Monday, August 01, 2005

Atlantean Agriculture and Religion

The agriculture of Atlantis uses a wide diversity of plants but only a very small number of animals. The most important one would be the Atlantean camel. This species is now extinct, but it was a close relative of the Arabian camel (it was after all a saharan sub-species brought over to Atlantis during the exodus) and the South American llama. At the same time it was also much more intelligent than either.

This was probably due to the influence of the Atlantean stones (refer earlier post), and indeed by late Atlantean times, these camels were quite able to work autonomously without human supervision. Thus it was not the human farmer, but mainly the Atlantean camel who till the fields, sow the seeds, and even reap the crops (through a variety of clever machines attached to them). It was not till the modern industrial era that farmers again attain such an easy-going existence.

The Atlantean camel was quite simply the cow, sheep and horse in one. Thus the main form of land transportation (till the last centuries of Atlantis) for goods and men was also the speedy camel. And on the lush grassfields of Atlantis, large herds of camels provided valuable fur, milk and other commodities. This camel that evolved in the blessed atmosphere of the Atlantean stones was perhaps the most valuable and versatile domesticated animal in the history of man. Sadly like the other wonders of the Atlantean civilization, it did not long survive the destruction of its motherland.

The great value and usefulness of the Atlantean camel gave it a central place in the religious iconography of Atlantis. On top of the magnificent entrance to the main temple of Atlantis in Abra Lodesh is for instance an ancient carving of the Atlantean camel--the symbol of the divine servant and an ideal so important in Atlantean spirituality.

Yet the camel was not the central sacred animal of Atlantis. That place is reserved for the Atlantean fowl (reared by farmers for meat and eggs). As is well known, the most potent and important symbol of Atlantean religion is the chalice of the 11 feathers found (symbolically or otherwise) in every temple that worship the one God of Atlantis. The feathers in the chalice are that of the Atlantean fowl.

One reason for the link between the fowl and Divinity is the odd habit of the Atlantean fowl to cry out loudly and (some say) beautifully before rain falls. The ancient Melchis (see earlier post) thus use the call of the fowl as a symbol for the spiritual call and sacrifice of the aspiring soul that releases the 'waters of heaven' (this is also called the descent of the Atlantean Flame). As such, on the most basic level, the feathers of the fowl symbolize (among other things) the 11 virtues of Atlantean religion and the inner offering of these spiritual virtues to God--an act that brings forth His blessing.

The arrangement of the 11 feathers looks like at least 3 different things. First it resembles a flame to allude to the sacrificial fire that the soul lights up in oneself. The flame in the chalice also symbolizes the blazing divine flame that is God Himself, and which burns in the human being (the chalice) that sincerely seeks him. It is thus the most universal symbol of the Spirit of God, the Flame of Atlantis. Next, the 11 feathers are arranged to look like a flower opening outwards, and symbolize the humble, open and beautiful quality of the spiritual seeker. Finally, the 11 feathers are arranged to look like water splashing outwards from the chalice, and symbolize the abundance of the heavenly waters that come onto the seeker.

Through this mysterious symbol, generations of Atlanteans were taught to contemplate the mystery of God. The temples of Atlantis do not use human, natural or animal figures to represent God (the camel was a symbol of the servant of God), though its temples are filled with pictures of everyday life (to symbolize the sanctification of everyday living).