THE MYSTERIOUS CONNECTION BETWEEN SIRIUS AND HUMAN HISTORY

Secret Arcana

September 30, 2011

Since ancient times and across multiple civilizations, Sirius, the Dog Star, has been surrounded with a mysterious lore. Esoteric teachings of all ages have invariably attributed to Sirius a special status and the star’s importance in occult symbolism is an attestation of that fact.

What makes Sirius so special?

Is it simply due to the fact that it is the brightest star in the sky?

Or is it also because humanity has an ancient, mysterious connection with it?

This article looks at the importance of Sirius throughout History and secret societies and will describe the symbolism surrounding it.

Sirius is located in the constellation Canis Major ~ also known as the Big Dog ~ and is therefore known as the “dog star”. It is over twenty times brighter than our sun and is twice as massive. At night time, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and its blue-white glare never failed to amaze star gazers since the dawn of time. No wonder Sirius has been revered by practically all civilizations. But is there more to Sirius than meets the eye?

Artifacts of ancient civilizations have revealed that Sirius was of a great importance in astronomy, mythology and occultism. Mystery schools consider it to be “sun behind the sun” and, therefore, the true source of our sun’s potency. If our sun’s warmth keeps the physical world alive, Sirius is considered to keep the spiritual world alive. It is the “real light” shining in the East, the spiritual light, where as the sun illuminates the physical world, which is considered to be a grand illusion.

Associating Sirius with the divine and even considering it as the home of humanity’s “great teachers” is not only embedded in the mythology of a few primitive civilizations: It is a widespread belief that has survived (and even intensified) to this day. We will look at the importance of Sirius in ancient times, analyze its prominence in secret societies and we will examine these esoteric concepts as they are translated in popular culture.

IN ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

In Ancient Egypt, Sirius was regarded as the most important star in the sky. In fact, it was astronomically the foundation of the Egyptians’ entire religious system. It was revered as Sothis and was associated with Isis, the mother goddess of Egyptian mythology. Isis is the female aspect of the trinity formed by herself, Osiris and their son Horus. 

Ancient Egyptians held Sirius in such a high regard that most of their deities were associated, in some way or another, with the star. Anubis, the dog-headed god of death, had an obvious connection with the Dog Star and Toth-Hermes, the great teacher of humanity, was also esoterically connected with the star.

The Egyptian calendar system was based on the heliacal rising of Sirius that occurred just before the annual flooding of the Nile during summer. The star’s celestial movement was also observed and revered by ancient Greeks, Sumerians, Babylonians and countless other civilizations. 

The star was therefore considered sacred and its apparition in the sky was accompanied with feasts and celebrations. The Dog Star heralded the coming of the hot and dry days of July and August, hence the popular term “the dog days of summer”.

Several occult researchers have claimed that the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in perfect alignment with the stars, especially Sirius. The light from these stars were said to be used in ceremonies of Egyptian Mysteries.

“This ancient people (Egyptians) knew that once every year the Parent Sun is in line with the Dog Star. 

Therefore, the Great Pyramid was so constructed that, at this sacred moment, the light of the Dog Star fell upon the square “Stone of God” at the upper end of the Great Gallery, descending upon the head of the high priest, who received the Super Solar Force and sought through his own perfected Solar Body to transmit to other Initiates this added stimulation for the evolution of their Godhood. 

This then was the purpose of the “`Stone of God,’ whereon in the Ritual, Osiris sits to bestow upon him (the illuminate) the Atf crown or celestial light.” “North and South of that crown is love,” proclaims an Egyptian hymn. “And thus throughout the teaching of Egypt the visible light was but the shadow of the invisible Light; and in the wisdom of the ancient country the measures of Truth were the years of the Most High. ¹

Recent scientific discoveries relating to the Great Pyramid and its mysterious “air shafts” have lead researchers to further confirm the importance of Sirius within the pyramid.

Star alignment with the Great Pyramid of Giza. Orion (associated with the god Osiris) is aligned with the King’s Chamber while Sirius (associated with the goddess Isis) is aligned with the Queen’s Chamber.

A fascinating aspect of Sirius is the consistency of the symbolism and meanings attached to it. Several great civilizations have indeed associated Sirius with a dog-like figure and viewed the star as either the source or the destination of a mysterious force.

In Chinese and Japanese astronomy, Sirius is known as the “star of the celestial wolf”. 

Several aboriginal tribes of North America referred to the star in canine terms: the Seri and Tohono O’odham tribes of the southwest describe the Sirius as a “dog that follows mountain sheep”, while the Blackfoot call it “Dog-face”. 

The Cherokee paired Sirius with Antares as a dog-star guardian of the “Path of Souls”. 

The Wolf (Skidi) tribe of Nebraska knew it as the “Wolf Star”, while other branches of knew it as the “Coyote Star”.

Further north, the Alaskan Inuit of the Bering Strait called it “Moon Dog”. ²

THE DOGON TRIBE AND ATLANTIS

In 1971, the American author Robert Temple published a controversial book entitled The Sirius Mystery where he claimed that the Dogons (an ancient African tribe from Mali) knew details about Sirius that would be impossible to be know without the use of telescopes. 

According to him, the Dogon understood the binary nature of Sirius, which is, in fact, composed of two stars named Sirius A and Sirius B. This lead Robert Temple to believe that the Dogons had “direct” connections with beings from Sirius. While some might say “you can’t be Sirius” (sorry), a great number of secret societies (who have historically held within their ranks some of the world’s most influential people) and belief systems teach about a mystic connection between Sirius and humanity.

In Dogon mythology, humanity is said to be born from the Nommo, a race of amphibians who were inhabitants of a planet circling Sirius. They are said to have “descended from the sky in a vessel accompanied by fire and thunder” and imparted to humans profound knowledge. 

This lead Robert Temple to theorize that the Nommos were extraterrestrial inhabitants of Sirius who travelled to earth at some point in the distant past to teach ancient civilizations (such as the Egyptians and Dogons) about the Sirius star system as well as our own solar system. 

These civilizations would then record the Nommos’ teachings in their religions and make them a central focus of their Mysteries.

The Dogon’s mythology system is strikingly similar to the ones of other civilizations such as the Sumerians, Egyptians, Israelites and Babylonians as it includes the archetypal myth of a “great teacher from above”. 

Depending on the civilization, this great teacher is known as eith Enoch, Thoth or Hermes Trismegistus and is said to have taught humanity theurgic sciences. In occult traditions, it is believed that Thoth-Hermes had taught the people of Atlantis, which, according to legend, became the world’s most advanced civilization before the entire continent was submerged by the Great Deluge (accounts of a flood can be found in the mythologies of countless civilizations). 

Survivors from Atlantis travelled by boat to several countries, including Egypt, where they imparted their advanced knowledge. Occultists believe that the inexplicable resemblances between distant civilizations (such as the Mayas and the Egyptians) can be explained by their common contact with Atlanteans.

“Was the religious, philosophic, and scientific knowledge possessed by the priestcrafts of antiquity secured from Atlantis, whose submergence obliterated every vestige of its part in the drama of world progress? Atlantean sun worship has been perpetuated in the ritualism and ceremonialism of both Christianity and pagandom. Both the cross and the serpent were Atlantean emblems of divine wisdom. 

The divine (Atlantean) progenitors of the Mayas and Quichés of Central America coexisted within the green and azure radiance of Gucumatz, the “plumed” serpent. The six sky-born sages came into manifestation as centers of light bound together or synthesized by the seventh ~ and chief ~ of their order, the “feathered” snake. 

The title of “winged” or “plumed” snake was applied to Quetzalcoatl, or Kukulcan, the Central American initiate. The center of the Atlantean Wisdom-Religion was presumably a great pyramidal temple standing on the brow of a plateau rising in the midst of the City of the Golden Gates. From here the Initiate-Priests of the Sacred Feather went forth, carrying the keys of Universal Wisdom to the uttermost parts of the earth.

(…)

From the Atlanteans the world has received not only the heritage of arts and crafts, philosophies and sciences, ethics and religions, but also the heritage of hate, strife, and perversion.

The Atlanteans instigated the first war; and it has been said that all subsequent wars were fought in a fruitless effort to justify the first one and right the wrong which it caused. 

Before Atlantis sank, its spiritually illumined Initiates, who realized that their land was doomed because it had departed from the Path of Light, withdrew from the ill-fated continent. Carrying with them the sacred and secret doctrine, these Atlanteans established themselves in Egypt, where they became its first “divine” rulers. 

Nearly all the great cosmologic myths forming the foundation of the various sacred books of the world are based upon the Atlantean Mystery rituals.” ³

Is Thoth-Hermes-Trismegistus the equivalent of the Dogon’s Nommos, who are believed to originate from Sirius? Ancient texts concerning Hermes describe him as a teacher of mysteries who “came from the stars”. Furthermore, Thoth-Hermes was directly connected with Sirius in Egyptian mythology.

“The dog-star: the star worshiped in Egypt and reverenced by the Occultists; by the former because its heliacal rising with the Sun was a sign of the beneficent inundation of the Nile, and by the latter because it is mysteriously associated with Toth-Hermes, god of wisdom, and Mercury, in another form. 

Thus Sothis-Sirius had, and still has, a mystic and direct influence over the whole living heaven, and is connected with almost every god and goddess. It was “Isis in the heaven” and called Isis-Sothis, for Isis was “in the constellation of the dog”, as is declared on her monuments. Being connected with the Pyramid, Sirius was, therefore, connected with the initiations which took place in it.” ⁴

“The Trismegistic treatise ‘The Virgin of the World’ from Egypt refers to ‘the Black Rite’, connected with the ‘black’ Osiris, as the highest degree of secret initiation possible in the ancient Egyptian religion ~ it is the ultimate secret of the mysteries of Isis. 

This treatise says Hermes came to earth to teach men civilization and then again ‘mounted to the stars’, going back to his home and leaving behind the mystery religion of Egypt with its celestial secrets which were some day to be decoded.” ⁵

Interpreting the mythology of ancient cultures is not an exact science and connections are inherently difficult to prove. However, the symbolic link between Sirius and occult knowledge has constantly appeared throughout History and has seamlessly traveled through the ages. 

In fact, it is as revered today as it was millenniums ago. Modern secret societies such as the Freemasons, the Rosicrucians and the Golden Dawn (which are considered to be Hermetic Orders due to the fact their teachings are based on those of Hermes Trismegistus) all attribute to Sirius the utmost importance. An educated look at their symbolism provides a glimpse at the profound connection between Sirius and occult philosophy.

SIRIUS IN OCCULT SYMBOLISM AND SECRET SOCIETIES

To claim that Sirius is “important” to Hermetic Orders would be a gross understatement. The Dog Star is nothing less than the central focus of the teachings and symbolism of secret societies. The ultimate proof of this fact: many secret societies are actually named after the star.

IN THE TAROT

The seventeenth numbered major trump is called Les Étoiles, (French for The Star), and portrays a young girl kneeling with one foot in water and the other on and, her body somewhat suggesting the swastika. She has two urns, the contents of which she pours upon the land and sea. Above the girl’s head are eight stars, one of which is exceptionally large and bright. Count de Gébelin considers the great star to be Sothis or Sirius; the other seven are the sacred planets of the ancients. He believes the female figure to be Isis in the act of causing the inundations of the Nile which accompanied the rising of the Dog Star. The unclothed figure of Isis may well signify that Nature does not receive her garment of verdure until the rising of the Nile waters releases the germinal life of plants and flowers. ⁶

IN FREEMASONRY

In Masonic lodges, Sirius is known as the “Blazing Star” and a simple look at its prominence in Masonic symbolism reveals its utmost importance. The Masonic author William Hutchinson wrote about Sirius: “It is the first and most exalted object that demands our attention in the Lodge.” The same way the light of Sirius made its way into the Great Pyramid during initiations, it is symbolically present in Masonic lodges.

“The Ancient Astronomers saw all the great Symbols of Masonry in the Stars. Sirius glitters in our lodges as the Blazing Star.” ⁷

Sirius, the Blazing Star, at the center of the Masonic mosaic pavement.

The Blazing Star shining upon members of a Masonic lodge

“(The Blazing Star) originally represented SIRIUS, or the Dog-star, the forerunner of the inundation of the Nile; the God ANUBIS, companion of ISIS in her search for the body of OSIRIS, her brother and husband. 

Then it became the image of HORUS, the son of OSIRIS, himself symbolized also by the Sun, the author of the Seasons, and the God of Time; Son of ISIS, who was the universal nature, himself the primitive matter, inexhaustible source of Life, spark of uncreated fire, universal seed of all beings. It was HERMES, also, the Master of Learning, whose name in Greek is that of the God Mercury.” ⁸

In Freemasonry, it is taught that the Blazing Star is a symbol of deity, of omnipresence (the Creator is present everywhere) and of omniscience (the Creator sees and knows all). Sirius is therefore the “sacred place” all Masons must ascend to: It is the source of divine power and the destination of divine individuals. This concept is often represented in Masonic art.

Masonic art portraying Sirius, the Blazing Star, as the destination of the Mason’s journey.

To achieve perfection, the initiate must successfully understand and internalize the dual nature of the world (good and evil; masculine and feminine; black and white, etc.) through alchemical metamorphosis. 

This concept is symbolically represented by the union of Osiris and Isis (the male and female principles) to give birth to Horus, the star-child, the Christ-like figure, the perfected man of Freemasonry – who is equated with the Blazing Star.

“The sun and moon … represent the two grand principles … the male and the female … both shed their light upon their offspring, the blazing star, or Horus.” ⁹

The Egyptian hieroglyph representing Sirius has been esoterically interpreted to be a representation of this cosmic trinity. 

 

The hieroglyph representing Sirius contains three elements: a “phallic” obelisk (representing Osiris), a “womb-like” dome (representing Isis) and a star (representing Horus).

This concept is so crucial for Freemasons, that it was embedded in some of the most important structures in the world.

The Washington Monument, an Egyptian obelisk representing the male principle, is directly connected with the dome of the Capitol, representing the female principle. Together they produce Horus an unseen energy represented by Sirius. (For more information, read the article Mystical Sites – The U.S. Capitol on The Vigilant Citizen).

As stated by Albert Pike above, the Egyptian god Horus and the star Sirius are often associated. In Masonic symbolism, the eye of Horus (or the All-Seeing Eye) is often depicted surrounded by the glittering of light of Sirius.

 

A Masonic tracing board depicting the sun above the left pillar (representing the masculine), the moon above the right pillar (representing feminine) and Sirius above the middle pillar, representing the “perfected man” or Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris. Notice the “Eye of Horus” on Sirius.

The Eye of Horus inside a triangle (symbolizing deity) surrounded by the glow of Sirius, the Blazing Star

The All-Seeing Eye inside the Blazing Star in Masonic art.

Given the symbolic correlation between the All-Seeing Eye and Sirius, the next image becomes self-explanatory.

 

The light behind the All-Seeing Eye on the American dollar bill is not from the sun, but from Sirius. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in alignment with Sirius and is therefore shown shining right above the Pyramid. A radiant tribute to Sirius is therefore in the pockets of millions of citizens.

ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR

The symbol of the OES is an inverted star, similar to the Blazing Star of Freemasonry.

Considered to be the “female version” of Freemasonry (although men can join), the Order of the Eastern Star (OES) is directly named after Sirius, the “Star rising from the East”. A “general public” explanation of the origins of the Order’s name claims it originated from the “Star of the East” that lead the Three Magis to Jesus Christ. A look into the occult meaning of the Order’s symbolism however makes it clear that the OES is a reference to Sirius, the most important star of Freemasonry, its parent organization.

OES art depicting Sirius above the Great Pyramid.

MADAME BLAVATSKY, ALICE BAILEY AND THEOSOPHY

Helena Blavatsky and Alice Bailey, the two main figures associated with Theosophy, have both considered Sirius to be a source esoteric power. Blavatsky stated that the star Sirius exerts a mystic and direct influence over the entire living heaven and is linked with every great religion of antiquity.

Alice Bailey sees the Dog Star as the true “Great White Lodge” and believes it to be the home of the “Spiritual Hierarchy”. For this reason she considers Sirius as the “star of initiation”.

“This is the great star of initiation because our Hierarchy (an expression of the second aspect of divinity) is under the supervision or spiritual magnetic control of the Hierarchy of Sirius. These are the major controlling influences whereby the cosmic Christ works upon the Christ principle in the solar system, in the planet, in man and in the lower forms of life expression. It is esoterically called the “brilliant star of sensitivity.” ¹⁰

Not unlike most many esoteric writers, Bailey considers Sirius to have a great impact on human life.

“All that can be done here in dealing with this profound subject is to enumerate briefly some of the cosmic influences which definitely affect our earth, and produce results in the consciousness of men everywhere, and which, during the process of initiation, bring about certain specific phenomena.

First and foremost is the energy or force emanating from the sun Sirius. If it might be so expressed, the energy of thought, or mind force, in its totality, reaches the solar system from a distant cosmic centre via Sirius. Sirius acts as the transmitter, or the focalizing centre, whence emanate those influences which produce self-consciousness in man.” ¹¹

ALEISTER CROWLEY, THE A.A. AND KENNETH GRANT

In 1907, Crowley started his own occult order called the A.A. – short for Argentium Astrum, which can be translated to ‘The Order of the Silver Star’. The ‘Silver Star’ was, of course, a reference to Sirius. 

Even if Crowley almost always referred to the Dog Star in veiled terms, the whole of his magickal philosophy, from his development as a young Freemason through to his final years as the Head of the O.T.O, is wholly in accordance with the Sirian influence, which was identified and expressed by other writers of his era. His alleged contact with his Holy Guardian Angel that later led to the channeling of ‘Liber AL: The Book of the Law’ is believed to have originated from Sirius.

If Crowley used code words to describe Sirius, his protégé Kenneth Grant has explicitly and extensively written about the Dog Star. Throughout his numerous books, he often described Sirius as being a powerful center of magickal magnetic power. His belief that the star holds the central key to unlocking the mysteries of the Egyptian and Typhonian traditions has strengthened over time and became a central focus of his research. 

One of Grant’s most important and controversial thesis was his discovery of the “Sirius/Set current”, which is an extra-terrestrial dimension connecting Sirius, the Earth and Set, the Egyptian god of Chaos ~ who was later associated with Satan.

“Set is the initiator, the Opener of mans’ consciousness to the rays of the Undying God typified by Sirius ~ the Sun in the South.” ¹²

“Sirius, or Set, was the original “headless one” ~ the light of the lower region (the south) who was known (in Egypt) as An (the dog), hence Set-An (Satan), Lord of the infernal regions, the place of heat, later interpreted in a moral sense as “hell”.” ¹³

Although each occult philosophy describes Sirius in a slightly different matter, it is still consistently regarded as the “sun behind the sun”, the true source of occult power. It is perceived as the cradle of human knowledge and the belief of the existence of a strong connection between the star and planet Earth never seems to become outdated. 

Is there a true link between Sirius and Earth? 

Is the Dog Star an esoteric symbol representing something happening in the spiritual realm? 

It is both? 

One thing is for sure; the cult of Sirius is not a “thing of the past” and is very alive today. An in-depth look at our popular culture, which is heavily influenced by occult symbolism, reveals numerous references to Sirius.

Direct references to Sirius in popular culture are too many to enumerate (e.g. see the name and the logo of the most important satellite radio in the world). A more interesting aspect of popular culture to analyze are the coded references to Sirius. 

Important movies have indeed made veiled yet profound references to the Dog Star (apparently intended to those “in the know”), where the star plays the role it was always given by the Mysteries: as an initiator and a divine teacher. Here are some examples.

SIRIUS IN POPULAR CULTURE

In Disney’s Pinocchio, based on a story written by Freemason Carlo Collodi, Gepetto prays to the brightest star in the sky to have a “real boy”. The Blue Fairy (her color is a reference to Sirius’ light-blue glow) then descends from the heavens to give life to Pinocchio. 

Throughout the marionette’s quest to become a boy (an allegory for esoteric initiation), the Blue Fairy guides Pinocchio towards the “right path”. Sirius is therefore represented as a source of life, a guide and a teacher. (For more information see the article entitled The Esoteric Interpretation of Pinocchio on The Vigilant Citizen).

The theme song of the movie Pinocchio is also an ode to Sirius.

When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are
anything your heart desires will come to you

If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star as dreamers do

(Fate is kind, she brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing)

Like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you thru
When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true

In Harry Potter, the character named Sirius Black is most likely a reference to Sirius B. (the “darker” star of Sirius’ binary system). He is Harry Potter’s godfather, which makes Sirius, once again, a teacher and a guide. The wizard can turn into a big black dog, another link with the “dog star”.

In the Truman Show, a spotlight ~ used to imitate the light of a star in Truman’s fake world ~ falls from the sky and nearly hits him. The label on the spotlight identifies it as Sirius. Truman’s encounter with Sirius gives him a glimpse of “true knowledge” and prompts his quest for truth. Sirius is therefore the “star of initiation”. It caused Truman to realize the limitations of his studio world (our material world) and lead him to freedom (spiritual emancipation).

IN CONCLUSION

From the dawn of civilization to modern times, from remote tribes of Africa to the great capitals of the modern world, Sirius was ~ and still is ~ seen as a life-giver. Despite the disparity between cultures and epochs, the same mysterious attributes are given to the Dog Star, which can lead us to ask: how can all theses definitions synchronize so perfectly? Is there a common source to these myths about Sirius? 

The Dog Star is invariably associated with divinity and is regarded as a source of knowledge and power. These connections are particularly evident when one examines the teachings and the symbolism of secret societies, who have always taught about a mystical link with this particular celestial body. Is there a secret link between human evolution and Sirius? Unlocking this secret would mean unlocking one of humanity’s greatest mysteries.

1. Marshall Adams, The Book of the Master

 2. J.B. Holberg, Sirius: Brightest Diamond in the Night Sky

3. Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages

4. Helena Blavatsky, Theosophical Glossary 

5. Robert Temple, The Sirius Mystery 

6. Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages

7. Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma

8. Ibid

9. Pike, op. cit.

10. Alice Bailey, Esoteric Astrology  

11. Alice Bailey, Initiation, Human and Solar

12. Kenneth Grant, The Magical Revival

13. Ibid. 

EGYPT'S CAVE UNDERWORLD UNDER INVESTIGATION.

Andrew Collins on Gebel Gibli 

with the Second Pyramid in the background.

May 9, 2011

first-news.blogspot.com/2011/05/egypts-cave-underworld-under.html

As an "all Egyptian" archaeological team moves in to find answers we hope they will reveal what's really there.

Something extremely strange is happening in Giza, both under the pyramids and in the office of Dr. Hawass.

Even skeptics of the "Hall of Records" from Atlantis are now forced to admit that something big is being hidden. It's the perfect set of circumstances for conspiracy theorists ~ especially with the coming of 2012.

In August of 2008 a system of caves was discovered under the pyramids. Certainly this is very big news. But look at the reaction of Dr. Hawass on his website.

Surely Hawass is intimately aware of such a discovery. So Why deny it? What is he trying to hide?

Does this have anything to do with the wall that is being built to surround the Giza complex?

INSIDE GIZA'S CAVE UNDERWORLD

In December 2009, after denying that they existed, Egypt's leading Egyptologist, Dr Zahi Hawass, has had to admit that an excavation team under his charge is investigating an ancient tomb at the centre of claims regarding the alleged discovery of a cave underworld beneath the Pyramids of Giza.

This is a surprising announcement for several reasons, not the least being that the "alleged" cave system has already been explored and photographed by British writer and explorer Andrew Collins.

In August 2008, Collins announced that he had rediscovered the entrance to a previously unexplored cave system, entered via a mysterious tomb several hundred meters west of the Great Pyramid. Perhaps it was how Collins discovered the cave entrance that has caused the controversy.

The alignment of the three pyramids with the stars of Orion's belt [above] is not perfect.

Much has been made observation that the three pyramids on the Giza plateau appear slightly mis-aligned. They are not on a straight line. Since we marvel at the mathematical perfection of the early Egyptians, this has bothered investigators. Thus when in 1993 Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert in their bestselling book The Orion Mystery saw the three 'belt' stars of Orion as defining the ground-plan of the Giza Pyramids the theory was met with cautious enthusiasm. However, not all were convinced by the "Orion Correlation Theory" (OCT), as it became known.

The alignment wasn't "perfect" but it was close enough for many Egyptologists. But not for Andrew Collins.

The alignment with the "wings" of Cygnus [above] is perfect.

Collins discovered another group of stars in the constellation Cygnus that matched with the same perfection that was the trademark of the Egyptians. By superimposing the stars of Cygnus over the three pyramids he could see that one star, Deneb, was not aligned. Looking where something should be ~ a pyramid or temple ~ there was nothing. Perhaps time had destroyed it? Perhaps it was buried? Or perhaps it was a sign that something else was under the plateau, waiting to be discovered.

Collins later found clues left in the 200-year-old memoirs of British diplomat and explorer Henry Salt. Salt wrote how, in 1817, he and Italian explorer Giovanni Caviglia had investigated cave "catacombs" at Giza for a distance of "several hundred yards" before coming across a "spacious" chamber. This chamber linked to three others of equal size, from which went various labyrinthine passages, one of which the Italian later explored for a distance of "300 feet further".

Collins decided to look for these caves in the area where the unmarked star of Cygnus would align in relation to the three pyramids. He discovered a series of catacombs, as Henry Salt had described, but no sign of any caves. Then, as he was about to leave the site he noticed a break in the catacomb wall which eventually revealed the entrance to this huge complex network of caves.

Excited by this monumental discovery, Collins immediately went to inform the Egyptian authorities and expected them to be as excited as he was.

Wrong!

Egyptian authorities try to hide the cave discovery

RED ICE RADIO ~ ANDREW COLLINS ~ PT 1 ~ BENEATH THE PYRAMIDS

According to Collins,

"Dr Hawass [Secretary General for Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities] actually denied the existence of the caves. He has done this publicly. Why he has done this is a matter of debate.

The easiest explanation is that the preliminary investigations that he did following our visit to inform him of the discovery of this cave, in April 2008, meant that his people went in the tomb overlooked the entrance, as we did initially."

Fifteen months later, bowing to the inquiries made by the press and Egyptian scholars, Dr Hawass confirmed that he has ordered an all-Egyptian team to explore the tomb at the center of the "controversy".

Controversy? How could a discovery on such a scale be controversial?

He stated this week:

"We are clearing this system now, and it is a Late Period catacomb, like many others around Egypt," "There is no mystery about it, and there is no connection with esoteric topics. We will publish our results as part of our normal process."

While applauding Dr Hawass's new interest in the site, Collins remains skeptical of his motives.

Collins said:

"We knew in August that he had started clearing the tomb. The excavations began almost immediately after knowledge of the cave discovery hit the internet."

Collins is also unconvinced by Hawass's explanation of what he calls the "catacomb". He asks:

"Does his use of the term 'system' now suggest that he has found and entered the caves, which he previously denied even existed?”

Hawass responds:

“My colleagues and I have examined photographic evidence of dynastic catacombs throughout Egypt, and these all appear to be carved by human hands."

But photographs don't lie. Collins says,

"Those at Giza are natural, and penetrate the bedrock for many hundreds of metres, perhaps following the course of local geological faulting."

Although Dr Hawass suggests there is no mystery surrounding the "catacomb", Collins suspects that the caves extend beneath the Second Pyramid, where ancient tradition puts the legendary Tomb of Hermes [right], Egypt's legendary founder.

This is significant because Hermes is known as the Great Wisdom Bringer and Collins suspects that the chambers could possibly reveal something left behind by Hermes ~ something like the legendary Hall of Records.

THE HALL OF RECORDS ~ AS PROPHESIED BY EDGAR CAYCE?

According to the legendary psychic, Edgar Cayce, the pyramids were constructed by an ancient civilization that had its origins in Atlantis. This great civilization existed somewhere around 10,000 to 11,000 BC and was responsible for building the Great Pyramid, and for burying the lost history of mankind in a chamber called "The Hall of Records."

"The records are one... [They contain] "...a record of Atlantis from the beginnings of those periods when the spirit took form or began the encasements in that land." ~ Cayce

The records extend through the first destructions of that ancient civilization, the exodus of Atlanteans to other lands, and the final destruction of Atlantis. They contain a description of the building of the Great Pyramid, as well as a prophecy of

"who, what, where, would come [to make] the opening of the records."

Collins says,

"This has never been found. So perhaps it is still there, awaiting discovery, somewhere close to where Salt and Caviglia reached nearly 200 years ago.

"I do believe that the caves that we have entered are part of a much larger complex that stretches right beneath the entire Giza plateau."

Collins explains that the network of caves are natural and resemble Swiss Cheese. He believes they were formed long before the pyramids were built and suggests that they could be the reason the pyramids were built on this site.

The early civilizations believed that part of the dying process involved traversing the so-called "underworld" and these caves might have been viewed as the entrance to this underworld. There is evidence of human activity in the deepest parts of the caves.

SATELLITE IMAGES HELP VERIFY THE CAVES

According to Collins,

"Satellite images would tend to suggest that the caves... go all the way to the Second Pyramid."

A little west of here archaeologists have found a collection of bird mummies. Since the constellation of Cygnus is historically depicted as a bird, specifically a swan, it is theorized that worshippers left mummified birds as an offering associated with this star configuration or perhaps to Socar, the bird-like figure that was the ruler of the underworld.

 Thoth, the Egyptian ibis headed god, also known as Hermes Trismegistis

VERY LATEST

ON THE GIZA CAVE DISCOVERIES

All you need to know on the Hawass Stalemate, the Media Cold Shoulder, along with Powerful New Evidence that the Caves mark the entrance to the fabled Tomb of Hermes

Andrew Collins Reports

November 1st, 2009. Dr Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities has dismissed the existence of a series of caves entered via a little understood tomb in the north cliff of Giza's famous plateau (see "Collins' Cave Discovery" at http://www.drhawass.com/node/303).

Dr Hawass made his claim after a team sent by him to investigate the tomb - designated NC 2 (north cliff 2) by George Reisner's team in 1939, and called by us the Tomb of the Birds - had seemingly failed to find the cave entrance, located in an obscure position at the rear of the rock-cut structure (indeed, we ourselves missed it on our first visit to the site in January 2007).

Unprepared to accept the word of amateurs on the subject, Dr Hawass dismissed the cave discoveries as internet sensationalism, despite the fact that in April 2009 I had personally delivered to him a report of the discovery of the caves, complete with pictures and all background historical information and references.

Online Nigel Skinner-Simpson and I countered Hawass's official cave dismissal, and since then the matter has been discussed on literally hundreds of internet sites.

It quickly became clear that there was not a lot of sympathy for Dr Hawass and his official views, even among Egyptologists, some of whom contacted me to show their support and recount their own personal problems working with the Egyptian authorities.

THE STALEMATE

The stalemate caused by Hawass's actions has meant that the media have on the whole ignored the discovery of the caves. Why? Because they know that without the support of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, they would be extremely unwise to run with a story contradicting the official standpoint. I understand also that one very high profile US news channel might well have been told not to go ahead with the story, and obliged so as to ensure that future Egyptological discoveries would continue to be made known to them.

At least two UK based TV production companies, working on behalf of international TV channels, have shown an interest in putting together documentaries featuring the Giza cave discoveries. However, the stalemate has caused them to hold back on proceeding further, since they fear that making a documentary that challenges the official Hawass/Supreme Council of Antiquities viewpoint would mean that they might never be welcomed again in Egypt.

All of this is quite sad and ironic really, for I now have it on good authority that Dr Hawass knows very well that the Giza caves exist, and is actually quite intrigued by what they might reveal. However, he still refuses to admit to their existence publicly.

I can only hope that at some point in the future Dr Hawass has a change of heart, and acknowledges not only the existence of the caves, but also the potential significance of the Tomb of the Birds. This I suspect will reveal archaeological clues that could throw better light on how exactly the ancient Egyptians, Graeco-Romans and medieval Arabs might have interpreted the presence of the natural cave system.

LOCAL GEOLOGICAL FAULTING

Dr Hawass might be intrigued to learn that we now have persuasive evidence to suggest that the path of the caves explored so far, follow the course of local faulting that might well have been captured on hi-res radar satellite imagery. We believe that the faulting appears as a black shadow line which follows the course of the caves. Yet this same shadow line is then seen heading southwestwards towards the Second Pyramid, where it is finally lost close to its northwest corner.

In 1977 a geophysical research team headed jointly by the Stanford Research Institute and the Ain Shams University, Cairo, used state of the art GPR (ground penetration research) to detect underground chambers deep beneath the Second Pyramid. However, their final report warned that heavy localized faulting was also detected on the north side of the pyramid, and that the hollows might well be related in some manner.

I concur completely with these findings, and suggest that it was in chambers beneath the Second Pyramid that British explorer and diplomat Henry Salt and Italian sea-captain and explorer Giovanni Caviglia reached during their exploration of the caves in 1817.

THE TOMB OF HERMES

According to medieval Arab sources, the Second Pyramid, attributed to the pharaoh Khafre (the Greek Cephren), was seen by the Sabaeans of Harran, guardians of the Hermetic philosophy following the fall of Egypt to the Arabs in the mid seventh century, as marking the location of the fabled Tomb of Hermes.

Its neighbour, the Great Pyramid, was seen as marking the underground tomb of Hermes' father, Seth, or Agathodaimon, a demiurge in the form of a serpent, while the "colored" pyramid, i.e. the Third Pyramid was thought to be the tomb of Hermes' son Saba, from whom the Sabaeans gained their name. Sabaeans would come to Giza on pilgrimages from Harran in order to venerate these divine ancestors of theirs.

It is possible that the Sabaeans were aware of traditions connected with the Giza Pyramids that had been passed to them along with the hermetic corpus and theology to which they based their religion, which honored the sun, moon, planets and stars (they also saw the north as the direction of the primal cause, God himself)

Hermes himself was said to have been buried in a cave-tomb, his corpse bearing on its lap the original Emerald Tablet, a carved slab of green stone on which was written the 13 lines of hermetic text known collectively under the same name ~ the Emerald Tablet. The earliest known version of this text is recorded in an eighth century Arab account, while the first translation into Latin appeared in the thirteenth century. Aside from the famous hermetic maxim of "As above, so below", the text reveals the nature of God in his role as the Pythagorean concept of the Monad, i.e. "the One".

Although some accounts of the discovery of the Emerald Tablet suggest that it was found in Hebron, Palestine, by Sarah, the wife of the patriarch Abraham (who tarried in Harran, before going down into Egypt), others suggest that Hermes cave-tomb was in Egypt, and more specifically somewhere in the vicinity of the Giza Pyramids.

Evidence that the Tomb of the Birds might have been seen to mark the entrance to the Tomb of Hermes might well come from a thorough clearance of the enigmatic rock-cut sepulcher. We know from British engineer John Shae Perring's plans of the plateau done c. 1840 that he labeled the site as "excavated tombs and pits of bird mummies".

Yet only one account exists of a specific removal of a bird mummy, and this comes from Perring's working partner, Col. Richard Howard Vyse. In his diary report for May 5th, 1837, Vyse records how his team carefully removed from the sepulcher the mummy of a "large bird". There is no indication of what type of bird this was, but should it turn out to have been an ibis, then it probably indicates that at the time of burial the tomb was connected with the cult of Thoth-Hermes, whose avian form was the ibis.

If ibises were indeed interred in the Tomb of the Birds, and presumably in the adjoining sections of the caves, then there has to be a possibility that the site was seen as marking the entrance to the Tomb of Hermes. This would be similar to the manner in which mummified ibises were interred in one or more of the bird catacombs at Saqqara, since it was believed in Graeco-Roman times that the tomb of Imhotep, whose cult became synonymous with that of Thoth-Hermes, was thought to exist somewhere in the vicinity.

It is my intuition that even before Salt and Caviglia's entry into the caves in 1817, Europeans, Italians in particular using the thriving Adriatic sea-port of Venice, came to Giza in search of the Tomb of Hermes. It is possible that they entered the caves, and perhaps even removed objects that they saw as connected with Hermes in some manner, perhaps even a Green Stone fragment thought to have come from the original Emerald Tablet.

THE GREEN CHAMBER

Even if this is not the case, the idea that the caves entered via the Tomb of the Birds lead eventually to the Tomb of Hermes is a fascinating possibility.

What exactly was the original Emerald Tablet, or Tablets? One high profile Egyptologist known to me believes that the Emerald Tablet is the distorted memory of a chamber beneath the plateau that bears green stone walls, inscribed during Khufu's age with the secrets of creation.

It is there to be found, he considers, and just maybe it awaits discovery in the vicinity of the Second Pyramid. We wait patiently for more information in this fascinating saga.

This material is strictly copyright Andrew Collins, 2009.

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