William Cooper's Mystery Babylon: Part 24 - America's Assignment Part 1

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ery%20Babylon/audio/mystery%20babylon%2024.mp3)
transcribed by frizshizzle/luckee1 (edited/formatted by wakingup72 @ http://www.
waronyou.com/forums)
**FINAL TRANSCRIPTION**
=====================================================

Once again, you're listening to the Hour of the Time. I'm your host, William Coo
per.

(opening music: possibly theme music from the movie [i]Blade Runner[/i], written
by Vangelis)

Are you one of the people who believe that everything that s happened through hist
ory is an accident? And that, while one or two things that have been planned, th
at most of history had no intelligent direction forming it, driving it? Well, li
sten to this folks and listen very carefully.

[reading from [i]America's Assignment with Destiny[/i], written by Manly P. Hall

]:

(start of quote)
=====================================================
Those desiring substantial evidence of the unfoldment of the Great Plan should f
ollow the suggestion inscribed upon the monument to Christopher Wren in Saint Pa
ul's Cathedral, and gaze about them. The rapid advancement in the social and pol
itical states of man, the increasing richness of human living, and the broadenin
g vision toward individual and collective responsibility herald, with auroral co
lors, the rising [of the] sun of truth. There is much yet to be accomplished, bu
t already the achievement is impressive. Even the most devout humanist cannot su
rvey the orderly progress of the race and at the same time deny the existence of
a well-integrated program.
The light of the ancient Vedas is slowly but surely illuminating the whole world
. The vision of man's noble destiny and the sacred sciences which made possible
the realization of that vision have been guarded and served by "the Silent Ones
of the earth." The priesthoods of the sacerdotal colleges, the hierophants of th
e Mystery Schools, and the adept-masters of the Secret Societies have been the g
uardians of man's noblest purpose -- the perfection of his own kind. It is the i
nalienable right of every honorable person to be grateful for the opportunities
which progress bestows. With this appreciation comes also an appropriate measure
of resolution. The past proves the future, which is but the extension of good w
orks toward their fullness.
The Mystery Schools neither restrained nor limited the unfoldment of human insti
tutions. Man fashioned his civilization according to his natural instincts and c
onvictions. [And] this process must continue, for growth is not hastened by the
interference of authority. Man substantiates with his mind and heart that which
he fashions with his hands. The esoteric tradition ensouls "the ordinary works,"
revealing the larger purposes through the smaller ones. Not so long ago, ninety
percent of the population of the earth was in physical slavery. Having liberate
d his body, the audacious creature must now free his heart and mind. Thus, press
ed on by a sovereign necessity, the world conqueror becomes the self-conqueror.
Under a democratic concept of living, the responsibilities for progress pass to
the keeping of the people. The powers vested in the governing body functioning w
ith the consent of the governed include not only provisions for collective secur
ity, but also the advancement of such religions, philosophers, arts, and science
s as contribute to the essential growth of human character. An administrative sy
stem which ignores ethics, culture, and morality cannot survive as a dominant po
litical organism. Democratic institutions must accept the task for which they we
re fashioned and become the conscious custodians of the democratic destiny.
Progress demands the most from those with the largest spheres of influence. Vast
organizations, industrial, political, social, and educational, have been made p
ossible by the modern life-way. These have become the molders of public opinion,
feared or respected according to the measure of integrity revealed in their man
agement. The future of human society is intimately associated with the destinies
of these vast enterprises which have inherited, along with physical success, th
e duty or, more correctly, the privilege of world guardianship. Even the continu
ance of the economic theory now demands the strengthening of ethical convictions
. Prominence of any kind, whether bestowed by wealth or authority, carries with
it priestly obligations. The leader, whatever be his field, is looked upon for i
ntelligent guidance. His convictions inspire his followers, his words influence
their lives, and his policies dominate their activities.
There is every indication that the esoteric tradition will next function through
that complex of vast interrelated organisms of production and distribution whic
h now dominates human imagination. While this structure may appear to the superf
icial-minded as heartless and soulless, it is also the largest and most powerful
potential instrument for the advancement of mankind ever yet devised. Education
, science, and economics are today indivisible. They have already formed a partn
ership for their mutual advancement. Equipped with knowledge, skill, and the nec
essary physical resources, this huge combine awaits the destiny for which it was
intended.
There is no virtue in burdening the future with the conclusions of today. To pro
phecy is to restrict, not the will of heaven, but the mind of man. Old principle
s, as they reveal more of themselves, will be given new names; and progress is a
lways an adjustment of concepts, each of which is in a constant state of change.
Assuming, however, that the term democracy, with its numerous imponderable over
tones, conveys a conviction of natural unfoldment, it is reasonable to infer tha
t the democratic motion will continue until all of its potentials have become po
tencies.
Progress is not bound inevitably to any nation or people. Social and political s
tructures are instruments for the advancement of the Great Work only to the degr
ee that they keep the faith. If ambition or selfishness breaks the bond, the pri
vilege of guardianship is forfeited. This does not mean that the project fails;
rather, that which fails the project loses the privilege of leadership. The Plan
then passes to the keeping of other groups and other ages. Man cannot destroy o
r pervert the works of destiny. He can only divide himself from those works, and
by so doing cease to share in the essential vitality of progress. Thus it is th
at unreasonable doubts and fears concerning providence are philosophically unsou
nd. Failure is always regrettable, but principles do not fail, and that which is
foreordained perfects itself.
Although empires may collapse, great teachers be martyred, schools and systems p
erish, and enlightened leaders remain unhonored, the substance of the Great Work
remains unchanged and unchangeable. New vehicles appear, even as the older ones
are betrayed by human selfishness. The Eternal Commonwealth is an assignment of
destiny, and spiritual progress, symbolized by the fabled phoenix, rises victor
iously from the ashes of the human ruin. The adept tradition has always availabl
e social instruments waiting to be ensouled with the larger vision. All things c
reated by men are mortal and destructible, but the way destined by heaven is imm
ortal and indestructible. Universal enlightenment and universal fraternity are t
he natural ends which reward the social struggle. The world and all that inhabit
s it are moving triumphantly toward peace and security. At any given time the vi
sion may be obscured, but in the larger dimensions of time, all things work toge
ther for the fulfillment of the greater good.
=====================================================
(end of quote)

Is that a piece of excellent, retrospective writing, looking back on history? No

, ladies and gentlemen it is not, for this was written by Manly P. Hall in Los A
ngeles, California in April of 1951. What he predicted is what is happening. A w
edding, a marriage between the corporate world and the state, which is coming. H
e's talking, here, about Socialism under a democratic concept of living; the res
ponsibilities for progress passed to the keeping of the people. The powers veste
d in the governing body functioning with the consent of the governed include not
only provisions for collective security, but also the advancement of such relig
ions, philosophies, arts, and science as contribute to the essential growth of h
uman character.
[i]Humanism[/i]: the concept that man will become god, and the new religion will
change with the needs of man -- not man conforming to the laws of God. Democrat
ic institutions must accept the task for which they were fashioned and become th
e conscious custodians of the democratic destiny, and so on and so forth. Manly
P. Hall was an adept, a highly degreed -- in fact, he was a 33rd degree Freemaso
n...may of held many, many other degrees in the Secret Societies of Mystery Baby
lon. He was a priest of the Order.
Now, get comfortable. Make sure that you have everything that you need, folks, b
ecause I'm going to take you with me on a journey back to the beginning of all t
hat is. And we are going to come forward from that point to the present, so that
you will finally have an understanding of [i]America's Assignment with Destiny[
/i].

(Music playing: possibly theme music from the movie [i]Blade Runner[/i], written
by Vangelis)

[continuing reading from [i]America's Assignment with Destiny[/i]]:

(start of quote)
=====================================================
Three great culture heroes were associated with the origin of Mayan civilization
: Votan, who founded the Votanic Empire seated at Palanque; Itzama (Zamna), the
Yucatecan hero; and Kulkulkan, whose worship extended throughout the Central Ame
rican area. All three came from a remote region lying eastward, introduced arts
and sciences, and founded religious cults or Mysteries. From the legendary histo
ries of these persons, they should be included as adepts or initiates of ancient
Secret Schools, possibly Atlantean.
In a book written in the Quichean language and attributed to Votan, the great on
e declared himself "a snake," a descendent of Imos of the line of Chan. He came
to America, by the command of God, from a distant place. He ultimately founded P
alanque, and built a temple with many subterranean chambers, which was called th
e House of Darkness. Here he deposited the records of his nation in the keeping
of certain aged men called guardians. There is a legend[, folks,] that this Vota
n was the grandson of Noah. The original book containing this report was in the
possession of Nunex de la Vega, Bishop of Chiapas, but he destroyed it with the
other native manuscripts which he was able to accumulate. Fortunately, however,
it had been copied by Aguilar.
Itzamna, according to Cogullodo, was a priest who came with the migrations from
the east. He was the son of the supreme deity, Hunab-Ku ([or] the holy one). Itz
amna is pictured as an ancient man with a very prominent and strangely shaped no
se, either toothless or with one crooked fang. Likenesses of him have been found
indicating his birth from a plant growing from the earth. He is also shown risi
ng from the mouth of a serpent or a turtle, to symbolize that he came from the s
ea. He healed the sick and restored the dead to life. He lived, according to the
records, to a great age, and was said to have been buried at Izamal ([or] Itzam
al), where his tombs became places of pilgrimages. Itzamna was sometimes called
"the Skillful Hand." [And] after his death, his body was divided. His skillful h
and was placed in one temple, his heart in another, and the rest of his remains
in a third. One of the best known of his emblems was a Tau or T cross.
It is now generally admitted that the Quetzalcoatl of the Nahuatlan people the G
ucumatz of the Quiches, and the Kulkulkan of the more southern Mayas were one pe
rson. In each language, the word signifies [i]feathered, plumed, or winged serpe
nt[/i]. This title may have resulted from Quetzalcoatl casting his lot among, or
gathering his first followers from, the descendants of Votan. This tribal group
had the serpent as its heraldic device. At a remote time this semi-mystical, se
mi-divine priest-initiate Quetzalcoatl came from the fabled land of the "seven c
olors" and established his rite at Tulla and Cholula.
Quetzalcoatl was the initiate-philosopher and teacher of the Nahuatlan tribes of
Central Mexico. Among the appelations of this priest-prophet-king are "he who w
as born of the virgin," "Lord of the Winds," and "the Divine Incarnation." Quetz
alcoatl was the son of the universal creator-god and the virgin Sochiquetzal, an
d his conception was made known by an ambassador from the god of the Milky Way.
Torquemada, in his [i]Indian Monarchies[/i], described a band of people who came
from the north dressed in long black robes. Arriving at Tulla, these strangers
were well received; but finding the region already thickly Populated, they conti
nued to Cholula. These wanderers were great artists, and skilled in working meta
ls. Quetzalcoatl was their leader. Mendieta, in his [i]Ecclesiastical History[/i
], described Quetzalcoatl as a white man with a strong formation of body, broad
forehead, large eyes, and a flowing beard. He wore a miter on his head, and was
dressed in a long white robe reaching to his feet, and covered with a design of
red crosses. In his hand he held a sickle. His habits were ascetic; he never mar
ried, and was most chaste and pure in his life, and is said to have endured pena
nce in a neighboring mountain, not for its effect upon himself, mid you, but as
an example to others. He condemned sacrifices, except of fruit or flowers, and w
as known as the god of peace; for when addressed on the subject of war, he is re
ported to have stopped his ears with his fingers.
Fray Bernardino de Sahagun described Quetzalcoatl as very homely, with a long he
ad and a very long beard. There was a recumbent statue of him in the temple at T
ulla which was always covered with blankets. "His vassals," writes the good Fray
, "were all workmen in the mechanic arts and skillful in cutting the green stone
s called Chalchivites, also in the art of smelting silver and making other objec
ts. All these arts had their origin and commencement with Quetzalcoatl, who had
houses made with these precious green stones called Chalchivites and others made
of silver, still others made of red and white shells, others all made of boards
, and again others of turquoises, and some all made of rich plumes...
"Quetzalcoatl also owned all the wealth of the world in gold, silver, and the gr
een stones called Chalchivites, and other precious things; and had a great abund
ance of cocoa-trees of different colors, which are called xochicacatlao. The sai
d vassals of Quetzalcoatl were also very wealthy, and did not lack anything at a
ll; they never suffered famine or lack of corn; [in fact] they never ate even th
e small ears of corn, but rather heated their baths with them, using them instea
d of firewood. They also say that the said Quetzalcoatl did penance by pricking
his limbs and drawing blood, with which he stained the maguey points; that he ba
thed at midnight in a spring called xicapaya."
The interpreter of the [i]Codex Telleriano-Remensis[/i] said that Quetzalcoatl w
as created by the breath of Tonacatecotli. Quetzalcoatl was born on the day of S
even Canes, and disappeared or died on the day of One Cane. He was identified wi
th the planet Venus. The [i]Codex Vaticanus A.[/i] says that the hero founded fo
ur temples: the first for the princes; the second for the people; the third, the
House of Fear or Serpents; and the fourth, the Temple of Shame. The [i]Codex Ch
imalpopca[/i] says that Quetzalcoatl was born as a nine-year-old child. When he
resolved to leave Mexico, he reached the seashore, and, removing his clothing an
d his snake mask of turquoise, destroyed himself by fire. His ashes changed into
birds, and his heart became the morning star. He remained four days in the unde
rworld and four days as a corpse. After that he ascended to heaven as a god.
It is specifically mentioned by Sahagun that Quetzalcoatl created and built hous
es under the earth. [Now] traces of subterranean grottoes and rooms have been di
scovered in the vicinity of most of the architectural monuments of the Nahuas. T
here is a vast complex of such apartments near the Pyramid of the Sun at San Jua
n Teotihuacan. The Amerindians believed the serpent to be an earth dweller, and
it is quite possible that the accounts implied these subterranean and secret pla
ces to be chambers of initiation into the mysteries of the cult. According to de
Bourbourg, the Mexican demigod Votan made a journey through a subterranean pass
age which, running under ground, terminated at the root of heaven. This passage
was "a snake's hole," and Votan was admitted because he was himself "a son of th
e snake."
Quetzalcoatl appeared as the great sorcerer, magician, or necromancer. He perfor
med miracles, and upon his departure his secrets were entrusted to an Order of p
riests governed by a hierophant or Master. This priesthood practiced the arts an
d sciences, treated the sick, administered sacraments, and were diviners and pro
phets. Landa gives some consideration to the activities of these religious Order
s.
Lucien Biart summarizes the available data [thusly]: "The most contradictory ide
as have been current in regard to this divinity, who, now considered of celestia
l origin, and now regarded as a man who had acqu...He certainly belonged to a ra
ce other than the one he civilized; of that there can be no doubt, but what was
his country? He died, announcing that he would return at the head of white-faced
men; and we have seen that the Indians believed his prophecy fulfilled when the
Spaniards landed on their shores [and of course we have seen the consequences o
f that action.] According to Sahagun, the most usual ornaments of the images of
Quetzalcoatl were a miter spotted like the skin of a tiger, a short embroidered
tunic, turquoise earrings, and a golden collar supporting fine shells. The legs
of these images were encased in gaiters of tiger-skins, and on their feet were b
lack sandals. A shield hung from the left arm, and in the right hand was a scept
er ornamented with precious stones, an emblem which terminated in a crook like a
bishop's crosier."
Quetzalcoatl is credited with the invention of the pictorial or hieroglyphical m
ethod of writing, and especially is his name associated with the [i]Tonalamatl[/
i], or [i]Book of Fate[/i]. This was more than a civil calendar and was reserved
for the calculation of human destiny and prophecies concerning the future of th
e State. It was used by "master magicians," the chief of whom was an astrologica
l adept credited with extraordinary occult powers. While it is likely that Quetz
alcoatl brought the [i]Tonalamatl[/i] back to Mexico after his journey among the
Mayas, a people already advanced in such matters, the Aztecan legend has been s
ummarized by Mendieta. The gods had created a man, Oxomoco, and a woman, Cipacto
natl, as the progenitors of the human race. They [according to the legend] dwelt
in a cave at Cuernavaca, and in order to regulate their lives these two resolve
d to devise a calendar. Cipactonatl felt that her descendant, Quetzalcoatl, shou
ld be invited to participate in the project. Because she was the mother of all t
he living and a great prophetess, Cipactonatl was privileged to select and write
the first sign or day-symbol of the calendar. The others followed until the thi
rteen signs were completed.
Sahagun, in his [i]General History[/i], gave a number of details of the struggle
between Quetzalcoatl, the civilizer, and Tezcatlipoca, who apparently signified
the primitive and sanguine religious cult of Mexico. The old priesthood, which
practiced human sacrifice and adhered to a policy of war and destruction, resent
ed the peaceful and gentle faith brought by Quetzalcoatl. In the end, Tezcatlipo
ca, the personification of the sorcerers, contrived to poison the god-king, whic
h implies that his doctrines were corrupted by false teachings and interpretatio
ns.
The poison worked slowly and insidiously, until Quetzalcoatl, realizing that he
could not combat successfully the old perverted priesthood, left Tulla, ordering
his palaces of gold and silver, turquoise and precious stones to be set afire.
Accompanied by a procession of musicians, youths, and maidens bearing flowers, a
nd flocks of singing birds, the old adept journeyed to Cholula, where the great
pyramid was built in his honor.
It was written that the Cholulans deeply admired the great priest because of the
purity of his life, the kindliness of his manner, and his doctrines of peace an
d brotherhood. He remained with them for nearly twenty years, slowly sickening f
rom the poison which was destroying his body. At last he realized that his minis
try was coming to an end, so he continued his long journey toward the mysterious
city of Tlapallan from which he had come. He turned toward the east and proceed
ed to the sea, which he reached at a point a few miles south of Veracruz. Here h
e blessed the four young men who had accompanied him and bade them return to the
ir homes, with his promise that one day in the future he would return and restor
e his kingdom among them.

=====================================================
(end of quote)

It's time for our break, folks. Don't go away. I'll be right back, after this ve
ry short pause.

(William Cooper does commercial for Swiss America Trading Corporation)

(break music: possibly theme music from the movie [i]Blade Runner[/i], written b
y Vangelis)
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you a young man who has come
to be my right-hand, my assistant, who has come to learn as much as he can. And,
of course, I am going to learn as much I can from him. His official title aroun
d here is Research Assistant. Mr. Tom Swift will continue with the rest of tonig
ht s program.
[Tom Swift]: Where we left off:

[Tom Swift reading from [i]America's Assignment with Destiny[/i]]:

(start of quote)
=====================================================
[Quetzalcoatl had just promised] the four young men...that one day in the future
he would return and restore his kingdom among them.
Then the old and weary man called to the sea, and out of the waters came a raft
of serpents. He stepped upon this strange craft and was carried away into the la
nd of the sun's beginning. He left behind him a priesthood that perpetuated with
esoteric rites the Mysteries of the Feathered Serpent. There is every indicatio
n that the cult of Quetzalcoatl was kept secret, a precaution necessary in the f
ace of the opposition of the primitive indigenous sects.
There are several accounts of the death or departure of Quetzalcoatl. The confli
ct is due in part to the legends being derived from different tribes, and in par
t to the Spanish methods of gathering the reports. These invaders took slight in
terest in the native traditions, until they had destroyed most of the available
sources of information. Later, even the converted Indians were uncertain of thei
r tribal history. There is reason to believe, however, that some sacred records
were intentionally suppressed and were never available to the missionaries. The
people of Mexico claim to have sacred accounts of the mysteries of their religio
n and the origin of their race. There is mention of the [i]Divine Book[/i] writt
en by Tezcucan, a wise man or wizard, whose name means Lord of the Great Hand. T
his was supposed to contain the account of the migration of the Aztecs from Asia
. Baron de Waldeck claimed that the book had once been in his possession. De Bou
rbourg thought it was the [i]Dresden Codex[/i], and Bustamante wrote that native
historians had a copy in their possession at the time of the fall of Mexico. Th
ere is good probability that manuscripts of great value survived the Spanish col
onial period and are still available to certain qualified persons.
Augustus LePlongeon, known to the Yucatecans as Great Black Beard, was one of th
e few Americanists to be accepted into the confidence of the ever-reticent India
ns. They told him enough to convince a thoughtful man of the existence of Esoter
ic Schools in the Mayan area. "That sacred mysteries," writes LePlongeon, "have
existed in America from times immemorial, there can be no doubt. Even setting asi
de the proofs of their existence, that we gather from the monuments of Uxmal, an
d the descriptions of the trials of initiation related in the sacred book of the
Quiches, we find vestiges of them in various other countries of the Western Con
tinent.
"The rites and ceremonies of initiation were imported to Peru by the ancestors o
f Manco Capac, the founder of the Inca dynasty, who were colonists from Central
America, as we learn from an unpublished Manuscript, written by a Jesuit father,
Rev. Anello Oliva, at the beginning of the year 1631, in Lima; and now in the l
ibrary of the British Museum in London."
A number of authors have tried to prove that Quetzalcoatl was a foreigner who, r
eaching the shores of the New World at an early time, attempted the civilization
of the aboriginal tribes. Lord Kingsborough favored the possibility that this w
anderer was the Apostle Thomas, and that the ancient Central American Indians ca
me under Christian or Jewish influence.
Always deeply concerned with the possibilities of linking the worship in the Ame
ricas with the religions of the Near East, his lordship writes: "The Messiah is
shadowed in the Old Testament under many types; such as those of a lion, a lamb,
a rose, the morning star (or the planet Venus, otherwise called Lucifer), the s
un, light, a rock, a stone, the branch, the vine, wine, bread, water, life, the
way, and he is recognized in the triple character of a king, a priest, and a pro
phet. It is very extraordinary that Quetzalcoatl, whom the Mexicans believed equ
ally to have been a king, a prophet, and a pontiff, should also have been named
by them Seyacatl, or the morning star; Tlavizcalpantecutli, or light; Mexitli, o
r the vine (for Torquemada said that the core of the aloe, from which the Mexica
ns obtained wine, was so called); Votan, or the heart, metaphorically signifying
life; and Toyliatlaquatl, '[i]manjar de nuestra veda,[/i]' bread (for his body
made of dough was eaten by the Mexicans)."
Las Casas, quoting Padre Francisco Hernandez, says that an old Yucatecan describ
ed the ancient religion of his people thus: "That they recognized and believed i
n God who dwells in heaven, and that this God was Father and Son and Holy Spirit
, and that the Father was called Icona, who had created men and all things, that
the Son was called Bacab, and that he was born of a virgin called Chibirias, wh
o is in heaven with God; the Holy Spirit they termed Echuac." The son Bacab was
scourged and crowned with thorns, was tied upon a cross with extended arms, wher
e he died; but after three days he arose and ascended into heaven to be with his
father. Dr. Alexander, who reports this story in his book, is inclined that it
is confused and probably distorted by the Spanish recorder. On the other hand, t
he universal distribution of this basic theme may be explained another way.
Among the Lacandones, Quetzalcoatl is still represented as a snake with many hea
ds. There is an account that this snake was killed and eaten at times of great n
ational peril, especially at eclipses, which were regarded as portents of disast
er. It was believed by the Mayas that Kulkulkan descended invisibly from the sky
and personally received the offerings during certain great feasts held in his h
onor.
Daniel Brinton, in his [i]Essays of an Americanist[/i], devoted some thought to
the magical powers attributed to the priests of Central America. He mentioned Fa
ther Baeza and an English priest, Thomas Gage, who reported cases of sorcerers t
ransforming themselves into animals, and performing miracles. De Bourbourg was n
ot entirely convinced that ventriloquism, animal magnetism, or the tricks famili
arly employed by conjurers explained the mysteries of nagualism, as the black ar
t of these Indians is called. Brinton quotes from the [i]Popul Vuh[/i]: "Truly t
his Gucumatz Quetzalcoatl became a wonderful king. Every seven days he ascended
to the sky, and every seven days he followed the path to the abode of the dead;
every seven days he put on the nature of a serpent and he became truly a serpent
; every seven days he put on the nature of an eagle and again of a tiger, and he
became truly an eagle and a tiger;..." It is evident from available authorities
that the Mayas and Aztecs had an extensive body of legendary and lore, which or
iginated in the mysteries of their religions and proves the existence of an elab
orate system of secret rites and ceremonies.
In the form of a feathered snake, Quetzalcoatl overshadowed a dynasty of rulers
and priests, some of whom later assumed his name and even his mask-symbol. These
later Quetzalcoatls have been confused, like the several Zoroasters of Persia,
into one person, with the resulting conflict in dates. Recent excavations would
indicate that the cult of the feathered serpent was established before the begin
ning of the Christian Era and did not arise in the tenth or eleventh century A.D
. as held by some modern archaeologists. It is more likely that the ancient hero
was said to have been reborn or to have overshadowed a later leader of the nati
on.
All the accounts imply that the religious Order which served the Mysteries of Qu
etzalcoatl was long established. Those who followed in the way which he had pres
cribed lived most severe lives. Children were consecrated to his temples from th
eir birth and were marked by a special collar. At the end of the second year the
child was scarified in the breast. When it was seven years old it entered a sem
inary where it took vows covering personal conduct and public duties, including
prayers for the preservation of its family and its nation. There were many of th
ese priestly Brotherhoods, and the Spanish missionaries, in spite of their theol
ogical prejudices and intolerances, were forced to admit that the Aztecan priest
s were excellent scholars and lived austere and pure lives. It was said of these
missionaries that "in Quetzalcoatl, who taught charity, gentleness, and peace,
they thought they saw a disciple of Jesus Christ."
The kings of the Mexican nations, like those of ancient Egypt, were also initiat
es of the State Mysteries. Torquemada described the attainments of Nazahualpilli
, the king of Texcuco. This learned man gathered about him masters of the scienc
es and arts, and gained a wide reputation as an astrologer and seer. When Montez
uma was elected to rule over the complex of Nahuatlan nations, King Nazahualpill
i stood before the young man and congratulated the entire nation for having sele
cted such a ruler: "Whose deep knowledge of heavenly things insured to his subje
cts his comprehension of those of an earthly nature." The interpreter of the [i]
Collection of Mendoza[/i] described Montezuma as: "By nature wise, an astrologer
and philosopher, and skilled and generally versed in all of the arts, both in t
hose of the military, as well as those of a civil nature, and from his extreme g
ravity and state, the monarchy under his sway began to verge towards empire."
The great serpent clothed in quetzal plumes certainly belonged to another race a
nd came from an unknown country. Lucien Biart says: "It is an incontestable fact
that Quetzalcoatl created a new religion, based upon fasting, penitence, and vi
rtue." In skillful trades and in metalworking, this Amerindian savior reminds on
e of the craftsman of Tyre who cast the ornaments for Solomon's Temple. As a ben
efactor of his people, as a liberator of men's minds and hearts, this Nahuatlan
demigod certainly revealed the attributes of the "Master Builder."
Scattered through the jungle of Yucatan and extending northward into Chiapas and
southward into Honduras and Guatemala are the remains of ancient cities and the
ruins of old cultural centers, religious or educational, dedicated to scientifi
c research and the investigation of the spiritual mysteries of human life. These
shrines and temples are adorned with numerous religious emblems and figures, an
d closely resemble the temples and schools of the esoteric tradition which were
scattered through the Mediterranean countries, North Africa, and the Near East.
The Aztecs inhabiting the valley of Mexico certainly derived much of their cultu
ral impetus from the more highly civilized Mayas. These Nahuas practiced elabora
te rites and ceremonies, and recognized a large pantheon of divinities. It seems
unlikely that the Aztecs patterned their religious concepts from some inferior
cultural tradition. There are positive indications that the tribes of Central Me
xico had received an important intellectual stimulus from the Mayas, and even fo
und it expedient to acknowledge this indebtedness.
The physical remains of the Mayan civilization are sufficiently impressive to in
dicate a highly advanced people, whose religious institutions and rites had reac
hed a considerable degree of refinement. Most early writers, in an attempt to es
timate the cultural attainments of these nations, have been over influenced by t
he early theologians and scientific enthusiasts who invaded the field with a var
iety of concepts and preconceptions.
The empires of the Mayas and Aztecs were resplendent with edifices dedicated to
their faiths. There were magnificent shrines, temples, and altars, some to sangu
inary deities, and others to benign and kindly gods. The State Mysteries, howeve
r, were seldom performed in the sanctuaries of popular worship. Neophytes travel
ed to remote places, and if they went uninvited, seldom returned. Throughout the
jungles are the ruins of extraordinary buildings constructed for unknown purpos
es. The Mysteries of Xibalba, as recorded in the [i]Popul Vuh[/i], and tradition
ally associated with the culture-hero Votan, were given in such an architectural
complex, which served as an entrance to a mysterious world beyond the dimension
s of the material mind.
Such "gateways" existed in all the old countries where the Mystery religion orig
inally flourished. Obviously, archaeologists cannot discover the secret rites me
rely by grubbing among the overturned and broken stones. As the priesthoods were
not considerate enough to label their monuments, there is little left today eve
n to excite curiosity. Fortunately, however, the esoteric tradition survives in
the racial subconscious, and its violated schools and colleges need not be physi
cally restored. When such restoration is attempted, the buildings usually reveal
that they were designed as symbols of the cosmos.
If the Mystery system actually existed in the Western Hemisphere, as the landmar
ks seem to indicate, it must have produced by its initiates and by its adepts. T
hese, in turn, became the leaders and saviors of their peoples. The wonder-worki
ng hero, whose deeds enriched all tribal traditions, always and everywhere perfo
rmed the exact same miracles, possessed the exact same powers, and made the exac
t same personal sacrifices. The Mystery School required not only a hierarchy for
its maintenance and perpetuation, but also appropriate places of initiation par
tly underground or adjacent to grottoes and caverns. It required also a body of
lore peculiarly significant, participation in which conferred special rights and
privileges. A people which had reached this mental platform of the Mayas would
not have accepted a philosophy of life that was without profound and significant
values. Pagan priesthoods did not initiate those of feeble mind, but selected f
or spiritual advancement persons of high attainment and mature judgment.
Albert Reville, in the [i]Hibbard Lectures[/i], 1894, notes of the religion of t
he plumed serpent: "There was something mysterious and occult about the priestho
od of this deity, as though it were possessed of divine secrets or promises, the
importance of which it would be dangerous to undervalue."
It is fortunate, indeed, that at least one manuscript relating to the religious
Mysteries formerly practiced in the Mayan area has been recovered. The [i]Popul
Vuh[/i], or [i]The Senate Book of the Quiches[/i], the Record of the Community,
has survived the numerous vicissitudes which have conspired to prevent the perpe
tuation of the literary monuments of Central America. It was tolerated by the ea
rly missionaries who, observing certain similarities to their own Scriptures, pr
eserved the work as a means of persuading the Indians to a more speedy baptism.
In the seventeenth century, it was rescued from a fate worse than oblivion by th
e Dominican monk, Don Ramon de Ordonez y Aguiar, dean and chancellor of the arch
bishopric of Ciudad Real. This work was deposited in the library of the convent
at Chichicastenango by its scholiast, Ximenes, where it remained until they year
1830.

==============================================
(end of quote)

[William Cooper speaking]:

Thank you, Tom. Ladies and gentlemen, that was his first time ever speaking over
radio around the world. Of course, he's called into talk shows before, but this
is different when you're sitting at the microphone and it's your thing. When yo
u know that one slip could cause a flood of letters and protest. Tom sat here an
d performed admirably while we were experiencing a terrible wind storm. You may
have heard strange noises in the background. Those were pieces of trees, and woo
d, and lawn furniture, and just about everything that you could think of flying
through the air hitting the house. So he had an awful lot of competition vying f
or his attention and it took a great effort, along with his natural nervousness,
in doing this for the first time, took a great effort to maintain, keep his att
ention on what he was doing, and complete that half of the Hour of the Time.

(William Cooper talks about mailing letters.)

Tonight s broadcast, ladies and gentlemen, came from a book entitled [i]America's
Assignment with Destiny[/i] by Manly P. Hall. Some of you may be able to find th
is in your library or any used book store. It has been out of print for may year
s. It was copyrighted in 1951, printed by the Philosophical Research Society, wh
ich was headed by Manly P. Hall at that time. Now, you may not realize this, but
Manly P. Hall has died in the last several years and, bit by bit, the unbelieva
bly huge library that he had accumulated over his years that made up the bulk of
the Philosophical Research Society has disappeared.
Good night, and God bless you all.

(closing music: possibly theme music from the movie [i]Blade Runner[/i], written
by Vangelis)

[additional recording after closing music - Tom Swift reading from [i]America's
Assignment with Destiny[/i]]:

(start of quote)
========================================
...the wings of a bat.
Naturally, the account is clothed in the culture symbolism of the Mayas, but it
is certainly to be compared with such productions as the Finnish [i]Kalavala[/i]
and the Icelandic [i]Eddas[/i]. Guthrie presents a number of important parallel
isms to the Mysteries of the Egyptians, the Chaldeans, and the Greeks. According
to him, the twelve trials, or tests through which the neophytes pass are analog
ous with the signs of the zoidac. It goes so far as to hazard the speculation th
at the twelve princes of Xibalba were the rulers of the Atlantean empire, and th
eir final destruction referred to the tragic end of Atlantis.
The [i]Popul Vuh[/i] follows the traditional form by involving its principle cha
racters in a series of superhuman and supernatural adventures. The work is certa
inly an account of the "perilous journey," which is the usual means employed to
veil thinly the story of initiation. By comparison with the oral traditions of t
he Northern Amerindian tribes, the legend unfolds what Dr. Paul Radin beautifull
y calls "the road of light." Medicine priests have freely acknowledged that in d
reams and trances they could leave their bodies and travel to the abodes of the
gods and of the dead. To make this journey while still living is initiation, for
it is conscious participation in the fact of immortality.
In some cults the neophyte was given sacred drugs to intensify his psychic facul
ties, as in the case of the notorious Peyote sect, or was subjected to hypnotic
influence, like the followers of the ghost-shirt religion. By some means a condi
tion of death was simulated and the consciousness or superior self passed throug
h certain internal experiences, of which at least a partial memory was preserved
.

========================================
(end of quote)
[William Cooper speaking]:
Thank you, Tom. Ladies and Gentlemen, this was Tom s first experience at speaking
on radio, and especially on a show that s listened to as this one is, all over the
world, with several million people nightly. And, of course, he was nervous. We
also experienced a windstorm during his portion of the broadcast there were boar
ds and pieces of wood hitting the house. Lawn furniture hitting the house and th
e patio furniture blew away down the mountain somewhere...going to have to go ge
t it. Under these adverse circumstances, and with all of this competing for his
attention, I think Tom performed admirably. And I think over time, he is going t
o get much, much better. I certainly appreciate his coming to help me. And the w
ork that he has done already has been an absolutely wonderful, he is very good a
t everything he attempts to do. And you are going to be hearing a lot more from
Tom Swift.
Now, tonight s program, folks, was taken from a book entitled [i]America's Assignm
ent with Destiny[/i] by Manly P. Hall. It was copyrighted in 1951. And it s diffic
ult to find in many areas of the country, and that s why we are going to bring you
the entire text of that book on these programs over the next few nights. So if
you can get a copy, that's fine. Get it and read it because then you can study i
t, underline it and pay close attention to what you're doing. If you can t find th
e book, then stay tuned to the Hour Of The Time, and we are going to bring it to
you in its entirety.
As you can already begin to discern, there is a tremendous parallel, and in some
cases, exact duplication, of what happened in the early history in the Middle E
ast and in Europe. Specifically, with the ancient religions, the Mystery Schools
, the priesthood and the teachings of these ancient religions. As we go along, y
ou are going to find that it becomes even more similar and there was probably a
direct connection between the ancient Mystery Schools and the Indians of both co
ntinents of North and South America.
Folks, I hope you enjoyed tonight s broadcast. Good night, and God Bless you all.

(closing music: unknown instrumental music)