Mystery of The Widow's Son - The legend of the craft

Masonic history is notoriously difficult to trace. Its origins are shrouded in the mists of time. As multiple streams converge to form a river, so Masonry itself has numerous tributaries. Just like a river, when one follows it back to the source, it virtually disappears, and one arrives at a trickle somewhere, a spring, or runoff from a glacier, yet somewhere along its course it undeniably becomes a river, and it is here that our story begins. Masonry and its symbols are an enigma, to which no simple answers may suffice. To quote Albert Pike "The Blue Degrees are but the outer court or portico of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the Initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them; but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them. Their true explication is reserved for the Adepts, the Princes of Masonry." Another famous Mason, one with unblemished reputation, put it like this "Dig through the outer shell and find a meaning; cut down through that meaning and find another; under it if you dig deeply enough you may find a third, a fourth - who shall say how many teachings?". In this video, we will dig for one of these buried teachings, and discover a key that unlocks many mysteries, that of the so-called 'widow's son'. According to William Harvey, a famous Mason: "The outstanding figure in modern Freemasonry is undoubtedly the widow's son who is known to members of the Fraternity under the somewhat obscure name of Hiram Abiff." So is Hiram Abiff the iconic 'widow's son'? It is true that Master Masons are 'raised' in the image of Hiram Abiff, and many understand this to be the reason they are referred to as "Sons of the Widow". Seldom discussed however, it the question 'who is the widow?' or better yet, 'who was the father?' What is perhaps the oldest Masonic legend is known as "The Legend of the Craft", from which we will now hear a few excerpts, bearing in mind that while nowadays few Masons actually believe this quasi-Biblical Legend, the early Masons took it quite literally. As Albert Mackey said "This narrative". . ."up to the end of the 17th century, claimed and received the implicit faith of the Craft". . ."and". . ."even in the 19th century has had it's advocates among the lerned and it's credence among the unlerned of the Craft" "The Legend of the Craft" - "How this worthy Science was first begunne, I shall tell. Before Noah's Flood, there was a man called Lameck as it is written in the 4th Chapter of Genesis" who's "four children found[ed] the beginning of all Crafts in the world.". . ."Jaball was the elder Son, and he found the Craft of Geometric" "his Brother Juball found the craft of Musick" "The Third Brother [Tubal-cain] found out Smith's craft to work Iron and steel, and their sister Naamah found out the art of Weaving." "These children knew well that God would take vengeance for synn, [or destroy humanity] either by fire or by water; wherefore they writt their science that they had found in two pillars of stone, that they might be found after Noye's flood. And that one stone was marble, for that would not burn with fire; and that other stone was clepped laterns, [a stone that was said to float] and would not drown in noe water." The legend then relates that after the flood - "Harmes, the father of wise men; he found one of the two pillars of stone, and found the science written there, and he taught it to other men. And at the making of the Tower of Babylon there was Masonrye first made much of. And the Kinge of Babylon [***] was a mason himself; and loved well the science" "The Legend attributes to *** the creation of the Masons into an organized body and he was the first who gave them a constitution or laws for their government. Masonry, according to the legendary account, was founded in Babylon, whence it passed over to the rest of the world" as Abraham and Sara then brought the 'Seaven Sciences' to the Egyptians, where Euclid became it's chief exponent. As for the four children of Lamech, none is more central to Masonry than Tubal-Cain. Tubal-Cain, the celebrated forefather of Masonry, was also the forefather of Hiram Abiff. As his name would imply, he was also a descendent of Cain, for Tubal-Cain means 'offspring of Cain'. So then, according to both the Bible, and the Masonic Legend, the Craft had it's origin in the bloodline of Cain. This has always been an open secret, and for some an open wound, both painful and unsightly, so they have attempted to cover it up, going so far as to claim that Lamech was of the line of Seth. Of course, it should be obvious that if Lamech was descended from Seth, he would never have named his child 'Offspring of Cain'. Others have claimed the Science originated with Adam, who taught it to his sons, and that it was passed on through Seth, not Cain, however this is contradicted by the original Masonic Legend, and by the Bible, upon which the legend was based. Returning now to Hiram-Abiff, we find that there is much dispute as to the origin of the third degree, and the 'Hiramic Legend' taught therein. As we shall see, the evidence suggests that these were introduced to the Craft by influence of the Rosicrucians, through the instrumentality of Francis Bacon and King James. The Rosicrucian Temple Legend is quite similar to the Masonic version, but with greater detail, and with many important keys not contained in the Hiramic Legend, but which are, nonetheless, of the greatest significance to Masonry. Once again, we quote from William Harvey "If the inventors of the third degree got the suggestion from the Rosicrucian's to make Hiram the central figure in their new scheme, it is very obvious that they found their details as to his *** in "The Legend of the Temple," and turned that story to suit the purpose they had in view. The Legend is given at length in Charles William Heckethorn's singularly attractive work, "The Secret Societies of all Ages and Countries."" In 2004, when Brother Paul Kenney gave a presentation on this legend, he began with the following words: "This evening, I would like to present to you a version of the Temple Legend that few Brethren will have heard before. While similar in many respects, it presents challenging differences that, whether correct or not, are nonetheless insightful" He concludes his lecture with the words: "The basis of the whole of Freemasonry is to be found in the Temple Legend concerning Hiram-Abiff or Adonhiram. Everything to do with the secret of Freemasonry and its tendency is expressed in this Temple Legend.". With this introduction in mind, let us now turn our attention thence. At one point in the Legend, as Hiram is attempting to cast his master work, the so-called 'Molten Sea', he finds he has been sabotaged by three jealous apprentices. A disaster occurs and the unchecked metal flows like lava over the temple floor. As Hiram tries in vain to check the flow with water, a mysterious figure appears above him saying "Come, my son, be without fear, I have rendered th'ee incombustible ; cast thyself into the flames". The credulous Hiram jumps in, then asks the voice "Whither do you take me?" [the voice answers] "Into the center of the earth, into the soul of the world, into the kingdom of the great Cain, where liberty reigns with him. There the tyrannous envy of Adonai ceases; there can we, despising his anger, taste the fruit of the tree of knowledge; there is the home of my fathers.". . ."Who then am I, and who art thou?". . ."I am the father of thy fathers, I am the son of Lamech, I am Tubal-Cain.". . ."Tubal-Cain introduced Hiram into the sanctuary of fire, where he expounded to him the weakness of Adonai and the base passions of that god, the enemy of his own creature". . "Hiram was [then] led into the presence of the author of his race, Cain." "Cain related to Hiram his experiences, sufferings, and misfortunes, brought upon him by the implacable Adonai" - Tubal-Cain then bestowed his hammer to Hiram, saying "Thanks to this hammer and the help of the genii of fire, thou shalt speedily accomplish the work left unfinished through man's stupidity and malignity." With the help of his newfound ability, Hiram successfully completes his masterpiece, only to be promptly murdered by the same unworthy apprentices. So then, is Cain then to be understood as the progenitor of Masonry? Not quite, that prize can be awarded to his father - who according to the Legend is not Adam. We shall now quote from the beginning of "The Temple Legend" as given by Steiner. "The ancestry of the builders of the mystical temple was as follows: One of the Elohim, or primitive genii, married Eve and had a son called Cain; whilst Jehovah or Adonai, another of the Elohim, created Adam and united him with Eve to bring forth the family of Abel, to whom were subjected the sons of Cain, as a punishment for the transgression of Eve.". . ."Thus we see that Cain is a direct descendant of the gods, but Abel is a descendant of Adam and Eve who are human." "Cain committed fratricide. He killed Abel and for this he was excluded from communion with Yahveh. He went away into distant lands and founded his own race there." "Adam again united". . ."with Eve and from this union came Seth, also mentioned in the Bible, who took over the role of Abel. Thus we have two generations of mankind; the race of Cain, who was a descendant of Eve and one of the Elohim, and the other race which had human parentage and was brought into existence at the command of Yahveh." "Among the descendants of Cain are all those who have been creators of art and science, as, for instance, Methuselah, the inventor of the Tau script, and Tubal-Cain, who taught the use and working of metal ores and iron. In this line of descent, stemming from the Elohim, were all those who trained themselves in the arts and sciences." "Methusael, another of his descendants, invented the sacred characters, the books of Tau and the symbolic T, by which the workers descended from the genii of fire recognized each other." "Tubal-Cain". . ."dug subterranean caves in the mountains to save his race during the Deluge ; but it perished nevertheless, and only Tubal-Cain and his son" . . "came out alive. The wife of Ham, second son of Noah, thought the son of Tubal-Cain handsomer than the sons of men, and he became progenitor of ***, who taught his brethren the art of hunting, and founded Babylon." "Hiram also descended from the race of Cain, and he was the inheritor of all that had been learned by the others of his line in technology and art. He was the most significant architect we can imagine." Well now, this is all quite interesting, but we still don't know who sired Cain. The Legend merely says "one of the Elohim" and that it was not Jehovah. One of the fullest accounts of the Legend is to be found in the writings of Max Heindel, in a work entitled "Freemasonry and Catholicism", which, despite it's simple title, is an important occult document of which we shall hear but a small fraction. I recommend that interested persons read the article in full, for the doctrine is disfigured by abbreviation. Heindel was a famous Rosicrucian who's writings, including this one, are often featured on Masonic websites. In "Freemasonry and Catholicism" we find a disclaimer which, to the best of my knowledge, does not appear in any of his other works: THE WRITER IS NOT A MASON, AND THUS HE IS FREE TO SAY WHAT HE KNOWS WITHOUT FEAR OF VIOLATING OBLIGATIONS, BUT HE IS A MASON AT HEART, AND THEREFORE FRANKLY OPPOSED TO CATHOLICISM." Before expounding on the Masonic Legend, Heindel first details the Rosicrucian creation story, which I have condensed as follows: In the early stages, all was dark, and hot. Jehovah, in order to begin the creation of physical life, cooled the newly formed earth with water. Some of the angels adapted well to this change, but other angels, led by Lucifer could not bear to be 'quenched' with water so they rebelled against Jehovah. Lucifer led this rebellion, and he, together with his adherents, left the Earth to go to Mars. Jehovah's representative angel on earth was Gabriel, while the ambassador of the forces of Lucifer, was Samael. According to Heindel, Gabriel's angels are "the givers of physical life" while Samael and the hosts of Mars are the "Angels of Death." Despite this however, Lucifer is cast as the dark hero in the story. For clarity's sake, Heindel explains that "the term "Catholicism" as here used does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church alone, "Catholic" being taken in the sense of UNIVERSAL, so that the term includes all movements inaugurated by the Sons of Seth, the Priestcraft." Similarly, the term 'Craft', is used within this documentary in a broader sense, to be understood as the Cainite movements in general, the Brothers of the Craft. I now quote directly from Heindel - "THE MASONIC LEGEND has points of variance from as well as agreement with the Bible story. It states that Jehovah created EVE, that the Lucifer Spirit SAMAEL united with her but that he was ousted by Jehovah and forced to leave her before the birth of her son Cain". ."As he left Eve before the birth of the child, CAIN WAS THE SON OF A WIDOW, AND A SERPENT OF WISDOM.Then Jehovah created Adam, a human being like Eve. Adam and Eve united and begat a child, human like themselves, whose name was Abel. Jehovah, being the Lunar God, is associated with the water, hence there was enmity between CAIN, THE SON OF FIRE, and ABEL, THE SON OF WATER. So Cain slew Abel and Abel was replaced by Seth. In time and through generations, the Sons of Cain became the CRAFTSMEN of the world, skilled in the use of fire and metal. Their ideal was MALE, Hiram Abiff, the Master workman. The Sons of Seth, on the other hand, became the CHURCHMEN, upholding the FEMININE ideal, the *** Mary, and ruling their people by the magic WATER placed at their temple doors." "By arduous and energetic application to the world's work the Sons of Cain have acquired worldly wisdom and temporal power. They have been captains of industry and masters of STATECRAFT, while the Sons of Seth, looking to the Lord for guidance, have become the avenue for divine and spiritual wisdom. They constitute the PRIESTCRAFT." "Thus from the beginning there have been two kinds of people in the world. One begotten by the Lucifer Spirit Samael". ."is aggressive, progressive, and possessed of great initiative, but impatient of restraint or authority whether human or divine. This class is loath to take things on faith and prone to prove all things by the light of reason.". ."They have lost their spiritual sight and are imprisoned in the forehead of the body where it is said Cain was marked; they must wander as prodigal sons" "until they find the door of the temple, and ask and receive LIGHT; then as "PHREE MESSEN" or children of light they are instructed in methods of building a new temple". ."an ethereal soul-body,". ."or house eternal in the heavens, not made with hands, and without sound of hammer. When its nakedness is clothed with that house (see Cor. 4.5,) then the neophyte receives "THE WORD," the open sesame to the inner worlds and learns to travel in foreign parts in the invisible worlds. There he takes soul-flights into heavenly regions and qualifies for higher degrees under more direct instruction from THE GRAND ARCHITECT OF THE UNIVERSE, who fashioned both heaven and earth. "Such is the temperament of THE WIDOW'S SONS inherited from their divine progenitor Samael and given by him to their ancestor Cain." "While Cain, governed by divine ambition, toiled and tilled the soil to make two blades of grass grow where there was only one, ABEL, THE HUMAN PROGENY OF HUMAN PARENTS, felt no urge or unrest, himself a creature of Jehovah through Adam and Eve; he was perfectly contented to tend the flocks also created by God and to accept a livelihood from their divinely begotten increase without labor or exercising initiative." "Cain then slew Abel, but did not thereby exterminate the docile creatures of Jehovah, for we are told ADAM KNEW EVE AGAIN AND SHE BORE SETH. Seth had the same characteristics as Abel and transmitted them to his descendants, who to this day, continue to trust to the Lord for everything, and WHO LIVE BY FAITH AND NOT BY WORK." "The animosity of Cain and Abel has been perpetuated from generation to generation among their respective descendants. Nor could it be otherwise, because one class as temporal rulers aim to lift humanity to physical well-being through conquest of the material world, while the Priesthood in their role as spiritual guides urge their followers to forsake the wicked world, the veil of tears, and look to God for comfort." "Free Masonry today is an attempt by the HIERARCHS OF FIRE, the Lucifer Spirits, to bring us the imprisoned spirit 'LIGHT,' that by it we may SEE and KNOW. Catholicism is an activity of the HIERARCHS OF WATER, and places 'HOLY WATER' at the Temple door to quench the spirits seeking light and knowledge and to inculcate FAITH in Jehovah." "Various attempts have been made to unite the two streams of humanity and emancipate them from their progenitors, Jehovah and the Lucifer Spirits. With this end in view the symbolical TEMPLE was built according to the instruction of SOLOMON, the Son of Seth and the Molten Sea was cast by HIRAM ABIFF, the Son of Cain; but the main object was frustrated as we have seen, and the attempt at unification proved abortive." "In short, THE SONS OF CAIN ARE THE ORIGINATORS OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTS. Therefore when Jehovah chose Solomon, the scion of the race of Seth, to build a house for his name," "Solomon was unable to execute the divine design in concrete form. Therefore it became necessary for him to apply to King Hiram of Tyre, the descendent of Cain, who selected HIRAM ABIFF, THE SON OF A WIDOW, as all Free Masons are called because of the relation of their divine progenitor with Eve. Hiram Abiff then became Grand Master of the army of construction. In him the arts and crafts of all the Sons of Cain who had gone before had flowered. He was skilled beyond all others in the work of the world, without which the plan of Jehovah must have remained forever a divine dream, and could never have become a concrete reality. The worldly acumen of the Sons of Cain was as necessary to the completion of this temple as the spiritual conception of the Sons of Seth, and, therefore, during the period of construction the two classes joined forces, the underlying enmity being hidden under a superficial show of amity. It was, indeed, the first attempt to unite them, and had that been accomplished the world history from then on would have been altered in a very material manner." In Max Heindel's vision, these two bloodlines will eventually work together in harmony, both ultimately achieving salvation through their respective paths. Other writers were not so utopian, however. As we now return to the standard "Temple Legend" as given by Heckethorn and Steiner, Hiram stands in the presence of Cain, there to receive a prophesy: "He heard the voice of him who was the offspring of Tubal-Cain and his sister Naamah: "A son shall born unto thee whom thou shalt indeed not see, but whose numerous descendants shall perpetuate thy race, which, superior to that of Adam, shall acquire the empire of the world; for many centuries they shall consecrate their courage and genius to the service of the ever ungrateful race of Adam, but at last the best shall become the strongest, and restore on the earth the worship of fire. Thy sons, invincible in thy name, shall destroy the power of Kings, the ministers of the Adonai's tyranny. Go, my son, the genii of fire are with thee!" The Revolution took hold with Martin Luther, who's crest bore a modified Rose and Cross. Protestantism began, and with it a serious blow to the spiritual dominance of the Sons of Seth. As Brother Cosgrove said, "Washington was a revolutionary of the brotherhoods that saw the royalties of Holland, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy and other European countries fall by the sword of the third estates. Beginning with the masonic reformations of the 16th century, the royalty of Europe bore witness to the hammer of the Sons of Cain who truly did “destroy the power of kings, the ministers of Adonais (the priesthood’s) tyranny."" The Russian Revolution was one of the darker chapters in the ongoing struggle. Russia would not merely feel, but even see the hammer, for alongside other symbols more common to the movement such as the rising sun, it's new coat of arms boldly bore the hammer, with which the land was pounded into shape, and the sickle, as harvest time had arrived for that nation. Now as we read earlier, King *** the Mason began the Tower of Babel, which was also the first major Masonic endeavor. As with Cain, Jehovah did not look with favor upon the tower and subsequently destroyed it. In a symbolic display of the prophecy expressed in the Temple Legend, the European Union released a poster with unmistakable imagery, showing Masons, or, 'square men' rebuilding the tower of Babel, symbolizing the EU. To drive this point home, the Parliament building of the EU has also been constructed in a clear imitation of the tower of Babel. Aside from the implications of centralized government, and the re-establishment of Babylon, this symbolizes united rebellion against the will of Jehovah. Before we examine a few other symbols in Light of all this information, it is worthwhile to trace the origins of this belief system, as far back as may safely be done, where we arrive at certain sects of the Gnostics. Returning to Heckethorn, we read the following: "From the Valentinians sprang the Ophites, calling themselves so after the serpent that by tempting Eve brought into the world the blessings of knowledge; and the Cainites, who maintained that Cain had been the first Gnostic, in opposition to the blind, unreasoning faith of Abel, and therefore persecuted by the Demiurgus, Jehovah. On this idea is founded the Masonic Legend of the Temple." These Gnostic beliefs eventually found their way into Freemasonry. To quote Rene Guenon, "Modern masonry resulted from a partial fusion of the Brotherhood of the Rose-Cross, which had preserved Gnostic doctrine since the Middle Ages, with the ancient building guilds of the masons, whose tools had moreover already been used as symbols of the Hermetic philosophers.” Steve Cosgrove, in his wonderful four part series, traced the history of the Temple Legend, uncovering the important fact that handwritten copies were found in the library of Lord Balcarres. This establishes the Legend's antiquity, making it by far the most likely source for the Hiramic Legend of the 3rd degree. Quoting Brother Cosgrove: "The Knights Templar revived the idea in the 12th and 13th centuries of building King Solomon's temple, but they were destroyed by the French king, Philip the Fair. Their legacy was preserved on one level by Scottish freemasonry and on a higher level by their successors, the Rosicrucians. "Scottish masonry was imported into England when King James the VI of Scotland became James the first of England in 1603. James can truly be called the “Freemason King.” After he moved to London and became King of England, he engaged a royal court of masons." "Francis Bacon, the single greatest scientific mind of the time, was his close friend, fellow mason and mentor." "In the old Scottish ritual system, there was a one degree ritual and then after the second Schaw statutes, a two grade degree system that was carried over to England during the Reign of King James I. At some time in the early 17th century in the Kings court, the original Scottish two degree system was modified into a three degree system. The third degree describing the Temple Legend of King Solomon and the building of the temple by Hiram was not always the motif. Most likely the Old Charges in both Scotland and England had a one or two degree system that had in place a sort of Noah legend with the pillars of Jachin and Boaz serving as the preservers of the ancient Atlantean wisdom" "In the Graham MS from 1726, the manuscript includes an early version of the Hiram legend, in which Noah has the part that after 1730 is ascribed to Hiram" "The Rosicrucian contribution to pre-existing initiatic freemasonry was the supplanting of the Temple legend for the old Noah legend based upon the Pillars of Enoch. This temple legend was". ."spread by the Rosicrucian fraternity, first to Germany and Bohemia, then to England and finally to Scotland, as evidenced by the hand written translations found in the library of Lord Balcarres. King James the VI was an initiated Scottish mason when he became King of England in 1603. He carried over from Scotland the ancient masonic rites, and made masonry fashionable in his court and spread its membership throughout England. How the Rosicrucian third degree became implanted into the King’s court is a mystery. But, it is likely that the famous magus, John Dee, brought it with him when he returned to England from Germany in 1589. His occultism was not acceptable to the King’s court, but the King was adorned to another mason and Rosicrucian, Sir Francis Bacon. It likely that the new third degree was folded into the existing ancient rites brought over from Scotland by Frater Bacon, sometime around 1610. By 1630, the first reference to the masonic word appears in a poem, inextricably bound to Rosicrucian symbol, “for we be brethren of the Rosie Cross, we have the mason’s word and second sight.” We shall now engage in a bit of speculation which is >not< to be considered authoritative, so if you choose to watch this part, please do so indulgently. Let us consider a few symbols, keeping in mind that all of these symbols have multiple meanings, and most have roots in Egypt. In symbolism, one meaning does not replace another, and even diametrically opposed meanings may be implicit within a single symbol. All we shall do is to examine these symbols in light of the information we have just received, to see if yet another layer of meaning may be added to our repository. Let us also remember that belief systems change over the years, and symbols that mean one thing today, may have had very different meanings in times past. We have already touched upon the pillars. In modern Freemasonry they are exoterically attributed to the Temple of Solomon, though there are many other explanations. One that is most always ignored however was apparently one of the earliest, that they represent the twin pillars of knowledge on which the Seven Sciences were first inscribed. Quoting from Brother Cosgrove - "A version of the Old Charges of Scotland dated to 1726 refer to a ritual wherein the Sons of Noah raised the dead body of Hiram from the grave looking for a secret connected with the rebuilding of the world after the flood. Also, in these Old Charges, the two pillars of Boaz and Jachin are not the same as those in the temple of Solomon. Rather they are pillars on which all the esoteric knowledge of the Atlantean age were written in secret script to be preserved for after the deluge of the flood." Incidentally, a Biblical Scholar named Michael Rood gave a lecture where he demonstrated that the two pillars of Solomon's Temple may have actually powered a lever system which operated a trap door behind which the Ark of the Covenant could be concealed in an emergency. This fascinating dissertation is free online, entitled "The Great Secret of Solomon's Temple". Tune in at 1:38 to hear about the pillar system. The apron is declared to be "an emblem of innocence". According to Manly Hall: "When worn over the area related to the animal passions, the pure lambskin signifies the regeneration of the procreative forces and their consecration to the service of the Deity." Though the apron clearly has roots throughout the old world, there is still a significant correlation in the book of Genesis. According to Masonic author Dr. J.A. Weisse: "The Masonic apron originated from the covering or apron of fig-leaves, adopted by Adam and Eve after the Fall." For after partaking of the forbidden fruit: (Gen 3:7) "the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." Thus we see that the apron might also be said to symbolize the knowledge of good and evil, and, as Hall pointed out, the regeneration of the procreative force resultant from this knowledge. Albert Pike described this force, saying "It is the instrument of Liberty or Free Will. They [the initiates] represent this Force, which presides over the physical generation, under the mythologic and horned form of the God PAN; thence came the he-goat of the Sabbat, brother of the Ancient Serpent, and the Light-bearer or Phosphor, of which the poets have made the false Lucifer of the legend." So simply put, the apron can be said to symbolize the occult power of it's bearer, and consecration of the serpentine energy for constructive use. It is said that the lodge floor dates back to the Egyptian temples, where it was used to track the passage of time, and the seasons. It is almost certainly connected to the Templars, who used a checkerboard cloth to decipher and thus 'check' their banking obligations, in order to 'square' their accounts. Officially, however, we are informed that "The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of the ground-floor of King Solomon's Temple, and is emblematical of human life, checkered with good and evil." More accurately however, it may be said to symbolize the universe of the knowledge of good and evil, which forms the foundation upon which the initiate stands. The symbolism Great Seal of the United States has been the subject of extensive commentary. One detail which seems to have escaped popular notice is the pupil of the All-Seeing Eye itself. Zooming in, we see that the pupil resembles a flame, but what does this actually mean? There are various interpretations for the Eye. It may represent - The Sun, or "Eye of the World", also called the "Eye of Jupiter". For the Egyptians, this role was fulfilled by Horus. Perhaps it simply symbolizes "The Grand Architect Of The Universe." It may represent "the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire" Rev.(2:18) There is some support for this statement, for "the All Seeing Eye within a triangle surrounded by a golden glory", "has a cabalistic value of seventy plus three plus two hundred, equaling two hundred and seventy-three which is the value of the phrase EHBEN MOSU HABONIM (the stone which the builders refused)." For others however, it may also represent that genii of fire, uncle Samael, who sired Cain and thereby begat the Craft. ------- Speaking of America, just how did it get that name anyway? Officially, America is named after the explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, but this appears doubtful, like so much of American history, which has transformed a one-time pirate of the family name 'Griego' into an iconic hero named Christopher Colombus. As for America, according to Manly Hall, America is named after "the Plumèd Serpent, who is the messenger of the Sun. He was the God Quetzalcoatl in Mexico" "and in Peru he was called Amaru. From the latter name comes our word America. Amaruca is, literally translated, 'Land of the Plumèd Serpent.'" As this plumed serpent was a MESSENGER of the sun, he was also a LIGHTBEARER. The Serpent is one of the most enigmatic symbols on earth. It has played a part in religious symbolism throughout the world. Sometimes good, a symbol of wisdom, spirit, and regeneration. Other times, as a symbol of darkness, death, and material power. In some cultures, such as the Hebrew, it is both, symbolizing knowledge and evil, wisdom and death. Christ exhorts us to be 'wise as serpents', but also 'guileless as doves'; in other words, 'partake of the serpent's wisdom, but not his nature'. Exactly what the founders envisioned when they named America, we may only guess, but perhaps Aleister Crowley can provide us a clue. Casting Light on a number of symbols in one very potent paragraph, he said "This serpent, SATAN, is not the enemy of Man, but He who made Gods of our race, knowing Good and Evil; He bade "Know Thyself!" and taught Initiation. He is "the Devil" of the Book of Thoth, and His emblem is BAPHOMET, the Androgyne who is the hieroglyph of arcane perfection." . . ."But moreover his letter is Ayin, the Eye; he is Light, and his Zodiacal image is Capricornus, that leaping goat whose attribute is Liberty." Which brings us, at last, to the goat. The goat is one of the most popular Masonic animals, an association which has been the cause of much speculation and controversy. One accusation which is vehemently denied is that part of the initiation involves riding a goat. The standard explanation is given in 'Masonry Defined', which claims it harkens back to "the Middle Ages, and the belief in the witch ***, where, it was said, the Devil appeared riding on a goat." "It was in England a common belief that the Freemasons were accustomed in their lodges 'to raise the Devil.' So the 'riding of the Goat' which was believed to be practiced by the witches, was transferred to the Free-masons; and the saying remains to this day". This is the explanation most commonly cited by Masonic authorities, who claim that the alleged accusation became an in-joke of sorts, but maintain that the practice was merely a vulgar fantasy. Unfortunately this is not exactly true, for although evidence is scarce that goat riding formed a part of Masonic ceremony, there were a number of side orders which definitely rode the goat. While such orders did not constitute an official part of Masonry, they were Masonic in the sense that many, such as the Knights of Birmingham, were developed by Masons, and many members, if not the majority were also Masons. What else is known about the goat? Well for one thing, the goat was a standard feature in many a lodge of yesteryear. This was revealed by Bro. Robert Morris, no less, who mentioned it in passing, saying "I was riding a donkey a trifle larger than the conventional goat of the Masonic lodge, and my prospects of escaping a drenching and a pelting were solely based on his speed." Such a casual remark reveals this to be common knowledge - at least to the Bretheren of 1868. To this day, the goat is still present, in some lodges, at least, as attested by the Master of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas - who stated "In my own Lodge some enterprising member brought a live goat to a raising for emphasis, and it made a great impression on the candidates as well as the members and more especially me. I thought 'riding the goat' was just a fun part of Masonic initiations, but it caught my attention that night in Little Rock, Arkansas." Moreover, in 'Turning the Hiram Key', Brother Robert Lomas describes the prelude to his Third Degree initiation: Mike - 'You've remembered? Sober, clean underpants'? 'of course", I said. 'Is it tonight I really get to ride the goat'? 'You've been listening to Denis, haven't you'? 'That's a secret', I grinned 'Well, David had the cattle trailer behind his Land-Rover when he arrived', Mike countered. 'I hope it's a nanny goat'. 'Of course, it's a nanny goat. You aren't thinking you might have to take part in an unnatural act are you'? Hmmm, well now, enough evidence is on the table to safely ask the question, what can all this represent, other than the distasteful idea that goat riding is a symbolic imitation of the devil, as the 'official' explanation inadvertently suggests. According to William Moore "The goat, within the context of the lodge room, represented a force that threatened to strip the fraternal initiate of his ability to maintain composure." Indeed, gags, or 'stunts' were often imposed upon the initiate, largely for the purpose of 'getting his goat'. As an old Shriner publication put it ‘‘pomposity is punctured, pride is laughed to scorn, and dignity is bedeviled.’ If these Crafty Brothers did not actually invent the practical joke, they certainly perfected it. When the candidate overcame the temptation to react angrily to such treatment, he gained self control, as people could no longer 'get his goat'. A similar explanation is given by Elbert Benjamine who, in reference to the Egyptian initiation rituals, said: "Such trials in some form, handed down from this remote period, persist today, as witnessed by the hazing of newcomers at school, and the riding of the goat in our lodges. But why should tests of fitness for initiation be called riding the goat?" "Zodiacally the home sign of Saturn, the origin of our Satan, is Capricorn, pictured in the firmament by a goat." "The goat is the symbol of evil, and riding the goat signifies that temptations have been vanquished, the devil overcome, and the animal instincts sublimated into spiritual assets." This is indeed a beautiful explanation, and one that could be readily accepted, if riding were the only activity associated with the goat. Picture and poem, however, cast the lodge goat in various other roles, such as brother, or even leader. Some pictures cast the goat in a highly - symbolic role, much to the excitement of the Brothers. Some detractors have suggested that "riding the goat" has some sort of *** connotation. Looking at these pictures, and reading such stories as told by Bro. Lomas, who, truly, is to be blamed for such suspicions? So what else can all this symbolize, as the obvious is clearly out of the question. The goat? [Laughter] Funny, now that I come to tell this story to someone else - don't you find it is a bit odd number three? Well, uh, uh Yes it is a bit odd though isn't it? Yes, it's odd. Albert Pike already provided us a significant clue, when he mentioned that the initiates "represent this Force, which presides over the physical generation, under the mythologic and horned form of the God PAN; thence came the he-goat of the Sabbat". These pictures then, along with the others, may be interpreted as an initiation of the occult 'power of generativity', that serpent of the Kundalini. There are other clues to the goat's identity. In the poem 'The Goat' we read that the goat rewards the pursuit of Masonry, but punishes one for engaging in 'worldly things', including prayer. Smoking, however, is apparently condoned, along with alcohol. There was one stunt in particular, entitled 'drinking the goat's blood'. The symbolism behind this is obvious, but there is no need to speculate, for the liner notes of the catalog state that "there can be no more appropriate ceremony than serving the candidate with the blood of the animal, in order that he might be thoroughly imbued with the spirit and life of the organization". This significant statement brings us to our final interpretation, and it is this: The goat is the motive power upon which it's rider TRAVELS. . . and what is this power? It has already been thoroughly elucidated, but to recap, it is associated with Pan, the he-goat, and the Ancient Serpent, with Phosphor, the Light-bearer, yay, Lucifer. In short, the goat may represent Lucifer's agent, Samael, who is intimately associated with the goat; and after all this, none should be surprised that the man who penned this drawing in 1897 was a Rosicrucian. Interestingly enough, some Masons have actually theorized that 'the goat' symbolizes 'the scapegoat'. If so, this would even be another association with Samael, for Samael is said to be identical with ***, the demon to which the so-called 'scapegoat' was sacrificed on Yom Kippur. In truth, this goat was not set free in the wilderness as many believe. Instead, it was set aside with a scarlet thread 'for ***'. Then, after hearing the sins of the people, it was led to the top of a jagged mountain, sacred to ***, there to be pushed off the precipice to certain death. Some personalize their identification with Lucifer, such as Shriner Bob Roslund here. Now did you just say that you were Lucifer? I am Lucifer. O.K. Define Lucifer for me. Pure virtuous wholesome innocent individual, that's out to help people. Lucifer is? Ya. Say that again, Lucifer is a pure holy - Virtuous! Virtuous, now is he the Lucifer that God created? That's the same one. Oh man this is great, I'm gonna put this on the internet. Ahhh, God Bless you Brother. Others refer to themselves as 'goats', while mocking outsiders as 'sheep'. This is highly symbolic, with a correspondence most would agree upon. In 'Symbolism of the Three Degrees', we read "The lamb, as stated in our Monitors, has in all ages been deemed an emblem of innocence." "It is a familiar saying and has been for ages that the lambs shall be separated from the goats. The evil symbolism of the goat is as old as the benignant symbolism of the lamb." In the Bible, sheep and goats are used to denote the two bloodlines, or, spiritual types. It says - "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" While this prospect might seem unpleasant to some, perhaps, to a son of fire, one man's heaven, is another man's hell. Progress and change have long bread undue resentment. They bled us white the ***, they've taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers fathers. And from our fathers fathers fathers. Ya. And from our fathers fathers fathers fathers. All right Stan don't labor the point. And what have they ever given us in return? The aqueduct? What? The aqueduct. Oh, ya ya they did give us that, that's true. And the sanitation. . . Oh, ya the sanitation Reg. remember what the city used to be like? Ya all right I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation the two things the Romans have done. And the roads. Well ya obviously the roads I mean the roads go without saying don't they? But apart from the sanitation the aqueduct and the roads - Irrigation? Medicine? Education. Ya ya all right fair enough And the wine. [excited mumbling] Ya, ya that's something we'd really miss Reg. if the Roman's left. Public baths. And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now Reg. Ya, they certainly know how to keep order, let's face it, only one's who could in a place like this. [laughter] All right but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us? So to those viewers who are now thinking 'I knew it! Finally, proof that the world is being conquered in the name of Lucifer!', I have this to say. Whatever the case, remember to keep a balanced perspective, and always put things in historical context. When the Revolution began, the world was already IN the Devil's grasp. Knowledge itself had been outlawed. The earth was flat and the sun revolved around it, for this WAS the center of the universe. Galileo died under house arrest for daring to declare otherwise, and it took the Church until 1992 to formally admit that Galileo was right. Between the Kings and the Pope, an iron grip was held on the bodies and minds of the people; millions were burned at the stake or tortured for the most trivial offenses. In many ways, the Brotherhood can be said to have raised Europe from the dark ages. Men of vision dreamt of a noble society, where man would be free to be himself. Much Work was done, much blood was shed, and society undoubtedly improved, at first. Now, as the final revolution approaches, a disturbing trend is occurring. The economic stability of the world is collapsing before our eyes, with almost every nation in spiraling debt, to a cabal of banking families. Many countries are enacting anti-terrorism legislation; in the U.S., the Constitution is almost a relic! As for the surveillance network that is being erected, the monarchs and dictators of times past would simply drool with envy. I ask you, friend, what sort of world will emerge from the cocoon? Will there really be 'Light' at the end of this tunnel of worldwide revolution, or will the clock stop at 1984? Let us hope or pray, that the words of Senator Barry Goldwater prove myopic - "Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth; and let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed. Their mistaken course stems from false notions of equality, ladies and gentlemen. Equality, rightly understood, as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences. Wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads first to conformity and then to despotism." Will these words prove prophetic? Will the new boss be the same as the old boss? Let's not get fooled again. It is my sincere wish that you have enjoyed this video, and that it has provided you with food for thought.