Genuflect

by Tracy R Twyman

  Then,asifwedidn’talreadyknowwhatweweredealingwith,wesawthefinal confirmation.ThepostersoftheoriginaldigunderneathBucklersburyHouse wereunmistakable.Thesewerethestonesthattheboyinthefilmhadbeenlying onwhenhewascastrated.Thesitehadbeenopenedin1954,andthenthestones ofthe mithraeum weremovedelsewherejustafewweekslatersothatthey couldfinishbuildingBucklersburyHouse.Thefirst(verypoor)“restoration”

  oftheruinsdidn’tgoondisplayinTempleCourtuntil1956.Sothecastration ritehadhappenedsometimebetweenthosetwoevents.

  Chapter19:RroseMountain

  IamthesonofamanandawomanfromwhatIhavebeentold.Thisastonishes me…IbelievedIwassomethingmore.

  —ComtedeLautreamont, Maldoror

  Thuswewerealreadyfeelingveryheavyinourhearts,reelingfromthe implicationsofwhatwe’dfound,whenwemadeourwaydownthestairsinto the mithraeumitself,whichwasonefloorunderground.Inside,therewas nothingvisuallysurprising.Itwasmyfirsttimebeinginsidesuchatemple,butit hadbeenrestoredwell,sothatitlookedexactlyhowI’dimagineda mithraeum should.

  Theyallgenerallyfollowedthesameplan,andthisdidtoo:onelongaisle, leadingtoanapsewithanaltarinfrontofit.The taurtoctony,depictingMithras slayingthebull,wasmountedonthewallbehindthealtar.Allalongtheaisle werestonecoucheswherememberswouldhaveslouchedbackandwatchedthe proceedings,orwhateverelsetheydidtogether.Itseemedliketheyalldidtome: emptyandaustere.Theyweremadetolooklikelargeopencaves,andthisthey achieved.

  Whatstruckmewasnotthedécorordesign,whichwasasexpected.

  Insteaditwasthethicknessoftheatmosphere.Evenstuffedwithacrowd,the templefeltlikeitwasfullofchokingenergy:fear,anger,andpain.Thepungent smellofaputridflavorofincensecametomynose,eventhoughIknewitwas onlycomingfrommymind.IaskedChesterfieldifhesensedittoo,buthesaid thathewasn’tsure.Hesuggestedthatmaybeitwasjustbecausebeing undergroundagainwasbringingbackmemoriesofmykidnappingbyLeopold.

  Webegantofollowseveraloftheothersbackthroughthegallery,thenthrough thedoorinthebackthatledtoalargecircularhallway.Thewallswerelined withblondwoodpaneling,andtheycurvedupinaconcavemanner.Wemade ourwayuptheramptowardsthegroundfloor.Itwasreallymorelikeatunnel, spiralinguptothenextfloorandnodoubtpartofthespiralrampthatran throughtherestofthebuilding.Italsoledbackdowntheotherwaytoanother sub‐basementbelow,butthatwaywascordonedoff.

  Asweemergedfromtheundergroundlevelandintothelight,Ilookedupatthe ceilingandsawthatmuchofitwassunlight,comingthroughalargepieceof glassintheceilingontopofwhichwasafountainofdirtywater.Hiddenjetson thesideswereconstantlyinjectingadenser,brownsubstancethatswirledaround inthemix.IcouldseewhypeoplethoughtthattheVortexcontainedsewer water.Ialsonotedthat,insteadofmerelybeinga“roundedtriangle,”asthe janitoron4chanhaddescribedit,theshapemorecloselyresembledthe Supermanlogowithroundedcorners.Itooknoteofthecoincidence.

  Ialsonoticedthat,oncewegottothesecondfloor,sothatwewereabovethe Vortex,thecarpetontherampwaslinedonbothsideswithatransparenttube runningconstantlywithayellow‐orangefluid.

  ThesearethetubescarryingurinetotheVortex,Ithought.

  Cordonsandpostedsignsencouragedustokeepmovinguptheramp,while discouragingusfromvisitingthelobbyoranyoftheotherinterveningfloors, promisingthattheconferenceroomwas“ahead.”Sowekeptgoing,untilwe werealmostatthetopofthebuilding,onwhatmusthavebeentheninthfloor,as therewereonlytenandjustoneupaboveus.

  Therewefoundtheconferenceroom,surroundedbyblondewoodencolumns interspersedwithclearglass.Thepodium,projectorscreen,andredplastic chairscouldbeseenfromtheramp.Alongthesideofthewallontheleftwere twotablesservingwineandcheese,whichChesterfieldandIknewtoavoid.

  Asweallfiledin,Isawthattheinitialcrowdof60hadthinnedtoabout25.

  Ispottedafamiliarfiguresittinginthefrontrow.ItwasDrexella,theladycop.

  AssoonasIrecognizedher,sheturnedaround,smiled,andwaved,likeshehad feltmyeyesonher.Wehadnochoicebuttositdownnexttoher.

  “HeyDrexella,”Isaid.“Nicetoseeyouagain.”

  “Yep,”shesaid,smackinggumasshespoke.“Wouldn’tmissit.Rosenberg’sa familyfriend.I’vebeenwaitingforthisfor years.”

  “Really?”saidChesterfield.“Wejustmetsomeonedownstairswhosemotheris alsoafamilyfriendofhis.”

  “OhyoumeanDennis?AtOzPizza?Yep,that’smyboy,”shesaidproudly.I cringed.“We’llbeonthesameping‐pongteamlateronatthetournament.”

  “SohowexactlydoyouknowMr.Rosenberg?”Chesterfieldasked.

  Butjustthen,thelightsweredimmedovertheaudience,andthespotlightover thepodiumwasputon.Withinafewseconds,Rosenbergenteredfromtheback, thistimewearingaredPhrygiancap,andeverybodyclapped.Hetookthestage andbegantospeak.

  “JustcallmePapaSmurf”washisfirstline,andeverybodyhowledwith laughter.HethenbeganaspeechaboutthehistoryoftheCityofLondon,andto symbolicconnectionsbetweenthebeliefsoftheMithraiccult,whichIwill attempttoparaphrasebelow.Hesaid:

  Itisfittingthatthetemplewhichwepresentedtoyoufullyrestoredforthefirst timetodaywasoncethesiteofhomagetogodsofnotone,butthreedifferent aspectsoffinance.

  First,ofcourse,itwasatempletoMithras,thegodofcontracts.TheMithraic cultwascalledtheSyndicoi—the“PeopleoftheHandshake,”fromwhichwe getourword“syndicate.”Thisisbasedonthedealthatwasstruck,accordingto Mithraicmythology,betweenSolandMithras.AfterSolandallofhis henchmen,theotherplanetaryArchons,hadbeendefeatedbyMithrasinhis marchtothehighestsphereinheaven,theymadeanagreementwitheachother toshareboththepowerandthegloryoftheSun,whichtheysealedwitha handshake,beforesittingdowntobreakbreadtogether.

  Somehistoriansbelievethattheveryoriginofthecustomofshakinghands, performedmillionsoftimesadaynow,mostofteninabusinesssetting,hadits originswiththeMithrascult.ThisagreementbetweenSolandMithras,which MithraistsbelievedkepttheSunrisingandsettingeachday,wasbasedupon mutualtrustinthesacrednatureoftheoath.Thisiswhytheywouldinvokethe nameofMithrasastheenforcerofoathswheneveranewcontractwassigned.

  Thissameethic,asweallknow,iswhatliesbehind everythingthathappensinbusinessandfinancetoday,eversincetheKnights Templarinventedtheconceptofthecheckingsystem.

  Inoticedrightawayseveralthingsaboutthisspeech.Foronething,Rosenberg’s analysisofMithraismwasverysimilartomyown,andnotentirelyconsistent withwhatisrightnowcommonlyagreeduponbyhistorians.WhatImeanisthat forsomereasontheycannotseethattheimagesofSolandMithrastogether clearlyshowhimdefeatingtheSungodandforcinghimtobowdownin supplication.

  Thisisshownhappeningbeforethehandshake,andbeforethesharedmealwas permittedtooccur(whichsomanyhaveclaimedistheoriginoftheChristian Eucharist).RosenbergchosenottomentionthespecificimageryoftheSun bowingdowntoMithras.Buthedidrelatethemeaningofit.

  AnotherthingInotedwasthathechosetousetheterm“planetaryArchons.”I couldn’tthinkofanyauthoronthesubjectofMithraswhohasreferredtothe planetarypowersheruledoveras“Archons.”Thistermbringsupspecifically

  Gnosticconnotations,andimpliesanegativeviewoftheirroleinthecosmosas tyrannical.AccordingtoGnosticthought,wearelivinginaninvisiblejailcell, madeofillusion,andtheplanetaryArchonsareourcaptors,therulersofoursad fateinthislonelyworldofdespair.

  Tointer
pretthisviewasbeingpresentinMithraism,asnopreviousauthoronthe subjecthaddone,wouldmeanthatMithraswasaheroicfigurepreciselybecause hefoughtandsubduedthesepowers.Italsoindicatesthathehimselfbecamethe chiefarchonthen,andthereafterallowedtheotherstoruleunderneathhimas subordinates.HewouldthenhaveessentiallybecomethenewDemiurge,the newchiefjailwarden.Thisviewpoint,Ibelieve,wasfurtherreflectedintherest ofRosenberg’sspeech.Hesaid:Nowthistemplewasn’talwaysexclusivelya templetoMithras.Theyfoundstatuesofothergodsinthereaswell.Onewas Serapis,a.k.a.

  Hades,Pluto,orDispater:thegodoftheunderworld,andthegodofthemineral wealthbeneaththeearth.Thisiswherewegettheword

  “plutocrat”forthosewhorulewiththepowerofgoldandsilver.

  TheyalsofoundhereastatueofMercury,thewilypatronofbothcommerceand thievery.Fromhisfirstdayofbirth,hewasmakingbusinessdealswithApollo, yetanotherfiguretoholdthetitleof“sungod”…There’ssomanyofthem….

  Hetrailedoffforaminuteandcoughed,staringoffintothecorner.Heappeared tosuccumbtoashortpersonalmentaltripbeforeshakingitoff.Thenhe continued:

  “ButweknowthatMercury’squicksilver‐tonguedpromisesarenottobetrusted.

  Wealsoknowthatgoldandsilverlosetheirshineifweloseourtrustinone another.IftheMithraicvalueofthesacredoathisnothonored,allmoney systemsfail.Allsocietiesfailwhenthathappens.Thisiswhytherealbasisof thewealthofasocietytoday isthismutualtrust.

  TheranksoftheMithraiccultthroughouttheRomanEmpirewereinitiallyfilled withsoldiers.Mostofthemwereforeignlegionnaires,ratherthannative Romans.Andthese,asanystudentofhistoryknows,werenotfreemen,but slaves.

  IntheRomanEmpire,virtuallyeverypersonwithanysortoffunctionaljobwas

  officiallyaslavetosomelandholder.Thelandholdersdidnotwork.Theyowned peoplewhowoulddoeverythingforthem.Eventheoffice‐holdersinthe municipalgovernmentswerenotfreemen,withtheoccasionalexceptionof someonewhowasablesomehowtopurchaseorearntheirfreedom.

  Thisiswhythesegovernmentoffice‐holderswerecalled,inLatin, servipublici

  —‘publicservants.’

  WhenIservedastheMayorofNewYorksomeyearsago,Ioftenthoughtabout thisfact.Icantellyouthatbeingabillionairebusinessmanmakesyoufeela thousandtimesmorepowerfulthanbeingamereelectedofficial.Andmostof thepublicservantsI’vemetinmytimewouldhavetoadmitthattheyareslaves tothebusinessmenwhoaretrulypullingthestringsbehindthescenes.

  BecauseRomansoldierswereslaves,itwasonlyfittingthattheirgod,Mithras, worethePhrygiancap,likeI’mwearingnow.Itwasthesymbolofafreedslave.

  MithrasidentifiedhimselfwithSaturn,thehighestoftheplanetaryArchons,and SaturnalsoworethePhrygiancap.

  DuringSaturnalia,theRomanwintersolsticefestival,slavesweregiven temporaryfreedom,andthewholesocialorderwasupended.

  Slaveswouldwearthesehats,nowcalledlibertycaps,asasymboloftheir freedom.ThiswasbecauseSaturn,theallegedfounderoftheItaliancivilization, wasrememberedforhavingruledovera“GoldenAge”ofabundanceinthe ancientpast,duringwhichnoonewascompelledtoworkforanother.

  WithintheTemplesofMithras,thesocialorderwasalwaysupendedinthesame manner.Eveninthelateryears,whentheEmperorhimselfhadjoinedandthe latifundiawereflockingto mithraeums,wefindintherecordsthenamesof slavesshowntobeworshippingalongsidetheirfreesuperiors,oftenwiththe slavesoccupyingthepositionsofleadership.AsMithraicscholarFranzCumont putit,‘Inthesesocieties,thelastfrequentlybecamethefirst,andthefirstthe last….’

  Todayitseemsweliveinasocietywherewealthandpowerhasbeenlargely divorcedfromtheprivilegeofbirth.Thedistinctionbetweenslaveandfreeman hasbeenbrokendown.Privateenterprise,andevenpublicservice,areroutesto wealthandpowerthatpotentiallyanyonecanfollow.Icamefromafamilyof JewishimmigrantstoNewYork,andInowpossess32timesmorewealththan

  HerMajestytheQueenofEngland.

  Atthispoint,Chesterfieldbecomingvisiblyannoyed,nudgedmewithhiselbow, thenwhisperedinmyear.

  “Hecan’tstoppointingthatout.He’sobsessedwithit.”

  ItriedtoignorehimandstrainedtohearRosenbergashecontinued: IdaresaythatIbelievealargepartofthischangehasbeenspearheadedfrom righthere:theSquareMileoftheSovereignCityofLondon,whichstilloccupies the pomoeriumoftheoldRomancityofLondinium.The pomoeriumofa Romancity,bytheway,whichwastheareawithinthewalls,wasofficially designatedbyastateaugerusingdivination,anddidnotnecessarilyencompass alloftheterritorycontrolledpoliticallybythecity.Itwasasacredboundary, servingobscurepurposesthathistoriansstilldon’ttotallyunderstand.Yetfor somereason,perhapsmystical,eventhoughmostofLondon’swallisgone,the sacredboundaryremains.

  Asallofyoulocalsknow,theCityofLondon,governedbyCityofLondon Corporation,hasalwaysbeenapoliticalpoweronequalparwiththeCrown, keepingitincheck.TherightsoftheCityareactuallyprotectedeternallyina specialclauseprovidedintheMagnaCarta,towhichtheLordMayorwasa signatory.ThisCorporationisformedbytheFreemenoftheCity,andtheLivery Companies.Itwasagovernmentmadeofmerchantsandartisanswhoownedthe freeholdstothebuildingsoutofwhichtheyoperated,orbelongedtoguildsthat did,andwerethereforecalled“free.”

  TheCityisseparatefromthekingdominsomeways,andyetitplaysaleading partinmanyothers,withtheLordMayorevenplayingaroleinthecoronation ofthemonarch.Asyouknow,monarchsusedtotraditionallyaskpermissionto entertheCity,withanelaborateceremonyatTempleBarnecessarytograntit.

  Althoughthisceremonyhassincebeendispensedwith,andtheCrownisnow quitecooperativewiththeCity,IthinkthisisonlybecausetheCorporationof Londonhassomanytimesinthepastnothesitatedtoremindthemonarchsthat theymusteithersharepowerwiththeCity,andrespectitsrights,orbereplaced.

  Oneofthealdermenfromtheearlytwentiethcentury,LordWakefieldofHythe, wroteinhisbook LondonForeverabouthowtheCityhadalwaysbeenthe“real kingmaker”inthekingdom.HecreditstheCorporationwitheffectingevery

  changeofdynastythathas

  occurredinEngland,includingallowingtheformationoftheProtectorate,and dispensingwithitlaterwhenithadoutliveditsusefulness.Hestated: LondonstoodforLibertyandModeration,andwasthechampionof constitutionalrightsregardlessofthenatureoftheoppressor.

  WhentheKingceasedtorespectthelawsofthelandandtheinterestsofhis people,theSovereignCitydrovehimfromthethrone.WhentheCommonwealth ceasedtorepresentpopulargovernmentandtriedtorulebyforceofarms,the secessionoftheCitybroughtbacktheexiledStuarts.

  ByitsactiontheSovereignCityexpressedthenationaldislikeforrepublican governmentandEngland’sfirmbeliefinconstitutionalmonarchyasthebest formofgovernmentforafreepeople.

  SojustasMithrasandSolagreedtoshareultimatepowerforthegreatergood, andtokeepeachotherincheckwithmutualtrustbasedonmutual understanding,theCrownandtheCitydoalso.Itisfittingthen,thattodaywe havebeenabletoopentheTempleofMithrasonceagain,butnowinamagical squaremilethathasledtheworldinasocialrevolutionbasedonthemeritof earnedcreditratherthantheaccidentofbirth.

  Howamazingisitthatallthistimeuntilitsdiscoveryin1954,thetempleof Mithraswasrighthere,rightnexttotheofficialhomeoftheLordMayor,whose officehasalwaysledthisfight?It’snexttotheBankofEngland,whichfinanced theRoyalNavyandallowedBritaintobuildhermagnificentempire.Andyou knowthatthenationalbankprovidedtheprototypeuponwhichtheworld’s centralbanksnowfuncti
on,stabilizingcurrenciesandgrowingeconomies throughoutthecenturiessince.Andofcourse,theLondonBullionMarket Association,wherethepricesofpreciousmetalsarefixedforthe worldeach day,isrighthereaswell.

  Thislocationwestanduponrightnowisimportantforseveralotherreasons.

  TheLondonStoneoncestoodat111CannonStreet,justoneblockeastofhere.

  Thereisatradition,lostinthefogofancestralmemory,thatsaystheLord Mayorusedtobeswornintoofficeuponthisstone.Anothertradition,confused withArthurianlegend,seemstoimplythatifacertainsword,onceembeddedin thestonetothehilt,couldberemovedfromit,theholderwouldthenbecomethe

  kingofEngland.

  ThetruthveiledbehindthesemythswasthattheCityofLondon,representedby thestone,restrainedthe“SwordofState’frombeingabusedbythemonarch againstthefreemen.Wheneverthatgentlebutfirmrestraintfailed,andthe monarchinsisteduponbrandishingaweaponthatoughtbesttoremainholstered, theCitysawtoitthatnewbloodwouldtakethethroneinstead.

  Thatwasthe millarium oftheRomancity,thefoundationofallthegeographical measurementswithin.Itmayalsohavebeentheir terminusstone,sacredto Jupiter,markingthecrossroadswheretheirtwomainthoroughfaresintersected.

  Notcoincidentally,Ibelieve,thisexactpointhasforthelastseveralcenturies beenthenavelofthefinanceworldandthecrossroadsoftheglobalmarketplace.

  Ibelievethisismoretruenowthaneverbefore.Andwearejustgettingstarted.

  Weallknowthatthemodernmoneysystem,whileanimprovementuponthe past,isstillanotherformofslavery.ButIbelievethatthereisanotherphase cominginourevolutionasaspecies,whichwillsetusfreefromthisonceand forall.Itinvolvesartificialintelligence,intelligentlyplannedbuildings,and intelligentlyruncommunities.Itinvolvesutilizingtheuntappedpowerand potenciesthatliehiddenwithinourownhumanbodies.Anditstartsrighthere, atRosenbergPlaza.