Selestor's Men of Atlantis, by Clara Iza von Ravn, [1937], at sacred-texts.com
Selestor's Men of Atlantis, by Clara Iza von Ravn, [1937], at sacred-texts.com
Atlantian knowledge of creation's laws. Origin of the priesthood. Authority of the priests.
Atlantis knew the secret of the past, as ye today know language writ on page familiar. Thus were read the stars through eyes of sages and from the tiny speck first cast from Growth Divine, a mote of Thought from Him—the Builder—they fathomed the mystery of peopling, of the verdure planets bear.
The growth law they did learn by inner sense—to highly strive that all was cast to Mind, yet delved they not as men today must delve, but learned that law was knowledge of the sort which aids the brain to gather all it needs through introspection.
Practice ye who will.
The secret springs of life, if once ye yield to pressure of the inner sense, or soul, speak all of Nature.
No need of tomes to tell of Nature's laws when all is first implanted in the soul of man and, dormant, may be called to life through recognizing of the inner self—a something known before the world loomed large unto the eye.
Great scrolls they made of finest colors woven with the hues of rainbow, sunset clouds and all that Nature casteth from her loom of dyed and mingled substances, so wove to mood of maker that a poem it doth seem.
Atlantians read the moon as page of book or thoughts condensed on pillars. Thus they spake: "The Moon-men, mad, have cast their thoughts to
[paragraph continues] Earth and harm has come to us who dig and delve, and strive to carry to each dome and build such structures as the very sun doth mock. Alas! we cannot ward the harmful stream of thought condensed which smiteth brain with woe!"
Sun language read they. Messages of growth stood forth on parchment, sheets of gold or bronze, ye call, of which they, too, did make them gates as well as barques to carry thither, yon, all merchandise. Great sheets made whole by cunning use of spikes so beat in wood that strength made sure the task of building messenger for water-road abroad.
Heed ye! the secret lies beneath the wave, but semblance have in that carven boat which men of statue shrunk make small in wood of tree-trunk; yet in them no slave sits dumb and plies the blade. Aye, blades were plied which rested in the holes pierced high for oars, and "decks" raised in their midst, where sat in state the noble who did journey.
No great distance, oft made my sires of that sunk land, for all that made a land of worth was there, save in that season of volcanic mud and blight. Then forth to other lands they sailed in fleets of well-made boats when storms, the sages said, were held in leash by great Orion's belt.
To Africa always went they—land of corn—of rice—ye call, of wool, of shrub, of date, of ivory and skins of gloss and ebon hue. Later they went to Asia's shores when fairly peopled. To other lands whose inhabitants were the rioters that strayed from higher shores, their beaten tract lay on to that land which ye call "Egypt," I, the loved and lost, but rising yet again though peopled with the alien. Ah, my land!
My fathers of that lost Atlantis, speak did father much from star-lore through the mind, and learned from Mars the lore of working brass and metal
made from lead and grains of powdered pumice. Smoothe and fair to eye the molten mass on which the men of lands afar engraved their higher thoughts, or made a history which is read by peering souls who look beneath the waves and gather much that speaks of conscious mood.
They read the motes and streams of atmosphere, made discs through beating metal from the stone and mixed with brass or bronze, and caught a stream of strong, magnetic force through iron crude with other substance known. A disc of polarized white metal caught the current, drank it up and made the music of a certain word cast out by spiral form—’twas done.
Nay, they knew not messengers of land as thou, nor tubes for speech, but o’er the water flashed the message as the summer air, and sought objective point which skill designed. For speech was caught on disc and read with satisfaction or with dread.
"Bring hither from Atlantis sacks of gold," he read, "twice twenty. We send thee linen—honey—swords and javelins broad." And he, with ready stylus, at the disc marked on his tablets: "Twice twenty sacks of gold they from the upper Nile desire."
And this ere Ophir gave her secret to the hands of one poor slave!
Priesthood came to light in that far island in the early dawn of race. A castaway, who dwelt from birth upon a northern cape, was priest first to Atlantian people, when the world at that one spot was bound to savagery. Yet kind in heart the handful that had sprung from fisher folk, as I have told before, and gave him shelter.
He of all the boat, one hundred toiling slaves had manned, was spared to tell the tale of mountain waves and frightful blasts that heaved the foaming
sea and break in staves the ship. And as he spake of hardships all eyes were turned on him in pity, as they understood.
A tongue long lost to most he spake, but one of that small band—himself a fisher castaway—could catch his meaning and expressed his sympathy. The son of Ocean's spite reared to his gods, for preservation of his life, a wall of rock and set thereon a disc of polished gelb he wore upon a thong about his neck.
All understood though having not one god their own.
And thus as he—the son of Ocean's spite—poured forth his gratitude, they knelt beside and lifted up their voice in thankfulness, in imitation of the man who prayed. And thus was priesthood born.
And that first priest—a man of will who boded check but ill—soon made his presence felt and all did turn to him for counsel. Waxed he strong in power and handed down his law to every soul that spake: "I pray thee give me counsel." Thus ’twas done.
Like all beginnings, but a speck—of time—of potency—of that which binds and welds when growth hath been attained, and binding millions by the central thought, all bowed at his command as when a king stepped down.
Yet he was meek in mien. A thoughtful man who knew the power of law and sought to bind the minds of them who dwelt upon the isle, with purpose. This at last was done. His name? They called him "Bernastje" meaning Thought. A name corrupted.
Thus priesthood was established. Down the line which followed all his sons were priests and teachers. Healers of the sick by art drawn from the mind, at first, of that head priest who brought much knowledge. All their power lay in strong heredity.
In the beginning none of other line did give their sons as priests, but as the souls contended for their rights, and many dwelt where but a handful stood, still others were appointed. So the line of priesthood grew and power also grew.
Little felt at first the power, but later, when the august government was formed and nations learned the island was a-weight with gold, the priesthood cast a spell of angry thought about the ministers of state, forbidding them to barter island wealth in quantities, preserving in their line a love of home and that which home contained all jealously.
Then strife arose, but by a threat that gods would bear the wand of stern destruction to the isle were priests but crucified or banished, or yet shifted tor the captive men afar, as sometimes done, fear gripped hard the government and priests remained in power. ’Twas well. The weak submit and strength in mind or hand brings power, awhile at least to him who holds the gifts.
Earth mind is prone to weaken at a threat made in the name of that which is not understood; for darkness holds the evil which we dread, not light of day. For light is intellect so trained that all may know without the word of man what for him lies in store.
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The work of priest was fixed by inclination. Some knew the gift of love to man and held them ready to deny self-love and yield to others that which giveth peace. Still others bartered words for golden grains that promised senses joy. They made the laws to govern school and home. The marriage, birth and death.
Health laws in measure also made they and the fixing of the tithes each made for prayer to gods.
[paragraph continues] Also one made a law that man hath known, and needed, since first his eyes were opened to the light—the law of ministering to the unfortunate one whose reasoning mind had fled.
The jangled brain took soothing draught of words from him who patient waited so to learn the words most soothing unto each. Thus was it in that day.
A rhythm made they of the potent words and so completely bound to simple sounds they sang, in tones discordant not but sweet, the jumble to the raving, keeping time to instrument like "zither," a slow, deep music that did lull the sense and often cure effected was by means like this. Adjustment unto certain law—this action of the brain. A single cell adjusts itself to tone—to thought—’tis well—’tis healed; the other cells will act in strict accord, for all are so contained in silken mesh of flesh that each responds.
The law is simple yet complex to them who read not science's method of the whole vast system—man or world—enhung upon a chord—a strand, that vibrates to a tune. And Time doth only change the direct stroke.
The priesthood also understood the law of color on the active, waring brain and with it soothed, or made the sluggish mind to grasp an object. Thus to fall in line in thought and bring forth harmony of thought from senseless round of muttered syllables.
Such disease fell often on the men of galley. Storm, perchance, drove wisdom from their head and Fear's great specter sat beside instead of Hope and Courage. Such malady afflicted child at school who strained much knowledge to absorb and mind was harmed.
A mother at the birth of babe invited such catastrophe by overfeed—a glutton at the feast of
[paragraph continues] Harvest Moon, when brain disease was rampant in that land of heavy light-pressure, under rays of moon, which now has changed its full condition, through the dying out of light important to all planets set in "heaven" and ruled by strong vibrative law.
Moon conditions change each one thousand years. To earth an almost imperceptible change cometh; yet we who study mark the growth or trend, to so distribute ill or good to Earth, which holds the planets.
Mark we, too, the laws that govern Sun irradiating worlds. Its light less luminous this past thousand years than in the former ages. Thus ye say: "The eyes of children dimmer grow; such, science hath discovered." ’Tis not so. No focus for an orb can be obtained if swift vibrations fill the sunlit air. Vibrations which made round a certain point, and in this day a point is passed and thus is blindness on the increase, as ye speak.
So taught the priests of old Atlantis aeons since, and I, today, give but the thought of ages past.
In temples lived the priesthood. Chambers vast reached out designed once for palace court in which the monarch walked when so it pleased his will, and passages whose windings none might walk save the "annointed" stretched their way to home of priest.
Vast gardens set about the temple walls made private bower where dark-eyed children played and dark-eyed mothers smiled and time beguiled by touching cords of finest woven gold, or other metal. which all deftly strung, made melody that soothed the eager ear of child or yet of him all weary grown of clamouring zealot asking good at his unwilling hands.
He the secrets of "the gods" had learned—mere carven shapes to represent the thoughts that dwell
within the brain, and yet, in inner soul he grasped the law of higher Intellect that made the earth and all the planets, systems. Time, and measured with His eye the Universe and its beginning.
Aye, so well the priests did know that each endowed the carven shape he represented in his turn with attributes because, indeed, it was a spark of that great Mind cast out, all objects from His being having grown.
The priesthood held much power, as it has held since first man turned his thoughts from God's great works and queried to his fellow: "He that marketh me as man, I understand Him not, but thou art wise. I beg thee state His motive. Give to me the explanation of His ways so vast my puny mind can grasp not."
Man in power is like the creature which playeth with the object of her search ere she destroyeth. By glance of eye he seeketh to show the terror his presence calleth to the one whose life, mayhap, hangs on his word, and play becomes a stern reality till man believeth he is God indeed.