Source: “The Lost Colony of the Templars: Verrazano's Secret Mission to America**”,** By Steven Sora, Destiny Books, 2004.
In Arcadia The Templar Colony In Montreal.wav
This podcast explores the hidden history and esoteric motivations behind the colonization of North America, suggesting that figures and groups connected to the Knights Templar and other secret societies played a significant role. It highlights the influence of individuals like John Dee and Sir Francis Bacon in England, and the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement and the Sulpicians in France, who sought to establish a tolerant "Arcadia" or "New Atlantis" in the New World, driven by both mystical and practical goals. The text suggests that even the layout of cities like Montreal and Washington D.C. contains coded knowledge and sacred geometry, hinting at a continuity of ancient wisdom and a desire to create societies based on balance and tolerance, a vision often at odds with prevailing religious and political structures.
Topic 1 The Saint-Sulpice Church and its symbolic significance
The Saint-Sulpice Church is located in the heart of Paris and served as a historically important center. Inside, a brass strip known as the Rose Line is inlaid in the floor, marking the former Paris meridian, once the zero-degree longitude. A sundial is also present, and when the sun rises on January 17, light hits this sundial. Sunlight through an upper window reflects off the brass strip and hits specific points on an obelisk in the north transept on important days like solstices and equinoxes. The church incorporates visual techniques used in ancient times from places like the Orkney Islands and Egypt. In the mid-1600s, Saint-Sulpice was home to a new secret society, the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement, which had similarities to the Knights Templar. This society later founded a colony in Montreal, and the Saint-Sulpice order has survived and thrived in Montreal. Jean-Jacques Olier, who founded the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice, was in charge of the church in Paris in 1641. The Church of Saint-Sulpice is referred to as the "New Temple of Solomon" and has a distinctive facade with two mismatched towers, one rounded and one octagonal. Beyond the Rose Line, it features other notable elements, including the Fontaine des Quatre Points Cardinaux outside, whose name is a play on words. The Society of Notre-Dame of Montreal, which succeeded the Compagnie, maintained its headquarters in Saint-Sulpice in Paris. Historical evidence suggests an older Saint-Sulpice church existed before the dates usually given for the current building's construction. The Rose Line was installed before the 1744 adjustment of the Paris meridian to mark its passage and was used to determine noon, demonstrating the application of ancient wisdom in that era. Saint-Sulpice in Paris functioned as a clearinghouse for esoteric ideas within the Catholic Church for centuries and was the center for several secret societies that operated under changing names but with largely the same membership. Its open tolerance attracted suspicion from Rome.
Topic 2 The Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement and the Society of Notre-Dame of Montreal
The Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement de l'Autel was a secretive Catholic society originating in Saint-Sulpice in Paris in the mid-1600s. It emerged between 1627 and 1630, founded by eight individuals and a grand master, mirroring the structure of the original Knights Templar. This group played a significant role in French colonial efforts, particularly in bringing their version of Christianity to the New World. While ostensibly dedicated to alleviating the suffering of the poor, its membership comprised individuals from the upper echelons of society. The society maintained extreme secrecy; membership was hidden, and internal correspondence was unsigned and lacked names. Henri de Levis, the duc de Ventadour, founded the Compagnie, and his family connections hinted at a long history with sacred secrets, possibly linked to the Cathar region and even claiming relation to Mary, Mother of Jesus. Prominent figures like Henri de Pichery, the marquis d'Andelot, the archbishop of Arles, Philipe d'Angoumois, Father Suffern, and Marie de Medici were early members, with later additions including Nicholas Pavillon, François de la Fayette, Charles Noailles, Vincent de Paul, and Nicholas Fouquet. The group met weekly, functioning as a pious confraternity, a charitable society, and a militant organization defending the Church. They did engage in charitable work, addressing poverty and prison conditions and urging the Church to correct internal abuses. They also worked to curb skirmishes between Catholics and Huguenots, advocating for respectful dialogue and conversion while being tolerant of others, including Protestants and Jansenists. This broader, more tolerant message was not welcomed by the Church in Rome, and the society never received official recognition. Despite its secrecy, the Compagnie reportedly grew rapidly to over fifty branches, mostly unknown to the Church. It was feared by the French king and distrusted by figures like Archbishop Gondi of Paris and Cardinal Mazarin. Mazarin actively sought to have the group banned and succeeded. Some speculate the Compagnie was linked to or even the same as the Priory of Sion, based on their shared opposition to Mazarin, though concrete proof is lacking, and some clues suggest the Priory might be a modern front for the Compagnie. Following its dissolution, the society reconstituted under a new name, the Society of Notre-Dame of Montreal. Membership largely remained the same, and their headquarters stayed at Saint-Sulpice. Jean-Jacques Olier is listed as the founder of the Society of Notre-Dame, and Paul de Chomeday de Maisonneuve was its leader. Funds were raised privately, often from influential families like the Guise-Lorraines. The Society of Notre-Dame became the seigneurs, or governing body, of Montreal island, acting as a corporate board. In 1642, members of the Society of Notre-Dame, including those from the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement, consecrated their new church, marking the beginning of Montreal (originally named Ville Marie). They espoused ideals of the early, pre-Constantine Christian church, promoting equality for women and a focus on communal poverty and charity. While loyal to the French monarchy and Catholic, they may have held Gnostic leanings perceived as dangerous. A clear rivalry existed between this group (representing a more humanistic church) and the Jesuits (representing strict law and Church power) in the formation of Canada. The Sulpicians, who emerged from Saint-Sulpice under Olier, are linked to the founding of Montreal by this group.
Topic 3 The role of secret societies and mystical motivations in colonization
The drive for exploration and settlement in the New World by both France and England was fueled by a combination of common greed and arcane secrets. In France, the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement, a secret society based in Saint-Sulpice, was central to colonial activity, aiming to bring its unique message to the Americas with both mystical and earthly goals. This group was instrumental in founding Montreal, intending to create a colony embodying their ideals. England also harbored mystical motivations for exploration. Figures like Dr. John Dee, an alchemist and magician, significantly influenced Queen Elizabeth I to support colonial ventures by presenting claims of America being the rightful domain of King Arthur and promoting the idea of discovering Avalon. Dee coined "Britannia" and shaped England's westward expansion into a narrative of myth. Sir Francis Bacon contributed to this mystical undercurrent with his writings about the New Atlantis, a utopian vision for a perfect society in the New World. England's subsequent colonial efforts were framed within this rhetoric of myth. The Sulpicians, linked to the Compagnie, explicitly aimed for Montreal to be a new Arcadia, a place tolerant of diversity, science, and open-mindedness, echoing Bacon's ideals for the expansion of scientific thought. This vision was threatened by the conflicts brought from Europe. Nobles fleeing the French Revolution also attempted to establish Arcadian-like refuges in America, such as Azilum founded by the comte de Noailles. Montreal itself was named after a Templar castle in France's Cathar region, suggesting symbolic connections. The Sulpicians even hoped to govern Canada with the aid of the Knights of Saint John (Knights of Malta). Beyond Montreal, other colonies were influenced by secret societies. In Virginia, the colony that would become the United States, a society active during Elizabeth's reign, influenced by mystics like John Dee and Francis Bacon, played a role. Bacon's circle, powerful but vulnerable, saw his New Atlantis as a blueprint for a New World founded on tolerance for scientists and writers. After Elizabeth's death, Bacon organized American colonization, selecting Athena, goddess of wisdom, as the symbol for the Virginia colony, representing their fight against ignorance. This group transported documents and artifacts to Virginia, preserved in a vault, believed to contain materials that inspired the new nation, guarded by a lineage or society. The very layout of Washington D.C. is described as being executed according to Masonic specifications, incorporating deliberate geometric patterns (octagons, pentagrams) and astrological alignments, particularly emphasizing the constellation Virgo. Key buildings are positioned to reflect celestial points, linking the city's design to ancient astronomical knowledge and the principle of "as above, so below." Even later frontier towns like Detroit are noted as reflecting this hidden Masonic geometry, named after a Templar fortress. This pervasive presence of coded knowledge in structures spanning millennia, from ancient monuments to modern city plans, suggests a continuous tradition maintained by initiates, embodying the idea of an "underground stream of knowledge" influencing history. The motto of Quebec, "Je me souviens," possibly encodes this hidden history, referencing ancient symbols like the lily and the rose.
Topic 4 Key explorers: Verrazano, Cabot, Cartier, Champlain
Several key explorers played crucial roles in the early European efforts to reach and settle the New World, often with motivations extending beyond simple discovery and trade. Giovanni da Verrazano, exploring for France, found evidence of a Templar presence in America, though he located no colony. His voyage ended Francis I's commitment to exploration for a decade. Speculation exists that Verrazano was part of an initiated group or "underground stream of knowledge," raising questions about his true agenda in seeking Arcadia, especially considering the capture of his patron, the French king, by a figure claimed to be a Priory of Sion grand master. John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), a Genoese explorer like Verrazano and Columbus, was hired by England after failing to secure sponsorship elsewhere. He landed on Saint John the Baptist's feast day in 1497, likely in Newfoundland or Nova Scotia. Unlike others, he left no journals and may have been a simple adventurer. Jacques Cartier, chosen by Francis I a decade after Verrazano's death, was a master mariner from Saint-Malo whose voyage was unusually funded directly by the king. His initial trips led him to Newfoundland, where he noted harsh conditions, and then southward, where he sighted land again on June 24, naming it Saint John's. He also named the Magdalen Islands, referencing two figures revered in the Templar universe (Saint John and the Magdalen), which is significant given the Magdalen's declining favor after the Templar dissolution. In subsequent voyages, Cartier searched for the mythical kingdom of Saguenay, sailed into the St. Lawrence River (named for the saint associated with saving the Holy Grail), and reached the sites of future Quebec and Montreal (Hochelaga), a seemingly planned native village. He heard reports of copper trade from tribes further west and claimed to have found evidence of a white race in Canada. Cartier became increasingly interested in the New World's potential. Samuel de Champlain, born in La Rochelle (a former Templar port and Huguenot stronghold), was crucial to French colonization. Although Catholic, he was tolerant of Protestants and partnered with the Huguenot Sieur de Monts. Champlain was mentored by Don Francisco Coloma, a Knight of Malta, and his first expedition was sponsored by another Knight of Malta, Aymar de Clermont de Chaste, the lieutenant general of New France. Isaac de Razilly, another Knight of Malta, organized a later voyage and proposed making the Knights of Malta responsible for administering New France, though this plan wasn't realized. Champlain explored the coasts, noting places like Mahone Bay (near Oak Island), which he referred to as the Martyrs islands, potentially alluding to earlier conflicts involving Templars. His records from this period contain inaccuracies. He also encountered and challenged foreign ships infringing on the French king's trade monopoly, highlighting the widespread, unofficial presence of fishermen and whalers in the region. Champlain is described as an enigma. Notably, both Cabot and Cartier made landfall on June 24.
Topic 5 The Knights Templar and their perceived legacy or connection
The Knights Templar, officially dissolved in the early 14th century, are presented in the source as potentially having a legacy that extended into later periods and influenced exploration and the founding of colonies. A new secret society that emerged in Paris in the mid-1600s, the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement, is noted as sharing several characteristics with the Templars, and this society was key to the founding of Montreal. Earlier, the explorer Verrazano is said to have found unmistakable evidence of a Templar presence in America, though not a colony. Henry Sinclair's Templars are also mentioned in the context of early exploration efforts. Symbolic connections to the Templars are highlighted: Jacques Cartier's naming of Saint John's and the Magdalen Islands is seen as significant because Saint John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene were highly revered figures in the Templar universe, with the Magdalen's popularity fading after the order's suppression. The port of La Rochelle, important for the Templars as a point of escape from persecution by the French king, was the birthplace of Samuel de Champlain and the departure point for Montreal's founders, maintaining its historical significance. The Knights of Malta, an order that was a rival to the Templars before 1307, absorbed many Templar properties, leading to the possibility that Templar individuals might have joined the Knights of Malta. Figures associated with Champlain and the administration of New France, like Don Francisco Coloma and Aymar de Clermont de Chaste, were members of the Knights of Malta. The source discusses the Templars' revival of sacred architecture in the 13th and 14th centuries, employing geometry related to sun (Saint John) and moon (Mary Magdalene) symbolism to mark astronomical events and encode knowledge for initiates. This tradition, though halted by the Templar repression, was not forgotten and saw a revival in Canada and Montreal through the naming of churches dedicated to these figures. The interpretation of "Notre-Dame" (Our Lady) in the south of France as potentially referring to Mary Magdalene is connected to the idea that she brought the Sacred Grail (bloodline) to France, and the Templars' self-reference as "son of a widow" could link back to her. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, instrumental in the Templar order's development, had a strong devotion to the Magdalen and a zeal for sacred geometry. Saint Vincent de Paul, a member of the Compagnie du Saint-Sacrement, is noted as having connections to Templar-Cathar secrets. Underground vaults on land previously owned by the Templars have been linked to the Holy Grail legend. The city of Montreal itself shares its name with a Templar castle in the Languedoc region, a center of the Cathar movement. The Cistercian Order, also associated with Bernard, is noted as having used the Templars as a military vanguard. Furthermore, modern connections are suggested, such as the layout of Washington D.C., which includes a pentagram pattern forming Baphomet, considered a Templar icon by some (though it can be decoded to Sophia/Wisdom). The naming and layout of Detroit are also linked to a Templar fortress.