Gaia's Children: The Beginning

Chapter 1: Sidra and Simeon

Sidra awakened to the sweet perfume of Jasmine growing outside her window. The scent carried her awareness deeper into a half-dream, where she stood on a rocky cliff overlooking the sea. The grasses moved with the wind, caressing her ankles as she watched for the boats to return. The wild land on which she stood was covered with a dense mist, shrouding the scene with mystery.

She heard footsteps approaching and turned to find a small group of men carrying a large, bejeweled cross and the banners of the church fluttering in the wind. With menacing glances, they reached for her, but she was ready. She leapt from the cliff edge into the sea as their voices shouted, Burn the witch! She did not reach the sea, but instead awakened, drenched with sweat in her bed. The dream came often, reminding her of the times to come and her agreements.

***

She rose from her bed and opened the windows overlooking the garden. Spring was her favorite season. The new growth helped regenerate her body that had long been an instrument of the Goddess. Running her brush through the tangles of jet-black hair, she sang to the Earth Mother. You are my body, Mother. I come alive to your bidding. She gazed at her reflection in the looking glass. Sidra's eyes were azure blue like the sea surrounding the Temple. She was ageless, untouched by the long years of service. A Master Alchemist, she had taken the role of High Priestess at the age of 18, and now, in her elder years, she was as beautiful and mysterious as the day of her initiation. Today would bring troubling news; she sensed it in the air. She wrapped an ochre robe around her body and walked into the garden. Coming to a small reflecting pool, she sat at its edge and waited for the visions to come.

It was strange to see a Priestess using the old ways with the technology available now, but Sidra preferred the ancient tools, knowing the time was coming all too soon, when the glory of Atlantis would end because of greed and lust for power.

***

Recently Simeon had confided in her, telling her of his conflict with the Hybrid Marax over the misuse of the Labyrinth. She warned Simeon to keep a close watch on the Hybrid, as she had foreseen the power struggle long before it happened. She loved Simeon as a brother the first time he entered the Temple. They became close friends over the years, sharing memories of their Sirian star home.

Sidra and Simeon were among those who returned many times in service to the Earth Mother and her life forms. They often sat together in meditation ,regenerating their ties to the Sirian High Council. In recent years, she watched Simeon grow tired as the shifting collective consciousness of Atlantis moved toward the lower energies of greed and fear. They both knew their efforts to elevate this consciousness would be met with great resistance. Sidra's heart was weary too. She knew the time had come for the Priestesses to summon the four Goddess Rays, and prepare the Temple for the final days.

***

Simeon stood in the alcove in prayer. He was smaller in stature than many of his young students but the magnitude of his presence was larger than life. His delicate olive skin had an opalescent sheen making him seem more ethereal than physical. His presence preceded him when he entered a room. Many believed he came from the stars, never before incarnating into the third dimension. His wide-set eyes were deep velvet black. Looking into them was a journey into the depths of wisdom and love. He spent many hours in deep meditation in the garden surrounding the Temple of Fire and his initiates learned not to disturb him. Simeon had many gifts, and the greatest was his compassion. It was his mission to transmit the vibration of unconditional love into the core of the Alchemist Order. Many years before his elevation to Master Teacher, Simeon witnessed the crisis that had torn the spiritual leadership of Atlantis in two.

***

Still reeling from the unexpected arrival of the Visitors from a dark-matter Universe, the Atlanteans struggled to understand how to live with the uninvited guests. These travelers had come to Earth with a plan. They had discovered the Galactic Alliance's Great Experiment, and were determined to re-direct it in order to create a new species of Human ... one that operated on the use of the senses without the benefit of higher consciousness. They disagreed with the Alchemist's plan to empower Humans by restoring their dimensional awareness, arguing that the hunger for power can corrupt even the noblest of species. The Visitors believed in the mind's ability to create perfection in the Human race and they wanted to weaken the Human emotional body in order to empower the mind. They planned to introduce genetic alterations that allowed for the gradual elimination of emotion so that mind and body could exist apart from feeling.

***

The idea of loss of emotion felt threatening to many of the Alchemists, but fascinating to others who were keen to eliminate barriers to growth and evolution. After all, most believed that emotions resulted in traumas and wounding … vulnerability and hesitation. The possibilities were seductive.

The promised potentials of the Visitor’s theories split the Alchemists into separate camps, and the resulting dissonance created a new Brotherhood of Visitors and sympathetic Alchemists who called themselves Engineers. Thus, the Engineers and remaining Alchemists took separate paths, often with opposing views. In Atlantean society, the Engineers were known as The Dark Brotherhood.

Within the Alchemist Order, the Priestesses were the elite Guardians of the Light, and they opposed the work of the Engineers. They prophesied a great disaster at the hands of any who dared to manipulate the original intention of the Galactic Alliance: to seed Earth with the Leadership of the Light.

***

Now years later, Simeon realized the Priestess prophesies were unfolding at last. For many years, the Visitors sought marriages with sympathetic Alchemists and other Atlantean citizens. This resulted in the emergence of a new race of citizens known as 'The Hybrids'. These Hybrids possessed genetically advanced mental abilities. Expert with mathematics and sacred geometry, and gifted with eloquence, they were fast learners, often excelling in competitive activities and leadership. They lacked compassion, and others perceived them as willful and calculating. Unable to fit into mainstream society, the Hybrids developed a drive to distinguish themselves as loners. They lived as if removed from the rest of the culture, with no interest in the greater good of their communities. Although never accepted into the collective that was an integral part of Atlantean life, a few unusual Hybrids, drawn to the teachings of the Alchemists, sought training in the temples with the hope of gaining acceptance into the great mystery schools of the time.

Many of the Hybrids were more interested in the military life, finding their competitive natures welcomed where strength and a calculating mind were valued. Some of them rose to positions of power within the Atlantean Army and were responsible for much of the lust for conquest and colonization of surrounding lands.

***

Simeon faced a decision he avoided making for some months. Marax, a Hybrid initiate, and his companion Tubek, were apprehended in the Labyrinth after dark, while placing transmitting crystals in the Great Crystal Field. The purpose of their actions was not revealed before Guardians seized them, delivering them to Simeon's quarters for questioning. During the ensuing hours, weaving a tale of innocent experimentation, Marax failed to convince Simeon of his benign interest in the workings of the crystalline grids. Simeon ended the questioning for the time, choosing instead to consider the implications in private before deciding whether to ask the Council for a hearing.

Chapter 2: Oriele and the Matrix

When they set off into the ethers, Oriele sighed, knowing they were facing extreme experiences in their quest for the healing of Humanity. Moments before, if moments could be measured in this timeless dimension, they had been a union of twelve. As their light rays once again dispersed into the time/space wilderness, she remembered their collective thoughts.

She was summoned by the Central Sun to take her place in the Matrix. Moving her consciousness to the intersection of the four Goddess Rays, her light formed a prism that would hold the Matrix over Atlantis. She began to release the memories that had defined her in the third dimension … those that attached her to the others. She experienced the influx of the Goddess Rays into her being and her light expanded.

***

She had incarnated many times onto Earth with the others, though she always felt the pull of Orion, her star home. This time, she would remain outside the barriers of density, assisting her soul cluster from a dimension of infinite possibilities. She had come in the second wave of the Great Experiment, keeping an anchor in the Light. Usually a warrior with the energy of the great Central Sun, her light had been expressed as masculine, strong, courageous and resolute. Now, she settled into the feminine ... receptive and hidden in the darkness of the infinite--to receive and transmit between the Temple of Love and the Goddess Rays.

Committed to protect and preserve the integrity of the original Human design: a weaving of Star Seed and Angel, the Priestesses of Atlantis carried in their DNA the codes for opening the flow to the Goddess Rays. Retaining enough memory to recognize those who held the codes and move their messages through the Matrix at the speed of light, Oriele activated a connection between the Priestesses and the Goddess Rays.

Held in the grids of light over Atlantis, Oriele's consciousness transmitted a steady stream of support to the Temple of Love. Scanning the energies emanating from the temple, she tracked the movements of the High Priestess, tuning in to Sidra's frequencies. With great love, Oriele observed the unfolding of the end of the Atlantean Era, infusing the wisdom and guidance of the Galactic Alliance into the minds and hearts of those on Earth's surface who dedicated their lives to the advancement and awakening of Humanity.

***

In the Sirian High Council, many watched as Oriele transferred images from her scans to the translator in the Council chamber. Telepathic messages sped from being-to-being as they observed the events occurring on Earth.

In the Temple of Love, a flame burned in a crystalline chamber where the High Priestess sat in deep contemplation. She felt a surge of warmth entering her crown as she focused her attention on the star grids above the city, summoning her sister Star Seed for consultation.

Calling Oriele with her mind, Sidra described the inner visions she received in her dreamtime. The military forces are engaging in conflict caused by uprisings in the Provinces. I am concerned by the unspoken agendas that I sense at the core of this conflict. If what I have dreamed is happening, the Science Lodge is involved in dangerous research with new weapons. It may come to pass that these weapons will be used despite their inherent risks to the planetary stability. There is also a threat from within the Alchemist Order. I have seen that Simeon will discover someone tampering with the Great Crystal Field, and initiate disciplinary actions. These dreams are signs of great instability within the Atlantean culture that reach beyond the city. I feel these days are the times we have anticipated. Please advise me, of what may be done. She waited in silence, for the answers.

Remain positive Sidra, the response came quickly, Focus now on that which you know to be pure light, and we will assist you in allowing this information to pass through you without altering your vibration. The Council will study what you have seen and consider the implications. Be at peace now in the light of love.

Sidra directed her attention to creating an image that would bring her relief. Moments later, an image of Simeon's angelic smile drifted in front of her, igniting joy in her heart. Smiling to herself, she allowed the frequency of this memory to lighten her energy field and stabilize her emotions. Rising from her prayer mat, she clasped her hands to her heart in thanks for the transmission and departed for her chamber. Tonight, she would rest comforted by the Goddess Rays; tomorrow she would look again at Atlantis through the eyes of her Inner Being and use deliberate focus to see only that which brings her joy.

Chapter 3: Marax

Marax sat at the Data Source studying the star matrix of the Pleiades. It showed something new; he sensed a presence yet undetected by the Guardians and wondered what it meant. He leaned back in his chair, tired from hours of intense study.

There is no reason for alarm, he thought. He was days away from confronting Venrah with his discoveries. A few days before, the rainbow spectrum had revealed a vibrational attunement to the Human emotional body. Marax was certain that the introduction of this spectrum point into the tunnel would create a separation from the emotional body, lasting long enough to experience life without the interference of feeling.

***

Venrah was secretive about his discoveries, planning to reveal his information to the Science Lodge first, and secure their permission to begin experimentation with Human subjects. Marax knew that Venrah was aware of the implications for immobilizing the emotional body, but had continued his research because of other, more conventional use of the spectrum for DNA replication and expansion. Marax had been successful in merging with Venrah’s consciousness to scan the data for his own use. It was an old trick; long outlawed in Atlantis but practiced regularly by those who had welcomed the Hybrid ancestors into their world. Marax caught Venrah in a vulnerable moment when the joy of discovery overrode his shielding. Once inside Venrah’s consciousness, Marax was quick to find information about the rainbow spectrum’s alignment with Human vibrations, and found the key to unlocking the hold of emotions on the Human mind.

Venrah had a vague awareness of intrusion as the mesmerization occurred, but Marax was a master in the art of deception and Venrah’s heart was pure. They had been together in the Labyrinth discussing the possibilities of Human liberation when Marax seized the opportunity. Venrah did not notice the subtle touch of Marax’s eyes penetrating his mind, and later, he remembered only a slight feeling of unease. Marax was satisfied that his breech of conduct had gone unnoticed.

***

Marax’s childhood training taught him to cloak his abilities from the Alchemists, which caused him great distress in the early days of his initiate life. Even though a Hybrid, Marax felt drawn to the Alchemists and their beautiful hearts. The Engineers taught him that those hearts bred a terrible weakness into the Human race, yet he felt a seductive attraction to the experience of unconditional love.

His appearance differed from the majority of Hybrids. It was difficult to determine his lineage. He was of average height, with dark wavy hair that he kept in the traditional knot of the initiate. The few initiates, who had advanced themselves, as Sanrai had, wore the long braid. Marax resented Sanrai but feared his powers enough to stay out of his way. Marax had the blue eyes of the Atlanteans and the physical endurance of the Visitors.

A dancer in the Temple of the Moon, his mother met his father when he visited the Temple on Summer Solstice eve. They fell in love and married within a year. Their marriage became the topic of intense discussion among the Priestesses because they favored his mother, but Temple Law forbade the union of Visitor and Atlantean. Despite pleadings with the High Priestess, she dismissed Marax’s mother from the Temple dancers, giving her a position in the School of Arts, where she trained young girls with her gifts.

Marax was born two years later. During their marriage, Marax’s father and mother merged their energies far longer and deeper than was allowed, until his father began to experience an acceleration in growth of his emotional body; something unheard of in the Visitors. The Council of Engineers sent Marax’s father into military inscription, physically separating him from his wife. Marax grew up without his father and with his heartbroken mother resigned to a life of service without reward. His father applied all his energy and will to his military career, to eradicate the influence of his heart on his life. For many years, Marax did not see his father. His absence left a haunting void in Marax's consciousness. Growing up a Hybrid was difficult enough, but without the support of his father, he was driven to create belonging elsewhere.

The Engineers took him in at the age of reason. They saw in him a young boy who could use his genetic gifts of rational thinking and physical prowess in powerful ways. His longing to be a part of something bigger was a useful motivator for him in his later studies with the Alchemists. He was paired in marriage with another Hybrid on his eighteenth birthday, and by his twentieth year, the Council of Engineers sent him to the Temple of Fire as an initiate, and he welcomed the assignment. The bonds between the Temple members fascinated him, and he hungered for the knowledge of the Alchemists.

***

As Marax rested in front of the Data Source screen, his mind drifted to those first days in the temple. He was in awe of Simeon, who greeted him without a thread of prejudice. You are welcomed into the initiate order Marax, Simeon told him. All who seek to serve the good of the whole are honored members. Unused to openhearted acceptance, Marax blushed, not knowing how to receive this welcome. The Council of Engineers had warned him about succumbing to praise, advising him to repel it whenever possible.

I am not worthy of such welcome, he had answered Simeon with a slight bow. I come to serve and to honor the Order.

You will soon learn to honor yourself, Simeon patted him on the shoulder. The core of unconditional love is the love of self.

Puzzled by this response, Marax excused himself from the Master Teacher and hurried to his chamber, where he sat in meditation for several hours. Within him, a growing imbalance of loyalties developed ... his allegiance to