Atlantis Quest

“Mental time-travel is one of the greatest gifts of the mind. It makes us human, and it makes us special.” Claudia Hammond

A crowded room: every chair taken; an expectant hush permeated the air. The lecturer looked over the gathered parties and said, “Good morning my fellow Atlanteans; my fellow Lemurians.” This was going to be a great experience thought a young lady in the front row. Kathy always had a fascination for all things Atlantis. To her way of thinking it must have been an amazing place. She got to the lecture hall a half hour early and sat in the front row so she wouldn’t miss a word. To pass the time while waiting she wrote in her journal and sipped some tea from a small thermos. The conference was hosted by the Association for Research and Enlightenment and was held at an old hotel in Chicago. Kathy had scrimped and saved every possible cent to have enough to go to the conference. Determination had paid off - she was there and soaking up all the information she possibly could.

         According to the lecturer, Atlanteans often wore purple - that was news to her. No wonder he looked straight at her when speaking. She was wearing a purple track suit with a floral scarf (purple background of course) and even her notebook cover was purple. An unconscious memory on her part - hmmm, maybe. Kathy jotted that little tidbit down in her notebook for future exploration. Then he talked about having a love of crystals and the energy they give - yep, she could relate to that; she even collected rocks from the river. How interesting.

         He discussed computers and technology while adding that those from Atlantis were likely to be “tech savvy” while people from Lemuria were more artistic in nature. Kathy didn’t speak up but thought about her degree - Computer science. She’d often worked in data entry too - coincidence? Probably not. It was well worth coming to this conference, she was learning a great deal. Love of the planet and concern for it - yes; love of ocean or dolphins/whales - yes definitely.

         Delicious small sandwiches were brought up for the conference participants - sprouts, salmon, and mayonnaise; along with 3 almonds for each person. The nuts were believed to be a cancer preventative. They tasted good anyway, thought Kathy. After lunch it was suggested that each participant close their eyes for a while and listen to some harp music followed by ocean waves. It was a very peaceful experience. Then the afternoon session began with a focus on Lemuria. These people were shapeshifters and each one was a healer. They could transform themselves into other beings like mermaids, dolphins, or birds of the air. All remarkably interesting to Kathy but none of it resonated with her as much as the morning session had. Lemurians were centered around the Pacific Ocean, while Atlanteans were in areas around the Atlantic Ocean. Near the very end of the session the Pleiades was mentioned, and Kathy’s ears perked up - she had always been fascinated by that star system. Apparently, the Pleiades beings brought their knowledge of water and ideas of unconditional love to the new regions of Atlantis and Lemuria. All things are sacred; none more than any other. Interesting.

         At the close of the afternoon session Kathy headed outside and walked to a nearby restaurant for her evening meal. She had chosen tiger black shrimp with butter and garlic; fresh steamed broccoli, and potatoes au gratin; rounded off with a caramel milkshake for dessert. Every morsel tasted wonderful. Perhaps the food tasted better because she was relaxed and enjoying the conference. After the meal she popped a peppermint in her mouth and headed to a nearby theater to see “Shear Madness” - it was a hysterical play and she was extremely glad she saved enough for a ticket. A feeling of peace and contentment came over her as she walked back to the hotel. Maybe her ancestors were with her, sending her love and support.

         When she got back to her hotel room that evening Kathy looked over the words to the poem, she had written years ago and brought with her to the conference without knowing why. A memory?  

Song of Atlantis

Oh Atlantis, my Atlantis

Where are you now?

A world I knew

So long ago.

Oh Atlantis, my Atlantis

A world so divine.

My brothers, my sisters, we will meet again

In our sojourn through time.

Oh Atlantis, my Atlantis

I hear you calling me 

In the hoofbeats of the horses

And the crashing waves of the sea.

Oh Atlantis, my Atlantis

You’re a part of me.

I will honor your memory

And in my heart you’ll always be.

She set the poem aside and wrote in her journal, read for a while from the book she brought with her entitled Interlibrary Loan by Gene Wolfe, then dozed off into a peaceful sleep, hoping she would dream of Atlantis.

         The next morning, she tried hard to remember any dreams but couldn’t. Not to worry, another time. Breakfast consisted of eggs benedict and orange juice - delicious. It was served with a sprig of parsley which she had after the egg. The second day’s lecture was all about Avalon and the time of King Arthur; all interesting. One time she had a dream that she still remembered where she was climbing a mountain - the staircase was an upward spiral. The plants were all very green and she was accompanied by a chickadee. One of the things the lecturer said was that if she dreamed of climbing a mountain on a spiral staircase it could be a memory of Avalon. If she was honest with herself, she did enjoy Merlin and the boy king and the quest for the holy grail. She would investigate it further in the future.  

         When the seminar had finished Kathy approached the lecturer to thank him for an informative conference.

“Thank you, Mr. Smith, that was a fascinating series of lectures, I learned a lot.”

“You may be interested in joining the Association young lady. The web address is on my card.  Some psychologists are conducting past life regressions. My sister is one of them if you decide to do that one day. She records the session on a tape so clients can hear what they say.”

“Thanks, I’ll look into joining (slipping the card into her handbag). One day perhaps, I’ll contact your sister for a session. I appreciate the information and explanation.”

“You’re welcome” said Mr. Smith. She noticed he was wearing a purple tie. Ah, a fellow Atlantean? Maybe. She smiled to herself.

Kathy then made her way to Union Station and rode for 40 minutes to her home station. During the ride she got carried away in her book and very nearly missed getting off the train. Phew! She thought; that was close. A ten block walk after that and she was home. She called in at her neighbor to thank her for looking after her cat “Buttons” and took her a gift basket of assorted cheeses she bought downtown. The neighbor was thrilled and incredibly grateful for the gift. Kathy then stepped into her sanctuary that was her home, stroked Buttons, looked happily at the decor in her dolphin themed bathroom, settled herself on a comfortable easy chair and picked up the Interlibrary Loan book. She was fast asleep in a few minutes; an exciting and revealing weekend had ended. Buttons settled himself on her lap; glad that she was home and life was back to normal.