Explorer Interruptus

This dream is about a lost underground city. I see a cave entrance it seems to be in the desert or perhaps on an island. I am a archaeologist, slim blond haired man in shorts, with a couple of assistants. We have entered the mouth of the cave and are convinced it is an entrance to an underground city. We have done the research and have seen artifacts, and other telltale signs that this will lead us to an underground city. I squat down and I see another entrance with rough hewed steps going down into crystal clear water. The city below is submerged. We will need diving gear to proceed any further.  Then I wake up. I was so curious to explore more! Sometimes dreams go like that.

I am currently reading "Atlantis; The Antediluvian World" by Ignatius Donnelly. It is the written reference, second to Plato, that most researchers on Atlantis turn to when it comes to researching the lost continent. I am sure this book has influenced my dream given the context of the narrative here of searching for a lost civilization. I thought perhaps the location of my dream was an island recently emerged from the briny depths. That was the impression I got. Although, it could just as easily be, a location in the American Southwest or Mexico even.

The Mayan underworld is called Xibalba. There are cave systems on the border of Mexico and Belize that have been associated with the entrance to this Mayan version of Hell. Mexican researchers have in fact found some caves that closely match the descriptions painted by the Maya of what this place looks like. There are stalactites and stalagmites that could be interpreted to be like the 'Room of Knives' that they describe. There are stairs, paths and carved features that suggest these caves were fashioned to fit the myth. Parts of the caves are indeed underwater and a film documentary was made of the archaeologists exploring the caves in diving gear.

It is prescient that this is 12-21-2012 and I am dreaming about this. The Maya regard the road to Xibalba as a physical representation of the galactic rift visible within the Milky Way, which conforms to the esoteric philosophy of 'as above, so below'. We have just transited this galactic rift during this infamous and most highly anticipated winter solstice. Surprisingly, the world did not immediately end as many people thought it might. In fact many parts of the Northern Hemisphere are gripped by a sudden and severe winter storm, which includes my current location, as I write this. Rather than dying a fiery sudden death by solar flares or errant asteroids many are experiencing a cold merciless freezing hell. Maybe our understanding of Mayan end time prophecy just might be a bit wee off? Time will tell?    

For now I will stay bundled up inside my room as the wind howls outside through the long dark night and I hope, and pray, I get another chance to see how this dream or nightmare turns out.