Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation.
While working on the documentary Bloodline – the Movie I made contact with the Priory of Sion via an old associate, Nic Haywood. I had first encountered Nic many years previously when I was working at Watkins Bookshop in London. At the time I was steeped in secret societies and the mystery of Rennes-le-Château. It was revealed to me that Nic was a member of the Priory of Sion via a third party whom he had confided in. I was of course interested to know more but my only contact with Nic was via telephone in a purely professional capacity, so at the time it was inappropriate to raise the issue of his alleged membership.
It was many years later, after I had left the bookshop, that Bruce Burgess approached me to work on a documentary about the bloodline of Jesus and how it was linked to Rennes-le-Château. Having amassed around fifteen years of research and a good-sized library on the subject, I decided to donate my research to Bruce’s project. My intention was to finish the quest I had begun in youth.
Once I had established how serious Bruce and co-producer René Barnett were, and that their openness and independence would allow the film to have a depth and direction that other documentaries had failed to achieve, I decided to contact Nic.
Knowing that my understanding of the Rennes-le-Château mystery matched some of Nic’s interests, I wrote him a detailed letter of my intentions and the nature of the project. He replied in kind and we exchanged emails, establishing a way of collaborating that would continue throughout the project and beyond to this book.
Nic agreed to help where possible but initially he chose to remain anonymous and I acted as mediator between Nic on the one hand and Bruce and René on the other. A number of emails were exchanged and Nic agreed to help with the project and to be interviewed. An initial meeting was held in a hotel and this cemented his involvement.
The Priory of Sion features in Dan Brown’s bestseller The Da Vinci Code and a number of other documentaries on the subject of the bloodline. These were generally shallow, ill-informed and biased against or dismissive of the Priory of Sion. They brought nothing new to the debate. Nic’s cooperation with our project was an opportunity for Sion to set the record straight. As Nic himself put it:
‘In my 35 years of service I have yet to find a more amiable team of “observers”. My senses tell me that, having taken the first step, this is going to result in a piece that will be memorable. To quote your own words: “groundbreaking.” And it will be for all the right reasons!’
(Note: Unless otherwise stated all further quotes from the Priory of Sion were provided via Nic Haywood either by email or interview. Some minor editorial and typographical changes have been made but otherwise I cite Nic’s words as I received them.)
Nic acted as an emissary for the Priory of Sion. He said he had been ‘aligned’ to them for over 20 years. Sion’s members are not permitted to reveal themselves publicly as members so during the interview Nic was guarded about his actual membership. This ruling is still in place today.
Much of what has passed between us has been via email, and at time of writing I have received over 200 emails from Nic. In detail and quantity, the information they have provided was far in excess of what could be used in the Bloodline film, and in some cases even beyond the scope of this book. Nic’s emails were often dense, complex and obtuse and no doubt we stampeded over many a nuance in our initial eagerness to find ‘proof’.
The producers and I also met Nic in person on three occasions, one of which we filmed for the documentary. I have met him a number of times subsequently and have maintained communication throughout the writing of this book.
Before looking at the Priory of Sion in more detail, here is an excerpt from the Priory of Sion interview in Bloodline – The Movie between Nic, Bruce Burgess and myself:
Bruce | ‘Why are you speaking to us?’ |
Nic | ‘We delight in the right people coming along.’ |
Bruce | ‘What is the Priory of Sion about?’ |
Nic | ‘To protect and promulgate ancient truths, ancient mysteries. And to protect more than one nameable secret.’ |
Bruce | ‘What is the goal of Sion?’ |
Nic | ‘Sion’s goal is of world unity, evolution of man to the next rightful stage.’ |
Bruce | ‘Why a secret society?’ |
Nic | ‘We remain in shadows for a better view of the light. Sion surfaces in a manner that allows it to be seen, leaves imprints, at times in history. It is a pre-Christian ideal, concept, many shapes and forms adapt to the changing world, it aids the changing.’ |
It is ultimately for the reader to take or leave the material that we received from Nic as it is presented in this book. As we are dealing with a representative of the Priory of Sion not everything he says can be taken at face value. Very little can be verified or, in some cases, trusted. Although I believe Nic to be a member of the order of Sion he, like anyone else, was capable of forming his own opinions and slant on the subjects under discussion. I raised this issue of trustworthiness from the outset and expressed it to Nic via email. His response:
‘My views or Sion’s views? They are not always one and the same and the same may be said of all within the P.S. Individually, we may hold personal views that are at variance with “the official”. This is a commonplace source of great exacerbation and much tension, but it’s the same with all peoples who “stand together”, is it not? Viewpoints are not always unanimously shared.’
From the outset Nic made clear when his own views were presented and when we were receiving the ‘official line’ from Sion; any blurring of the two that occurs here is purely the fault of the author.
There was also the risk of Sion using us to fulfil an agenda that remained hidden from us – some act of propaganda in which we were unwitting pawns.
‘You have been led from the day you set foot on this task to a more tangible aspect of that same truth (as the book Holy Blood, Holy Grail). The aim of the current release, this is the next piece, unique to us at this time, a proportional release.’
The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (published in the US as Holy Blood, Holy Grail) was the first book in English to break the story of the Priory of Sion and we will return to this later. But for now it may be asked why I put so much faith in Nic as a representative of Sion.
At our initial meeting, Nic reminded me of the classic Rosicrucian figure, wise and deeply knowledgeable in arcane matters. The Rosicrucians, or Brothers of the Rosy Cross, were originally adepts of the Western esoteric tradition, mystics from a bygone age. It later emerged that the Rosicrucians formed the spiritual arm of the Priory of Sion so it came as no surprise to learn that Nic was aligned to this part of the order. (Readers must take this on trust: in order to respect the oath Nic has taken I do not wish to allude to how I know this.)
Further indications that Nic might have Rosicrucian links were his strong and profound interest in fire, which was a central concern of the Rosicrucians, many of whom were alchemists. For example, the Bacstrom Rosicrucian Document in Glasgow University Library states that when challenged to prove their membership, Rosicrucians should explain their understanding of ‘fire’:
‘Should I travel either by sea or by land and meet with any person that may call himself a Brother of the Rosy Cross, I will try him whether he can give me a proper explanation of the universal fire of Nature.’
I have a copy of Nic’s personal essay on the universal nature of fire and it is the most profound I have ever read on the subject.
Other Rosicrucian aspects of Nic include the adopting of alternative names, the lack of interest in wealth or publicity, the attempt to teach, and certainly his alchemical interests. Nic had supplied us with photographs of his alchemical laboratory and he remains an ardent collector of and expert in rare alchemical manuscripts. While the evidence remains circumstantial, all these features strongly suggest that Nic is a present-day Rosicrucian. But it is his knowledge, above all else, that was, and is, my reason for trusting him:
‘I was already familiar with the affairs at Rennes-le-Château and I was a known traveller in and teacher of the occult realm.’
‘Naturally, my concerns are a little more philanthropic [than Sion’s], but it was clear that we shared a common goal, as it were.’
Nic has admitted to being a high-ranking Freemason and an alchemist and I can verify him to be both of these. He is also polite, approachable and easily one of the most knowledgeable people I have met in this area (and as the former manager of Watkins esoteric bookshop I have met hundreds). He would certainly pass as an ‘adept’ if such people were still recognized in the West.
Nic gave us a vast amount of time and information, yet never once asked for money or credit. As far as publicity was concerned, it was I and the documentary producers who did all the requesting, so that it would not appear to be something that Nic actively sought. My conclusion is that Nic’s motive was genuinely to teach.
Of course, the rule of secrecy among members that I mentioned above means that even Nic’s membership of a ‘Priory of Sion’ cannot be proven, but ultimately, given his knowledge, I think we can take this on trust. The emails he sent me were not always the work of a single person; clearly other members had a hand in these, and influenced what came to me. I expect that the usual accusations will be levelled at Nic, as happens to anyone at odds with the accepted doctrines of history and religion. But the scope of his knowledge is rare and deeply insightful in these areas. And besides, the message is more important than the messenger.
So what of the message?
After making contact with Nic Haywood and having established a certain amount of trust, a free flow of information began. The initial questions we had revolved around the nature and intentions of the Priory of Sion.
Simply put, the Priory of Sion is a both an organization and an ideal. It claims to manifest as a real order operating in the world at certain times either to release information or to act as a focus to those who follow and protect its ideals.
The esoteric branch of the Priory of Sion appears to be the current name for a group of adepts of the Western esoteric tradition. Throughout history those who have achieved enlightenment or higher spiritual knowledge (gnosis) are bound by a sense of service to teach and enlighten others. They include artists, alchemists and the old aristocratic families. As Nic said:
‘Please bear in mind that the Prieuré de [Priory of] Sion is a collective of alchemists. That is to say, the core [members] are adepts of the Hermetic science and all have perfected the [Philosopher’s] Stone at some time or another, (several more than once). It would be naive to assert that such a cohort would actively court publicity unless it was for the common good!’
It was reiterated on a number of occasions that Sion has a strong esoteric element informed by alchemists among its members.
According to the authors of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, the name Priory of Sion stemmed from the order’s inception in the Holy Land at the time of the Crusades. Jerusalem was founded on a hill named Mount Zion or Sion, which is home to many of its holiest sites. Zion/Sion came to be used as a synonym for the city itself and indeed the entire Holy Land. Later investigators claimed that the name was derived from a hill called Sion near where Pierre Plantard lived as a child. Plantard claimed to be the Grand Master of Sion during the 1970s and provided the information for The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail in much the same way as Nic spoke to us.
I think the truth lies somewhere in time and space between the two, but it serves a dual purpose all the same as an ideal and a physical location.
‘M. Plantard de St Clair, and others, have alluded to the meaning of Sion: “The intersection of a branch.… The point of origin.”’
The aims of Sion are becoming clearer. According to Nic Haywood,
‘Constant manipulation of the collective via the arts, makes for an orchestrated evolution; culturally, spiritually and, by definition politically. That is the underlying reason why, when asked about any agenda, the Prieuré will always affirm that “things are going according to plan”.’
Simply put, Sion manipulates society to achieve steps in evolution. How this is organized is less clear. Here is Nic’s initial response via interview:
‘The current situation is that religion and spirituality are affected by the Priory of Sion through subtle influence. They take a steering role, using slow filtration through art, media and the written word.’
‘The Priory of Sion gave the role to themselves as far back as the nine knights from Calabria. The people in Calabria were part-way down the line with information from the Middle East and Africa, knowledge that had been kept safe.’
The ‘nine knights from Calabria’ is a reference to the founders of the order of Knights Templar during the Crusades. The links between this order and the Priory of Sion are explored in the next chapter. A later email provided a more esoteric angle on the subject:
‘Such political application of spiritually engendered philosophy operates according to the axiom of the Golden Section, the Golden Rule: the lesser is to the greater as the greater is to the whole. … In fact several Priory documents circa 1977–8 were clear and unambiguous attempts to reconcile the fundamentals of the Golden Rule with a far more esoteric, sacred, geometry. One in particular lay emphasis upon the inherent mathematics of Poussin’s Arcadian canvas and, with a degree of success, connected it with the ritual geometry employed by John Dee.’
This was made apparent in a document sent to us by Sion that included the work of Patricia Villiers-Stuart, a student of sacred geometry who had authored a pamphlet called The Secret of the Templars. This document contained an interpretation of the geometry at play in Nicolas Poussin’s Et in Arcadia Ego (also called The Shepherds of Arcadia, 1637–8), which matches the designs of the celebrated Elizabethan astrologer, alchemist and sage Dr John Dee (1527–1608). (For more information on this topic see Appendix 1.)
‘It’s just as well that some individuals comprehend these arcane secrets, this hidden science, and the majority do not. It has always been this way, but we are already in an embryonic stage where such matters are becoming increasingly a matter-of-fact reality.’
‘Why else do you suppose that everyone remotely connected with Sion has been prepared to endure public mockery, to risk ridicule, exposure and more? All in the pursuit of planting the seed; the seed of a hardy vine that regrafts and resurfaces time and again. It blossoms only when mankind is in a state of spiritual and conscious despair. Despair and need are eternal bedfellows, are they not? Mankind’s despair is the rich, black, saturated and corrupted soil in which the vine of spirituality and hope can take root. “Need” is the element essential to this hybrid’s survival, its guarantee of renewal.’
This response contains a strong alchemical allusion. The word alchemy derives from the Arabic al-Kimia, which comes from the original name of ancient Egypt, taken from the country’s rich black soil. However, there is another allusion here to the bloodline of Jesus, depicted as the ‘vine’ growing from the black soil. In the gospel of John, Jesus famously describes himself as the ‘True Vine’ (John 15.1). I quickly realized that we must learn to read Nic’s communications on more than one level, as there is often a hidden meaning to be derived from his answers.
Nic’s statement also contains a social observation, in that historic events of great destructive magnitude – such as world wars – engender a spiritual vacuum in which cults and new religious movements emerge in response to a loss of faith in established religions. This is seen by Sion as an opportunity to infiltrate and influence culture in order to bring about a positive change in society. It begins with the adepts of the order targeting specific influential individuals. Historically, many adepts became part of royal households that provided patronage in return for the use of the adepts’ knowledge. The Rosicrucians, for example, were well known for practising an advanced form of healing and for having cured Queen Elizabeth of smallpox and the Earl of Norfolk of leprosy.
‘The other cause that Sion was disseminating was that of alchemy, a process of transformation that would potentially effect all levels of being. The whole technique of altering and elevating culture by such arcane filtration – alchemically – the tenet stretches far back into ancient Egypt. One can easily discern its traces in Christ’s parables, miracles and in the manner of the ministry of his disciples.’
The overall message is that Sion has a secret knowledge that has remained constant throughout history and has been passed down through the ages to guide and direct humanity. It is no single secret but a body of esoteric knowledge:
‘It might be a sound starting point were I to confirm something which I conclude you already suspect. That the Antiquus Ordo Mysticusque Prioratus Sionis [Ancient and Mystic Order of the Priory of Sion] is more about an Ideal than any one specific secret.’
To be ‘more about an Ideal’ may seem to imply that Sion is a loose and unstructured organization that coalesces when necessary into three distinct branches; the spiritual, physical and alchemical. Contrary to what others have assumed, the order has no degrees like Freemasonry. According to Nic Haywood, there exists a small hierarchy of 22 core members headed by a ‘helmsman’. Beneath these are three strands and then many satellite groups.
Historically, as mentioned previously, the spiritual arm has been represented by Rosicrucian groups. I am also aware that Sion has used the term ‘university’ to describe their order, which is reminiscent of the ‘Rosicrucian College’ which the esoteric author A E Waite (1857–1942) claimed to have existed at the time of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
According to Nic Haywood, Sion also makes use of individuals
‘who, by dint of social status, credibility, are well-placed to serve the promulgation of its message. Likewise, those who are alchemical adepts are favoured in its ranks... as to alchemical discussions. This is at the core of the Priory and is, therefore, difficult to circumvent entirely.’
I will cover Sion’s links to alchemy at length in Chapter 17, but for now I can confirm that I have known for some time that Sion had alchemists among its members. The text entitled Le Serpent Rouge, discussed in Chapter 10, attests to the order’s alchemical slant.
‘Yes. [Regarding] the alchemical nature of the Prieuré de Sion. We are here, naturally, widening/amplifying the Materia Prima to concern ourselves with a much larger “stone” indeed.’
‘Such work is of little use unless the individual can ultimately set his sights on assisting in the worldly journey of his fellow man; facilitating changes and shifts in the collective consciousness. It is to this underground stream that such energies are directed. A vision better achieved in unison, en masse, as a collective Chariot.’
The Materia Prima is the base matter for alchemical transformation, either lead or, on a more profound spiritual level, the adept’s soul. The ‘stone’ is the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’, the supreme goal of the alchemical process toward perfection. The ‘Chariot’ is a reference to the Tarot card of that name. It often shows a charioteer driving two horses, one black and one white. This has been interpreted as a man unifying the opposing forces of duality and harnessing them in order to progress toward success. To do this on a grand scale requires that like-minded people band together to influence society. They have done so throughout history under a number of different names, but always with the same ideal. This formed what is termed the ‘underground stream’, as I mentioned in the Introduction.
The symbol of the underground stream is explored at length in later chapters. It appears, for example, in many aspects of the Rennes-le-Château mystery and is linked to the theme of Arcadia, a perfected state. Depictions of Arcadia, such as those of Poussin and others, often include a tomb or place where water surfaces from an underground source.
To bring the underground stream to the surface is to reveal something of it to the general public. Central to how Sion operates is the notion of releasing information slowly so as not to have adverse effects on society:
‘We are concerned with a shifting of world vision, people’s attitudes. What if alternative history, a release that would be shocking whole, is let out piecemeal?’
There are ideas – such as the existence of the bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene – that are not new but could only be seeped into culture when society was ready to accept them. A number of the European royal families have claimed that their ancestry went back to Jesus and beyond for hundreds of years, but it was not until the publication of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail in 1982 that the idea found a wider audience. Had the book been published just twenty years earlier I think a lot of bookshops would have been burned in the same way that Beatles albums were burned when John Lennon compared the group’s popularity to that of God. In the West we are suddenly tolerant of what was once considered heresy – although, hypocritically, we now frown upon those who are not.
The issue remains that while there is evidence for many of the historic claims of the goals of Sion, there is little proof of the order itself existing prior to the 20th century. The idea that an organization such as the Priory of Sion can work in the shadows of history without coming to the attention of the public may seem unlikely, and there is a general consensus that it would have been widely known about long before it first chose to go public in 1956. But Sion exists within the milieu of secret societies and it is important for us to look toward these for further insight into how the Priory remains in the shadows. Secondly, there is such a crossover of ties, rituals and membership among secret societies that it is possible to learn a great deal about Sion from the orders that it informs or emulates.
With this in mind we will now look at the history of the Priory of Sion and the secret societies that surround it.