(Nederlandse versie hieronder)
The Portuguese town of Fiquero dos Vinhos – Figs and Wine – is built against a mountain. This is the place where we stay for several months in Portugal, in the house of a friend of Anne’s. One morning Eran and I walk to the top of the mountain above the village. On top we find the ruins of an old chapel and a wall dating from older times. It seems that, as in many old Portuguese cities, a castle once stood here. Only the foundations of the old ramparts remain.
From here we have a wide view over the area and the surrounding mountain peaks. The landscape is soft green, because Eucalyptus forests are planted everywhere. It has become more or less a plague. The eucalyptus overgrows everything, causes major forest fires in the summer, and has become Portugal’s dominant industry. Toilet paper is made from all the wood for all of Europe. The rich diversity of the Portuguese country has given way to a monoculture. It’s one of those things in the world that makes us more and more vulnerable as humanity. Money rules. Big companies swallow the small farmers. Power and technology take over from the natural state of the earth.
When we are on the threshold of the chapel, we decide to tune in together. The message we are getting takes us back from the present to older times, much older: Back to Atlantis. Even then we as humanity made the same ‘mistake’; in our pride we abused our gifts, which ultimately caused the high technological civilization to collapse. A great tidal wave devoured the continent of Atlantis and all its inhabitants. There is nothing left for us but a few myths and legends. Will the same fate await us?
“To understand this place you have to go back in history to a very ancient time, even before the Romans and even before the Celtic time. There used to be a mountain kingdom, spanning the area which you call now Spain and Portugal. On the outskirts this was a guard place, a guardian tower, overlooking the area outside of the kingdom. We’re talking about 5000 BC, an ancient civilization originating from the time of Atlantis – more like 10,000 BC – and these were the remnants of that civilization. Not much is left, neither of the buildings nor of its high technological advancement and spiritual wisdom. It has been going down gradually to this time, where you completely lost the knowledge of the ancient civilizations. You are in Kali Yuga, the most dense, the most materialistic time, when people lose the connection to the source. They have no clue where they are coming from, neither where their purpose is, nor their visions for the future.”
“What can we do to get in contact again with this old wisdom?” Eran asks.
Your wisdom comes from the stars, focus on them and you will receive the information you need on this planet. Connect to the ocean and to the depth of the sea. Because it is in between these two elements, the mountains and the sea, that your path is. It’s the rivers that connect the mountains to the sea. These are the lifelines. Are there any questions?”
Eran: Is there anything more to know about the stars?
“As you know your origin to the human species is not from this planet, but from different star systems. They started civilizations in certain places on earth; they were the seeding places of humanity and the seeding places of cultures and religions. So this mountain kingdom was one. The ancient seeds are still in the ground here. So when you open up your consciousness, you will connect back to the stars and connect back to the source, your origin. By doing that you will know your reason for being here, for making the next step in evolution. You are emissaries, messengers, to bring this higher knowledge into a new phase.”
Is that why we have to be in Portugal? Have we traveled to this country specifically to come into contact with the energy of Atlantis? I ask my guide for insight on this…
“Europe is descending from Atlantis, but it loses so much of its high knowledge. Actually here, on the outskirts of the continent, you will get much more close connection to it. Because there is not a lot of disturbance, it has been sleeping for eons. By opening the door here, you are opening up the door towards this ancient kingdom and towards this ancient civilization.
The star constellations are mirroring places in Portugal. So originally this place on top of the mountain was not only a place to look at the land but also to look at the stars and to understand the celestial map. So you might need to come back here some time during the night to look at the stars. Afterwards this place, this rock, this mountain, has been conquered by knighthood, by Templars, by the Celts. But before that it used to be a sacred place dedicated to the Mother Goddess. †
After our session on the mountain top we walk back to our house below in the village, and tell Anne what we’ve been through. Although Portugal still feels like a blank canvas, we’ve put in the first brushstrokes. We know a little more about the Templars and the Jews in Monsanto, The Great Mother Temple in Evora, the River Quadiana, the message of the Stone Circle of Almendres, the Seven Holy Cities of Portugal, and now the connection to Atlantis. It is as if the first foundations for our community have been laid; not a foundation of stones, but of stories.
When we return to Belgium and the Netherlands in mid-March and leave the quiet Portugal, Western culture overtakes us: rows of trucks, expensive and trendy clothing, the food that is imported, the prices of petrol that skyrocket, the tight systems where you must participate in order not to be left out, the fast pace at which everything is developing, and the war in Ukraine, with the accompanying fear, uncertainty and chaos. Is this modern Atlantis? Are we going to succumb to our prosperity, just like Atlantis? Time will tell…
END PORTUGAL TRAVEL REPORT (for now…)
ATLANTIS REVISITED
Het Portugese stadje Fiquero dos Vinhos – Vijgen en Wijn – is tegen een berg aan gebouwd. Dit is de plek waar we enkele maanden in Portugal verblijven, in het huis van een vriendin van Anne. Op een ochtend lopen Eran en ik naar de top van de berg boven het dorp. Bovenop vinden we de ruïne van een oude kapel en een ommuring die uit ouder tijd stamt. Het lijkt erop dat hier, net zoals in veel oude Portugese steden, in vroeger tijd een kasteel heeft gestaan. Alleen de fundamenten van de oude omwalling zijn er nog.
Van hieraf hebben we een wijds uitzicht over de omgeving en de omliggende bergtoppen. Het landschap is zachtgroen, want overal zijn Eucalyptusbossen gepland. Het is min of meer een plaag geworden. De eucalyptus overwoekert alles, zorgt voor grote bosbranden in de zomer, en is de dominante industrie van Portugal geworden. Van al het hout wordt voor heel Europa WC papier gemaakt. De rijke diversiteit van het portugese land heeft plaatsgemaakt voor een monocultuur. Het is één van die dingen in de wereld waardoor we steeds kwetsbaarder worden als mensheid. Het geld regeert. Grote bedrijven slokken de kleine boeren op. Macht en techniek nemen het over van de natuurlijke staat van de aarde.
Als we op de drempel van de kapel zitten, besluiten we samen af te stemmen. De boodschap die we doorkrijgen brengt ons terug van het heden naar ouder tijden, veel ouder: Terug naar Atlantis. Ook toen maakten we als mensheid dezelfde ‘fout’; in onze hoogmoed misbruikten we onze gaven, waardoor de hoog technologische beschaving uiteindelijk ten onder ging. Een grote vloedgolf verslond het continent Atlantis en al haar bewoners. Niets rest ons nog dan enkele mythen en legenden. Zal ons het zelfde lot wachten?
“To understand this place you have to go back in history to a very ancient time, even before the Romans and even before the Celtic time. There used to be a mountain kingdom, spanning over the area which you call now Spain and Portugal. On the outskirts this was a guard place, a guardian tower, overlooking the area outside of the kingdom. We’re talking about 5000 BC, an ancient civilization originating from the time of Atlantis – more like 10.000 BC – and these were the remnants of that civilization. Not much is left, neither of the buildings nor of its high technological advancement and spiritual wisdom. It has been going down gradually to this time, where you completely lost the knowledge of the ancient civilizations. You are in Kali Yuga, the most dense, the most materialistic time, when people lose the connection to the source. They have no clue where they are coming from, neither where their purpose is, nor their visions for the future.”
‘What can we do to get in contact again with this old wisdom?’ vraagt Eran.
‘Your wisdom comes from the stars, focus on them and you will receive the information you need on this planet. Connect to the ocean and to the depth of the sea. Because it is in between these two elements, the mountains and the sea, that your path is. It’s the rivers that connect the mountains to the sea. These are the life lines. Are there any questions?”
Eran: Is there anything more to know about the stars?
“As you know your origin to the human species is not from this planet, but from different star systems. They started civilizations on certain places on earth; they were the seeding places of humanity and the seeding places of cultures and religions. So this mountain kingdom was one. The ancient seeds are still in the ground here. So when you open up your consciousness, you will connect back to the stars and connect back to the source, your origin. By doing that you will know your reason for being here, for making the next step in evolution. You are emissaries, messengers, to bring this higher knowledge into a new phase.”
Is dat de reden waarom we in Portugal moeten zijn? Zijn we naar dit land gereisd om specifiek in contact te komen met de energie van Atlantis? Ik vraag mijn gids om inzicht hierover…
“Europe is descending from Atlantis, but it lost so much of its high knowledge. Actually here, on the outskirts of the continent, you will get much more close connection to it. Because there is not a lot of disturbance, it has been sleeping for eons. By opening the door here, you are opening up the door towards this ancient kingdom and towards this ancient civilization.
The star constellations are mirroring places in Portugal. So originally this place on top of the mountain was not only a place to look at the land but also to look at the stars and to understand the celestial map. So you might need to come back here some time during the night to look at the stars. Afterwards this place, this rock, this mountain, has been conquered by knighthood, by Templars, by the Celts. But before that it used to be a sacred place dedicated to the Mother Goddess. ”
Na onze sessie op de bergtop lopen we terug naar ons huis onderaan het dorp, en vertellen Anne wat we hebben meegemaakt. Hoewel Portugal nog steeds als een blanco canvas aanvoelt, hebben we de eerste verfstreken gezet. We weten iets meer over de Tempeliers en de Joden in Monsanto, De Grote Moeder tempel in Evora, de rivier Quadiana, de boodschap van de Steencirkel van Almendres, de zeven heilige steden van Portugal, en nu de verbinding met Atlantis. Het is alsof de eerste fundamenten voor onze community zijn gelegd; niet een fundament van stenen, maar van verhalen.
Als we half maart terug naar België en Nederland keren en het stille Portugal verlaten, overvalt ons de westerse cultuur: rijen vrachtwagens, dure en hippe kleding, de voeding die geïmporteerd wordt, de prijzen van benzine die de pan uitvliegen, de strakke systemen waar je aan mee moet doen om niet uit de boot te vallen, het hoge tempo waarin alles ontwikkelt, en de oorlog in Oekraïne, met de bijbehorende angst, onzekerheid en chaos. Is dit het moderne Atlantis? Gaan we aan onze welvaart te onder, net als Atlantis? De tijd zal het leren…
EINDE REISVERSLAG PORTUGAL (voor nu…;-) )
