THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
	a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.

Subject: EMAIL WITHOUT TEARS Volume 2 Issue 4 9304.01 e.v.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The word of Sin is Restriction.

---------------
Moderator's Note:

We received two (2) contributions this month:

An excerpt from a publication called 'What Is' and,
for emphasis, _Liber Oz_.   Enjoy!

====================================================

From: Fr. Nigris - Occultism and the USA

[Excerpted from 'The U.S.: Founded on Occultism, Not Christianity',
by Sharon Boyd.  It originally appeared in 'What Is', 'The Printed Voice
of Reincarnationists, Inc.'  All emphases and bracketed comments are
those of the author.  Great care has been taken to reproduce even
apparent errors in the original text.]


The Age of Reason Succeeds The Age of Faith

The century preceeding the American Revolution had been extremely
ultra-religious, encompassing all forms of religious intolerance and
bigotry toward any whose beliefs differed from those in power.  Naturally,
after the extreme religious strife of that century, the mood in the American
colonies favored a rejection of dogmatic belief and fostered a tolerance
of any person's belief that didn't exclude the idea of a Supreme Being.
Deism, the belief based on the reasoning that God created the world and
set it in motion, subject to natural laws but taking no interest in it or
its inhabitants, as distinct from theological doctrine, was widespread
among the educated people of the colonies.

The biggest problem religion faced in America was to create an
environment in which men of differing faiths could peacefully co-exist.
In order to live, the colonists realized they must live and _let_ live.
Though the influx of colonists was mainly Christian, escaping from the
persecution and repression rampant in the nations of Christianized Europe,
the very multiplicity of sects and religions made tolerance a social
necessity.  That led eventually to religious liberty.  And so was born the
doctrine of separation of church and state.  Even those religious groups
most loudly insisting on their own particular group's exclusive claim to
"truth" realized the necessity of this move, thus contributing to the
process in the interest of self-preservation.

Another fact, largely overlooked by modern-day Christians intent upon
rewriting history to fit their ideal of a Christian America, is that there
were large numbers of colonists who took absolutely no part in
established religion.

Some took no part because there were no churches available; they could
not have attended whether they desired to or not.  Colonel Byrd, in 1729,
wrote of the capital of North Carolina: "I believe this is the only
Metropolis in the Christian or Mahometal World, where there is neither
Church, Chappel, Mosque, Synagogue, or any place of Public Worship of any
Sect or Religion whatsoever." [Capitalization is Byrd's.]

Others, oblivious toward organized religion, embraced secular attitudes,
being more concerned with the present world than a possible other world.
Many of these would be considered "middle-class" today, being better-
educated and more ffluent than the average colonist.

And then there were those uninvolved in religion and church affairs by
their own design.  Faced with the decision of choosing a religion or
leaving it alone, thousands of colonists chose the second alternative.

So it can be seen that the colonists were composed of quite a mix:
those who were religious, usually Christian, some Deists, some
rationalists, some unchurched through compulsion, carelessness or
choice ... and many who were metaphysically oriented, being Unitarian,
Freemason, Rosicrucian, Hermetic, or members of other "mystical" or
"secret" societies.  Of these, the vast majority were Freemasons or
Masons, that society having grown tremendously inpopularity
during the 18th Century.  In fact, the Duke of Montgue, Masonic
Grand Master in 1721, wrote in his autobiography, "It [Freemasonry]
became a public fashion."

The spirit of tolerance and philosophical inquiry was the trademark
of Freemasonry.  Masons devoted themselves to the spread of knowledge
and encouraged discussions that promoted free, original thought.  They
were confident that understanding and tolerance would gain ascendancy
in men's minds and that dogma would correspondingly be undermined and,
ultimately, rejected.  Logic led them to the realization that their aims
could be pursued only when free debate and the unhindered spread of
knowledge were guaranteed.  This would come about only when the
barriers erected by authority were lowered or overthrown ... in other
words, in a changed social system.

In order to change the social system, certain preconditions were
necessary.  Those were freedom of association, of speech, and of the
press; the abolition of state- or church-mandated censorship;
freedom of worship; the rule of law in society but not to infringe
upon the free exchange of thoughts and ideas; freedom from arbitrary
arrest and imprisonment without trial; the right for every man to
choose his type of employment and place of residence, thus
abolishing feudal serfdom; and a government whose power was
controlled by public opinion and subject to a representative body.

These ideas, promulgated by enlightened Masons, were translated
into action and made the foundation of our system of government, as
the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United
States, particularly the Bill of Rights, clearly show.

Thus it is evident that, even though Freemasonry as an institution
and the lodges as organized groups were politically neutral, many
outstanding individuals - the Founding Fathers prominent among them -
linked Freemasonry with their political ideals and the struggle for
independence and were thus bound to take up the position of reformers,
and as was necessary, of revolutionaries.

Benjamin Franklin, whose American Philosophical Society upheld the
rationalist outlook, had been a Freemason since 1731 and served as
Grand Master of Pennsylvania.  Other Freemasons of the period included
George Washington, Charter Master of the Alexandria Lodge, Alexander
Hamilton, Paul Revere, Admiral John Paul Jones, John Adams, Rodger
Sherman, Richard Henry Lee, James Madison, and James Monroe.
Lafayette, also a Freemason, provided an added link with the France of
the Enlightenment, as did Voltaire.

The essence of the Enlightenment tradition, which had taken hold in
Europe, can be defined as a dedication to human reason, science, and
education as the best means of building a stable society of free men on
earth.  Put simply, secular humanism in the true sense of the meaning.
But the Enlightenment tradition was not followed only in Europe;
many Americans, notably our Founding Fathers, were firmly entrenched
in its values.

Their demand that the state case supporting one religion at the
expense of all helped to return government to its proper arena of
operation.  Their insistence that each church provide for itself
without secular intervention and support helped purify and strengthen
religion.  By encouraging members of one religion to show respect for
members of another, they helped broaden America's perspective of
religion and its place in society.  And their stance of attacking
religious intolerance without attacking religion aligned the vast
majority of America's churches with the side of political liberty.

These men of great vision laid the foundations not only of our
tradition of religious liberty without governmental intervention, but for a gov
ernment and politics in which one's religious affiliations
play no part ... but for how much longer?

One of the requirements for becoming a Mason was that they might
belong to any religious sect but they could not be atheists.  Thus the
frequent reference to the Almighty and to God in the the works of the
Founding Fathers ... but nowhere did they specifically mention Jesus
Christ or intimate in any way that Christianity was to be given
preference over other religions.

"... Masonry is given in forms of the Hebrew religion, with some
additions from the New Testament.  The teachings are not Hebrew.  But
Masonry uses parts of Hebrew traditions to clothe and present its own
teacings, because the Hebrew traditions are familiar and acceptable
as parts of the Bible.  The Masonic teachings might be presented in
Egyptian or pre-Egyptian Greek clothes, if the people were familiar
with them.  The Hebrew traditions are colorful and impressive.  Besides,
the physical body in which the reconstructions has to go on is the
divided name of Jah-veh or Jah-hovah.  Yet the rituals are sometimes
easily shaped to exemplify Christianity, by making Christ the
Supreme Grand Master, and the great Architect of the Universe can
be interpreted as a Christian God.  _But Masonry is not Christian any
more than it is Jewish._" [Emphasis added.]  These words, though
written by Harold Waldwin Percival in 1951, echoed the sentiments of
our Masonic Founding Fathers.


The Occult Symbology of the Great Seal of the United States

The adoption of a national seal as a sign of sovereignty was necessary
to complete the events set in motion by the Revolutionary War and the
Declaration of Independence.  Both the symbol of our nation's
independence and our National Coat of Arms, the Great Seal is the
visual confirmation of those principles that motivated the founders
of our country.

A committee to design a device for a seal was appointed by the
Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.  Two more committees were
appointed and worked on the design before June 20, 1782, when
Congress finally approved the design born of the joint efforts of
William Barton, a heraldry specialist, and Charles Thomson,
Secretary of the Continental Congress.

The symbols used on the Great Seal are not there merely by chance;
much thought was given to the design and every detail considered at
great length before final approval.  Yet too few of us today are aware of
what these symbols signify, and so it is that we as a nation are fast
losing sight of the forces which are the very bedrock of our country's
founding principles.

The Great Seal of the United States of America consists of three parts;
the Arms, the Crest and the Reverse.  The Arms and the Crest are found
on the Obverse face of the Great Seal; the Reverse stands alone and
counterbalances the rest.  Yet for many years only the Obverse face of
the Great Seal was in use.

The first die of the Great Seal was cut in brass in 1782, with only the
Obverse side being cast.  Despte Congressional appropriations for
both sides of the seal to be cast, the Reverse was not cut.  Five times
the Acts of Congress relating to the Reverse Seal were ignored.  Finally,
in 1935, Henry A. Wallace, former Vice-President, made the suggestion to
then-President Roosevelt that both sides of the Great Seal be used on a
coin.  Roosevelt liked the idea but wanted it on the back of a dollar bill
instead.  Finally, in 1935, a die was cut of both sides of the Great Seal
and has since been used on the backs of one dollar bills.  Interestingly,
both Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Henry Wallace were 32nd degree
Masons.


The Front, Bearing the Arms and the Crest

The Arms

Our National Coa of Arms shows the white-headed American Eagle,
frequently termed the bald eagle, with wings displayed, along with a
shield of thirteen red and white vertical stripes with a large blue
band (chief) across the top.  From the eagle's beak flutters a scroll
bearing the motto, "E Pluribus Unum," thirteen letters in length.  In
the eagle's right talon is an olive branch with thirteen leaves and
thirteen olives; in its left talon is carried a bundle of thirteen
arrows that are fledged with thirteen feathers.

There are many parts composing the whole of the Coat of Arms; we'll
look at each component individually and discuss the symbolism and
meaning attached to each, as well as its overall significance to our
country.

_The Eagle_.  Contrary to popular belief, the eagle was not selected
as a distinctive native bird but was adapted from the emblem of ancient
Rome - the eagle standard.  By its selection, Congress presciently
viewed the infant republic as a future giant in resources and world
influence.  Some members of Congress, however, argued for a more
indigenous symbol such as the wild turkey of Thanksgiving memory
while others thought the dove of peace more appropriate to a young
nation intending to live in harmony with all peoples.  The eagle,
traditional ruler of the heights of freedom, fiercely independent and
protective of its young, won out as the symbol of what the United
States of America stood for and what it would become.

The eagle has long been a metaphysical symbol, a classic soul-bird,
and highly honored in many cultures.  Emblematic of courage and
immortality, it is central to many mythologies and sacred writings of
humanity.

The original Aztecs, after long wandering, found the home promised by
their gods under the eagle and cactus omen in the middle of a great lake.
The ancient Greeks revered the eagle as a symbol of the god of lightning.
They nailed eagles to the peaks of temples to serve as magic lightning
rods; these were the precursors of today's weathercocks seen atop many
buildings.  Scandinavian myths also associate the eagle with lightning
and storm.  The eagle is most commonly associated with the Sun, however.
It was called the Bird of Jove by the Romans, who carried the eagle on
their standards into battle.  If a legion lost its eagle, it was in disgrace
until the eagle should be recovered.  It was the Roman custom to let an
eagle fly from the funeral pyre of a deceased emperor, bearing the god's
soul to heaven after a period of earthly incarnation as the emperor.
The Hittites used the double eagle as an emblem of sovereignty.  In the
Christian religion, the eagle is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit.
Native Americans believe that energy flows from the Totality through
the eagle, with the eagle acting as a conduit for psychic information and
guidance, the symbology being that the spirit flies through the mind (air)
from the higher nature (heaven) to the lower nature (earth) and soars
aloft to the Self (Sun).  The Native Americans called the eagle te
Thunderbird or Lightning Bird.  The eagle was also frequently identified
with the fire bird (Phoenix), who underwent a baptism of fire to cleanse
him of all material dross; he was then reborn from his own ashes.  Thus,
the American Eagle, with its keen and piercing insight, symbolizes birth
and renewal.

_The Shield_.  Referred to as the Escutcheon in heraldic terminology,
the shield is composed of thirteen red and white vertical stripes known
as paleways, topped with a horizontal blue band called the chief.
Officially, the symbolism of the colors, as reported to Congress by
Charles Thomson, is: "The colours of the pales are those used in the
flag of the United States of America; White ignifies purity and
innocence, Red, hardiness and valour, and blue, the color of the chief,
signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice."

Additionally, red is symbolic of the activity principles of life, strength,
fire, and blood.  It represents energy, aggressiveness and vitality.
White, of course, is the symbol of purity, goodness, and positiveness.
Blue symbolizes peace, tranquility and truth; it is the color that
represents the mind and healing, and because it is the color of the sky,
it is also representative of God.  The order of the thirteen stripes is
opposite that of the flag.  The flag begins in red and ends in red,
symbolic of national interests which are ongoing.  The shield begins in
white and ends in white, portraying spiritual interest.  The flag's stripes
run horizontally; the shield's run vertically, from the earth, to the blue
of the chief, or sky, above.

The thirteen red and white paleways on the Escutcheon represent the
thirteen original states.  The great significance of the number thirteen,
witnessed by the prominence with which it is diplayed on both sides of
the Great Seal, will be discussed later.

The thirteen states are allied under the unifying principle of the blue
chief.  In the words of Charles Thomson, "The pieces, paly, represent the
several states all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a
Chief, which unites the whole and represents Congress.  The Motto
alludes to this union.  The pales in the arms are kept closely united by
the chief, and the Chief depends on that union and strength resulting
from it for its support, to denote the Confederacy of the United States
of America and the Congress."  The blue chief later came to represent
the nation as a whole.  Note how the shield acts as the protection of
the eagle while simultaneously being protected by the eagle.

_The Scroll_, which is unrolled and grasped in the eagle's beak, bears
our National Motto.  Scrolls were originally the books of the ancients;
in heraldry, the scroll is the emblem of a book.  On this book was to be
written the record of life, usually condensed to a motto.  The placement
of a scroll in our National Coat of Arms is most unusual; by heraldic
standards, the scroll is usually not part of the arms - it is most often
found beneath the shield or above the crest.  Its placement was the idea
of Charles Thomson and its firm incorporation into the National Arms
speaks for the firmness of resolve in the declaration of the National
Motto.

_The Motto_, "E Pluribus Unum," or "One Out of Many," was proposed by
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, and was formally
adopted by the Committee in 1776.  The inspiration for the motto was
the _Moretum_, a Latin poem attributed to Virgil.  Also, the Continental
silver dollar and the design on one of the colonial bills current then
bore the words "We Are One."  The meaning of the motto, "One Out of Many,"
signifies that out of many states, we are one union.  And, as an
indivisible nation, we are sprung from many ntions.  An analogy to the
human body is not inappropriate: The body is composed of many parts,
each with its own priorities yet functioning as a cohesive whole.  And
that whole is the synthesis of more than just the bodily parts, being
mental and spiritual as well.  So, too, the United States - each state
having the right to legislate, pass judgement and levy taxes within the
looser framework of the national jurisdiction, each having its own
identity yet merged with that larger identity of the Republic.
The motto has thirteen characters.

_The Olive Branch_, held in the eagle's right talon with the eagle
facing it, consists of thirteen leaves and thirteen olives.  Since
ancient times, theolive branch has been a symbol of peace.  In the Old
Testament, the olive tree is one of the earliest symbols of nationality,
and the branch signified fruitfulness.  In ancient Greece, a crown of
olive leaves was the highest distinction a citizen could receive from
his country; it was also the highest prize in the Olympic Games.  The
olive was sacred to Pallas Athena.  It symbolized love and faith and
implied courage.  Thus the American Eagle grasps a branch from a tree
symbolizing nationalism, the extended branch representative of
overtures for peace, the berries and leaves signifying not only love
and charity but fruitfulness as well.  And the eagle, symbol of America,
shows the willingnes and desire for peace by facing the branch.  The
history of the Revolution records the Olive Branch Petition, a peace
move adopted by Congress on July 5, 1775, after Bunker Hill.  This
attempt at reconciliation with Great Britain was rejected by George III.
Even in its inception, the American nation's spirit tended toward peace.

Lest the world interpret the newly formed Republic as weak, however, the
olive branch is balanced by the _Bundle of Arrows_ held by the eagle in
the left talon.  There are thirteen arrows, fledged with thirteen feathers.
This signifies the war power of the country, shown to be in a state of
readiness and preparation.  Not just any weapon is shown; one might have
assumed a musket or rifle would have appeared more appropriate to the
Revolutionary mind, or even a sword or saber.  No, arrows were chosen as
having a deeper significance.  More than merely the emblems of war, they
signify aim, denoting purpose, will and intention, and are symbolic of the
spiritual force which rises from within, piercing through falseness and
wickedness.

Thus we see the eagle holding the olive branch in the right talon:
America prefers peace to war, offering the symbol of peace in its right
hand.  However, if the peace is rejected, we are prepared for conflict, as
witnessed by the arrows, the recourse to arms being the maintenance of
a just cause with the weapons of truthfulness and spiritual force.

These, then, are the components of our National Coat of Arms.

-----------------------------------------------------------

End of Part One.  Next issue, Part Two, shall include 'The Crest',
'The Reverse of the Great Seal', 'The Symbology of the Numbers',
'Independence Day', 'The United States of America', and
'The American Dream',  followed by 'Supporting Quotes From The Men
 Who Began The Great American Experiment'.

------------------------------------------------------------

_Liber LXXVII_ (OZ)

Oz:

"the law of the strong: this is our law and the joy of the world." - AL II:2

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."  - AL I:40

"thou hast no right but to do thy will.
            Do that, and no other shall say nay." - AL I:42-3

"Every man and every woman is a star."  - AL I:3

            There is no god but man.

1. Man has the right to live by his own law -
       t live in the way that he wills to do:
       to work as he will:
       to play as he will:
       to rest as he will:
       to die when and how he will.

2. Man has the right to eat what he will:
       to drink what he will:
       to dwell where he will:
       to move as he will on the face of the earth.

3. Man has the right to think what he will:
       to speak what he will:
       to write what he will:
       to draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as he will:

4. Man has the right to love as he will:
       "take your fill and will of love as ye will,
        when, where, and with whom ye will." - AL I:51

5. Man has the right to kill those who would thwart these rights.

          "the slaves shall serve." - AL - II:58

"Love is the law, love under will." - AL I:57


ALEISTER CROWLEY

===============================================================

Moderator's Note:

The deadline for submissions for Vol. 2, #5, May 1st edition, is

APRIL 17TH, 1993.

Send to the email address below.

This publication is archived on Netcom.com  /pub/Alamut/ewt,
seismo.soar.cs.cmu.edu  /occult/magick, and echoed to 93Net by Alamut
Camp (contact Alamut@Netcom.com or the Moderator).


Invoke me under my stars.   Love is the law, love under will.

I am I!

Frater (I) Nigris (666) 333
Thyagi@HouseofKAos.Abyss.com
Portal!HouseofkAOs.AByss.com!Thyagi@Uunet.uu.net
Uunet!HousefkaOS.Abyss.com!Thyagi@Uunet.uu.net

Thyagi NagaSiva
871 Ironwood Drive
San Jose, CA 95125-2815