Everyday Symbols - The Pyramid & The Eye
October 5th 2006 14:50
"A symbol is an indefinite expression with many meanings, pointing to something not easily defined and therefore not fully known" - C G Jung
We are surrounded by symbols, from corporate logos to currency, and unfortunately very few of us are aware of what they represent. It is for this reason that I have decided to write a series of posts on the most common symbols and their basic meanings. However, it is important to remember, as per the above quote, that a symbol represents something more than itself and is therefore open to many interpretations. A symbol by itself is meaningless, it is the intent behind it that is all important.
Two of the most common symbols in our society today are the pyramid and the eye (often reffered to as the 'All-Seeing Eye' or the 'Eye of Providence') and can be found everywhere from computer companies, such as Dell and AOL, to government authorities and dollar bills.
In its most positive sense the structure of the pyramid represents strength and durability while the steps of the pyramid are an allegory for the journey to enlightenment from the wide base, grounded in earth to the unity of the single capstone that sits atop of, and presides over, all the lower levels in an almost god-like manner. In a more negative sense it represents hierarchy and power. A vast majority of organisations use the pyramid model as their basic structure with one person at the top and a few directly answerable to him/her. These few in turn have a limited number of people under their authority, and so on down the chain. This principle also applies to knowledge, with the top of the pyramid being privvy to all information, the necessary parts of which are passed down the ranks with each level only being provided with the information needed to carry out their alloted tasks.
The symbolism of the eye, as with all symbols, is open to much interpretation. Possible origins of this range from the third eye of Hinduism and yoga to the Vesica Pisces. The earliest known use of this symbol is the egyptian 'Eye of Horus'. From a religious point of view this can be interpreted as the enlightenment of 'seeing' things as they really are, in the context of the third eye, or as a symbol of the gods watching over us, as with the Eye of Horus. In modern society where God has been replaced with science and government legislation takes the place of divine law, the all-seeing eye is usually equated with authority and surveillance. This interpretation can be seen in the logos of organisations such as DARPA in the US (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, founders of the internet) and MI5 (British intelligence) to name just a few. Both of these organisations could be considered the all-seeing eye of their respective governments.
As shown in the accompanying pictures the pyramid and the eye often go hand in hand, especially so in the case of government, with the all-seeing eye being those 'in the know' at the top of the pyramid. Many researchers in this field claim both the pyramid and eye are symbols of the Illuminati and Freemasons, an opinion vehemently denied by the Freemasons. Obviously this has never been contested by the Illuminati as it is a matter of debate as to whether they actually exist as an organisation.
Please let me know if you enjoyed this post as I am considering doing a series of posts to promote symbol literacy depending on the interest in this subject.
Relevant Links:
The Subversive Use of Sacred Symbolism in the Media (video)
A selection of corporate logos containing pyramids & eyes
Pyramid & Eye of Providence on the US dollar bill
The logo of the Information Awareness Office (A division of DARPA)
The Eye of Horus
MI5 logo (note the eye at the top of the pyramid)
Please let me know if you enjoyed this post as I am considering doing a series of posts to promote symbol literacy depending on the interest in this subject.
Relevant Links:
The Subversive Use of Sacred Symbolism in the Media (video)
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Comment by amy louise
Comment by Gareth
Yeah it is scary, but thats what they want you to feel. inregards to chips, I hate to be the one to tell you but they're already doing it. Look up RFID or Verichip and you'll find microchips that they're intending to put in everything from people to grocery packets and they've already started.
With regards to German on English sign, I assume you mean coats of arms and stuff. thats because our royal family are really german. Their family name is Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (they changed it to Windsor in world war 1 cos they thought itd look bad to have a german name).
Comment by amy louise
Comment by Anonymous