A Pilgrimage to Abydos
In March 2026, we invite you to recreate this ancient pilgrimage.
The ancient Egyptians believed in a sacred journey. A journey they were required to make at least once in their lifetime, just as Muslims do to Mecca. For them, that journey was to Abydos, the city of Osiris, the god of resurrection, eternal life, and the power of renewal.
Abydos was seen as the gateway to the afterlife. It was the place that symbolized the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. By traveling to Abydos, one connected not only with Osiris but also with the promise that life continued beyond physical death.
The pilgrimage was a ritual of purification and initiation. People received blessings for a good and fulfilled life on earth, but also the guarantee of continued existence in the afterlife. The journey to Abydos brought people closer to their essence and reminded them that earthly existence was only part of a much larger, cosmic story.
That is why this journey was so sacred: it was not merely a physical journey, but an inner initiation, a homecoming to the source, to the mystery of Osiris, and thus to one's own immortal light.
When is A Pilgrimage to Abydos?
From March 7 to 14, 2026, we invite you to recreate this ancient pilgrimage. During our A Pilgrimage to Abydos During this eight-day retreat, we will enter the temple of Abydos together. We will undergo rituals, receive initiations, die, and be reborn, just as the ancient Egyptians did thousands of years ago.
Day after day we purify our Ka, our personality, our ego, the layers that bind us. And at the same time we invite our Ba, our light, our soul, to incarnate more deeply within our bodies. Thus, we create space to truly live from the power of our immortal being.
What are we going to do?
Each day we will enter the temple to undergo the inner work. Sometimes this will happen completely intuitively, guided by the energy of the moment, and sometimes with a tailored assignment that will guide you precisely where transformation is needed.
In addition to the work in the temple itself, we create a bedding every day with sharings, meditations and transformative Egyptian ritualsEverything is focused on one goal: bringing you ever closer to your light. The Abydos field works deeply, and in these shared moments, you can anchor, reflect, and more deeply understand your experiences.
An important part of this journey is also learning to work with the Neteru, the divine powers of ancient Egypt. You will learn how to connect with them, how to recognize and receive their energy, and how to invite them to guide you in your own journey.
At the same time you will also learn how to deal with the temple itself You can work with it. The Temple of Seti I is a living field that responds, reflects, and opens. You will experience that the temple sees you, and that you can work with it as with a teacher or guide.
Thus, this journey becomes not only a pilgrimage but also an initiation into the ancient mystery of the soul. A path on which you not only receive but also learn to consciously participate in the dance of light and transformation.
About the Temple of Seti
The Temple of Seti I was built as a living path of initiation. From right to left, you walk past the seven chapels: Horus, Isis, Osiris, Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and finally Seti I together with Thoth. These seven sanctuaries are like seven keys. Each chapel opens a different aspect of your being. They mirror, reflect, open, and heal. You feel that the temple working with youIt works with you like a teacher works with a student. The temple helps you open, heal, and remember.
But the temple encompasses more than just the seven chapels. Deeper inside lie the mysterious House of Boats and the Hall of Hope.
The House of Boats was the place where the sacred barques of the Neteru rested. But it was more than a storage place for ritual boats. This was a space of healing and transformation. Here were often spiritual operations Subtle energetic interventions were performed, in which priests worked with the forces of the Neteru. Bodies and souls were restored, blockages removed, and the flow of life reopened. To this day, you can feel a field in this space that can deeply affect your system, as if invisible hands are releasing the light within you again.
The Hall of Hope exudes a completely different energy. This is a room of reflection and tranquility. Here, the connection between humanity and the Divine was renewed through prayer and inner contemplation. It is a place where hope is not something outside of yourself, but a reminder of the source of trust that already lives within you. Anyone who sits in silence in this hall feels how old worries dissolve and how space is created for clarity, trust, and new perspectives.
Each day you return, the temple also changes its face. Where it whispers softly the first day, it can reflect sharply the next, then envelop you in silence.
This creates a natural process in which each day deepens the previous one. The journey through the chapels, entering the House of Boats, and the stillness in the Hall of Hope allow you to release your Ka (personality, ego) layer by layer, while your Ba (soul, light) increasingly descends within you.
Impression of the Seti Temple in Abydos and the House of Life where we are staying
Why this journey to ancient mystical Abydos?
Because Abydos is more than just a place. It's a gateway. A gateway to your soul, to the mystery of death and rebirth, to a memory far older than this life.
People feel the call to go to Abydos when they:
- be ready to really let go of old layers and patterns,
- feel that their soul wants to descend deeper into their body and life,
- longing for a direct encounter with the light that shines beyond the personality,
- want to connect with the power of the Neteru and learn how to work with them,
- intuitively knowing that their path calls for receiving a sacred initiation,
- or have already been to Egypt several times and now want to go into the depths for a longer period of time, supported by one holy temple and a process that deepens day by day.
You're joining us because you feel it's time. Time to come closer to your essence, to die to what you no longer are, and be reborn in your true light.
What is included in this retreat?
- Hotel: All overnight stays at the House of Life in Abydos. You'll share a single room or a twin room with someone of the same gender.
- A full program: You will receive an 8-day retreat program in and outside the mystical temple of Abydos.
- Transport: Including transportation from Luxor to Abydos on March 7th in the morning and from Abydos to Luxor on March 14th in the afternoon.
- Meals:
- Lunch and dinner.
- Entrance tickets: For all the times we visit the temple.
- Accompaniment: powerful, transformative guidance throughout the process, including reflections, activations, meditations, temple assignments, and other supportive methods.
- An online introductory meeting: We will meet online with the group at the end of February to get acquainted and open the process.
Not included:
- Travel insurance.
- Flight from/to Luxor.
- Visa (€25, available online or on arrival, cash only).
Review: An inspired journey with Brian Van Leeuwen and Esther Geskus
I was allowed to participate in a retreat in Egypt under the guidance of Brian and Esther and it was more than transformation. What they offer is truly unique. Not just a journey along ancient temples to create a different inner feeling, but a mystical exploration of inner layers. Guided with the sensitivity of a librarian who knows exactly which book your soul needs at that moment.
Their approach is difficult to put into words. It is soft and powerful, subtle and profound. The sessions before and after the visit to the temples offered space to sink, to feel and to process, but also to let go, to liberate and to anchor in yourself. Brian and Esther create a foundation in which you are invited to embrace your pain points instead of running away from them.
Without perhaps realizing it yourself, they activate the alchemy within yourself along the way. Silent, intense moments arise in which you feel inner doors opening. As if something in you remembers who you really are. It is a tasting of what can arise in you when you let yourself be touched by the land, the energy and their inspired presence. I am so grateful for this journey and for the group in which we have carried, mirrored and strengthened each other with an open heart, gentleness and courage. We help each other grow, often without words.
Warm greetings,
Jurgen
Will you join us on this unforgettable retreat journey?
Practical information and investment
Location:
The retreat will take place from March 7-14, 2026 in Abydos, at the House of Life, a special place right next to the Temple of Seti I.
Travel and transfer:
There will be one shared taxi from Luxor to Abydos on March 7th in the morning and a return trip on March 14th around noon.
You'll need to book your own flights to and from Luxor (not included). We'll help you book the right flight. We also recommend arriving in Luxor three days early to allow time for your flight to land.
Meals and rhythm:
During this journey we fast in the morning and enter the temple fasting.
- Around 13:00 we enjoy an extensive lunch together.
- Around 19:00 dinner follows.
These meals are included in the price.
*If you would like to have breakfast, please indicate this in advance and it can be arranged for an additional charge.
Investment:
- Early bird Single Room: €2,400 (first 3 places)
- Early bird Double Room: €2,100 (first 2 places)
- Normal bird Single Room: € 2.600,-
- Normal bird Double Room: € 2.250,-
*excluding flight with Egypt Air from Amsterdam to Luxor.
Group size: This retreat has room for ten participants. You will be guided by Brian and Esther.
You can pay in installments, but the total amount must be received by February 7, 2026. A deposit of 30% will also be charged to reserve your spot.
Meet the team
Lead Facilitator - Brian van Leeuwen
Brian's path has been shaped by years of intense inner journeys and trainings, embracing and healing his own shadows and challenges. He has undergone and guided hundreds of sessions, and his work with the mysteries of life and the soul is deeply rooted in both ancient wisdom and modern spirituality. His connection to ancient Egypt, and in particular his initiation into the light of Amun-Ra, is an important pillar in his work, which is palpable in his retreats and workshops.
Brian's mission is to put people back on their path and help them remember the light within themselves. He stands for transformation on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Whether it is personal sessions, in-depth group retreats in Egypt, or his Mystery School, Brian stands beside people as a guide, mirror and source of inspiration on their journey to a life of clarity, connection and fulfillment.
He believes that every person possesses deep inner strength and works from the vision that life is a journey to fully remember and embody who we really are.
Lead Facilitator - Esther Geskus
Esther is a passionate facilitator, coach and trainer who guides people in connecting with their authentic core, body, emotions and life energy. With a deep love for holistic transformation work and a passion for tantra, Esther creates safe and powerful spaces in which participants can experience their “spark” again.
Her own journey of self-love and consciousness expansion has inspired her to integrate transformational work on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual. This work focuses on releasing traumas and blockages, allowing people to feel freer and happier. Tantra plays a central role in this. For Esther, tantra means not only liberation and expansion, but also embodied spirituality – a deep connection with the body, emotions and the flow of life energy.
Her mission is to support people in regaining their balance, life energy and self-love, so that they can embrace life with self-confidence, strength and joy and inspire others.
