Shadow of the Sun (The Shadow Saga) (63 page)

Titi: (Tea Tea) Egyptian word for baby steps

Tiy: (Tea) The consort of Ay and Nefertiti’s step-mother

Ti-Yee: (Tye.yee) Translates to She Is The One—Queen of Egypt, Second Chief Wife of Amunhotep III, mother to Akhenaten

Tripartite wig: (Try.part.tight) A wig divided into three parts. Two parts extended behind the ears and down the sides of the face to the front of the body as far as the breasts. A third part went down the back as far as the shoulder blades.

Tushratta: (Toosh.ra.ta) King of Mitanni

Tutankhaten: (Toot.ankh.e.naten) His given name when he was born in Amarna, later became Pharaoh Tut-ankh-Amun

Tutmosis: (Toot.moe.zes) The eldest son of Queen Ti-Yee and Pharaoh Amunhotep III who died mysteriously in a chariot race

Tuya: (Too.ya) Consort of Yuya and mother of Per Aat Ti-Yee

Uraeus: (Your.ay.us) The golden crown with the cobra worn by the Pharaoh upon his brow so it can spit in the eyes of his enemies

Uraretiu: (Ur.rar.too) An initiation given at Heliopolis

Wesir: (Wis.ear) Name for Osiris meaning whole, the title Vizier came from the Turkish word Wassert

Westing: Dying, where the sun sets at night

Withania berries: Ashwagandha (withania somnifera) a medicinal plant is also called winter cherry. The roots, leaves and fruits (berry) possess powerful medicinal cleansing, offers physical energy and is a libido booster.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I
t is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank my mother, Jan, for whetting my thirst for knowledge. The bust she kept on the fireplace mantle of Queen Nefertiti inspired me in my youth. Our frequent trips to the San Jose Rosicrucian Museum fueled my passion for Egypt.

My dear family, you have lovingly allowed me to disappear to pursue my passion and determination to write my first novel. Thank you for giving me the sacred space to create, and for indulging my desire to decorate in the Egyptian style. May the Aten bless you and watch over you always.

Mrs. Barbara Conant, my 6th Grade teacher, for her encouragement in my writing and for having Famous and Unknown Peoples Day. Who doesn’t love to dress up like someone famous?

Thanks to Rollie Melton of the
Nevada State Journal/Reno Evening Gazette
for giving me my first internship and providing an opportunity for a college kid to write feature articles for the Entertainment Section. I’ll never forget his kindness.

A warm hug to Drunvalo Melchizidek and the Flower of Life for confirming that I must write this book and tell my Akhenaten story, and finally reveal the truth.

Sheryl and Dale Fisher, my dear and loving friends, we have traveled to Hawaii, Egypt twice, and Stonehenge, England. I feel blessed to know you and give thanks for your love and support. You have been my cohorts in late night chocolate binges, souk shopping sprees and the search across Cairo for the perfect galabeya.

My special praises for Emil Shaker, Faiti Yehia, Medhat Ahmed and Mohammed Nazmy for creating a tour of a lifetime to Egypt in 2005. My first trip to Amarna made my heart race especially since it was only Carol and I, two tour guides, a driver and six body guards. Saranya Zaveri and the Gaiadon Heart gang—you all make sacred sites so powerful. I am blessed to have traveled with you.

Stephen S. Mehler, you set me on the path with your revolutionary class in Khemitian history and the chance to tour Egypt with your group and meet the legendary Abd’El Hakim Aywan. Yousef, Shahrzad and Moses you welcomed us into your home and healed our souls with your hospitality. Blessings to our extended Khemitian family.

Special thanks to the folks at the Rosicrucian Library for letting me browse through the books and gaze at Nefertiti for an excessive amount of time. The Rosicrucian Museum gave this school kid her start with its Akhenaten and Nefertiti displays.

Mark Makers, you were a great teacher. Thank you for your wisdom and integrity. Go Tarheels.

Theresa Rizzo, you kicked my butt into gear when you gave me those first writing tips. Thanks to The Crested Butte Writers for finaling in The Sandy Awards. You are all great, and the scenery is mind-blowing.

Dr. Ruago Salla, Ph.D.—Thank you for your critique and insights into Egypt and the past. It has been a long time.

Bill Torvund, you chose to make this journey with me, and I thank you with all my heart for your gift of knowledge, patience and demonstration of the mysteries of Khemit. You are remarkable and your heart is pure. Ahu’ana Kamaatiya.

Joyce Tydlesley and Glenn Godenho at the University of Manchester, you are wonderful teachers and I love my Egyptology Studies.

Lorraine Evans and her book Kingdom of the Ark, I can’t thank you enough for your friendship and our shared passion for the profound journey of Merit-Aten.

To my team: Marty Petersen—you literally brought the breath of life into the cover art and gave wings to my vision. You are so talented and your dedication to this project was inspiring. Judith Briles and Author U—I feel so blessed to have met you. You redirected my life and gave me the courage to self-publish and the tools to put it in motion. Jessica Wulf you are an amazing editor and friend. We did the Vulcan mindlink and finished my project in unity around the kitchen table at midnight. Melody Jones—thank you for lifting that technical burden from my shoulders.

To my Friday ladies: Lois, Christine, Johnnie, Christina and Penny— your enduring friendship gives me peace. Thank you for your encouragement to follow my dream. Guess I pulled the right card. To everyone else—you have influenced me and I give thanks.

Merrie P. Wycoff

M
errie’s passion for Egypt was unearthed at the age of ten while on a school field trip to the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, California. Upon first discovering a colossal statue of Pharaoh Akhenaten, she vowed to write his story. Egypt was a long way from California, but the intrigue of mystery and ancient civilizations has stayed with her from her growing up years through today.

Studying both public relations and language, Merrie graduated with a degree in Public Relations and Italian followed with art courses and culture in Florence, Italy—she knew she was destined to dive deeper into history but fate handed her a side trip. Her next stop was at
The Nevada State Journal/Reno Evening Gazette
writing feature stories for the Entertainment Section for a short time before Los Angeles and the beach called to her, landing her dream job at
Entertainment Tonight
where she spent many years as a lead story Segment Producer writing, directing and editing. Merrie met and worked with the Hollywood greats including: Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle and Jimmy Stewart.

Post Hollywood, Egypt wasn’t far away in Merrie’s thoughts. She traveled extensively throughout Egypt, studying with an ancient wisdom keeper and uncovering an entirely unique perspective of the Egyptian culture. She earned her Masters and is finishing her Ph.D. in Comparative Religion, and her Egyptology certificate with the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. Her travels, studies and conversations revealed a breadth of details, mystery and intriguing stories that are woven throughout
Shadows of the Sun
, her first book in a series on ancient Egyptian society and customs and the men and women who created it.

Book Club Questions

1. In the first paragraph Merit-Aten makes a contract prior to her birth. Imagine that you too made a contract that you were expected to fulfill. What would it be?

2. Nefertiti experiences an orgasm during childbirth. Do you believe that is possible? What was your childbirth experience of either giving birth or being birthed? If you are interested in more information on this phenomenon, Google orgasmic childbirth.

3. Great Aunt Sit-Amun is angry that her pure Egyptian lineage to the throne is being usurped by outsiders. How would you feel if you were in her place?

4. The Amunite priesthood controls the economic and political system of Egypt and to overturn that system is to risk being called a heretic or being murdered. Is it worth the risk? Is Egypt’s past similar to what is happening around the world today? Was it wise for Nefertiti and Amunhotep IV (Akhenaten) to build a temple to their sun god Aten, in the midst of the Amun priesthood?

5. Nefertiti explains to Merit-Aten that we used to have 360 senses. Can you name some more senses that we have lost? What do you think about the Nubian stone workers who can lift the stones with sound? Google: Coral Castle

6. Merit-Aten talks to the white cat Asgat at the Temple and they can hear each other’s thoughts. Have you ever had an experience where you could hear your pet’s thoughts? Have you ever tried to communicate with an animal? Give an example if you have.

7. The HeMeti is the woman who has the last word in her house. Are you a HeMeti? Or was your mother?

8. Nefertiti is worried about being middle-aged and upholding her duty to bear more heirs. Why isn’t her husband interested in sexual relations? How does she feel about this?

9. When the Amunite tithe collectors interrogate the family and make threats how would you feel if you were in their place? Do you think this is a fair way for the church to ensure the citizens contributed?

10. What did you think about Sit-Amun and the Hanuti changing the depictions upon the walls to the Aten Temple to make the heads of the royal family elongated? Did you agree that Nefertiti was being vain? Could you allow yourself to be portrayed like that or would vanity or the fear of humiliation make you upset too?

11. When Merit-Aten attended the Pharaoh’s rejuvenation ceremony for the Opet-Festival and his dead mother’s spirit united with the golden stature of Amun…what do you think happened? What was the white liquid that the Pharaoh was required to drink? Pharaoh Amunhotep and King Hatshepsut both invented these creation myths where they claim their mothers had united with a god which made them a child of the gods. What do you think about this? Why do you think they would use a myth like this?