The Solar System – Atlantis

Powell describes Atlantis as the continent inhabited by the fourth root-race, known as the Atlantean or Atlantean root-race, which recapitulates earlier evolutionary stages and culminates in the development of desire (kāma) as its defining principle. This race divides into seven sub-races: Rmoahal, Tlavatli, Toltec, Turanian, Original Semites, Akkadian, and Mongolian. He draws heavily from W. Scott-Elliot’s The Story of Atlantis and Lost Lemuria (1925, abbreviated S A L), including four maps showing Atlantis’s extent over time.

Geography and Evolution

Atlantis, or Kuśa, emerged as Lemuria declined, starting around 4–5 million years ago. Powell cites Scott-Elliot’s maps:

• Map I (c. 1,000,000–800,000 years ago): Atlantis extended from near Iceland eastward to Rio de Janeiro, including Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, southern U.S. states, Labrador, Brazil, and the African Gold Coast.
• Map II (post-800,000 years ago catastrophe): Northern Atlantis submerged; the remainder occupied the Atlantic basin from 50° N to the equator, separated from emerging America.
• Map III (post-200,000 years ago catastrophe): Split into northern Ruta and southern Daitya; Europe, Egypt, and Scandinavia altered.
• Map IV (post-75,025 B.C. catastrophe): Reduced to Poseidonis island; British Isles joined Europe, Sahara was ocean.

“In 9,564 B.C. Poseidonis was finally submerged. The Troano MS., which appears to have been written about 3,500 years ago, among the Mayas of Yucatan, translated by Le Plongeon, gives the following description of the submergence of Poseidonis: ‘In the year 6 Kan, on the 11th Muluc in the month Zac, there occurred terrible earthquakes, which continued without interruption until the 13th Chuen. The country of the hills of mud, the land of Mu was sacrificed: being twice upheaved it suddenly disappeared during the night, the basin being continually shaken by volcanic forces. Being confined, these caused the land to sink and to rise several times and in various places. At last the surface gave way and ten countries were torn asunder and scattered. Unable to stand the force of the convulsions, they sank with their 64,000,000 of inhabitants 8,060 years before the writing of this book.'” (p. 170–171).

Powell notes four major catastrophes (800,000 B.C., 200,000 B.C., 75,025 B.C., 9,564 B.C.) destroyed Atlantis due to black magic and moral decline, with volcanic and tidal forces involved.

Sub-Races

Each sub-race evolved from the previous, with the Toltec peaking in civilization.

• Rmoahal (First Sub-Race): Emerged 4–5 million years ago on the Ashanti coast (modern West Africa). Mahogany-black, 10–12 feet (3.66 meters) tall, dwindling over time. Migrated to southern Atlantis, intermarrying with Lemurians; some reached Iceland, lightening in color. Ruled by the Manu or divine rulers; psychic but crude in arts. Quote: “The Rmoahal race came into existence between 4 and 5 million years ago. […] They were at first mahogany black in colour. They were about 1O or 12 feet (3.66 meters) in height, their stature dwindling gradually through the centuries.” (p. 173).
• Tlavatli (Second Sub-Race): Red-brown, shorter than Rmoahal. Arose off Atlantis’s west coast, spreading north. Ruled by warrior-kings in a loose empire. Colonized America, India (forming Dravidians), and South America (Patagonians). Sun worship with monolith circles. Quote: “This sub-race arose on an island off the west coast of Atlantis; thence it spread across the continent, gradually tending northwards to the coast facing Greenland. They were of a red-brown colour, powerful and hardy, but not quite so tall as the Rmoahals, whom they drove further north.” (p. 175).
• Toltec (Third Sub-Race): Copper-red, 8 feet (2.44 meters) tall, Greek-like features. Most advanced; ruled Atlantis for millennia in a golden age under divine kings. Built the City of the Golden Gates; psychic faculties enabled airships, vril force. Declined into sorcery. Quote: “This sub-race was a magnificent development, the most splendid and imperial of the Atlantean peoples, ruling the whole of Atlantis for thousands of years in great material power and glory.” (p. 177). Civilization details follow below.
• Turanian (Fourth Sub-Race): Yellowish; turbulent, feudal system with chiefs. Experimented with socialism and democracy, leading to anarchy. Colonized China (inland Chinese approximation). Quote: “They were thus turbulent, lawless, brutal and cruel. […] The Turanians were the first of the four later ‘yellow’ sub-races.” (p. 203).
• Original Semites (Fifth Sub-Race): White; arose in Scotland-Ireland area. Turbulent, patriarchal. Colonized U.S. (Semitic Indian types), Europe, Egypt. Nucleus for Aryan race. Quote: “They were turbulent and discontented, always at war with their neighbours. […] The first sub-race, or Original Semites, rose in the mountainous country now represented by Scotland, Ireland and some of the surrounding seas.” (p. 211).
• Akkadian (Sixth Sub-Race): White; seafaring, oligarchic. Dual kings; advanced in astronomy. Colonized Levant, Etruscans, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Basques. Built Stonehenge. Quote: “They were a great trading, sea-going and colonising people. […] The first, or Akkadian, sub-race arose, after the great catastrophe 800,000 years ago, in the land east of Atlantis.” (p. 212).
• Mongolian (Seventh Sub-Race): Least detailed; arose east of Atlantis. Spread to Asia; modern Mongols, Japanese. Quote: “The Mongolian or seventh sub-race seems to have been the only one that had no touch with the mother-continent.” (p. 213).

Civilization (Focus on Toltec Peak)

The Toltec era represents Atlantis’s height, with autocratic government under divine kings, psychic advancements, and material splendor.

“Government was autocratic and, under the Divine Kings, no system could have been happier for the people. […] Hence the general comfort was immensely higher than in modern civilisations.” (p. 186).

• Society and Government: Just, with governors accountable for welfare. Women held offices; education state-endowed, compulsory for basics, specialized for aptitudes. Land communal, produce shared. “The whole of the land and its produce […] were regarded as belonging to the emperor. […] Poverty and want were non-existent.” (p. 190).
• Technology and Science: Airships propelled by vril (will-power force); sea-ships; alchemy for metals; agriculture with occult influences. “They had knowledge of forces […] one of these forces was employed to propel both air- and water-ships; another for changing the attractive force of gravity into a repelling force, so that the raising of gigantic stones to a lofty height was a matter of the greatest ease.” (p. 186).
• Architecture and Cities: Cyclopean buildings; City of the Golden Gates with canals, water supply from 2,600-foot lake. Temples gold-plated. “The temples were huge halls, even more stupendous than those of Egypt. […] Some houses were ornamented with carvings, frescoes or painted patterns.” (p. 184).
• Religion and Decline: Sun worship evolved into self-idolization and sorcery. Trinities symbolized; elementals adored via blood rituals. “The apotheosis of self could go no further. […] They built huge cities. Of rare earths and metals they built, and out of the fires vomited, out of the white stone of the mountains and of the black stone, they cut their own images in their size and likeness, and worshipped them.” (p. 192).

Decline and Catastrophes

Degeneracy from sorcery led to catastrophes.

“After about 1OO,OOO years of this golden age, degeneracy set in. […] This desecration of psychic faculties and scientific attainments for selfish ends which constitutes ‘sorcery,’ and this, the ‘black art,’ rapidly spread.” (p. 178). Black magic caused submersion; white emperors fled, founding new lines.

Remnants and Influence

Atlantean survivors influenced Egypt, Peru (Toltec remnant), Chaldaea (Turanian relic). Peru’s system mirrored Atlantis: communal land, sun worship.

Powell emphasizes Atlantis’s turning point in spirit-matter descent, with Aryan race building on it for intellect (manas).