June 19, 2007
by Keith Simerson
The famous Swiss psychologist, Carl Jung, once wrote that religion is the defense against the experience of God. All of the concepts and ideas that get incorporated into searching for the ultimate mystery can cause a short-circuit or a reduction, if you will, in the overall experience. This idea probably has ties with the Old Testament command that forbade creating an image that was suppose to be someone's idea of what God looked like. Undoubtedly, they understood that mysteries of this magnitude need the assistance of our individual imaginations. They did not want you to have a limited, preconceived image, because that restricts the spiritual experience.
In other words, Jung believed that the doctrines that are established to help one find God actually hinders the process but are in place to give you a starting point.
There is another saying that tells us that if you were to ask an artist what does their painting mean, if they dislike you enough, they will tell you. The joy of viewing the art is found in deciphering what the artist is trying to say and/or what it means to the viewer. For an artist to boldly reveal what his creation means without allowing the viewer time to reflect himself, could be interpreted as a sign of genuine disrespect, from both parties.
Personally, I don't believe that. If a message that you are attempting to express through a drawing, painting, photograph, or sculpture is that valuable, why leave it exposed for false interpretations? Why not ensure that your intended message will, at least, be duly noted so people have an idea of where you are trying to go with it?
Several years ago while reading Joseph Campbell's book, "Power of Myth", he described the Great Seal and the Bald Eagle symbols and how they held such a powerful significance for our Founding Fathers. The information that he gave was mesmerizing to me and I felt no disrespect at all for being given the interpretation of these national symbols. I actually appreciated knowing because, until then, those two symbols were just images that I had seen on my money but did not know why they were there.
Thinking back, I don't remember having been taught anything about those symbols in school. If the subject had been taught, it certainly didn't register with me.
So, at the risk of disrespecting all Americans, I am sure that our Founding Fathers did not want us to know certain things about our nation's origin. Because they wanted to respect all the people of this country, you can be certain that they did not want to offend the citizens of this country by informing us why there were 13 original colonies.
Was that number significant because 13 is the number of resurrection, rebirth, and new life? You know, like the 12 zodiac signs and the Sun, or 12 jurors and a Judge, or 12 apostles and the Christ? Or, did they just randomly divide the nation into 13 segments?
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Why the Latin phrase, "Novus Ordo Seclorum"? Did they want to hide the fact that this new nation was a new order of the world or did they just like the way it sounded so they included it?
I'm not going to tell you because I do not want to hinder your journey of discovering what it means to be an American. You figure this out for yourself.
Why "Annuit Coeptis"? Did they really believe that "The divine power has smiled on our accomplishments" or was this a silly phrase that was meant to inspire only those citizens that spoke Latin?
Why is the year 1776 inscribed in Roman numerals? Was it because that was the year that independence was declared or could it had anything to do with the number you get when you add 1+7+7+6 and get 21? Coincidental?
What is important about the number 21? Is it not the age of reason?
Why the desert in the background and the flowers up front? Could that be a reflection of coming out of a desert wilderness created by war after war into a new world created in the name of reason with the flowering of new life or was that imagery just tucked nicely into the artistic rendering?
You decide ... it's your life.
Why the eagle? Is this the American equivalent of the bird of the god, Zeus? Were they trying to symbolically state that through this eagle, god had come down into our field of time, the world of the pairs of opposites, the field of action or were they simply a handful of modest bird lovers?
Why is the eagle holding 13 arrows in one foot and 13 laurel leaves in the other? Were they saying that when the eagle comes down in the field of action one of those actions is war and the other peace? Why is the eagle looking at the leaves? Is it because diplomacy and peaceful resolutions is the desired end but war is an option should all else fail?
I don't know. I am not about to tell you anything else about these symbols because I have probably insulted you enough already. I sincerely hope that I haven't ruined your ideas of what being an American symbolically suppose to mean, but after all, I am on a journey myself and I appreciate any help I can get.
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Keith Simerson [send him email] is a self-employed foundryman and sculptor as well as an Air Force veteran in the security field. See his website at www.stonereproductionworks.com, and his blog at www.goodnevilguy.blogspot.com.
