The exit of Donald Trump from the White House at the onset of 2021 must surely be seen (if nothing else) as a symbol of hope. Perhaps his presence as president was needed just to see how bad things could become for the Earth's welfare, standards in government and those in real need. Perhaps he was a mirror of the consciousness of people in general - or in the USA at least. The question was, however, "Would the incoming president be able to restore equanimity?"
Following his inaugural address, President Joe Biden issued an executive order aimed at reinstating White House ethics standards that were diminished or disregarded by the Trump administration. And in that address, he referred to the fact that "Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, and demonization have long torn us apart."
He went on:
These days, many people regard Freemasonry as being just a 'club for the boys', particularly as it has been associated with an old boys' network of police officers and suchlike in the UK. In the eye of the general public in the UK it has gained an air of some notoriety; certainly distrust.
But the aim of the Freemasons has never been to bring justice into disrepute. Quite the reverse. Its aim has always been to encourage the most ideal attitudes in society in tune with justice and sound spiritual principles. Furthermore, Freemasons have wanted to enable access to education for all people in society - a concept that would be seen to be virtually revolutionary before (say) 1688. Even until the 19th c., education for all was vehemently opposed by many people with vested interests.
Officially, the Freemasons of today stem from their creation in London in 1717, and they would seem to deny any earlier connection with what might be regarded as similar institutions. However, it seems to be clear that there is a source that must initially lie (in Europe at least) with the Knights Templar and then through the creation of masonry in Scotland after a number of the Knights Templar relocated there following their disbandment through a Papal edict and their suppression following the machinations of the French king in 1307.
From where the Knights Templar gained their knowledge is a story that is too long to relate in this page, but the suggestion is that it is ancient knowledge and forms what might be called the Perennial, or Eternal, Philosophy. The Templars seem to have rediscovered it in Jerusalem and other sources in the Middle East, and, while ostensibly pronouncing themselves as Christians under special Papal protection, they followed a sacred and secret code. Their knowledge filtered through into the building of the great Gothic cathedrals of northern Europe, which are built according to principles contained in sacred geometry. These same principles have also been used in the construction of Greek and Jewish temples, Islamic masjids (mosques), Buddhist and so-called Hindu temples. The late Keith Critchlow, an artist, lecturer, author and professor of architecture, was an expert in the subject of sacred geometry and pointed out the depth of its usage at Chartres Cathedral.
For some 250 years after 1307 - apart from masonic lodges established in Scotland - the 'masonry' concepts of the Templars seem to have gone underground, but in Britain it began to resurface during the time of the first Queen Elizabeth, although still obscured to public gaze. And it was during her reign that Francis Bacon was born, a person who proved to be one of the greatest geniuses Europe has known though - amazingly - obscure to many people.
The Link Between Francis Bacon, Freemasonry and the USA
A man much misunderstood, misquoted and maligned, Sir Francis Bacon (mentored by - amongst others - John Dee, Queen Elizabeth's '007' and cypher expert, amongst many other subjects) developed an all-embracing philanthropic philosophy, vision and method of operation by means of which the world could build a golden age of wisdom, peace, prosperity and sustainability for all if it wanted to.
A polymath, Bacon always understood that his method and science was not for all and would probably never be part of mainstream science, as it requires total commitment to philanthropy or charity. But he hoped that one day it would exist side by side with mainstream science and help to guide and illuminate the latter. Science today, sadly, very often lacks illumination.
As a man of probity and integrity, Bacon was unique in his time. While he was King James's Chancellor (appointed 1618), he was falsely accused in Parliament of taking bribes. He was impeached, stripped of his office and sentenced to a crushing fine. Obeying the command of the King, as demanded by his oath and out of loyalty, Bacon did not defend himself but pleaded guilty to the barren charges. But this, in the 1620 period, was a noted time when corruption was rife in England's government and Bacon was the one person who was beyond reproach, even though he was eventually brought down by his malicious enemies. But though his enemies won the moment, they eventually suffered their retribution for their malice - what goes around comes around, as they say.
Bacon worked strenuously to develop his spiritual and philosophical, yet practical, thesis. Out of it eventually came the formal Freemasonry movement (1717) and it was this organisation that garnered members of the ilk of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin and others, who went on to write the constitution of the USA.
In his own lifetime, Bacon needed a vehicle through which to promote his inherited spiritual knowledge and ideals but was handicapped by various political factors of the time. As a public figure, these conditions meant he could not publish anything that might be seen as being of a threatening nature to the establishment or to the current social mores; to do so would well have meant his arrest and incarceration in the Tower or even his execution. More likely the latter as his sense of integrity earned him many enemies.
It is worth noting that the hiding of special knowledge was in practice at least 2,000 years ago, such was the precaution that such knowledge should not fall into the hands of the profane. Thus, Bacon found that he also needed to hide his truths.
As we shall now discover, it was Bacon that was behind Shakespeare's works. It was the vehicle that Bacon adopted for the transmission of different messages at different levels. The uncovering of this fact was debated many years ago but has been more fully uncovered within the last 25 years, and principally through two people - Peter Dawkins and Petter Amundsen, whose researches - if accepted - are of far-reaching proportions.
Petter Amundsen and his findings
Petter Amundsen, a modest man, believes he has deciphered a secret code hidden in Shakespeare's first folio. A Norwegian and a church pipe organist by profession, he admits that may be a strange profession for someone writing a book on the topic of what amounts to a hidden treasure, but remarks that his training as an organist is similar to that of a symbologist, as it includes learning about languages and symbols. He is also a member of the freemasonry society, so he, therefore, knew of certain relevant matters about geometry that came out in his research.
However, Petter admits that the 'discovery' he has published is triggered by other investigations going back to the 1930s. It has been pointed out a number of times that Shakespeare's works contain links to freemason expressions, not least of which is this 1996 presentation which lays down the path which Amundesen discovered (but perhaps without his knowledge).
Admitting that he knew little of Shakespeare before 2002, it is interesting that Petter's initial experience with Shakespeare didn't impress him and he viewed the idea of codes being embedded in his works with scepticism. Petter would soon find that scepticism in the academic world would obstruct his progress. On this I am reminded of Francis Bacon, who said, in his Novum Organum, 1620:
In October 1964 he went to St Catharine's College, Cambridge, to study architecture. After Cambridge Dawkins entered architectural practice, first with A. G. Sheppard Fidler & Associates in their Birmingham office (1969-1972) and other organisations until 1978. A. G. Sheppard Fidler was the Birmingham City Architect for many years.
During this time Dawkins continued his landscape researches and wisdom studies, together with meditation and other spiritual practices. In addition, shortly after his marriage in March 1973, Dawkins was given extraordinary instructions in a dream that threw him directly into research work concerning the philosopher Francis Bacon and the Rosicrucians. From childhood, Peter Dawkins always had an artistic and visionary gift, including the ability to see angels, etc.
Then, in 1978, following a powerful inner calling given in meditation and vision, Dawkins left the practice of architecture to devote himself full-time to research and educational work in connection with the wisdom traditions, the landscape and environment generally, and the Baconian-Rosicrucian-Shakespeare mysteries.
By this time Dawkins had met Sir George Trevelyan (regarded by many as the founder of the New Age movement) who invited him to speak at Wrekin Trust events and encouraged him to make his landscape research and discoveries known publicly and introduced him to the poetry and wisdom of Shakespeare.
In this way, Dawkins started to become a lecturer and teacher. Dawkins' researches and association with various important people led to to the founding of the Francis Bacon Research Trust (FBRT) in 1980.
Another modest man of enormous knowledge and insight, Dawkins has produced a variety of presentations on Francis Bacon. The most relevant links on this topic are: