Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries Just like Erma Said

Life is like a bowl of cherries. Erma Bombeck titled one of her books by that name. I have never read it, at least in its entirety. In fact, I really can’t recall one story in that book as it was many, many years ago that I actually read parts of it but, I know, that Erma Bombeck was a very intelligent author. She wrote her humorous stories around actual events in her life and experiences in a way that was entertaining, humorous and, if read in the right frame of mind, educational.

Why did I choose this as the main topic of this article? I chose ‘life is like a bowl of cherries’ because, through the past week, I have lived that bowl of cherries. Along with that wondrous juicy red fruit that is so delicious, there are always those damnable pits.

I have a friend that has told me for years that I am the only person he knows that can think himself into a bad mood. With my choice of career I have plenty of time to think about things. Amazingly enough, this past week there have been many, many things to think about from the Senate’s agonizing debates about Judge Neil Gorsuch to the bombing of a Syrian airstrip along with enough every day, non-political, work related subjects to choke the life out of anything.

The point I want to make, here at the start of this article is this: Life is actually pretty good for most people here in the good ol’ USA. Most, but not all; I have it decent. I have a pretty good paying job that I really enjoy, a roof over my head and food in the fridge. My bills are paid and nothing is getting shut off so why would I say anything about the ‘pits?’ Without the dark, we wouldn’t know anything about the light. For example, today started pretty good as I got to my receiver at a good time with only a few trucks ahead of me; I waited only a short time before being put into a dock door and it seemed I would get home early. That is as far as the good went. I waited over seven hours to get unloaded and almost an hour after that to get my paperwork. After leaving the receiver I was driving along at the speed limit, got behind a slow pickup truck, moved over to the fast lane to go around and the damn pickup truck decided to match my speed thus making me back traffic up behind me.

No big deal you would think, just slow down, get back behind him and travel on. Let me let you in on a little secret there: personal vehicle drivers do not like trucks. On any given day I will get slowed down by people that speed up when I try to get around them only to slow back down when I can’t and get behind them again numerous times. As a professional driver in a vehicle governed at 64 miles an hour I am at the mercy of a lot of things. I’ve been cut off by people that had to get in front of me, just to slow down or make that exit ramp that I just passed. I’ve had people pull out in front of me with less than a truck length between us. It gets more than a little annoying.

Today, being aggravated by the slow unload, this driver just pissed me off. As traffic is backing up behind me and this idiot not letting me by I blew my horn at him. Now, he could have sped up or slowed down, either way, no big deal; what did he do? He hit the brakes, looked up at me through the window and pulled off the highway. I’m expecting a call from the company about this as I am sure he took down the company name and trailer number because I was being an ass. I could have done more, like start to pull over into his lane to get him to move the hell out of my way for one thing.

As you see, with the day starting as that sweet, juicy, delicious fruit of me going home, getting to the receiver and getting into a door early, there came the pit of taking most of the day to get unloaded and then an idiot driver. Life was definitely a bowl of cherries today.

Another great author that I have come to admire is Sherrilyn Kenyon. For those that have been living under a rock or don’t read anything but Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, Ms. Kenyon writes fantasy/adventure/romance novels (the only reason they are romance is that she does put some pretty graphic sex scenes in there and the main character ALWAYS gets what they want). Maybe you have heard of her Dark Hunter, Dream Hunter, League or Chronicles of Nick books that are international best sellers. My personal favorites are the Chronicles of Nick, the adventures of a teenaged Cajun from New Orleans that has an attitude.

Why do I put her up there with such a writer as Erma Bombeck? Sherrilyn Kenyon was an abused child and she persevered and won the day. She survived and thrived through things that would permanently scar most people. She puts the wisdom of those years and her survival into her writing. Her characters, for the most part, are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old (the oldest that I recall is an Atlantean god that is slightly over eleven thousand years old. When a character has lived as many lifetimes as hers have, they gain a lot of life wisdom.

Ms. Kenyon’s characters have been betrayed by loved ones, been tortured by enemies, lived through hell and, in the end, won the day by perseverance and sheer determination not to let life run them over. Some, the Dark Hunters, have even by murdered in some of the most heinous ways only to be brought back by the Greek goddess Artemis as warriors against evil. Even then, these people have stories to tell and wisdom to share.

The point I am getting at is this: there are a lot of times that the gods make humans their punching bags and don’t give a rat’s ass what happens to us. It is up to us, the human race, to decide whether we will let life kill us or we go over, under, around or through the hardships and keep fighting. There is always something to keep fighting for: a loved one, an important cause, honor.

With all that is going on in the world today, especially since the election in November, there have been a lot of times when people have asked me how my day is, I’ve replied, ‘If it got any better I may as well take off my own head.” After years of fighting depression, it’s getting kind of hard to keep fighting the good fight for me but I do. I fight on because I have things worth fighting for, even if some of those things don’t care about me. As Dom Torreto said in Fast & Furious, “Never give up on family, even if they do.” I happen to have a lot of family, most of which are not blood.

To sum it all up, it doesn’t matter if you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, wealthy or poor, mentally balanced or have mental illness, physically healthy or ill, there is always something or someone that needs you, would miss you, would die without you. It doesn’t matter who is in the White House, Congress, Supreme Court, who controls what country, who has done this or that, we all have our roles to play. What we do today, what we say tomorrow, what has happened in the past or will happen in the future, does not matter one iota to the Universe. It will all fade into nothingness through the mists of time. What will remain is whether we kept going, kept fighting for life or whether we gave in and ended it all without a fight.

Over, under, around or through, there is always a way. The gods are childish, narcissistic asses that look at the human race as entertainment. We only get what we earn by working for it and there will be no one there to help us. Friends come and go. We can’t take anything with us and no one gets out of life alive. It is our decisions whether our lives are a beach or a bitch. If you want some good life lessons, some good outlooks on life, read some Erma Bombeck and Sherrilyn Kenyon. There are other great authors out there that, through telling their stories, have wisdom to give but these two are my favorites. Give it try, read instead of staring at your phone or computer screen or game console. Chronicles of Nick, Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries, House of Darke (by Colin R Parsons), Wizard’s Quest (by yours truly) are a few titles for life lessons through stories. Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, Dangerous Minds, Divergent, a few other titles for what life could be, even the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series’ can be more than entertainment if you really sit down and read them.

Don’t let politics, religion, nationality, or ideology cloud your mind. Life IS a bowl of cherries; all you have to do is spit the pits out and keep eating the sweet stuff….  

Religions of the World, Ancient and Modern

I have studied many religions over the decades. In recent years, due to my writing stories about the beginning of the world, ancient religions have been a research topic. I realize that modern day religions are nothing like the ‘mythologies’ of the ancient world but, what makes modern religion any more right than that of the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Greeks or Romans? Let’s take a walk down the religion path from ancient Mesopotamia to modern day America.

Religion (from the Latin Religio, meaning 'restraint,' or Relegere, according to Cicero, meaning 'to repeat, to read again,' or, most likely, Religionem, 'to show respect for what is sacred') is an organized system of beliefs and practices revolving around, or leading to, a transcendent spiritual experience. There is no culture recorded in human history which has not practiced some form of religion.

The Greek philosopher Xenophanes of Colophon (c. 570-478 BCE) once wrote:

“Mortals suppose that the gods are born and have clothes and voices and shapes like their own. But if oxen, horses and lions had hands or could paint with their hands and fashion works as men do, horses would paint horse-like images of gods and oxen oxen-like ones, and each would fashion bodies like their own. The Ethiopians consider the gods flat-nosed and black; the Thracians blue-eyed and red-haired.”

Xenophanes idea of one god was not widely accepted. Ancient people believed that there was a different god for different things much like there were different people for different things much like doctor’s specialties. A monotheistic religion really didn’t start until Judaism came around and that wasn’t widely accepted at first. But, that is getting ahead of the timeline.

Ancient Mesopotamia has the earliest known record of religion, dating from somewhere around 3500 BC (I will continue to use the old standard of BC and AD, I do not subscribe to the new BCE and CE that is now used) from Sumer. These people believed that the gods were co-workers alongside humanity, not some distant, invisible deity that just oversaw what went on down on the Earth.

Marduk defeated Tiamat and the forces of chaos to create the world. Unfortunately, those forces of chaos weren’t completely helpless and could possibly regain their strength and take over again so humanity had to work alongside the gods to keep them at bay. That is why humans were created, to work with, and for, the gods toward a mutually beneficial end.

Inanna, the goddess of love, sex, and war later was taken over as Ishtar of the Akkadians (and later the Assyrians), Astarte of the Phoenicians, Sauska of the Hurrians-Hittites, and was associated with Aphrodite of the Greeks, Isis of the Egyptians, and Venus of the Romans.

Egyptian ‘mythology’ was first recorded around 4000 BC and their gods were already well established. The Egyptian creation was much similar to that of the Mesopotamians, starting out as chaos and being formed into the different aspects of the earth and sky. And, as with most mythologies, each god was charged with taking care of a different aspect. Osiris was the ultimate judge of who entered into eternal life by weighing the heart of the soul of the individual in the Hall of Truth, much like the Christian God writes the names of those destined for Heaven in the Book of Life.

Egyptian religion was similar to Mesopotamian belief, however, in that human beings were co-workers with the gods to maintain order. The principle of harmony (known to the Egyptians as ma'at) was of the highest importance in Egyptian life (and in the afterlife), and their religion was fully integrated into every aspect of existence. Egyptian religion was a combination of magic, mythology, science, medicine, psychiatry, spiritualism, herbology, as well as the modern understanding of 'religion' as belief in a higher power and a life after death. The gods were the friends of human beings and sought only the best for them by providing them with the most perfect of all lands to live in and an eternal home to enjoy when their lives on earth were done.

Religion is thought to have developed around 4500 BC in China having been a mix of animism and mythology as designs of animals and dragons have been found on ceramics of the time period; by the time of the Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC), the Chinese had many anthropomorphic gods that were worshiped with a chief god, Shangti, presiding over all. This belief continued, with modifications, during the period of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) which developed the practice of ancestor worship.

This ancestor worship influenced the two greatest Chinese religions of Confucianism and Taoism in which ancestor worship was the most important tenet. In time, Tian (heaven) replaced Shangti. To get into heaven, one had to cross the Bridge of Forgetfulness and drink from a cup to purge all memories of life. If judged worthy, you crossed the bridge, which spanned an abyss, if not, you fell into the abyss (hell). Another ideology to this is that a soul as reincarnated after drinking from the cup. Either way, the living were expected to remember the dead and honor them.

Hinduism, the oldest religion still practiced today, was first recorded around 700 BC. Hinduism is usually thought of as a polytheistic religion but is actually henotheistic. The one supreme god, Brahma is too immense a concept to comprehend so he presents himself in many different aspects that a human mind can comprehend; Hindu scripture counts these deities at 330 million.

In Hinduism there is an order to the universe and every individual has a specific place in that order. Each person on the planet has a duty (dharma) which only they can perform. If one acts rightly (karma) in the performance of that duty, they are rewarded by moving closer to the supreme being and eventually becoming one with god; if they do not, then they are reincarnated as many times as it takes to finally understand how to live and draw closer to the supreme being. This belief was carried over by Siddhartha Gautama when he became the Buddha and founded Buddhism. In Buddhism, however, one is not seeking union with god but with one's higher nature as one leaves behind the illusions of the world which generate suffering and cloud the mind with the fear of loss and death.

(Hinduism, according to hinduismfacts.org, originated sometime during the Neolithic period between 10000 and 4000 BC. It is difficult to pinpoint a date as Hinduism did not start out as a religion but rather a way of life.)

The above information was gleaned from Ancient History Encyclopedia, Religion in the Ancient World, John J Mark published 02 September, 2009 (www.ancient.eu/religion)

At this juncture, I should probably give definitions to the different forms of religion. The definitions are from Merriam-Webster Dictionary online.

Polytheism: the belief there is more than one god.

Henotheism:  the worship of one god without denying the existence of other gods.

Monotheism: the belief there is only one god.

Let’s go on to a couple of better known religions (mythologies), the Greek and Roman. Greek mythology is believed to first appear about 2000 BC and the Roman around 1000 BC. As with most polytheistic religions, the Greeks and Romans had different gods for different areas of life and the elements. Each of the 21 gods of the Greeks were taken over by the Romans, renamed and given slightly different attributes such as Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades for the heavens, the sea and the underworld in the Greek with Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto being the Roman counterparts were the top three gods each. The creation of the earth, as with most mythologies, begins with a supreme being creating the world and first people out of chaos.

According to Reference.com/world-view, Judaism originated around 4000 years ago in the area between the Jordan and the Mediterranean known as Canaan, which today would be Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.  Primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/religion/jewish says Jewish history begins with the covenant established between God and Abraham around 1812 and the Torah, the primary document of Judaism, was given to the Jews by the Prophet Moses about 3,300 years ago.

What do the Jewish people believe? Jewfaq.org, on their Judaism 101 page has this to say:

Judaism has no dogma, no formal set of beliefs that one must hold to be a Jew. In Judaism, actions are far more important than beliefs, although there is certainly a place for belief within Judaism.

The closest that anyone has ever come to creating a widely-accepted list of Jewish beliefs is Rambam's thirteen principles of faith. These principles, which Rambam thought were the minimum requirements of Jewish belief, are:

    God exists

    God is one and unique

    God is incorporeal

    God is eternal

    Prayer is to be directed to God alone and to no other

    The words of the prophets are true

    Moses' prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets

    The Written Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) and Oral Torah (teachings now contained in the Talmud and other writings) were given to Moses

    There will be no other Torah

    God knows the thoughts and deeds of men

    God will reward the good and punish the wicked

    The Messiah will come

    The dead will be resurrected

As you can see, these are very basic and general principles. Yet as basic as these principles are, the necessity of believing each one of these has been disputed at one time or another, and the liberal movements of Judaism dispute many of these principles.

Unlike many other religions, Judaism does not focus much on abstract cosmological concepts. Although Jews have certainly considered the nature of God, man, the universe, life and the afterlife at great length, there is no mandated, official, definitive belief on these subjects, outside of the very general concepts discussed above. There is substantial room for personal opinion on all of these matters.

Judaism focuses on relationships: the relationship between God and mankind, between God and the Jewish people, between the Jewish people and the land of Israel, and between human beings. Our scriptures tell the story of the development of these relationships, from the time of creation, through the creation of the relationship between God and Abraham, to the creation of the relationship between God and the Jewish people, and forward. The scriptures also specify the mutual obligations created by these relationships, although various movements of Judaism disagree about the nature of these obligations. Some say they are absolute, unchanging laws from God (Orthodox); some say they are laws from God that change and evolve over time (Conservative); some say that they are guidelines that you can choose whether or not to follow (Reform, Reconstructionist).

So, what are these actions that Judaism is so concerned about? According to Orthodox Judaism, these actions include 613 commandments given by God in the Torah as well as laws instituted by the rabbis and long-standing customs.

Christianity, of course, started a little over 2000 years ago when Jesus was preaching to the Hebrews about God, was crucified and then resurrected to live with the Holy Father in Heaven. The Holy Bible is the history, belief, laws and story of the Christian world.

What are the core beliefs of Christianity? This is what gotquestions.org/Christianity-beliefs has to say:

The term Christianity seems to imply a religious system in the same way that Islam and Buddhism are religious systems. Within religious systems are core beliefs, along with codes, rules, and standards that must be mastered in order to achieve a desired end. Christianity does not fit that definition and therefore the term can be slightly misleading.

Jesus did not come into the world to start another religion. There were already plenty of religions, including Judaism, which had begun as a relationship with Almighty God but had deteriorated into another religious system on par with idol worship. Jesus came to bear witness to the truth, to seek and to save the lost—those separated from God by their sin—and to “give his life as a ransom for many”. With that said, those who follow Christ do share some core beliefs.

Biblically speaking, Christians are those who are forgiven of their sins and who have entered a personal relationship with Almighty God through faith in Jesus Christ. In order to become a Christian, a person must fully accept as part of his or her own personal worldview the following core beliefs:

• Jesus is the Son of God and is equal with God

• Jesus was born of a virgin

• Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life

• Jesus was crucified to pay the penalty for our sins

• Jesus rose from the dead

• We are saved by the grace of God; that is, we cannot add to or take away from Christ’s finished work on the cross as full payment for our sin

It could be argued that belief in the inerrancy of God’s Word is also a core belief of Christianity because, if the Bible’s veracity is suspect, then all we know about God is in doubt. Saving faith is inextricably linked to the Word of God: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17).

But the mental acceptance of the above points of doctrine is only the framework around which salvation occurs. Faith is more than intellectual assent, and mentally agreeing with the core beliefs of Christianity does not equal entrance into God’s kingdom. Even Satan and the demons know certain things about God. We can mentally agree with facts without making those facts the centerpiece of our lives.

Can a person be saved without holding to the core beliefs of Christianity? No. But along with accepting as true those core beliefs must be a spiritual transformation. Jesus said that in order to inherit eternal life one must be “born again”. To be born again is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a repentant sinner. Just as a mother in labor does all the work in bringing forth a new life, so the Holy Spirit does the work in transforming a sinner into a new creature. This process begins when God draws a heart through conviction of sin and hope of forgiveness. When we surrender to God and repent of our sin, God applies the blood of His own Son to our account and cancels the debt we owe Him. By this act of transference, God pronounces us “not guilty”; that is, He justifies us. Salvation is a divine exchange: Jesus becomes our sin so that we can become His perfection. This is the gospel at the very core of Christianity.

Lastly, Islam, inarguably the youngest of the world’s religions, can be traced back to 7th century Saudi Arabia. Islam is thus the youngest of the great world religions. Allaboutreligion.org tells us the prophet Muhammad (circa 570-632 A.D.) introduced Islam in 610 A.D. after experiencing what he claimed to be an angelic visitation. Muhammad dictated the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, which Muslims believe to be the preexistent, perfect words of Allah.

The origin of Islam is generally accredited to the prophet Muhammad but to the devout Muslim, Islam began long before Muhammad ever walked the earth. The Qur'an was dictated by Muhammad but, according to the Qur'an, it did not originate with Muhammad. The Qur'an testifies of itself that it was given by God through the angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad. "This is a revelation from the Lord of the universe. The Honest Spirit (Gabriel) came down with it, to reveal it into your heart that you may be one of the warners, in a perfect Arabic tongue" (Sura 26:192-195). "Say, 'Anyone who opposes Gabriel should know that he has brought down this (the Qur'an) into your heart, in accordance with God's will, confirming previous scriptures, and providing guidance and good news for the believers'" (Sura 2:97).

The Origin of Islam: The "Previous Scriptures"

The origin of Islam is controversial. The "previous scriptures" mentioned above are the Hebrew Torah, the Psalms of David, and the Gospels of Jesus Christ. The Qur'an accepts these books as divinely inspired and even encourages us to test its claims by these "previous scriptures." "If you have any doubt regarding what is revealed to you from your Lord, then ask those who read the previous scripture" (Sura 10:94). But this is where we run into a problem. The problem is that the Qur'an thoroughly contradicts the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospels. For example, the Qur'an explicitly denies Jesus Christ's crucifixion while all four Gospel accounts clearly portray Jesus Christ as crucified and resurrected.

One contradiction in particular has caused a great deal of conflict between Muslims and ethnic Jews and is thought to have been and continues to be the cause of much bloodshed in the Middle East. According to the Hebrew Torah, God made a covenant with a man named Abraham. God promised Abraham a child through whom He would fulfill this covenant ("the child of promise," Genesis 15). Abraham was at that time childless. His wife, Sarah, was barren. This of course made the promise very special to Abraham. But it would require nothing less than a miracle. Sarah, conscious of her condition, decided to help God out. She offered her maidservant Hagar to Abraham with the hope that Hagar might conceive and bear the child of promise. Abraham agreed to take Hagar as his concubine. She conceived and bore Ishmael. God allowed Ishmael to be born but Ishmael was not the child of promise God had in mind. God promised a child through Sarah, not Hagar, and in due time God fulfilled His promise. "And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him-whom Sarah bore to him-Isaac." Isaac was the child of promise. Isaac later begot Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel, and the Messiah, Jesus Christ, eventually came into the world through the nation of Israel, fulfilling the covenant which God had made with Abraham. God also promised to give the land of Canaan (Palestine) to Isaac's descendants, the land which Israel possesses today.

The problem is that the Qur'an teaches that Ishmael was the child of promise and so Muslims believe that God's covenant promises were meant for Ishmael's descendants, not Isaac's. Muhammad descended from Ishmael and so Muslims seek to lay claim to these covenant promises, namely the land of Palestine.

So, there you have the major and ancient religions. My question to you is this: what makes one religion any better, or worse, than any other? Why is one the ‘right’ one and all the others wrong? Are those ‘mythologies’ just that, mythology, or are they true religions as much as modern day religions that one day may be described as ancient mythology? It is up to the individual. The way a person believes is a personal thing. Some believe in God, some in Mohammad, some in the ancient Celtic, Norse, Greek or Roman gods, and some even believe in witchcraft. All I have done here is give some very basic information on several of the world’s religions, both modern and ancient. I hope you have gleaned some interesting facts from it.

The Red Cap of Castle Glen

It was a dark and stormy night, the wing howling through the trees like the dreaded beansidhe and the rain falling in torrents making it difficult to see anything. Holding his hand up to his face, trying to keep the rain out of his eyes, Ben trudged on toward his destination. A destination that he feared more than the night creatures that kept watch over him. The words of his father kept going through his mind, “Fear does not exist. Danger is real but fear is a choice.”

Fear was all he felt this night. It wasn’t a choice. It was overwhelming. The old man in the village had told him to make this journey, this night, or his family would die a torturous death. Only the creature that lived here in the Black Forest could change their fate. This creature that no one ever survived seeing, much less bargaining with.

Suddenly the woods opened up and the old castle ruins came into sight. No one ever came here, especially at night. There was a stillness in the air now. No wind whistling, even the rain had stopped. Moonlight shone down upon the ruins almost like a spotlight on a celebrated actor on stage. The shadows, deep around the battlements and portcullis, almost formed an evil face on the façade; a face that threatened anyone that would dare venture near. Ben looked upon the sight with more trepidation than he had ever felt before. Thinking only of his family’s safety, he started across the overgrown garden.

Closing the distance between the safety of the forest and the portcullis of the castle, Ben slowly gained some semblance of courage. The creature that resided here would surely kill him on sight but if that was the price he had to pay, he would pay it gladly. Mary, his wife, and Angus, his baby boy, would survive if he could strike a bargain with the Red Cap. The old man had told him that reciting Scripture or showing a cross would make the creature disappear but that is not what he wanted. He needed help. The old crone had placed a curse on his family, one that would kill them slowly and painfully. Magick is a strange thing. The old man had told him only a Red Cap could reverse the spell she had used. The only problem with that is Red Caps hated humans and would kill them on sight.

He didn’t understand what it was about this night, at this time, that would keep the Red Cap from killing him, least of all, get him to help. Ben had never heard of a Red Cap that could do magick but the old man was adamant about this. The moon was full, true, and that was a magickal time and it was during Samhain, the time when the veil between worlds was thinnest. Hopefully, these things would protect him and bring him victory.

Entering through the massive, broken oak doors of the main hall, Ben straighten his posture and called on courage he had not known he had. Looking left and right then up the grand stair, he called out, “Red Cap! I come for your help. Show yourself to me.”

From the darkest corners came an echoing reply, “Why should I not kill you? A human, walking into my home is fair game. If I show myself, I shall surely tear your innards out of your body.”

“I do not believe you will. I come to bargain. The crone has cursed my family. The old man told me you were the only one that could help. Show yourself so that we may discuss the terms.”

“Terms? Are you mad? There are no ‘terms’ and there are no bargains. The old man lied and the crone must have had good reason. Why should I help you? You are nothing to me.” The voice was behind him and much closer than before.

Fear, once again, set upon Ben. With shaking knees and wavering voice, he turned to face the evilness that lived here. Out of the darkness the creature emerged. It was then that the young man knew that he, indeed, had been tricked. The hairless old man that came forward from the shadows smiled. His razor sharp teeth glinting in the moonlight and his claws clacking together were not near as frightening as the executioner’s axe that he dragged along the floor behind him.

Raising the axe and laying it upon his shoulder, the Red Cap stared at the frightened young man. He knew the boy was terrified, just as all humans were when they saw him. Smiling he spoke again, “I frighten you and yet you stand there. Why do you not run?”

“I have no reason to live if you do not help me. My family will die. Without them, I have nothing.”

“Even so. I should tear you apart and scatter your guts around the room. Yet, you intrigue me.” Uncharacteristically, the creature stood back and, scratching his chin, pondered why he had not killed this human already.

Samhain, the time of year when the veil between worlds is thinnest and creatures enter our world from the other side, is a magickal time. When the moon is full during the season it is especially so. The old man had not tricked the boy, he knew that this night, of all nights, was the only time in a thousand years that a Red Cap was incapable of killing. This night, at this time, midnight on All Hallows Eve with a full moon made the most evil creature to haunt the Scottish countryside unable to rend any victim. The only night that Ben would be able to barter for his family’s lives.

“What do you have to bargain for?”

“I have gold, livestock, food. Whatever you desire, I will find it.”

“I have no need of anything. I live, I kill. That is all. What would I do with riches or livestock? Food I can get. Is there nothing that you will give to me, willingly, to save your loved ones?” Looking at Ben with menacing eyes, belying the horror beneath his words, the small, evil creature continued, “There is only one thing that I desire in this world and that is to kill.”

Understanding finally came to Ben. The Red Cap wanted him to willingly give up his life to save his loved ones. Fear, guilt, shame all came at once. He was afraid to die and felt guilty that he was not brave enough to give his life for someone else. The shame of his cowardice overwhelmed him. Turning to flee from this wretched creature and crumbling ruin, he stopped at the broken oak door.

Turning slowly, Ben smiled. “I will not bargain my life. Without me my family will die anyways. But, I will bargain with yours. You will cast your magick and save their lives or I will take yours from you.”

Never before had anyone ever lived through an encounter with a Red Cap. Even if they survived by running away they would still die within twenty four hours. Now, this boy was threatening the life of this evil sprite, one of the vilest of creatures. Was he mad?

“Nae! Ah willnae dae it. Ye cannae make me.” The small creature belied his uncertainty, glancing around the dark room.

With a speed and strength he had never known he possessed, Ben was across the room and had the small creature on the floor, knife across his throat. “I will.”

The night was drawing to an end. Soon it would be dawn and the veil would close, the magick lost. Pushing harder against the Red Cap’s throat, Ben demanded, “Do it! Do it now or die!”

With blood starting to trickle down out of the blade’s cut, the Red Cap relented. Closing his eyes he mumbled in ancient Celtic, so low that Ben could barely hear, the spell to break the curse. Opening his eyes, all he said was, “It is done.”

Rising from the floor and releasing him, Ben wiped the blood from his knife. “If you have tricked me, if my family still dies, I will return and fight you.”

“You will lose. No one ever survives me. I have not tricked you, they will live. And you and I will meet again. Soon. I will exact my revenge on you.” With that, he disappeared just as the sun shone through the empty windows; laughter echoing through the ruins.

We Are So Stupid

We are so stupid. It’s like; we wake up and say to ourselves, “Let’s see just how stupid we can be today.”

Our elected officials don’t give a damn about us. When the Illuminati tell them to spout some bull shit out of their mouths, they do. Then, when they are told to say something the exact opposite, they do. Let’s take immigration control for example. Six, eight, ten, twenty, fifty years ago each President and Congress made statements about how we need to control the influx of illegal immigrants into our country. Even Barack Obama said it. Now, when Donald Trump says it, it’s racist, bigoted, and xenophobic. Why? Because the Illuminati wants chaos.

This is just one example and I am sure that there are multitudes of them if I was to take the time to go through the so-called NEWS papers, watch the so-called NEWS programs, listen to the so-called NEWS on the radio or read all the political posts on Facebook. After all, the mass media and social media is where all the chaos starts. The social media is where the division starts. That is what the Illuminati want; division and chaos. As long as we are so divided against each other the chaos continues and what is really going on is hidden in the shadows.

Our stupidity starts when we turn on that all mighty computer and open up Facebook or turn on the idiot tube to the NEWS or the radio and turn it to Fox or CNN. We are fed a constant stream of lies and misdirections. Smoke and mirrors, people; smoke and mirrors. The richest of the rich don’t want us to critically think about anything, question anything. That is why all the debate over border control, Muslim bans, people in the wrong bathroom.

As long as we play by their rules, we lose. We have been losing for a long time. The rules of this game are slanted to the rich, not the working class or the poor. As long as we fall into the trap of chaos and divisiveness they win. And they always win because we are stupid enough to fall for their deceit and corruption.

For eight years I kept saying how Barack Obama was the worst thing that could happen to the United States. Eight long, tedious years of trying to convince the liberals that he was a man with delusions of godhood; that his policies went against what America stood for. For eight long years, I was right, yet, also wrong. It wasn’t Obama that was against America. He was just another pawn on the chess board of the Illuminati. He was just doing what he was told.

During the Nixon years the big joke was that Washington took its orders from Moscow. That poor joke is back. Now everyone is saying that Trump is Putin’s lackey. He isn’t. Trump is just another piece on the board. If he isn’t, then he will surely end up like John Kennedy, the last President that went against the system. If Trump is truly what he says he is, the Illuminati will not stand for his rise and power. They will eliminate him like they did Kennedy a week after his speech on how he knew something was wrong and he would find out what it was and fix it.

Each and every politician is bought and paid for. Each one is told what to do, what to say and what to get through Congress. It doesn’t matter what party affiliation they have, they are all on the same side; the side that keeps the Illuminati in power and the rest of the world in chaos.

As we argue amongst ourselves over the petty things, things like gay marriage and whether a boy can use the girl’s bathroom, the real powers are sitting on their thrones, behind high walls, playing Stratego with our lives. We have no control. Each government in the ‘free’ world makes it seem as though we have freedoms and liberties. We do not. We have jack. We are only allowed to scratch out a meager existence that appears to be a good life. We are slaves and don’t even realize it.

That is why we are stupid. We allow this to happen to ourselves and say, “Thank you, can you screw me some more?” Yes, there are those that make good money and life the life of Riley. Celebrities, athletes, politicians all live lavish lifestyles that the rest of us only dream about. They set themselves above us as they rise to the top of their professions. We hang on their every word. We worship the ground they walk on. They are shit. They are no better than the rest of us. WE put them where they are yet they believe they are above us. We are so stupid.

Open your eyes and see the world for what it is. It is a shithole that keeps getting deeper and deeper. We are drowning in it and enjoying it because we are told by the mass media and social media that we are doing so well. We are so stupid.

Our time is now. If not now, when? Do you want your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren to live as slaves to an elite few? That is what we are now. Now is the time to change that. Peaceful protests, passive revolution, shout out to the gods in which you believe. Just do something and do it quickly. We are only getting in deeper and deeper.

I used to be a staunch conservative and still am. I believe in the Constitution of the United States and the freedoms that were fought for during the War of Independence and the War of 1812. I believe that the two great wars, WWI and WWII, were fought to keep freedom alive. I believe in self-reliance and depending on no one for any kind of handout. I believe that everyone deserves work and honest pay; the right to keep and bear arms to protect myself, family and country against a tyrannical enemy either foreign or domestic. The only problem with what I believe is that those enemies are unseen, freedoms and civil liberties are meted out by powers beyond ourselves and self-reliance is being taken over by government handouts and the chaos that is ensuing will continue until we, the people of the world, unite against the true enemies that would destroy us all.

Conspiracy theories? Every theory starts with a shred of truth, even Bigfoot. Was the UFO crash of the 1950s in Roswell a conspiracy theory? Think about this; since that time technology has advanced at an exponential rate. It took over 2000 years to bring about electricity and modern medicine. It took a decade to put a man on the Moon. Computers in the 1970s were huge and did one thing at a time. In the 1990s they got smaller and smaller. Now, today, I have the entire knowledge of the world, the computing power of the brightest minds, all in the palm of my hand wherever I go. I don’t have to sit at a desk typing out 3x8 cards with holes so that a machine can add one and one together.

Are my rants conspiracy theory? Look around. Open your eyes and see what the world has become. What has happened in the last ten years? Racism has gone back to the level of the 1950s. Fearmongering is at an all-time high. Prices skyrocket while wages stagnate. We are fighting wars on three fronts against enemies that we don’t know who they are. World powers plan against each other while talking peace just as the Japanese did in 1942 with the USA. These are the times of chaos; not the Biblical End Times but the population of the world is getting so large and the elitists are so few that they need to keep chaos churning and the world’s population fighting against each other so that they can keep their power over us.

Our Time Is Now! Quit playing by their rules. Quit fighting amongst yourselves. Start fighting for each other against a common enemy; against the Illuminati.

Only WE can prevent the fires that are burning. Only WE can overturn the power base of the 13 richest families in the world. OUR TIME IS NOW!

Who Am I?

     Who am I? Is what I see actually me? Or is it just a ghost, a shadow of some long forgotten existence? If I am just a shadow, who is that long forgotten entity I am the remainder of; a hero, a jester, a knight or a knave? Could I have been a king or just a peasant; maybe a mighty wizard or a lowly apprentice? No matter who, or what I was, what remains of that person; the entire personality, core values, wants and needs or a mix of these things from that long forgotten man?

     Who am I? I have lived before, long ago in an age of danger and enchantment. A time when sorcerers held more sway in what happened than anyone, even a king. It was a time when dragons terrorized villages and castles without regard to human life.  But, who was I? My ‘now’ is the mirror image of my past. If this is true then I was nothing more than street trash, doing what had to be done to survive, no matter the cost to ego, self or reputation. I was a beggar, a thief, a sorry shadow of a human being willing to be whatever to whomever; a consort, a stable-hand, a soldier, a spy. I was as expendable as the morning chamber-pot. But, is that what I am now? Is that all I can ever be?

     Who am I? In this life, in this time, I have done whatever I needed to do to survive. I have been that beggar, that thief, stable-hand and soldier. My core values have been shredded more than once just so my family could survive. But, this is not everything. Those bygone days of yore left an indelible mark upon my soul; a mark that the gods of old branded me with so never to be released from my servitude. Zeus and Ganymede, Greek offerings, Egyptian ransoms and Roman perversions all are etched into my very soul.

     So who am I? I am a monster. An ambiguous sense of being that manifests nothing but harm to others simply for the enjoyment contrived thereof. A Kraken, a dragon, a vampire, a werewolf, all together in a man’s body, disguised as a moral human only to have the monster unleash its’ unholy terror when it feels compelled to do so. I am the bane of humanity. A curse placed upon this earth for the entertainment of gods long forgotten; Odin, Hel, Freya, Loki, Thor, Heimdall and a host of others, laughing and taunting me endlessly into the night and beyond.

     Instead of the question: Who am I? It should be asked: What am I? It is not feasible for an entity that is not human to be “who” but only a “what.” What I am, humanity does not recognize as being even close to human. I am a monster of such magnitude that if I were to unleash the totality of my horror the world would not survive. As it is, only a small fraction of a fraction is ever released at one time and that is more than the man can endure. The man is held captive by the monster for it needs a vessel for survival in this world.

     The man tears and strains against the bonds that hold him tethered to this hideous creature, only to find that even Fenrir could not break free from these bonds. Where is Tyr? Who will place their hand in the mouth of the Wolf now? Will the man be ever a slave to the monster or will the mighty gods of the Celts save him from his fate? The Norns are weaving and unweaving a life of misery, laughing at the suffering they cause. Oh, Frigg, save this mortal man, beseech the mercy of the All-Father so that the suffering might end.

     When two minds are battling for one space throughout eons, weariness overcomes the weaker and the stronger beholds victory. This battle is almost at an end. The monster has risen more frequently and more forcefully as time continues. I fear that what will become of the man is nothing more than a forgotten ghost, placed among those things no longer needed or believed in. The man will fade from existence and the monster will devour his soul and the hedonistic ways of evil will prevail. Woe to those who will behold the life left. Evil will prevail with no thoughts of family or friends. Only the desires of the creature will continue. No heed will be given to harm done to anyone or anything in its quest for the whim of pleasure, both physical and mental.

     I rue the day I am lost to this. The most foul of things from the darkest corners of Hades, the deepest pits of Tartarus could not contain the evil that will be set upon the earth. Neither foe, nor friend, will escape unscathed. Loved ones will turn to hate the man for all that will be done through him. They will not fathom the reason why he has turned away from good and just and right. Neither man, nor woman, will fail to catch his attention. Greek and Roman will prevail. Caligula, Augustus, Prometheus, all will bow to the deviant-ness of the creature.

     Behold the evil within us. All have it at their beck and call. Most keep it bound tightly, never allowing it a second of freedom. Once the freedom is tasted, it lusts after all it can acquire. Lust is all it knows. Both man and woman and yet, neither. It takes nothing more than a thought to provoke this part of the monster. A thought, a scent, a sight or even a memory can bring forth the desire of physical pleasure. Not just desire, but a need most powerful; a need not to be unfulfilled. This is the hedonist in the creature. This is what will destroy the man totally.

     Pleasure of the senses. Taste- only the finest mead, sound- only the most melodious of flutes, touch- naked flesh under the softest silk, sight-the most beautiful visions of man and nature and smell- only the odors of love will satiate the beast. This is what is to come of me. A man lost in a world unknown to him, yet, known.

     So, who am I? Just a man. A man hoping for forgiveness from those that may be harmed by the beast within. A man that knows he cannot fight the beast another day. A man who, as much as he tried, will fall to the whims of a mirthless god.

Do We Really Control Our Own Destiny?

     There comes a time in everyone’s life when it is necessary to look back and consider all that has happened, both good and bad. It is then that we decide whether the good, or bad, out-weighs the other. If the good out-weighs the bad, then we have lived a good life and if the opposite, then our life has been less than exceptional. It is never too late to change how one’s life ends up as long as one is breathing. As Sherrilyn Kenyon said – “We are all writers of our lives. We can make our lives comedies or tragedies.” We have the control over our destinies. The Fates may weave, and unweave, our lives but we, alone, control our own destiny in a way that the Fates cannot change.

     It is true that there are certain things that occur in our lives that we cannot change, no matter how hard we try. The people we meet, the places we end up in and the end of our lives are all things that we cannot change, no matter what we do. The ins and outs of everyday life are what we control and that is where we make the difference. Our free will, our stupidity, is what makes our life good or bad. It isn’t the Fates that tell the criminal to rob or kill. It isn’t the Fates that tell the average person to decide to smoke that joint or snort that line. It is, however, the Fates that tell that person to love this man/woman, enter the military or to go to school to learn more. That is how they weave our lives. That is how, when in the end days, they unweave those lives.

     When our lives come to an end, and there is no changing that time, it is our decisions that determine how our life is ended. If we have lived a good life, did not break the law, did not do drugs or smoke or drink, then maybe it was the decision to go skiing on a dangerous mountain or to bungee jump or fly in a plane that is destined to crash. How we die is our choice, when we die is the decision of the Fates. It is the time from birth to that time of death that we control more than the Fates do. We make the day to day decisions that affect our lives, not the Fates.

     The ones that we fall in love with, what we end up doing for society and the people of the world, whether we are rich or poor, all these things are outside our influence. I know that there are those that will say everything that happens in our lives are our choices and, by and large, they are but there are those things that, no matter what we do, we have absolutely no control over. That is where our lives become a struggle; we fight what the Fates have set in stone for us. Even if we are doing what we think is best or what we want, if it is not in sync with our destiny, it becomes a chore. We may be having fun, we may think that we are happy, but it gets to where we sink deeper into an unconscious depression that will eat at us until we change course and get on the right path. This is where those that will say we choose our destinies are wrong because, even though we choose our day to day destinies, our life destinies are not ours to control.

     Whether you call it the Fates, the Norns or some other name, it is them that control our lives. We cannot fight what is already set in motion. You can beg the gods for whatever you desire from riches to lovers to whatever and if it is not in line with what the Fates have in store for you, it will not be yours. You may get that parking space you want on a daily basis, you may go to a place you don’t want to because that is what is on your mind, you may even win small amounts from the lottery if you believe hard enough but when it comes to the big stuff, making life changes, you may as well try telling your bedroom wall to move over a foot under its own power.

     I realize that I repeat a lot of what I say. This is not always intentional but there are those times that I do it for a reason. There are times that repetition is needed to get a point across well enough to be retained by the reader or listener. So if you don’t like the way I write, then read someone else’s blog. I don’t try to change people’s minds; I try to get people to look at things from a different angle, a different point of view. In other words, I try to get people to look at the world through open eyes and an open mind instead of a very narrow view and a closed mind. I hope I did my job.

Things I am Grateful For

     There are many things that a person should be thankful for in their lives. For every person there are different things, of course, but there are still those qualities, possessions, family members, friends or whatever else could possibly be in a life that should cause gratefulness to be shown. Each day a person should stop and reflect on those things and say a silent ‘Thank you’ to whatever deity they believe in. Do people do this? Some do, some don’t but all should. I am guilty of not showing my gratitude for all the things in my life as I should. I take a lot of it for granted as most do and don’t think anything about it. That is what this is all about; I want the gods to know that I am grateful for what I have. I can list a lot of things and still leave a lot out. I just think it is time that I start to say, “Thank the gods for what I have.”

     

     This is a small list, by far incomplete and definitely not in order from most to least.

        §  My sons and daughters- Jaquie, Michael, Jennifer and Andrew

        §  My closest friends- Julian, Sonya, Bob, Moses and Billy 

  §  My friends that aren’t around as much- Josh, Dianna, Springer, Alan, SherBear, Swainey and

           ·         Morgan, Debbie and her family and a host of others too numerous to list

        §  My extended family- brother and sisters, nieces and nephews, in-laws and out-laws

        §  My mother and my dad (my dad is gone but I am so thankful that I had him as long as I did)

        §  My health

        §  My home

        §  I have a job that pays the bills

        §  I have food to eat and the family does not go hungry

        §  I am a free man living in a still free country

        §  My education and intelligence gained throughout a lifetime of learning

        §  My children are healthy and happy

        §  My faith and beliefs

     I know that this is, by far, an incomplete list but these things are what I am most thankful for at this time. I thank the gods of Valhalla for all that I have and have had over the decades that I have been on this rock. I know that there are things that are coming my way, things that I need, or will need, and things that I want. All will manifest as it has been written and the Fates have woven into this life for me. For all this, and more, “Thank you.”

The Formation of the World, I Was There

     In a long forgotten time, when the earth first formed into a solid rock, I lived. For ages before that I existed but was not lucid. I was formed with this solar system more than 4,500 million years ago, lying dormant in the molten rock, waiting for the time of awakening. As the earth changed from molten to solid form 3,800 million years ago I, also, changed; coming forth from what I was to what I am. I have evolved just as this world has evolved. It took over 1,000 million years for stable continents to form. Then came the first ice age, lasting 300 million years and I was there.

     I saw life come and go, the atmosphere change from nitrogen to oxygen and I watched as mountains rose from the landscape 2,000 million years ago. I saw the sun grow brighter and meteors rain from the sky. I saw life start again. It took the earth over 2,000 million years to evolve this far. But it wasn’t done yet. I could see that more was to come. Even as I evolved, the world evolved.

     Over the next 1,000 million years I wondered at the performance of nature forming, destroying and re-forming life and the globe itself. I saw the first continent come and go, the moon move farther from the earth, the days grow longer and the start of another ice age. I was there, watching in awe of the power of the gods. Mankind could no more visualize what I witnessed than they could make it happen with their own hands. The wondrous formation of a living world is beyond description of mere words.

     Another 200 million years passed. The end of another ice age; formation of marine life and invertebrates, green plant life and fungi all before me, miraculously coming into being; then, another ice age with mass extinction of most of the life that I had witnessed being born. Only 30 million years was this one, yet, it was enough to change the world again. Finally, when the ice receded the world began to stabilize. Life appeared once more. I was there. It was to be a time of more changes to come when a rock from the sky struck the earth and another ice age began but life continued. Trees, vertebrates and winged insects appeared; oxygen levels increased and the seas covered a large area of the planet.

     Three hundred million years ago, as the seas came and went due to glaciation, reptiles emerged, oxygen levels rose and the earth day was just short of what it is now. The moon moved farther away and coal was formed across the globe. A short twenty five million years later Pangea was formed, dinosaurs appeared and the Earth was cold and dry. Then, the ice age was over and shortly after another rock, much larger this time, struck the earth causing another mass extinction of life. Volcanos erupted, the earth’s temperature rose, oxygen was replaced with carbon dioxide and the world changed again.

     Over the next hundred million years the changes are dramatic as the earth’s continent breaks apart and more life evolves from the survivors of the extinction. More and more life returns to a world that is ever changing. I was there. Meteors hit the earth, life continues and evolves then another mass extinction, the continents form and global warming ends. Wondrous things occur seemingly daily. As the world evolved and decayed, so did I. As the world changed and grew, I, also, changed and grew.

     The last sixty five to seventy million years the earth formed into what it is today. Homo sapiens evolved out of homo habilis. Glaciers formed and receded and the world stabilized and so did I. The world stabilized but mankind did not. As man has evolved from those ape-like creatures into the known form it is evolved and de-evolved, emotionally. Today’s man is far less mentally evolved than those first homo sapiens that appeared those millions of years ago. Today’s man is far more interested in taking from and controlling other men than taking care of and controlling their own lives. Man today has a golden rule of ‘do unto others before they do unto you.’ Betrayal and deceit are the norm. I have been there, throughout the history of this world and I know.

     The men of a millennia ago were far less concerned with controlling others than they today. Since the beginning of mankind there have always been those that thought they deserved more than they had, that had the need to control and take but today there are far more of those than there are those are being controlled and taken from. Complacency and fear have taken over a race that once was strong and independent. A sense of entitlement has replaced a sense of self-reliance. As man progresses and evolves they become more and more less interested in contributing to others and more and more interested in taking and betraying. Their own pleasure and wants supersede common decency and common sense. I know because I have seen mankind grow from little more than animals into what it is today. I was there.

     Self-destruction is on the horizon and the world will change again. The cyclic system of nature will once again purge the earth of what is harmful and replace it with something else. The earth will heal itself from the destruction that has been done to it by the parasitic infestation of mankind and become something more, something better. As has been done many times before since the beginning of time, change is inevitable and nothing that mankind can do will change that. I will be there and will watch as this wonderful creation continues to evolve into perfection.

http://www.scientificpsychic.com/etc/timeline/timeline.html for timeline information.

My Atlantis, My Eden

When civilization was just beginning, I was there. The Ice Age had purged the world of those less strong and able to survive. It was I that taught this to Nature, herself; survival of the fittest. Only the strong can, and will, survive throughout eternity. Although mankind tries to keep the weak alive and coddles the infirmed, they all pass from this life into the next to try again. While they are here, though, the drain on the resources of this planet we call home is extreme. Only the strong need survive. The weak need to be disposed of so as to feed the strong. But, that is not what this is about.

When the ice receded and filled the oceans, streams and lakes, the world was clean and new. New life sprung up in every nook and cranny. Even humans developed with a fervor never before experienced. No longer would they wander aimlessly, following what game they could find to feed themselves. Planting and harvesting made the nomadic life unnecessary. Civilization started to flourish. And I was there.

The entire face of this world was changed, now there were seven continents instead of the two that had been before. Sumeria, Mesopotamia, Crete, Atlantis, all thrived in this new world. Across the ocean the ones called Mayan were growing. I was there for it all. I taught them all. They were nothing but children in my eyes. I have been, and always will be. I have been called many things: God, Ra, Zeus, Cronus, Odin, the Creator, the Devourer, Lucifer, and the Destroyer of Life. I have been all these, and more. I have been a teacher, a mentor, an architect and an engineer.

The Roman aqueducts, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon all were mine. The great City State of Atlantis, now long lost to this world, was my home and my sanctuary. In all her splendor she shone like a candle in the night, outshone by none. I was there. I rose the mountains from plains and lay waste the deserts, planted the fields and orchards across the land. Atlantis was my pride. It was her pride that led to her destruction.

Many great things were done in “The Lost City.” It was there that all was begun. There would be no Pyramids, Hanging Gardens nor aqueducts if it were not for Atlantis, and me. The great civilizations of the world began inside her glistening gates. The roads, paved with gold, silver and diamonds shone brightly in the sunlight, guiding all who entered to the palace in the center of that great city. My home. To me they all came to learn. I taught.  Philosophy, music, literature, art, architecture, engineering, sciences and all else that mankind has known down through the millennia, it was I that taught it.

White stone walls, forty feet in height, surrounded my Eden, protecting her from all that would harm her. The gates were unbreachable, made from the strongest metals, allowed only the invited into the wondrous world of Atlantis to learn what they could and then to return to their own lands. Those gates prevented entry by anyone, or anything that would attempt to destroy all that lived and thrived inside those walls.

Inside those walls lived a people so beautiful that all who laid eyes on them longed for them for the rest of their days. Bronze skin covered perpetually youthful, lithe bodies; faces that would make Venus envious topped by long, white hair. No mark would ever scar their beauty. But their true beauty lie within their hearts. Kind, giving people were they. Knowing no stranger, welcoming all as lost friends. With intelligence beyond human comprehension these were my chosen ones. They would be the salvation of humanity. And I loved them.

This is how it was for almost eight thousand years. My people grew and prospered and shared what they had with all that asked. Selflessness instilled within them genetically. Thinking not of themselves but only of others needs and giving without thought of repayment. Balance was kept within the circle of life. Atlantis was a true Camelot, the first Camelot and I was the first Arthur.

When Rome came into power with its greed and corruption, gluttonous and hedonistic ways and the quest for power, Atlantis opened its’ gates with welcoming arms. We taught the Romans how to chisel stone into beautiful statues, build magnificent structures and the engineering behind the aqueducts. It was Atlantis that built Rome, not Caesar. But the greed of Caesar was our downfall. Leaving soldiers within our gates with the pretense of learning our trades he had his Trojan Horse.

The soldiers that stayed behind were not soldiers, per se. They were spies and antagonists bent on usurping my rule and corrupting my chosen ones. Little by little they spun their lies into truths that no unweaving could change. Disharmony, deceit, mistrust and a loathing of all that was good replaced the selflessness that was so ingrained into my people’s beings. Power and physical pleasure was all they desired once the Romans had cast their evil spell. Atlantis was no longer an Eden, it was now a den of inequity. Sodom and Gomorrah were less evil than my Eden in those days. I knew that no longer would the Atlanteans be the salvation of mankind, but its’ eventual downfall.

It was in that time that Judea was rife with rumors of a child to be born. This child was to be the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the salvation of man from sin. He was to be the Christ child, the son of God, born of a virgin. I knew that the chosen one of this God would be better suited to the task than my people. Atlantis should perish to protect mankind. With power beyond all else my people would destroy the world, lay waste all that existed. Technology and power are things not to be played with, but to be used for the good of man. My chosen people would use that power against all that came against them. I loved them but, they could not do what I foresaw.

The gates were closed at twilight as had been done for over eight millennia and by the midnight hour the city was slumbering. It was then that I chose to rain down my wrath upon the Eden that I had built. Thunder crashed as lightning lit the sky. Waves, crashing against the outer walls, threatened to crush the very stones they were built of but, no, that was not to be. I had other plans for this great city. I would bury my Eden beneath the waters of the sea. They would be lost to humanity forever, nothing but a legend lost in history.

Atlantean and Roman alike screamed as the water washed over the high outer walls, filling first the streets and then the buildings with salty sea water. As the water rose, the people climbed ever higher in their homes until, perched on the rooftops, they were washed into the swirling waters around them. I watched from my palace, high on a hill in the middle of the city. As the city disappeared beneath the waves I rose into the sky on silvered wings, floating above the chaos below. Finally, as the entire city sunk to the bottom of the sea, I let out a sigh of relief and grief. I had lost my beloved people, my beloved Eden. But I would no longer be plagued by the knowledge of their corruption and greed. No longer would my people be the bane to humanity. No longer would I suffer the regret of allowing unworthy guests into my world to take and vulgarize it.

As I look back on those days of two thousand years ago I realize that Atlantis was not the bane to the world that I believed it to be. Rome was just a stepping stone for the evil that would envelope this world. Humankind is bent on destroying itself. Greed, corruption, gluttony and vanity rule this world without intervention from anyone. Humanity, itself, is the great evil in this world. As mankind learns more and more, advances further technologically and ventures farther into the depths of the sea and out into space, it becomes more and more greedy and corrupted. This race called homo-sapiens is the scourge of the Earth, regulated to care for what I created by a god that man created to control the masses. It is I, and only I, that can contain the parasitic infestation that plagues the world but I refuse. I have tired of the endless war on tyranny and destruction of a perfect world.

I have loved my Eden and loved my people then destroyed them because of lies and betrayal. I still grieve because of what I had to do to protect the rest of the world and mankind just to be proven wrong about the ones I tried to keep from destruction. The primordial ooze that I brought mankind out of should have stayed just that, ooze to be used as fodder for nature to feast upon. It is fast coming to the end of an age when man will learn that the evil ways they have embraced will be their undoing. I will, once again, build my Eden. I will raise Atlantis from the sea and rebuild that magnificent city to its former glory. I will rule from a golden throne with a kindness and fairness that mankind has never known.

Homo sapiens will no longer exist because of the pride and corruption that is so inherent in their minds and hearts. The beasts of the forest will become the new stewards of this wonderful planet. Survival of the fittest will be the norm of life, not the exception. This world will be an Eden once again without the plague of humanity to destroy it. Humanity will destroy itself without any interference from nature. The Earth will repair itself of the destruction that man has done to it and perfection will return. A thousand million years from now, when Eden has finally become more than what is was, then, and only then, I may allow mankind to return. I will allow man to only evolve into Neanderthal and no more. Once mankind has achieved intellect and technology it will return to the corrupted state it has become today. This I cannot allow. Atlantis, my Eden, will reign supreme in a land beyond perfection. The gates will remain open to all the beasts of land, sea and air. Harmony will once again be restored.