Freddie Mercury statue

One of the greatest examples of hidden in plain sight symbolism is the statue of Freddie Mercury. Its esoteric symbolism is blatantly obvious and very easy to see, once you "get the joke".

Here's this statue in Liverpool:

Freddie Mercury statue in Liverpool

People lacking symbol literacy skills will only see the exoteric level: There is Freddie Mercury, the famous singer of Queen. That's it, nothing more to see.

People who know something about esoteric symbolism will notice an interesting detail. They might ask the question: Why's his arms like that? This question arises because indeed the posture has something to do with esoteric traditions.

Right arm up - left arm down, that posture is know as "as above, so below", also known as The Hermetic Axiom. This posture is a recurring motive in esoteric symbolism. For example the Templars' horned god Baphomet is depicted like this.

But this statue is not about Baphomet - it's about a tarot card called The Magician.

There it is again - "as above, so below". And here's the trick used in the Freddie Mercury statue. It's a little play on words meant only for the insiders with understanding of tarot. What is the planetary ruler of The Magician?

Mercury

What a coincidence!

This is great example of how esoteric symbolism can be hidden in plain sight. One level for the insiders, one for the outsiders. Esoteric - exoteric.

But who are these insiders? Well, let's take a look at the clues left out in the open.

Mercury is also a god in Roman mythology. He was based on the Greek god Hermes. Would you be surprised to hear that Hermes has a very special meaning for the Freemasons?

"Mercury, as known to the Romans and as Thoth by the Egyptians, the god Hermes, is considered by [Albert] Pike to represent the Master of the Lodge." - Russell R. Boedeker (32. degree mason)

"Manly P. Hall in his work, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, states, “…he [Hermes] was the author of the Masonic initiatory rituals… Nearly all of the Masonic symbols are Hermetic in character" - ibid

"In all the old manuscript records which contain the Legend of the Craft, mention is made of Hermes as one of the founders of Freemasonry." (masonicdictionary.com)

Hermes / Mercury

You begin to see what kind of people are behind this "hermetic" hidden in plain sight symbolism? You understand why Farrokh Bulsara (working in the field of music industry controlled by masons) changed his name to Freddie Mercury? Mercury - just a random name without any meaning?

Mr. Mercury (aka. Farrokh Bulsara) wearing masonic floor tiles on his costume

Interestingly Liverpool is not the only city that has this statue. The same statue with the same "as above, so below" posture can be found in many places around the world.

Freddie Mercury statue in Montreux, Switzerland

Freddie Mercury statue in Pune, India

Freddie Mercury statue in Canada

Freddie Mercury statue in London, UK

Do you think these statues are there to honor the memory of a great artist? Or could it be about something else?

Esoteric - exoteric.

More examples of tarot statues on page Esoteric statues.