Return to Atlantis - Part 3

Of Myth and Magic by Lisa Iris

In our last article, you were swept out to sea, in search of unknown shores and sanctuary. Are you ready to be launched far into the future? Well, clutch your pearls - it’s 1882 and you’re the lady of a well-appointed New York townhouse; a denizen of The Gilded Age. Your monthly order of books has arrived and you unwrap one with particular excitement. Your hand glides over the cover’s gold-embossed depiction of Poseidon’s chariot, before opening to the title page: Atlantis – The Antediluvian World by Ignatius L. Donnelly. You devoured Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by Monsieur Verne ten years ago, and now–Atlantis could be real!

A Gilded or A New Age?

Donnelly’s best seller captured the world’s imagination on the verge of a new century. His research, conjecture and illustrations were well received, perhaps because a decade before, the mythic city of Troy (including the gold “Mask of Agamemnon”) was discovered by Heinrich Schliemann, using Homer’s Iliad as his guide. (Actually, Schliemann discovered Mycenae - no less spectacular a find.) In the 1900’s, Sir Arthur Evans would discover Crete and the Palace of Knossos – a legendary site inseparable from King Minos, the Labyrinth and the Minotaur.) Now, let’s add turn-of-the-century occultism into this mix: the N.Y. founding of The Theosophical Society in 1875, the N.Y. based Rosicrucian AMORC in 1915 and the influence of The Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn (primarily the revival of Tarot via The Rider-Waite Deck.) This was the perfect epoch for reviving a lost civilization! In fact, when Donnelly’s book was reprinted in 1910, a newly discovered Tasmanian gemstone was christened Atlantisite.

Today, Donnelly’s theories are regarded as pseudoarcheology, tainted by the biases of a bygone age. That said, the following is also a jumble of speculations inseparable from the Atlantis myth.

Pyramids, Mummies and Crystal Skulls

Ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica share many similarities, suggesting they were variants of a primary culture or that a transatlantic connection existed. Their megalithic constructions share precision cut masonry and razor thin seams. The doorways at Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo in Peru resemble those at the Osirion, Egypt, using the same keystone cuts. These empires of two continents share advanced astronomy, pyramids, civic and temple complexes aligned with the stars, mumification, and outstanding skills at crafting gold objects. There is a shared reverence for crystal, objectified by thirteen crystal skulls known as The Record Keepers of Atitlan. One such skull was studied by Hewlett-Packard crystal laboratories in Santa Clara, CA which determined this skull could not have been created by metal tools.

The Maya spoke of “Atlantiha.” The Aztec called their ancestral home “Atzlan.” The Toltec “Temple of Atlantes” is located north-east of Mexico City. The correspondences between architecture and astronomy echoes the words of Hermes Trimegistus/Thoth “As above, so below.” The Hopi of Arizona, linguistically related to the Aztec, aligned their sacred spaces with the Orion constellation. There are over 2,000 pyramidal mounds in North America, including Mexico. And how can we overlook the “forbidden history” of giants, such as the remains excavated in 1908 near the Cahokia Mound in Collinsville, Illinois?

Speaking of physical anomalies, why was the elongated head equated with beauty and the right to rule? This Aztec, Maya and Inca mark of distinction was adopted by Choctaw and Chinookan tribes, (Southern Mississippi and West Coast) and persisted as recently as the 19th century with the Quatsino First Nations (Vancouver, B.C.). Was head binding to emulate the appearance of Peruvian royalty – Peru being one of the Atlantean destinations? Was this practice ultimately to emulate the head shape of Pharaohs – descendants of the gods from the west ocean - as depicted in the artwork of the Egyptian Armana period and evinced by many mummified remains?

Imagine what revelations could exist if South and Middle American culture hadn’t been virtually eradicated by the Spanish conquest. That degree of subjugation, repeated in history’s darker chapters, reveals the cause for cultural amnesia. It’s a buried pain that persists far longer than the sacking of a city, or the burning of codices by conquistadors and Catholic priests. It’s a psychic wound shared by successive generations. The traditions, myths and practices of one’s spiritual identity are repressed as a means to survive in the present: to avoid a dominator culture’s contempt, enforced servitude or draconian punishments. However, the European hierarchal oppression of the Americas was no match for the gods who spoke through sacred plants and the elemental, healing power of shamanism.

The Lady of Spain

According to Edgar Cayce, another arc of Atlantean immigration was to the Pyrenees Mountain range between France and Spain. The Basques of that region speak Euskara, a Pre- Indo-European language resembling no other on earth. Their legends speak of Atlantika, the Green Island of their forefathers, who arrived in the Bay of Biscay after their island sank. In nearby Spain, an extraordinary sculpture, dubbed The Lady of Elche was excavated in 1897 at L’Alcudia, an archeological site on a private estate near Valencia. This sculpture is categorized as Iberian 4th century BC, yet it’s a stunningly refined work of art for that time, with uncharacteristic features. Some believe The Lady’s headdress’ shape indicates an elongated skull and the Princess Leia-like spools, connecting at the back of her head, resemble a headphone/communication device.

About 645 miles from Spain are the Canary Islands that were home to the Guanche. These blond, blue-eyed giants astonished the conquistadors who discovered them in 1483, (and later “assimilated” them.)

The Guanche had astrological knowledge and mummified their dead with methods similar to those of Egypt. Atalya was the place where they built a step-pyramid of volcanic rocks. Atalya is also the name of an ancient ceremonial mound revered by the Basques in Biarritz and the name of a sacred mountain in the valley of Mexico. According to Edgar Cayce, Atalya and Eyre were the two smaller islands after Atlantis broke into five pieces. (These names also bring to mind Italia and Eire.)

The Guanche were linguistically related to the Berbers of Morocco, who spoke of Attala in the west. The Berbers and Basques share a predominant RH negative blood type.

Somewhere, hidden in these mysteries – in the petroglyphs depicting giants or concentric circles (such as the Cochno Stone in Scotland), artifacts that defy timelines (such as the Antikythera Mechanism), the underwater pyramid complex off Cuba, the submerged Bimini Road, the elongated skulls, and the skeletons and mummies of giants HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC VIEW by the Smithsonian Institute – somewhere we might bring to light an ancestral Otherness uniting us all. This story began as you unwrapped the first best seller about Atlantis. Shall we close with Kindle or a paperback? You might enjoyFrank Joseph’s The Encyclopedia of Atlantis or books by Graham Hancock and Colin Wilson. For a place that never existed, there’s an astonishing amount of information. In our next article, we approach the heart of the mystery and perhaps the biggest cover up of all.

Mythically yours, Lisa

"“Invocation” and this text is Copyright 2022 Lisa Iris. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with written permission from CrystalWind.ca and Antonio DeLiberato Exclusive Worldwide agents for “Invocation” by Lisa Iris."

Lisa Iris is an artist and the proprietress of MYTHOS Art and Counselling, 289 High St., Fort Erie, ON. Her work has appeared on CD and magazine covers, in oracle decks, and is featured in The Crystal Wind Oracle. She enjoys opening her home to kindred spirits for conversation, sharing dreams and making magic happen.