The Skull and Crossbones

The Untold Tale of the Templar Shining Ones
By Philip Gardiner
www.gardinersworld.com

The enigmatic image of the skull and crossbones is deeply entrenched in the minds of millions around the world as the symbol of piracy, death and even poison. It was an image that has kept cropping up in my researches, whether Masonic or Templar or even as the symbol that the Christian Jesuits found themselves being inaugurated on, and so I decided that I needed to look deeper into the mysterious rise of this peculiar image.

Whenever we see a pirate ship on television, cinema or in comic books we also see an extremely ancient symbol ? the skull and crossbones. This however, was not a symbol of death or indeed poison but instead it profoundly symbolized life in so many aspects.

Many researchers of Templar and Masonic history have pointed out the links between this symbol and the one used by the Knights Templar on their ships. If we take into account the fact that the Templars had the world?s biggest fleet in the 13th century, and that they were well known for acts that we would call today ?piracy? then there is no wonder. The latter Knights of Malta were also well known for piracy and we find that these Maltese Knights were in fact the very same as the Templars ? having been formed or joined by the remnant of the dissolved Templars. These new Templars or Knights of Malta were accused on several occasions of piracy and henceforth we have tales of piracy on the high seas. There is a direct link therefore between the creation or use of the skull and crossbones by the Knights Templar and our modern day idea of it being a symbol of piracy.

But, I wondered, what explanation did the Knights Templar give for using the symbol? Where did they get it from? I found a strange tale that is told by most Templar researchers to link the symbol to them and this tale surprisingly involves the number 9, a mother earth image and a skull.

In The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln tell the tale:

?A great lady of Maraclea was loved by a Templar, A Lord of Sidon; but she died in her youth, and on the night of her burial, this wicked lover crept to the grave, dug up her body and violated it. Then a voice from the void bade him return in nine months time for he would find a son. He obeyed the injunction and at the appointed time he opened the grave again and found a head on the leg bones of the skeleton (skull and crossbones). The same voice bade him ?guard it Well, for it would be the giver of all good things?, and so he carried it away with him. It became his protecting genius, and he was able to defeat his enemies by merely showing them the magic head. In due course, it passed to the possession of the order.?

In another version this Lord of Sidon actually ritualistically marries the corpse.

I told this tale to several colleagues in-order to judge the response and in each case the response began with horror and disgust and ended with a lot of head scratching and bewilderment ? the reaction that the story in fact was intended to provoke.
Now such stories are naturally seen as macabre and the ?hidden message? therefore still evades us ? which is the idea. But as I was to discover, what is really being conveyed in these stories, is the importance of the union or balance, which creates a state of enlightenment akin to that spoken of by the Gnostics, alchemists and mystics. [1]

But before I decided this to be the case I wanted to delve deeper and found myself in an ancient world of symbolism and secrecy. There were more nuggets of information in this text, which needed investigation and I decided that it was about time the code was broken. I turned firstly to the main character in the tale, the infamous Lord of Sidon.

As a Titular metropolis of Pamphylia Prima, Sidon, dates as far back as Neolithic times. In the tenth century B.C. Sidon had its own coinage that bore the head of Athena (also Minerva a serpentine, feminine deity linked with healing.) I found that Athena was indeed the patroness of the city even though its people were sometimes termed ?a piratical horde? and Constantine Porphyrogenitus called Sidon a ?nest of pirates.? However the place did go on to play host to one of Alexander the Great?s garrisons for a while, which was used to subdue this piratical element for Alexander?s own purposes. Under his successors Sidon became known as the ?holy city of Phoenicia? and enjoyed relative freedom, with games and competitions attracting people from far and wide.

In 1111 AD the crusader Baldwin, who was later to become King Baldwin of Jerusalem, besieged the city and it was later to become one of the four baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

It was a very commercial, and in fact, warlike city, with a powerful navy ? something the Templars looked up to and emulated.

From early on, Sidon was a rendezvous for pirates, and even the slave trade continued after the fall of slavery elsewhere.

However, by the 14th century, and following the downfall of the Templars, Sidon was on the ?way out? as a player on the world market. The lack of water and resources - added to Turkish invasions - led to lack of interest. Sidon was not yet dead in the water though and flourished again briefly in the 17th century when it was rebuilt by Fakhreddine II ? the then ruler of Lebanon. Under Fakhreddine?s guidance it became a base for French merchants who used it as a staging post to further their commercial conquests. Slowly however Sidon again declined until the late 20th century when again it has risen from the ashes to become an important commercial and agricultural centre.

So this was a brief but relevant history of Sidon and its relationship to my story was remarkable. The fact that it was well known as a ?nest of pirates? was startling. I considered also the link of the skull and crossbones to piracy, especially as it was linked to the Templars, and the fact that the Lord from the skull and crossbones story was Lord of Sidon.

So was this Lord of Sidon mentioned in the Templar story really a pirate?
The links between Sidon are strong: Templars were highly commercial and indeed linked to slavery, so was Sidon. It collapsed in the 14th century, and so did the Templars. It had a huge fleet, and so did the Templars. In fact they were one and the same in many respects ? both feeding from one another. The leaders of Sidon were linked with the Templars and would have seen the Templar?s banking system as highly important.

As the Holy Land finally fell to the Muslims in 1291 I found mention of a Templar knight by the name of Tibald Gaudin who is thought to have carried off the famous Templar treasure. When Gaudin finally arrived at the Templar port of Sidon he was elected the next Grand Master ? or Lord. It seems that there were ample financial reserves held at the Sidon Preceptory and so the treasure of the Templars cannot have been gold or otherwise it would not have been mentioned. I am of the opinion that the treasure was the secret of the Holy Grail as I pointed out in The Serpent Grail.

If Sidon had a hidden message in the text then it was simply that the Lord of Sidon was to get the Grail from the Lady of Maraclea ? as intimated in the story quoted above ? which reveals, and rather symbolically, the means through which he could claim it.

Having now established a link between Sidon and the Templars story I wanted to move on to the other name given that caught my eye ? Maraclea.

This peculiar name I found was taken from a site that the Templars had previously held in the 13th century. I wondered whether the name had a symbolic meaning ? a name with a hidden message in the language ? why else would she be from Maraclea and not Antioch or Acre?

Initially I found the site was called Maraclea because it simply means ?Clear Waters? or ?Sea.? But I wanted to know why the Templars had used the term and began with the standard etymological practice of breaking the word up into two parts ? Mara and Clea. Taking the first part I delved into the world of etymology once more and found some remarkable ?coincidences.?

Mara in Hebrew means, ?bitter? and was a common alternative for Mary ? whether the Mother of Jesus or the Magdalene. In Latin it equates to mare, which is ?water,? ?lake,? ?sea? and indeed linked to ?horse? (female horse.) In Anglo Saxon I found that the term mara meant ?greater? or ?more.? In Buddhism Mara is ?death? or ?evil one.? Mara is said to tempt us like Eve and indeed it was Mara who tempted Buddha on the night before his enlightenment experience. I found this rather intriguing as in the Garden of Eden it was the serpent whom supplied the fruit of the tree of knowledge to Eve and therefore he was supplying enlightenment just like Buddha (and Eve as Havveh is equated with female serpent.)

This Mara of the Buddhists I discovered was also closely related to Rama, where ma equates to black or dark, a term associated with beauty and a term also meaning ?Great Mother.?

Baffled, but also excited by these etymological results and their relationship to the story of the enlightenment or ?shining? I quickly moved on to the second part of the word ? clea.

When I did look at this word I felt rather stupid as it was perfectly ?clear? what it meant. Clea means simply ?to clean,? ?to clear,? ?to be clear,? ?to be pure,? ?to be bright? or ?to shine!?

I also noted that this lady of Maraclea, according to theologians and scholars was thought to have come from Armenia. Rife in Armenia at the time was what is known as Paulician Christianity ? a Christianity that would not be recognised by most today. I decided not to delve too deeply into this theology, but did find that this spawned the Bogomils who have been linked to, and were even called the same as the infamous Cathars or ?Perfect Ones? ? i.e., ?Illumined/Shining Ones? or ?Pure Ones.? I then noted that other meaning for clea, - which was ?pure.? Could it be that this link was even well known in Templar times?

The feeling of stupidity quickly drained away as I suddenly realised what the term Maraclea meant ? a word that has been missed by thousands of Templar historians the world over and yet is a key to unlocking the secret of this peculiar text. I ran through the variants that were now possible:

Mary Pure ? well no, that didn?t work.
Water Bright ? this didn?t really relate.

In fact there were numerous configurations that I could have made. In the end I landed on two that just seemed to make perfect sense and related etymologically in the Anglo Saxon for both words - without mixing up the languages. The result sent a shiver up my spine as I realised the two meanings of Maraclea. The first one was,
Black-Clear or Dark-Clear.

Well this was significant in the Gnostic sense, as the contradictory nature of the words revealed the duality spoken of by the Gnostics and Manicheans ? light and dark, male and female. These were the two sides of our minds ? a revelation of our own divided consciousness. It was in fact the very same element spoken of throughout time as the generative source of all religions ? for by overcoming this duality and finding balance and union, or a neutral state, we become enlightened to our own true self and often enter a spiritual state of illumination or ?shining?.

The other meaning of the name Maraclea was equally astounding and related even more to the concept of illumination. It was ?Greater Shining?.

However, there was even more meaning in this interpretation. Standing back for a moment I wondered about the whole thing.

Here I have a Lord of Sidon, possibly a Templar knight, if indeed not a Grand Master, coming into union with the ?Greater Shining.? What could it possibly mean other than this Templar was a ?Shining One? and therefore experienced the Holy Grail of enlightenment for himself? The result of his union would be the head or skull 9 months later (although another version says 9 years,) and as I was to discover in my researches into the Temple of Jerusalem, the number 9 was of paramount importance to the Templars. The head was also definitely being used as a metaphor for this internal process, which actually involved the head or something within it. This in itself gives us a greater insight to the argued over Baphomet head that the Templars were said to have worshipped.

Strange also then that 9 Knights set up the Templars and 9 years later return to Rosslyn Chapel with supposedly the Holy Grail tucked away in a bag. But, I decided maybe I should take another look at the number 9, which is a reversed P ? something, which would soon become strangely more relevant.

I decided in this instance to just take a look at language rather than numbers and so consulted the Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson.

?Nine days? Wonder ? Minor marvels, things that cause great sensations for a short time and then pass into limbo? Kittens, puppies, and other young animals have their eyes closed for a number of days [9] and then open them and see the light?.?

Amazingly this is mirrored in folktales, myth and legend and therefore in the significance of the number we have here a period of 9 months where the female is pregnant (and thus rebirth); 9 months or years for the Lord of Sidon to receive his prize; and 9 days before the new born animals see the light ? it all made complete sense.

So, the skull and crossbones is linked to the number 9 and again, enlightenment and the Holy Grail ? which are both seen as good, pure and holy. Indeed, was not the Holy Grail said to be the giver of all good things, just like the head in the Templar tale, ?guard it Well, for it would be the giver of all good things.? If this Greater Shining were truly the Holy Grail then it would bring him good things for sure.

?It became his protecting genius.? Others have found this part of the text very strange, however I understood what it meant immediately, and for confirmation I looked up the meaning in a standard dictionary and found perfect corresponding evidence for the Greater Shining.

Genius, inborn faculty. (L.) L. genius, the tutelary spirit of any one; also wit, lit. ?inborn nature.? Allied to genus.

So, this ?Greater Shining,? this ?head,? became his inborn faculty or inborn nature. The two were the same.

There is a subtle underground symbolism going on here. The Lord of Sidon (a Templar) mates with the Lady of Maraclea (a Cathar) and we have an inborn nature called genius. Suddenly the Skull and Crossbones symbol, as explained in the Templar text is revealed before our eyes.

At this point it crossed my mind that I had only gone back to the Templars. I wondered just how far back in time I could possibly go with this skull and crossbones image?

The earliest reference to the actual skull and crossbones I could discover was the Templar reference. However, taking the image as symbolic, which is what it indeed was, then we are looking for the shape ? a skull or head with a diagonal cross or saltaire below.

Amazingly, I found this in Ancient Egypt and on the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Carrying a staff or sceptre was, in ancient Egypt, a symbol of universal power. The Flail was used to beat animals (or indeed people) into submission and shows authority like the sceptre ? hence their interchangeable nature. The crook was a shepherd's tool, used to pull stray animals by the neck without hurting them. Here we have an image of push and pull. This shepherd aspect of the king is as old as Mesopotamia and possibly beyond.

These two symbols reveal the two opposites of the duality spoken of by the Gnostics, the push (positive/male) and pull (negative/feminine). Anyone therefore that mastered these symbols had mastery over the self and the enlightened connection or ?shining?.

Tutankhamun was seen with these devices held upon the chest in the diagonal cross form, making a replica of the skull and crossbones in form, whereas many other Pharaohs held them outwardly away from each other.

When dead, the king becomes Osiris, and I find that this same image is seen upon Osiris and is therefore his symbol ? a symbol of the ultimate universal power and borrowed by his earthly representative the Pharaoh.

The symbolism now becomes open to see.

Osiris is the archetypal resurrecting god ? a symbol of regeneration, akin to the power of the Templar in the text. So the Templar is symbolically the same as Osiris on Earth. No wonder that Christ is called the ?good shepherd? ? as was Osiris who was called the ?good god.?

So here I was tracing back the image of the skull and crossbones back into ancient Egypt and even Mesopotamia. It should have been no surprise, as this is the home of the ancient and original Shining Ones. And yet, amazingly there was more to come. I turned my gaze even more laterally and found another symbol related entirely to both the skull and crossbones and the Egyptian influence.

This separate and more obscure image also closely resembled the skull and crossbones and over it a ?holy war? has raged for decades.

The symbol is now commonly known as the Chi-Rho ? so-called because it is composed of the Greek letters chi (X) and rho (P).

The war over these two letters is fought between Christians and historians; between fundamentalists on both sides and yet both sides are missing the point.

The Christians claim that the Chi-Rho form the first two letters of Christ (Cristos) and the historians claim that the symbol can be found hundreds if not thousands of years before Christianity and was therefore usurped by them. I needed to look into this to discover the origins, meaning and why it so resembled the style of the skull and crossbones.

An identical symbol to the Chi-Rho has been found inscribed on rocks dating from 2,500 BC Sumeria, and was interpreted as ?a combination of the two Sun-symbols? ? symbols of the ancient shining ones. It was also used on the coins of Ptolemeus III from 247-222 BC, as well as being an emblem of the Chaldean sky/sun god and has the definition ?Everlasting Father Sun? (From An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols.)

According to Sir Flinders Petrie - the Egyptologist - the monogram Chi-Rho was the emblem of the Egyptian god, Horus, thousands of years before Christ and is therefore a link between Horus the saviour, and Christ the saviour. I had already noted on several occasions the links between these ancient characters and so this was highly believable and conclusive. [2]

To others it is in this second century B.C. where the secret of the monogram lies with the Greek Ptolemy?s who are said to have ?borrowed? it from the Africans. In this scenario the Greeks called their version of Horus, Herecles or Hercules and applying the Greek Xpnc (Chres) to him. This suddenly gave the ancient Horus the title of Lord, Chrestos, and inevitably ?Christ.? This, if true, shows again the direct link between Horus, the Chi-Rho monogram and Christ.

Indeed many European scholars have actually identified Heracles or Hercules as none other than an emblem of Jesus Christ. I had to bear in mind that the name Heracles, is related to Hero and Hu, which means, ?shining,? but are also related etymologically to Christ, showing that these titles of the Messiah are directly derived from the word Heru which is of African origin and can be found the world over as a word for the sun.

But there were even more links, as I discovered. The Greek title Christ is, like Heru, also derived from an Egypto-African word Karast, and Kristos or Christos is the KRST (Karast). Karast is a person who is anointed (enlightened or shining) as a Heru (Hero) during his or her own lifetime. It is only when deceased that one receives the great term ?a KRST? or Ausur. This Ausur is none other than Osiris, the same Egyptian god I found with the skull and crossbones symbol with the flail and sceptre.

The anointing, in the physical sense, (as the anointing also applies in the spiritual sense,) derived from the body or cadaver being anointed with spices, oils, and resins to preserve it. The body is then wrapped in bandages, placed in a coffer, which is then placed upright to symbolise resurrection. It was believed that in the plural, the Herus (Heroes) or Krst?s (Christs) would rise again to save the world as fully divine beings and thus become the ?once and future king.? It seems then that this tradition came out of Africa, through Egypt and into Greek and Christian legend and brought with it the original symbols of Osiris.

So, amazingly we have a link between the Chi-Rho and the symbol of Osiris ? god the father of Horus or Christ. No wonder that a philological and historical war rages and that Christianity refuses to accept this remarkable link.

So, I wondered, what do the Christians believe this Chi-Rho to derive from? Well, I found that it goes back to Constantine and was an amazing propaganda device to establish the new Roman, and therefore to become, Catholic Empire.

The story goes that Constantine had a vision before a great battle and was told that with the symbol of the Chi-Rho, which they called the Labarum, he would gain victory ? ?By this sign, you will conquer.? Using the new Labarum as his battle standard, which would relate to everybody, Constantine took the field and the Empire was ?born again.? In fact, the Christians had been using this symbol secretly as a sign of their faith and Constantine (or somebody who advised him) simply picked up on the fact that this symbol and the whole saviour process was as ancient and widespread as I am outlining here ? and according to some ? it was used to plunder the treasuries of the pagan temples. Amazingly, on the coinage during and after Constantine?s death, we see the Laburnum or Chi-Rho, underlined with the serpent ? a symbol used throughout time and especially by the Gnostics for wisdom and the enlightenment process.

Strangely, just as the biblical term, Elohim, is a plural word used for God, and in reality means the ?Shining Ones,? the X part of the monogram is also plural (X=10) and is the number of Yahweh. Chi also has another meaning ? ?Great Fire? or ?Light? or even ?Shining.? The P (Rho) part is more difficult but has been related to ?Pen? (pen means, ?head?) in etymology thus implying that the loop on the top of the P is a head, in the very place that a skull would be on the skull and crossbones. [3]

I found that the symbol of the skull and crossbones then, stretches back over thousands of years and relates entirely to the ancient ?Shining Ones? ? and directly to Osiris, the Egyptian version of the original ?Shining Father? incarnated on earth. Not only that, but geographically it goes right into the heart of original Shining territory.

But, I again had questions:
Why the X? I believe that the X marks the spot in more ways than can be imagined. It is the crossing point of the two dual energies and it is the centre where the true enlightenment is engaged ? where the two opposites meet. With the upright world axis running through the X we also have a dividing line, but it is also a six-pointed symbol and is akin to the Star of David or Seal of Solomon, which is also an ancient symbol with much the same meaning. The six points are important, as they reveal the seventh point and most holy ? the centre of the X.

I was tempted to look into the infamous Skull and Bones secret society of Yale University so famously joined by Bush Senior and Junior, as well as many other extremely powerful individuals, but decided I was straying too far into the world of conspiracy theories that had little or no substance and so I left well alone. However, as I was to discover with the Jesuits, who swear an oath upon the symbol of the skull and crossbones, I found that the Freemasons also have this symbol and utilize it without too much knowledge of its origin ? or so we are led to believe.
However, what was intriguing was the ?degree? that utilized the symbol ? the Knights Templar.

In the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Virginia, USA, there is an anteroom with a large portrait of the Colonial period Grand Master Lafayette wearing the Templar Apron bearing the ?skull and crossbones.? The same apron images have also been found elsewhere, such as Michigan, Detroit and Jackson and I am sure that these are not the only ones, as several members have also pointed out to me that they too have seen the aprons.

According to Masonic history the apron can only be dated back to the late 18th century and to the revisions carried out by Thomas Smith Webb where he pointed out that ?The flap black, and a skull and cross bones embroidered in silver thereon.?

On another apron is described by Cornelius Moore in 1859, ?An Apron of black velvet of a triangular form, trimmed in silver lace. On the top or flap is a triangle, with twelve holes perforated through it; in the centre of the triangle is a cross and serpent; on the centre of the apron is a scull and cross bones, and at equal distance from them, in a triangular form, a star with seven points; in the centre of each star a red cross.? (From The Craftsman and Freemasons Guide, 1859.)

The reasoning behind having this skull and crossbones on the Masonic apron, is revealed in a story with which I began ? the story about a Lord of Sidon . . .

Notes
1 For more on this see Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon?s Temple Revealed by Philip Gardiner, New Page Books, 2006 and the DVD from Reality Entertainment 2006
2 For more on this see Secrets of the Serpents: In Search of Our Sacred Past by Philip Gardiner, Reality Press, 2006 ? a book and DVD.
3 One thing is sure, Rho stood for ?Pater? or ?Patah? (the Egyptian god Ptah), which is ?Father.? Together they therefore make ?Shining Father? (Dyaus Pitar) ? which later became the Roman ?Jupiter? (Hu Ptah=father sun) ? the Roman version of the Greek father-god Zeus.

Serpent Saviour

Extract from Secrets of the Serpents available from www.reality-entertainment.com/books.htm as a book and DVD)
by Philip Gardiner

The saviour of mankind is a recurring motif. It has, like the sun, risen in every part of the world for thousands of years. It has cast its light upon every civilisation and every culture. But the light of this ancient sun has also cast dark shadows and today we wander around in the shadow of deception. You see, as civilisations grew so too did the power base of those who claimed authority from their saviour and great cultures began to move physically closer and closer, eventually crossing over into each others domain and the rest is history. There can only be one saviour, so went the cry, and for hundreds of years mankind has fought over the difference they perceived. But these differences are a phenomena and this study will highlight just how similar the various saviours of the planet are and how they are all based upon the same original ideals and belief systems ? that of the original serpent worshippers and the motions of the planets.

Buddha

According to Albert Churchward in The Origin and Evolution of Religion:
"The first Buddha was called Hermias, and can be traced back to Set of the Egyptians; he originated in the Stellar Cult. Later, however, the Solar Cult was carried to India, and the Buddha is there representative of Ptah of the Egyptians."


So, what we have here is a non-historical god-man based upon the sun and finding origin in Egyptian religion. He follows certain patterns, which as we will see, relate entirely to the idea of the later Jesus Christ. These patterns are the same the world over and follow a distinct astrotheological perspective. It is interesting to note that Buddha is seen as emerging from Set or Ptah of Egypt, especially when we consider the serpentine relationships of both deities.


The serpent was an emblem of the sun and of Buddha the messiah (Squire, Serpent Symbol, p 195). According to Hindu oral tradition and legend, Gautama (Buddha) "himself had a serpent lineage." Not surprisingly trees are sacred to Buddhists, as Gautama was ?enlightened? beneath the Bo Tree. In Ophiolatreia, Hargrave Jennings quotes Captain Chapman who was one of the first to see the ruins of Anarajapura in India "At this time the only remaining traces of the city consist of nine temples . . . groups of pillars . . . still held in great reverence by the Buddhists. They consist first of an enclosure, in which are the sacred trees called Bogaha" or Trees of Buddha.


The basis of the Tibetan healing arts comes from Bhaisajya-guru, Lapis Lazuli Radiance Buddha ? the ?master of healing.? The begging bowl is made of lapis lazuli and contains the very elixir of life.


An indication of what this Elixir is that resides in this bowl is found in a story related about the Buddha when he passes the night away at the hermitage of Uruvela.


The leader, Kashyapa, warned Buddha that there was only one hut available, and that a malevolent Naga (see Naga below) occupied it. Buddha was not phased by this and went to the hut regardless. However, a terrific struggle ensued culminating in the hut bursting into flames. The onlookers drenched the flames, but they had to wait until morning to find that Buddha had survived. The Buddha emerged with his begging bowl in his arms and inside was a peaceful, coiled snake. The Buddha had slain the dragon of its fiery notions and emerged with a beneficial result.


Now, to invoke the healing power of the snake, it is thought to be sufficient to simply call on the medicine Buddha. The serpent and Buddha are associated in symbolism because Buddha turned himself into a Naga (cobra) in-order to heal ? that is, Buddha probably became a member of the Naga serpent cult in-order to learn their healing ways, just like Apollonius of Tyana and many others. This Apollonius himself was worshipped widely at the time of Christ. He did many miracles that were reminiscent of Jesus and indeed the very worshippers of Apollonius were later known as Christian Gnostics.


The coming or future Buddha is said to currently reside near, under or even in the Naga tree, where he learns wisdom from the Nagas.


Buddha as the god-man:

:
Born December 25th to the virgin Maya ? announced by a star, wise men and angels.


Pronounced ruler of the world at birth and presented with costly gifts.


He ?crushed the serpents head? and was tempted by the ?evil one.?


He was baptised in water with the Holy Ghost present.


He fed the poor, healed the sick and walked on water.


According to some traditions he even died on a cross and was ascended physically to heaven (Nirvana).



Chrishna


Chrishna, Christna or Krishna is the Hindu god Vishnu in human form, like Christ is Yahweh in human form. And as all other healers, saviours and preserving gods, he was represented as a serpent. The serpent was a symbol of Vishnu as a preserving god and saviour.


The orthodox and post Christian position of his death is that he was shot in the foot while under a tree. However, as always with Hindu gods there are many variances. One states that the body of this ?god-man? was suspended on the branches of a tree ? that is, crucified.


The disciple, Arjuna, came to take the body away, but it had already disappeared. The use of many arrows to "pin" him to the tree is reminiscent of the crucifixion of Christ. As Doane points out in Bible Myths and Their Parallels in Other Religions:


"The Vishnu Purana speaks of Chrishna being shot in the foot with an arrow, and states that this was the cause of his death. Other accounts, however, state that he was suspended on a tree, or in other words, crucified?. The death of Chrishna is very differently related. One remarkable and convincing tradition makes him perish on a tree, to which he was nailed by the stroke of an arrow?. We find that Chrishna is represented hanging on a cross, and we know that a cross was frequently called "so cursed tree." It was an ancient custom to use trees as gibbets for crucifixion, or, if artificial, to call the cross a tree . . . In earlier copies of Moor?s Hindu Pantheon, is to be seen representations of Chrishna (as Wittoba), with marks of holes in both feet, and in others, of holes in the hands."

Many of the images of Chrishna have been destroyed or removed by Christians. In the 19th century the British Parliament sent a Christian Bishop to find out about the Hindu religion. The result was forwarded back to England for investigation and was found to be "horribly mutilated" and to be "scarcely recognisable." The crucifixion was completely removed. Indeed the Reverend Simpson, an erudite religionist noted that the "subject, a crucifix, is omitted in the present edition, for very obvious reasons." These obvious reasons were the Christian sensibilities, who, when they discovered such instances came up with the excuse that:
"These crucifixes have been introduced into India, I suppose, by Christian missionaries, and are, perhaps, used in Popish churches and societies." (Moors Pantheon)

(Moors Pantheon)
There were several other points of discussion, which startled many; namely the Coronet, which was probably of Ethiopian or Parthian descent and looked incredibly similar to the crown of thorns and even the halo?s seen around the gods. The fact however remains that India had its crucified victim long before Christianity.


With the travels of people such as Apollonius into the mysteries of India, there is little wonder that the idea of a crucified god got back to Greece, Italy and the pre-Christian world. Indeed Apollonius is connected with bringing back the ideas of Chrishna. Yet again we have a line drawn back towards the serpent worship of antiquity directly from Christianity. Christianity has "borrowed" extensively from the numerous, but singular, serpent cults and pagan beliefs of the ages. The relation of Chrishna in his various forms (Vishnu) as a serpent deity, and being hung upon the cross, has remarkable similarities to the ?Brazen Serpent? of Moses, which according to the Christian writer Barnabas, was set up on a cross, which Lundy says was a simple sign of salvation; and Moses himself makes the sign of the cross at Exodus 17:12. It is basically the Ankh, the serpent upon the T or Tau cross. It is life, immortality and rebirth; a universal image seen across the Atlantic even with Quetzalcoatl.


There is wide usage of the crucified form, being seen even in Assyrian Monuments of Nineveh, which predate and were the progenitors of the Christian cross. They were symbols of the resurrected serpent god; the serpent god entering a ritualistic rebirth on the sun symbol of the cross; a symbol, which would take on the symbolism of the serpent because of this very fact. The fact that, according to Tertullian, the Christians were accused of worshipping an ass-headed god points simply to Set or Seth, the Egyptian god, who is the twin to Horus, as Christ is the same as John the Baptist.


The Brahmans represented Chrishna as a crucified god-man; the Romans revered Sol crucified on December 25th; Zoroaster was born by immaculate conception and his soul suspended "a lingo" or from the wood or tree of knowledge; Prometheus was crucified, even nailed to a cross; Tammuz was crucified around 1160 BC according to Graves; and Julius Firmicus said that Tammuz was raised from the dead for the salvation of the world, the same Tammuz who is represented by the Tau cross; and the Assyrians had their sun god Baal with outstretched arms in the cruciform. The fact that this "sign" of the god-man or serpent on a cross was a symbol of salvation, which is basically ?immortality,? is seen even by Christians such as Reverend Cox who said "the Egyptian the cross . . . became the symbol of immortality, and the god himself was crucified to the tree which denoted fructifying power." The snake brings immortality and the tree, as the vegetation or solar power gives it "life." This Egyptian god crucified was none other than the twin of Set, Horus (Osiris too.) In fact Horus was even seen crucified between two thieves as we shall see later. But we must for the moment remain in the Hindu culture and turn now to India?s greatest ? the serpentine Naga.


Naga/Naaga


A Sanskrit term meaning literally Serpent (especially cobra); also holds the meanings ? a tree; a mountain; the sun; the number seven; wisdom and initiate ? all symbols and emblems we are familiar with in the worship of the serpent and amazingly also familiar motifs surrounding Christ.


These Naga are said to reside in Patala, however this has a meaning similar to antipodes, the same name given by the ancients to the America?s. It is a similar term to the Mexican Nagals, the medicine (healers) and sorcerers who always kept a god in the shape of a serpent. In Burma they are Nats or serpent gods. Esoterically Naga is a term for wise men. There is a folk tradition that Nagas washed Gautama (Buddha) at his birth ? the wise men visiting the deity on Earth. They are also said to have guarded him and the relics of his body after his death. The daughter of the Naga Ulupi, the king of Patala, married Arjuna who is the same as John.


According to H. P. Blavatsky in Theosophical Glossary, the Naga were descended from Rishi Kasyapa who had twelve wives (therefore he is the sun), by whom he had numerous Nagas (serpents or wise-ones) and was the father of all animals. Rishi Kasyapa can therefore be none other than a progenitor of the Green Man, who is the god of animals the world over, and this explains the reasons for the appearance of the snake in images of the Green Man and Horned God, such as the Gundestrup Cauldron.


The Naga of Kashmir instructed Apollonius of Tyana. This is the same Kashmir where the serpent tribes became famous for their healing skills. There is a theory that the Nagas descended from the Scythic race and when the Brahmins invaded India they found a race of wise men, half gods, half demons (snakes). These men were said to be teachers of other nations and themselves instructed the Hindu?s and Brahmans ? no wonder that Apollonius visited them.


In the Bhagavata Purana there is a description of the Bila-svarga or the regions of the Nagas said to be subterranean. Some of the names associated with this place relate remarkably to the Mesoamerican and South American terms such as Tlaloc.


"My dear king, beneath this earth are seven other planets [seven is important in Atlantean myths ? seven islands!], known as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rstala and Patala? the residents are known as Daityas, Danavas and Nagas . . . brilliantly decorated cities . . . wonderful houses, walls, gates, assembly houses, temples, yards and temple compounds . . . The houses for the leaders of these planets are constructed with the most valuable jewels, and are always crowded with the living entities known as Nagas and Asuras . . . Many great serpents reside there with gems on their hoods, and the effulgence of these gems dissipates the darkness in all directions. Since the residents of these planets drink and bathe in juices and elixirs made from wonderful herbs, they are freed from all anxieties and physical diseases. They have no experience of gray hair, wrinkles or invalidity." (See Mahakala below)

(See below)
There is currently a lot of debate about the original inhabitants of India ? whether Aryan or Naga, but the fact remains, whether the Nagas were Aryans or not, they were an ancient inhabitant. The very fact that they were mentioned in the ancient Rig Vedas shows this to be true. They also intermarried with the Royal families, hence the popular myths of serpent kings.


"Then come the Naaga, the Siren serpents, whose worship has been so important a factor in the folklore, superstition, and poetry of India from the earliest times down to-day. Cobras in their ordinary shape, they lived, like mermen and mermaids, more beneath the water, in a great luxury and wealth, more especially of germ, and sometimes, as we shall see, the name is used of the Dryads, the tree-spirits, equally wealthy and powerful. They could at will and often did, adopt the human form and though terrible if angered, were kindly and mild by nature. Not mentioned either in the Veda or in the pre-Buddhist Upanishads, the myth seems to be a strange jumble of beliefs, not altogether pleasant, about a strangely gifted race of actual men; combined with notions derived from previously existing theories of tree worship, and serpent worship, and river worship. But the history of the idea has still to be written. The Naagas are represented on the ancient bas-reliefs as men or women either with cobra?s hoods rising behind their heads or with serpentine forms from their waist downwards." Rhys Davies, Buddhist India, p.223.

Rhys Davies, , p.223.
These tree deities were Nagas anyway as Rhys Davies continues on page 223:


"The tree-deities were called Naagas, and were able at will, like the Naagas, to assume the human form and in one story the spirit of a Nunyan tree who reduced the merchants to ashes is called a Naaga-raja, the tree itself is a dwelling place of Naaga. It seems that they also left behind myths of healing as a story in the Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Asiatic Society demonstrates. When there was an epidemic among the children, it seems the only answer was to bring them to a snake skin which was hung on a pole and allow them to touch it ? reminding us of the idea of the Brazen Serpent of Moses, which was upon a pole and for the healing of the "children" of Israel. This may explain why it is that the tree-gods are not specially and separately mentioned in the Maha Samaya list of deities who are there said by the poet to have come to pay reverence to the Buddha."


The history of the Nagas that we do have, textually beginning around the 7th century BC is an amazing history of ups and downs. It parallels the rise and fall of the serpent worshipped by the Semites, with the Brazen Serpent being raised in the wilderness and then broken up in the temple.


Nagajurna


A hermit and wise teacher and who scholars relate to John the Baptist and who is said to have visited China in 3rd Century BC, converting many to Buddhism. He is often called the second Buddha as he established the Madhyamika School of philosophy. Most interesting however is that he is said to have received his wisdom and Tantric empowerment with the help of the "Nagas in the lake" beside which he meditated. In Tibet he is known as Lu-trub (snake in Tibetan is Lu). Nagajurna was from the wealthy background of a South Indian Brahmin family. By tradition he is said to have obtained the title of Naga by visiting Patala, the home of the Naga. The texts or twelve volumes that the Naga gave him called Prajnaparamita Sutra are still said to be kept in the temple dedicated to him in Kathmandu.


Another strange story relates Nagajurna with the Philosophers Stone:


There was much grief and famine in the land, which was affecting the monks as they could only survive from the generosity of the surrounding villages. Nagajurna went off and visited a distant planet, bringing back with him the Philosophers Stone, which could turn lead into gold. However, even after supporting the monks for six years with his new venture he was eventually found out and expelled as handling gold was forbidden.


An allusion to the sacred architectural skills of the serpent worshippers is shown by the legend that Nagajurna built many Temples with special clay that the Nagas had given him ? presumably from their underwater home and therefore indicative of the "good building source" to be found in the mind. In this instance Nagajurna is the builder of the mind Temple with the aid of the power of the otherworldly serpents.


Toward the end of his earthly days, Nagajurna was patronised by King Ativhana as he supplied him with his serpent elixir of life. However, one of the king?s sons wanted this opportunity to rule the kingdom and plotted Nagajurna?s death. This Prince Shaktiman crept up on Nagajurna and struck him with his sword. However the sword failed to decapitate the sage. Nagajurna said, "Don?t be worried that your plot will fail. Many life times ago, I accidentally cut an insect in half with a sharp blade of kusha grass. The present situation is a direct outcome of that act. Although no weapon can harm me, let me tell you that you can easily sever my head with a blade of kusha grass. And in this way, the law of karma will be fulfilled." Also, Nagajurna?s remains are said to still be preserved at Shri Pravarta in southern India ? everything except his head! His head had been severed by a blade of kusha grass, struck by Prince Shaktiman, and is said to be kept in a walled enclosure in the Swayambhu complex. As soon as Prince Shaktiman had decapitated Nagajurna he heard the headless voice "I will now depart for Sukhavati heaven, but will soon repossess this body." The prince fled in fear and a female spirit took the body several miles away. The body lay in the "wilderness" for many years until miraculously the head found its way back to the body and Nagajurna returned to life. Estimations of up to 600 years life span have been put forward for Nagajurna after this; however there seems to have been a mixing of other individuals to make up his legend and this may account for the longevity.


His real name was Siddhipada and he acquired the name following the saving of the life of the king of the Nagas, Mucilinda, who had fallen seriously ill following a fire set by an angry yogin. After this Siddhipada then went to the realm of the serpents and acquired great teaching. Arjuna (white) was a warrior of ancient times and Naga is serpent, so Nagajurna became his title ? the white snake.


Nagaraja


Nagaraja is a name given to the guardian spirits of the lakes and rivers in India and means literally dragon or serpent king. They became Arhats and were textually converted into Buddhists.


Nagayuna


Strangely the Indian branch of Alchemy is known as Nagayuna. The symbol of the entwined serpents is seen all over India looking virtually the same as the Western caduceus. These stone tablets or votive tablets are known as Nagahals or Nagakals. The idea of Indian Alchemy is purely the production and preservation of the Elixir, both physically and spiritually.


Mahakala


A very popular god and Naga King who was tamed by Majusri and Avalokitesvara and turned into a protector of Buddha. He helps beings overcome negative elements, especially spiritual ones. In depictions of him he stands over a lying corpse holding a vajra chopper and skull in front of him. The skull is full of the blood and guts of dead demons (Naga) that have been churned into the elixir. He has a serpent on his potbelly and is adorned with serpent bracelets and ear ornaments.


This is a remarkable image of a Hindu god holding a chalice containing the Elixir, which is made from churned snakes ? it is blatant in its symbolism.


Horus


It?s now time to shift angle slightly and look sideways at India?s close cultural and historical neighbour ? Egypt. Many people fail to realise that as Egypt was once a great and powerful Empire, so too was India and both shared similar time-scales for their growths.


In the myths of the Egyptian deity, Horus, we have starkly given to us the real reason behind the use of the Uraeus snake symbol by the Pharaohs. Horus is said to have recovered the eye of Osiris, his father, and to have placed over the wound the divine serpent Uraeus in-order to cure him. In fact his father then made Horus king of Egypt.


There are parallels here with Jesus in that he too healed the eye, but this time it was with clay. However, he spat into the clay, and it was this act, the "spit" of the serpent king, which cured the eye. Jesus then went on to become king like Horus. He was paired with Set, as Jesus was with John the Baptist or against Satan (Set) and he even had Set decapitated as John is beheaded.


Set later returned, taking the form of a serpent. Horus was crucified between two thieves and then resurrected, just like Christ. His earthly father was known as Seb, which is the same as Joseph. He walked on water, delivered a ?Sermon on the Mount? and was said to reign for 1,000 years. So, if Horus is the Egyptian equivalent of Jesus then what does it tell us about Jesus? And furthermore, what does it tell us about the Grail?


Well, in the 1st dynasty of Egypt there was a king called Djer. He was the third king and he had a son named Djet, although evidence of this relationship is sketchy. Djet was also known as Wadjit the uraeus snake. Djet?s tomb is at Abydos in a location known as Umm el-Ga?ab.


First excavated by Flinders Petrie it was later redone by Kaiser and Dreyer in 1988. There were steles found at the sight indicating the early names of this enigmatic pharaoh. It was a snake with a falcon above and a palace below the snake. Simply, this inscription means "Horus the snake." Remembering that this is one of the Pharaohs from the 1st dynasty then we have here an indication that very early on in Egyptian history the god Horus was seen in relation with the healing snake.


If Christ is seen as Horus, then he too is associated with the ?healing snake,? and no wonder that the early Christians called him the "good serpent." But there is yet a more revealing element of the names given to Jesus, which in the light of this new outlook is most revealing. Jesus is called the carpenter, but what is the root of this word and why was it used for a man that plainly did not have the inclination or time to sit and carve out wood?


The word carpenter contemporaneously was ?naggar? meaning wise man and serpent. Mark 6:3 "Is not this the carpenter?" now reads "Is not this the serpent?" The blood that therefore flowed from Jesus into the Grail, and the spit that came from his mouth to heal the eye, were elements of the snake.


Mithras


The Roman and earlier Persian god Mithra or Mithras was represented encircled by serpents, as seen especially at Modena where he is entwined by the serpent whilst holding a staff and encircled by the Zodiac. In his rites, customs were observed similar to those of the mysteries of Sebazius ? that is, a serpent was thrown into the chest of the initiated and then withdrawn from the lower body.


Mithras often has a lion?s head, a human body, and a serpent coiled around him. The lion?s head is thought to signify the sun and the snake the ?cosmic path.?


A stone found at Lyons has "Deo invicto Mithir" under a raised figure of a large serpent. Mithras was often depicted as a young man. In the Roman mysteries and traditions of Mithras he is seen killing or sacrificing a bull, another symbol of the sun and yet in the Iranian stories there is no association with the bull at all. It was in fact Ahriman who killed the bull in the Iranian stories and it could be that this simply passed over with the Mithras that the Romans created.


One of the strangest mysteries of Mithras is the famous rock-birth. The scene shows Mithras emerging from the top of an egg shaped rock, normally depicted entwined with a snake-like symbol of the ?Orphic Egg.? Mithras is born from the egg of a snake as an immortal god. Yet again, the snake?s egg is associated with immortal birth. Mithras was seen as the redeemer and saviour in that he was able to transcend the ego, which can halt one?s spiritual progress. The ?bull? to be sacrificed is the ego ? one?s ?present personality.?


The ego is the source of division and duality ? being divided as it is between the ?objective,? ?conscious? male/positive aspects and the ?subjective,? ?subconscious,? female/negative aspects, and these two divisions are symbolised by the two horns of the bull.


It is the ego that has to be "sacrificed" before one can become enlightened and become a "god" or avatar like Mithras and the other gods and avatars he is associated with ? like Horus or Jesus for instance.


This "sacrifice of the self," implies that the ego must be "killed" or "dispensed with," but the real process is that this division in one?s consciousness be "healed" ? i.e., the two divisions of the ego are to become united and so reintegrated so that the ego can then become one with the source. In other words, it is the division in consciousness, which must be "sacrificed" ? by being Neutralised. This division within the ego reflects the same division between the ego and the centre of one?s consciousness, which is symbolised by the ?cosmic egg.?


As we can see, Mithras is born from the egg of a snake as an immortal god and yet again, the snake?s egg is associated with immortal birth. Mithras was seen as the redeemer and saviour. Like Mithras, one being "born" or "reborn" from the egg or ?cosmic egg? conveys the meaning that one has become enlightened by this reintegration or fusion in consciousness and therefore one is ?reborn? anew ? i.e., illumined ? possessing a profound knowledge of oneself and one?s reality. One?s division has been ?healed? by the serpent energy ? the neutral life force ? and this spiritual, psychical, "healing," also extends into the ?physical? healing properties of the snake.


Osiris


This Egyptian sun/earth-god as the saviour is associated with the snake. He enters the tail of the snake, to be reborn from the mouth ? like the egg emerging from the mouth of the snake, as in Irish and Celtic tales and the Ohio Serpent mound in America. Amazingly this ?being? born again from the serpent is widespread. Was it an ancient concept? Was this one of the first rituals of the serpent cult?


Australia is one of the oldest remnants of the serpent cult as it was split off thousands of years ago. In the Western Desert of South Australia there is a ritual called ?the making of the medicine man.? The ritual begins with the prospective medicine man (shaman) being mourned as if dead. He then goes to a water hole where two medicine men cover his eyes and "throw him into the jaws of the serpent." The prospective medicine man remains inside the belly of the serpent for an indefinite time until the other two medicine men bring rats to entice the serpent as an offering and the born again new medicine man is ejected from the mouth of the serpent. He falls alongside a "rock hole" indicating that this was no real snake; instead it simply must have been seen as a serpent mound. He has been reduced to the size of an infant ? which shows that he is young again in new life.


Mircea Eliade in Rites and Symbols of Initiation points out that, "what characterises all forms of this dangerous return to the womb is that the Hero undertakes it as a living man and an adult ? that is, he does not die and he does not return to the embryonic state. The state involved in the enterprise is sometimes extraordinary ? nothing less than winning immortality."


Others, such as James Campbell (Hero with a Thousand Faces) point out that now the postulant becomes not only the father, but also the son. The father and the son are one and this makes complete sense because Osiris is in fact the father of Horus, but he is also Horus himself. This is no different to the fact that Jesus was the Son of God, but also God on earth. Mary, the mother of Jesus is therefore also the mother of God. She is in fact Isis, the mother, sister and wife.


Zoroaster


Supposedly born around 1,500 BC or 660 BC (depends upon whom you believe) in Iran, there is evidence that this saviour-style figure or title had actually been in existence for at least 10000 years. According to some historians there have been up to seven different Zoroasters over time, making him not a single person but an ancient god humanised.


His teachings are to be found in the Avesta and Gathas. Zoroastrianism did not really take off until around the 6th century BC and lasted until it was taken over by Islam in the 7th century AD, although there are still some who cling on even today. These Zoroastrians are believed to have been the wise men or Magi of the Christian Bible, who brought gifts to Jesus at his birth, as a born god. If these Magi saw their gods as serpents, then there is little wonder that they should see and be associated with this serpent saviour born in human form.


According to Eusebius in the ritual of Zoroaster the great expanse of the heavens and nature were described under the symbol of the serpent (Ophiolatreia, Hargrave Jennings). This was doubly mentioned in the Octateuch of Ostanes and even to the point that Temples were erected across Persia and the east in veneration of the serpent deity. The serpents were esteemed the "supreme of all Gods and the superintendents of the whole world." The worship is said to have begun yet again in Chaldea. That the city of Opis (Op = serpent) was built on the Tigris is a testament to this fact.


Zoroaster in essence is a god-man archetype like Osiris. We can see this element of him when we run through some of the similarities between Zoroaster and Christ.


Zoroaster was born of a virgin via the immaculate conception.


He was baptised in a river and tempted in the wilderness.


He began his ministry at thirty (30 degrees is the measurement between the Zodiacal signs).


He baptised with water, fire and "holy wind" (ghost). It was said that one would follow who would baptise with the Holy Ghost.


He was "the word made flesh."


He revealed secrets of heaven and hell ? the resurrection, salvation, judgement and apocalypse.


He was slain and his followers had their own Eucharist.


He even had a sacred Grail or Chalice!



Messiah (Comparisons)


So there are many similarities between the various "messiahs" that the world has known and it is my view that they all emanate from one original and serpent cult source. We have seen above some groundwork from the realm of Hindu and Buddhist belief. We can see the beginnings and origins even of some of the more peculiar and even profound things we find in our Christian Messiah in the West. Let?s just take a look at some comparisons now and see what sticks out like a sore thumb!


Buddha was born of the virgin Maya who was known as the ?Queen of Heaven? on December 25th.


Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, also known as the ?Queen of Heaven,? on December 25th in a cave or manger.


Horus was born of the virgin Isis-Meri on December 25th. Isis-Meri is also known as Mata-Meri or Mother Mary.


Mithra was born to a virgin on December 25th and in a cave or manger; also announced by a star and three wise men.


Chrishna was born of the virgin, Devaki (shining one). This goddess or ?Queen of Heaven? is known as Isis, Astarte, Asherah, Marratu, Marah, Mariham. In fact the Semites knew her as Mari-El or Mary God or indeed shining Mary.


Chrishna?s most beloved disciple was known as Arjuna or Ar-jouan (John.)


In Egyptian myth, Anup or Aan (John) the Baptiser also baptised Horus, and in Christian myth John baptised Jesus. Both Anup and John the Baptist were decapitated.


Buddha performed miracles and healed the sick, as did most of the others. Horus had twelve disciples like Christ and Mithra. Buddha was transfigured on a mountain like Christ and Horus. They all ascended into heaven.


Buddha was sacrificed for three days and was then resurrected like Jesus.


Horus was crucified, buried in a tomb and then resurrected.


Mithra was buried in a tomb and then resurrected three days later.


Chrishna was crucified between two thieves on a tree, then rose from the dead and ascended to heaven ? as did Prometheus.


The idea of being resurrected after three days has strong links to astronomy. The stone monuments of the world are also linked to astronomy and the serpent. The 12 disciples are the 12 zodiac signs and months and of course, the snake, seen as the Ouroboros is in control of the signs ? just like Christ, who controls and guides the disciples. But the snake is seen, not just in control of the stars, but also as the sun and the moon ? basically, the serpent is seen as the most powerful of the cosmic entities.


In December the sun makes a descent southward until 21st or 22nd December, which is then termed the ?Winter Solstice.? It stops then for three days and begins to move back again northwards ? it is resurrected. As the serpent and the sun are linked together in symbolism of new and regenerative power then there is no surprise to find this correlation.


Being born of a virgin implies the knowledge that the calendar began whilst in the constellation of Virgo. As the sun, the various messiahs are the "sun" of god and are the "light of the world." The Hindi word "Kris" actually means sun and it is from this root that the word Chrishna and Christ are derived. In fact Chrishna was known as "Jezeus" or "pure essence" and centuries before Jesus Christ.


The sun has a corona or horned crown, like the horns and the crown of thorns of Jesus and Chrishna. Most of these remarkable and ritualistic "sons of god" are come of age at 30 and there is no surprise to find that the sun enters into each zodiacal sign at 30 degrees.


Even the language barrier is overcome when we find that Buddha was considered the good shepherd, carpenter, saviour and light of the world. Horus was known as "the way, the truth and the light" ? again, like Jesus.


Also as God?s anointed, "the messiah," the "lamb of god," "the word," "the good shepherd," "the fisher," "the son of god" ? Horus was also known as the "KRST" or Christ. (There are in fact many depictions of Horus at his virginal mother?s breast, looking exactly like Jesus and Mary.


Horus also raised "El-Azar-us" or "El-Osiris" from the dead, just as Christ was to raise "Lazarus." This story in itself is an allegory of the sun god Osiris being reborn.


There are others who match those similarities seen above. Dionysius for instance, rode on a triumphant ass. He was sacrificed as the Dendrites or Young man on the tree and eaten in a sacred Eucharist. He turned water into wine; given the title king of kings and rose from the dead. His cult actually entered Jerusalem around the time of Christ and was indeed thought to have been worshipped by the Jews. His symbol was IHS, a symbol still used by Christians. He was called Iasius in Crete, which is an equivalent to Iesu or Jesus.


Mithra, like Jesus, has his principal festival at Easter when he was resurrected and he had a Eucharist like Jesus.


In Phrygia the god Attis was crucified on a tree ? a day known as ?Black Friday.? He was born on December 25th to a virgin named Nana. He had a Eucharist of bread as his body and was called the Son of God. After three days in the "underworld" of hell he ascended as god.


They are all basically descended from royal lineage and were generally wealthy. We know from looking around the folklore as well as these religious similarities that this royal lineage generally meant that they were descended from serpents or dragons. Jesus was of the line of David; Buddha the son of a Raj, and Chrishna descended of royal stock. They all are involved in some kind of trinity, as are many other faiths.


Chrishna, Buddha and Jesus all are ?dragon slayers? ? they all "crush the head of the serpent." To all, the serpent is an emblem symbolic of ?wisdom.? To all, the serpent is intricately linked to their entire myth as a symbol of healing and is highly beneficent. And to all, yet again, the serpent is linked to the Elixir.


The Christian Church, which has destroyed much of our history over the past 1,500 years jealously guarded most of this information. The very messiahs of the globe were written over. Even Buddha became a Christian saint as St. Josaphat, taken from the Buddhist title, Bodhisat.


Christianity as a literal truth is now so heavily entrenched in the culture of the West that there is almost no attempt made to put the record straight. Recent television documentaries prove that the idea of the Christian story is still seen today as being literally true, and these are documentaries made by Journalists! The fact remains that the story is widespread and is an astronomical, serpent-oriented device for symbolic immortality and realisation of the self.


What we have seen here in this quick study is that India and Egypt, to name just two, are full of stories and religious texts that perfectly parallel the Christianity of the West and especially, pre-date it. The incredible stark reality of these facts are often fought over on the internet and in books and magazines and yet the force of faith is blind to the logic of reality and evidence. The battle will rage for a long time yet, but what we have today is a little more freedom of speech than our ancestors. The saviour is the sun, which gives us birth by seeding the earth mother with energy and then ticks away the hours of our life and ushers in our end. It is the ouroborus, the beginning and the end, the cycle of life and our saviour deities mimmick its every move.

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Nick Pope talks candidly for the first time since leaving the MOD in depth about his work and the amazing things he uncovered and saw. Roswell, Rendlesham, black technology, quantum physics and psychology are all discussed with some amazing new concepts.

CLICK HERE TO SEE TRAILER http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grt5O6IexQw

If you want to go on the list for 1st edition copies then email michael@real2can.com with NICK POPE in the header.

A New Way Forward for Authors and Publishers

Mayfair Book Promotion, Inc, announces a new way forward for the author and publishing industry with the launch of their new website mayfairbooks.com.

With over forty years of experience in the publishing industry Mayfair Book Promotion are moving ahead of the times with their new website and technological initiatives. Publishing a book yourself requires taking on a long check list usually managed by the staff of a large publishing house that handles countless book titles every month. You become in essence just another number unless your name is Dan Brown or Graham Hancock and often publishers simply don't have time to give each and every book or author a fair shot at the market. This is where Mayfair come into their own, offering both the author and the publisher new and exciting avenues into the market place.

Mayfair have refined a system that makes it easy to handle the overwhelming but very necessary initiatives to get any book or manuscript ready for the bookshelves - let alone the ever competitive book marketplace and yet still give full time and effort to individuals who may not have a big name.

Using the new and mostly secret methods, Mayfair have proven that they can take books into the top sellers lists and other publishing companies want to know how. In fact Mayfair is not just for the author as publishers and agent can also use the Mayfair Book Promotion services, which are broken down into segments for simplicity. One publishing company recently switched their promotion services from in-house to Mayfair because it actually worked out to be cheaper and more effective than doing it themselves.

Part of the team is located in London England with further offices in California and through their numerous contacts they deal on a regular basis with the world's largest publishers, distributors and wholesalers. Mayfair Book Promotion and Author Publicity has over 40 years of collective knowledge in all aspects of the publishing dilemma that all author?s face. From distribution to manufacturing, from press releases to radio campaigns, Mayfair has the knowledge and the experience to get results for your book or catalog. Their services and related programs are applicable to all genres although they have specialized in the inspirational and metaphysical market. Designed to assist authors, self-publishers and publishing companies, Mayfair has catapulted many authors onto the world stage such as the international best selling author, Philip Gardiner, Dr John Jay Harper, author of Tranceformers; Shamans of the 21st Century and international best seller Brad Steiger among many others.

Their expertise and experience in the publishing industry enables them to determine a customized plan for maximum impact for their clients. They feel each book is unique in its own right and evaluate every applicable aspect of the book, from cover art to editing, from annotations to marketing materials.

Using the latest technologies such as Print on Demand and ebooks, as well as the usual printed form, Mayfair, through their inter-company links with Real2Can.com can also get books turned into DVD documentary and audio books with a full list of experts, producers, directors, presenters and voice over artists. In fact, Mayfair and Real2Can.com offer a service unparalleled anywhere else within the industry and now the doors have been thrown wide open for everybody to join in.

For more information visit mayfairbooks.com and real2can.com.

Press related enquiries to press@mayfairbooks.com
Client enquiries to clientservices@mayfairbooks.com
Real2Can enquiries to michael@real2can.com

In These Signs Conquer

by Ellis Taylor www.ellisctaylor.com

All around us there are signs and messages beseeching us to notice them. The
obvious ones are the in your face 'buy me-s' and tyrannical commands such as
'do this or don't do that', but everywhere, all of the time, there are more
subtle signals aimed at assisting us. In our preoccupation with treading the
line we mostly miss, or worse, ignore them. Some call them coincidences, I
don't. The Universe (the Great Unconscious) is always offering us
opportunities and the means to answers. It wears its fingers to the bone
knitting together the different strands for jumpers to suit us. The ensemble
is there, hanging on the rail, just waiting for us to notice it. "Pick me!
Pick me!" it shouts; but unfortunately our senses are so subdued that if we
ever do notice these promptings they are more like a mumbled whisper. There
are some occasions when the Universe just ain't having that and will ensure
that no matter how dull-witted the person is they are going to get the
message whether they realise it or not. Eventually, it hopes, the penny will
drop.

Enter one such dim-wit, me.

"Ellis!" "Ellis!" "Ellis!" Three times I heard my name called within an
hour. The first time was in the Oxford City Library. I turned around to find
a middle-aged couple. This 'Ellis' was a well-dressed and elegant man with
his equally spruce wife. I've never met another 'Ellis' in my entire life,
but here, in the library, was another.

The second time I heard my name called happened as my friend and I strode
towards the Ashmoleum Museum. I was on a mission to find pictures of Mary
Magdalene for this new book, "In These Signs Conquer".
This time it was yours truly being called. I'd just remarked to my friend
how rare it is that I meet someone I know in Oxford these days when...
"Ellis!" I heard someone shout out from a car parked on double-yellow lines.
Through the windscreen I could just make out someone waving frantically
behind the glare. It was a cousin of mine who lives several miles away, and
who I very rarely see. Her name is Patricia; red haired, green-eyed and very
becoming, even her name betrays her regal Pictish origins, it means 'of
noble descent'.

Presently my friend Mac and I were climbing the stairs to the portrait
galleries in the Ashmoleum. I'd just entered one hall when yet again I heard
my name called. "Ellis!" I heard a young woman's voice and span round to see
the girl reach out to a young attendant. At the same time I spotted a
painting of Mary Magdalene behind them. I didn't detect anything unusual
about the painting at the time but took a few photographs and moved on. Many
of the paintings have notices besides them prohibiting photography but this
one of Mary didn't.

On returning home I downloaded the photographs to the computer. As I was
looking at the photograph of the Mary Magdalene painting I thought to
myself, 'It's such a shame that the photo is so narrow because it would make
a great front cover image.' The colours and the subject were so appropriate.
Then it occurred to me that I could try mirroring it and joining both images
together using paintshop, and then that might make the picture large enough.
So I did that.

It was, paradoxically, one of those Damascus moments! I was dumbstruck by
what emerged from this process. There, right in the middle of the mirrored
Marys was a leering demon in all its golden glory and what's more it had its
arms wrapped around our heroines. From its gaping mouth fell crosses and
below this, I fancy, a pretty good likeness of the Shroud of Turin. Above
the picture was now another beast, this time leonine looking and sporting a
snout resembling a McDonalds' logo.
The painting formed part of the decoration of an altar panel in either
Venice or Padua and is by the artist Francesco de' Franceschi. This 15th
century work is yet another example of what can lay hidden from the
intellectual, mundane fixed eye. There is no doubt that de' Franceschi
intended this deceit. The clues are right there to see in the now obviously
inappropriate shapes and shades within the picture. I didn't really notice
them in the museum. Only for a brief moment did my eye and suspicion
converge on the golden arrow, but I must have dismissed that. Now it sticks
out like a hockey scrum, and the demon seems so damn obvious.

This humbling experience, so eloquent in its delivery, was especially
significant because "In These Signs Conquer" is devoted to revealing many of
the unseen messages in modern and historic art and literature.

After a lifetime of otherworldly experiences I've not so much noticed the
invisible as had it rammed in my face; which just goes to show what a
frustration I must be to them upstairs. I suspect that the cry, "Christ
Almighty!" has been uttered regularly by those who have to resort to
figuratively kicking my shins. Having said that, I do try; and I do
eventually notice stuff, sometimes quite quickly. I'm getting better. I
think so anyway. Imagination and intuition, they are the key, the
whispering winds, the channels bearing the breath of the Goddess.

"In These Signs Conquer" is a channelled book in that it is crammed with
stuff I didn't know I knew, though I am assured by my mentors that I do. I
followed signs, gathered threads, and was led to extraordinary insights
regarding our past, present and future, and who we, human beings, really
are.

We humans have been blessed, incredibly blessed. We are unique, immortal and
infinite. We can do anything. We are also innately trusting and loving and
these beautiful aspects of our nature are the very means by which we have
been persuaded to forget who and what we truly are. Because we care, the
Darkness which despises that has taken advantage and subsumed our conscious
minds. This has enabled it to accentuate the importance of intellect
(conscious mind), diminish the roles of intuition, imagination and emotions
and thereby separate us from our natural connections to the Great
Unconscious.

Throughout time the Great Unconscious has injected refined for the moment
souls equipped to communicate the true nature of reality to that and
succeeding epochs. Cautious not to shine their light too noticeably in this
conquered realm of Darkness they have resorted to numerous means to
efficiently broadcast the messages they have been charged with.
Misunderstood, many have been reviled, ridiculed and often disposed of. Yet
they keep coming and humankind is gradually waking up. Some of these heralds
are acknowledged in my book; they include Plato, Galileo, Francis Bacon and
Leonardo da Vinci. There are a few surprises too, but I'll leave that for
the reader to discover.

My hope is that "In These Signs Conquer" will inspire everyone to, as
Jonathan Swift said, see the invisible, in everything.


© Ellis C Taylor



In These Signs Conquer is published by TGS Hidden Mysteries and is available
from:

BiggyBoo Books in the UK
www.biggyboobooks.com/signs.html
or

Hidden Mysteries in the USA

http://hiddenmysteries.com/xcart/product.php?productid=17387

Price: $22.95 (£12.95) + p&p

Reality Tours

Coming soon on www.real2can.com will be the first of it's kind - a unique experience not to be found anywhere else or with any other tour company. Reality Tours will bring to the world a unique journey into the heart of Hidden England. No Stonehenge, no Rosslyn, no Avebury - leave these to the glory hunters. No, there is a true, sacred and secret centre to be found and with experts, speakers and uplifting presenters that simply cannot be found anywhere else, this will be an experience not to be missed. From the Templars who lived in this land and hid their secrets to the Druids who had a profound input; from Roman legions to Viking invaders - all have influenced our shores and in this experience you will learn from top experts and TV presenters, but you will also find a safe harbour for your journey into the true centre.

More will be posted soon but go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx_5upORRZU to see the trailer and email paul@real2can.com for more information.

Secrets of the Shroud

Coming March 2007 from New Page books


The Ark, The Shroud, and Mary
The Untold Truths About the Relics of the Bible

Philip Gardiner,
best-selling author of Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon?s Temple Revealed

"A suspense-filled, fact-packed adventure story...an epigrammatic tale that needs to be told to the whole wide world...clearly the next blockbuster movie sequel in the ?Raiders of the Lost Ark? series."
Dr. J. J. Harper, author, Tranceformers: Shamans of the 21st Century

If you want to get on the list for 1st edition copies or to be notified when launched then email "Ark" in your subject line to michael@real2can.com

Why do the Ark of the Covenant, Mary?s reliquary box, and Jesus? Coffer all have the same imagery?


Was the Ark the container of the Covenant, the Ten Commandments, or the Chalice? Does the image of the Shroud of Turin contain a bioelectric field?

These questions and others will be explored in The Ark, The Shroud, and Mary. In this unique and thought-provoking work Gardiner proves that the Ark of the Covenant, the Shroud of Turin, and Mary are united in ways never before imagined.


Traveling across the world, from Rome to India, Portugal to Egypt, Gardiner uncovers the trail of the Ark and finds that it does not lead to Ethiopia, as many believe, but instead in a direction that nobody could have imagined. The trail of the Ark takes Gardiner on a hunt into the very heart of an ancient secret society with clandestine meetings in far off lands.


Uniting the myth, tradition, and language of the Ark with the Shroud of Turin, Gardiner then goes on to re-date it, reveal how it was made, and identify whose image it actually recreates. Through his new-found contacts in the world of secret societies, Gardiner then shows how this incredible secret was protected by a dual brotherhood throughout time and was the secret source of the enlightenment spoken of by numerous orders from the Sufis to the Knights Templar.


The Ark, The Shroud, and Mary outshines The Da Vinci Code for the simple reason that it is the factual story of one man?s fight to uncover the truth.


Pub Date: March 2007
U.S. $17.99 (Can. $22.50)
Paper, 6 x 9, 320 pp. (est.)
ISBN 1-56414-924-2
EAN 978-1-56414-924-4
Category: Religion/Ancient Mysteries
Rights: World
25-35 Photos/Illustrations




Also:


Coming June 2007 from New Page Books


Secret Societies:
Gardiner?s Forbidden Knowledge
Revelations About The Freemasons, Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and The Serpent Cults
Philip Gardiner,
best-selling author of
Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon?s Temple Revealed and
The Ark, The Shroud, and Mary

With his recent best-selling books and hundreds of articles, as well as radio and TV appearances, Philip Gardiner has started a crusade for uncovering the truth, and nothing could be more indicative of that search than his latest foray into the dark and often sinister world of secret societies.

Yet again, in Secret Societies, Gardiner finds himself on a journey across the world to uncover the ancient secrets of the world?s most powerful men. In one dramatic episode he finds himself driven out of Berlin in a black Mercedes by a secret organization that was believed to have disappeared after the Second World War and eventually arrives in a modern Nazi watering hole. Gardiner, however, survives this incredible journey and brings us the secrets of the Order held sacred for so long.


Gardiner delves into a world that is often hidden from our eyes and finds himself in situations that seem to mirror the fictional world of the Da Vinci Code. In Secret Societies, Gardiner:
Gets to the core of the secret societies? belief systems.
Explores the secret origins of Freemasonry and the links to secret Serpent Cults.
Investigates the secret hidden meaning of King Arthur and Robin Hood.
Examines the claimants to the name of Illuminati, and analyzes the history of the group in Europe and America.
Reveals the secret links within the Vatican and the Nazi Party.
Looks in-depth at the white-powdered gold theory supposedly kept secret by orders throughout time and radically re-appraises it.
Shows the link between the so-called enlightenment experience and the control of our minds.
Nobody in the genre involves themselves in the tale in the same way that Gardiner does, and here he shows that the search for ultimate truth can often be a terrifying one.


Pub Date: June 2007
U.S. $14.99 (Can. $18.95)
Paper, 6 x 9, 256 pp. (est.)
ISBN 1-56414-923-4
EAN 978-1-56414-923-7
Category: History/Secret Societies
Rights: World
30 Photos/Illustrations

USA Invades UK - Reality Finally Hits Europe

One of the world's largest independent record labels launches new UK entertainment and multi-media company.

Reality Entertainment, one of the world's largest independent record companies, has opened a new UK film, A and R, and multi-media division called Real 2 Can. Working with producers, directors, bands, musicians, presenters and experts from all the fields, Reality has created a growing website called www.real2can.com for the purpose of investing in and promoting cutting edge and alternative media and music.

Reality Films - part of Real 2 Can's remit - will be producing DVD documentaries, audio books and just about any other modern medium required for creative writers and producers to get their message across. Using the hundreds of diverse contacts Reality has through its parent company, they can produce everything from websites to multi-media press launches, commercials, documentaries and even films. With a huge catalogue of Reality bands such as Marcy Playground, Warrior, Freakhouse and K. C. and the Sunshine Band, musical underscoring is simply not an issue and with the recent signing of UK based Soul Path this opens up into an even wider format. Soul Path, made up of three unique individuals are all top class musicians, song writers and composers having produced work for such clients as ITV and Sky in the past. Recently they produced the underscore and accompanying album music for author Philip Gardiner's DVD's, Gnosis and Secrets of the Serpent - both produced by Reality Films.

Recent additions to the presenters profile at real2can.com were Lost Treasures (ITV/History Channel) Mark Olly and Ross Hemsworth (Ghost Detectives). There is also an exceptional list of voice over artists, producers and much more. And Real 2 Can will always be on the lookout for more.

Reality Films is currently producing several DVD documentaries for international sales, including a couple of UFO DVD's - with some amazing new evidence, Crystal Skulls, author Crichton Miller's Cross of Thoth, Science of the Soul by Philip Gardiner and Dr John Jay Harper and even Yoga training with Soul Path. But the directors, producers and experts at Reality Films are also there for authors, publishers and anybody else who wants their ideas turning into "reality" - whether DVD, broadcast or even just audio books.

In addition to this Reality Europe are looking for new or old musical talent seeking international exposure, so if you are a newly formed band or indeed an established band and want to get your new work launched on a world-wide basis then get in touch.

Through Reality Tours, the group will also be providing international travel tours to sacred and mysterious sites around the world with lectures and presentations from the leading authors and researchers in the field. As with most things under the Reality banner, this new venture will bring something new and unique to the tour world.

More information can be found at www.real2can.com

Email: Paul or Michael on info@real2can.com for more information.

World's oldest ritual discovered - Worshipped the python 70,000 years

Just had this amazing story sent to me by Sheena McDonagh. Unfortunately we don't know the origin of the story so can't credit. If you do could you please let me know so that I can get the right credit down for the story. Thanks. Phil

World's oldest ritual discovered - Worshipped the python 70,000 years
ago

A startling archaeological discovery this summer changes our
understanding of human history. While, up until now, scholars have
largely held that man's first rituals were carried out over 40, 000
years ago in Europe, it now appears that they were wrong about both
the time and place.

Associate Professor Sheila Coulson, from the University of Oslo, can
now show that modern humans, Homo sapiens, have performed advanced
rituals in Africa for 70,000 years. She has, in other words,
discovered mankind's oldest known ritual.

The archaeologist made the surprising discovery while she was
studying the origin of the Sanpeople. A group of the San live in the
sparsely inhabited area of north-western Botswana known as Ngamiland.

Coulson made the discovery while searching for artifacts from the
Middle Stone Age in the only hills present for hundreds of kilometers
in any direction. This group of small peaks within the Kalahari
Desert is known as the Tsodilo Hills and is famous for having the
largest concentration of rock paintings in the world.

The Tsodilo Hills are still a sacred place for the San, who call them
the "Mountains of the Gods" and the "Rock that Whispers".

The python is one of the San's most important animals. According to
their creation myth, mankind descended from the python and the
ancient, arid streambeds around the hills are said to have been
created by the python as it circled the hills in its ceaseless search
for water.

Sheila Coulson's find shows that people from the area had a specific
ritual location associated with the python. The ritual was held in a
little cave on the northern side of the Tsodilo Hills. The cave
itself is so secluded and access to it is so difficult that it was
not even discovered by archaeologists until the 1990s.

When Coulson entered the cave this summer with her three master's
students, it struck them that the mysterious rock resembled the head
of a huge python. On the six meter long by two meter tall rock, they
found three-to-four hundred indentations that could only have been
man-made.

"You could see the mouth and eyes of the snake. It looked like a real
python. The play of sunlight over the indentations gave them the
appearance of snake skin. At night, the firelight gave one the
feeling that the snake was actually moving".

They found no evidence that work had recently been done on the rock.
In fact, much of the rock's surface was extensively eroded.

When they saw the many indentations in the rock, the archaeologists
wondered about more than when the work had been done. They also began
thinking about what the cave had been used for and how long people
had been going there. With these questions in mind, they decided to
dig a test pit directly in front of the python stone.

At the bottom of the pit, they found many stones that had been used
to make the indentations. Together with these tools, some of which
were more than 70,000 years old, they found a piece of the wall that
had fallen off during the work.

In the course of their excavation, they found more than 13,000
artifacts. All of the objects were spearheads and articles that could
be connected with ritual use, as well as tools used in carving the
stone. They found nothing else.

As if that were not enough, the stones that the spearheads were made
from are not from the Tsodilo region but must have been brought from
hundreds of kilometers away.

The spearheads are better crafted and more colourful than other
spearheads from the same time and area. Surprisingly enough, it was
only the red spearheads that had been burned.

"Stone age people took these colourful spearheads, brought them to
the cave, and finished carving them there. Only the red spearheads
were burned. It was a ritual destruction of artifacts. There was no
sign of normal habitation. No ordinary tools were found at the site.
Our find means that humans were more organised and had the capacity
for abstract thinking at a much earlier point in history than we have
previously assumed. All of the indications suggest that Tsodilo has
been known to mankind for almost 100,000 years as a very special
place in the pre-historic landscape." says Sheila Coulson.

Sheila Coulson also noticed a secret chamber behind the python stone.
Some areas of the entrance to this small chamber were worn smooth,
indicating that many people had passed through it over the years.

"The shaman, who is still a very important person in San culture,
could have kept himself hidden in that secret chamber. He would have
had a good view of the inside of the cave while remaining hidden
himself. When he spoke from his hiding place, it could have seemed as
if the voice came from the snake itself. The shaman would have been
able to control everything. It was perfect." The shaman could also
have "disappeared" from the chamber by crawling out onto the hillside
through a small shaft.

While large cave and wall paintings are numerous throughout the
Tsodilo Hills, there are only two small paintings in this cave: an
elephant and a giraffe. These images were rendered, surprisingly,
exactly where water runs down the wall.

Sheila Coulson thinks that an explanation for this might come from
San mythology.

In one San story, the python falls into a body of water and cannot
get out by itself. The python is pulled from the water by a giraffe.
The elephant, with its long trunk, is often used as a metaphor for
the python.

"In the cave, we find only the San people's three most important
animals: the python, the elephant, and the giraffe. That is unusual.
This would appear to be a very special place. They did not burn the
spearheads by chance. They brought them from hundreds of kilometers
away and intentionally burned them. So many pieces of the puzzle fit
together here. It has to represent a ritual." concludes Sheila Coulson.

It was a major archaeological find five years ago that made it
possible for Sheila Coulson to date the finds in this little cave in
Botswana. Up until the turn of the century, archaeologists believed
that human civilisation developed in Europe after our ancestors
migrated from Africa. This theory was crushed by Archaeologist
Christopher Henshilwood when he published his find of traces from a
Middle Stone Age dwelling in the Blombos Cave in Southern Cape, South
Africa.