OCCULT VIEW

Occult View's All-Seeing Eye

On the back of the one-dollar bill is a symbol that has intrigued people’s imaginations.  It is the image of the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States, the famous pyramid with an eye above it.  It is such an odd looking symbol, I am not surprised it has created speculation.  Recently the symbol was used to promote the National Treasure movies and Dan Brown’s new book will be about similar topics.

As a blogger I belong to some blogging social networks.  One site I use is Entrecard, and the site lets bloggers use small square images as a link to our site, like a blog’s calling card.  When I signed up with Entecard, I had to design an avatar to represent my blog.  I thought about it for awhile and came up with different ideas.  I settled on the image of the famous All-Seeing Eye from the dollar bill.

I chose this image because of what it symbolized on several levels.  Many people assume the image of the unfinished pyramid with the eye above is an occult symbol and is associated with secret organizations and the Masons in particular.  As an example of what some see in this symbol, here is an image of the dollar’s National Seal where the points of the pyramid, when developed into a hexagon, aim at certain letters which create an anagram for the word MASON.  That is an intriguing coincidence.

However, in reality there is nothing very mysterious about the National Seal.  Its symbolism has been known from the beginning.  The pyramid consists of thirteen layers, representing the original thirteen states.  The pyramid is unfinished, which symbolizes the United States as an unfinished work-in-progress.  The All-Seeing Eye above represents the Eye of Providence; suggesting God is watching over our nation and perhaps had a Hand in its continuing evolution. 

Great Seal of the United States

If the All-Seeing Eye represents God, it does not represent any one belief or religion, but a vague theism.  Most of the founding fathers were not religious dogmatists but viewed religion as having an equal place along side  reason and enlightenment.  Religion did not hold a special position above reason.  This also fit in with the general viewpoint of the Masons.  Individuals who held intolerant religious views often looked at the Masons as a threat to their beliefs.  Those with dogmatic religious beliefs might see the idea of freethinking as dangerous. This seems to be the only occult significance of the All-Seeing Eye, that is can represent any deity we wish.

For my blog’s avatar, I used the All-Seeing Eye with this knowledge.  It was not just a whim.  I believe in religious tolerance, along with the belief that God exists.  The exact nature of God is open to speculation; nobody really knows.  We can only believe what we believe and let others do the same.

Here is another idea for an avatar that I decided against.  Scary guy isn’t he!  This is a picture of myself in a Halloween costume from a few years ago.  The idea behind this image was a play on the belief, held by some, that anything spiritual that does not conform to their religious doctrine is from the Devil.  Either we are on God’s side, or we are on the Devil’s side, nothing in the middle.  If that is the situation, then my blog obviously does not conform to dogma of any sort, and I am cast in the devil’s corner. 

However, I don’t think anybody would get that point.  Instead, they would imagine I was promoting a Satanic website.  The All-Seeing Eye really does stand for what my blog is about.  It is not about the fear of devils.

I have acquired a few curious items called Masonic pennies.  They were given to lodge members and symbolize a faithful days’ wages.  To become a Mason, they had to have a belief in a non-denominational Supreme Being.  This embraced nearly any individual belief, not a real barrier to acceptance.  However, the Church mistrusted this open mindedness.  Can any church allow its member be exposed to different ideas then their official church doctrine? 

Common Masonic symbols include the Masonic Square and Compasses, often found with the letter G.  These are often seen on the Masonic Penny.  The letters A.R.C. are Royal Arch Chapter.  The Chapter and the date it was chartered are usually displayed.  Often shown is a keystone with the letters HTWSSTKS which mean Hiram, Tyrian, Widow’s Son, Sendeth To King Solomon.  When this appeared on a gravestone, it meant someone had completed his or her degrees to become a Royal Arch Mason.   On this coin below is a backwards swastika.   This must be an old token from before World War Two.   Before the war the swastika was a symbol of good.   Afterwards it’s symbolizm was forever changed. 

In the past a Masonic chapter penny was a personally prized possession, and could be used as collateral for borrowing money.  When the debt was repaid, the valued coin was returned.  In history a penny had metaphysical significance.  Pennies were placed on the eyes of the dead, or in the mouth of the dead to pay the ferryman on his journey of the dead through the River Styx.

This last Masonic penny at the bottom puzzled me.  I don’t understand the geometric symbols presented.  I wonder what they mean.  Greek alphabet?  I don’t know.  Can anybody solve this?