News | Spirit Quest Tours, LLC

ABC News said nice things about us!

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:59:16 -0700

Straight.com - Vancouver, CA press for Spirit Quest Tours

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:55:24 -0700

Good Morning America: How to Eat Pray Love... From Home

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:49:21 -0700

Check out tour leader Halle Eavelyn in this USA TODAY photo essay

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:47:22 -0700

USA TODAY loves Spirit Quest Tours!

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:45:51 -0700

Time Magazine: Bali's Travel Boom

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:43:36 -0700

Hollywood.com coverage of Eat, Pray, Love tour

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:37:14 -0800

Boxwish Eat Pray Love blog post

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:32:19 -0800

AM New York writes about our upcoming Eat Pray Love Bali trip!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:27:59 -0800

Los Angeles/Venice Beach talk: The Secret Alchemy of Travel

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:51:16 -0800

Time:	7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location:	Mystic Journey Bookstore
Street:	1319 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
City/Town:	Venice, CA 90291 THIS THURSDAY! May 6th - DON'T MISS IT if you're in the LA area!

Using beautiful photographs and touching, funny anecdotes, Greg will share with us some of the “Lessons from Spirit” that he’s been blessed to receive while on the road. After more than a decade traveling to the world’s most sacred places, Greg has realized that travel has the potential to be a profoundly powerful spiritual catalyst and accelerant.

Greg Roach, MFA, F.R.C.
A very popular speaker, Greg is a traveler, writer, filmmaker, inventor, entrepreneur, guide and spiritual pilgrim. His latest writing is featured in “Modern Alchemists from the Land of the Pharaohs” along with Nicki Scully, John Anthony West and Normandi Ellis.

link to Mystic Journey Bookstore

Seattle talk: The Secret Alchemy of Travel

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:51:16 -0800

Time:	4:00pm - 5:30pm
Location:	The Theosophical Society of Seattle
Street:	717 Broadway Avenue East
City/Town:	Seattle, WA THIS SUNDAY! Nov. 8th - DON'T MISS IT if you're in Seattle!

After more than a decade traveling to the world’s most sacred places, Greg has realized that, far from being a diversion, travel has the potential to be a profoundly powerful spiritual catalyst and accelerant. Using beautiful photographs and touching, funny anecdotes, Greg will share with us some of the “Lessons from Spirit” that he’s been blessed to receive while on the road.

Greg Roach, MFA, F.R.C.
A very popular speaker, Greg is a traveler, writer, filmmaker, inventor, entrepreneur, guide and spiritual pilgrim. His latest writing is featured in “Modern Alchemists from the Land of the Pharaohs” along with Nicki Scully, John Anthony West and Normandi Ellis.

Map to the Theosophical Society

A&I Gallery Evening with Joshua Liberman & Greg Roach

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:23:46 -0700

El Nur: Capturing the Light of Foreign Lands

Greg Roach & Joshua Liberman discuss travel photography and their upcoming Luxury Photo Tour to Egypt

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? What are the rules of the road? How do you approach a stranger on the street and bring out the genuine spark of their personality?

Spirit Quest Tours renowned travel photographer Joshua Liberman & digital media and travel expert Greg Roach invite you for a festive and informative evening to introduce the world of travel photography, as well their exciting new collaboration: Luxury Photo Expeditions. From inspiring images to hilarious anecdotes and insider tips this event is guaranteed to whet your appetite for far-flung places, people and cultures. And Greg will teach you a few good curses in Arabic.

RSVP to events@aandi.com

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Time:	6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:	A&I Photography Hollywood
Street:	933 N Highland Ave.
City/Town:	Los Angeles, CA

Kicking off in December with a Luxury Photo Expedition to Egypt, the trip will culminate in a private dawn visit to the Temple of Karnak on the Winter Solstice, where the structure’s solar alignments make it seem as if the temple is giving birth to the rising sun. At A&I on October 14, Greg and Josh will discuss many of the unique features of the trip; which include an exclusive 5-star Nile Cruise, photo workshops, and special (often private) opportunities to photograph in temples, bazaars, villages, and areas of cultural significance across the country. Participants’ best work from the trip will be featured in a deluxe, commemorative Spirit Quest book that will be created by A&I, as well as being featured in a dedicate group show held at A&I Gallery. Click below for the private web site for the trip:

Luxury Photo Expedition to Egypt

AFANDINA: a breath of fresh air - by Robert Bauval

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:47:02 -0800

Spirit Quest Tours is honored to have been the first American company to offer this unique and exclusive experience as a part of "Quest for the Truth IV" in May of 2008.

Join us aboard the Afandina once again, by special arrangement! Click here for all the details.

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AFANDINA: a breath of fresh air

The revival of the traditional way of sailing along the Nile

By Robert Bauval

In this brand new millennium in which we all live in there is a growing concern about the future and wellbeing of our planet. Responsible people are showing more and more concern for the threats that are looming high: global warming, pollution, and depletion of our energy resources. Many successful businessmen from different countries have begun to ‘pay back’ by sponsoring ‘green’ projects, from the building of commercial jet planes to natural and organic farming. Yet how often we forget that the most important and vital of Nature’s gifts are the water that we drink and the air that we breathe. Without water and air we cannot live, nothing can live, not even the most robust of creature or plant. My friend Mohammad Nazmy, President of Quest Travel in Cairo, has decided to do his bit. He is a man with a vision; and this vision is to remind us of how important the air, clean air, is to all human beings and all life on earth. He has decided to ‘pay back’ with the ‘Afandina’ Project: the building of a traditional Nile ship powered by the desert winds as in the days of old to carry his share of foreign visitors along the ancient river. With his jovial nature and altruistic passion for the world, Mohamad Nazmy is truly the ‘Al Gore of the Nile’.

Greg Roach, Halle Eavelyn and Mohamed Nazmy

“I have invested in this project nearly all the profits I have made in the last ten years,” says Nazmy, “because as a tour operator I have witnessed the ever growing pollution of our cities and countryside caused by the massive growth in traffic, especially the shipping traffic on the Upper Nile. I am not saying that we do not need to run Nile cruises with motorized ships, but surely three hundred ships with multi-thousand horsepower motors is not a sustainable economy. We sooner or later will have to look into the alternatives for the sake of our children and the good health of our land. Afandina is a step in the right direction and I hope that it may inspire others to follow suit and look for solutions to this problem of air-pollution.”

The Afandina

Since time immemorial the ancient dwellers of the Nile Valley have been acutely aware of the preciousness of water and the air. The Nile was sacred, and its waters were personified by the god Hapy. And so, too, was the air, which was personified by the god Shu who held up the sky-goddess with his hands. ‘Egypt is the gift of the Nile’, wrote Herodotus, the Father of history. For without the Nile, the longest river in the world, the land of Egypt would be dry as a bone, a lifeless arid desert hardly fit for habitation. Yet with the blessing of this river, Egypt is, since at least 15,000 years ago, an elongated 1000 kilometers valley so lush and so fertile that it can truly be called a paradise on earth. But Herodotus should also have added that Egypt –indeed the whole planet-- was also the gift of the air, that wonderful unseen life-giving element that, perhaps like Herodotus, we all take so easily for granted. With the growing pollution of our cities (Cairo is classed high on the WHO list) caused by fumes spouting out of factories and the ever increasing number of motor vehicles on the roads, the air that we breath, that priceless and irreplaceable manna from Nature, is being made more and more impure each day that passes.

“For years I wanted to do something about this threat to our environment, and yet I was also aware as a tour operator that the Nile cruises are the major attraction of our tourist industry. Egypt much depends on the revenue from tourism, and we cannot simply cancel this very popular commercial resource. Yet surely there was an answer, a suitable compromise to this problem. One day in Aswan as I pondered on the solution to this problem, I saw a felluca with its tall sail fully stretched by the wind, sailing silently on the Nile. And although I had seen fellucas such as this one thousands of times, this time I had an inspiration. I would build my own ship, a ship powered only by the force of the wind. I would build a Dhahabeya, a traditional Nile sailing ship, and call it ‘Afandina’ (literally ‘our king’), a reminder of quieter days before the onslaught of mass tourism.”

There are, of course, already a few Dhahabeyas on the Nile already. But ‘Afandina’ is a Dhahabeya with a difference: it’s the first of its kind to have a full steel hull for maximum security and durability. It combines the best from the past and the present. ‘Afandina’ will have a fully trained crew of nine. Its captain has already been chosen: a experienced sailor from Aswan, Reis Mohammad Magdy. He explained to me that ‘Afandina’ is unique with its special thick steel hull to tackle sand banks and the strong eddies. Reis Magdy has years of experience, from sailing fellucas in his boyhood days to larger dhahabeyas in his manhood. He knows the Nile and the prevailing winds like his own family.

Upper Deck

The ‘Afandina’ took more than two years to build. At the peak of the construction stage Nazmy employed over 50 workers --carpenters, welders, painters, electricians, fitters, upholstery makers, cabinet makers and other artists—on and off. They clearly all are proud to have participated in this project and they adore Nazmy. “He treats us like family”, says Reis Magdy. “He not only pays our wages but takes care of us and our families if we fall sick or injure ourselves. He is our very own ‘Afandina’!” (‘Afandina’ means a ‘protector’ or ‘soter’ of the Greeks).

Dining Room

Boats are known to have existed in Egypt since at least the Early Dynastic Period (c. 2850 BC). Even as early as the Pyramid Age (c. 2500 BC) the construction of boats had reached a level of perfection so high that it astounds the modern visitors to Egypt. The supreme example is, of course, the wonderful ‘sun boat’ of Cheops, the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. When it was discovered in 1954 in a pit south of the Great Pyramid, it was in a completely dismantled state. It had to literally be rebuilt like a giant jigsaw puzzle. No-one was quite sure how to proceed. Finally a master boat builder was found, Reis Ahmad Youssef, who put it all together, as if, intuitively, he knew exactly how it was built 4500 years ago! Another nearby pit contains another boat, but the Supreme Council of Antiquities has decided to wait for the right technology to be available, as in this case the wood of this second boat is in a far more dilapidated condition than the first.

When the celebrated queen Cleopatra VII took the mighty Caesar on their honeymoon up the Nile it is said that their ship was 300 cubits long (about 125 meters) and was decorated with the finest furniture and the sails draped with the finest silk. It is on this trip that the young queen (she was 21, Caesar was 52) got pregnant with the future Caesarion. Dhahabeyas were used till the 1930s when they finally gave way to the much larger modern motorized Nile cruisers, those massive floating hotels that we see today, to cater for the booming tourist industry. Yet the dhahabeyas remain a deep nostalgia to all those who are old enough to remember the times when they graced the Nile with their tall sails and elegant lines.

State Room

“When I launch ‘Afandina’ in autumn next year, says Nazmy, “I have decided to invite a special group of VIP guests from all over the world: authors, philosophers, scientists and, of course, Egyptologists. I want them to experience my love for Egypt and to share the splendor of the Nile as it must have been done in ancient times. I want them to sense the tranquility, the majestic beauty of this sacred river and, of course, the many marvelous temples along its banks. I want to revive one of ancient Egypt’s most splendid and loved of yearly festivals, the ‘Sailing of the Goddess Hathor of Dendera’. There are ancient inscriptions and drawings that tell us how, in the month of September, this journey took place along the Nile when an effigy of Hathor, goddess of beauty and love, was put on a ship at Dendera and sailed 160 kilometers upstream to Edfu, there to be united in a sacred marriage to the god Horus. The journey began at the new noon and lasted fourteen day till the full moon. It also involved the rising of the star Sirius, the star of the Nile. It must have been magical, like a fairy tale on water, with a flotilla of ceremonial boats sailing along the Nile. And so I want to use ‘Afandina’ as the flag-ship to re-enact this ancient festival and journey each year. This will not be simply a typical touristic Nile cruise but a unique cultural experience, an unforgettable journey along the Nile for all who will participate.”

The real pleasure, of course, will be sailing leisurely with only the power of the wind, and with only the sound of water flapping on the hull of ‘Afandina’ as it travels along the Nile…and, of course, the thrill of approaching the ancient temples with the tall sails fluttering in the breeze like in the ancient days. ‘Afandina’ will, of course, be equipped with all the mods and cons expected by seasoned 5-star travelers, says Nazmy. It will carry a maximum of sixteen guests plus the crew. Nazmy has employed a qualified chef for the kitchen, and wants everything to be perfect to the last detail. The rooms, which will be ergonomically designed for maximum utility and comfort, will not have numbers but names of the last royal family of modern Egypt. “I am not a royalist”, jokes Mohammad Nazmy, “but I am proud of our past, the pharaohs, the Khedives and even the last kings of Egypt, Fuad and Farouk. They are part of our 5000 years culture, and I want to honour this.” But even if ‘Afandina’ will have the best that modern technology allows, Nazmy says that ancient ways and traditions will also be respected, such as using lanterns in the evenings for dinners on the open deck, and obtaining fresh food organically grown, and cooked and baked in the traditional manner. ‘Afandina’ will also be equipped with a library with books on ancient and modern Egypt, and Nazmy is planning to even have a mini planetarium with astronomical software and a telescope for stargazing at night in the crystal clear skies of Upper Egypt.

The Library

“I don’t want my guest to only see Egypt with their eyes”, he says proudly. “I don’t want them to herded around with cameras like we see on other tours. I want them to taste Egypt with all their senses, to feel Egypt with their souls, to be part of its magical past as well as its present, and to experience the Nile as it should be experienced: with open hearts. I have traveled in many countries of the world, and seen many of their wonders. But there is nothing that compares to Egypt. The last of the seven wonders is still here, the Great Pyramid. And the Nile still retains its mystery and magic. I want my quest to experience all this in the best possible of ways. ‘Afandina’ will be their ‘home away from home’ and yet, at the same time, it will be for them an exotic, sensual and intellectual experience that they will always remember with joy.”

________________________________________________________________________

Spirit Quest Tours is honored to have been the first American company to offer this unique and exclusive experience as a part of "Quest for the Truth IV" in May of 2008.

Join us aboard the Afandina once again, by special arrangement! Click here for all the details.

Spirit Quest Video: The Spirit of Bali

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:11:13 -0800

Spirit of Bali from Spirit Quest on Vimeo.

Spirit Quest HD Video: The Spirit of Egypt

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:07:25 -0800

The Spirit of Egypt from Spirit Quest on Vimeo.

Egypt Ends Security Convoys

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:03:06 -0800

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 Mumbai, but it is a very good sign - for both Egypt and travelers anywhere.

I first traveled to Egypt just a few months after the terrible massacre at the temple of Hatshepsut in 1997. As a matter of fact, I was with the first sizable group to travel into the country, six months after that attack. Appropriately enough, it was a spiritual group. Needless to say, security was at an all-time high then. I felt like we were this giant hedgehog rolling through the country, all bristling and armored on the outside (we were constantly surrounded by cops and soldiers) but soft and pink and vulnerable underneath. I felt that we were being brave and doing something important. It was that trip that started me down the path I am on today, and that made me realize that something as simple as being a tourist could, somehow, be important.

I remember our visit to Abydos, one of the cities that will be the most positively effected by the lifting of these restrictions. We were the first tourists to visit the town in six months and the entire population poured into the streets to greet our buses. The insides of shops were covered in a flour coating of dust and sand from the months of disuse. Shopkeepers almost wept as their life’s blood started flowing again. It was powerful. And buying useless junk has never felt so good. I bought stuff for people I hadn’t spoken to in years, just to have an excuse.

In all of my many return visits since, the convoys, and all they entail, have been a defining feature of the Egyptian experience. So it will be odd to return at the end of December to an Egypt I’ve never experienced before.

This is a tremendous object lesson for all of us - travelers, government, citizens. It proves that normalcy can, and will, return in the face of terror, so long as we demand it and continue to travel no matter how much they try and stop us.

Beth Whitman, over at Wanderlust and Lipstick, just wrote a great article about why you should still travel to India. I couldn’t agree more. Many of the places that Spirit Quest travels to have been subjected to terror - Egypt and Bali for instance - and I know some people won’t consider going for those reasons, but the truth is that our homes and highways are much more dangerous places.

So I am happy to hear the great news about Egypt. And I am happy to be reminded that something as simple as being a tourist can be an act of bravery that can help to change, and heal, the world.

NG Video: The Alexandria Library

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:04:37 -0800

Here's a wonderful video from National Geographic about the New Alexandria Library. Greg had the great good-fortune to be invited by Unesco to present a paper at the library's grand opening 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 Egyptian itineraries.

NG Video: Destination Egypt

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:52:56 -0800

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

;-)

Eat, Pray, & Love Bali Tour Press Release

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:18:54 -0800

Bali Tour invites you to Eat, Pray and Love

From Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 best-selling book, Eat Pray Love

Las Vegas, January 26th, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

by www.TraveleTVeMagazine.com

Click to View eMagazine

Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 best-selling book, Eat Pray Love, has been translated into 30 languages and sold over 5 million copies. Her travels and experiences resonate with people all over the globe. Now, a lucky few can participate in the newly created tour, “Eat, Pray, & Love Bali,” as Spirit Quest Tours, a boutique spiritual tour company based in Las Vegas, NV, hosts this unique trip in May, 2009.

Spirit Quest Tours tried to incorporate all aspects of the book into the trip. “The Eat part is easy, since the food on Bali is so wonderful” Spirit Quest Tours’ founder Greg Roach said. “Then, we’re teaching everyone how Balinese Hindus pray, and offering meditation and yoga. Of course, everything in Bali is about love.” As to the chance of someone going single and returning with the love of their life, as Gilbert did? Roach laughs. “We don’t make any guarantees!”

A trip highlight is visiting the local shaman Gilbert made famous, Ketut Liyer. Meeting Liyer last year, Roach found an engaging and joyous man. “He did palm readings, and he kept telling everyone they would live to be 100.” For at least one woman on that trip, Liyer’s advice was timed perfectly. “He told her to find a new job, and it was just the push she needed. She went home and started on a new career.”

There is one big difference between Gilbert’s trip and this tour: the accommodations. “Our guests expect a four star experience,” said Roach. “Gilbert just rented a cottage.” Each two guests get their own deluxe room at the Nusa Dua resort. Once in Ubud, the artistic center of Bali, the accommodations get even more upscale. “Each pair gets their own private villa, private pool, even an on-call butler!” Guests will visit local temples, including the famous Taneh Lot, and enjoy spa treatments. More traditional sightseeing will include shopping with local artisans, a torch-lit dinner on the beach, and a farewell evening with traditional Balinese dances. The Kitchak alone requires 100 shirtless men to participate, so perhaps any ladies on the trip who are still single can take a chance at that elusive “Love” part of the “Eat, Pray, & Love Bali” tour.

Contact info

Spirit Quest Tours

Halle Eavelyn

310-292-0688

sqtours@gmail.com

http://www.spiritquesttours.com

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Mysteries of the Great Pyramid, Sphinx & Giza Plateau - Free Presentation: Bodhi Tree, LA - November 9th, 2008

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:18:54 -0800

Sunday, November 9th

7:30pm - 9:00pm

The Bodhi Tree Bookstore Annex

8585 Melrose Avenue

West Hollywood, CA 90069-5199

Telephone: (310) 659-1733

http://www.bodhitree.com/

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 area.

Topics Include: Ancient Sources, Physical Facts, Modern/Contemporary History & Discoveries, Astronomical Alignments and Archeo-astronomy, Geometrical and Geomantic Encoding, Acoustic Properties and Psycho-acoustic Effects, Invisible Energies Psychic Experiences, Dating Inaccuracies and Anomalies, Mysteries and Unexplained Phenomenon, Hidden Compartment and the Hall of Records, Competing Theories, and What’s It All Mean?

Speaker Bio
Greg Roach
A life long student of esoteric spirituality, Greg had a visionary experience of the transcendent unity behind all creation during a pilgrimage to Egypt in 1997. Subsequently, he answered Spirit’s call to offer initiatory pilgrimages to like minded souls, building on 10 years of sacred travel in Egypt, the Holy Land, Greece, France, Scotland, America, Bali, Eastern Europe and England. He also podcasts both Meditations for America and Spirit of Place. In the exoteric world, Greg holds an MFA in directing and is a successful entrepreneur and inventor who holds multiple patents. He is a high-level Rosicrucian (Fratre Rosae Crucis), a graduate of the Flower of Life and Earth-Sky training and, most recently, the Science of Mind foundation courses at The Agape International Spiritual Center.

Greg has taught and lectured all over the world at numerous prestigious institutions, including Cambridge University England, San Francisco State, USC, and the University of Sofia.

Click here for directions.

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Sacred Sites Around the World - Free Presentation at Distant Lands Bookstore in Pasadena, CA - Monday March 9th, 2008

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:18:54 -0800

Sacred Sites Throughout the World

Monday March 9th 7:30 - 9:00 PM

Distant Lands Bookstore

56 S. Raymond Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91105

(800) 310-3220

Distant Lands Website

What impulse in the human spirit has, for millennia, caused us to paint cave walls, pile stones, carve, build, engineer, plan, craft and construct monuments to the invisible and unknown?

Why are some places set apart and worthy of our greatest efforts and accomplishment? What makes one site sacred and another a garbage heap? Every culture on the planet has a tradition of sacred spaces and spiritual places and when we encounter them we resonate in harmony with the energies we find there.

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.

Greg has taught and lectured all over the world at numerous prestigious institutions, including Cambridge University (England), San Francisco State, USC, and the University of Sofia. He speaks regularly on spirituality, comparative religion, sacred sites and the potential of digital technology as an artistic and storytelling tool.

Speaker Bio

Greg Roach is the founder of Spirit Quest Tours, which he started after a life-changing experience in Egypt. Building on his many years of personally exploring sacred places, Greg has created a vibrant enterprise that helps bring positive change to the world through travel, entertainment and education. Greg blogs regularly about his travels for Spirit Quest Tours, as well as podcasting and speaking nationally on spiritual travel and sacred sites.

Greg was born in Lawrenceburg, a little town in Tennessee, and grew up all over the United States. He settled in Texas, where he received first his undergraduate degree, then a Master of Fine Arts in Directing, both from the University of Houston. His first career was as a theatre director, designer and playwright, and he won many awards. One of the pioneers of interactive multimedia design, Greg was the founder, CEO and Artistic Director of the groundbreaking HyperBole Studios, Inc. from 1990 until 2005. Widely hailed as a visionary, his breakthroughs and patents helped drive the exploding multimedia market in its formative years. A sought-after and inspiring teacher and speaker, Greg has lectured and led workshops at some of the world’s most prestigious conferences, companies and universities.

About five years ago, Greg began to channel a group called the White Lodge, and much of his writing and current work is based on channeled information or inspiration from this group. In his spare time, Greg writes poetry and stories, and is currently beginning work on a book of channeled material. His podcasts, which have been another creative outlet for him, have included channeled material – Meditations for America (www.meditationsforamerica.com) and his own observations on sacred sites – Spirit of Place (www.spirit-of-place.com). Greg has one daughter, Leslie, and splits his time between Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA, when he is not traveling all over the world in search of new spiritual growth and opportunities.

Click here for a downloadable map

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Sacred Egypt - Free Presentation: East West Books, Seattle - September 23rd, 2008

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:16:31 -0700

East West Bookstore

6500 Roosevelt Way NE

Seattle, WA 98115

Tel: 206-523-3726

1-800-587-6002

info@eastwestbookshop.com

September 23, 2008 7:00pm - 8:30pm

SACRED EGPYT: Mystery Schools and Spiritual Science 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 beyond.

Topics include: the sacred science of sound, Egyptian Cosmology, Isis & Osiris, Egypt's controversial pre-history, precession of the equinoxes, the ancient mystery schools, the neter and their correspondence to the chakras, Akhenaten, Sekhmet, the crypts at Dendarah, Horus and Set, Reiki in ancient Egypt, initiation, ascension and resurrection, Sacred Geometry and more.

Sites discussed will include: Philae, Aswan, Karnak, Luxor, Kom-Ombo, Edfu, Tel-el Amarna, Abydos, Saqqara and Giza.
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Webinar: The Spirit of Moses

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:55:38 -0700

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 more.

The Spirit of Moses from Spirit Quest on Vimeo.

Mysteries of the Great Pyramid - workshop at the Theosophical Society in Seattle

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:47:50 -0700

The Theosophical Society In Seattle

717 Broadway east

Seattle, WA 98102

Telephone: (206) 323-4281

September 21, 2008 4:00pm - 5:30pm

Suggested Donation: $5-$10

Theosophical Society's Online Calendar

Mysteries of the Great Pyramid, Sphinx & Giza Plateau

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 area.

Topics Include: Ancient Sources, Physical Facts, Modern/Contemporary History & Discoveries, Astronomical Alignments and Archeoastronomy, Geometrical and Geomantic Encoding, Acoustic Properties and Psychoacoustic Effects, Invisible Energies Psychic Experiences, Dating Inaccuracies and Anomalies, Mysteries and Unexplained Phenomenon, Hidden Compartment and the Hall of Records, Competing Theories, and What's It All Mean?

Speaker Bio

Greg Roach

A life long student of esoteric spirituality, Greg had a visionary experience of the transcendent unity behind all creation during a pilgrimage to Egypt in 1997. Subsequently, he answered Spirit's call to offer initiatory pilgrimages to like minded souls, building on 10 years of sacred travel in Egypt, the Holy Land, Greece, France, Scotland, America, Bali, Eastern Europe and England. He also podcasts both Meditations for America and Spirit of Place. In the exoteric world, Greg holds an MFA in directing and is a successful entrepreneur and inventor who holds multiple patents. He is a high-level Rosicrucian (Fratre Rosae Crucis), a graduate of the Flower of Life and Earth-Sky training and, most recently, the Science of Mind foundation courses at The Agape International Spiritual Center.

Greg has taught and lectured all over the world at numerous prestigious institutions, including Cambridge University England, San Francisco State, USC, and the University of Sofia.

Parking is a problem. Please arrive in plenty of time to find a spot and walk a few blocks to the Lodge.

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Webinar: The Spirit of Ancient Egypt

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:09:52 -0700

Full details about Spirit Quest Tours' upcoming trip to Egypt with Houston Baptist University: The Spirit of Ancient Egypt. This unique trip features four-star accommodations, private visits (including the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid) and fascinating, exclusive presentations from world-class experts in archeology and egyptology, including Dr. Zahi Hawass.

SQT News: Moses Trip to Offer SEVEN Private Site Visits

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:29:17 -0700

Spirit Quest News: Early-Bird Discounts, and more...

Dear Friends and Fellow Travelers-

Greg is just back from a great trip to Houston and we have a few news items to share with you all.

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Greg's Back from Houston, Spirit Quest in the News

Between Greg's recent talks in Houston (he says "Hello!" to everyone and that it was great to see so many of you at Unity on Sunday) and the terrific press coverage we've been getting, interest in the "Spirit of Moses" trip to Egypt and the Sinai has been extremely high, and sign-ups are off to a terrific start.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS143088+16-Jul-2008+PRN20080716

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$200 Early Bird Discount for "Spirit of Moses" Ending Soon

A reminder that the special Early Bird Discount of $200 for "The Spirit of Moses" will end on July 31st. Saving $200 by signing up early brings the trip cost down to a remarkable $3795! Adding international airfare brings the price to just $5195 - just $200 more than the trip from two years ago.

Spirit Quest tours are comparable to luxury tours from outfits like Abercrombie and Kent that cost *thousands* of dollars more, so the early bird discount make "The Spirit of Moses" an even more amazing value.

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Moses Trip to Offer SEVEN Private Site Visits

We are very proud to let you know that the "Spirit of Moses" includes SEVEN PRIVATE SITE VISITS! Including Luxor Temples and St. Catherine's Monastery! This last has been a lot of work and represents a real coupe for us. More than 5,000 people visit the tiny monastery during the three hours that it is open daily, so arranging a private visit to this remarkable sacred place was at the top of our priority list! And we are very happy to let you know that we've pulled it off!

Having private time for our group in this important site will greatly facilitate our spiritual work and our ability to soak up the magnificent spiritual energy of one of the most sacred and important sites in all of Christianity.

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As always, thank you for your interest in Spirit Quest. We think of you as our global family and we are blessed to be able to bring you the wonders of Egypt.

With Love, Peace & Blessings

Greg, Halle, Mohamed, Emil, Rebecca, Maged, Hatem, Ihab & Everyone from Spirit Quest

Details for Upcoming Talks in Houston

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:37:45 -0700

Saturday, 19 July 10:00 AM

Houston Baptist University
7502 Fondren Road
Houston TX 77074

Hinton Building, Dillon II

Call 281-649-3269 for more information.

This presentation will cover the details of the upcoming "Spirit of Ancient Egypt" trip to Egypt being organized with HBU.

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Sunday, 20 July 3:30 PM

Metaphysical Matrix Bookstore

2727 Fondren Rd, Suite 5M

Houston, TX 77063

Telephone: (713) 780-9995

Click HERE for a map

http://www.metaphysicalmatrix.com/

A free workshop about the Sacred Science of the Ancient Egyptians.

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Sunday, July 20 12:30pm
UNITY CHURCH OF CHRISTIANITY
2929 Unity Drive
Houston, TX 77057
In the Chapel

This presentation will cover the details of the upcoming "Spirit of Moses" trip to Egypt.

PRESS RELEASE: Spiritual Tours on the Rise

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:18:02 -0700

Spiritual Tours on the Rise
Spirit Quest Tours is leading the way for spiritual travel to sacred sites

July 16, 2008 ----- Boutique spiritual tours to Egypt, Bali, and other spiritual sites are a trend on the rise nationally, as one in four US travelers indicates an interest in taking a spiritual trip. A growing segment of the population is seeking to improve themselves, even on vacation, experiencing luxury and relaxation at the same time. This is making the specialty tour a top choice.

These tours are coming from churches, Christian colleges and private groups. "We have been overwhelmed with the interest in Egypt as a destination," said Jennie Hedger of the Master of Liberal Arts Program at Houston Baptist University, which is sponsoring a trip to Egypt and The Sinai over the New Year. "A trip with a theme and a purpose makes all the difference for many travelers."

One of the main benefits of boutique travel is exclusive access to sacred places, at times when the public is not allowed. Depending on the group, tour leaders facilitate ceremonies and a deepening of spiritual values, while ensuring that each guest is pampered for the whole trip. This often includes 4 star hotels, Nile cruises, opportunities for worship or meditation, and daily activities such as ceremonies in Balinese temples, spa treatments, and a 5 course catered dinner on the grounds of Luxor Temple.

"People are just drawn to go on our trips," said Greg Roach, Founder of Spirit Quest Tours (http://www.spiritquesttours.com), which has a Bali trip planned for September that is loosely based on the best-selling book, "Eat, Pray, Love" and two Egypt trip to Egypt and the Sinai in early 2009. "Luxurious spiritual trips to Egypt or Bali keep attracting travelers because they want something special, something more meaningful than just a vacation."

According to the Travel Industry Association, 25% of travelers said they were currently interested in taking a spiritual vacation. 12% said they were MORE interested now compared to five years ago in taking a spiritual vacation.

Travel Event Advisory
Spirit Quest Tours leader Greg Roach is appearing in Houston July 19 at Houston Baptist University, showing pictures of recent boutique Egypt tours and talking about upcoming trips. He will also speak July 20 at Unity Houston and offer a workshop on Sacred Egypt at Metaphysical Matrix Bookstore.

206-353-7497 or http://www.spiritquesttours.com/news for more information.

About Spirit Quest Tours
Spirit Quest Tours is dedicated to transforming the world through deep spiritual experiences for all its travelers. The company offers four and five star "trips of a lifetime" to sacred sites around the globe.

Contact: Halle Eavelyn
310-292-0688
sqtours@gmail.com

NEWS BRIEF+VIDEO: The Use of Sound in Ancient Rituals

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:15:29 -0700

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 ancients.

Iegor Reznikoff of the University of Paris recently discovered that paintings in the famous prehistoric French caves (at Niaux and Le Portel in Ariege, Arcy-sur-Cure in Burgandy, and others) were located at the spots where the caves naturally exhibited the greatest levels of acoustic resonance. He presented his finds at Acoustics08 in Paris.

The full story can be read Here.

Next, we jump several thousand years, and several thousands miles, to the Aztec empire in central America where recent discoveries have shed light on that cultures use of sound to produce altered states of consciousness, heal disease, frighten enemies and ease the soul's transition in to the afterlife.

The research of Roberto Velazquez, Arnd Adje Both, and other researchers in this fascinating area, are detailed in the article found Here. In particular the article focuses on the sounds created by the so-called "Aztec Death Whistles."

All this aligns beautifully with the things we've seen and experienced in our travels: from Egypt to Thracian temples or Byzantine Cathedrals, sounds was a powerful spiritual tool throughout the ancient world.

Click Here to listen to some toning inside the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid (from our free podcast Spirit of Place).

And finally here's a pretty cool YouTube video about the "Rosslyn Music Ciphers" - a series of 13 symbols/notations carved into the stonework of the infamous Rosslyn Chapel. Stuart Mitchel decoded these symbols into musical tones. Watch what happens when he performs a "cymatics" test on the resulting sounds: the cymatics patterns match the original stone symbols!

NEWS BRIEF: Recent Archeological Discoveries in Egypt

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:31:53 -0700

As you would expect, there's a never ending stream of discoveries coming out of Egypt. Here are a few of the latest (click on the headline to follow the link):

A beautiful, 12-foot tall quartzite statue of Queen Tiye has been found intact at the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III (next to the "Colossi of Memnon").

The largest pharaonic era fort ever discovered has been found in the northern Sinai at Tell-Huba. The site has a moat, brick walls 42 feet thick, and 24 watch towers,

An ancient mud-brick city, revealing details of everyday life, has been uncovered near Edfu. Normally it is temples and tombs that come to light - perhaps skewing our picture of the past - so this huge find is even more important as a result.