The Lost Symbol

    One thing I can say about reading Dan Brown's books that is always consistent is that I come away with a brainload of factual, historical, technological, and trivial knowledge. This one pushed the limits to an overload, but I took lots of notes, wrote down other resources that were mentioned, and have already read one of them, The Kybalion, which I highly recommend following this link and reading the review, (and the book, too).
    This is Brown's fifth novel, and third Robert Langdon thriller, the professor who specializes in symbols and codes, played by Tom Hanks in the movies. It is truly "symbols ad nauseum," but it is still tremendously interesting, and once it all settles, delving further into the many divergent paths becomes urgent—at least for me it did. I have a whole bunch of follow-up materials to read. Some of it I was already familiar with, like the Institute of Noetic Science, and much of it reinforced what I already believed, such as the power of the human mind, which I've been pursuing for 37 years.
    There are a couple negatives I have to mention. First, Brown has become a bit too predictable, in that the main antagonist in his Langdon thrillers is always a young man with psychological issues who is a fanatic and does evils things to people and to his own body, too, in order to make a point or prevent an inevitable event. The other thing that unfortunately makes a good part of the plot downright goofy is the fact that he, Mal' akh, cuts off the hand of one of the main characters, Peter Solomon, and after that character is rescued, he takes Robert on a mini-tour of a building in Washington D.C.. I'm sorry, but anyone who had been mutilated, then tortured for hours, would be in a state of shock, with a long recovery ahead, and not cheerfully participating as a tour guide. This is the second time I read this book, and I liked it a great deal more this time around, but that part really takes away its credibility. But I will set that aside, because there is such a wealth of other great material here to discuss.
    I don't often say this, but I think Brown is an author I would probably like a great deal as a person. He is interested in so much of that in which I have devoted most of my life: religion, philosophy, spiritual transformation, and hidden, occult meanings of writings, art, and symbols, which were put in place long ago to be rediscovered when the time for humanity's Great Awakening had arrived. I believe it has, and it seems as if Brown believes that, too. This book is an inspiration, and gives us who are weary a huge boost of positive energy amid the Darkness that is engulfing us before the Dawn.
    Brown chose the setting of Washington D.C. as the backdrop for his lesson on symbols, because that city contains so much Pagan symbolism. In God We Trust? Not the Judeo-Christian one. There is a mix of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Astrological, Gnostic in the art and architecture of our country's capital that was planned and executed deliberately by the architects and planners of this city. Here's a passage from the book:

The forefathers who founded this capital first named her "Rome." They had named her river the Tiber and erected a classical capital of pantheons and temples, all adorned with images of history's great gods and goddesses—Apollo, Minerva, Venus, Helios, Vulcan, Jupiter. In her center, as in many of the great classical cities, the founders had erected an enduring tribute to the ancients—the Egyptian obelisk. This obelisk, larger even than Cairo's or Alexandria's, rose 555 feet into the sky, more than thirty stories, proclaiming honor to the demigod for whom this capital city took its newer name.
Washington.

Obviously, "One nation under God," but which god? . . .
    The main organization about which the plot revolves is the Freemasons, whose members include well-known politicians and members of the government. Bill Clinton is a 33rd Degree Mason, for instance. There is perhaps more secrecy, public misunderstanding, and maybe even fear or prejudice against this organization than any other one in existence. Brown dispels some of it. Although if morals and ethics are a characteristic of these people, I would wonder how Clinton rose to the highest level. But, no matter—this is what it's about:
    Robert Langdon receives an emergency call from his old friend Peter Solomon, who is now the head of the Smithsonian Institution, because a speaker for the night's program is unable to come. Langdon finds himself on a private jet and is greeted upon landing like a V.I.P.. The strange thing is, and Langdon doesn't even give it a thought, that he never actually speaks to Peter. He is speaking to the man who claims to be his assistant, and is also asked to bring a small package he has been guarding for Solomon for years.
    Meanwhile, as is usual in Brown's novels, we jump around to different times and scenes, and in another scene, a man is drinking blood-red wine out of a skull and taking frightening oaths to secrecy, as he becomes a 33rd degree Mason. Peter Solomon is the Head Master.
    But when Langdon arrives at the Capitol, where he is supposed to speak, he finds there is no scheduled program at all. He quickly dials the number which was supposedly "Anthony's," Solomon's assistant. But Langdon soon finds that there is something terribly wrong, when he tells him there is nobody in the hall and asks if the lecture has been moved. "Anthony" plays along for a minute, then says:

"Did you confirm with Mr. Solomon directly?"
Langdon was confused." No, I confirmed with you, Anthony. This morning!"
"Yes, I recall that." There was a silence on the line. That was a bit careless of you, don't you think, Professor?"
Langdon was now fully alert. "I beg your pardon?"
"Consider this . . ." the man said. "You received a fax asking you to call a number, which you did. You spoke to a total stranger who said he was Peter Solomon's assistant. Then you willingly boarded a private plane to Washington and climbed into a waiting car. Is that right?"
Langdon felt a chill race through his body. "Who the hell is this? Where is Peter?"
"I'm afraid Peter Solomon has no idea you're in Washington today" The man's southern accent disappeared, and his voice morphed into a deeper, mellifluous whisper. "You are here, Mr. Langdon, because I want you here."

    It is shortly after that the bloody hand of Solomon is discovered close by, with symbols tattooed on the fingertips, and pointing. The CIA shows up almost immediately, and its Director of the Office of Security, a tiny, mean and grotesque Japanese woman, Inoue Sato seems to know more than she should. She and Langdon don't trust each other, but Langdon is able to decipher a message on the hand which leads them to a private room in the sub-basement of the Capitol. When they enter this remote and deserted room, they find Masonic paraphernalia, and a little cubby-hole which hides a pyramid. Just as Sato is about to take Langdon into custody for not telling her about the little package belonging to Peter in his bag, Warren Bellamy shows up. His position is called the Architect of the building, and he is also a Masonic brother to Solomon.
    Meanwhile, Peter's sister, Katherine, has been unable to reach her brother. She has a private lab in the SMSC, (the Smithsonian Museum Support Center) which her brother arranged for her to do research on how the mind influences matter. But a man claiming to be her brother's psychologist, Dr. Abaddon has lured her into sharing information.
    Yes, Anthony, Dr. Abaddon, the man drinking the blood red wine from askull—they are all the same person, Mal 'akh, a huge towering man who has tattooed symbols all over his body, including his "massive sex organ." (He has castrated himself, however.) He is a "masterpiece," he believes, and a master of disguise, who has sold his soul to the Evil Ones.
    Clearly, everyone involved is now in deep shit, because this man is powerful and dangerous. and that is all I will tell about the plot of the story. But I will share some quotes and passages.
    The first one is from a conversation between Katherine Solomon and the man whom she believes is Dr. Abaddon. She is becoming uneasy because he knows so much about the secret research she has been doing on the power of the human mind. He clearly is not supportive:

"The questions we discuss are challenging ones: What happens to the human condition if the great mysteries of life are finally revealed? What happens when those beliefs that we accept on faith . . . are suddenly categorically proven as fact? Or disproved as myth? One could argue that there exist certain questions that are best left unanswered."

Keeping the secrets hidden is the main goal of the antagonist, Mal 'akh, or Dr. Abaddon, and it is also the main goal in our real life at the moment—a tremendous force which is determined to keep us in the dark about information that it is and always was our right to know.
Here is another one when Mal 'akh is on his way to the lab to kill Katherine and destroy her work:

I must destroy it.
Katherine's research was poised to open a new door of understanding, and once the door was opened even a crack, others would follow. It would just be a matter of time before everything changed. I cannot let that happen. The world must stay as it is . . . adrift in ignorant darkness.

I always enjoy the trivia that Brown inserts in his novels. Here is one about the Library of Congress:

Despite containing what many have called "the most beautiful room in the world," the Library of Congress is known less for its breathtaking splendor than for its vast collections. With over five hundred miles of shelves—enough to stretch from Washington, D.C., to Boston—it easily claims the title of the largest library on earth. And yet it still expands, at a rate of over ten thousand items per day.

When Langdon and Katherine are seeking protection, Bellamy arranges for them to seek Father Galloway, the old blind Dean of the Washington Cathedral, who is also a Masonic brother. He says:

"My friends, I do not know exactly where this pyramid points . . . but I do know this. There is a great spiritual treasure buried out there somewhere . . . a treasure that has waited patiently in darkness for generations. I believe it is a catalyst that has the power to transform this world." He now touched the golden tip of the capstone. "And now that his pyramid is assembled . . . the time is fast approaching. And why shouldn't it? The promise of a great transformational enlightenment has been prophesied forever."

Here is another quote about Galloway, as he reflects on his calling and his weariness in dealing with the ignorant:

From the Crusades to the Inquisition, to the American politics—the name Jesus had been hijacked as an ally in all kinds of power struggles. Since the beginning of time, the ignorant had always screamed the loudest, herding the unsuspecting masses and forcing them to do their bidding. They defended their worldly desires by citing Scriptures they did not understand. They celebrated their intolerance as proof of their convictions. Now, after all these years, mankind had finally managed to utterly erode everything that had once been so beautiful about Jesus.

And this last quote sums up much of the story, and much of what is transpiring in our real world today. It is the words of Peter Solomon as he spoke at a lecture Langdon had attended, years ago.

Throughout history, every period of enlightenment has been accompanied by darkness, pushing in opposition. Such are the laws of nature and balance. And if we look at the darkness growing in the world today, we have to realize that this means there is equal light growing. We are on the verge of a truly great period of illumination, and all of us—all of you—are profoundly blessed to be living through this pivotal moment on history. Of all the people who have ever lived, in all the eras of history . . . we are in that narrow window of time during which we will bear witness to our ultimate renaissance. After millennia of darkness, we will see our sciences, our minds, and even our religions unveil the truth.

I totally agree. It is coming, and this one will be the biggy. And upon that thought, I will leave you with some symbols and a strong recommendation to read this book.

58o]fcHLM

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