John Brown [Mazzini U::S::] in London

A few lines to give thanks to Marco Moiso and Eleonora Renzi Moiso for their excellent organisation of the event “Secret Mazzini”, that has been a moment of deepening not just about the past but about the present time. The idea Mazzini expressed in his life is about Europe as a whole, an idea of emancipation and freedom. In this time, with an increasing excitement of masses towards fascists 2.0 as Trump, Le Pen, Hofer, etc., They are using the word freedom giving it its opposite meaning. Therefore, to stay together in a pub talking about emancipation today come back to be something important just like used to be one century ago. The important perspectives added by participant (among them Veronica Brava, Rosario, Alessandro, Emily Fieran-Reed) generated a comprehensive attitude towards the understanding of the opportunity given by new communication tools (the internet and the simplification of travelling), which allows us in our time to be able to talk and share and open opportunities. I think, and let me invite to reflect together on this, that what is important is not so much try to explain everything happens around us, rather than to start a complete “reset” of our way to think. This should be composed into new patterns, and we should reflect about how generate a common methodology to fire the candles (and the torch) of enlightenment everywhere this can be possible. Sincerely, this is our purpose. And this is a possible one. Read. Think. Share. Enlight. Meet. Celebrate. Breathe, Improve your consciousness. Ritualize. Repeat, spreading all over Europe.

Thomas Paine e Giuseppe Mazzini

Thomas Paine per l’indipendenza americana come Giuseppe Mazzini per l’indipendenza italiana: un’equazione che riassume la tesi del noto storico Denis Mack Smith nel suo libro “Mazzini” (Yale University Press, 1994).  Entrambi sostenitori di un’idea di emancipazione dei popoli sorretta da una luce spirituale, entrambi sostenitori di una ragione come via universale per l’accesso alla pienezza della vita. Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872) non conobbe direttamente Thomas Paine (1737-1809): come dimostrano le date, era ancora bambino quando Paine morì.  Le sue idee furono però ispirazione costante per Mazzini, che del resto fu in prolungato contatto epistolare con il biografo di Paine, Daniel Moncure Conway (1832-1907), che  ne fu anche il curatore postumo degli scritti. Thomas Paine fu pensatore originalissimo, al punto da introdurre un’idea inaudita, senza precedenti: che si possa avere una vita spirituale senza aderire ad alcuna religione.  Di questa idea Mazzini fu il perfetto araldo anzi, come egli stesso si definì, l’Apostolo Popolare, profondamente persuaso che la ragione si dovrà affermare attraverso l’educazione e l’istruzione, da destinare a tutti gli uomini e le donne secondo la capacità di ciascuno di ricevere, per gradi, una illuminazione progressiva. Volendo cercare un parallelismo per queste idee modernissime (e invero non ancora pienamente realizzate), si dovrà evocare il modello esoterico della scuola di Pitagora, che Paine richiama esplicitamente nella sua famosa opera The Age of Reason (specialmente nel capitolo The Origin of Free-Masonry).  Oppure, si dovrà attendere la poesia visionaria di William Blake (1757-1827) che, in fondo, si alimenta dello stesso fuoco (ma questo è un argomento che sarà trattato altrove). Per evitare scorciatoie logiche, si dovrà notare, come afferma la Grand Lodge of Columbia and Yukon, che non ci sono prove che Thomas Paine abbia fatto parte della Massoneria, come del resto l’appartenenza di Mazzini, secondo il Grande Oriente d’Italia, non è mai stata provata, almeno non in senso organico e attraverso una iniziazione rituale “regolare” (è certa invece la sua appartenenza a ruoli direzionali della Carboneria). Queste considerazioni, qui conchiuse in un accenno (si troveranno sviluppate in altra sede e con ragioni superiori), non valgono certo a escludere l’eccellenza iniziatica delle personalità in argomento, mettendo in risalto, per coloro che intendono, che la Massoneria è una via purtroppo non unitaria e, per fortuna e per grazia, non unica. Tornando alla tesi di Mack Smith, Mazzini e Paine sono eroi dimenticati, ingiustamente oscurati.  Troppo avanzata la loro idea di una spiritualità senza religione per la loro epoca: e continua ad esserlo ancora per la nostra. Personalità misconosciute e mal interpretate, di cui la storiografia ufficiale continua a dare ritratti parziali: imbarazzante per il sistema del potere prendere in considerazione le loro tesi, aprirle alla comprensione attiva degli studenti, alla conoscenza generale di tutti.  Sono idee pericolose, minacciano il potere costituito nella sua intima essenza. Lo sradicamento dell’ignoranza e l’apertura della mente ad una consapevolezza moderna, da conquistare mediante avanzamenti progressivi, posti sotto l’astro luminoso della ragione trascendente: troppo per le oligarchie oscurantiste che detengono il potere sotto il duplice manto dell’ignoranza e della superficialità. Ecco perché il nostro lavoro deve partire dal sottrarre la memoria all’oblio, dal restituire luce alla luce.  Non possiamo dare ulteriore spazio a chi parla con lingua di tenebra.  Non possiamo continuare ad aver paura.  Restando nella paura, soccomberemmo ancor prima.  Dobbiamo affermare la rivolta della Ragione. Ecco perché Thomas Paine e Giuseppe Mazzini sono fari nella notte oceanica di questo viaggio, astri numinosi che indicano la Via. Con fiducia, con speranza, soprattutto con il tenace ottimismo della volontà, tendiamo il nostro sguardo all’aurora ammantata d’oro e accesa di verde e di porpora che sorge al nuovo Oriente.

Pike-Mazzini correspondance

[Source: http://www.masonicinfo.com/3worldwars.htm%5D In the introduction to his book, “Pawns in the Game,” Carr wrote: “World War Three is to be fomented by using the differences the agentur of the Illuminati stir up between the Political Zionists and the leaders of the Moslem world. The war is to be directed in such a manner that Islam (the Arab World including Mohammedanism) and Political Zionism (including the State of Israel) will destroy themselves while at the same time the remaining nations, once more divided against each other on this issue, will be forced to fight themselves into a state of complete exhaustion physically, mentally, spiritually and economically.“

On August 15, 1871, Pike told Mazzini that after World War Three is ended, those who aspire to undisputed world domination will provoke the greatest social cataclysm the world has ever known. We quote his written words (taken from the letter catalogued in the British Museum Library, London, Eng.): “‘We shall unleash the Nihilists and Atheists, and we shall provoke a formidable social cataclysm which in all its horror will show clearly to the nations the effect of absolute atheism, origin of savagery and of the most bloody turmoil. Then everywhere, the citizens, obliged to defend themselves against the world minority of revolutionaries, will exterminate those destroyers of civilization, and the multitude, disillusioned with Christianity, whose deistic spirits will be from that moment without compass (direction), anxious for an ideal, but without knowing where to render its adoration, will receive the true light through the universal manifestation of the pure doctrine of Lucifer, brought finally out in the public view, a manifestation which will result from the general reactionary movement which will follow the destruction of Christianity and atheism, both conquered and exterminated at the same time.“

And another

“Pike at that time (1870s) was Head of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Mazzini, in a letter dated January 22, 1870, wrote to Pike:

“We must create a Super Rite, which will remain unknown, to which we will call those Masons of High degree whom we shall select. With regard to our brothers in Masonry, these men must be pledged to the strictest Secrecy. Through this Supreme Rite, we will govern all Freemasonry which will become the One International Center, the more Powerful because its direction will be unknown.”

This letter was published in the book, Occult Theocrasy by Lady Queensborough <sic>, pages 208-209.”

Alternatively, you may see the same comments with a supporting claim from Nesta H. Webster who wrote Secret Societies and Subversive Movements.

Here, the facts!

1. Pike was NOT the head of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He was the head of ONE Supreme Council (that of the Southern United States, the oldest) while there were dozens of other Supreme Councils who cared precious little about Pike’s position and were not subservient to him in any way, even though he certainly was not reticent about letting folks know that he was an important person. Anyone should note, however, that the word “SUPREME” appears in the name of each and every Scottish Rite governing body in the world. This should lead to the obvious question: if there are 10 Supreme Councils, which one is the ‘supreme, supreme’ do you suppose? In fact, all one has to do is view the correspondence between Pike and the head of the SUPREME Council of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States at the time (Josiah Hayden Drummond) and one can easily see that even on United States soil there were those who vehemently disagreed with Pike over many, many issues. There were (and are) TWO Supreme Councils in the United States, one of which didn’t recognize Pike as a leader and which, at the time, had the much larger Scottish Rite membership and was sited in the much more populated part of the United States.

2. Mazzini was probably NOT a Mason! Biographers mention Freemasonry in conjunction with Mazzini only because another ‘Giuseppe’ (Garibaldi) was. They were both Italian freedom fighters so – hey, it’s easy enough to just switch names around. Who’ll notice it, anyway? Maybe it was an honest mistake at first? Naw: since Garibaldi was wrapped up in the Franco-Prussian war at the time and wasn’t very sympathetic to the type of Marxist concepts that this supposed letter was supporting. Garibaldi was a Freemason but remember, this is a letter from MAZZINI! Everyone says so…. In what is considered the defining biography of Mazzini, author Denis Mack Smith in his seminal work Mazzini writes “Mazzini was also less friendly than Garibaldi to the anticlerical Freemasons. When invited to become a mason he refused and was sometimes overtly critical.”¹ Anyone have any information to the contrary? Where/when Mazzini joined Freemasonry for example? Parenthetically, he’s not mentioned in the 1970s publication “10,000 Famous Freemasons” either so you’ll have to get some facts if you want to claim he’s writing to ANYBODY about what the Masons are going to be doing.

3. Occult Theocrasy, written by Edith Starr Miller a/k/a Lady Queenborough in 1933, is a notoriously anti-Semitic screed which Masonic detractors often cite as their source for the ‘Lucifer is God‘ quote they claim was made by Pike. That quote, commonly known as the Taxil Hoax, was just as contrived as the World War III foolishness. The author decries the “Jesuit-Judaic-Masonic-Gnostic-Brahmin-Illuminati” conspiracy (say that fast three times and you win a prize – but when one is lying, it’s always good to throw a dart at the wall in hopes you’ll hit something) and buys directly into the concept of “Palladian Masonry” which was a further part of the Taxil Hoax.

4. Societies & Subversive Movements is actually the earlier work, published in 1924 wherein Webster uses minute similarities and ignores the major differences between so-called “secret societies” and thereby concludes that they’re all in cahoots to ferment world revolution although she fails to show how these groups communicate with one another or agree on their goals and objectives. Webster attributes all of this to Adam Weishaupt of Illuminati fame and perpetuates the concept that somehow 200 years later the group is still going strong. Webster fails to provide a shred of evidence to support her claims.

5. Oh, and the letter isn’t in the British Museum at all – never has been!

The Pawns all

Most quotes we see on the web about this World War III claim will refer to Pawns in the Game by William Guy Carr, an avid anti-Semite took the ideas of Webster and ran with them.

He states that “…[Albert] Pike accepted the idea of a one world government and ultimately became head of the Luciferian Priesthood. Between 1859 and 1871, he worked out the details of a military blue-print, for three world wars, and three major revolutions which he considered would further the conspiracy to its final stage during the twentieth century.” [p. xiv]. In addition, he continues theTaxil Hoax by claiming “Pike organized the New and Reformed Palladian Rite.” [p. xv] and quotes Taxil’s lie about Pike worshipping Lucifer citing it as being in a letter sent to his Palladian councils July 14th, 1889 [p. xvi]

Carr’s accuracy, though, can easily be brought into question though when one considers quotes like this: “Long before Marconi invented wireless (Radio), the scientists who were of the Illuminati had made it possible for Pike and the Heads of his councils to communicate secretly.” [p. xv] Now for those who accept the concept that an alien race is controlling Freemasonry, this might be ok but the vast majority of rational, sentient beings would think – and rightly so – that Carr had ‘lost his marbles’.

Carr purports to quote Pike’s August 15, 1871 alleged correspondence in the British Museum Library but fails to provide citation.

More obfuscation

Some who elaborate on this hoax say that Carr learned about the alleged Pike letter from Cardinal Caro y Rodriguez of Santiago, Chile, author of “The Mystery of Freemasonry Unveiled.” That work, however, is a religious screed against Freemasonry and was written in the late 1920s when World War I was known as “The Great War” or “The War To End All Wars” and World War II – either in name or fact – was simply not contemplated. In fact, the term “World War” was not known to the Cardinal and thus his writing about THREE of them would be ridiculous.

Oh, but let’s think that through a bit further: this letter was dated in – when? – 1871. Not 1951 after two World Wars but in 1871, some forty years before even the whiff of an international war was in the air. Many wars had been fought, some with a number of nations participating, by the year 1871 but the idea of a “world war” was inconceivable, even as late as 1901 despite the many interconnecting military alliances then being formed.

And that letter Carr claimed was at the British Museum. Well, they must be in on the conspiracy or something because they claim that no such thing was ever in their possession.

From the sublime to the ridiculous

And if you weren’t convinced by all of the ranting, then you should know this: the supernatural was involved. Here’s a quote from “The Three World Wars” website:

“Pike was said to be a Satanist, who indulged in the occult, and he apparently possessed a bracelet which he used to summon Lucifer, with whom he had constant communication.”  (Link)

Now REALLY…. We’re used to seeing visitors from outer space and interplanetary travel on our televisions and in theatres but talking to the Devil in the late 1800s? It is, after all, essential to this story so if you don’t believe it, you’ve got to discredit the rest entirely.

Oh, and if you followed the link, you’re probably wondering about the Palladium stuff. Well, that was all part of the Taxil Hoax and you’ll note too that some of their other stuff is from the fertile imagination of the liar, Jim Shaw.

So what’s the truth?

Like most conspiracy theories, selective interpretation of only those things which fit neatly into the plan are considered while all the rest is discarded. Each retelling of the tale expands and elaborates, a classic example being Carr’s attempt to pass of his fabrication on to an earlier writer in the hopes that it wouldn’t be checked.

If Pike and Mazzini wrote this letter to each other, let’s see the PROOF rather than just a bunch of hairy stories about it from people who hate Jews, see evils around every corner, and live their lives on the internet looking for boogey-men.

¹Mazzini. Dennis Mack Smith. Yale University Press, New Haven & London. 1994. P. 193. Note: Mr. Smith refers to Freemasons as being “anti-clerical”, a descriptor which requires a further explanation. While Freemasonry as an organization takes no position whatsoever relative to secular or religious matters, the Masonic scene in Italy is a long, tortured one with considerable animosity against the Roman Catholic Church arising from its not-infrequent condemnations of the organization. Thus, it is truly not inappropriate in this instance to use that description relative to that place and time.

According to British Columbia and Yukon Grand-Lodge, [http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/pike_mazzini.html], “It cannot be stressed too strongly that these claimed excerpts from a non-existent correspondence are not supported by any documentation. Internal evidence, the language and subject matter, clearly suggest a much later creation date.”

I cifrari di Mazzini

CIFRARI DI MAZZINI

L’adozione dei cifrari da parte di Mazzini era dovuta alle esigenze dell’azione rivoluzionaria quale garanzia di segretezza dei messaggi, in sostituzione degli inchiostri simpatici la cui composizione e i reagenti erano ben noti alle polizie.
Il primo cifrario ritrovato è del 1833, ed è costituito da una serie di numeri, a ciascuno dei quali corrisponde un nome: venne impiegato largamente, variandone l’elenco ed aggiungendo ai nomi di persona tutte quelle parole usate con maggior frequenza per le comunicazioni segrete. Un simile cifrario venne impiegato per qualche anno nella corrispondenza con Nicola Fabrizj. È costituito dalla serie dei primi cento numeri, a ciascuno dei quali corrisponde una lettera dell’alfabeto. Le lettere sono disposte alla rinfusa e si ripetono più volte (omofoni)1 in modo da renderle il più possibile equiprobabili e disguidare il decrittatore. Questo cifrario fu abbandonato e sostituito (1834) da altri.

Fonte: I cifrari di Giuseppe Mazzini, di Filippo Sinagra, Fondazione Bergamo nella Storia http://fondazione.bergamoestoria.it/contributi.aspx#

Il Mazzini inatteso: cantautore e chitarrista

Giuseppe Mazzini resta per noi italiani uno sconosciuto.  Lo consideriamo, certo, uno dei “Padri della Patria”, ma non sappiamo quasi nulla di lui.  Troppo libertario, troppo europeista e antinazionalista, troppo cosmopolita per essere espressione di una cultura tutto sommato provinciale qual è e resta l’Italia nel suo spessore medio.

Da qui le delusioni dello stesso Mazzini, critico delle aspirazioni meschine dell’aristocrazia torinese, critico dell’abbassamento spirituale determinato dall’interpretazione materialista delle dottrine progressiste ad opera del socialismo marxista.  Inoltre, i suoi legami con il mondo delle società segrete e dell’occultismo fanno di lui una personalità off-limits per la cultura clerical-borghese post-unitaria.

Figuriamoci quindi se si è potuta manifestare sin’ora la componente artistica della personalità di Mazzini.  Eppure, fu esperto suonatore di chitarra, attento conoscitore del repertorio a lui contemporaneo e, inoltre, autore di un piccolo trattato di estetica musicale: Filosofia della musica.

La chitarra costituì per Mazzini un indispensabile e insostituibile veicolo di familiarità con la musica. Secondo M. R. Brondi: «La chitarra, così intima, tutta personale, (…) era per Mazzini parte della sua stessa vita»
Il padre di Giuseppe Mazzini, trovando il figlio molto dotato nella musica, così si sarebbe rivolto a lui (dal libro di A. Luzio): «Se tu volessi potresti avere una certa fortuna per mezzo dell’intelligenza che hai sopra la musica.»

Nella visione spirituale e politica che gli furono proprie, la musica non poteva risolversi in un ornamento dell’aristocrazia ma acquistava per Mazzini il valore di manifestazione sensibile del Progresso in un vasto progetto di elevazione della maturità del popolo europeo, approdo a cui sarebbe dovuto giungere l’uomo purificato dal suo individualismo.

La foto della chitarra di Giuseppe Mazzini, custodita presso la Fondazione Mazziniana di Genova, costruita da un rinomato liutaio napoletano (Gennaro Fabbricatore, detto il Fabbricatoriello) nel 1821 (quando Giuseppe Mazzini aveva sedici anni), dal sito ARIA NUOVA su cui è possibile leggere l’intero articolo: