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

(audio link: http://www.remnantradio.org/Archives/articles/William%20Cooper/Myst

ery%20Babylon/audio/mystery%20babylon%2026.mp3)
transcribed by wakingup72 @ http://www.waronyou.com/forums
**FINAL TRANSCRIPTION**
=====================================================
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 mos
t important hour in your entire life, for, during this hour, you will decide you
r 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 [i]America's Assignment with Des
tiny[/i].
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 Amer
icas, 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 thes
e shores long, long before Columbus ever dreamed...[i]ever dreamed[/i] of reachi
ng India by sailing toward the west. In fact, if you've been listening closely t
o the previous episodes of [i]America's Assignment with Destiny[/i], you may hav
e already understood that the Indians were practicing almost exactly the same My
stery Religion that was present in the Middle East and in Egypt long, long befor
e the birth of Christ.

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

]:

(start of quote)
=====================================================
Many tribes, especially the Plains Indians, believed that thunder and lightning
were caused by enormous birds -- the rumbling sounds in the sky accompanying sto
rms were due to the flapping of their wings, and the flashes of light were cause
d 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 fami
ly of them. The appearance of the bird, or birds, is not definitely given; it mi
ght be similar to a large hawk, an eagle, or even a grouse. The thunderbird coul
d 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 m
en, having received a very strong medicine from [this] experience.
In some areas the thunderbird was closely associated with the religious Mysterie
s or Societies. Those who saw this creature in their vigils usually considered t
hemselves as intended for a religious life. The myths and legends of the thunder
bird are similar to the European and Asiatic accounts of the fabled phoenix, whi
ch [you're hearing an awful lot about it, even today. The phoenix] nested in fla
mes and symbolized initiation and adeptship. [And today, it symbolizes the New W
orld Order, rising from the ashes of the Old -- death and rebirth, resurrection,
reincarnation. All of these are the symbols, or symbolized by the phoenix.] Ear
ly drawings of the Great Seal of the United States indicate that the bird repres
ented 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 Amer
ican 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 m
ortals and the heavenly beings.
Farther south the thunderbird symbol merged with the quetzal and the serpent fea
thered with quetzal plumes. The quetzal was identical in meaning with the phoeni
x 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 b
elow 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 dwe
lt 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 thunderbi
rd was the most powerful and was the lord of flying things. and the feathered sn
ake was symbolic of the mysteries of the upper and lower regions. Priestly Order
s served this twofold cult, the secrets of which were revealed only by an intern
al mystical experience.
[William Cooper: Now, remember, the ancient Egyptian religion? They had the myst
eries of the upper and lower regions, and the "Priestly Orders served this twofo
ld 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 wi
th impenetrable secrecy the mysteries of the brotherhood. With the same motive,
the priests formed societies of different grades of illumination, only to be ent
ered by those willing to undergo trying ordeals whose secrets were not to be rev
ealed 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 ph
ilosophy 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 initiatio
n? Three degrees in six acts, or eighteen...6-6-6? The three grades of the Algon
kins were] the [i]waubeno[/i], the [i]meda[/i], and the [i]jossakeed[/i], the la
st[, of course] being the highest. To this no white man was ever admitted. All t
ribes 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 enlarge
ment 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 woul
d 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 Lucif
er, man himself will become god. This is the heart and soul of the Mystery Schoo
ls.]
There were war associations, healing cults, and Fraternities concerned with the
religious Mysteries, the keeping of records, and the dramatization of myths. The
re were ethical societies, orders of mirth-makers, fire-walkers, and hunters, pr
esided over by elders who had distinguishing regalia. Women frequently became le
aders 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, ther
e was no friction [among] the memberships and they united in all common responsi
bilities The Indian was always a tolerant man on the subject of spiritual convic
tions. He never inquired as to the faith of his guest, but expected that every t
rue believer would conduct himself in an honorable way. He respected the rites o
f strangers, and if he did not share in them or did not understand their meaning
s, he kept a respectful silence.
The reference to the dramatization of myths suggests that a member of Indian tri
bes were practicing the same methods of presenting religious Mysteries that were
employed by the Greeks and [the] Egyptians. Most Indian festivals emphasized so
ngs 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 ce
remonies.
Either the Western Hemisphere received a vital religious stimulus from early voy
agers and travelers from distance parts or else the Indian himself by mystical e
xperiences 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 h
abitation.
[William Cooper: But that does not fit any test of common sense. In fact, it's l
udicrous.]
The search for reality gradually brought into being specialized groups of intens
ive truth seekers. [And] these groups produced their own leaders, and such wise
men and women were acknowledged as divinely inspired, received spontaneous admir
ation and devotion, were obeyed for their superior endowments, and gradually bec
ame a priestly caste. [Now,] civilization enlarged the temporal state of the tri
be, the religious Societies grew to become powerful institutions, as in Central
America. While the tribes remained nomadic, the medicine men were less resplende
nt 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/fe
male, positive/negative, bad/good, divine and evil, all within the same. [sic] A
nd 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 cle
rgy alike. [For example, the Catholic priest...the Catholic bishop.] The androgy
nous human being, in whom there is a spiritual union of male and female attribut
es, has been widely accepted as personifying a superior type capable of a greate
r 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 con
cept 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 hea
ling 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. O
f these, W.J. Hoffman writes: "To persons acquainted with secret societies, a go
od comparison for the Midewiwin charts would be what is called a trestle board o
f a Masonic order, which is printed and published and publicly exposed without e
xhibiting any secrets of the order; yet it is not only significant, but useful t
o 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 initi
ate-priest, Manabozho, or Great Rabbit, who was a servant of the Good Spirit. Th
e cross was an important symbol in the Midewiwin Rites, and it is interesting th
at the Mides steadfastly refused to give up their religion and be converted to C
hristianity.
The controversy as to the possible Masonic significance of the Midewiwin Rites m
ay be noted, but has slight bearing upon the essential facts. Although the birch
bark rolls have bestowed prominence upon the activities of this Society, other t
ribes 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 a
nd 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 sy
mbols and other esoteric paraphernalia. The purpose of the Great Medicine Societ
y was to enlighten the human mind and soul and to bind the initiates to the serv
ice of their people. It included a method for stimulating extrasensory perceptio
ns and personal investigation into the secrets of Nature.
In 1919, Arthur C. Parker was invited into a secret lodge of the Senecas to witn
ess 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 learne
d 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 counci
l about his body to find a means of bringing him back to life. Each of the creat
ures gave part of himself to restore Red Hand to the living. At last the bear ca
me 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 Blu
e Lodge of Freemasonry will realize that this story must have originated among t
he rituals of the esoteric schools.
[William Cooper: Because it is the exact same ceremony of the raising of the Mas
ter Mason at the end of the initiation of the Third Degree by the grip of the Li
on's paw.]
Mr. Parker, himself a 32° [Freemason], sums up the account of his experience in th
e 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 wer
e 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 [i]can[/i] say?]
In the area centering in what is now New York State and extending north and sout
h a considerable distance, the five, later six, nations compromising the Iroquoi
s 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 stud
y the life of Deganawida, whose coming was announced by a mysterious visitor fro
m 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 mir
acles, 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 religiou
s life of the tribes of the Aymara Quichua race. In the capital city of Cuzco wh
ich he built, Manco Capac established the religion of the sun. He was a statesma
n of ability, and claimed to be a direct descendant of the sun god. The empire o
f the Incas which he founded is remembered especially for its experiments in soc
ialized 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, w
here is it today? Manly P. Hall probably would disagree with that, saying that f
or 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 p
ass away, if it was, in fact, a successful Utopia. And that's the problem with t
hese priests of the Mystery Religion and their dream of a world Utopia made up o
f [i]imperfect[/i] men, ruled by imperfect men, who have other agendas; who have
selfishness; who covet; who steal and lie. We all struggle with those things ev
ery day, and anyone who stands before me and tells me that they do [i]not[/i] st
ruggle 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 v
ision 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 c
ombines 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 asso
ciated 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 h
eard of him before, and knew not from whence he came?]
In Deganawida, with his Great League, Quetzalcoatl-Kulkulcan and his splendid so
cialized 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 in
itiates-leaders establishing schools of esoteric doctrines in the Western Hemisp
here. From a consideration of their attainments and the systems which they inaug
urated, we can come to but one conclusion[, ladies and gentlemen]: The Mystery S
chools of antiquity were represented in the Americas by institutions identical i
n principle and in purpose with those of Asia and the Mediterranean countries.

========================================
(end of quote)
How could this be? How, indeed. Is it true that at one time, according to the th
eory of plate tectonics, that all of the continents were together in one? And th
at 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 gre
at 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 langua
ges -- 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 fro
m each other? As the Earth's crust shrank and molten magma compressed below bega
n 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 Babe
l? 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 muc
h more studying to do; much more putting together of the pieces of the puzzle. B
ut, folks, of all the studies that have ever been made, we believe that our conc
lusions are probably closer to the truth than anyone else has ever, ever come. I
n any case, we hope we are, and if we're not, we certainly will pick up the thre
ad 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 w
orld had a common source of religion and knowledge, and that, somehow, these peo
ple were scattered over the earth, and lost their contact with each other, and l
ost their contact with the source of their religion and their knowledge. And eve
n though [i]some...some[/i] of the portions of their society and some of their r
eligions may differ slightly, at the heart and core of [i]all[/i] of them, they
are the same. And [i]that[/i] is what is important: that you understand that, so
mehow, the great Mystery Religions and the great societies that existed in ancie
nt 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 c
ontinent. 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 jun
gle.
So you see, folks, what we are talking about here is not the story...not the sto
ry of one sacrificed king; but the story existed amongst all peoples, in all are
as, 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 per
secutions, and ultimately the same death. The sacrificed king that we, in the we
stern 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 pe
oples? Or were they merely men who pulled off, in their different cultures and s
ocieties, the greatest hoax in the world?
I don't know the answer to these questions at all. What I believe in Jesus Chris
t, 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 n
ot all of the other people who appeared to various cultures and various societie
s in the world who fulfilled the same role to those people. And maybe...maybe th
at'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 ver
y short pause.

(break music: none)

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 R
eligions of Babylon.
Now, I don't know if you've made the connection yet -- and if you've just starte
d 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, th
en 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 ste
ps now to protect what you have...

(William Cooper does commercial for Swiss America Trading Corporation)

(break music: unknown orchestral music)

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

]:

(start of quote)
=====================================================
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 dis
covered and, to a considerable degree, explored more than a thousand years befor
e the beginning of the Christian Era. The true story was in the keeping of the M
ystery Schools, and passed from them to the Secret Societies of the medieval wor
ld. The Esoteric Orders of Europe, Asia, and the Near East were in at least irre
gular communication with the priesthoods of the more advanced Amerindian nations
. Plans for the development of the Western Hemisphere were formulated in Alexand
ria, Mecca, Delhi, and Lhasa long before most European statesmen were aware of t
he great Utopian program.
[William Cooper: For reference to that, see [i]The Mystery of Columbus[/i], by J
ennings 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 di
scoverers. Very little is "known"[, folks,] about the origin, lives, characters,
and policies of these intrepid adventurers. Although they lived in a century am
ply provided with historians and biographers, these saw fit either to remain sil
ent or to invent plausible accounts without substance. Does it not seem remarkab
le that no one is certain whether Christopher Columbus was actually an English p
rince, a Greek nobleman, or a Genoses sea captain? Was he granted arms without a
ny examination into his ancestry[, something that was unheard of in that day]? W
hy is it so difficult to ascertain the real name of the man known as Amerigo Ves
pucci? 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 seeme
d 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 val
uable.
Plato described the vast continent of Atlantis, which sank beneath the oceans as
the result of a seismic cataclysm. [Now, ]there are several possible interpreta
tions 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 Baco
n's restoration of the fable, which was nothing more than bringing into the ligh
t matters long hidden. According to the [i]Critias[/i], the oceans became so agi
tated and laden with mud and slime that navigation to the west ceased. Sailors f
eared 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, su
ch audacity would have been held in check by the power of Islam, seated in the H
oly 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 Eur
opean states would bind themselves in a solemn alliance to refrain from exploiti
ng 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 Chur
ch, the great families dared not engage in private projects. When the appointed
hour came, the Secret Societies selected their own agents to initiate the progra
m 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 pa
pers; the destruction of all portraiture and likenesses even to the usual mortua
ry 'busts and arms'; and the complete disappearance of many of his literary work
s, including the [i]Journal of the First Voyage[/i] and the [i]Book of the Secon
d Voyage[/i]. All this[, ladies and gentlemen,] would then have been mere inquis
itional routine, with the rewriting of his biography more or less both of politi
cal necessity and[, of course,] a Holy Duty."
[William Cooper: See the book for more on this: [i]New Truths About Columbus[/i]
.]
Campanella, in his [i]Civitas Solis[/i], causes a Genoese sea captain to be the
guest of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalers. When Columbus, on the occa
sion of his first landfall, raised the standard of Castile, he also planted a ba
nner 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 a
nd sects and had "endeavored to see all books of cosmography, history, and philo
sophy and of other sciences." [Now,] if the admiral had seriously endeavored to
examine early works on navigation, he undoubtedly had noted the references, brie
f but significant, by Homer, Solon, Aristotle, Pliny, and other ancient authors
to "distant lands beyond the great oceans." Plutarch's voyagers must have explor
ed vast areas, and Verplanck Colvin summarizes the old accounts thus: "In the da
ys of Homer, or rather before his time, navigators traveled thousands of miles o
ut into the Atlantic, and back across it...they were guided in their voyages by
the stars."
[William Cooper: For reference to that, see [i]Geographical and Mathematical Dis
cussions of Plutarch's Accounts of Ancient Voyages to the New World[/i]. Remembe
r, folks, remember my admonition. Don't believe everything you hear on this prog
ram 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 th
ousands of years. This needs to be brought to light, for I believe wholeheartedl
y that this is the truth of the matter. In my research, as has indicated to me,
that is it nothing [i]but[/i] 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 consid
erable scholarship even before his celebrated journey. According to Henry Hariss
e, an outstanding writer on the Columbus mystery, the navigator left ninety-seve
n 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 [i]anyth
ing[/i], much less ninety-seven manuscripts and over twenty-five thousand margin
alia.]
The truth is that the admiral cannot be explained without reference to the Secre
t Societies, which were the peculiar custodians of the exact information which h
e required.
[William Cooper: They were, they were, and are, and always will be, unless the s
heeple of the world wake up to the fact, the Guardians of the Secrets of the Age
s.]
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 s
imilar to the costume of the Franciscan Order. It was reported by his son that C
olumbus died wearing a Franciscan frock. It is not known however, that he was di
rectly associated with this Order, even as a lay Brother. Several religious grou
ps 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 wou
ld 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 Secre
t Societies to conceal the true source of their instructions by some general sta
tement about heavenly guidance. The mystical instincts of the admiral, his belie
f 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 tha
t "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 tha
t he heard the voice of God speaking words of strength and comfort. On his Fourt
h Voyage, when great emergencies threatened the entire enterprise, the admiral f
ell into a trance and a voice spoke to him [and said]: "O fool, and slow to beli
eve 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 [i]The Explorers of
North America[/i].]
Columbus[, folks,] may have been a disciple or student of the illuminated Raymon
d Lully. There is a persistent rumor to this effect. He was also involved with t
he group perpetuating the political convictions of Dante. The following tribute
to the Italian poet is indicative and stimulating: "Dante himself was a member o
f the Albigensian church, and, it is said, for a number a years officiated as pa
stor of that powerful organization in various European cities. He was a friend o
f Roger Bacon, and an associate and advisor of powerful leaders in the ancient O
rder 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 c
ipher intended to convey information which could not be directly communicated an
d to supply the clue to a secret otherwise carefully concealed.
[William Cooper: See the book, entitled [i]Contemporary Historical Review, Vol.
1:37.[/i]
Incidentally[, folks,] the Columbus signature-ciphers are extremely reminiscent
of the Albigensian papermakers' marks [which you can look up]. Seraphim G. Cano
utas, J.D., of the University of Athens, in his work [i]Christopher Columbus, a
Greek Nobleman[/i], attempted to restore the early life of the great discoverer.
His findings, calculated to sustain the title of his book, are most illuminatin
g. The secret preparations for the colonizing of the Fortunate Isles, or "the Bl
essed 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 thoug
ht that I was stark-raving mad. But if you persisted and listened to each episod
e, 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 hi
dden 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 w
as a distinguished Platonist, a patron of Secret Societies, the founder of an im
portant philosophical school, and a subtle adversary of the Borgias. Leonardo wa
s a faithful agent of the great Florentine prince, and one of those men possesse
d by the spirit of "towardness." Although Lorenzo did not live to see the fulfil
lment of the Great Plan [William Cooper: quote, unquote], he spoke the magic wor
d which opened for Columbus the most exclusive institutions in Europe and invest
ed him with the temporal means for acquiring a measure of consideration from lib
eral princes and scholars. [You see,] it was the invisible hand of the Medici th
at balanced on end the celebrated egg.
The conclusions of Columbus concerning the shape of the earth indicate that he w
as 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 sh
aped 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 mode
rn man discovered that the earth is shaped like a pear. And this discovery, ladi
es and gentlemen, came only recently...only recently. So we know that Columbus d
id 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 kn
ows, but that's what all the evidence seems to point to. And who are these peopl
e, 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 p
ear-shaped earth] was the terrestrial paradise, where none could go except by th
e 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 religi
ons to which they belonged. The earth-mountain was certainly the Meru of the Bra
hmans and the sacred hill of the Egyptians Mysteries, Mount Meru, like Chang Sha
mbhala, Olympus, and the peak described in The Revelation are all veiled allusio
ns 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 pea
k described in The Revelation are all veiled allusions to the Invisible Governme
nt of the earth.
Nor should it be assumed[, ladies and gentlemen,] that all historical uncertaint
ies 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 disapp
ears from public view, John Cabot appears and permanently disappears when Columb
us reappears."
[William Cooper: See the book, entitled [i]New Truths About Columbus[/i], by Gra
ce 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 i
n one of his journeys Cabot visited Mecca, and, like Columbus, was acquainted wi
th the wise men of the Near East. It has even been suggested that he had contact
ed the religious and political convictions of the secret Christian sect of the J
ohannites, which played so large a part in the esoteric doctrines of the Templar
s.
Cabot conveniently found the ear of the English king, and was immediately entrus
ted 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 Jo
hn Cabot was historically dead. The pension passed through the hands of an Engli
sh 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 g
roup 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 inc
idents. Many early explorers and colonizers are known to have been associated wi
th Secret Societies. There is no historical way of determining the secret spirit
ual convictions of so-called conquistadors, adventurers, and founders of plantat
ions. It is a well-established fact[, folks,] that arts, sciences, philosophies,
and political convictions accompany less valuable merchandise along trade route
s and caravan trails. Some of the colonizers were probably unaware of the parts
they were playing and the settlements which they founded remained for generation
s without the strength or security to advance ideological programs. The work, th
en as always, was in the hands and keeping of a [very] few initiated leaders. Th
ey 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.

========================================
(end of quote)

You all...all of you out there listening all around the world have such unlimite
d 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)