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The Christian (Orthodox) pectoral cross is a symbol of faith that a person receives at the moment of his initiation into the faith - Baptism and wears of his own free will all his life until his last earthly days. It is called upon to protect, protect from troubles and misfortunes, bring inspiration and remind us of the essence of faith.

The cross has an ancient history; it appeared long before Christianity in different cultures: Eastern, Chinese Indian and others. Archaeologists find ancient imprints of the cross in rock carvings of caves in Scandinavia, Easter Island, India, Japan...

The cross personifies great balance, harmony in the Universe, and carries a deep secret meaning of the knowledge accumulated by our ancient ancestors. The cross acquired a sacred (hidden deep) meaning after Jesus Christ was crucified on it.

There are people who wear a cross as decoration, as a fashion statement, without considering themselves believers. Is this forbidden? Of course not, for such a person the cross will serve as decoration, completely devoid of the meaning of those things that we outlined above.

What is the difference between an Orthodox cross and a Catholic one?

The eight-pointed cross was considered by ancient people to be the most powerful protective amulet against evil spirits and all kinds of evil. Although the hexagonal one was also widely used.

There is an opinion that Catholics and Orthodox Christians have different shapes of the cross. How to distinguish an Orthodox cross from a Catholic one? In general, an Orthodox believer should not have such a question, since any form of the cross is acceptable for such a believer. Venerable Theodore the Studite wrote:

“The cross of every form is the true cross.”

And even though the shape and meaning of the cross changed over the centuries, some attributes were added, but since Christ accepted the sacrifice on it, it has become a symbol of the victory of good over evil.

The Lord himself spoke about how important this symbol is for every believer:

« He who does not take up his cross (deviates from the feat) and follows Me (calls himself a Christian) is unworthy of Me"(Matthew 10:38). -24).

Serbian Patriarch Irinej says this:

« There is no significant difference between the Latin, Catholic, Byzantine, and Orthodox crosses, or between any other crosses used in Christian services. In essence, all crosses are the same, the only differences are in the shape».

What is the meaning of all the sides of the cross and what do they mean?

Orthodox Christians more often wore six-pointed crosses, when a lower crossbar was added, symbolizing the “righteous standard”: on one side of the scale are sins, on the other are righteous deeds.

For an Orthodox Christian, the shape of the pectoral cross should not matter; the information that is indicated on it is much more important.

• The inscription “Jesus of Nazarene, King of the Jews” on the crosses are the same, only written in different languages: in Catholic in Latin script “INRI”, in Orthodox in Slavic-Russian “IHCI”. Sometimes it has the following form: “IC” “XC” - the name of Jesus Christ;
• Often on the back of the cross there is the inscription “Save and Preserve.”
• At the very bottom, sometimes in another place you can see the inscription “NIKA” - which means Winner.

• Another distinctive feature is the position of the legs on the Crucifix and the number of nails. The feet of Jesus Christ are placed together on a Catholic crucifix, and each one is nailed separately on an Orthodox cross.

• Western Christians (Catholics) portray Jesus as tortured and dead, for them he is a man. For Orthodox Christians, Jesus is God and man rolled into one; his crucifix most often has a flat image. Catholics make it more voluminous.
• Catholics have a crown of thorns on Jesus' head, while Orthodox Christians have his head uncovered.

But I repeat once again, in fact, all these differences are not so significant.

And yet, when choosing a cross for yourself and your child, give preference to the one without a crucifix. With all your love for Jesus and filled with gratitude and reverence, remember that the crucifix contains the energy of pain and suffering, which presses on your soul and heart chakra, filling your life, which is already full of suffering. Think about it... Watch this video:

And remember that the cross is just a symbol of faith, and it cannot replace faith itself.

8 Veresny 2015

In 2015, evangelical unions and associations in Ukraine were shocked by a grandiose event: the “Festival of Hope” with the participation of Franklin Graham. The brochure “Christian Life and Witness” was printed especially for the participants of this festival: “Four lessons that will help Christians renew their faith and teach them to share it with others.” The preface of this booklet, which also features a strangely shaped cross on the cover, states that “the Christian Life and Testimony course has been taught for over 45 years in preparation for festivals sponsored and attended by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.”

Leafing through the pages of this “course”, you can’t help but be surprised by the strangeness of the intricate symbolism repeated from the first pages. What did the authors want to say by placing such symbolism, especially against the background of the cross depicted even on the title page? What did the authors of the “course” achieve by using such symbols and what is their origin? Or maybe a lot of illogical “coincidences” are just coincidences of signs and symbolic images, and not a pattern? Well, first, let's try to understand some of the symbols of this “cross”. First, let's talk about the so-called “trefoil”, located at the four ends of this cruciform structure, and in general about the origin of the concept of the trefoil: religious and secular, occult-pagan and Christian.

Considering ancient signs and heraldic symbols, as well as comparing them with modern symbols, you involuntarily discover some external similarity between them. Meanwhile, we should not forget that heraldic systems (with their symbols) are different: pagan, occult, class, caste, talking about the title and status of someone who has been assigned a certain status in a certain community and society. And there are many such communities and societies today, as in ancient times. Among the many ancient signs, the trefoil symbol, sometimes also called the “triangle-triquetra,” is widely known today. So, how does the Christian trefoil symbol differ from the pagan, occult or Masonic three-leaf heraldic system?

Based on Christian assumptions, the trefoil symbol, as a symbol of the Triune Godhead, should reflect the Divine qualities - cordiality and fidelity, modesty and unity - a symbolic display of the humility of all Three Persons of the Being of our Lord, on canvas - equal parts of the symbolic image, displayed in symmetrical forms. This is how the shamrock became, depicting the Irish clover flower.

Originally, the shamrock in the form of a clover flower is the emblem and symbol of the educator of Ireland - St. Patrick, who used the shamrock to explain the principle of the Trinity to the Irish in the 5th century. The clover leaf shamrock is a traditional decoration for St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. Also, in honor of the fact that thanks to the personality and ministry of St. Patrick, Ireland turned from paganism to Christ, the clover shamrock became the national emblem and symbol of Ireland. And although the pagan priests of Ireland from ancient times attributed many magical properties to clover flowers, like most other herbs, trees and flowers, it was the preaching of Christ that made this simple wildflower a symbol of this country and its main preacher.

However, today the shamrock made from clover leaves is a symbol of the Trinity not only in Ireland. This symbol frames the so-called ? often encountered by us on church domes. Merging together at its base, on the stem, clover leaves placed at the ends of the Bottoni Cross remind believers of the unity of the Holy Trinity, and the cross itself - of the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ. A distinctive property of the petals of the trefoil clover is, as we have already talked about, the equality of the shapes and sizes of its leaves (which we see at the ends of the Bottonni cross), the absence of sharply protruding parts of any of its petals. This symbolized the harmonious relationship of the Three Persons of the One God - the Holy Trinity, and also reminded Christians of the need for everyday practical humility. The rounded shapes of clover leaves are frankly peaceful, and the leaves of such a shamrock look more like a connection on one stem of three hearts facing each other, which certainly reminds us of the words: “God is love” (1 John 4:16). In visual religious symbolism, clover is a symbol of simplicity, sacrifice and the spiritual power of a loving God. Very often, in the center of clover leaves, Christian symbolists depicted three fish touching their tails, with their heads turned in different directions.

The shape of three intertwined fish is also commonly associated with the symbol of the Holy Trinity, which was used by the Celtic Christian Church. For the first Christians who were persecuted, the fish (Greek ιχθύς) was a secret symbol. They could recognize each other by it. If you spell out the Greek word for fish, you get the capital letters of the Gospel words: “Jesus Christ - the Son of God, the Savior.”

When two Christians met, one could draw half a fish, the other could continue to draw, and then they could freely communicate about problems that concern them equally, having recognized each other as Christians. The circle symbolically depicted on such a triquetra was usually interpreted by Christians as a symbol of the unity of believers in the body of Christ - the Church of the Lord.

However, modern pagans who are carried away by ancient symbolism cannot calm down on this issue either. Therefore, they interpret this ancient sign of Celtic Christians as a pagan symbol of the unity of the three elements - water, earth and air, tactfully forgetting to mention that in the pagan schematics there should be four main elements, but this time they decided to forget about the element of fire. And these elements were not depicted by pagan symbolists in the form of fish. Modern pagan authors explain the circle of this symbol as the cycle and continuity of the cycles of life (life - death - rebirth). And although modern research by pagan authors does not stand up to the test of reliability, the only trump card in their dispute remains the fact that similar images existed among the Celts before, before their conversion.

And this is true! But here we must not forget that the adoption of Christianity did not mean and did not necessarily lead to the erasure of cultural traditions, the art of depicting ornaments and figures, the meaning of which could differ significantly from modern ones. However, this does not mean at all that the meaning of these symbols in the ancient pagan era corresponded to the ideas of modern pagans and the interpretations of modern priests, for the connection between generations among pagan beliefs and the priests of Europe has been lost, and few people know what this symbol could mean among the ancient pagans, and whether it meant anything to them at all. Moreover, the triquetra depicting three fish should not be confused with the clover-leaf trefoil symbol, which was undeniably used by the Church as an illustration of the relationship of the Holy Trinity and thus served the purpose of converting an entire people. However, on the domes of many Church buildings in Europe this symbol, decorating the edges of the cross, can still be seen today. So, in Christian pictorial symbolism, the shamrock in the form of clover leaves has become an undeniable symbol of spiritual power, reminding us of its character and properties.

The lily flower as a symbol of secular and spiritual power at the dawn of the early Middle Ages

From the first days of the birth of the Church, the question of the primacy of power became relevant: which power is more important, the power of the Church, or the power of the state, spiritual or secular? We see the first example of the emergence of such a dispute on the pages of the Gospel, in the First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians: “How dare anyone among you, when dealing with another, sue the wicked, and not the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you really unworthy to judge unimportant matters? Do you not know that we will judge angels, much less the deeds of this life? And you, when you have everyday disputes, appoint as your judges those who mean nothing in the church. To your shame I say: is there really not a single reasonable person among you who could judge between his brothers? But brother goes to court against brother, and that too before unbelievers” (1 Cor. 6:1-6).

Reading these lines, we clearly see that Paul, as a teacher of the Church and an Apostle, placed the Church court much higher than the secular, although not everyone in the Church agreed with him on this issue, and therefore sought court from unbelievers. Of course, reading these lines, the unlucky reader may remember the words of Christ: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1-2; Luke 6:37-38), while forgetting that nowhere in Scripture is it prohibited judgment, reasoning, discussion…. After all, this verse is more about responsibility during judgments and condemnations, and along with responsibility, about retribution for an unjust trial. In this case, it is really better to have no judgments at all.

The problem is rather something else. Jesus more than clearly pointed out to the Sadducees, Pharisees and scribes that they wanted to have spiritual power solely for the sake of expanding their temporal power. Possession of many, and not serving them - that is what they strived for! That is why the principles of the spiritual power of the ministers of the Church laid down by the Apostles all the time pointed to its main principle - the principle of service and sacrificial love, and not the principle of power-hungry possession.

From church history we know that this dispute about the supremacy of spiritual or secular power in the Western Church was resolved in favor of the Church, and in the Eastern Church - in favor of the state. As a result, a system arose in the Orthodox world, known in theology as “Caesarapapism” (the union of church and state), for the emperor in such a system takes over the rights and responsibilities of the pope-pontiff, sharing partially these rights with the local patriarch. A country ruled by such a king (a derivative of the term “Caesar”) is called Christian not because the population of this country professes Christianity, but because the emperor proclaimed himself a Christian Caesar, a representative of the authority of Christ. The fruits and continuation of this dispute were especially visible during the early Middle Ages. And, if in the Eastern Empire, the role of the Church and the state was decided once and for all, then in the lands of the Western Empire, secular power regularly tried to overthrow the burden of spiritual power, which was reflected in symbolic fine art.

So, if in visual religious symbolism clover is a symbol of simplicity, sacrifice and the spiritual power of a loving God, and subsequently a symbol of the spiritual power of the Church, God, then a symbol inevitably had to appear that would speak of the divine origin of secular power, as with the blessing of the Church, and bypassing the authority of the Church. And such a symbol appeared. The lily and iris very soon became symbols of undeniable perfect worldly power. Wikipedia is dedicated to the heraldic lily (French fleur de lys, “fleur de li”, literally “lily flower”, “lily”) and the iris.

According to French legend, the Frankish king Clovis converted to Christianity in 496, after which an Angel gave him a golden lily as a sign of purification. The king’s direct contact with the spiritual world in this legend is very important; it creates a conflict between the personal faith of the monarch and the communal faith of the Church community, placing his personal faith above the general faith of the Church, and the Christian monarch on a par with the prophets and patriarchs. There is also a legend that Clovis took the lily as his emblem after the water lilies told him a safe place to cross the Rhine, a place where it was possible to ford the river. Thanks to this crossing of the river, Clovis won one of the most important victories in his life. And, although we find all the signs of a true story precisely in the second description (for lilies grow in shallow waters), it was the first story that was popularized by the royal dynasty, according to which the monarch could communicate with representatives of the higher spiritual world (saints, God, Angels), without participating in this process of church hierarchs and ministers, the Church.

“The lily, therefore, is not only a symbol of France, but also a prototype of the unification of its heavenly and earthly paths. Since Clovis, she personifies royal power not only in its earthly purpose, but also in its spiritual one. Revival, pride and admiration became the meaning and, in fact, the whole history of royal passions in France, symbolizing the natural qualities of the lily.”

The Church saw in the monarch’s actions a desire to impose his absolute power and convince his subjects of its divine origin, but did not make a big deal out of it. After all, the anointing of the kingdom, as a result of which the coronation of monarchs was carried out, in Europe was carried out by the bishops of the Western Church, which seriously distinguished the Western Church from the Eastern. The Byzantine patriarchs, acting in concert with the emperor of the Byzantine Empire, denied the peoples who accepted Orthodoxy the anointing and coronation of princes, rulers and kings converted from paganism. The emperors of Byzantium, as the temporal and spiritual rulers of the empire, wanted to see them as their subjects and vassals. This initially gave rise to incredible confusion in Orthodox countries, whose kings and princes could not, with the approval of their confessors, without forgery be called “Monarchs by the will of God.” But in the West, where secular power coexisted with higher, spiritual power, everything was different.

This is how in France the lily became a symbol of the absolute royal power of the Frankish kings. Louis is said to have used it on his shield, and at least one of the ships of the Gaullist navy was called "Fleur de Lys" - "Flower of the Lily". We find the lily symbol on the crown of St. Edward (962–968), the closest relatives of the French kings - the monarchs of Great Britain.

The struggle between secular and spiritual power in Europe over time was expressed in the fact that some of the European monarchs, trying to place their power above the power of the Church, tried to take control of the bishops of Rome, or to capture them, to place popes pleasing to their power on the papal throne. At the same time, some of the European monarchs either openly rebelled against the authority of Rome, or declared themselves the head of the Church, as the monarchs of Great Britain did. Thus, the crown of the British Empire, topped with symbolic lilies, symbolizes (with the birth of Anglicanism) not only the supreme power of the monarch over his subjects, the British Empire, but also power over the Church, the clergy, the spiritual affairs of the Church. This is also one of the forms of so-called “Caesar-papism”, in the British style.

Since the Reformation, many other forms of "Caesarepapism" have appeared, which, however, unlike the "Caesarepapist" claims of the royal dynasties of Great Britain, did not have such a taste for artistic art. Therefore, let’s go beyond the Middle Ages for a while to see some of the contours of this phenomenon.

John Calvin, who fled from France, from the persecution of French Catholics and the French crown, settled in Geneva, where he also created a system akin to the so-called “Caesar-papism.” In his religious work, he created something between “chancellor-popapism” and “burger-popapism” - a system in which the ruler of a republic, or even a city, had not only secular, but also spiritual power, inspired for secular rulers by John Calvin himself.

Thus, all secular entertainment, dancing, laughter and music, colorful festive clothes, fine arts and much more were prohibited in Geneva. And to hold a festival or go out into the city in festive decorations, it was necessary to obtain special written permission from the local ruler. Violation of the established order was severely punished by local authorities, including trials, fines and even physical public punishment in the central square of the cities controlled by Calvin.

During Calvin's life in Geneva, a regime resembling a theocratic dictatorship was gradually established in the city. That’s what they called him: “The Pope of Geneva.” Calvin, despite the idea that a wealthy person was pleasing to God, did not consider it worthy to emphasize his prosperity. Gradually, not a single theater remained in Geneva, mirrors were broken as unnecessary, elegant hairstyles were condemned.

Calvinism is one of the few religious systems in which the spiritual rebellion against the Catholic Church and ecclesiasticalism did not leave any mark on the symbolism. Whether out of hostility to the fine arts, or for some other reason, the Calvinists of Switzerland did not initially use any distinctive symbolic signs. Today, when talking about the symbols of this country, we can hear much more about such symbols of Switzerland as Swiss banks, watches, knives, cheeses and chocolates, rather than hear anything about its religious symbols. Even such an artistic symbol of Calvinism as the “Tulip” did not arise in Calvinism itself.

The symbol of faith of Calvinism in English is called “Tulip” (Tulip), since this word is formed by the first letters of the words with which the five points included in it begin: 1) Total depravity - complete, all-encompassing sinfulness; 2) Unconditional Election - unconditional election; 3) Limited Atonement - limited atonement (i.e. individual salvation); 4) Irresistible Grace - irresistible grace; 5) Perseverance of the Saints - the perseverance of the saints. These principles were approved by the Synod of Dordrecht in 1618. So this flower became a symbol of one of the branches of Protestantism.

However, let’s return to the “lily flower” - a symbol of the struggle between spiritual and secular power in France, Great Britain and many other countries of the world. So, to what we have already heard about this symbol, we can add the following. Over the centuries of struggle between spiritual and secular authorities, the artistic symbol “lily flower” acquired the meaning of the struggle against the power of the Church of free cities that were freed from Church duties and taxes. In such cities, the guilds of artisans and merchants, freed from many duties and claims of the Church and the state and, as a result, turning into guilds of free artisans, began to demand more rights for themselves, both from the Church and from the state.

Today, the lily flower can be seen in the form of symbolism on the coat of arms or flag of: the Spanish Bourbons, Florence (Italy), Turku (Finland), Wiesbaden (Germany), Daugavpils (Latvia), New Orleans ( USA), the state of Detroit, the province of Quebec (Canada), Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1991–1998) and even the Russian Scout Organization.

Historically, not wanting to fight the secular symbol of the Franks, in which the king of the French depicted himself towering over his subjects (a lily bud among two bowed petals), the Western Church decided to give this symbol a different meaning. In the Catholic tradition, this symbol, changing its color, became the symbol of the Virgin Mary, known in Orthodoxy as the Mother of God. The rising bud of a lily, against the background of the bowed leaves of this “shamrock,” tells Catholic believers that the Virgin Mary was greater than her contemporaries and, moreover, all of humanity, gifted with grace, and therefore rises especially against their background. In this context, as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, the lily flower has also become a symbol of the purity of the Catholic Church and the purity of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Such a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the Catholic Church should be exclusively white, the white “Lily Flower”.

The lily flower as a symbol of secular and spiritual power: the Middle Ages and modern times

“Our churches teach in full agreement that the decision of the Council of Nicea regarding the unity of the Divine Essence, and also regarding the Three Persons, is true and worthy of belief without any doubt ... They [our churches] condemn all heresies arising around this article, such as Manichaeism, which admits two primary causes, one of which is Good, and the other is Evil. And also Valentinianism, Arianism, Eunomianism, Islam and the like. They also condemn the heresy of Samosata, both old and new, which asserts that there is only one Person, subtly and ungodly asserting that the Word and the Holy Spirit are not different Persons, but that the “Word” means the word spoken by the mouth , and “Spirit” signifies the movement created in all things.”

Representatives of secular monarchical power were not the only ones who challenged the authority of the Church. From the first days of its existence, Christianity was faced with one of its worst enemies - Gnosticism, whose followers also hoisted a symbol with a “lily flower” on their banners. The history of this movement is divided into two main periods: pre-Christian and modern. Gnosticism owes its existence to three Greek philosophers who laid the foundation of its doctrine.

Socrates(470/469–399 BC). Socrates was the first to challenge the Greek worship of the power of their "deities" and the first to pose to the Greek world the question of the moral right of the "gods" of the Greek pantheon to be called gods. If you believe the apologies of Justin Martyr (100–165 AD), the cry of Socrates, denouncing the deities of the Greek pantheon of sodomy, bestiality, parricide, fratricide, incest and other immoral acts, ran into a wall of misunderstanding of the society of Athens and the entire Greek world. His words that there must be a “deity” or “gods” somewhere that would serve as a standard of morality, morality and purity were also not understood by Greek society. The Athenians sentenced Socrates to death “for preaching foreign gods,” and according to their verdict, as a representative of the nobility, he received the right to an easy death - to commit suicide by taking a deadly poison with a side hypnotic effect. After his death, however, the people of Athens began to wonder: “What if Socrates was right?” and they erected an “Altar to the Unknown God” - the same one at which the Apostle Paul preached in Athens (Acts 17:22-23).

Plato(428/427–348/347 BC). Companion, follower and student of Socrates. It is generally accepted that, as a friend and follower of his teacher, he co-authored most of his works with Socrates (while he was alive). Like his teacher, and most representatives of the pagan world, he considered the God of Israel to be an evil and proud “deity” who, out of personal pride, refused to communicate with other “gods.” Like his teacher, he believed that only an evil deity could create such an evil world, and therefore he saw the source of evil not in the sin of man, not in his sinful nature, but in the material nature of this world and man. In addition to treatises on what is now called “Platonic love,” discussions about the fate of man and many other works, Plato is also known for his theory of the “emanation of the worlds.” According to this theory, our world is only a distorted reflection of the world of true, that is, in his opinion, spirits pure from all material things. He calls the higher world of such spirits the Pleroma, the place of perfection. All other worlds - angels, demons, gods and demigods, as well as our material world - are all mirrored, distorted at their level, reflections of the world of the Pleroma, the world of spirits-eons free from matter.

Aristotle(384–322 BC). Disciple of Plato. Teacher and mentor of Alexander the Great, later known as Alexander the Great (356 - 324 BC). It was Aristotle, having absorbed the ideas of his teachers, who developed the concept of Magna Graecia, inspiring Alexander the Great for worldwide conquest. It was he who developed the concept of religious security of a world empire, according to which philosophers who study them should stand above all religions. It is they who, by studying the mysteries and religions of the world, must form a new religion of a single global humanity, headed by the emperor-pontiff (in an empire), or the Supreme Citizen (in a democratic community). In both cases, the leader of humanity must be the high priest in the temple of all gods - the Pantheon.

Aristotle was not just a theoretician. He was a practitioner. Therefore, in all military campaigns, Alexander the Great was accompanied by a galaxy of philosophers who studied the religion and mysteries of the conquered peoples, and the peoples whose lands the Greeks had ever invaded. Active work was underway to create a new religion, which would include the Sumerian mysteries, as well as the mysteries of Babylon, Egypt, Persia, India and many other countries and peoples, the occult Kabbalah of the Jews. But Aristotle's plans were disrupted by the unexpected death of the emperor. Alexander the Great died, and with him died the empire and Aristotle's imperial expectations. The latter’s ideas turned from a bright flame into slowly smoldering coals, the heat of which was invariably maintained by generations of philosophers who followed him, among whom the Gnostic movement subsequently arose.

However, at the same time, the main ideas of Gnosticism were firmly entrenched in the Hellenized strata of Jewish society practicing occult Kabbalah and, partly, secretly, among the Jewish nobility. In addition, Gnostic ideas were quite widespread in Syria, from where they reached Rome.

One of the oldest sects of Gnostics, which emerged from Greek philosophy into an independent occult-religious movement long before the birth of Christianity, is the Ophite sect. Some authors associate its origins in the Middle East with the events associated with the invasion of Alexander the Great in India, where Greek philosophers first encountered Indian theories of the reincarnation of souls and reincarnation. And although the Greeks ridiculed the Hindu religion as an independent teaching for its primitiveness, it was the Hindu idea of ​​the incarnation of souls and their pre-existence before incarnation that influenced the formation of Gnostic ideas that God the Creator stole from the world of perfect spirits of the Pleroma those souls that were weaker than him and imprisoned them in the material world as in a dungeon. It was this theory that influenced the teaching of the Gnostic Ophites that captive souls have since been doomed to constant incarnation in one or another body of the material world. This became the subject of the Gnostic-Cainite admiration for Cain as admiration for the man who was the first to challenge God the Creator and his admirer Abel. Cainites are also known as “ophites” (snake worshipers), for, in addition to worshiping Cain, they also worshiped Lucifer, the serpent who gave the first gnosis, the first “secret knowledge”, which led humanity into a state of rebellion against the will of the Creator God. Like all Gnostics, the Ophites believed that the Creator God could be defeated through the dissemination of the “secret knowledge” of their cults, as a result of which souls would be freed from the power of the material world and the Creator God, which over time would lead to complete liberation all souls captured by the Creator, the fiery destruction of the material world, and even the death of God the Creator in hell, which He Himself created.

Gnostics of the 1st and 2nd centuries believed that one of the foremothers of the gods named Sophia (in Greek - “Wisdom”) gave birth to pure spirits-eons, and with them the Pleroma, as the perfect place of residence of pure spirits. And only one of the eon-spirits, the lowest of them, did not want to obey the Wisdom-Sophia. In his pride, he created his own world - the world of material beings, where he wished to be the only Deity, God the Creator. But the spirits of the Pleroma, eons, did not want to tolerate his pride, and decided to send a messenger-Messiah, who was supposed to show humanity the saving path to the world of spirits. Interestingly, the same doctrine was also adhered to by the Gnostic sects of the pre-Christian period of human history.

The word "gnosis" translated from Greek means "knowledge", saving "secret knowledge", occult "secret knowledge". Various directions of Greek philosophy, ideologically close to Gnosticism, in fact only represented various forms of secret knowledge capable of saving the soul from the material physical world, which, without going beyond the framework of Greek philosophy, did not become, unlike outright Gnosticism, an independent religion. The Gnostics, having become acquainted with Jewish messianic expectations and hating God the Creator with every fiber of their soul, came up with a “different Messiah”, with the special task of bringing secret knowledge to the people, with the help of which humanity was supposed to throw off the “yoke of God the Creator.”

According to the testimony of Irenaeus of Lyons (130–202), a student of Polycarp of Smyrna (69–155), his teacher, Polycarp, told him one story. Being a disciple who accompanied the Apostle John everywhere, and a scribe who copied the Apostolic Epistles and the Gospel, Polycarp once asked the Apostle who was being spoken of in the 1st Epistle of the Apostle John 4:1-3: “Beloved! Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Know the Spirit of God and the spirit of error this way: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ who has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ who has come in the flesh is not from God, but it is the spirit of the Antichrist, about whom you heard that he would come and is now already in the world.” To this the Apostle replied: “Docetians!”

The Docetians were perhaps the very first Gnostic sect to realize that with the coming of Christ into this world, they could preach to the Church and the world “another Christ,” as one who had already come to this world, and who would come again at the Second Coming. According to the Church, they preached the coming Antichrist (the word “anti” in ancient Greek was primarily used to mean “instead”, and only then to mean “against”). Having compiled a mass of their books and epistles, they attributed their authorship to the Apostles, thanks to which, referring to the apostolic authority, they seduced some of the illiterate, ignorant disciples. In these texts, Jesus walked along the shore of Lake Gennesaret with his disciples, and only the footprints of the disciples remained on the sand. Why? Yes, because according to their teaching, Jesus had only a ghostly body. He merely seemed to the disciples (in Greek “doketos”) incarnate. Therefore, he only pretended that he lived in the body, was crucified on the cross, died and was resurrected. After all, the main task of Christ, according to the Gnostics, was to bring saving secret knowledge to people, and not to die on the cross for some incomprehensible sins. Yes, and the messenger of the higher spirits-eons could not come in a material body, for this would mean for them that this spirit-messenger was captured in a material shell by God the Creator, and therefore he could not free others without being himself free from the Creator of the material world.

The Church responded to the activities of this sect by adopting the Apostolic Creed, also known as the “Credo” (I Believe). All his postulates and definitions testify to those points and provisions that characterize the Christian faith and contradict the doctrines of the Gnostics. In order to prevent the latter from entering, serving or doing any other activity in the Church, each newly arrived person was asked to recite this “Church Creed”, in which the person declared that he believes in God the Creator (as the Creator of all visible and invisible), into His Son - Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh (and not in the form of a ghostly vision), etc. This is how the Church tradition of defending one’s faith with the help of the Symbols and Confessions of Faith appeared.

Initially, almost all Gnostics were polytheists who believed in polytheism - until the emergence of Manichaeism in the 3rd century, which introduced religious dualism into Gnosticism, which, however, did not prevent both schools of syncretic thought from coexisting independently of each other. Thus, Manichaeism, having taken much from Gnosticism, resulted in an independent movement, independent of other Gnostic movements.

The dogma of the Gnostics is simple. In the hierarchy of spirits, the position of people was lower than that of even demons, for the latter are spirits by nature. Man, by his nature, is material, that is, he belongs to the lowest of the existing worlds - the physical. The higher worlds, according to the Gnostics, were woven by the spirits of primordial matter, the primordial gods-eons, and God the Creator is a fallen eon, deprived of the community of the perfect Pleroma and the wisdom of Sophia, who captured weaker immortal souls and turned them into living beings subject to him in material bodies and material shell. The Eternal Wisdom-Sophia, in order to free the souls imprisoned by the Creator in material bodies and to destroy the works of God the Creator, also called the Demiurge by the Gnostics, planned to send the Messiah-Christ to our world in order to destroy the plan of the Creator of this world.

Even the later Gnostics did not have the best attitude towards God the Creator. If you read “The Secret Book of the Bogomils” and other books of the Gnostics that have survived to this day, it becomes clear that they call Satan none other than God the Creator, also known as the God of Israel: “Satan was the creator of all things and imitated my Father.” .

The time of greatest activity of the Gnostics is the time of the birth of the Church! Competing with the Apostles and Apostolic disciples, they preached a different Christ. Their “savior” was an enemy of God the Creator, a messenger of the “Higher Spirits,” again, hostile to God the Creator. Unable to argue with the Church in an honest way, they began to compose many “Gospels” and “Epistles”, the authorship of which was attributed to the Apostles. This is how the “New Testament Apocrypha” appeared - books of unknown and forged authorship, distorting the good news of the Gospel. Here is one example of such Apocrypha, written by the Gnostics, whose authorship they attributed to the Apostle John.

I was very sad at heart and said: “Why was a savior chosen? And why was he sent into the world by his father? And who is his father who sent him? And what is the eon to which we will go? For what did he mean when he told us: “This aeon, to which you will go, has taken the form of a zone of that indestructible?” But he didn’t teach us what he was like.”

While I was thinking this in my heart, the heavens opened, and all creation below the heavens was illuminated, and the whole world trembled. I was frightened and fell on my face when I saw in the light the young man who stood in front of me. But when I looked at him, he became like an old man. And he changed his appearance, becoming like a child, at the same time in front of me. He was the unity of many forms in the light, and the forms were revealed one in the other. Being one, why was he in three forms?

He said to me: “John, John, why do you doubt or why are you afraid? Is this image alien to you? Don't be cowardly! I am the one who is with you all the time. I am the father, I am the mother, I am the son. I am spotless and undefiled. Now I have come to instruct you in what is, what was and what is to come, so that you may know the things that are not revealed and the things that are revealed, and teach you... about the perfect Man. Now, lift up your face, go and listen, so that you learn the things that I will say today, and can convey this to your companions in spirit, to those who are from the race of the immovable perfect Man.” And I asked him: “Tell me so that I can understand this.” He said: “One is the sovereignty over which there is nothing” (Apocrypha of John 1:5-13).

At all times, in their daily practice, the Gnostics rejected the symbols and rituals of the Church, including even baptism. Neither icons, nor crosses, nor holy water, nor the water of baptism had any meaning for them, but not because they were “enlightened by the Spirit of the Reformation,” but because, as Gnostics, they did not believe in the possibility of salvation and sanctification of matter or its participation in the sanctification and salvation of man. Matter for Gnostics is evil, and therefore one cannot use material water when entering into a covenant with God or be touched by the image of frescoes and paintings on Gospel subjects. Even the birth of a child into the material world was considered by the Gnostics as a great blasphemy, almost like the birth into the world of a demon who must be turned from the world of physical matter to the world of eons-spirits. Perhaps it was for this reason that almost ritual homosexuality flourished in a number of Gnostic communities.

In his apologies, Justin Martyr periodically mentions that Gnostics often penetrated the Church under the guise of Christian brothers, taking advantage of the simplicity of service in the Church of the first centuries and the simplicity of the morals of believers. Gaining confidence in the believers, they tried to corrupt the Church from the inside, telling the believers that they did not know all the books and works of the Apostles. Other Christian authors of the first centuries said the same thing about the Gnostics.

Over the centuries, the Gnostics continued to be a threat and the main enemy of the Church. The polytheistic doctrine, thanks to the founder of the Manichaean heresy, Mani (216–274/276), was replaced by dualistic semi-Gnosticism, partly an independent religion, which claims that initially there were two equal and equivalent deities: “the good god, the creator of the spiritual world” and “ the evil god is the Creator of the material world” (God of Israel).

As in other areas of Gnosticism, “man in Manichaeism is a creation of darkness (matter), which has imprisoned the soul - a spark of light - in the shackles of the flesh. But it was created in the image of the first man, seen by matter in the sun, and therefore contains within itself a greater part of the divine, compared to other creatures and plants. To save the human soul, the good father sends his son Jesus, who possessed only the appearance of a man and who grants salvation through “knowledge” (“gnosis”), which embraces the entirety of the teachings of the Manichaeans. In the Middle Ages, Manichaeism had a significant influence on the formation of the dualistic heresies of the Paulicians, Bogomids and Cathars."

Throughout their history, the Gnostics were never particularly peaceful. Being excellent ascetics who disdained worldly pleasures, they easily acquired followers from both the mob and the nobility, cleverly manipulating the consciousness of people. Thanks to this, their numbers continually increased. The Byzantine emperors, who did not want to see groups of incomprehensible people with unintelligible ideals in their neighborhood, sent the Gnostics to the Arabian Peninsula, where they greatly influenced the formation of Islam, which was even more aggressive towards Christianity. At the same time, the emperors expelled the Gnostics from the capital and its environs to settle in Armenia, where they launched such missionary activity and gained such political power that they very soon began to dictate their terms to the ruling circles of Armenia. The King of Armenia turned to the Byzantine Emperor for help, but he expressed his support in a very sluggish and restrained form. This only fueled the enthusiasm of the Gnostics, pushing them to rash actions, including even a march on Constantinople. The last scam of the Gnostic Paulicians (followers of Paul of Samosata) forced the Emperor of Byzantium to take this problem more seriously and resettle the surviving Paulicians to Europe, where, as they settled, they acquired new names - Bogomils and Albigensians, generally - Cathars.

Spreading across the south of France and Italy, the Cathars invaded neighboring regions, smashing church buildings, looting utensils, and disrupting processions. After the last such pogrom, when the Cathars killed a priest during a procession in 1208, and then the bishop who called them to order, Pope Urban sent ambassadors to the Cathars, proposing a dogmatic dispute (the vanquished must surrender). But the sent legate was also killed (in 1208), and only after that did Rome decide to start the crusades against the Albigensians.

The lily symbol was one of the coats of arms of the Albigensian uprising, which grew into the Albigensian Wars (in 1209–1229) and the Albigensian Crusades, or rather, one of the illegally appropriated coats of arms of the nobility and free cities that supported this uprising. The rebellious nobility gladly placed the “royal lily” on their coats of arms, investing in this symbol (in addition to the rebellion against the power of the Church) also the meaning of the uprising of the nobility against the power of the monarch and the idea of ​​​​changing the political structure of the state, and even the whole world.

At the same time, the lily, as a symbol of power, challenging the Church, appeared on the banners of the “Free Cities”, in which artels of artisans were not subordinate to the Church and monasteries and existed as closed communities, which until time more than suited the communities of future “free masons” - Freemasons, who arose precisely in the environment of medieval Gnosticism.

It is curious that in Britain on the eve of 1215 a similar picture was observed. Here, the nobility, who rebelled against King Richard the Lionheart, and after his death - against his younger brother Prince John, who became King John, also gladly added lilies to their coats of arms. Having obtained from the king the signing of the Magna Carta, the nobility of Britain received almost unlimited power over the country and its population. Even the rights of the clergy did not look as impeccable against their background as before. Flirting before the secret societies of England, the English and British nobility gladly borrowed this symbol with a new sacred meaning from secret organizations.

Lily flower as a Masonic symbol of power

Ancient Gnosticism is the foremother of modern theosophy, New Age ideology, occultism and, of course, Freemasonry. Continuing the tradition of the fight against the spiritual power of the Church, organizations professing any of these ideologies universally use the lily symbol on their logos, awards and orders - a symbol of superiority and power (material and spiritual) over the world.

Now let’s look at the pendant of the Masonic Order of Venus, which was put up for sale under the lot “Article P450” on the trading site of Russian occult communities and adherents of non-traditional movements of Russia “Razamataz”, also known as the site “RockBay”. The name of this order is ambiguous, because in ancient mythology, Venus is not only the goddess of the sky, rain, fertility and love, but also goddess of the dawn, which is important for this order, given its specifics. Other names for Venus are Ishtar (Astarte) and Aphrodite.

Here is what is said in the article “Astarte” of the Free Encyclopedia “Wikipedia”: “Before the Phoenicians, the Babylonians worshiped Ishtar, linking her cult with Venus, who was the third in the astral triad Sun-Moon-Venus. As the evening star, she personified Venus, and as the morning star she was called Anunit - Lucifer."

Many songs and odes have been sung in honor of Venus, most notably by modern Gnostics. Venus was perhaps the most important and only source of inspiration for artists, sculptors, poets and composers of the “Renaissance” - the Renaissance, a contemporary of the “Reformation”! The common people did not understand who their Gnostic nobility really admired, carried away by the changing architecture of their contemporary society. Even many of the modern anti-Christian works are dedicated by the Gnostics to Venus. For example, the famous film called “Zeitgeist” caused a lot of discussion. This production, as well as the subsequent parts of the film that followed, were given life thanks to the so-called “Venus Project”. It would be naive to believe that this is all accidental.

The most famous singers of Venus and Lucifer in the last century can be considered Helena Blavatsky and the Roerichs. Thus, being a famous gnostic-ophite of the last century, freemason Elena Pavlovna Blavatsky, in her book “The History of One Planet”, devotes the following poetic lines to this “goddess”, the planet and, of course, Lucifer:

No star among the countless myriads twinkling in the night sky shines as amazingly as the planet Venus - and even Sirius-Sothis, the dog star beloved of Isis. Venus is the queen among our planets, the jeweled crown of our solar system. For: “The stars not only shine, but they also teach...”, although their secrets are still unknown and hidden from most people, including astronomers. They are truly “beautiful and mysterious.” But, in the words of Byron: “Where there is a secret, the devil is believed to dwell.”

Byron knew very well what he was talking about, for throughout his work and his turbulent life, he more than once had to deal with contemporary Gnostics - members of Masonic lodges who deeply penetrated all spheres of contemporary British society. However, according to some reports, Byron was familiar with Freemasonry first-hand, but he himself was a member of this secret “society.”

Helena Blavatsky's admiration for Venus as the “goddess of the dawn” is not accidental. Being a traditional Gnostic Luciferian, who even published the magazine “Lucis Press” in the USA (translated from Latin as “Lucifer Press”), she repeatedly worships the image and personality of Lucifer in her speeches and books. And for the Gnostics this was not something out of the norm. As mentioned above, the ancient sect of Gnostic Ophites (“office” in Greek - snake), who worshiped the image of the very serpent that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and who worshiped Lucifer and Cain have always been the subject of inspiration as the ancient Gnostics , and their modern followers - the Freemasons.

In the same book, “The History of a Planet,” Helena Blavatsky continues her reasoning: “Venus, characterized by Pythagoras as sol alter, the second Sun, because of its majestic radiance, which has no equal in any of the celestial bodies, should have been the first attract the attention of ancient theogonists. Before she was called Venus, she was known in pre-Hesiodian theogony as Eosphorus (or Phosphorus) and Hesperus, child of dawn and dusk. Moreover, in Hesiod this planet is divided into two divine beings, two brothers - Eosphorus (Lucifer, in Latin), the morning star, and Hesperus, the evening star.”

So, if the Order of Venus, as the order of the “goddess of the dawn”, according to the Gnostic Masons themselves, is also the Order of Lucifer, then the presence of occult symbolism on this order in the form of a pentagram is quite understandable. But what then does the symbol of Christianity – the cross – do on this order? What does the Masonic symbol of the “Watching Eye” do in the center of another cross, the 1992 award sign “For Transnistria”? Why do all these crosses necessarily have some kind of feature that clearly distinguishes them from the Christian symbol, be it a five-pointed star (pentagram), or a six-pointed star of two intertwined triangles, a precious stone in the middle of the cross, a circle with a cross or lilies at the ends?

Yes, and are these Christian crosses? For example, on the pendant cross of the Masonic Order of Venus, as well as on other Masonic crosses, the gem in the middle means the eye of Lucifer, as a symbol of the fact that he is not afraid of the crucifixion, for he foresaw everything... And these non-Christian crosses have so much in common with a cross from the brochure of the course “Christian Life and Witness”, published in preparation for the festival, conducted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Results: is this a coincidence?

Preparing an article on symbolism is a thankless task. The same artistic symbol, flowing from one culture to another, changes both its true meaning and its meaning over the centuries. Therefore, the symbol mentioned may have the meaning assigned to it by the author, and it can be understood taking into account only the context of his creation. Thus, an oval figure surrounded by numbers can be perceived as the number “zero”, and surrounded by letters, like the letter “O”, but placed among geometric shapes, it will undoubtedly represent an “oval”. But sometimes the same symbolism is arranged in such a way as to have both an external and an internal, secret meaning, which fits well with the Gnostic culture.

So, there are many symbols of the cross. There is a canonical Christian Celtic cross and many non-canonical similarities, not to mention non-canonical pagan Celtic crosses. There is a Greek and Latin cross, episcopal, patriarchal, and papal, and many other symbols of the cross. And not all symbols of the cross are Christian! In a pagan environment, this symbol often denoted the sun, which the pagans worshiped. But does this mean that every cross we encounter is pagan? Not at all! Just as this does not mean that every cross we see must necessarily be a Christian symbol.

For example, when looking at a Celtic cross, we can see both the symbols of the canonical Christian cross of St. Patrick (a circle inside the cross) and pagan symbols (a cross predominantly inside a circle), and the understanding of the origin of such a cross will depend not only on how this cross depicted, but also on the context in which it is depicted. But, looking at the “crine cross” - a cross with a symbolic image of a “lily flower” on its edges, we can see that it is practically absent in modern Christian symbolism. And this is due to the inconsistency of the “lily” symbol.

“In the flower kingdom, where the lily is by no means the last place, it is extremely difficult to find another plant, whose symbolism would be equally contradictory. Moreover, its symbolic meanings are not only contradictory, they are simply diametrically opposed. Judge for yourself. If in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia the phallus-shaped pistil and the specific smell of the lily inspired associations with erotic love and fertility, then in medieval Europe this flower was seen as an ideal image of purity, modesty and innocence. These virtuous qualities of the lily were extolled to such an extent that churchmen likened it to the immaculate Virgin Mary. In the Byzantine Empire, the lily symbolized the success and prosperity of the power of the basileus (emperor), and at the same time, the ghostly pallor of the white lily made it an emblem of death. Paradoxical, isn't it?

Based on the chthonic (associated with the productive forces of the earth or the underworld) semantics of the Lily, one can trace its connections with fertility (according to Greek myth, Lilies, like the Milky Way, originated from the drops of Hera’s milk, and the inclusion of the Lily in the royal coat of arms of France symbolizes prosperity). The Water Lily shares the mythological significance of the lotus as a flower that arose from the primordial oceans and served as a cradle for the sun. Nenyufars are water lilies. But these are not just flowers, nenyufars - mystical flowers and associated with the world of mermaids. This is a symbol of the eternal life of undead beautiful maidens.

In Christianity, the lily has become a symbol of pure, maiden love. Gabriel, the angel who brought Mary the good news, is almost always depicted with a lily in his hand, as are Joseph, who raised the baby, and Mary’s parents Joachim and Anna. On the Kazan Icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the miraculous image is placed in an oval shape, decorated with lily flowers. In the Gospel of Matthew, the lily symbolizes perfection and trust in God: “Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; But I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like any of these” (Matt. 6:28-29). In ancient Eastern iconography, a lily with round petals symbolized fertility and rebirth, while a pointed, spear-shaped flower was given the meaning of military strength and courage. Lily is an indispensable attribute of Christ, seated at the Last Judgment in the heights of heaven. Such an image was present, in particular, on the banner of Joan of Arc.

Looking at the lilies at the ends of the cross in the Christian Life and Witness course, you can’t help but wonder: “What did the artists and authors want to say with this cross?” Maybe they knew nothing about the true meaning of such a cross and the contradictory meanings of the “lily” symbol? Hardly! Maybe the lilies at the ends of the cross mean joint veneration of the Virgin Mary with Catholics? Unlikely, because in the Billy Graham Association brochure, the ends of the cross do not feature white Catholic lilies dedicated to the Virgin Mary, but black ones. On the other hand, maybe we are simply being prepared for the fact that in the future we will hold joint “evangelistic services” with Catholics or Orthodox Christians, and we will see this flower on the papal coats of arms? Or maybe the Association is going to establish a “New World Order” around the world? But this is a frankly Masonic slogan, used by the Gnostics since ancient times. Or maybe this is all just a coincidence? But aren't there too many coincidences?

Heraldic lilies are also present on the coats of arms of many popes, both French and Italian in origin: Urban IV (1261–1264), Clement IV (1265–1268), Innocent V (1276), Nicholas IV (1288–1292), Paul III (1534–1549), John XXIII (1958–1963) and Paul VI (1963–1978). Golden emblems of prosperity adorn the coats of arms of not only Western European, but also Russian nobles: the Adadurovs, Artsybushevs, Vyazmitinovs, Glebovs, Glebov-Streshnevs, Divovs, Lodyzhenskys, etc.

A shamrock made of clover is a symbol of the spiritual power of God, while a shamrock made of iris and lily flowers is a symbol of the supremacy and indisputability of power over the world. The secular shamrock of lily and iris was used in secular heraldry as a continuation of the dispute about the supremacy of the power of the world as opposed to the power of the Church. So, maybe the Billy Graham Association wants to continue the unfinished debate by offering its own services to this world? But, again, if this is so, then what does the cinquefoil do in the symbol of the lily - a talisman for good luck?

If the goals of the Billy Graham Association are truly spiritual, Christ-centered, why is there not that one Christian symbol on the cross in the Christian Life and Testimony course? Where is the clover-leaf trefoil that glorified the Bottonni Cross, which reminds us of the properties of Saint Thoritz and of the missionary feat that must be performed every day if you truly want the people around you to turn from darkness to light? Yes, and in general, wouldn’t it be better, instead of all this “contradictory symbolism,” to simply draw the Cross of the Lord, or at least one of the canonical crosses?

And wouldn’t it be better to take control of the abundance of books that fall into Evangelical communities, and figure out which of them describe the Gnostics as the forerunners of the Reformation, the harbingers of Evangelism, Protestantism, Baptistism, faithful servants of the truth filled with the Holy Spirit? And how much literature is there in churches and church libraries that contains openly Christological heresies, errors, and delusions? Why is it that few people do this, but everyone is passionate about rock and roll “festival evangelism”, the call to repentance of which is “sanctified” not by subsequent prayer, but by a charismatic rock concert?

Georgy Markov

1 Christian life and testimony, GO “International Festival of Hope” (2015), 3.

2 In fact, at the ends of the cross there is a symbol called a “lily flower”, less often - an “iris flower”, but despite this, in popular literature it is mistakenly called a “shamrock”, thus classed as a “trefoil” symbol.

3 The emperor was in fact the spiritual and temporal leader of the empire.

4 White lily. Virtual tour of France with Gleb Cherny. (September 13, 2015)

5 Let's take a walk around Geneva. Travel Cam. (September 15, 2015)

6 Tulip. Symbols and signs. (September 15, 2015)

7 With the spiritual, political, moral and moral authority of the Church in general and with the authority of the Catholic Church in particular.

8 Initially, since libraries, schools and universities with university laboratories were located at monasteries, churches and cathedrals, in which monks and priests copied and classified books, formed libraries and conducted scientific research, science developed precisely in those cities where the influence of the Church was the most powerful. This influenced the formation of the so-called craftsman guilds, whose masters paid a tax to the Church for access to scientific research. However, over time, the educational level of such masters grew to such an extent that they no longer wanted to obey and pay taxes to the Church. This is how the first free guilds of artisans began to form, closed communities with their own secrets and secrets: competing with neighboring guilds, they were afraid of the theft of their industrial and trade secrets. Having demanded a special status from the Church and the state and being distant in matters of religion, such guilds eventually became the refuge of hiding Gnostics. It was thanks to the hidden activities of such guilds of “free masters” that modern Masonic lodges grew on their basis. Guilds of free artisans took an active part in all the riots and revolutions of antiquity, as well as the free cities formed by these guilds, on the banners of which, as a challenge to the power of the monarchs and a symbol of the new power, the New World Order, the heraldic image of a lily inevitably appeared.

9 Education in the spirit of Freemasonry. Scouts. (September 15, 2015)

10 Teachings of Paul of Samosat.

11 Augsburg Confession of Faith, Article I: On God, 1.5–6. (September 15, 2015)

12 Also known as Justin the Philosopher and Martyr.

13 This Gnostic idea at one time inspired Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–254) to subsequently write the recognized heretical book “On Elements,” for which he was even excommunicated from the Church.

14 It was among the late-type Gnostics that myths appeared that the body of Jesus was covered with mystical spells, and that Jesus allegedly learned magic in Egypt, with the help of which he performed miracles.

15 Read more about this in the book of Irenaeus of Lyons “Against Heresies.”

16 The higher eons, including the so-called Eon-Father, created, according to the Gnostics, only higher, immaterial worlds consisting of ether. It was they who supposedly imitated God the Creator, creating the material world.

17 Aeon is a spirit, or more precisely, a Gnostic deity, one of many who weave the nature of the upper world.

18 This greatly distinguishes Gnosticism from Christianity and Judaism, in which matter can also be subject to correction and sanctification.

19 Manichaeism, Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary. Soviet encyclopedia. Ch. editor: L. F. Ilyichev, P. N. Fedoseev, S. M. Kovalev, V. G. Panov. (Moscow, 1983).

20 Albigensian Wars, Great Soviet Encyclopedia. (Moscow, 1969-1978).

21 The six-pointed star combined with the cross in the form of two intertwined triangles is a symbol of two equivalent and equivalent deities of the Gnostic dualists. This symbol in Freemasonry symbolizes the inseparability of two principles - good and evil in everything, including God in this concept.

...for I decided to be ignorant of you,
except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified...
Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 2:2)

IN The second part on "" has been postponed indefinitely due to an abundance of other events, so for now the video application - readers shared a very interesting video about how the Pope really avoids the cross.

[video: "Jesuit Francis is afraid of the Cross!!!"]

If suddenly the video disappears, Jesuit Francis, anointing with oil, does not smear the cross, but makes some kind of indistinct passes, and rather imposes the satanic “three points” of the ecumenistic Church, which we have already considered more than once [for example, see the note: " "]

Otherwise, Buddhists will not understand the Pope. In general, Satanists avoid making a cross, so they fight and “break” it in every possible way. This cohort also includes the so-called “younger Christian brothers” - Protestants, who are sickened by the sight of the cross on the Bible and the abundance of Crucifixions on the roads, therefore, already based on this litmus test, they might wonder in whose spirit they are being led. Yes, the Cross is like a living indicator of “who is who,” and at the Judgment some will go to the right of the Cross, like a prudent thief, others to the left. The crucifixion is the door to the Kingdom of Heaven [see. first part "The Resurrection of Moses. The Good Shepherd Osiris"].

38 Then two thieves were crucified with Him: one on the right side, and the other on the left.
(Matt. 27:38)

39 One of the evildoers who were hanged cursed Him and said: If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.
40 The other, on the contrary, calmed him down and said: Or are you not afraid of God, when you yourself are condemned to the same thing?
41 And we are condemned justly, because we accepted what was worthy of our deeds, but He did nothing bad.
42 And he said to Jesus: Remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom!
43 And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
(Luke 23:39-43)

Those who blaspheme Christ and His Cross can already draw conclusions which side they will be on:

33 And He will put the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left.
(Matt. 25:33)

So that we are not united by “Pope,” there is a reason to again raise the topic of how top political managers from the owners of warlocks in sidelocks cross themselves. We have already looked at how Poroshenko crosses himself [see note: " "], after the topic became a sensation, less than half a year had passed, Poroshenko decided to whitewash himself, made an effort and very significantly crossed himself, like a true Orthodox, while this did not prevent him from receiving communion from the Unionists [see notes on the topic]. During the same period, Putin also made an indicative gesture, because It has already become clear to many that “the tsar is not real.” But anyway, let’s do a retrospective on how Putin is baptized and receives communion, because... no matter how much the cow tries to make pirouettes on the ice, her horns touch the ice on July 11, 2016 on Valaam.

But let's start with Shoigu - the most striking shot of May 9, 2015 - Shoigu is baptized at the gates of the Spasskaya Tower:

Shoigu

[video: “Shoigu crossed himself before the parade!”]

This video has been seen by millions of people - millions! The Orthodox community seethed with pride: "Shoigu crossed himself! Our man!". But not a single one who saw clearly was found, i.e. without a clouded gaze, a kid who would say that the king is actually naked (in any case, from May 9, 2015 to the present day, July 19, 2016, when this note is being written, I have not seen a single corresponding comment on this case).

People, open your eyes and watch the video carefully again. The hand, like a general, CLEARLY stops on the chest, without even intending to move to the left shoulder.

Draws clearly, like an army "tau cross". As I have already written many times, in Kabbalah the last, 32nd path is the path "Tau Cross". For those who like to argue, let me remind you that this is a large-scale event - every frame is perfect, you can’t mess up here. This scene was planned in advance, and the operator initially knew that Shoigu would be baptized (the camera then smoothly moves up the Spasskaya Tower), Shoigu knows that the whole country is looking at him in close-up, and the same corrosive Moldavian Alexander, and he (Shoigu ), knows perfectly well that you can’t lose face in the mud - you need to keep your brand high, the honor and pride of the country... and here it is... brazenly and directly and openly... AND STILL NO ONE WILL SEE, because the entire huge cauldron of one sixth of the Earth has long been in zombie prostration. Even if Putin comes out and honestly says “I am a Judeo-Mason of the Order The Royal Arch" [see note: " "], then they will say: “They forced him!” or “Dad is just joking.” By the way, let me remind you of the logo of this brotherhood, the “Round Table of the Knights of King Arthur”:

On the right is Catholic creative. Catholics and Freemasons... an age-old topic.
(By the way, in the month after the publication of the note about the meeting between Putin and Netanyahu, more than half of the pictures suddenly disappeared, mostly rare ones, the same ones regarding the layout of the “heavenly schemes” of the order. But we have all the moves recorded... in war, as in war ) .

Putin is baptized

Once upon a time, in December 2014, when I suddenly realized who Putin really is, whom, like most, he considered the defender of Orthodoxy, until he saw the occult-bloody trail that he leaves behind himself, his adherents flooded me with videos, proving that he is Orthodox.
Well, let’s look carefully at each incident - I didn’t specifically look for anything, so let’s look at what they gave - let’s start with dessert (not from adherents):

I. [video: “Song about Putin” 4 min 14 sec.]
Upload date: 15 Nov. 2010
5,302,760 views (as of 07/19/2016)

1.: (30 sec.) - the “Orthodox” president is joking about something at the liturgy with the “Orthodox” prime minister, besides, both are Jews, and at the same time does something obviously absurd and disregardful in relation to the sign of the cross. Only Medvedev’s wife, who clearly leads her hand to the “left liver,” is diligently diligent. Medvedev’s wife, in general, that yoga and Orthodoxy are one and the same thing in one compote, she and her husband, as the press writes, forced her to take up this “ancient art.”

II. [video: “PUTIN in the Orthodox Church” 4 min 34 sec. ]
Upload date: Apr 30 2013

Published: Apr 30 2013
cm.:
2.: (18-24 sec.) - if only, somehow chaotically waves his hand in front of his face, for the third time clearly in the middle of the chest);
3.: (1 min. 38 sec.)- the most enchanting moment, every time I watch it, I can’t help but laugh. No, he already clearly brings his hand to the left shoulder, but at the very beginning he starts from the forehead, and from the nose - I have never seen this on anyone before (laughter and grief) - in the end it is not clear whether it is an inverted cross or a parody to the cross;

Those who like to argue again (especially regarding point 1) that there are many such hand-waving people, look carefully at how people cross themselves near Putin a few seconds before this moment - this is exactly what we said about Shoigu. The KGB, which in Germany stopped an angry crowd, i.e. a scout with an iron bearing, behaves somehow, to put it mildly, timidly-sausage-painfully, when he has to cross himself in front of the camera.

4.: (2 min. 00 sec.) - a little better, but still... if I had always been baptized in the Orthodox way, then this case would have been understandable and forgivable;
5-6: two points that we will not consider, because the editor cut off the sign of the cross at the very beginning (i.e. from the forehead);
7: (3 min. 30 sec.) - again, as in the case of step 3 - clearly between the eyebrows, i.e. This is not an accident, but a pattern;
In general, Putin crosses himself 4-6 times in the video, and never normally.

It must be admitted that there are very rare shots (as a rule, either the vase is covered or not shown at all) where Putin is still diligently trying to depict a cross on himself, but... This is one of the rare examples, the very case that mentioned at the very beginning of the note, in the context of the Jewish Satanist Poroshenko. It seems that the entire report was made precisely for this scene (then they simultaneously launched another video with Medvedev to show how he was baptized, and that he was also “ours”), and again KGBist Putin, as if out of his element:

III. [video: “Vladimir Putin celebrates Christmas in the Voronezh region”]
Published: Jan 6 2015

8. (43 sec) - ...but nowhere will you see it applied to the forehead, clearly between the eyebrows, or randomly to the nose or eye.
Waltzman, i.e. Poroshenko fulfilled the task assigned to him more clearly.

The young daughter of one of my readers said in this video:

"...this guy is kind of suspicious. He doesn't cross himself like everyone else - too quickly."

The truth speaks through the mouth of a child. Children subtly sense falsehood, and adults will prove themselves hoarse - “Putin is a patriot! Putin is ours! Putin and God are with us.”

Another year and a half has passed, Putin finally (!) takes communion... but that’s another chapter.

Putin takes communion

Putin on Valaam [see note: " "].

IV. [video: “Putin called for prayers for the pilots killed in Syria”]
Published: Jul 11 2016

First, let us again pay attention to how Putin crosses himself:
9: (14 sec.) - it’s not at all clear what, some kind of nonsense - he touched his nose again and waved something in front of his face. But, okay, we can assume that he automatically tried to be baptized, but he was not given the opportunity, and you can’t really swing at the bowl and you can’t cross yourself, so as not to accidentally knock the bowl out.
10: (18 sec.) - there is already some semblance of a cross, but again the “left liver” and clearly only up to the bridge of the nose;

But here is the most interesting participle. One of the readers, in comments on Putin’s visit to Valaam, even rashly suggested that grace had left this temple, if Putin had not huddled in agony.

In general, I thought that this was the first time in so many years of tsarist rule that the “Orthodox” Putin had communed in public. Why should he be ashamed? For example, the exiled Jew Khodos, who was even baptized, had to prove that he was still Orthodox - he went and took communion on camera, although no one asked him - but people had doubts, and he had to go out of his way to prove that he "our". And what? So the sorcerers take communion on Easter [see note: "], however, then, when they are buried, a terrible howl is heard from the coffin, but these are trifles. Poroshenko received communion - and what should he be afraid of - what kind of communion do the Uniates have? Uniates.. .even Catholics rush around with host (Catholic Eucharistic bread) as with ordinary chips.

Putin does not need to prove anything if he is Orthodox. The Orthodox president at the liturgy - this should be something ORDINARY, and not news marked “urgently in the room.” But the “Orthodox Emperor” Putin somehow avoids the cup. The first and last time we saw him at the communion board was on AUGUST 15, 2011, and for this reason we even made a special broadcast so that the country would know [pravmir.ru]. The only photo:

Compare with Valtsman-Poroshenko:


And now 5 years have passed, and Putin is finally at the chalice again, and what’s surprising... Valaam again... there are no more churches in Russia that can provide Putin with the appearance of communion... and what do we see?

...we see absolutely nothing, but this is not the main thing - it would be better if he didn’t approach the bowl at all, here some kind of an abnormal position for a communicant. Once again - this is a very, very abnormal position, with the head bowed low, so no priest in his right mind would administer communion, lest the shrine be accidentally desecrated. We watch the video carefully again - everyone is participating in some strange performance.
Maybe the whole point is that... disdainful?

...during another trip to the Holy Mountain, I heard some details of the preparations for the visit. One very famous metropolitan in our monastery was escorted along the route that was planned for V.V. When they entered the repository of the relics of the greatest saints, which is next to the Church of the Intercession, the bishop ordered: this, this and this - to be removed! We were talking about those relics on which remnants of flesh were preserved, including the warm hand of St. John the Russian. The noble bishop either knew or feared that this would be unpleasant for the “Orthodox president.” What will disdain. And he didn’t disdain to light a lamp in the synagogue.”

Yuri Vorobievsky, " Step on the asp"

["Notes of a Layman"]: http://ru.downforeveryone.com/ and http://bloka.net, or other similar]

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The close connection of the all-seeing eye with the sun and the divine knowledge (mind) permeating the Universe is confirmed by at least 5-6 thousand years of history of this symbol, which was especially popular in Ancient Egypt. He existed there in two forms - the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Ra, which were sometimes called “wadget” (although this is not entirely true, since Wadget was a serpentine goddess and was much more often depicted as a uraeus - a cobra).
Eye of Ra , or the Solar Eye, personified power and authority, fire and light, vigilance and speed of reaction and was capable of burning any enemy. It was most often depicted as a uraeus-cobra, quite often winged, sometimes with a solar disk and an eye, and was identified with Wadjet, Nekhbet, Maat, Hathor, Tefnut, Sokhmet, Mehit and other goddesses. In the book "The Earth before the Flood - the world of sorcerers and werewolves“I showed that all of them, with the exception of Wadget, apparently were apsaras and were among the solar gods.
Uraeus was a symbol of royal greatness, the power of life and death, the ability to rule and destroy (burn) the enemies of Ra (the Sun). Related to the latter circumstance is another possible interpretation of this symbol (Eye of Ra), which I proposed in the work “Eye of Ra - celestial war chariot in ancient Egypt».
Eye or Eye of Horus , also called Atshet or the All-Seeing, as well as the Eye of Healing, personified the hidden wisdom and vision of the soul (clairvoyance), performed the function of protection and symbolized healing and resurrection after death. As the Book of the Dead says,“The Eye of Horus rewards with eternal life; and it protects me even when it is closed.”
The Eye of Horus was depicted as an eye with an eyebrow and a spiral under it, which is interpreted by some researchers as a symbol of energy and perpetual motion. Many Egyptians wore amulets that ward off evil in the form of the Eye of Horus - from pharaohs to ordinary people. They were placed in the burial shrouds of the mummy - and the deceased was supposedly resurrected in the Afterlife.
According to some researchers, the Eye of Horus was identified both with the left hawk eye of Horus - the Moon, which “resurrects” in the sky every month, and with his right eye - the Sun, which, having “died” in the evening in the west, is invariably “born” in the east in the morning (It was also sometimes identified with the North Star).According to others, it corresponded only to the left eye of Horus - the Moon, while the right eye - the Eye of Ra - represented the Sun. In this case, their images were the same (in the form of an eye).There is also an opinion that the Eye of Horus (one or two) is the Eye of Ra (one or two), passed on to his son by Isis. Moreover, it was somehow connected with the secret name of Ra, extracted from him by the goddess.

Throughout the Dynastic Period, the “two eyes” of Wadjet (Ra and Horus) were painted or carved into tombs, sarcophagi and other burial paraphernalia. They were also depicted on the bows of boats to prevent them from going astray.

Quite often, the Eye of Horus was combined with one or two Uraeus-cobras, the moon and the solar disk, or depicted (one or two - the right and left eyes of Horus) between the goddesses Wadget (snake) and Nekhbet (kite), who held it with their claws, tail or wings.

The all-seeing eye in ancient Chinese, Japanese, Iranian and other symbolism

Images of the all-seeing eye are also found among many other peoples.
In ancient Chinese and Japanese symbolism The left eye symbolizes the sun, the right eye symbolizes the moon.Among the ancient Indians Shiva's third eye (in the middle of his forehead) represented spiritual consciousness, transcendental wisdom, and the Eye of Varuna represented the sun. The same interpretation of the Eye (third eye of the Buddha) existsamong Buddhists . In ancient Iran The Good Shepherd Yima the Shining (ruler of the Iranians during the “golden age”) possessed the eye of the sun and the secret of immortality.In Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire the eye symbolized Apollo, the sun, which was also the eye of Zeus (Jupiter).Among the American Indians it was the eye of the Great Spirit and omniscience.In Islam The eye of the heart is the spiritual center, the seat of absolute intelligence and enlightenment.

All Christians are united by a single faith in the Savior. Moreover, each direction within the Christian religion offers its own interpretation of one or another aspect of the doctrine. Not every follower knows the difference between an Orthodox cross and a Catholic one. There really are differences between them, and it is impossible not to notice them.

When did the differences appear?

The split of the Christian Church into Western and Eastern occurred in 1054. However, the prerequisites for it appeared much earlier. Despite the fact that representatives of Western and Eastern Christianity had the same faith, their approach to it was different. Disagreements arose even in ideas about what a clergyman should look like. "Latins" shaved their beards. For the Eastern clergy, such behavior was unacceptable. Differences became noticeable in the conduct of rituals, decoration of temples, etc. Christians did not strive to eliminate the difference. They made it even more visible by opposing themselves to those who, in their opinion, worshiped God incorrectly.

The cross remains the main symbol of faith for both Orthodox and Catholics. With its help, you can also determine which direction the representative is in front of us.

Having looked closely at both versions of the crucifix, you can easily understand how the Orthodox cross differs from the Catholic one. True faith is not determined by belonging to the Western or Eastern