Conclusion

E

Conclusion

For centuries there have existed certain esoteric schools of mystical philosophy originating apparently in several Oriental currents of thought meeting in the Levant, Egypt, and the near East. We find in these schools elements of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Egyptian occultism mingled with Grecian mysteries, Jewish Kabalism, and fragments of ancient Syrian cults. Out of the hotch-potch of Oriental philsophy, magic, and mythology arose in the earlier centuries of the Christian era numerous Gnostic sects, and after the rise of Mohammedanism, several heretical sects among the followers of Islam— such as the Ismaelites, Druses, and Assassins—which found their inspiration in the House of Wisdom in Cairo. To the same sources may be traced the ideas that inspired such political-religious movements of the Middle Ages as those of the Illuminati, Albigenses, Cathari, Waldenses, Troubadours, Anabaptists, and Lollards. To the same inspirations must be assigned the rise of early secret societies. The Templars are said to have been initiated by the Assassins into antiChristian and subversive mysteries, and we find similar traces of an old and occult origin in the Alchemists, the Rosicrucians, and the later mystical cults of which Swedenborgian is a familiar example. (From an article publish in the Patriot by G.G. or “Dargon” titled “The Anatomy of Revolution,” 1922)

In this short extract, “Dargon” gives us a summary of what will be found by any serious investigator of the secret societies of the world—that they are all connected and all derive from a similar if not the same source. This same source may also be traced through the infamous Essene—the Jewish brotherhood who took themselves off to Damascus, Qumran, and there set about reinvigorating their strict methods of control based upon their very ancient religious belief systems, which themselves may indeed be traced into Egypt. From these white-robed “Shining” brothers can be found a connection that speaks volumes, and I recommend any serious reader to look their way for answers on origin. One thing is sure, as Le Couteulx de Canteleu said in his Les Sectes et Societes Secretes published in 1863: All secret societies have almost analogous initiations, from the Egyptian to the Illuminati, and most of them form a chain and give rise to others.

This “analogous” form running through all secret societies, apart from the strict method of control, is the underlying belief in and worship of the stars—the sky. It is this element that named them the Shining Ones, and it is this element that is still at the root of so much misinterpreted symbolism. Even the Holy Vehm were “wissends” who had the sun and the stars as symbols of power. This worship of the stars was known as Sabeism and the high Mason Albert Pike in Secret Societies and Subversive Movements by Nesta H. Webster pointed out: The seven great primitive nations, from whom all others are descended, the Persians, Chaldeans, Greeks, Egyptians, Turks, Indians, and Chinese, were all originally Sabeists and worshipped the stars.

The very power of understanding the stars was jealously guarded by all priesthoods around the world—from Aztec to Egyptian. In each case, the role of the priest was to interpret the movements of the stars, sun, and moon, in order to better predict the future, and for navigation. This jealousy forged ciphers, codes, and symbols. It forced the hiding and destruction of implements and tools of the trade. Many of the Freemasonic symbols we see today were never meant for building—they were meant for

astronomy. The Holy Vehm also had a secret that reveals this— the stick, stone, string, and grass were implements used to measure. The stone tied to the string, attached to the stick, and placed in the ground were used for “ruling” the ground, a mystical and also very real device.

These secrets of the stars were deemed mystical—for the populace could not understand how such magic was done and these secrets were passed from one generation to the next by initiates and adepts. This is how the long thread has been woven—generation following generation, passing on knowledge and keeping it hidden. Eventually and often, the secret brotherhoods no longer know why they keep their odd symbols secret and why they say the strange invocations. But, through their traditions and by their dedication to their brothers, they keep alive a rich tapestry that can be broken down and reinterpreted. The truth is almost never to be found in the picture we see before us, and so we must pull hard on the thread and begin to unravel the tapestry one generation at a time. My good friend and author Crichton Miller summed this up in the very title of his book the Golden Thread of Time, which itself reveals the true astronomy (naming of stars) and indeed astrology (logic of the stars) of our ancient friends. According to Le Couteulx de Canteleu, the priests or leading men of the organizations followed the Egyptian hierarchy. In the first instance there was the priest, who alone could do magic and contact the gods. In the second we shall find the greater initiates, those chosen from amongst the people and who must maintain secrecy at all costs and protect the priesthood. Thirdly, the lesser initiates who were only told things that were deemed proper.

In this hierarchical trinity we see an exact plan of most if not all of the world’s secret societies. The majority of Freemasons today would fall into the category of the lesser initiates—they are only aware of what they are told, and being kept at this distance and level of knowledge they seek no more, because they know of no more. Only at the highest degrees in Freemasonry are the real secrets maintained, and yet there have been some who claim to have been higher level initiates or indeed “priests” and who have since “spilled the beans.” Anybody who has seen these supposed secrets of white powdered gold and even Jewish conspiracy plots will know that this is misinformation at best and money-making at worst.

In this unique compendium of thoughts and research from across a spectrum of subjects relating to secret societies we have learned a great many things. One of those things is not to believe everything we are told. I should not have to state this so obviously in the 21st century, because ancient philosophers told us this a long time ago. The sad fact is that due to new generations emerging all the time we tend to learn very little and to leave the past behind. Each generation has to start from scratch and tends to look forward, forgetting that our past holds intelligent and thought provoking answers to questions that are and will always be relevant. Because we begin each generation fresh and new, we also do not “see” the thread running through each generation from the one before—the thread of the secret society.

In the last century we had the emergence of psychology and psychoanalysis and the clever new words that came with them. But are we so arrogant to think that we invented the discovery of human psychological problems? This is of course utter rubbish, Psyche herself was a Greek goddess. For thousands of years man has sought answers to his own inner reality, the only thing that has changed radically is the wording. Now we say somebody is psychotic, our ancestors would have said they were touched by the spirits. But are we any more advanced than our ancestors? 90 percent of the globe still believe in God; we still rage war in the name of religion; we still pollute the environment and destroy our own home. There is in fact anthropological evidence to prove that very ancient man was actually peaceful, living in harmony with his neighbour and even respected the earth and lived in balance with it. The evidence then shows that as society grew and more people occupied smaller spaces, minor wars erupted and even, violent sacrifices. The evidence also shows that small bands of men gathered together to control those who fought. These small bands emerged as our kings and queens, medicine men and priests and of course our secret societies.

There is a lesson here for us all. Just one hundred years ago there was one billion people on the planet. Now there is six billion and it is growing out of all proportion. Six billion people can do a lot of harm to themselves and the environment, thus destroying the whole for everybody. Without balance, without wisdom, without knowledge, then where are we heading? I never once

mentioned greed, money, capitalism did I? They do not enter into the equation of such a simple debate, but they are dark sides of the anthropological argument.

We have seen in the various articles in this compendium that man also collects himself together into groups, like fish in a school or birds in a flock. These groups become religions, secret societies, governments, in fact just about any group. There is a simple reason for this grouping and it is exactly the same for the animals. We form together for protection against predators—there is strength in numbers. Whether you are a Freemason or a Boy Scout, the ultimate reason you join forces with others of like-race and like-mind is because you see strength and protection. Why is it then that some individuals take themselves away from these groups? I myself have been invited to join many secret societies and groups. I have even turned down offers of honorary degrees. Why? Because I am confident, self empowered and have my own mind. I fear no man, I fear no society or culture. I strive to learn more about them all and to thereby be yet more empowered, because knowledge builds strength and joined with my own will it creates a confidence that is true enlightenment.

We may think and believe that the kundalini or some other spark in the bio-chemical and electric brain is enlightenment, but it is not. Our masters feed us filth and keep us in the dark. We are told what to be like, what to buy, what to do and say. We no longer need to know ourselves, the television has all the answers. But the fact is, what we see on the television is a reflection of greed, money and capitalism and these can easily be the dark forces of human nature. Light and dark are opposite sides of the same coin. Balance is like a coin placed upon its edge and like a coin it can easily be knocked over.

I desire a good life for my family, but that does not have to include a range of cars, a yacht in every port or another million. I am not a communist, I am a realist and the reality is that while one man has, another does not. My evolutionary instinct is to gather goods, property and wealth for the bad times ahead, to see me through the winter or the coming storm. The down side of this is that we grow that divisive side of our nature, greed, and somebody somewhere suffers.

The ancient Chinese texts tell us that mankind has been in this situation before many times and that his greed and “noise” has brought his civilisation crashing down to the ground. How close are we to doing it yet again? How “noisy” are you?