In Part 1 of this new 5-part series, I discussed the history of the Djinn. In Part 2, I told you a little bit about about demons (the Shayāṭīn), why Djinn fear wolves and the ancient Egyptian god, Set. Now, in Part 3, I’ll talk about my first encounter with a Djinn in the desert. In Part 4, I’ll tell you about our battle. Finally, in Part 5, I’ll discuss an encounter with Set.
Part 3: First Encounter
with a Djinn
Desert Camp
Why were three nights in the desert on the itinerary? I doubt I was alone amongst the small band of shamans and psychically-aware explorers on the trip to Egypt in November 2017 who pondered this. Wasn’t there enough to see, without a bit of pointless camping? The pyramids, the tombs, the ancient architecture – what would we gain from an uncomfortable venture out into the endless sand?
If, however, you had asked anyone what the highlight of the trip had been at the end of our journey, many of us would have said the desert. The pyramids might be one of the greatest wonders, if not the pinnacle, of human endeavour but, sat around the glowing fire on my last night there, celebrating my 44th birthday under that glorious canopy of stars, I realised that there really was nothing to equal it.
When I first arrived, there was, however, a considerable amount of fear attached to being in this particular wilderness. Our tour leader, Louise, changed the venue twice because of government restrictions. Unbeknown to us, the biggest ever terrorist atrocity on Egyptian soil was only days away (albeit hundreds of miles away on the Sinai) and the country was already on a high alert, after a recent disastrous military campaign against rebels in the desert.
Eventually, in consultation with our fantastic Bedouin guides, Louise had settled upon camping within Wadi El Rayan, much closer to Cairo than she had planned but still miles from any light-spilling dwelling. In fact, on arrival, I felt more removed from civilisation than I had ever felt in my life. Images of the beheading of captives in orange jumpsuits haunted me. It was irrational, since we were in a perfectly safe area of the country, but I did not know enough about the area to draw comfort from that knowledge and so my nightmares grew. I believe that it was out of this fear, that the Djinn emerged. Strong emotions provoke and draw in the Djinn, particularly those emotions related to fear.
The Djinn
The average temperature was about 20oC in the desert but, at night, it dropped to something quite chilly. I had donned a jumper and wandered a little way out from our little circle of tents into the moonlit dunes. The lack of light pollution allowed for a beautiful vista of stars, which rivalled only that seen from my visit into the Peruvian jungle.
All at once, I became aware of something falling into the sand from the sky, just beyond the boundary of our camp. At first, it was just a swirl of black smoke snaking across the white sand but then it began to adopt a more human form – a shadow, slowly coming to life. It was to be my first encounter with a Djinn.
‘Ah, the Great Chacaruna!’ it hissed.
The salutation reminded me of something. The guardians of a cave in the Tinajani Canyon, Peru had also addressed me with this mocking greeting. The cave was a ‘paqarina’, a Quechua term for a mountain cave, considered a source of life, as well as an entry/exit point between worlds. The paqarina guardians marvelled at why I had chosen the name of an accomplished, senior shaman, whilst I was just a mere novice.
I told them that, in keeping with Incan tradition, I had taken the title to show my intention of pulling from the future what I needed now – it was a statement of intention, not a presumption. I recognised, however, that mischievous entities, like the ones in the paqarina, like to undermine such pretension. Now this shadowy creature of the desert was playing the same game.
A Little Chat
‘Hello’ I said. ‘How can I help you?’
‘You can help me with nothing’.
‘I see’, I responded. ‘And yet you have come to find me’.
‘I have my orders’.
‘I see. And who is your master?’
‘That is not your concern. When you go into the desert alone, in a couple of days, I will come to you’.
‘That sounds like a threat,’ I said. ‘I am going there to meditate and find peace. Not to meet with you’.
‘You will find no peace there. Do you not fear me?’
‘No’, I lied. ‘Should I?’
I felt Wolf, my animal spirit, manifesting besides me, which he does spontaneously in times when I need a bit of extra protection.
‘Oh, yes. Even with that thing’.
‘Tell me your name’, I commanded, feeling suddenly emboldened by Wolf’s arrival.
‘It’s Dagaz,’ it hissed.
Wolf snarled – my first encounter with a Djinn ended, as Dagaz dissolved in an angry swirl of sand.
‘What was that?’ I asked Wolf.
‘Trouble,’ snarled Wolf as he padded away, leaving me alone again under the stars.
