Rosslyn Chapel Rosslyn Chapel Mystery Part I Rosslyn Chapel Mystery Part II History of Rosslyn Chapel Rosslyn Chapel Carvings Rosslyn Chapel, Templars & Masons Rosslyn Chapel and Freemasonry The St Clairs of Rosslyn St Clairs: Protectors of the Gypsies What Lies Beneath Rosslyn Chapel Rosslyn Chapel and The Secret of the Templars The Knights Templar Birth of the Knights Templars' Legend The Founding of The Templars The Knight Templars Centuries Warriors, Monks, Diplomats and Bankers The Wealth of the Templars Order and Discipline The Secret of the Templars The Templars and Gnosticism The Johannite Heresy The Warriors and the Goddess The Templars and The Holy Grail Mary Magdalene The Magdalene in the New Testament A Problem of Identity The Magdalene of the Heretics - Part I The Magdalene of the Heretics - Part II Henry St Clair Expedition to America The Life of Prince Henry St Clair Brave New World The Zeno Map & Narrative Zichmni and Prince Henry Freemasonry Legends Mark Man Genesis of Freemasonry Holy Warriors The Templar Power - Part I The Templar Power - Part II Rennes le Chateau The Sauniere Mystery History of Rennes Le Chateau What Did Sauniere Find Inside Sauniere's Church The Sauniere Story: Facts & Fables Priory of Sion The Modern History The Historical Claims The Priory of Sion's Aims Opinions on The Priory of Sion Pierre Plantard The Grand Master Illuminati The Illuminati Degrees Illuminati Origins Roshaniya Militants The Illuminati and Revolution Illuminati Roots and Offshoots Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci the Heretic The Incredible Hidden Blasphemy The Great Templar Secret Leonardo da Vinci The Engineer, Scientist and Innovator The Turin Shroud The Mystery of The Turin Shroud The Significance of The Turin Shroud The Quest for the Turin Shroud Stone of Destiny Events Leading up to the Theft The Legend: From Bethel to Scone A Potted Pre-History of Scotland The Coming of the Patron Saint St Fillan & Bannockburn The Stone of Destiny? Finding the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel Destiny in the 21st Century Conclusions Store Music

The Knights Templar Warriors & The Goddess

The Adoration of Venus One of the most extraordinary theories - given the militaristic nature of the Order of the Temple - is that the secret beliefs of the Templars centred on the Feminine; that, in effect, they were Goddess-worshippers.

The Templars dedicated themselves to the Virgin Mary. Undoubtedly this was the influence of their original eminence gris, Bernard of Clairvaux, who also had a strong devotion to Mary. In fact, Bernard appears to have been strongly drawn to the feminine side of the The Virgin Mary, patron of the Knights Templar divine, even though the Christianity of the time allowed only a limited number of forms in which this might be explored and expressed.

Apart from the mother of Jesus, Bernard had an especial reverence for the Old Testament Song of Songs, which is an exaltation - often in frankly erotic terms - of the feminine. Bernard composed over 90 sermons on the Song of Songs alone. He equated the Bride of the Song with Mary Magdalene, the repentant sinner of Christian tradition who some believe to have been the lover or even wife of Jesus.

Bernard has also been linked with the Black Madonna cult that is prevalent in France, and which is itself closely entwined with the special cult of Mary Magdalene that existed in the south of France during the Middle Ages, and which Bernard of Clairvaux's seal itself had a heretical character.

It was as a result of Bernard's influence that Pope Innocent II - who owed his election to Bernard's support - declared the Virgin Mary 'Mother of God' and 'Queen of Heaven' (concepts familiar to Catholics today, but a very radical innovation then).

Therefore it is not surprising that the two Marys appear in the Templar oaths and services. On entering the Order, the new Black Madonna knight took an oath to 'God and the Lady St Mary' (or variations such as 'God and Our Lady' or 'God and the Blessed Mary'). The words of the Templar absolution were, 'I pray to God that he will pardon you your sins as he pardoned them to St Mary Magdalene and the thief who was put on the cross.' Bernard of Clairvaux himself, when he had drawn up the Templar Rule, had commended the Templars to 'the obedience of Bethany, the castle of Mary and Martha.' (Mary of Bethany is normally regarded as the same person as Mary Magdalene.)

Researchers Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince point out that the round Templar churches - although apparently made in emulation of the Temple of Solomon or the Dome of the Rock The Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven in Jerusalem - is a specifically female symbol.

They also refer to Hugh Schonfield's decoding of 'Baphomet' using the Atbash cipher, by which it is transformed into the word 'Sophia' - the Greek for 'Wisdom'. However, it more specifically means female wisdom. Sophia as Goddess of Wisdom not only appears in the Old Testament (as the translation of the Hebrew 'Chokmah') but was also important to many Gnostic sects.

The Johannite Tradition - Part 1 of 3
by Lynn Picknett
Click here for The Johannite Tradition - Part 1 of 3
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