By Yolen, Scribe of Atlantis

Notes on Atlantean History during the Reign of Emperor Atlas:

An empire so advanced in civilization as Atlantis must have a government on a par with her other standards of progress.

Every citizen of age has the right to vote. Voting age for both male and female is twenty-five. Every State, city, and town, or mere settlement, has its representation in the government. It has its own Censors, Officers, Rulers and Governors. All the representatives come to the City of Paradise to convene and voice the opinions of their people.

Individual States are independent of each other, but are subject to the Capital Seat of government. All individual cities, towns or settlements are independent of each other, but subject to the laws enforced by the State Capital City, the Seat of Government. Every individual living in a city, town or settlement is independent of another, but subject to the laws enforced by the Censor of the place.

Every State, city, town or settlement of Atlantis strives to maintain the splendid state of welfare, cleanliness and morality as well as the standard of government and civic fame which has been acquired in past centuries. The Government provides free, the swimming pools, gymnasiums, temples for classic dancing and other graces, and groves for outdoor sports. Contests are always being planned and executed for those who wish to test their ability and excellence in various ways. Pageants, pictures, concerts and other public entertainments are provided free for the people. All these are paid for by taxation of the entire empire and by foreign tributes.

Schools of learning, government owned, are open to all applicants. No distinction is made to class, color or race. No slackers, roisterers, or mere seekers after notoriety are allowed to continue studies at the Schools. Economy and the spirit of justice, honor, and equity are the basic principles the students must conform to throughout the scholastic terms.

The educational system of Atlantis is admirable. Every child is required to pass through a course of study until he reaches a certain standard. Those manifesting a marked degree of talent in any art, or science, or in any other line of endeavor, are given every advantage and encouragement to improve and develop such gifts. All training of individuals is paid for by the Government, and taxed to the People.

Corporeal punishment is unheard of in Atlantis. Children are not coerced and threatened to do that which a parent or teacher deems best. It has been thoroughly tried and tested and proved that such ways of an adult often breaks the spirit of the child, or ends in stubborn contrariness, or open rebellion. It is a fact that a child is not naturally perverse or resistant; and often it is carelessness, downright ignorance, or impatience on the part of the adult, that is the cause that results in a war between the two—guardian and child. In such cases where the child is at fault, it is lovingly chided and wisely admonished by those older and more experienced.

Parents have to bear in mind that intelligent answers to questions asked by children eventually prove to be more than half the task in training them to become obedient and progressive beings. The young are taught the wonderful processes of creation of all earth life, by means of flora, fauna, insect and bird life. Because of their simple method of imparting Nature’s truths, the children entertain no vicious and fatal sex-curiosity; but few lamentable habits are found to need correction and cure. Hence the youths reach the age of puberty with clean minds, pure thoughts and healthy bodies.

The very young in primary grades in school are taught by means of carefully selected plays and pictures; by stories and legends; by activities and energies; and by demonstrations of sciences given in simplified form, which the child mind can grasp and become interested in.

Atlanteans appreciate the advisability and advantage for birth control. For ages past the eugenics of parents and children have been made a careful study, in order to protect and to produce better standards of human beings. It is due to such wise laws that Atlantis has at this time reached the almost perfect type of man. But it must be confessed that in the Period just past, before Poseidon came to rule over the empire, the Atlanteans had reached that remarkable height of spiritual understanding which we of the present day have lost hold of. They lived to be two hundred and fifty, to three hundred, even four hundred years of age, seldom having to combat disease or limitation in any form, and then serenely releasing their temples of mortality to be translated to the next plane of life and experience. Our retrogression in this particular way may be due to the influx of and the general leaning towards Idolatry, and the backsliding from the Law of One.

Aged people of Atlantis are treated with great respect and reverence, for they are recognized as having given valuable years to the general advancement and uplift of the entire world. Tis only of late years that old and decrepit beings have become common in our land. Many of these are pagan foreigners, and many are debauched Idolators. For these there can be no special respect or reverence, but pity only.

Atlanteans know that the female is really the more vital and virile of the human species, though other peoples laud the male of the race as the master mind. Because of our recognition of female as holding a higher consciousness than the male, in spiritual and ethical ways, our women hold public offices, voice public opinions and have equal rights with the men. In the home circles they rule and govern and manage the children and household alone, while the father obeys and provides as desired. This supremacy in the home is due to the sixth sense the women of mature understanding develop. The sixth, or intuitional sense, comes from the Fourth Dimension, which is the psychic plane of consciousness, and may be contacted only by silent mediation in the Law of One. Women are specially enlightened in the Light of the Inner Shrine, for they cradle the race of man, and must be endowed for this great work. Public interest in life and work for our women does not detract from their grace and femininity, nor from their ability to manage a home. A splendid official of government makes a splendid wife, mother or sister, or daughter!

In the matter of dress, the Atlantean has reached a very practical standard. There is little difference between the garb worn by the men and by the women for work, or for daytime hours. It is a short-sleeved tunic belted loosely at the waist. The loose bloomers to the knees for summer, with short stockings and sandals for the lower limbs and feet; and fitted breeches, with an over coat-skirt for the winter season; worn with high stockings and boots for cold weather. The difference for the sexes is more in materials and finish than in cut or style.

Very few Templars in Atlantis will wear hats, because head coverings are affiliated with the Priests and Pagans of Idolatry. It has come to be a distinguishing feature between the Templars and the Idolators. For the same reason the Templar men, women and children keep their hair cut short. Men have clean-shaven faces. The Idolators have long hair, and allow their beards to grow ridiculously long.

For state and social affairs, and for evening dress, no people on earth can compare with us for beauty and magnificence of attire. An Atlantean’s wardrobe is resplendent with gorgeous raiment. Because our empire leads the world in arts and crafts, in common sense and eugenics, in wealth, style, and progress in all ways, it behooves us to set the style and fashion in matters of dress and personal adornment also. Every citizen is expected to dress as well as means afford, since grace in outline and color is conforming to the harmonious Law of One. In cases where one cannot afford raiment such as would please others as well as one’s self, a more prosperous friend or relative is always eager to supply the need. The privilege of being of service to a friend or relative is considered a religious duty and blessing in the Law of One.

Every profession, every art, every science, craft and work in Atlantis has a distinguishing mode and method of dress of its members and advocates. The diversity of cloaks and tunics, the robes and mantles of state, proves most interesting to others, for it at once signifies the class in which the wearer works and serves. Adepts, Seers, and Sages of the realm wear certain rings and girdles that signify their stations in the government of the realm. The color and texture of the garb shows the rank and grade of the wearer. The highest members of the Circles of government according to the Law of One are permitted to wear the thumb ring, the stone of which is cut to identify its owner with the particular Circle he represents.

Thirty years of age for a man, and twenty-five for the woman is considered a desirable marriageable age. Young people should know themselves and their own minds by this age. Prior to such years of discretion wedlock is not advocated for young lovers. In fact, Atlanteans do not encourage the young to pair off, two and two, as many foreigners and pagans do. Such abortive love, as passion and sex urge creates, is disastrous and not considered fit to prepare two for wedlock, and certainly not good for the coming generations.

Atlanteans approve of children. Two, three, and four children within ten or twelve years of marrying gives the little ones an opportunity to grow up to maturity before their parents are too advanced in life to participate in the pleasures and delights of the child. Because of wise birth control a mother does not have to endure the pangs of childbirth, nor does a woman have to bear children within a period of three years between each babe. This tends to allow sufficient time for each child to reach the age where it is independent of its mother, and able to amuse and instruct itself.

The lack of divorces in married life is due to the high standard of chastity of the Templars. But the Idolators and Pagans have brought about a dreadful state of affairs in their own lives. Because of these debauched persons, the government has had to reckon with conditions that are a menace to our civilization. It goes without saying that no woman will wantonly give birth to an illegitimate child; because she is first and always the mother-in-spirit. To alleviate her burden and responsibility, therefore, the State adopts her child at birth, and she is made a custodian of its welfare and training, until it is of a proper age to start schooling. Since the mother and child are charges of the State, any scorn, or pity from others is punishable as criminal.

The government knows the wisdom of rearing children in a free and happy state of mind, consequently no illegitimate child is scorned, or upbraided for a condition of birth for which it is not responsible. It is not condemned to suffer disgrace, or become stolid and stubborn through the mother’s weakness, but is cared for and trained as lovingly and tenderly as any well-born legitimate child.

Since the continued success and higher civilization of the empire depends so much upon it future citizens, the government of Atlantis extends every advantage and opportunity to prospective mothers, to facilitate harmonious conditions, and produce happy-natured off-spring, with fine minds and untainted souls. How wise is this precaution, the ages past can prove!

The sex of children is wisely controlled and governed by the knowledge of magnetic currents exercised upon the earth by the moon. Pagans and unlearned peoples of earth claim that the moon is a dead planet! We Atlanteans know better. We have proved conclusively that Luna is not dead, but sleeping near her mother earth. She has not yet been weaned, but still draws sustenance from Earth. Because of this drawing constantly upon Earth’s forces and powers, the moon has tremendous magnetic currents constantly working over, and about, and through the earth sphere. This constitutes her power to control the earth’s great life forces: the tides, the vegetation, the humans born, and those dying, and the sex of those conceived. The sun gives life and love and heat, and controls the day, when man works and plays; but Luna takes life, takes the heat, takes the love, and in return pays with magnetism for those dwelling under her powers. She creates negative conditions, that are manifested in a rising temperature of the sick at night; in the birth of babes during her hours of governing over the earth; and in the toll of those who die after sundown. She exerts such influence over the deranged in mind that those poor mortals become more unmanageable as the moon grows full. As she wanes in power the lunatics grow more sane and tractable.

Because of scientific astronomical observations and proofs, the Atlantean astrologers discovered and tested conclusively that the moon governed the sex of a child at conception. The changing phases of the moon child of the earth is responsible for the female, or the male sex of an unborn child. Hence Atlanteans governed the sex of their prospective offspring by heeding the phases of the moon.

Our Sages and Seers are unceasingly at work to improve the race on earth. The survival of the fittest is conceded to be a rational law of Nature. But one must understand and demonstrate it or brute strength and animal instincts will break down the actual application of that great law.

To instill this law in the minds of our children during their years of training, we keep their thoughts filled with fine and good ideas. We give them trials of endurance; healthy fatigue; outdoor activities; enthusiasms and inspirations of a high order, that they might develop splendid minds, souls and bodies.

Boys and girls are taught the dual nature in each—the male with undeveloped female qualities; and the female with the male qualities undeveloped. Wise and careful training perfect these dormant qualities and express a higher mental and more perfect human. Because of our Teachers knowing well the importance of this development—latent in everyone—the Atlanteans have reached so marvelous a growth in civilization. The Templar women have courage and strength and energy which is generally attributed to the men; and the men express gentleness, tenderness and devotion which is usually found in woman.

Excerpt from The Prince of Atlantis by Lillian Elizabeth Roy

For the other parts to this series, see here.