OATHS ARE REAL

Have you ever heard the phrase “there is never a careless word uttered”?

 

Well, I was brought up in a family that fed me on a diet of Greek, Egyptian and Native American mythology from age 2 onwards, so was very aware of the power that words must create when spoken with conviction.

 

In many of these ancient stories, the hero or heroine would seek out, learn, and utter words of power that would literally have the ability to change the world.

Of course, any Harry Potter fan will also have at some point wondered what the words of their spells do when uttered at just the right speed, tempo, and tonality.

 

If we go back to many of the old languages, they all have phrases such as the word ‘Ruha’ in Aramaic that literally means ‘spirit of divine breath’.  The spirit words that creates reality.

 

The ancient Egyptian being Ptah was literally the God who created form through breathing the divine word from spirit and into the material.

 

So perhaps I should have known better, when in 2016 on a trip to Egypt with my friend Daniel Spayne we stood together on a rooftop in Luxor and took an oath together.

 

An oath that has changed our lives forever.

And brought us both into cycle of massive growth and learning ever since we spoke the words into form.

 

But let me backtrack a little for the joy of a story.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The sun was setting in vibrant golden hues behind Luxor Mountain and the Valley of the Kings.

 

I stood on the roof of a domed hut, painted in soft peach and yellow so that it faded into the desert along with the day that was passing.

 

I was filled with a blissful fatigue, having just finished a long yoga practice with my friend and soul brother. One during which we had poured with sweat due to the lack of air conditioning and breeze. The Egyptians looked at us as if we were crazy practicing in the heat of the afternoon. Perhaps we were but my muscles were relaxed, my mind at ease.

 

We had been travelling together in Egypt for a few weeks and were as comfortable here as we were back in England. Indeed, we felt at ‘home’. We had met here too. In 2014 on a boat trip where a chance dinner under the stars had broken open ancient memories.

 

The warm wind picked up for a moment and tousled my hair, blowing it across my face so that as I lifted my hand to brush it away, my white silk scarf slipped from my shoulders.

 

Just as I was about to grab it before it hit the dusty floor, a hand reached out from behind me and beat me to the rescue, placing the scarf gently around my head and shoulders with an intimacy of relationship built over several lifetimes.

 

I turned and smiled at Daniel as he placed a hand on my shoulder, and we stood without saying a word watching the sun set.

 

After it sank beneath the horizon, we turned and sat down on the rough wooden benches on the roof, covered with threadbare, dust worn decorative cushions. I felt like an ancient queen having emerged from a long slumber in her tomb.

 

Smiling, I said “so what will you do when you get back to Turkey”? Daniel was residing there at the time.

 

“Well, not sure really,” he replied languidly. “There are a few festivals, I have some ceremonies I am planning to do and a few friends to see – nothing major. To be honest, I am getting somewhat sick of the New Age,”.

 

I sighed in recognition of the sentiment.

“Yes, I know what you mean,” I said looking up at the rising moon that was slowly moving through the deep purple and indigo blue evening sky.

 

“All my work in those circles just seems to go round and round without ever really accomplishing anything. I even find myself missing the fast pace of media sometimes these days,”. I responded smiling.

 

There was a pregnant pause.

 

“Right then – stand up!”. Daniel rose from the bench with such speed that he had to reach out to steady it with a hand to stop it from falling over.

 

Smiling at the sudden inspiration of my friend, I swung my legs off the bench and stood coming over to take the outstretched hands being extended towards me.

 

Facing each other, we stood in silence for a moment sensing into the moment.

Words started to swirl in my mind, and I could tell in Daniel’s too.

 

Yet what emerged from my mouth was far from expected.

 

“Time for the ending of one chapter and the beginning of a new,” I said softly.

 

“Time to finish what we started lifetimes ago,” he said winking.

 

“Time to do something of substance and meaning in the world,” I added.

A pause whilst we turned to both look at the moon.

 

“When we get back sis, let’s do something really grounded shall we,” he said grinning and slinging a long arm over my shoulders.

 

“There you have it – an oath to groundedness,” I responded laughing.

“We swear an oath to do something really grounded and impactful in the world then,” he reiterated.

 

And the Universe heard our words of power.

It certainly heard our oath.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

When we returned from Egypt, it was a short few months before Daniel found himself moving to the North of England and taking up a permeant position as the Managing Director of Equinox Kombucha, a fledgling business that was begging to be cared for and grown.

 

It was a year or so later that I received a call from him asking me to come and work with the team there and I started working part time, re-designing their people and sustainability strategy. Four years later and I am working almost full time for this amazing business and community of people.

 

In the years since Daniel and I have been pulled into the groundedness of Equinox, the business has grown in revenue 9.7 x. It is now the UK market leading, real kombucha company and the only B Corp certified, sustainable kombucha brewery in Europe. We have taken on major investors like Yeo Valley and LSG Holdings as well as won awards every year for the quality and delicious taste of our drinks.

 

A casual oath sworn on a rooftop in Egypt has not only held both of us to account for the words of power spoken that night to the setting sun and the rising moon but has touched millions of people across the UK and Europe with its impact.

 

There are never casual words spoken.

Especially when we mean them.

Particularly when our hearts and souls are involved in their manifestation.

 

And now we come to a new chapter in the journey of Equinox and our friendship.

But that’s another story for another time.

 

And tell it, I will.