
Despite the recent changes that have taken over the oasis, it still serves as sanctuary for those who yearn to explore all that is metaphysical; those who seek the truth.
“We all end up here somehow,” said Seif*, one of my spiritual mentors, a non-local who came to Siwa 16 years ago.
“Everyone receives their calling to come to Siwa differently,” Emilia added. “But once we arrive, we forever live with the longing to return.”
Although we didn’t spend time brewing potions and casting spells, contemplating matters of the soul, life and death was often our cup of tea, and it was as magical. However, as interesting as it was hanging out with a psychic crowd, it was rather scary to know how exposed my soul was.
“You’re a strong woman, but I know you’re not as tough as you portray yourself to be,” Seif said as he continued to challenge the image I’d created of myself. “Your true strength lies in embracing your vulnerability.”
As our brains dueled for a while, I finally gave up the fight, surrendering to the fact that their insight overpowered my desire to hide. “Stop running away, I’m only here to help you,” he would reassure me.
Just as my soul had started enjoying the coziness of finding home, it was already time to leave.
“You’re on the right path, but you’ve been dormant,” Emilia’s tarot cards said. “Follow your heart, and rest assured that the lights will always be with you for guidance.”
With these words, I summoned the courage to leave against my will, returning to a city that never again felt like home.
*Names have been changed to preserve the anonymity of the real characters
