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“Yes,”Isaid.“InimitationofwhatCybeledidtoherownsonAttis.Sheforced himtobeherlover.Thenwhenhepredictablyfellinlovewithayounger woman,shegotmadandcastratedhimwhilehewastiedtoatree,sothathe bledoutanddied.Butthenshefeltguiltyafterwardsanddecidedtoresurrect him.That’swhytheresurrectionofAttiswascelebratedthenextday,March25, bytheeunuchpriestsoftheCybelecult.”
“OnLadyDay?”heasked,incredulous.
“Indeed,”Ireplied.“Andthisofcourseisallconnectedtothesymbolismof Easter,obviously.Deathandresurrectionofthesungod.Attisoftenhadacrown ofsunrays,justlikeChristhasasunhalo.”
Chesterfieldraisedhiseyebrows,andthenopenedhsnotebookagain.
“We’vealsofiguredoutseveralofthelocationsshowninfilm.Nowhere’s whereitgetsreallydisturbing.”
“Howcoulditbeanymoredisturbingthanitalreadyis?”Iasked.
“Whenyourealizewheretheseplacesareandwhowouldhavehadaccessto
them,youwillseewhatImean.First,there’sthatbuildingtheywerewalking around.That’sSt.Paul’sCathedral.”
“Ithoughtasmuch,”Isaid.“Isawthedome.”
“It’salwaysbeenopentothepublic,yes,”saidChesterfield.“Butwhydidthey feelsocomfortablewalkingarounddressedupinthosebizarrecostumes withaboxcontainingtheseveredgenitalsofakidnappedboy?Itseemedlike theywereoutearlyinthemorning.”
“Yeah,andtheboxtheywerecarryingwastheMetecofferIwastellingyou about,”Iadded.“TheonethatLeopoldsaidhadbeenstolenfromthemuseum.”
Atthis,Chesterfieldwasverysurprised.
“Soyoumeantheyborroweditbackin1956,thenputitback,andsomeone stoleitagainthisyear,rightbeforethenextAprilFool’sEaster?”hesuggested.
“Itappearsthatway,”Isaid.“Also,I’mprettysurethealtartheyusedisareal ancientRomanCybelealtar.Someonewroteaboutitinthisoldantiquarian
journal.”IopenedupthePDFthatIhaddownloadedfromJSTORonmylaptop, andshowedhimthatthealtarhadoncebeenownedbyaMr.G.A.Warrenof StreathamHill,London,in1892,thoughnobodywassurewhereitcamefromor whereitwenttoafterthat.Thepicturesoftheitemmatchedupperfectlywith whatwehadseeninthefilm.
“Sowe’redealingwithanetworkofancientartifactcollectors,thievesand borrowersthathasbeenoperatinginLondonincontinuityforatleast62years, possiblymuchlonger,”hesaid.“Andthey’vebeenusingtheseartifactsinrituals wherechildrenareraped,torturedandmutilated.GoodGod.”Heshookhis head.
Thenhecontinued.
“Thearchwaythatthecarisseendrivingthrough‐‐that’sTempleBaritself.”
Igasped. TheformerentrywaytotheoldCityofLondon,righthereinthe Templedistrict! Ithought.
“Isn’tthatrightinthisneighborhood,nexttoTempleChurch?”Iasked.
“Itusedtobenearhere,”saidChesterfield.“Butin1880itwassoldtoHenry Meux,abrewer,whobroughtitouttohismansioninHertfordshire,aplace calledTheobaldPark.”
Heshowedmeawebsitewithrecentpicturesoftheinteriorofthebuilding.
“That’swheretheyrapedthegirl!”Iexclaimed,shocked.Itwasclearlythesame place,withthesamelittleroundwindowandpeelingstonewalls.
“Right,”saidChesterfield.“Heboughtitontheadviceofhiswife,Valerie Meux,whowasafamoussocialiteandantiquitiescollector.There’sactuallya littlechamberwithintheupperpartofthearchway,andtheysayLadyMeux used
tohavedinnerpartiestherewithKingEdwardVIIandWinstonChurchill.”He showedmetheWikipediapage,whichconfirmedthesestatements.
“Wow,”Isaid.“Shemusthavebeenreallyimportant.”
“Strangely,yes,”heanswered.“Whenshedied,widowedandchildless,sheleft TheobaldPark,andindeedherentireestate,toayoungmanintheRoyalNavy whomshe’djustmet,namedHedworthLambdon.Hehadtochangehislast nametoMeuxtosatisfythetermsofthewill.Laterthepropertybecamea secondaryschool,whichitwouldhavestillbeenatthetimethisfilmwasshot.
Nowit’saDeVerehotel.”
“Sosomeonewhoworkedattheschoolmusthavebeeninvolved,”Isaid.
“Itseemsthatway,”heagreed.
“Whatabouttheruinswheretheboywascastrated?”Iasked.
“Don’tknow,”hesaid.“We’restillworkingonthat.”
“Thenwhataboutfacialrecognitionofthekidsinthefilm?”Isaid.Heshookhis head.
“Theydon’tmatchupwithanyfaceofanychildreportedmissingfromthattime period,”hereplied.“Nordotheymatchwithanyfaceofanychildthathasyet
beenuploadedtotheinternetanywhereintheworld.Sowehaveateamof peoplescanningtheyearbooksfromallthesurroundingschoolsfortheerain question,hopingtofindamatch.Andifwehadphotosofadultstocompare themto,ourcomputerscouldtelluswhetherornottheyarethesamepeople, withinaninfinitesimallysmallmarginoferror.Butwewouldneedatleastaclue astowheretolook.”
“Soyouthinkthekidsmighthavesurvivedafterthis?”Iasked.
“Idon’tknow,Ihope,”hereplied.“Butfromwhatyoutoldme,itsoundslikeat leastthecastrationvictimmaybedead.BledoutlikeAttis,asyousay.Plus that’showthesekidsexcrimesusuallyend.”
“Yeah,butinherculttheysurvivedtobecomeherpriests.Anditwasvoluntary, orsotheysay.”
“Whataboutthestonebehindthemetalgrateinthesideofthebuilding?”I asked.“Theonethattheyweresprinklingwithholywater?”
“That’stheLondonStone,”saidChesterfield.“It’sactuallyoneofourmost importanthistoricrelics,butit’sbeenlargelyforgotten.Itusedtobethecenter-pointfromwhicheverythingelseinthecitywasmeasured.Untilrecently,itwas actuallystoredinthecornerofabuildingonCannonStreet,justasyousaw.
Nowit’sintheMuseumofLondon.Nobodyevertalksaboutit.Butsomepeople thinkit’sthestonethatArthurpulledtheExcaliburswordfrom.”
“Ohyes,I’veheardofthis,”Isaid.“It isamazinghowlittleit’stalkedabout.
ButJohnDee,thecourtastrologerforQueenElizabethI,believedthatithad magicalpowers.HeevenmovedtoCannonStreettobenearit.”Chesterfield laughed.
“Ididn’tknowthat.ButI didknowaboutDee.Hewasmuchmorethanacourt astrologer.Hewasthefirst007.HedidallsortsofshadyspecialopsonHer Majesty’sSecretService.ThefolksatSISconsiderhimagodfatherofsorts.”
ThiswasamazingtohearfromapersoninChesterfield’sposition.
“I’veheardthatbefore,”Isaid.“ButIwasn’tsureifIshouldtaketheclaim seriously.NowI havetobelieveit.”
IlookeduptheLondonStoneonWikipediatorefreshmymemory.Ifounda pictureofitsittingbehindthegratingintherecessthatusedtohouseit.
ThenIdidaGooglesearch,andlandedonapoeminMiddleEnglishfrom1521
called“TheMarriageofLondonStoneandtheBossofBillingsgate.”Thiswas thesamephraseusedononeofthetitlepagesinthehorriblefilm!
“Uh,Chesterfield,lookatthis,”Isaid.
“Iknow,”hereplied.“I’veseenit.Wefounditwhenweanalyzedthefilm.
ButIdon’tfullyunderstandthesignificanceofthepoem,orwhyitstitlewas usedinthefilm.However,thebuildingnexttotheRiverThameswiththeboats dockednexttoitwasBillingsgate,thefishmarket. Old Billingsgate,beforethey movedittoCanaryWharfontheIsleofDogs.”
Ilookedup“BosseofBillingsgate”next,andlandedonasampleonGoogle PlayBooksfromarecentworkcalled TheSecretLoreofLondonbyIain Sinclair.
There,itwasexplainedthatthe“Bosse”wasactuallyaphalluswhichinpre-C
hristiandayshadbeenveneratedasaformofthe“GreatMother”goddess Britomart,afterwhomBritainwasnamed.
AnotherGreatMother,justlikeCybele,Ithoughttomyself. Andonlya hermaphroditegoddesslikeCybelecouldberepresentedwithaphallus.
Ireadon.IlearnedthatuntiltheseventeenthcenturytheBossehadstoodthere atthegateofBelin(nowBillingsgate),believedtoprovideprotection.Itwas namedafterBelinus,who,asIrecalled,wasanancientkingoftheBritons,as wellasaCelticsungod,thoughtbymanytoequatewiththeBabylonianBaal.
OrientalistL.A.Waddellhadarguedinhisbook TheBritishEddafrom1930that therewasasinglepersonbehindthemythsofallthreefigures.
Baal,inturn,wasanalogoustoAttis.LikeAttis,Baalwasavictimwhoplayed essentiallythesamerolewiththegoddessInanna(a.k.a.Ishtar)thatAttisdidin theCybelecult.Theanniversaryofhermurderofherownson/husband,forthe exactsamereasonthatCybelekilledAttis(eroticjealousy),wasobservedasa holidayofmorningbyherworshippers,asitwaswithCybele’s.Likewise, Baal’sresurrectionwascelebratedjoyouslyafewdaysafterwards.Thistook placeduringtheSpringEquinox,whichwasalsotheirNewYear’sDay, morphingeventuallyintotheEuropeanholidayofEaster,whichwasnamedafter Ishtar/Inanna.
ThereinMesopotamia,herpriestswerecalledthe Gallu,almosttheexactsame wordasthetitleofCybele’spriests,the Galli.It’sderivedfromtheSumerian word“gal,”meaning“cup”or“vagina.”The Gallu,justlikethe Galli,werealso castratedanddressedaswomen.Inbothcults,thepriestswereactually consideredwomenfromthispointon,andaddressedassuch.
TheBabylonianequinoxritesalsoincludedthesacrificeoftheCelestialBull, Gugalanna,justlikeCybelewashonoredwiththe taurobolium,abullsacrificein whichherpriestswerecompletelydrenchedinthebloodofthevictim.Thiswas performedinCybele’sspecially‐outfittedslaughterhousetemples,knownas metroons,afterhertitle“MagnaMater”(“GreatMother”).
Couldthis‘metroon’bewhatthatoneguyattheButchersmeetingmeant whenI thoughtIheardhimsaythewords‘Methroom’? Iwondered.
ThenIrememberedthatacoupleofyearsago,OxfordUniversityhadcreateda 2/3scalecopyofthearchfromtheTempleofBaalinPalmyra,SyriaafterISIS
haddestroyedtheoriginal,andhadthereplicaerectedinTrafalgarSquarein LondonduringtheAutumnalEquinoxof2016.Irecalledthattheoriginalhad beenblownuprightaftertheSpringEquinoxofthatsameyear,whichIpointed outduringaninterviewonaparanormalradiotalkshow, Ground Zerowith ClydeLewis.
Atthetime,Mr.LewisandIhadtalkedaboutthefactthattheIslamicState’s originalname,whichtheWesternmediastillinsistedonusing,wasidenticalto thatofIsis,theEgyptianwordforthegoddesssamegoddessasInannaand Ishtar.Amazingly,whileIwassittingthereatthepubinEnglandreadingmore aboutIsis,IstumbleduponinformationthattheportionoftheRiverThamesthat flowsthroughOxfordisactuallycalled“theIsis.”Thusoneoftheuniversity’s rowingteamshasthesamenameastheEgyptiangoddess,andtheIslamicState.
Thisgotmethinkingabouttheoriginofthename“Thames,”soIlookedthatup too.Therearetheoriescirculatingthatitmighthavecomefromanyofanumber ofwordsfromvariouslanguagesthatalldenotetheconceptofdarkness.
Butnobody’scertain.
AsfortheRiverIsis,someoldmapshavetheentireriverlabeledwiththatname.
AfewhistorianshavesuggestedthatitwasjustatruncationoftheLatinname fortheriver,“Tamesis.”Butthentherewerepeoplesayingthattherewasa templeofIsisinromanLondonlocatedonthebanksoftherivernearthe present-dayonramptoLondonBridge.
Sothenitmakessensefortherivertobenamedafterher,Ithought.
ThenIrememberedTammuz,anotherSemiticname(derivedfromtheSumerian
“Dumuzid”)forthefigureofBaal,thesacrificedsonofInanna/Ishtar.
Isthatthepossibleoriginof‘Thames’? Iwondered. Iftheriverfromits source toDorchesterwasoncecalled‘Isis’aftertheGreatMother,maybetheriver from theretoitsmouthwasnamedafterhercastratedzombiesonandconsort. It seemedlikeareasonablethesis,andwhenIGoogleditintheformofaquestion,
Ifoundthewritingsofmanywhoagreedwithme.
Myheadwasreelingwithalltheseconnections.ThenIreadmoreaboutthe BosseofBillingsgateinthe“SecretLondon”book.Itsaid:Thelocalporters wouldinsistonpassers‐bykissingtheBosseorelsetheypickedthemupand bumpedthemontheseatagainstthestone.
Ifiguredthiswasasanitizedversion.
Inotherwords,analrapewiththesacreddildowouldatleastbesimulated, I thought. Orworse,notsimulated.
IshowedmyfindingstoChesterfield.Nowweunderstood,atleastinpart,the symbolismoftheanalrape“marriage”ceremonywehadwitnessed.
“IthinkthattheLondonStonewasusedintherapescene,”Isaid.“Itwasthe squarerockthattheykeptknockingherheadagainst.”
“Iknow,”saidChesterfield.
“Sothatmeanstheysomehowhadaccesstoit,”Inoted.
“Yes,”herepliedcurtly.IsupposeIwasstatingtheobvious.
“Also,thegoddessCybelewassymbolizedbyastone,”Iadded.“Shewas worshipedintheformofablackmeteoriteinRome.I’veevenseenclaimsthat theKaabastoneinMeccaisactuallytheCybelestone.”
Chesterfieldwassilent.Hisarmswerefoldedinfrontofhim.Hewasangryand depressed.Ireviewedthescenesinmymind,tryingnottodwellonthesuffering Ihadwitnessed.InsteadIfocusedonlyontheobjects,theplaces,andthe symbolsinvolved.ThenIrememberedwhatbecameoftheboy’stesticlesinthe film.
“Whataboutthebirdsinthecages?”Isaid.“Theonesthatwerefedwiththe…
meat?”
“Yes,thatmightbethemostdisturbing,really.Thosearethefamousravensof theTowerofLondon.”
“Whatarethose?”Iasked.
“Youdon’tknow?”hesaid.“NineravensarealwayskeptattheTowerof London.It’sbeengoingonforhundredsofyears.There’salegendthatifthere aren’tatleastsixravensonsiteatanygivenmoment,thekingdomwillfall.You haven’theardthisbefore?”
“No,”Ianswered.
“Wellthethingis,thosebirdsareguardedatalltimes.It’samatterofnational defense.TheonlywayanybodycouldgetaccesstothemwouldbeiftheRaven-Masterallowedit.”
IGoogledthistermand,sureenough,foundavideoofthecurrentRaven-Master,dressedliketheguyontheBeefeatervodkabottle.Hewasfeedingnine birdswithclippedwingsintheverysameparkwherewehadwatchedtheir predecessorseatingwhatmighthavebeentherawtesticlesofayoungboy.
“Soit’slookinglikearatherlargeconspiracythen,”Isaid.
“Isthatajoke?”saidChesterfield.“I’mreallynotinthemoodforjokesright now.”
“It’sjustatermforacriminalcollusion,”Isaid.“Bydefinitionthat’sa conspiracy,evenifitdoesn’tinvolvepeopleinthegovernment,whichthis clearly
does.”Iwassosickofthewayinwhichintelligenceagenciesusetheterm
“conspiracytheory”(aphraseactuallyinventedbytheCIAforthisvery purpose).
Theymadeitatermofderisionthatcouldbeusedtobelittleanyonewhotriesto figureoutwhattheyandtheirdeepstateaccomplicesareupto.
“Oh,”saidChesterfield,stilllookingdour.“Ithoughtyouwerereferringtothe factthatagroupofravensiscalleda‘conspiracy.’Likea‘murderofcrows.’”
“Theyare?”Ithoughtthatwashilarious,yetIdarednotlaugh.“Butaren’t ravensthesameascrows?”
“They'reinthesamefamily,”herepliedgloomily.
“Sowhere’stheestatewheretheTempleBarwasmovedto?”Iasked.
&
nbsp; “It’sabitfarout,”heanswered.“Butanyway,it’snotthereanymore.Itwas movedbacktotheCityofLondonafewyearsago.”
“Really?”Isaid.“Whereisitnow?”
“Oh,it’soverinPaternosterSquarenow,infrontofSt.Paul’s,”saidanolder brunettewomanstandinginfrontofourtable.Shewaswearingawhiteapron overapinkdresswithanametagthatsaid“Mary.”Sheworkedforthepub.
ChesterfieldandIbothjumpedinourseats.Wehadn’trealizedthatanyonewas standingthere.
“Sorrytostartleyou,”shesaid.“Ijustwantedtoletyouknowthatwe’reclosing thekitchenforthenight.Butwestillhavetwohours‘tillastcall.”
“That’salright,”saidChesterfield.“Ithinkwe’redonedrinkinghereanyway, andI’mcertainwewon’tbehungryforawhile.”Hestartedshuttingdownmy computer.
“TheyjustmovedtheTempleofMithrastoo,”Marysaid.“It’sgoingtoberight downthestreetfromSt.Paul’s.It’sopeningtomorrow.”
“Excuseme,didyoujustsay‘theTempleofMithras’?’”Iasked.
“Yep,”shesaid.“ItusedtobeoutthereatTempleCourt,onQueenVictoria Street.Butthensomeoneboughtit,dugitup,andmovedittothenewplaza they’rebuildingonWalbrook,nexttotheMansionHouse.”
“YoumeantheMansionHousewheretheLordMayorlives?”asked Chesterfield.
“Theverysame,”saidthewaitress.
Maryleftandwebegantopackupourthings.IremindedChesterfieldthatthe word‘Methroom,’hadbeenusedinthedivinationmeetingatOrientalClub.
“Maybehewassaying mithraeum,Isuggested.“That’stheLatinwordfora templeofMithras.Ididn’tevenknowLondonhadaMithrastemple,orelseI mighthavethoughtaboutthat.Butit’salsostrangethat mithraeumissosimilar to metroon,thenameforaCybeletemple.Iwonderifthere’saconnection.”
ThenasIturnedaroundtopickupmycoat,Inoticedapersonwatchingmein thewindowofthebuildingdirectlyacrossthestreet— nottheformerBankof Englandbuilding,butanotheronetotheeastofitontheoppositesideofthe cornerofChanceryLaneandFleet.AssoonasIcaughtsightofthefigure,it disappeared.