[In this early version of The Great Seal, notice the bird's elongated neck and particular placement of feathers on its' head. Is this an eagle or a phoenix? Also notice the 13 stars of David, or hexagrams - as opposed to the later adopted pentagrams, or 5-pointed stars.]
According to Manly P. Hall [1901-1990, 33°Freemason] in "The Secret Destiny of America", part of the original designs for the Great Seal of America included the above peculiar looking bird, a phoenix. He references a book "The History of the Seal of the United States" [P. 1909] as well as his own knowledge of other symbols which ended up on the dollar bill: the pyramid and all-seeing eye. These symbols, when taken together, suggest that the individuals responsible for designing the Great seal were members of a secret society, or were being advised by them.
[Barton then came up with another design, which the committee submitted back to Congress on May 9, 1782...At the top is an eagle and on the pillar in the shield is a "Phoenix in Flames". - Wiki]
While mainstream sources such as Wikipedia consistently downplay, or even deny Freemasonic influence upon the Great Seal, they simultaneously admit one of the most high profile and influential individuals on the committees designing the seal was a well known Freemason and member of other secret societies: Benjamin Franklin. According to an article at www.freemasons-freemasonry.com by W.Bro. David Barrett, "Freemasons so far involved were Franklin, Jefferson, Houston and William Barton but none of the final designers were Freemasons. However we know that essentially they continued working with the original basic schematic."
So...multiple [known] Freemasons were on the committees making decisions about the seal, but DON'T WORRY, none of their Freemasonic ties influenced the FINAL symbols that would ultimately end up on it...
We know that the 13 step truncated pyramid on the back of the $1 bill was taken from an earlier Francis Hopkinson design for a $50 bill. Hopkinson was also on a committee for the Great Seal, and although it is not clear whether he was a Freemason or not, his father, Thomas Hopkinson, was a Freemasonic Grandmaster of Pennsylvania in 1736, and was personal friends with Benjamin Franklin. The Hopkinson family also had their own pew at Pennsylvania's Christ Church, one of America's early locations to hold Freemasonic gatherings, according to "Freemasonry in Pennsylvania 1730-1907".
Getting back to the "Phoenix Bird" image shown earlier...Manly P. Hall recounts a story given in the book "The History of the Seal of the United States" in which Benjamin Franklin "mistakingly" assumes the bird is a wild turkey, and was allegedly pleased with this as a symbol. Really? A big fat bird most well known for being at the center of the dinner table on Thanksgiving made a good symbol for America's Great Seal? I suspect this story was deliberately fabricated in order to downplay Franklin's symbol literacy/Freemasonic connections - or otherwise confuse the naive sleuth making connections between the founders and Freemasonry. But who knows?
As for the phoenix as a symbol, it has traditionally represented death and rebirth. The rising of the phoenix from the ashes would seem to represent the rebirth of a plan, a people, or an organization. Hall alludes to the goals of a secret society in reference to the founding of America, and their "Order of the Quest." He uses Masonic language consistently, referring to "the Great Architect of the Universe," which is a known Masonic term for "God." One symbol for this God is the all-seeing eye...
"Every Masonic Lodge is a Temple of Religion and its’ teachings are instruction in religion." - Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, Chapter 13 or 13th°.
Freemasonic apologists will liberally disown or embrace aspects of this influential 861 page tome, according to what they PREFER people believe about it. But there is no dodging the influence and importance of this book among Freemasons of the time, and probably up to this very day.
"in 1859 he [Pike] was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite's Southern Jurisdiction. He remained Sovereign Grand Commander for the rest of his life, devoting a large amount of his time to developing the rituals of the order."
I bring up Pike and the book "Morals and Dogma" in order to address this business of the number 13 and other Freemasonic aspects of the Great Seal of America.
"The eagle has 32 feathers on its right wing, the number of ordinary degrees in Scottish Rite Freemasonry. The left wing has 33 feathers, corresponding to the 33rd degree of the same rite conferred for outstanding Masonic service. The tail feathers number nine – the number of degrees in Chapter, Council and Commandery of the York Rite...The total number of feathers [upon the 2 wings] totals 65 which, by gematria, is the value of ‘gam yachad’ ( 3+40+10+8+4) [Psalm 133- Hinei ma tov etc] a phrase often used in Freemasonry." - W.Bro. David Barrett
I would also add that the 13 stars above the Bird's head, which are pentacles [5 pointed stars] also add up to 65 [13 x 5].
The "gam yachad" is related to the Tetragrammaton, a 4-letter abbreviation of God's inutterable name. And by inutterable, I mean that ancient Hebrew tradition forbade the speaking of God's name, even going as far as expressing the word GOD like this: G-D. The implication being, that the name was of course sacred and divine, and not meant for just anyone to speak out loud [Freemasons LOVE this stuff!]. And so starting with the 4 letter name REPRESENTING God, which is YHVH [Jehovah/Yeshuah], we have an entire number pattern evolving out of those 4 letters, all having specific significance.
E PLURIBUS UNUM = 13 letters. Meaning, "out of the many, one." The bundle of 13 arrows held tightly within the bird's left claw seems to represent this.
The numbers used on the dollar bill seem to mostly be derived from ancient Hebrew mysticism/Gematria. This is based upon the fact that Hebrew letters represent not just sounds and meanings, but numerical values. One could say the language itself is divinely inspired or magical. Whatever the case, 13 is most certainly not a BAD number within this system!
"Thirteen is the number that bonds multiplicity into oneness. For example: There are twelve tribes that are bonded into their father Israel (Yaaqov). Israel is the thirteenth. The meaning of the number thirteen is the bonding of many into one." - https://www.betemunah.org/thirteen.html
Where have we heard this before, "many into one?" E PLURIBUS UNUM. 13 letters, spelling out in latin: "Out of many, one." Albert Pike speaks about this in the 13th° of "Morals and Dogma" as well, getting into all of this material from the Tetragrammaton, the many into one, and the different permutations of the sacred name. You think MAYBE there's some kinda correlation here?
The latin numbers at the base of the pyramid say 1776, the year of the START of the American Revolution. It's also the same year a German philosopher by the name of Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati.
"1 May 1776 Johann Adam Weishaupt founded the "Illuminati" in the Electorate of Bavaria." - wikipedia
Ever heard of "Mayday?" It's an international distress signal meaning "emergency!" May Day also happens to be an ancient pagan celebration, marking the beginning of summer, traditionally held on May 1st. I will not elaborate more upon that, just thought it was worth mentioning here.
Now some will say, "Weishaupt resided in Europe, and there is no proof of this "Illuminati's" presence in America during the revolutionary era!" Well actually, yes, there is. In the form of written correspondence between George Washington and GW Snyder, from https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-02-02-0435:
"It was not my intention to doubt that, the Doctrines of the Iluminati, and principles of Jacobinism had not spread in the United States. On the contrary, no one is more fully satisfied of this fact than I am...[follow up letter] The idea I meant to convey, was, that I did not believe that the Lodges of Free Masons in this Country had, as Societies, endeavoured to propagate the diabolical tenets of the first, or the pernicious principles of the latter (if they are susceptible of seperation). That Individuals of them may have done it, and that the founder, or instrument employed to found, the Democratic Societies in the United States, may have had these objects—and actually had a seperation of the People from their Government in view, is too evident to be questioned." - George Washington
While we are quoting the above correspondence, let's address this often exagerrated point that "hey, George Washington was a Freemason too, bro!":
"to correct an error you have run into, of my Presiding over the English lodges in this Country. The fact is, I preside over none, nor have I been in one more than once or twice, within the last thirty years.
Sure, Washington was an admitted Freemason at one point. But attending 1 or 2 meetings within a 30 year period does not sound like a very "active" card-holding member to me. It seems his identity as a Freemason has either been deceptively downplayed by himself, or deliberately exagerrated by others for various reasons.
In conclusion, George Washington clearly knew about the Illuminati's existence as well as the very real threat they posed to the early efforts at American independence. So those who try and make others feel silly for talking about this stuff are themselves either ignorant, or are "playing dumb."
Regarding the Illuminati's classification as a Freemasonic organization - I would say if anything, they were an extreme rogue faction, or simply a group of infiltrators, obviously with a nefarious secret agenda. I would be very wary of ANY organization calling itself "The Illuminati" to this day. Besides the fact that the name carries some very negative baggage, any organization purporting to be a descendant of such an entity is most likely a fraud of a fraud and can't possibly have anyone's best interests in mind other than its own!
Although it is rather easy to count 13 layers in the above pyramid image, it's far more difficult to discern how many bricks compose these layers. According to 33° Freemason Manly P Hall, as well as other more modern sources, such as mastermason.com, the 13 layers are made up of 72 stones or bricks. Wikipedia:
"To overcome the problems posed by the doctrine of God's transcendence, the early Jewish mystics developed an emanation theory in which the alphabet played an important part. They taught that the universe was divided into ten angelic spheres each one governed by an intermediary or emanation of the divine. There were seventy-two inferior angels through whom the intermediaries could be approached. Contact with this celestial world was achieved by manipulating the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. [...] This invocatory technique may be traced through the works of Joseph Gikatilla to the famous thirteenth-century Kabbalist Abraham Abulafia"
This relates, again, to the Hebrew Gematria composing the inutterable name of God, reduced down to the letters YHVH, in its simplest form. It seems that the existence of this number 72 within the Great Seal was less well known, but acknowledged over the years by those initiated into the mystery schools - further contributing to the obvious fact that the individuals who came up with all of this were, at some level, members of a secret society.
[Above invitation reads: "Brother - You are desired to meet the Master, and Brethren of N°[2?] Ancient York-Masons at their Room on Arch Street - on Monday next at 6 OClock in the Evening - Philadelphia Anno Mundi. 707 - By Order of the Master Edwin Robinson - Secretary March 25th"]
Freemasonic apologists will generally acknowledge that the evocative "Eye of Providence" symbol on the $1 bill was/is used by Freemasons - but they claim it was not used by them all that often back in those days.
"As far as can be established the All Seeing Eye was adopted by Masonry in 1797." - W.Bro. David Barrett
That's funny, because the first book I came across online documenting Freemasonry in Pennsylvania 1730-1907 contained the above image, engraved in 1759, a good 15 years BEFORE the Great Seal of America was put together. It's probably fair to assume it [The Eye] was used by Freemasons earlier than 1759 as well, but apologists will then say "the Eye was commonly used all over the place, not just in Freemasonry!" The problem with this argument is that it doesn't DISPROVE that the symbol as used upon the dollar bill is Freemasonic in nature! It only provides the possibility that it doesn't necesarily HAVE to be Freemasonic. But that's assuming one completely ignores all the other esoteric symbolism, concepts, and numbers as being consistent with Freemasonry.
ANNUIT COEPTIS = He (God) has favored our undertakings. NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM = A New Order of the Ages.
"Novus ordo seclorum" was not intended to mean (nor does it correctly translate into) "new world order."...And Thomson said the motto refers to the beginning of a new age – an American era beginning in 1776. The pyramid's rising rows of construction help illustrate this new series of generations...Thus together, the words signified the beginning of the new American Era commencing from that date seen at the base of the Pyramid." - W.Bro. David Barrett
While the above may all be true, the larger occult agenda behind it all is not automatically DISPROVEN by simply not addressing it at all! A "new age" under God is very LARGE language, which does not make one immediately think of a mere country being born. For example, when we hear about this "Age of Aquarius," we are not talking about a specific geographical location, we're talking about EVERYWHERE. This quick dismissal of the translation being "New World Order" might be technically correct, but is Barrett's "correct" translation necesarrily that much different than what a "conspiracy theorist" might assume? If anything, "New Order of the Ages" sounds even more ominous and far reaching than "New World Order!"
Brother Barrett's knowledge of the numbers embedded within these symbols is quite apparent on the page where many of these quotations were taken from. And yet, he doesn't seem to mention anywhere that the pyramid has 13 levels to it and 72 stones/bricks. While pyramids may not have been used during ceremonies, the numbers certainly have signifficence. Which indicates to me that he is deliberately downplaying the occult significance of the pyramid here, and it's potential connections to Freemasonry. Especially given his specific reference to Hebrew Gematria/Freemasonry earlier in counting the Eagle's feathers.
The front of the dollar bill often gets less scrutiny. The seal of the Department of Treasury contains a shield, a scale, a chevron with 13 stars, and a key. Scales indicate balance and measure. The chevron can be seen as a Masonic square, also used for measurement. A key represents authority, but can also represent a KEYSTONE, especially if we view the chevron/square as an ARCH. What street was that earlier mentioned Masonic event being held on? Arch Street.
It is true that one can probably see or hear whatever they want in anything. But there is a difference between mere "free association" and consistent double and triple meanings pointing towards the same thing. The allowance of "plausible deniability" provides an escape route for those either too skeptical to see what is right in front of them, or too steeped in secrecy to admit what is actually there. Numbers, in particular, are difficult to contrive into a consistent narrative of this scale.
According to the late Jordan Maxwell, this is a little Owl hiding in the artwork. Owls are nocturnal and hunt at night. They can see in the dark and can turn their heads completely around and see what is behind them. The Owl is wise, because of this, and makes for a great symbol in Secret Society allegories. If we "see in the dark," we see what others cannot, we operate, we hunt in the dark, where others cannot see.
On the other hand, some think this is a little spider, weaving the web of patterns making up the background of the bill, which can also have occult connotations. I tend to lean towards the Owl theory.
One final note on the Freemasonic concept of "God." As Albert Pike's quotation earlier rather unambiguisly states, "Every Masonic Lodge is a Temple of Religion and its’ teachings are instruction in religion." So who is the God of this religion then? Is all of this liberal borrowing from Hebrew Kabballah pointing towards Jehovah? I don't think so. Although Freemasonry borrows heavily from Kabballah in some instances, it also borrows from Ancient Egypt, Sumeria, Pythagoras, and just about anything else esoteric.
What Pike's Scottish Rite has done, is they reduced God down into the vague concept of "The Great Architect of the Universe." Or just "Deity." They then allow the potential candidate to CHOOSE WHATEVER NAME for that God they prefer. Jesus, Mohammed, Shiva, Krisna, Buddah, Quetzalcoatl, Lucifer, etc...Basically, they have you plug your God(s) into the Freemasonic console and you can now address your God as "The Great Architect of the Universe." To these Scottish Rite Freemasons, God is just another word for your individual faith. And as long as your faith is plugged into the Brotherhood, you will be as loyal to the brotherhood as you will your God.
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