Still Running Off at the Keyboard

LET'S PLAY WITH THE SYMBOLS

Even a cursory reading of Gnostic websites will turn up the fact that the Gnostic religion--an "underground" religion--has been carried forward through the centuries via symbols. A symbol can have more than one meaning, and that fact has been central to Gnostic beliefs. It is also central to Masonic philosophy which also is carried forward in symbols. The advantage of this method of transmission is that the true meaning can be conveyed to the esoteric and the "acceptable" meaning can be delivered to the exoteric, thus averting the threat of legal repercussions. If what you believe is culturally unacceptable, you don't proclaim it from the soapbox.

So, with that background, with the knowledge that something has crept into Roman Catholicism that is not Catholic, and with Malachi Martin's warnings and the warnings of Pope Leo XIII ringing in our ears, let's play with the symbols on the two banners flanking the sanctuary in the church where I attended Mass yesterday.

First the banner on the left depicting a lion, an eagle, a bull, and an angel--one in each of the four squares the banner had been divided into--each with a banner or scroll beneath it where a name or an explanation could have been placed, but which had been left empty.

First the Roman Catholic interpretation that I linked in a comments box last night. Ok, we can read the symbols in an acceptable manner. But they can be read another way as well.

The eagle can easily become Horus for those in the know. Yes, the beak is different. Horus is a falcon. But if you don't want to tilt your hand by giving away your secret, the esoterics can simply be informed of the alternative meaning. In Freemasonry the eagle is a well-known symbol. Macoy describes its use:

EAGLE, Knight of the American. A quasi-military degree in Texas, and the Western States.

EAGLE, Knight of the Black. The name of a Prussian Order founded in 1701; also of the 38th degree of the Rite of Misraim, the 66th of the Metropolitan Chapter of France, and of the 27th degree of the Primitive Scotch rite.

EAGLE, Knight of the Red. A title in the French Ordre de la Sincerite.

The double eagle is emblazoned on the cover of Albert Pike's MORALS AND DOGMA.

Next the bull. This is the most common depiction of the Cult of Mithras, but there are others. The god Mithras slays a bull. Thus for those in the know who would want to convey and camoflage the Mithraic cult, a bull is a good representation.

Another possible meaning for the lion. The lion in Narnia represents Christ. The lion is also associated with the Gnostic tarot deck (scroll down) and represents strength. Once again the symbol can have a double meaning.

Lastly the angel. I know of no better depiction of the angel as a symbol for Gnosticism than the angel used on the website of the Canonbusy Masonic Research Center. It is their logo, and they are the Masonic research lodge that investigates the Gnostic teachings of Freemasonry.

The banner hanging on the left in the church I attended yesterday can convey more than one meaning.

Now lets consider the banner on the right, the one that is incomprehensible as a Catholic symbol. First the crown at the top of this symbol. I know of no Catholic meaning for a crown other than Christ the King. There is another meaning for the crown, however. Celebration Church. The crown you see there is the crown that appears on the side of the building that can be seen from the Akron expressway. Below the crown are the words "Celebration Church." As you can see from the logo, the Celebration Church is about people mostly. It is man-centered.

Below the crown on the banner are the letters "A" and "V". One superimposed on the other. The only Catholic meaning I could come up with for those letters was Ave Maria which requires a stretch to turn the A and the V into an "M." It's a fuzzy interpretation. AV can remind me of "aviation," but that doesn't seem to make any sense. Standing alone, the AV is incomprehensible, so let's combine it with the crown that appears immediately above it. Now the AV can represent audio-visual, or perhaps "audio-video." It's no secret that the creative arts are important to Gnostic belief systems. Just check out Waldorf Schools. We Catholics have also been treated to the visual images of liturgical dancers prancing around, various experimentations with musical instruments, and in a European Catholic church a tightrope walkers event in the sanctuary. Cardinal Mahony has been a leader in this area of the Church morphing. Combine the crown with the letters and you get "audio-visual."

Next the image of a bird-lily. I couldn't find a Gnostic lilly. In Freemasonry the Lily of the Valley is a side degree in the Templar system of France according to Robert Macoy's A DICTIONARY OF FREEMASONRY. Let's go with a bird interpretation. Now the meaning is Gnostic.

Even more so if you consider this lamen (logo) of the EGC which features not only a dove but also the Eye of Thelema, a variety of the Eye of Horus. Or this.

Below the bird-lily is something resembling a flame but in white. Take a look at this image that Google brought up when I asked for a "bird" and "Gnostic". Is it a Waldorf School? Most of the links are broken so there is really no way to determine what it is. There are flames and a bird there. There is a Gnostic bird here as well, but no flames. You can see the phoenix here. In the banner at church the bird-lily rises above the flame like a phoenix. Here is a Catholic interpretation of a phoenix. There is the Gnostic Church of the Holy Grail that uses a dove in its symbolism. The Gnostic dove is explained here.

Consider for a moment Aleister Crowley's Mass of the Phoenix. To understand my associations you have to read the text at that website. If you are new to Gnostic practices, you will probably find this difficult to read.

When you've read it, consider the reports we have been given about priestly behavior associated with the sexual abuse scandal. How often we have noted that rape of altar boys has taken place in the sacristy, and even at times in the sanctuary. Think about that in conjunction with that last linked website.

I don't know what the banner I saw in church yesterday means. I can't give it a Catholic meaning without stretching the AV into an M. I can give it a Gnostic meaning.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!