[From the book, Freemasonry, by W. Kirk MacNulty.]
[From the book, Freemasonry, by W. Kirk MacNulty.]In this image the Mother Goddess is seen as the most important, as she sits above the other two Goddesses while suckling two children. Then we have a Hellenistic Goddess as she has one breast exposed. This was acceptable in times of Ancient Greece but not in later Christian times. She also holds a ships anchor and she may be Aphrodite or Venus who was suppose to be born from the foam of the sea. Also the moon controls the tides of the sea and women’s menstrual cycle is one lunar month. Then we have third Goddess on her knees. This would be more like the behaviour of the Christianised Virgin Mary. So in this trinity we have the very Ancient Mother Goddess from who all life was created. Then we have the more Hellenistic Goddess who ruled the heavens alongside male gods. Then we find the Virgin Mary who is a Goddess within a very patriarchal religion. This picture then also shows the gradual downfall of Goddess worship. Right on top of the picture we have as in many Freemasonry pictures, the single eye. Showing us the hidden Goddess is still supreme.
The theme of two very different organisations can also be seen in the Egyptian Ankh, which is used in many Freemason images. The Ankh is an ancient Egyptian religious symbol that is now being use today in modern paganism and the new-age movement. It is shaped like a Christian Cross except that it has an oval shape in the top part of the cross. When asked what this symbol means, these people explain it means love or life. When looking at this symbol it is possible to see a symbol of a vagina at the top and a phallic symbol below. So it can be seen as a symbol of sexual love and from sexual intercourse comes life. Which makes sense, as the ancient Egyptian priests and priestesses did use sex-intercourse frequently in their religious rites.
The problem with this explanation is that the Ankh has a horizontal bar separating the vagina symbol from the phallic symbol. If it is a symbol of love or life then these two symbols should be joined together and not separated by a barrier. Suggesting that perhaps the Ankh could have another
meaning. In ancient Egyptian Ankh means many things, it can mean Goddess, noose, tie, cross, circle, pair, couple, to clasp and oath, which is very confusing.
From the little we know of the ancient Egyptian society it does seem to of been a patriarchal society, but there are many reasons to believe it may not of always been that way. In the ancient Egyptian society, all inheritance came down the female line and when male Pharaohs began to rule Egypt he could only do so if he married his sister, or as in a few cases, his mother. So this means that at one time only female Pharaohs ruled, and even when male Pharaohs came into being it was still his sister or mother who was the true Pharaoh.
Another way of understanding the changes in ancient Egyptian society is how the status of deities has changed over time. The further one goes back in time in ancient Egypt the more Goddesses are in charge, which was probably reflecting of the power and status of women in Egyptian society. Then as time went on the Gods gained more and more prominence, which also probably reflected the growing status of men. Though there was it seems, "backlashes" to this growing trend. We can see this in the changing status of Isis, where she was at times demoted to a secondary Deity and then made a series of "comebacks".
At one time in Egyptian mythology Isis was demoted from her role as Divine Mother to simply being a minor Goddess who was just the daughter of the Goddess Nut and the God Geb. This was probably a reflection of the declining status of the priestesses of Isis. Then it seems she made a comeback as through the following story.
The Sun God Ra or Re took over role of creator God, and Isis was the Goddess of mothering and sorcery. Isis then made an enchanted snake bite Ra, and then she told Ra she could only heal him if she knew his true name. Ra was force to reveal this to Isis and she healed him, but now knowing his name she had power equal to him. This story would then be a reflection of the growing status of the Isis religion in Egyptian society, at that time.
Isis gained even more prominence when the Romans conquered Egypt, and the Romans adopting her as one of their Goddesses. She became so popular that for a while she became the major religion in the Roman Empire before Christianity took control. Isis even lived on in Christianity. Many Southern European Churches have what is called Black Madonnas, now this is a mystery because why would people want to paint the Virgin Mary black in a European Country? The official line is that these statues turned black because of the soot from candles being lit under them. Which is not true because the clothing on these statues are also not blackened.
It seems that when Isis came to Europe she was worshipped as a black Goddess. Then when Christianity took over, many pagan temples where converted into churches. It seems that the Churches that now have Black Madonnas were originally Isisian Temple in pre-Christian times. So it seems that Isis was such so popular among the people that the Christian Church were unable to completely eradicate her, so they had to compromise and have a black Virgin Mary to take her place.
The Ankh is a very ancient symbol those origins are unknown, if we look at how the Egyptian religion and its Gods and Goddess have changed over time. Then it would be reasonable to speculate that probably this also happened to the meaning of the Ankh.
If we take the meaning of the Ankh at its face value it can mean love or life, which as pointed out earlier sounds reasonable because it has the symbol of both sexes on it. But as also pointed out it also has a bar between both sexes, and that this is a problem because to create life both sexes have to be joined, so this is an indication that it might of had a different meaning in the very ancient past. A clue to this meaning can be seen in that the vagina symbol is above the phallic symbol. Which makes sense if ancient Egypt was originally a matriarchy.
The different symbols on the Ankh may not be about sexual intercourse but could simply be a symbol of the status women and men. If this is the case, then we have a symbol of a woman at the top with a symbol of a man at the bottom and a bar between them. This then becomes a symbol of a matriarchal society, because it shows a two-class society with women in the upper class and men in the lower class. With a bar in the middle showing clearly the class division between the two sexes. Which is what we also see in Freemasonry symbolism, of a Goddess organisation above the conventional male dominated Masonic organisation.
When ancient people moved from being hunter/gathers to agriculture, it was probably women who were the original farmers. In most hunter/gather tribes that still existed until recently, it seems that mostly it is the men who do the hunting and women the gathering. As being the gathers of the tribe, it would be the women who would start to plant the seeds and then gathered them. Even today in Africa this is still true as in many African countries it is the women who grow the crops.
As women planted the seeds and gather the crop, so the idea of ownership would come into being with women being the owners of the land. In societies before marriage was imposed onto women, inheritance could only come down the female line. Because if women were free to have sex with any man they choose then no man can possibly know who his children are. So the first agriculture societies were probably very matriarchal because women would own everything. With inheritance coming down the female line it would only be women who would inherit land, property and wealth. As women produced all the food and brought up the children, men wouldn't have a proper role in society. Men in this situation would be looking to women for handouts, and so would have little status and respect in society.
[From the book, Freemasonry, by W. Kirk MacNulty.]In the drawing above; we have four Goddesses above a cloud on the roof of a Freemason hall. The Goddess, or Great Mother is holding the mirror of Truth who is accompanied by the three virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity. Below these four Goddesses is the messenger god Mercury. Who plays an important role in Alchemy and Hermetic mysticism as the God Hermes. It seems he is taking instructions or teaching from the Goddesses and passing them down to the Freemasonry brethren. Symbolising that the teachings of Freemasonry comes from a Goddess religion.
Before Christianity there were both Goddess and God Temples in the pagan world. Over a period of time as society came more patriarchal the Goddess Temples came under increasing pressure to change. As their teaching became unacceptable to the patriarchal rulers, they were then forced to continue their Goddess teachings in secret. So the Goddess teachings became the “Mysteries”. As these Goddess temples were forced to teach their followers the teachings as decreed by the patriarchal rulers they could only give out their Goddess teachings to trustworthy followers whom they knew wouldn’t betray them to the authorities.
So this drawing like other Freemasonry drawings does suggest that the Goddess Mysteries did survive in secret organisations like Freemasonry
We can see something similar happening in Russia in the 20th century. When Communism took control in 1917 they banned the Russian Orthodox Church and as far as the world knew this religion became extinct. Because no Russian would dared admitted to being a practising Christian for fear of imprison or even execution. Then in the 1980s with the fall of Communism in the USSR, the Russian Orthodox Church suddenly re-appeared again. Somehow they managed to survive in secret, in spite of nearly four generations of persecution.
Unfortunately for Goddess religions, patriarchy wasn’t overthrown within a few generations and still continues today, so they had to find ways to survive hundreds of years of persecution. When Christianity took control of the Roman Empire, the Mystery schools were persecuted, so they went underground and their teachings became known as the Occult, which means hidden knowledge. Alchemy was an important part of the Occult movement, by claiming to work at either turning base metal into gold or finding the elixir of immortal life. These Alchemists were able to study ancient text, practise pagan rituals or do scientific research and still escape persecution by the Church. (Alchemists made important discoveries in chemistry, medicine, mineralogy and pharmacology). Because the Church authorities wanted more gold or a recipe for eternity, they left the Alchemist alone and even financed them, hoping they will achieve what they claim they could do. Which was a clever move by the secret Goddess movement, by appealing to patriarchal ruler’s greed and fear of death, they managed to survive. The most well known Alchemists were the scientists Roger Bacon and Isaac Newton who not only were Alchemists, but also Rosicrucians and probably Freemason.
The Chinese Taoists were also Alchemists, and this practised probably originated from China. Taoism was originally a Goddess religion but because of patriarchal persecution it had to change itself into a patriarchal religion. This is shown in the Tao-Te-Ching which is the Taoist ‘Bible’ which seems to be normal patriarchal religious text similar to Buddhism, yet through deeper study you find it is the teachings of a Goddess religion. To allow themselves to practice their Goddess teachings in secret the Taoist invented Alchemy, which like in Europe allowed them to preserve and study ancient text, which were being systematically destroyed by the patriarchal rulers. This practice was probably taken up by the Sufi, which was also a secret Goddess organization within Islamic countries and finally brought to Europe.
[From the book, Freemasonry, by W. Kirk MacNulty.]The above illustration is another curious drawing. It shows two Masons together, the person sitting down is probably in charge and a worker is probably asking for instructions or discussing a problem. What is strange about this drawing is the sex of the people in the drawing is uncertain. They both have long hair and wearing dresses but off course both men and women have worn long hair and dresses in the past. So in our patriarchal times we would assume they are both men, but are they? Why didn’t the artist make them clearly look like men? In the background on the right hand side of the picture we see a statue of a nude woman, which the worker seems to be pointing to, suggesting the importance of the Goddess statue. So are they are building a Goddess Temple? In the background we can see another person who is carrying a spear, probably this is a guard but again the sex of the person is not very clear as he or she is wearing a knee length skirt. In the foreground is a broken pillar. A pillar can be used as a phallic symbol; broken pillars come up more than once in Freemasonry images and are probably a symbol of the downfall of masculine power.
In the Mason drawing above, we see another Goddess holding up the mirror of truth. This is a reference to ancient Mystery School saying; “Know thyself”. This Goddess is naked so clearly she is a pre-Christian pagan Goddess. She is coming out of a well, which is another vagina symbol, and water is also associated with the feminine. She has a feminine sun above her, as we can see with the triangle within it so it means she like the Statue of Liberty is a Sun Goddess. At the base of the well we can see all the usual Freemasonry tools and symbols. Showing their close connection to Goddess worship.
[From the book, Freemasonry, by W. Kirk MacNulty.]This is a Mason drawing of The Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences. What we have to ask is why do women represent them? In an age when nearly all women were not given any form of education, it would make more sense to represent art and science as old men with beards, which was the usual custom in the past.
These women are show also not as passive dolls but as teachers, performers and professionals. Some are bare-breasted which would be unacceptable in real life in the time the drawing was created. So it suggests that these women were pre-Christian pagans. It is known that women were academics in the Ancient world. One of the first things the Christians did when they took power was to murder academic women and ban women’s education.
This picture was drawn before female education was acceptable for most women. So the hidden message in this picture is that at one time in the ancient past academic women were experts in the arts and science.
[From the book, Freemasonry, by W. Kirk MacNulty.]This is a picture very much about the hidden Goddess. Here we have a bust with a scroll covering its face. This is strongly suggesting that the identity of this person is a secret and has to be concealed. Although the face is hidden the neckline isn’t. It is clear that it is the neckline of a woman as it shows the top of a fashionable dress. The hand that is holding the scroll comes out of a cloud, which as pointed out before is where in Greek mythology is where gods and goddesses live. So it suggests that not only is this hidden face the face of a woman but of a goddess as well.
Next to the bust near to the top of the picture we have the symbol of Mercury. From him comes another long scroll going down to the top of a tree. As Mercury was associated with Alchemy it could be an Alchemy scroll. Also the title page is about the Secret Hemetick Science, which is Alchemy. Trees were held to be very sacred in Ancient Goddess religions. So this image seems to be suggesting goddess teachings being transmitted from heaven.
Above this picture we have another smaller picture of three people, two men and one woman. The sun god holds a staff of power and is sitting on a lion, in astrology Leo is the ruler of the sun, so this makes sense. The Moon Goddess is sitting on a lobster that comes from the sea because the moon controls the tides. The man on the left has a crown on his head and is holding the sun while the woman is holding the moon in her hand. Suggesting they are the Sun God and Moon Goddess, with again Mercury in the centre as the staff he holds is a Hermitic symbol. Three figures could also be the trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, suggesting that the Holy Spirit is a Goddess and the Jesus is Mercury as a messenger from God or the Great Mother.
The woman is also holding an arrow, which is a bit of a puzzle. The most famous arrow in Greek mythology is the poison arrow that killed the invulnerable Achilles. In the Trojan War he not only killed Hector the greatest hero of Troy but Penthesilea the Queen of the Amazons. So is this arrow is about the death of a great patriarchal hero by a poison arrow in this vulnerable heel? If we use Achilles to represent patriarchy, this arrow would be another symbol about the downfall of patriarchy.
The drawing on the next page is supposed to be about the charity work that Freemasons do. Here again we have the paradox of a secret society that doesn’t allow women in its ranks, yet at the same time it represents itself as a woman. If it is suppose to be about charity work then it is a very patronising picture, because the women is on a pedestal with the poor looking up to her with some of them on their knees. The star above the woman suggests that perhaps she might be more than just a woman. This then would make more sense of the picture, as it would be more acceptable if the people in the picture were worshipping a Goddess. This is supported by the fact the woman is not smiling or has a charitable or caring look on her face. She has a stern or even arrogant look on her face suggesting that she expects to be worshipped.
This picture could have another explanation, if this picture is about Freemasonry the poor could be thanking the Masons for another reason besides just their charity work. Perhaps the poor and sick of the world have more to thank Freemasonry for the a few charitable handouts. Freemasons have been prominent in their history in supporting the people against tyrannical governments.
It is well known that many of the leaders involved in the American War of Independence were Freemasons. What is less well known is that Freemasons were involved in the English Civil War of the 17th century, the French Revolution and countless South American Revolutions. Is seems that Simon Bolivar the prominent South American revolutionary was a Freemason, as was Giuseppe Garibaldi who played a prominent role in uniting Italy in 1870. All these revolutions were about freeing the people from oppressive rulers, though it has to be admitted that many of the revolutionary rulers turned out to be more oppressive than the rulers they replaced. But these revolutions have encouraged the ruling elite to adopt more democratic methods of governing countries. In the 20th century totalitarian governments like the Communists, the Italian Fascists and the German Nazis all attacked and destroyed Freemasonry organisations when they got into power. So what ever you can say about Freemasonry they do seem to have the “right” sort of enemies. In the 1980s with Fascism making a comeback under the disguise of monetarism, and we also had Freemasonry being attacked by the press at this time.
In the background we have the Royal Arch, representing the Great Mother. Another meaning of this picture could also suggest that the ancient religion of the Great Mother is for the common people as well as for the poor, sick and suffering. In fact, it is only by the return of the Great Mother as a dominant religion can these problems be solved, because patriarchy has only brought to the world warfare, violence, injustice, poverty and suffering.
[From the book, Freemasonry, by W. Kirk MacNulty.]This drawing is supposed to be about the charity work that Freemasons do. Here again we have the paradox of a secret society that doesn’t allow women in its ranks, yet at the same time it represents itself as a woman. If it is suppose to be about charity work then it is a very patronising picture, because the women is on a pedestal with the poor looking up to her with some of them on their knees. The star above the woman suggests that perhaps she might be more than just a woman. This then would make more sense of the picture, as it would be more acceptable if the people in the picture were worshipping a Goddess. This is supported by the fact the woman is not smiling or has a charitable or caring look on her face. She has a stern or even arrogant look on her face suggesting that she expects to be worshipped.
This picture could have another explanation, if this picture is about Freemasonry the poor could be thanking the Masons for another reason besides just their charity work. Perhaps the poor and sick of the world have more to thank Freemasonry for the a few charitable handouts. Freemasons have been prominent in their history in supporting the people against tyrannical governments.
It is well known that many of the leaders involved in the American War of Independence were Freemasons. What is less well known is that Freemasons were involved in the English Civil War of the 17th century, the French Revolution and countless South American Revolutions. Is seems that Simon Bolivar the prominent South American revolutionary was a Freemason, as was Giuseppe Garibaldi who played a prominent role in uniting Italy in 1870. All these revolutions were about freeing the people from oppressive rulers, though it has to be admitted that many of the revolutionary rulers turned out to be more oppressive than the rulers they replaced. But these revolutions have encouraged the ruling elite to adopt more democratic methods of governing countries. In the 20th century totalitarian governments like the Communists, the Italian Fascists and the German Nazis all attacked and destroyed Freemasonry organisations when they got into power. So what ever you can say about Freemasonry they do seem to have the “right” sort of enemies. In the 1980s with Fascism making a comeback under the disguise of monetarism, and we also had Freemasonry being attacked by the press at this time.
In the background we have the Royal Arch, representing the Great Mother. Another meaning of this picture could also suggest that the ancient religion of the Great Mother is for the common people as well as for the poor, sick and suffering. In fact, it is only by the return of the Great Mother as a dominant religion can these problems be solved, because patriarchy has only brought to the world warfare, violence, injustice, poverty and suffering.
