“Freemasonry and the Founding of the United States” by Willis Harman
Posted Aug 02, 2007 11 comments
As I finished up Willis Harman's excellent book, Global Mind Change
, I was surprised to find him going off on a curious tangent about Freemasonry. The excerpt I will type up here discusses Masonic traditions in more detail than the brief, but infamous, mention in Chapter 8 of "Changing Images of Man". There, Harman had stated: "In 'True Freemasonry,' there is one lodge, the Universe -- and one brotherhood, everything that exists. Each person has the “privelege of labor”, of joining with the “Great Architect” in building more noble structures and thus serving in the divine plan."
Here, Willis Harman explains that divine plan in some detail. For the record, anyone interested in "organized paradigm shifting" or "mass persuasion techniques" would probably enjoy Global Mind Change
For the most important example of a political system based on M-3 principles, however, we need to look back two centuries to the early shaping of the United States of America. Most Americans seem unaware that a particular embodiment of the "perennial wisdom", in the Freemasonry of the time, was a key factor in the American democratic experiment. The philosophy which underlies Freemasonry has gone by many names since its progenitors appeared in the Egyptian mystery religions. It was a behind-the-scenes influence throughout the development of Western civilization, and in the latter half of the eighteenth century it played a leading role in the emergence of democratic philosophics of government.
Freemasonry as it existed at that time was esoteric and political (in contrast to contemporary Masonic lodges, which are much more in the nature of social organizations). The essential premise of Freemasonry was that there are transcendental realms of reality in which we coexist, and of which we potentially can have conscious knowledge. While the patterns and forces of these realms are inaccessable to the physical senses, they are available for exploration through looking into the deep mind. They play important roles in shaping evolutionary and human events, and can be called upon for power and guidance.
The Freemasonry network of the eighteenth century transcended national boundaries; there were lodges in Great Britain, France and Poland as well as America. Freemasonry was concerned with more than the development of individual awareness. Most particularly, its concern focused on the development of human knowledge and the arts, and on the reformation of governments toward a "philosophic commonwealth" and democratic forms.
The most obvious evidence of this influence in the shaping of the United States is in its Great Seal, adopted in essentially its present form in 1782. (Considerable opposition was expressed to the Presidential decision in 1935 to place on the new dollar bill this "dull emblem of the Masonic fraternity", as professor Charles Eliot Norton referred to the central symbol on the reverse side -- the unfinished pyramid capped by the "All-Seeing Eye".)
If one imagines that the founders of this country were a motley citizenry of farmers, shopkeepers and country gentlemen, the Great Seal symbols from the ancient traditions of Freemasonry seem a puzzling choice. But Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were both active and high-ranking Masons. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, at least 50 were Masons; so were all but 5 of the 55 members of the Constitutional Convention. Many Freemasons from other countries supported the American Revolution, including Lafayette, Kosciusko, de Kalb, and Pulaski. Offshoots of the secret Masonic societies of Europe were transported to the New World at least 15 years before the Revolution, with the express purpose of initiating a democratic experiment that had not found fertile soil in Europe.
The symbols of the Great Seal depict a vision that not only sustained and guided the new nation through most of its history, but also for a time provided inspiration to the poor and down-trodden around the world. Bearing in mind that it is the essence of a powerful symbol that it says many things to many levels of mind (so that any "explanation" of its meaning is nescessarily a dilution and distortion), let us examine the symbols of the Great Seal as they appear on the back of any dollar bill.
The most obviously Masonic symbol is the uncompleted pyramid capped by a radiant triangle enclosing the All-Seeing Eye, which occupies the center of the reverse side of the seal. Whatever other meanings this ancient symbol may have had (such as signifigance attached to the numbers of levels and stones; or resemblance to the Great Pyramid at Giza, shrine tomb of Hermes who personifies Universal Wisdom), it clearly proclaims the works of men (either individual character or external works) are incomplete unless they incorporate divine insight. This symbol is meant to indicate that the nation will flourish only as its leaders are guided by supraconscious intuition.
The phrase novus ordo seclorum (from Virgil), meaning "A new order of the ages is born", declares that this event is not just the formation of another nation but of a new spiritually based order for the world. The project is launched with confidence because annuit coeptis, or "He [God] looks with favor upon our undertaking."
Dominating the obverse of the seal is the bird that is now an eagle, but in earlier versions was the Phoenix, the ancient symbol of human aspiration towards universal good, of being reborn through enlightenment and higher awareness. The olive branch and arrows in the bird's talons announce that the new order covets peace but intends to protect itself from those who would destroy it.
E pluribus unum, "unity from many", refers to the nation made up of states; probably also to the higher unity. The star-studded glory over the bird's head traditionally symbolizes the cosmic vision.
The "great debunking" of religion by M-1 based science that took place over roughly a century extending into the 1960s took its tool as regards the values underlying the great American democratic experiment. By the 1970s, the prevailing mood was largely one of obliviousness to the meaning of the symbols and cynicism with regard to the goals. The power of the symbols upon the collective psyche is such, however, that if the American nation is to regain its earlier position of moral leadership in the world it will be through an effort focused around these symbols and meanings, and no other.
Further Reading for Curious Primates
For an excellent introduction to modern Freemasonry, check out this Terry Melanson article, "Freemasonry: Midwife to an Occult Empire."
Spread the Research:
Filed in: Social Control
Next entry: The Truth Behind Jim Cramer's Mega Market Meltdown
Previous Entry: The Rosetta Stone of US History: Quigley's "Tragedy and Hope"
Comments
Sorry, but the comments for this entry have expired.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.1. Thirtyseven on Aug 02, 2007 at 9:14 PM permalink
We have a great deal of material stashed in the Brainsturbator Forums:
Willis Harman thread:
http://www.brainsturbator.com/forums/viewthread/273/
Changing Images of Man thread:
http://www.brainsturbator.com/forums/viewthread/18/
SRI thread:
http://www.brainsturbator.com/forums/viewthread/261/
Oliver Markley thread:
http://www.brainsturbator.com/forums/viewthread/287/
2. p on Aug 02, 2007 at 9:37 PM permalink
Great article, thanks for sanely detailing the masonic origins of America and modern democracy.
Anyone intrigued by the possibility of an M-3 society (something completely implicit in ancient times and nigh unthinkable in ours) might enjoy this article on Emerson:
http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/VolumeVI/emersongnosis.htm
3. Frumious on Aug 04, 2007 at 4:45 AM permalink
Criminy. Where to start with drivel.
1. The Great Seal was almost completely designed by Charles Thompson, who was NOT a Mason. The only Mason on any of the three different committees over the years charged to design a seal was Ben Franklin, and ALL of his suggestions were turned down.
2. The All-Seeing Eye appears throughout Renaissance art as a symbol for the Holy Trinity - the being of God, symbolized by the eye, and the three entities - Father, Son and Holy Ghost - represented by the three sides of the triangle. It predated any use by Freemasons by about 300 years.
3. The pyramid was never a part of mainstream Masonic symbolism. It appeared very rarely in a branch of French Masonry, called Memphis Mizraim, that was shunned by the rest of the Masonic world. Its appearance on the Great Seal again sprung from the mind of Charles Thompson, a non-Mason, and was always intended as an allegory of the 13 colonies and the unfinished nature of the new country. Ascribing anything evil to it is just plain ignorance.
4. Out of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 8 were Freemasons at the time. Not 50. Not even close.
5. Out of the 55 delegates who crafted the US Constitution, only 9 signers were confirmed Masons. 5 non-signing delegates were Freemasons; 6 later became Freemasons. That’s just 9 Freemasons out of 40 total actual signers. And while we’re at it, only 15 presidents have been Master Masons, and NONE since Gerald Ford. Not even the Bush boys.
6. The new Order of the Ages refers to the first democratic republic since Rome, and nothing more. Any other claim is out of hysterics.
7. As for the DARPA-IAO logo, it’s proof that Baby Boomer and Gen-X bureaucrats all heady with their new government office, new funding and creepy powers to spy on communications are just as susceptible to doing ignorant things as their fathers were.
4. Gromulator on Aug 04, 2007 at 4:55 AM permalink
^^Good points, but you come off as a little “hysterical” yourself, man.
“Ascribing anything evil to it is just plain ignorance”—kind of a weird sentence on many levels, but come on, dude, Willis Harman is gushing in his admiration of Masons, he’s not saying anything about evil, nothing here on this site says anything about evil. (I think.)
Anyways, yo 37, you can surely track down a list of who the 8 (well, between 8 and 50) Masons were, right? It’d be interesting.
5. Thirtyseven on Aug 05, 2007 at 8:21 AM permalink
Fruminous was mostly right—especially on the wildly exaggerated number of Freemasons present for the founding of the United States. I have no idea about the roots of pyramid symbolism in Masonry, but everything else checks out, except #6 and #7 which are just statements of opinion.
It makes the Willis Harman book even more curious, really: why was the man playing so fast and loose with the facts? Was it simple laziness or a calculated gambit? I find it very odd that he would use the concluding chapters of both Global Mind Change and Changing Images to offer his take on Freemasonry and advocate the use of their symbols for a new direction in United States group identity. Anyways, I’ll have a scan of this whole book up in PDF within the week.
Fruminous, thanks very much for posting that info.
Gromulator, I haven’t been able to find such a list and I’m going to bed. Peace.
6. Terry on Aug 05, 2007 at 5:02 PM permalink
Basically what Harman is espousing is exactly the sort of thing you’d expect from new agers who see the brotherhood of Freemasonry as THE original transformational movement, and the harbinger of an ideal utopia. It is the same m.o. of Theosophists (ala Bailey) and Rosicrucians (ala Manly P. Hall), and is represented today by the likes of Robert Hieronimus and even Jim Garrison of the Gorbachev Foundation.
Though Harman’s assertions regarding the mystical and deep occult meaning of freemasonry are certainly downplayed by masonic leaders of today, it wasn’t that long ago when the official organ of the Scottish Rite (the “New Age Magazine") had been publishing similar esoteric interpretations on a regular basis.
7. Thirtyseven on Aug 05, 2007 at 6:30 PM permalink
^^Thanks very much for that—very helpful insight. I definitely wasn’t seeing Harman’s actions/beliefs in the right context and lineage of thought. I definitely need to read up a good deal more on Theosophic thought post-Blavatsky.
8. GP on Aug 06, 2007 at 7:40 AM permalink
“The power of the symbols upon the collective psyche is such, however, that if the American nation is to regain its earlier position of moral leadership in the world it will be through an effort focused around these symbols and meanings, and no other.”
Huh?
The United States of America can “regain its earlier position of moral leadership” by not bombing other third world countries into the stone age, upholding and protecting the Constitution, and staying out of the foreign affairs of others.
Manipulating the masses with symbols is just manipulating the masses with symbols, and neither a precursor nor requirement for rehabiliting our foreign policy.
9. Thirtyseven on Aug 06, 2007 at 4:13 PM permalink
^^Absolutely, the nature of “consciousness revolution” Harman has in mind is strictly storefront. That’s why “Changing Images of Man” is such a fascinating and corrosive document, to me—it’s basically a manual on how to repackage the Same Old Bullshit for a kinder, gentler audience, and how to co-opt all the new values ("changing images") to maintain social control and continuity.
10. Terry on Aug 06, 2007 at 6:41 PM permalink
Same old, same old. Manly P. Hall’s The Secret Destiny of America, Robert Hieronimus’ America’s Secret Destiny and Jim Garrison’s America as Empire: Global Leader or Rogue Power? Check it out ...
Hall: “On the reverse of our nation’s Great Seal is an unfinished pyramid to represent human society itself, imperfect and incomplete. Above floats the symbol of the esoteric orders, the radiant triangle with its all-seeing eye. ... There is only one possible origin for these symbols, and that is the secret societies which came to this country 150 years before the Revolutionary War. ... There can be no question that the great seal was directly inspired by these orders of the human Quest, and that it set forth the purpose for this nation. ...” (pp. 174, 181)
Hieronimus: “The Theosophical and Rosicrucian traditions hold that every nation has a spiritual destiny guided by a hierarchy of beings using all ethical means of manifesting the divine plan through the will of the nation’s leaders.” (p. 95)
“Marilyn Ferguson believes that we are ‘children of transition’
“[...] change in our cultural paradigm may mirror a change in American cultural symbolism. Hence the renewed interest in the seal’s reverse. According to [Willis] Harman (1988, 163), [ie Global Mind Change] the seal’s reverse ‘clearly proclaims the works of men (either individual character or external works) are incomplete unless they incorporate divine insight. This symbol is meant to indicate that the nation will flourish only as its leaders are guided by supraconscious intuition.’
“… Ferguson and Harman identify the contemporary transitional interval with the American revolutionary period from which the Great Seal emerged. They cite the motto Novus Ordo Seclorum as evidence that the nation was consciously conceived as a momentus step in the evolution of the human species.” (pp. 64-65)
Garrison: “ ... all Masons and Rosicrucians. They were all students of Bacon. They believed that what they were creating was the new Atlantis, the new Israel, the new Rome, the new Athens, and they consciously set forth to build a nation around light and power. Look on the back of a dollar bill and see the pyramid and the all-seeing Eye of Horus. It’s important for Americans to understand that we were born out of a mystical vision of human perfection that was basically Atlantean in its impulse. So the challenge today is to reconnect with the Wisdom Tradition that gave rise to Atlantis, that gave rise to the United States of America, and that is ultimately an esoteric pursuit. In order for us to survive the politics of Bush and the Neo-Conservatives we have to bring to the fore the wisdom of the founding fathers. That’s the connection with someone like Carolyn. She’s writing a book which I think will come out in 2005 on the sacred contract of America. It will be a sort of mystical history of the United States. What I’ve done in my book is to trace this Atlantean vision of Francis Bacon and tell the story of how Bacon influenced our founding fathers, and how we have a mystical vision as the origin of the American experiment.” ("A Conversation with Jim Garrison,” URL: http://tinyurl.com/3yhhxx)
As I look over Hieronimus’ book, it seems he cribbed liberally from Harman, with four works cited in the bibliography. Hieronimus vision for the seal and America’s destiny has been in turn promulgated to Presidents and high-ranking politicians since the late 70s. Hieronimus has been the foremost expert on the Great Seal; he has counseled White House occupants on its meaning and has been giving speeches about it, everywhere, since he earned his PhD on the subject.
11. beebs on Aug 07, 2007 at 12:17 AM permalink
As some people like to blame the jew for the world’s troubles, other people like to blame Freemasons.
I used to be a mason. I quit because I couldn’t figure out why I was a member.