William Cooper's Mystery Babylon: Part 26 - America's Assignment, Part III

Transcribed by wakingup72 @ http://www.waronyou.com/forums

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Welcome, across America and around the world, to the most unusual hour you will ever hear. This is the only hour that ever was, or ever will be. This is the most important hour in your entire life, for, during this hour, you will decide your future and, thus, our collective futures.

I'm William Cooper, and this is the Hour of the Time.


(opening music: unknown orchestral waltz)


Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we continue with America's Assignment with Destiny.

You remember, we talked about the history of the religion in the Mystery School of the ancient Aztecs, the Mayans and the other American Indians of the old Americas, before Europeans supposedly set foot upon the shores. As you will hear, it's entirely possible and, indeed, highly probable that, not only Europeans, but people from the Middle East and from the continent of Africa, set foot upon these shores long, long before Columbus ever dreamed...ever dreamed of reaching India by sailing toward the west. In fact, if you've been listening closely to the previous episodes of America's Assignment with Destiny, you may have already understood that the Indians were practicing almost exactly the same Mystery Religion that was present in the Middle East and in Egypt long, long before the birth of Christ.


[reading from America's Assignment with Destiny, written by Manly P. Hall]:


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Many tribes, especially the Plains Indians, believed that thunder and lightning were caused by enormous birds -- the rumbling sounds in the sky accompanying storms were due to the flapping of their wings, and the flashes of light were caused by the opening and closing of their eyes. In some groups, only one thunderbird was recognized; in other tribes, there were several of various colors or a family of them. The appearance of the bird, or birds, is not definitely given; it might be similar to a large hawk, an eagle, or even a grouse. The thunderbird could use its wings as a bow to shoot arrows, and small meteors were believed to be the heads of these arrows. On the Plains, thunderstorms were said to result from a contest between a thunderbird and a huge rattlesnake, or dragonlike monster. Persons struck by lightning, if they recovered, were accepted as sages or holy men, having received a very strong medicine from [this] experience.

In some areas the thunderbird was closely associated with the religious Mysteries or Societies. Those who saw this creature in their vigils usually considered themselves as intended for a religious life. The myths and legends of the thunderbird are similar to the European and Asiatic accounts of the fabled phoenix, which [you're hearing an awful lot about it, even today. The phoenix] nested in flames and symbolized initiation and adeptship. [And today, it symbolizes the New World Order, rising from the ashes of the Old -- death and rebirth, resurrection, reincarnation. All of these are the symbols, or symbolized by the phoenix.] Early drawings of the Great Seal of the United States indicate that the bird represented thereon was a phoenix rather than an eagle [that you see today]. Like the Mexican coat of arms, which shows an eagle with a serpent in its claws, the American device is strongly reminiscent of a thunderbird. These creatures were also said to inhabit a sky-world above the clouds, and served as messengers between mortals and the heavenly beings.

Farther south the thunderbird symbol merged with the quetzal and the serpent feathered with quetzal plumes. The quetzal was identical in meaning with the phoenix of Asia, North Africa, and the Near East. The feathered-serpent symbolism can be traced back to the hooded Nagas, or serpent gods of India, and to the winged serpents which occur in the writings and sculpturings of the [ancient] Egyptians.

The serpent was the messenger and servant of the earth-mother because it dwelt below ground. For this reason rattlesnakes were released during the snake dances, in order that they might carry the petitions of the tribe to the mother who dwelt below. Birds were also carriers of tidings, and as they flew upward they bore with them prayers to the Great Father who lived in the Sky-Lodge. The thunderbird was the most powerful and was the lord of flying things. and the feathered snake was symbolic of the mysteries of the upper and lower regions. Priestly Orders served this twofold cult, the secrets of which were revealed only by an internal mystical experience.

[William Cooper: Now, remember, the ancient Egyptian religion? They had the mysteries of the upper and lower regions, and the "Priestly Orders served this twofold cult," also, the androgynous god.]

...Brinton, describing various devices used by the Amerindian tribes to conserve their religious secrets, says: "All these stratagems were intended to shroud with impenetrable secrecy the mysteries of the brotherhood. With the same motive, the priests formed societies of different grades of illumination, only to be entered by those willing to undergo trying ordeals whose secrets were not to be revealed under the severest penalties."

[William Cooper: Now, anyone who's listened to our 26 episodes of the series on Mystery Babylon, the Mystery Schools, will recognize the exact same religious philosophy that permeated first, the old Mediterranean world and northern Africa, and then through the episodes of the Crusades and the Templars was brought into Europe, and persist to this day, all over the world.]

"The Algonkins had three such grades...[Remember, the three degrees of initiation? Three degrees in six acts, or eighteen...6-6-6? The three grades of the Algonkins were] the waubeno, the meda, and the jossakeed, the last[, of course] being the highest. To this no white man was ever admitted. All tribes appear to have been controlled by these secret societies."

[William Cooper: Just as our modern society is controlled by the Mysteries today.]

Among the Amerindians, Secret Societies existed for the perpetuation and enlargement of the choicest knowledge of the tribe.

[William Cooper: Remember, the heart and soul of the Mysteries is illumination, the light, Lucifer. Lucifer, of course, is represented by the sun, which is the wisdom of the world. (laughs) It represents the intellect. Remember, the Garden of Eden, the story that Lucifer, through his agent, Satan, enticed Eve, and thus, man, to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge and told them that they would not surely die, and that they would be as gods? Well, this is the promise. And with that gift of intellect that man received from Satan, indirectly from Lucifer, man himself will become god. This is the heart and soul of the Mystery Schools.]

There were war associations, healing cults, and Fraternities concerned with the religious Mysteries, the keeping of records, and the dramatization of myths. There were ethical societies, orders of mirth-makers, fire-walkers, and hunters, presided over by elders who had distinguishing regalia. Women frequently became leaders of these groups. Among the Pueblo Indians there were often a dozen or more Societies in one village. While their objectives were not always parallel, there was no friction [among] the memberships and they united in all common responsibilities The Indian was always a tolerant man on the subject of spiritual convictions. He never inquired as to the faith of his guest, but expected that every true believer would conduct himself in an honorable way. He respected the rites of strangers, and if he did not share in them or did not understand their meanings, he kept a respectful silence.

The reference to the dramatization of myths suggests that a member of Indian tribes were practicing the same methods of presenting religious Mysteries that were employed by the Greeks and [the] Egyptians. Most Indian festivals emphasized songs and dances, but the songs were used principally to establish rhythms and the words were of slight importance. Chants were a vital element in most healing ceremonies.

Either the Western Hemisphere received a vital religious stimulus from early voyagers and travelers from distance parts or else the Indian himself by mystical experiences shared a common inspiration with the priestly castes of other nations. The psychologists would probably assume that the esoteric tradition originated in the spiritual needs of the human being, regardless of his race or place of habitation.

[William Cooper: But that does not fit any test of common sense. In fact, it's ludicrous.]

The search for reality gradually brought into being specialized groups of intensive truth seekers. [And] these groups produced their own leaders, and such wise men and women were acknowledged as divinely inspired, received spontaneous admiration and devotion, were obeyed for their superior endowments, and gradually became a priestly caste. [Now,] civilization enlarged the temporal state of the tribe, the religious Societies grew to become powerful institutions, as in Central America. While the tribes remained nomadic, the medicine men were less resplendent and impressive, but their functions were no less significant.

These holy persons seldom took part in war, and frequently were distinguished by a costume combining elements of male and female attire.

[William Cooper: And, remember, the god is an androgynous god: bi-polar, male/female, positive/negative, bad/good, divine and evil, all within the same. [sic] And this is the truth; this is the reality in all of the Mysteries.]

This practice [of wearing male and female attire] has been common throughout the religious world and has influenced the dress of pagan priests and Christian clergy alike. [For example, the Catholic priest...the Catholic bishop.] The androgynous human being, in whom there is a spiritual union of male and female attributes, has been widely accepted as personifying a superior type capable of a greater understanding of the Father-wisdom and Mother-love potencies of Divinity. Such symbolism [ladies and gentlemen] existed in all [of] the great Esoteric Orders of the past.

While ethnologists may be reluctant to admit that the Indians had any formal concept of an esoteric religion, examination into the secret beliefs of the priests of the various tribes shows that they were verging toward the adept tradition, even if it had not matured among them. The Midewiwin, or Great Medicine Society of the Ojibways, initiated both men and women into the secrets of the art of healing and the control of the vital current coursing through the nerve centers of the human body. The Society of the Mides, or shamans, had birchbark rolls which depicted the arrangements of the lodges and included many strange pictographs. Of these, W.J. Hoffman writes: "To persons acquainted with secret societies, a good comparison for the Midewiwin charts would be what is called a trestle board of a Masonic order, which is printed and published and publicly exposed without exhibiting any secrets of the order; yet it is not only significant, but useful to the esoteric in assistance to their memory as to the details of the ceremony."

The secrets of the Midewiwin were originally communicated to mankind by an initiate-priest, Manabozho, or Great Rabbit, who was a servant of the Good Spirit. The cross was an important symbol in the Midewiwin Rites, and it is interesting that the Mides steadfastly refused to give up their religion and be converted to Christianity.

The controversy as to the possible Masonic significance of the Midewiwin Rites may be noted, but has slight bearing upon the essential facts. Although the birchbark rolls have bestowed prominence upon the activities of this Society, other tribes practiced equally significant rituals and ceremonies. Candidates advanced through four degrees, traveling toward the east, [and where have you heard that before, steady listeners?] and the lodge rooms were enclosures open to the sky and connecting with each other through doors and passageways [so that they could look upon the celestial sphere]. The neophyte was tested and subjected to trials and hazards and also was presented with a sequence of visual arrangements of symbols and other esoteric paraphernalia. The purpose of the Great Medicine Society was to enlighten the human mind and soul and to bind the initiates to the service of their people. It included a method for stimulating extrasensory perceptions and personal investigation into the secrets of Nature.

In 1919, Arthur C. Parker was invited into a secret lodge of the Senecas to witness their ceremonies. Here he heard the legend of Red Hand, a culture hero, who could hold conversation with the Great Mystery. From the Great Mystery he learned to love all the creatures of the earth, and he spoke the language of the birds and animals. Red Hand was slain by a poisoned arrow because he would not reveal to his assassin the secret of his spiritual power. The animals, discovering by the power of scent that their brother-friend had been killed, gathered in council about his body to find a means of bringing him back to life. Each of the creatures gave part of himself to restore Red Hand to the living. At last the bear came forward, and grasping the hand of the martyred hero raised him by the strong grip of his paw. Those acquainted with the ritual of the Third Degree of the Blue Lodge of Freemasonry will realize that this story must have originated among the rituals of the esoteric schools.

[William Cooper: Because it is the exact same ceremony of the raising of the Master Mason at the end of the initiation of the Third Degree by the grip of the Lion's paw.]

Mr. Parker, himself a 32° [Freemason], sums up the account of his experience in the rites of the Senecas, [thusly]: "Little has been told; the door has only been held ajar the slightest space and no[, no] secrets have been revealed. There were feather wands and deerskins, but no purple robes or crowns. Yet, who shall say that the Senecas have not the thread of the legend of Osiris or that they have not an inherent Freemasonry?" [And, indeed, who can say?]

In the area centering in what is now New York State and extending north and south a considerable distance, the five, later six, nations compromising the Iroquois League attained a high state of social and political integrity. The two great leaders of these Amerinds were Deganawida and Hiawatha. It is impossible to study the life of Deganawida, whose coming was announced by a mysterious visitor from the heaven-world, without realizing that he fulfilled all the requirements of the adept tradition. Deganawida was born of an immaculate conception...

[William Cooper: Let me say that again for you, folks:]

Deganawida was born of an immaculate conception, possessed the power to work miracles, prayed and fasted, practiced the vigils, was confirmed in his mission by the Great Father, and passed through numerous trials and persecutions. Hiawatha became his first and most distinguished disciple, and these two working together sought to establish everlasting peace among their peoples.

The founder of the Inca dynasty of Peru was the initiate-statesman, Manco Capac, who flourished in the eleventh century A.D. He reformed the social and religious life of the tribes of the Aymara Quichua race. In the capital city of Cuzco which he built, Manco Capac established the religion of the sun. He was a statesman of ability, and claimed to be a direct descendant of the sun god. The empire of the Incas which he founded is remembered especially for its experiments in socialized living. Peru has the distinction of having cradled the first successful Utopia.

[William Cooper: And, folks, I would argue with that. If it was so successful, where is it today? Manly P. Hall probably would disagree with that, saying that for its time it was a successful Utopia. Utopia means "perfect," folks, it means the best. It means the fulfillment of all (laughs) the ideals, and could never pass away, if it was, in fact, a successful Utopia. And that's the problem with these priests of the Mystery Religion and their dream of a world Utopia made up of imperfect men, ruled by imperfect men, who have other agendas; who have selfishness; who covet; who steal and lie. We all struggle with those things every day, and anyone who stands before me and tells me that they do not struggle with these imperfections of man and with the temptations of the material world and of the flesh, then I see before me a liar.]

Manco Capac emerges as one of the world's outstanding social reformers, with a vision thousands of years ahead of his time. He is said to have brought with him to Peru a divine bird in a sacred wicker hamper. This golden falcon is a form of the phoenix, and testifies to the presence of the adept doctrine. Manco Capac combines in his own person the offices of priest and king, like the Melchizedeks of Christian mysticism.

[William Cooper: Christian mysticism? Oh, yes, ladies and gentlemen. You didn't know this, but Christianity started out as a secret society and later, later was even named the "Friendly Open Secret Society". Wasn't open at all. [sic] And it had degrees of initiation, which exist in the priesthood, even today.]

Although some historians may be a trifle impulsive when they suggest that Manco Capac was a Buddhist priest, there can be no doubt that the Peruvian culture was heavily influenced by symbols, rituals, and philosophical elements usually associated with the trans-Himalayan area of Central Asia.

[William Cooper: Now, if Manco Capac was not a Buddhist priest from the Far East, how did he bring these teachings to the Indian people, who had never seen or heard of him before, and knew not from whence he came?]

In Deganawida, with his Great League, Quetzalcoatl-Kulkulcan and his splendid socialized empires in Mexico and Central America, and Manco Capac and the communal system which he set up in Peru, we have three clear and definite accounts of initiates-leaders establishing schools of esoteric doctrines in the Western Hemisphere. From a consideration of their attainments and the systems which they inaugurated, we can come to but one conclusion[, ladies and gentlemen]: The Mystery Schools of antiquity were represented in the Americas by institutions identical in principle and in purpose with those of Asia and the Mediterranean countries.


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How could this be? How, indeed. Is it true that at one time, according to the theory of plate tectonics, that all of the continents were together in one? And that there was free interchange and activity conducted between all of the peoples of the earth? Were they, indeed, at one time ruled by one great ruler in one great city? And was there at one time, one great continent in the whole world known as Atlantis? And was the scattering of the peoples and the mixing of the languages -- and the tangling of the tongues described in the Bible -- was this merely the breakup of that one continent as the plate tectonics began to move away from each other? As the Earth's crust shrank and molten magma compressed below began to push up and separate...separate the piece of land from each other? Was this is the scattering of the peoples? Was this the destruction of the Tower of Babel? Was this...was this the real truth of what happened in history?

It doesn't say that here. This is what has come to mind in my own research, and may account for many of the legends of all the peoples of the earth. We have much more studying to do; much more putting together of the pieces of the puzzle. But, folks, of all the studies that have ever been made, we believe that our conclusions are probably closer to the truth than anyone else has ever, ever come. In any case, we hope we are, and if we're not, we certainly will pick up the thread the truth, wherever it leads us. And if we turn out to be wrong, you will be the first to hear it.

But it appears to us that at one time...at one time, all of the peoples of the world had a common source of religion and knowledge, and that, somehow, these people were scattered over the earth, and lost their contact with each other, and lost their contact with the source of their religion and their knowledge. And even though some...some of the portions of their society and some of their religions may differ slightly, at the heart and core of all of them, they are the same. And that is what is important: that you understand that, somehow, the great Mystery Religions and the great societies that existed in ancient Egypt, and Mesopotamia, and Greece and eventually in Europe were nothing new to the peoples who lived in South America, and North America, and on the Asian continent. And the Mysteries were even known to the Aboriginals in the continent of Australia, in the islands of New Guinea, in the rainforests of the Amazon jungle.

So you see, folks, what we are talking about here is not the story...not the story of one sacrificed king; but the story existed amongst all peoples, in all areas, of all the islands, and continents, and lands of the world, to all peoples, there appeared a man who taught the same teachings, who experienced the same persecutions, and ultimately the same death. The sacrificed king that we, in the western world, have always known as Jesus Christ. Was it the same man who appeared to all peoples? Or were they different men, sent by God, who appeared to all peoples? Or were they merely men who pulled off, in their different cultures and societies, the greatest hoax in the world?

I don't know the answer to these questions at all. What I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe through faith alone. For, indeed, no one has ever been even able to even prove that the man really lived and walked upon the face of this earth in the Middle East -- and I am speaking of the man we know as Jesus Christ -- and not all of the other people who appeared to various cultures and various societies in the world who fulfilled the same role to those people. And maybe...maybe that's why it was so difficult to convert some peoples to Christianity. Maybe they already were, in their own way, Christians.

It's time for our break, folks. Don't go away. I'll be right back after this very short pause.


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Folks, I hope you're enjoying tonight's program. This will the 27th broadcast in the series on the Mystery Religions, the Mystery Schools, the Ancient Mystery Religions of Babylon.

Now, I don't know if you've made the connection yet -- and if you've just started listening to this program, then I would not even expect you to understand what all this means. But for those of you who've been with us for a long, long time, and have listened to that series on the Mystery Religions from the beginning, I certainly expect you to understand the connect between what you are hearing and what is happening in the world today. And if you understand that connection, then you understand this signifies tremendous change, which is going to appear and confront us in the immediate future, then you understand that you must take steps now to protect what you have...


(William Cooper does commercial for Swiss America Trading Corporation)


(break music: unknown orchestral music)


[reading from America's Assignment with Destiny, written by Manly P. Hall]:


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Prevailing historical accounts which deal with the discovery and colonization of the Western Hemisphere must someday be completely revised. Modern scholars have accepted, without proper reflection, a fabrication of lies fashioned to deceive and to prevent the recognition of facts [which are] detrimental, even dangerous, to the ulterior motives of [very, very] powerful interests. Time[, ladies and gentlemen,] will reveal that the continent now known as America was actually discovered and, to a considerable degree, explored more than a thousand years before the beginning of the Christian Era. The true story was in the keeping of the Mystery Schools, and passed from them to the Secret Societies of the medieval world. The Esoteric Orders of Europe, Asia, and the Near East were in at least irregular communication with the priesthoods of the more advanced Amerindian nations. Plans for the development of the Western Hemisphere were formulated in Alexandria, Mecca, Delhi, and Lhasa long before most European statesmen were aware of the great Utopian program.

[William Cooper: For reference to that, see The Mystery of Columbus, by Jennings C. Wise.]

The explorers who open the New World operated from a master plan [the same plan that is in operation today] and [they] were agents of rediscovery rather than discoverers. Very little is "known"[, folks,] about the origin, lives, characters, and policies of these intrepid adventurers. Although they lived in a century amply provided with historians and biographers, these saw fit either to remain silent or to invent plausible accounts without substance. Does it not seem remarkable that no one is certain whether Christopher Columbus was actually an English prince, a Greek nobleman, or a Genoses sea captain? Was he granted arms without any examination into his ancestry[, something that was unheard of in that day]? Why is it so difficult to ascertain the real name of the man known as Amerigo Vespucci? Who was John Cabot, whose life and exploits are but fragments rather than the sober records of a distinguished citizen? If these men were what they seemed to be, there could have been no advantage gained by such elaborate concealment. If there [was] a mystery, that which was hidden must have been regarded as valuable.

Plato described the vast continent of Atlantis, which sank beneath the oceans as the result of a seismic cataclysm. [Now, ]there are several possible interpretations of Plato's account. The lost Atlantis could represent a submerged body of knowledge drowned in a sea of forgetfulness. This would explain and justify Bacon's restoration of the fable, which was nothing more than bringing into the light matters long hidden. According to the Critias, the oceans became so agitated and laden with mud and slime that navigation to the west ceased. Sailors feared to go beyond the Pillars of Hercules toward those Hesperic Isles sacred to the Mysteries.

Even had Christian nations dared to violate the edicts of the Secret Schools, such audacity would have been held in check by the power of Islam, seated in the Holy House at Cairo, and the edicts of Lhasa, backed by the armed strength of the Mongol Empire. The East agreed to preserve the boundaries of Europe, if the European states would bind themselves in a solemn alliance to refrain from exploiting the resources of the Western Hemisphere.

[William Cooper: Now why would they insist upon that agreement, when no one knew anything about the Western Hemisphere? At least, to the public, [aye]?]

Fear of a terrible retribution from beyond the walls of Gog and Magog prevented the Popes from violating their agreement. And without the leadership of the Church, the great families dared not engage in private projects. When the appointed hour came, the Secret Societies selected their own agents to initiate the program of exploration.

[William Cooper: And thus began America's secret assignment with destiny.]

"Was Columbus then working," asks Grace A. Fendler, "either as an individual or as a chosen representative of Secret Societies, to bring into expression the old Utopian ideals and to directionalize them across the Seas? Certainly this would go far to explain the charges of 'traitor'; the seizure of all his books and papers; the destruction of all portraiture and likenesses even to the usual mortuary 'busts and arms'; and the complete disappearance of many of his literary works, including the Journal of the First Voyage and the Book of the Second Voyage. All this[, ladies and gentlemen,] would then have been mere inquisitional routine, with the rewriting of his biography more or less both of political necessity and[, of course,] a Holy Duty."

[William Cooper: See the book for more on this: New Truths About Columbus.]

Campanella, in his Civitas Solis, causes a Genoese sea captain to be the guest of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalers. When Columbus, on the occasion of his first landfall, raised the standard of Castile, he also planted a banner of his own, consisting of a green cross on a white field. Was this a device of the Knights [Templars]?

[William Cooper: You bet your booties it was.]

The formal education of the man who called himself Christopher Columbus has been the subject of much speculation. The navigator wrote, in 1501, that during his many voyages to all parts of the world he had met learned men of various races and sects and had "endeavored to see all books of cosmography, history, and philosophy and of other sciences." [Now,] if the admiral had seriously endeavored to examine early works on navigation, he undoubtedly had noted the references, brief but significant, by Homer, Solon, Aristotle, Pliny, and other ancient authors to "distant lands beyond the great oceans." Plutarch's voyagers must have explored vast areas, and Verplanck Colvin summarizes the old accounts thus: "In the days of Homer, or rather before his time, navigators traveled thousands of miles out into the Atlantic, and back across it...they were guided in their voyages by the stars."

[William Cooper: For reference to that, see Geographical and Mathematical Discussions of Plutarch's Accounts of Ancient Voyages to the New World. Remember, folks, remember my admonition. Don't believe everything you hear on this program unless you go research it for yourself, and verify that it is, indeed, true. This is one of the greatest secrets that have been held by the Mysteries for thousands of years. This needs to be brought to light, for I believe wholeheartedly that this is the truth of the matter. In my research, as has indicated to me, that is it nothing but the truth.]

One group of "authorities" considers it probable that Columbus was little better than an illiterate sailor, and that his rudiments of learning were derived from a guild school supposed to have been established by the weavers of the city of Genoa. The opposing faction of historians insists that Columbus possessed considerable scholarship even before his celebrated journey. According to Henry Harisse, an outstanding writer on the Columbus mystery, the navigator left ninety-seven manuscripts and over twenty-five thousand marginalia, which may be considered a remarkable achievement for an illiterate.

[William Cooper: How many illiterates do you know who have ever written anything, much less ninety-seven manuscripts and over twenty-five thousand marginalia.]

The truth is that the admiral cannot be explained without reference to the Secret Societies, which were the peculiar custodians of the exact information which he required.

[William Cooper: They were, they were, and are, and always will be, unless the sheeple of the world wake up to the fact, the Guardians of the Secrets of the Ages.]

The religious and mystical inclinations of the great discoverer are mentioned by most of his biographers. At times Columbus dressed in a plain robe and girdle similar to the costume of the Franciscan Order. It was reported by his son that Columbus died wearing a Franciscan frock. It is not known however, that he was directly associated with this Order, even as a lay Brother. Several religious groups of the times, including Fraternities known to be connected with the esoteric tradition, favored this kind of habit. Perhaps the peculiarities of his costume were overlooked or conveniently forgotten.

The admiral regarded himself as chosen by heaven to fulfill a great mission, and was strengthened by the conviction that he was guarded and guided by the divine providence.

[William Cooper: Where have you heard that before? Divine providence was spoken of by Columbus and by all of our forefathers, whom also, by the way, belonged to the same Mystery Religion.]

Such contemporary reports[, folks,] could imply far more than modern writers would like to acknowledge [William Cooper: And far more than you probably even want to hear.] In [these] troublous times, it was customary for the members of Secret Societies to conceal the true source of their instructions by some general statement about heavenly guidance. The mystical instincts of the admiral, his belief in miracles, prophecies, and the doctrine of preordination have been advanced by some critics as proofs of his mental instability [a la David Koresh].

Referring to what he calls the "colossal, mystical self-confidence" of Columbus. John Bartlet Brebner writes that it was so integral a part of the navigator that "he could believe on one occasion in his voyaging that God had led him to the New Heaven and New Earth of Revelation, and in his darkest hour he knew that God spoke to him in encouragement." On his Third Voyage, the navigator believed that he heard the voice of God speaking words of strength and comfort. On his Fourth Voyage, when great emergencies threatened the entire enterprise, the admiral fell into a trance and a voice spoke to him [and said]: "O fool, and slow to believe and to serve thy God, the God of all! What did He do more for Moses, or for David His servant, than He has done for thee?"

[William Cooper: For reference to that, see the book called The Explorers of North America.]

Columbus[, folks,] may have been a disciple or student of the illuminated Raymond Lully. There is a persistent rumor to this effect. He was also involved with the group perpetuating the political convictions of Dante. The following tribute to the Italian poet is indicative and stimulating: "Dante himself was a member of the Albigensian church, and, it is said, for a number a years officiated as pastor of that powerful organization in various European cities. He was a friend of Roger Bacon, and an associate and advisor of powerful leaders in the ancient Order of the Temple, which was at the date of his death, while apparently at the summit of its power, actually nearing its disastrous end. Dante is said to have been an initiate of the esoteric doctrines of the Templars."

Columbus made use of ciphers and cryptic allegorical expressions and figures of speech. While such ciphers are known to exist in his manuscripts, no systematic effort to decode them has come to public attention. Cecil Jane conjectured that Columbus in his cryptic signatures made use of something resembling a Baconian cipher intended to convey information which could not be directly communicated and to supply the clue to a secret otherwise carefully concealed.

[William Cooper: See the book, entitled Contemporary Historical Review, Vol. 1:37.

Incidentally[, folks,] the Columbus signature-ciphers are extremely reminiscent of the Albigensian papermakers' marks [which you can look up]. Seraphim G. Canoutas, J.D., of the University of Athens, in his work Christopher Columbus, a Greek Nobleman, attempted to restore the early life of the great discoverer. His findings, calculated to sustain the title of his book, are most illuminating. The secret preparations for the colonizing of the Fortunate Isles, or "the Blessed Isles of the West," were in the keeping of the Albigenses, the Troubadours, and the chivalric Orders of Knighthood.

[William Cooper: Which are in control today. You see, when you started listening to my series on the Mystery Religions of Babylon, I know that some of you thought that I was stark-raving mad. But if you persisted and listened to each episode, you can see the connecting links throughout history and you can see that I am the only one (laughs) who is telling you the truth, the real truth about the hidden powers that control our destinies and, indeed, the destiny of America.]

The final phase of the exploration project was left largely to the erudition of Lorenzo the Magnificent and the skill of Leonardo da Vinci. Lorenzo de' Medici was a distinguished Platonist, a patron of Secret Societies, the founder of an important philosophical school, and a subtle adversary of the Borgias. Leonardo was a faithful agent of the great Florentine prince, and one of those men possessed by the spirit of "towardness." Although Lorenzo did not live to see the fulfillment of the Great Plan [William Cooper: quote, unquote], he spoke the magic word which opened for Columbus the most exclusive institutions in Europe and invested him with the temporal means for acquiring a measure of consideration from liberal princes and scholars. [You see,] it was the invisible hand of the Medici that balanced on end the celebrated egg.

The conclusions of Columbus concerning the shape of the earth indicate that he was acquainted with the esoteric traditions of Asia and the Near East. He partly revealed the source of his own instructions when he declared the planet to be shaped like a pear, the upper end of which projected toward the sky, like the boss in the center of a shield.

[William Cooper: And it was not until we put satellites in the sky that the modern man discovered that the earth is shaped like a pear. And this discovery, ladies and gentlemen, came only recently...only recently. So we know that Columbus did have some source of esoteric truths that was not known by the common man, and was way beyond the ability of those at that time to even perceive, or to know, unless they were the remnant of some great society that had gone before and was destroyed.]

[William Cooper: Now, I'm not telling you that's the truth, for no one really knows, but that's what all the evidence seems to point to. And who are these people, the survivors? Well, I would not even want to venture a guess at this point, but I certainly want to continue my research, and I want you to continue yours, and together we will find out.]

[Now, what he knew about the earth is at the] top of this protuberance [of the pear-shaped earth] was the terrestrial paradise, where none could go except by the grace of God. The admiral noted that this shape coincided with the opinions of certain holy and wise theologians, but he failed to mention the sects of religions to which they belonged. The earth-mountain was certainly the Meru of the Brahmans and the sacred hill of the Egyptians Mysteries, Mount Meru, like Chang Shambhala, Olympus, and the peak described in The Revelation are all veiled allusions to the Invisible Government of the earth.

[William Cooper: In case you didn't hear that, I'm going to repeat it.]

The earth-mountain was certainly the Meru of the Brahmans and the sacred hill of the Egyptians Mysteries, Mount Meru, like Chang Shambhala, Olympus, and the peak described in The Revelation are all veiled allusions to the Invisible Government of the earth.

Nor should it be assumed[, ladies and gentlemen,] that all historical uncertainties centered around Christopher Colon, the dove of Genoa. The case of John Cabot is equally curious. There may be more than passing interest in the [observation] of one research student: "When Columbus, in the interim between voyages disappears from public view, John Cabot appears and permanently disappears when Columbus reappears."

[William Cooper: See the book, entitled New Truths About Columbus, by Grace A. Fendler, for reference to that.]

[You see, it's] easy to forget that John Cabot was really Giovanni Caboto, born in Genoa and a naturalized citizen of Venice. It was especially mentioned that in one of his journeys Cabot visited Mecca, and, like Columbus, was acquainted with the wise men of the Near East. It has even been suggested that he had contacted the religious and political convictions of the secret Christian sect of the Johannites, which played so large a part in the esoteric doctrines of the Templars.

Cabot conveniently found the ear of the English king, and was immediately entrusted with a delicate diplomatic mission to Denmark to arbitrate disputes over the fisheries of Iceland. Grace Fendler also notes that the records of the English Privy Purse shows a pension paid to one Antonio Cabot for several years after John Cabot was historically dead. The pension passed through the hands of an English merchant named Rici D'Americke. The voyages of Cabot were important inasmuch as they resulted in a division which gave most of North America to the English group which was free from the theological and mercenary pressures of the Spanish program.

[You see,] the Great Plan reached the Western Hemisphere through a series of incidents. Many early explorers and colonizers are known to have been associated with Secret Societies. There is no historical way of determining the secret spiritual convictions of so-called conquistadors, adventurers, and founders of plantations. It is a well-established fact[, folks,] that arts, sciences, philosophies, and political convictions accompany less valuable merchandise along trade routes and caravan trails. Some of the colonizers were probably unaware of the parts they were playing and the settlements which they founded remained for generations without the strength or security to advance ideological programs. The work, then as always, was in the hands and keeping of a [very] few initiated leaders. They were responsible for the results, and they built slowly and wisely, thinking not of their own days or of their own reputation, but of the future in which the Great Plan would be fulfilled.


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You all...all of you out there listening all around the world have such unlimited potential, if only your own personal handsome prince or princess could deliver to your lips that magic kiss that would wake you from your profound sleep.

Good night, and God bless you all.


(closing music: unknown orchestral waltz)