파라오 연인의 顯身 – ‘The Search for Omm Sety’
BY koyang4283 ON 7. 14, 2010
한때’이집트學(Egyptology)’에좀빠져본적이있다.
20여년도훨씬전이다.
관련자료가귀한던시절이다.
겨우NationalGeography잡지등을통해그나마갈증을해소했을정도다.
어느날,을지로지하의사무용품상가를지나고있었다.
헌책방한군데가눈에들어왔다.
작은책방이었는데,주로외국원서를팔고있었다.
입구쪽에서서성거리며바깥에내놓은책들을보고있는데,
무슨책이눈에들어왔다.
‘TheSearchforOmmSety’
‘옴세티를찾아서’라는,영어로쓰여진책이었다.
그책은한권이있는게아니라수십권이한다발로묶여있었다.
호기심을발동시켰다.Egyptology에관한책이아닌가.
도로시이디(DorothyEady)라는,1900년대초한영국여자의빙의에관한책이다.
이집트파라오세티(Sety)가사랑했던,
OmmSety(Omm은이집트어로여자를나타낸다)의영혼이DorothyEady속으로들어가앉은것이다.
하여Dorothy는일생을OmmSety로살다가1980년대초인가죽었는데,
Dorothy는그빙의에의한OmmSety의덕분으로이집트유물발굴에상당한기여를한다.
책은조나단코트(JonathanCott)가Dorothy의구술을글로옮긴것이다.
3장으로되어있는데,
첫장은평범하게태어나6살경OmmSeti의영혼으로빙의되기까지의과정을그렸고,
두째장은OmmSeti로서의경험,
이를테면Seti파라오와의시공을초월한사랑과이집트에서의생활,
그리고이집트유적발굴등을다뤘다.
세째장은시공을거슬러OmmSeti로서Seti파라오를만나면서
사랑을나누는고대이집트에서의생활과사랑등을그리고있다.
목마른자우물을만난것처럼단숨에읽어내려갔다.
출.퇴근시에도갖고다니며읽었다.
책에나오는여러이집트에관한얘기들을NationalGeography와비교해보는재미도있었다.
그런데,어느날옴세티가나를떠나버렸다.
그책을읽어버린것이다.
술먹고집엘가다가택시에두고내렸는데,
세째장을거의다읽고끄트머리만남겨둔상태였다.
그안타까움을말로표현할수가없다.
궁리끝에을지로지하상가,그헌책방이생각났다.
그책이여러권있지않았던가.
을지로지하상가로갔다.
그러나귀신이곡할노릇이었다.그책방이없어진것이다.
며칠만에없어질수가있나싶어몇차례나그주변을기웃거렸으나,그책방은없었다.
부근잡화점에들어가물어보았다.
더기가막힐노릇이다.그런책방은애시당초없었다는것.
무엇엔가홀린기분이들었다.과연그런책이있었던가하는의구심도들었다.
그후몇날며칠은DorotyEady와OmmSety만생각했다.
그책을구하기로백방으로수소문도해보았다.
서울대병원에있던친구가그무렵미국인가를간다고해서부탁도해봤으나,
구할수없었다는얘기만들었다.
그리고세월은흐르고나의Egyptology에관한흥미도없어져갔다.
그책을다시보고구한것은순전히인터넷덕분이다.
1998년인가,인터넷검색을하다가amazon.com에서드디어그책을찾은것이다.
그때의반가움은거진감격수준이었다.당장주문을했다.
한십여일걸려그책을받았다.
그책은지금도집에’모셔져’있다.
THESEARCHFOROMMSETY
JohnathanCott
WarnerBooks,1987
ThisastonishingbookchroniclesthelifeofDorothyEadyassheliveswhatmustcertainlybeoneofthemostinterestinglivesonrecord.BorninEnglandin1904sheknowsearlyonthatsheisnotthesameasotherchildrenaroundher.Ablowtotheheadseemstoawakenmemoriesofapreviouslifewhichpropelherinanewdirection.ShefeelssheisnotEnglishbutrather"belongssomewhereelse."Strangerecollections,nightmares,andotherhappeningsbecomeherstandardlotinlife;severaltimesherparentscommitherforshortperiods,eachtimethedoctorscanfindnothingphysicallywrongwithher.AfascinatedyoungDorothywatchestheaerialbattlesofWorldWarIandavoidscertaindeathinanairraidbynotdoingwhatothersdo.ShefeelsshehasfoundhomewhenshewandersthroughtheBritishMuseum’sEgyptiansectionandseesthefaceofanoldfriendinamummy.ShethenbefriendsDr.Budge(whotranslatedtheEgyptianBookoftheDead)whoteachesherhieroglyphicsandthewaysofarchaeology.
AsayoungladyshemarriesanEgyptiangentlemanwhomshelaterdivorces,"remaininggoodfriends."OnedaysherealizesherdeepestwishwhensheissenttoAbydosonanarchaeologicaldig,andoncethereshevowsnevertoleaveEgyptagain.HermasteryofhieroglyphicsandhiddenmeaningsgiveherdeepinsightsintoancientEgyptiantexts,makinghermuchindemandamongprominentarchaeologists.Shelivestherestofherlifeinrelativesimplicityandpovertydoingwhatshelovesbest—crawlingaroundancientmonuments,revealingtheirtruemeaningsandlivingherlifebytheancientEgyptianprinciplesassheunderstandsandrecallsthem.Butthemostfascinatingsecretshesavesforaveryfewclosefriends:inthislifeandinapreviouslifesheistheconsortofKingSeti!Soasnottoruinthestory,nordepriveyouoftheinterestingwayit’stoldIwillleaveitatthat.
Besidestellinganutterlyfascinatingstorythisbookalsogivesanexcellentsenseofwhatit’sliketoliveacompletelyauthenticlife,thelifeofone’sdreamsgroundedinreality.OmmSetylivesasshewantstolivedespiteexternalpressuresfromsociety,povertyandseveralother"forces"whichmanyofusfindoverpowering.Hercharmandsimplicitycannothelptotouchyoursoulwhileherstoryfascinatesyourmind.OfallthebooksonEgyptI’veread,onlythisoneandInitiationbyElizabethHaichleaveyouwiththesenseofwhatlifewaslikeinancientEgypt.Ifthatwereallthisbookdiditwouldbewellworththeread,butthere’smuchmorehere.Astoryabouttemplelife,writtenbyOmmSety,isincludedinanappendix.SeverallongdiscoursesonthepersonandherlifebyclosefriendsbringOmmSetybacktoliferightbeforeyoureyes.Ascholarlydiscussionofherworkandlifeisalsoincluded,roundingouttheimageandprovidingabitofgrounded,rationalthought.TheauthormentionsashortBBCmoviemadein1980,OmmSetyandHerEgypt,inwhichOmmSetyherselfappearsinherfavoritetemples.Ihavenotseenthisfilmbutwouldverymuchrecommendittoanyonewhomightbefortunatetohavethechancetoseeit.(AndpleasetellmewhereImightfindacopy!)
Thisbookisoftentoutedas"proof"ofreincarnationbutasOmmSetyherselfsaid,that’snotthepoint,norcanreincarnationbeproventhroughherexperiences.Onlyinone’sownexperiencedoesrealknowingoccur.Intheend,youmustdecidewhattomakeofthisfantasticlifeandhowtheprinciplesshowninthisbookcanbeappliedinyourownexistence.
Bewarned:TheSearchforOmmSetyiscurrentlyoutofprintbutisreadilyavailablethroughusedbookdealers.Anddon’tpay$55foracopy(asIrecentlysawquoted);manydealerssellitforclosetowhatIrecentlypaidforoneingoodshape—$6.
ReviewedbyMikeHammer
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