Specialist Short Course · Dr Bernadette Brady
Ancient Egyptian
Skyscapes
Explore an astronomy woven into cosmic order, kingship, ritual and sacred landscapes. Discover how ancient Egyptian texts, images, monuments and places can help us understand the sky through Egyptian perspectives.
Six live seminars · Tuesdays, 4–6 pm London time
21 September–26 October 2027
£399 early bird until 21 July 2027 · Standard £450
Tutor
Dr Bernadette Brady
Format
Six live Zoom seminars · recorded
Time
Tuesdays · 4–6 pm London time
Dates
21 September–26 October 2027
Each session
90-minute lecture + 30-minute discussion
Access
12 months · No prerequisites
The sky within an Egyptian world
Cosmic order,
made visible in place.
Read the evidence in context
Egyptian astronomy formed part of religious, political and social life. Its meanings were expressed through stories, images, timekeeping, ritual and architecture, as well as observation of celestial phenomena.
This course brings those strands together. Explore how Egyptians represented the sky, organised time and related celestial movements to gods, rulers and the order of the world.
Take the questions into the landscape
Alongside texts and images, consider monuments in their physical settings. What might their orientations, locations and relationships with surrounding landscapes reveal about the ideas they embodied?
The central question is one you can bring to your own study: how do measurements, orientations and monument-building within an Egyptian landscape relate to Egyptian understandings of cosmic order?
What you will gain
A richer framework
for investigating Egyptian skies.
Connect sky & cosmology
Explore celestial knowledge in relation to Egyptian religion, rulership and social order, drawing on different kinds of evidence.
Understand time & observation
Investigate calendars, star phases, decans, star clocks and celestial movement within their cultural settings.
Read monuments & landscapes
Develop questions that connect measured orientations and spatial relationships with the meanings of temples, tombs and sacred places.
Your six-week programme
A different perspective
each Tuesday.
Each seminar runs from 4–6 pm London time, with 90 minutes of lecture followed by 30 minutes for questions and discussion.
21 September 2027 · The language and cosmology of Egyptian astronomy
Begin with Egyptian astronomy as an indigenous system embedded in cosmology and theology. Explore approaches to time and the calendar through the Nile, lunar phases and the return of Sirius, considering how these relationships formed part of a wider cosmic order.
28 September 2027 · Seeing the Sky
Explore connections between land, waters and heavens, including the imagery of stars born of fishes. Follow star phases, decans and the movement of the Sun through evidence ranging from the Pyramid Texts to the astronomical ceilings of the New Kingdom.
5 October 2027 · The Sky as a Tool
Investigate practical and theological approaches to celestial movement. Diagonal star clocks, water clocks and Ramesside star clocks offer evidence for measuring and regulating time, while the Books of the Sky place celestial journeys within a religious understanding of the world.
12 October 2027 · The Sun, Horus and power
Examine relationships between the Sun, kingship and rulership through the Step Pyramid, the Giza landscape, Fifth Dynasty solar temples and the obelisk. Consider the Ptolemaic temple of Edfu and its engagement with the Sun’s movement.
19 October 2027 · The Moon and Osiris
Follow changing meanings of the Moon from the Old Kingdom to the Ptolemaic period. Explore its growing association with Osiris, death and rebirth, and the expression of the lunar cycle in later Ptolemaic temples.
26 October 2027 · Sacred Landscapes
Bring the course together through measurements and spatial orientations of major temples and tombs. Sites from Giza and Saqqara to Abydos, Thebes and Abu Simbel offer ways to examine how Egyptian cosmic order was expressed within physical landscapes.
Your specialist tutor
Dr Bernadette Brady
Astronomy, culture & sacred geography
Bernadette holds a PhD in Anthropology, an MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, and an MA in Egyptology. Her research interests bring cultural astronomy into conversation with sacred geography and the meanings of place.
Her teaching experience includes the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, where she has tutored since 2008 and taught Sacred Geography since 2017.
Egyptian skies in their landscapes
Bernadette has directed specialist events on Egyptian astronomy in Luxor and London, and a Sacred Egyptian Landscape Tour in Cairo, Luxor and Abydos. She is a co-director of the Kemet Klub, which coordinates Egyptology speakers and educational tours.
Her editorial work includes volumes on religious landscapes and sacred geography, alongside research on medieval churches and Cistercian abbeys.
Teaching, discussion & further study
Time to listen.
Space to ask.
12 hours of live contact
Six two-hour Zoom seminars combine nine hours of lectures with three hours of questions and discussion. All sessions are recorded.
Resources to work with
Extensive course notes, study resources and a reading list support your learning. You retain access for 12 months and receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.
A weekly rhythm
Meet on consecutive Tuesdays from 21 September to 26 October, leaving time between sessions to read, reflect and develop your questions.
No prerequisites: you can join without previous study of astronomy, archaeology or Egyptology. If you would like to discuss your interests, contact us before booking.
Course fees
Join the six-week course.
Early bird · until 21 July 2027
£399
Approximately US$530 / €477
Save £51 on the standard course fee.
Standard fee
£450
Approximately US$598 / €538
Both fee levels include six live Zoom seminars and recordings, 12 months of access, course notes, study resources, a reading list and a completion certificate.
USD and EUR amounts are indicative conversions checked on 28 October 2026. Payment is in GBP; your provider’s exchange rate and fees may affect the final amount.
Before you join
Your questions, answered.
When are the sessions?
Tuesdays, 4–6 pm London time, on 21 and 28 September and 5, 12, 19 and 26 October 2027.
Do I need previous knowledge?
No. There are no prerequisites; previous study of astronomy, archaeology or Egyptology is not required.
Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes. All six Zoom seminars will be recorded. You retain access for 12 months, so you can catch up or revisit the teaching.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. A certificate of completion is included at the end of the course.
How is each seminar structured?
Each two-hour seminar includes 90 minutes of lecture followed by 30 minutes of questions and discussion.
What study materials are included?
Extensive notes, a list of study resources and a reading list.
When does early-bird pricing end?
The £399 early-bird fee is available until 21 July 2027, two calendar months before the first session. The standard fee is £450.
Is this a prerecorded course like Introduction?
This course is taught through live weekly Zoom seminars with discussion, with recordings available afterwards. The Introduction and Advanced Topics courses are prerecorded offerings.
How can I check whether this is right for me?
Tell us about your interests and background via the Contact page. You can also compare the learning routes on Ways to Learn.
Ancient Egyptian Skyscapes · September–October 2027
Explore the sky
through an Egyptian world.
Join Dr Bernadette Brady for six weeks of teaching and discussion connecting celestial knowledge, cosmic order and sacred landscapes.
Tuesdays, 4–6 pm London time · Early bird £399 until 21 July 2027
Keep exploring
Find your next specialist interest.
Four Specialist Short Courses are planned for 2027. More details will be added as courses are confirmed.