During the last years, a new trend appeared in Hollywood: secret societies being at the center of movie intrigues. Some might find this surprising since secret societies are supposed to be…well…secret. Many people in the movie industry are part of those Brotherhoods so what is the reasoning behind this? We’ll look at the myth Hollywood is trying to create by examining “National Treasure” and “Angels and Demons”.
A decade ago, movies about Freemasonry or the Illuminati were rare and far apart (see
here a nice list of Masonic references in movies). There has however been a major switch during the last decade. The world wide public has witnessed major blockbuster movies featuring those Brotherhoods at the center of the story. Their exoteric symbols are abundantly displayed and some of their history is even explained. Why are those societies exposing themselves to the average movie goers, who, for the most part aren’t even aware of their existence? Isn’t secrecy an important requisite for the survival of those orders?
I believe an important change is taking place in the communication strategies of these elite societies. The advent of the digital age, where any individual can create and publish content has rendered the secrecy of such organizations impossible. Self-published websites, books, documentaries, DVDs and other medias have exposed many secrets of Masonry and other orders. Information which could only be found in rare and exclusive books is now a Google search away. I have encountered some Masons who were astonished by the level of knowledge possessed by the ”profane”. Those types of Masonic scholars, who aren’t actually initiated into the Brotherhood, were very rare not too long ago.
Since the digital switch is irreversible (and completed), occult orders have adapted their strategy to this new context (they’ve probably saw this coming years ago). The strategy is : “If they have to know about us, we’ll tell them what to know“. Through Hollywood and best-selling books, secret societies are being introduced to the average Joe but with one BIG condition: the public is given a distorted, caricatured and romantic portrayal of secret societies. We are introducing in pop culture a mythical lore around secret societies, associating them with fascinating symbols, treasures hunts and exotic adventures. The viewers believe they are actually learning facts about Freemasonry or the Illuminati and they leave the movies with a sense of wonder, fascination and admiration. Those feelings are however based on totally erroneous facts, dubious explanations and fairy tale story telling. After viewing those movies, the viewer has a positive predisposition concerning those orders and will be less inclined to believe and research conspiracies related to them.
National Treasure
This blockbuster adventure movie was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, a brand that guarantees family-friendly entertainment. So parents can bring their kids and enjoy a nice, wholesome, Masonic disinformation session. The movie revolves around a treasure hunt based on clues left by prominent Masons on the Declaration of Independence.
The movie starts with the main character (played by Nicholas Cage) as a little boy, searching for information about his family history. The boy’s grandfather comes in and gives the boy (and the audience) a totally false and distorted story of the Knights Templars and the Freemasons.
Here are some of the claims:
The Knights Templars found under the Temple of Solomon a great treasure which was lost for a thousand years. They’ve brought the treasure back to Europe.
It has been said that the Templars possessed extremely rare religious artifacts. Were they found under the Temple of Solomon? The legend says yes. The movie however describes the treasure as gold coins, statues and such.
The Templars decided to smuggle the treasure into the United States and changed their name to the Freemasons.This is where everything falls apart. The Templars did not change their name to the Freemasons at the dawn of the American civilization. The Templars have actually disappeared in 1312, which is more than 400 years before the creation of the USA.
“Seemingly untouchable for nearly two centuries, the Templars fell from grace spectacularly after the loss of the Holy Land: in 1307, all Templars in France were arrested on charges of heresy, homosexuality, denial of the cross and devil worship. The order was suppressed by the Pope in 1312, and Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master, was burnt at the stake as a heretic two years later. ”- Sean Martin, The Knights Templar
The Freemasons are not an all-American institution, as the movie insinuates. It is a European secret society dating from the Middle-Ages, who opened lodges in North America to expand its reach. The goal of Masonry is not to “protect a great Templar treasure”, it is an ancient order of builders who incorporated into its rites, over the years, teachings of the Templars, Rosicrucians and the Illuminati.
The Templars was an occult order who had fought during the Crusades at the side of the Church. It is during their stay in the Middle East that they’ve secured occult knowledge from eastern mystics and brought it back to Europe. They’ve became great bankers and Cathedral builders (in which they’ve included occult symbolism). They were known to practice the Kaballah, many forms of magic and the black arts. Their conflicting interests with the Catholic church ultimately lead to their persecution and demise.
The Freemasons can be considered spiritual descendants of the Knights Templar due to their study of esoteric sciences, their building of monuments and their philosophy based on gnostic principles. The link between the Templars and the Masons is being cultivated due to the mythical lore surrounding the Knights. In other words, it’s good publicity.
” In order to insure great popularity for the [Scottish] rite, he [Isaac Long] linked it directly with the Templars by a mysterious legend.”
-Domenico Margiotta 33°, Adriano Lemmi
So the “educational” part of the movie gives in fact a mythical and romantic story of Freemasonry. Some viewers might view this distortion as fact, others will associate everything Masonic to a fairytale. The important thing is that the truth about Freemasonry is concealed behind a veil of mythology.
Interesting choice of transition between the face of the
grandfather telling the story and the Pyramid of Gizeh.
His eye becomes the All-Seeing Eye of the Great Architect
Esoteric Meaning of the Movie
- Masonic Washington Monument – “As Above, So Below”
(warning: major spoilers ahead)
Like all true mythological stories, National Treasure has an exoteric meaning for the ignorant masses and an esoteric meaning for the initiates. If the exoteric story is meant to mislead the public, the esoteric meaning carries however great truths about occult brotherhoods. Here’s the hidden meaning.
The “ancient treasure” that was jealously guarded by ancient civilizations is in fact occult knowledge, the Mysteries, that could break the shackles of materialism and help their possessor access divinity (Kaballah, alchemy, gnosticism and occult sciences). This treasure disappeared for a thousand years from the Western world, which corresponds to the early Christian period. The movie says that it was eventually discovered by the Knights Templar in Jerusalem, under the Temple Solomon (the Freemasons’ sacred building) and brought it back to Europe. This knowledge then migrated to the USA through secret societies.
The hero of the movie is on a quest for illumination and the riddles he must solve represent the initiations one must pass before accessing higher knowledge. This all-important treasure is symbolically buried under Trinity Church in New York, in a hidden cave which is dark and cavernous. Ben Gates has to light up the torch of illumination to find his way to the hidden knowledge. The torch represents the Luciferian doctrine of American Freemasonry instituted by Albert Pike. In the highest degrees, Lucifer is taught to be the “light bearer”, the god of Good who shows to path to illumination.
- Nicholas Cage with the torch of Lucifer
“Its [high degrees of Scottish Rite] religion is Manichean neo-gnosticism, teaching that the divinity is dual and that Lucifer is the equal of Adonay, with Lucifer, the God of Light and Goodness struggling for humanity against Adonay the God of Darkness and Evil.”-Domenico Margiotta 33°, Adriano Lemmi
“When the Mason learns that the key to the warrior on the block is the proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the mystery of his craft. The seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands and before he may step onwards and upwards he must prove his ability to properly apply (this) energy.”
- Manly P. Hall, Lost Keys of Freemasonry
Back to the story. Ben Gates, with his Luciferian torch finds the path to illumination and obtains access to an infinite source of knowledge. During the scene where the heroes look around the treasure room, they find very significant items: Scrolls from the Library of Alexandria, Egyptian statues and other artifacts from the Antiquity. All of those objects refer to the occult knowledge that has been communicated through the ages through secret societies.
At the end of the movie, Ben Gates speaks with the FBI inspector and begs him not to send him to jail. Flashing his Masonic ring, the representative of the law says “someone has to go to jail” for the stealing of the Declaration of Independance. The next scene shows the ”bad guys” (the non-Masons) getting arrested, even if they did not actually steal the Declaration. We see here a blatant example of the Masonic oath superceeding the law. The FBI agent willfully ignored the law to help his Masonic brother.
- Masonic ring of FBI inspector
Then end of the movie shows the heroes rich and happy. There’s no esoteric meaning to this, it is just a sappy Disney ending.
Angels and Demons
This movie is based on Dan Brown’s novel which focuses on the Illuminati and its war against the Catholic Church. The hero runs across Rome to save the Vatican from a mega-bomb which was set up by Illuminati agents to blow at midnight. The first page of Dan Brown’s book claims that “the Illuminati was factual”, inciting the readers to take everything written in the book as facts. They should not do so.
In the beginning of the movie, Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) ventures himself into explaining the Illuminati. Here are some of his claims:
“The Illuminati was founded by Galileo Galilei in response to the Church’s refusal of his heliocentric theory”The Illuminati was officially founded in Upper Bavaria, by Adam Weishaupt on May 1st 1776. This is more than 130 years after Galilei’s death and not even in the same country. The movie’s association of Galilei with the Illuminati seems like an attempt to associate this brilliant scientist’s name to the conspiratorial secret society.
- “Of all the means I know to lead men, the most effectual is a concealed mystery.” – Adam Weishaupt
“The Illuminati did not become violent before the 17th century.”It never was violent, its actions were based on infiltration and subversion.
“It was an association of scientists, physicists and astronomers concerned with the Church’s inaccurate teachings and they were dedicated to scientific truth. The Vatican didn’t like that, so the Church started to “hunt them down and kill them”.The Illuminati was not a group of scientists dedicated to the advancement of common knowledge. The movie falsely portrays the secret society as the necessary rational counterpart to Christianity’s requirement of blind faith and its hindering of scientific advancement. In this optic, the average viewer cannot disagree with Tom Hank’s description of the Illuminati and sees the order in a favorable way. The real aim of the Illuminati was the overthrow of traditional institutions in favor of a new world order.
The objects of this powerful organization of the
Bavarian Illuminati, were :
1. The destruction of Christianity and of all Monarchical Governments ;
2. The destruction of nations as such in favor of universal
internationalism ;
3. The discouragement of patriotic and loyal effort branded
as narrow minded prejudice, incompatible with the
tenets of goodwill to all men and the cry of ” Universal
Brotherhood ” ;
4. The abolition of family ties and of marriage by means
of systematic corruption ;
5. The suppression of the rights of inheritance and property.
-Lady Queenborough, Occult Theocracy
The Bavarian Illuminati has dissolved some years after its creation. Researchers however say that the Illuminati has successfully integrated itself within modern Freemasonry. Illuminati thinkers believed that worldwide reach of Masonic lodges represented the ideal platform for the propagation of their ideals.
To sum up, the Illuminati was not an association of bright scientists dedicated to the advancement of scientific truths. It was secret society who, through infiltration and subversion, aimed to overthrow traditional institutions in order serve the best interests a secret elite. It is true that the Illuminati was thoroughly anti-Church but this war wasn’t the main reason of its existence. Nowadays, the Illuminati is considered to be a hidden order which recruits within Freemasonry potent candidates for the continuation of its agenda.
Esoteric Meaning of the Movie
(warning: major spoilers ahead)
Dan Brown’s work has mostly been focused on secret societies. There is an important reason why he has the full support of Hollywood: his works serve the agenda of disinformation.
In the movie, the Illuminati threatens the Vatican to “destroy the Church by light”. ”Light” refers to the explosion of the anti-matter bomb but it also refers to information – propaganda and indoctrination. The only true way to make the masses turn their back on Christianity is not by destroying the Vatican, but by changing the way people see their religious elite. In that optic, the movie itself is the bomb against the Vatican. Even if the Church, with the help of Robert Langdon, apparently prevails at the end of the movie, the viewer of Angels of Demons has spent two hours seeing all the symbols, rituals and figures of Catholicism being desecrated. Some examples: Robert Langdon destroys the archives of the Vatican, candidates for papacy are kept in cages like animals, one candidate is crucified and burned inside a church, the tomb of the defunct Pope is opened to reveal his grossly deformed face, etc.
- Candidate to Papacy crucified and burnt inside a church
All those scenes have a strong symbolic meaning which deeply affect the conscientiousness of the viewers. The holy and divine aura surrounding the Vatican is replaced by gruesome deaths, destruction and corruption. The whole movie depicts the institution as an inadequate, stubborn and reactionary relic of the past. To top it off, the viewers learn that the whole “Illuminati” thing was a big setup, masterminded by the son of the Pope (yes apparently, the Pope had a son) to take his position. So the movie tells the viewer that the Illuminati doesn’t even exist and that the Church is so corrupted that its members are ready to commit the most horrendous sins to obtain power.
The viewers ultimately leave the movie with the exact ideas the elite wants them to keep: the Illuminati is a fairy tale and, when it actually existed, it was an association of great thinkers dedicated to the advancement of science; the Catholic Church is not holy, it is a deeply flawed and human institution, which is bound to disappear due to its aversion to science. Through this movie, the real Illuminati denies its own existence while still carrying out its plan to destroy organized religions by constant indoctrination. The age old struggle for power between the Catholic Church and occult orders is taking place on our movie screens and we can clearly see who is winning.
To Conclude
The trend of seeing secret societies in books and movies is not about to end. Dan Brown’s next novel, “The Lost Symbol” will also focus around Freemasonry and its ties with Washington. These works are now appearing as a result of the democratisation of information, which allows regular people to access information which was previously inaccessible. These movies serve the same purpose as occult symbols: to reveal and to conceal. They reveal to the initiates while they mislead the profane. Hollywood movies have been used to promote numerous agendas such as the Vietnam war, the fear of Communism, the fear of Islamic terrorism, the promotion of American values, etc. The movies analyzed above simply promote a new agenda, which is disinformation about secret societies.
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