The One Dollar Note
The Great Seal of the United States can be easily viewed on the back of a
one-dollar bill. Although the colors mentioned in this article won't be
visible, it is still an easily obtained reference point for your
convenience. The OBVERSE is on the right side (the eagle), while the REVERSE
is on the left side (the pyramid) of the instrument.
Man is an enigmatic creature having a dual nature, temporal and spiritual.
His institutions reflect the multiple facets of his complex and varied
mental processes. He is at once occupied with the routine of satisfying the
basic human needs for food, clothing, and shelter and the less tangible and
more varied spiritual and social needs. His viewpoints are as varied as the
individuals, subject not only to the external changes of environment but to
self- created internal changes. Man alone has within himself any
considerable power of thought or imagination. One facet of man's behavior to
come out of his imagination, superstition, spiritual groping, and reasoning
is symbolism.
Signs, pictures, objects, emblems, words, numerals, music, or any means of
conveying ideas from one individual to another become the vehicle of
symbolism or symbols. Certain of man's activities lend themselves more
readily to symbolism than others. The ritual of Freemasonry is especially
rich in symbols - familiar things that convey a hidden meaning to the
initiated. Philosophic Masonry is the heir to the symbolism practiced in the
ancient mysteries, the Hebrew Cabal, and medieval Rosicrucian societies.
In this present age, where material things engross almost every waking hour,
symbolism has lost much of its fascination, but this was not so in the
eighteenth century when the [American] revolutionary heroes pledged their
lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the erection of the new
nation. As the crisis moved toward its climax the ideals for which they
fought began to assume symbolic form. Late in the afternoon of July 4, 1776,
the Continental Congress "resolved, that Dr. Franklin, Mr. J. Adams and Mr.
Jefferson be a committee to prepare a device for a Seal of the United States
of America." On August 20 the committee reported its design to Congress; but
the report was tabled, and for three years and a half no further action was
taken. On March 25, 1780, the report of the first committee was referred to
a new committee consisting of James Lovell, John Morin Scott, and William
Churchill Houston. This committee received artistic assistance from Francis
Hopkinson. A new design was reported on May 10 (or 11), 1780, but debate was
followed by recommital to the committee with no further progress for two
more years. In the spring of 1782, a third committee, composed of Arthur
Middleton, John Rutledge, and Elias Boudinot with the assistance of William
Barton, A.M., reported a third design for a seal to congress which was also
found not satisfactory. On June 13, 1782, Congress referred all of the
committee reports to Charles Thomason, Secretary of Congress. Thomason
prepared a design from these reports and submitted it to Barton who
suggested a few changes on June 19, 1782. Thomason immediately wrote his
report to Congress and submitted it on June 20, 1782; the report was
accepted the same day and thus the design of the great seal was fixed. It is
described as follows:
ARMS: Paleways of thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief, azure; the
escutcheon on the breast of the American eagle displayed proper, holding in
his dexter talon an olive branch, and in his sinister a bundle of thirteen
arrows, all proper, and in his beak a scroll, inscribed with the motto, "E
PLURIBUS UNUM." For the CREST: Over the head of the eagle, which appears
above the escutcheon, a glory, or, breaking through a cloud, proper, and
surrounding thirteen stars, forming a constellation, argent, on an azure
field. REVERSE: A pyramid unfinished. In the zenith, an eye in a triangle,
surrounded with a glory proper. Over the eye these words, "ANNUIT COEPTIS."
On the base of the pyramid the numerical letters MDCCLXXVI. And underneath
the following motto, "NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM."
Among those who helped design the Great Seal of the United States the
following are known to have been Masons: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas
Jefferson, William Churchill Houston, and William Barton. Whether they drew
heavily upon Freemasonry in this work it is impossible to assert but when an
informed Mason examines the Great Seal here is what he sees:
On the obverse is an eagle whose dexter wing has thirty- two feathers, the
number of ordinary degrees in Scottish Rite Freemasonry. The sinister wing
has thirty-three feathers, the additional feather corresponding to the
Thirty-Third Degree of the same Rite conferred for outstanding Masonic
service. The tail feathers number nine, the number of degrees in the
Chapter, Council, and Commandery of the York Rite of Freemasonry. Scottish
Rite Masonry had its origin in France; the York Rite is sometimes called the
American Rite; the eagle thus clothed represents the union of French and
American Masons in the struggle for Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. The
total number of feathers in the two wings is sixty-five which, by gematria,
is the value of the Hebrew phrase YAM YAWCHOD (together in unity). This
phrase appears in Psalm 133 as follows: "Behold, how good and how pleasant
it is for brethren to dwell together in unity," and is used in the ritual of
the first degree of Freemasonry. The glory above the eagle's head is divided
into twenty-four equal parts and reminds the observer of the Mason's gauge
which is also divided into twenty-four equal parts and is emblematic of the
service he is obligated to perform. The five pointed stars remind him of the
Masonic Blazing Star and the five points of fellowship. The arrangement of
the stars in the constellation to form overlapping equilateral triangles and
the Star of David calls to the Mason's mind King David's dream of building a
Temple, to his God, the Companions who rebuilt a desecrated Temple, and the
finding of the Word that was lost. The gold, silver, and azure colors
represent the sun, moon, and Worshipful Master, the first that rules the
day, the second, the night, and the third, the lodge. While silver,
connected with the letter Gimel or G and being surrounded on an azure ground
by a golden glory, reminds the Mason of the letter G, a most conspicuous
furnishing of a proper lodge room. The shield on the eagle's breast affirms
by its colors, valor (red), purity (white), and justice (blue), and reminds
the Mason of the cardinal virtues. The value of these colors, by gematria,
is 103, the value of the phrase EHBEN HA-ADAM (the stone of Adam) and
suggests the perfect ashlar, or squared stone, of Freemasonry. One hundred
and three is also the value of the noun BONAIM, a Rabbinical word signifying
"builders, Masons." Thus the national colors spell out, by gematria, the
name of the fraternity. The scroll in the eagle's beak, bearing the words E
PLURIBUS UNUM (of many one) reminds him also of the unity which has made
brothers of many.
On the reverse, is the All Seeing Eye within a triangle surrounded by a
golden glory. Besides the obvious Masonic significance of this design, it
has a cabalistic value of seventy plus three plus two hundred, equaling two
hundred and seventy-three which is the value of the phrase EHBEN MOSU
HABONIM (the stone which the builders refused) familiar to all Royal Arch
Masons. It is also the value of the Hebrew proper noun HIRAM ABIFF, the
architect of Solomon's Temple and the principal character of the legend used
in the Master Mason degree. The triangle is isosceles, formed by two right
triangles having sides of five, twelve, and thirteen units in length,
illustrating the 47th Problem of Euclid. The triangle also represents the
capstone of the unfinished pyramid and reminds the Mason of the immortality
of the soul and that in eternity he will complete the capstone of his
earthly labors according to the designs on the trestle-board of the Supreme
Architect of the Universe. The unfinished pyramid cannot fail to remind him
of the unfinished condition of the Temple when tragedy struck down its
Master architect.
The blaze of glory found on either side of the Great Seal cannot fail to
remind the Mason of the Great Light in Masonry which is the rule and guide
to faith and practice and without which no Masonic lodge can exist. It
reminds him that only more light can dispel the pall of ignorance in which
he stumbles until he enters the Celestial Lodge where all light is given.
-----------------------------------
Notes:
The all seeing eye is not the God of the Holy Bible, it's Horus.
"In God we trust" is not the God of the Holy Bible, it's Horus
The first Great Seal designs always clearly illustrated the "eagle" as a
Phoenix.
In fact all Phoenix's are drawn as slightly modified eagles.
The Phoenix in it's single or double headed version is one of the devices
the occult uses to illustrate Satan.
"Novus Ordo Seclorum" is New World Order
Kind Regards,
Barbarossa
.
|