Denver recently published a poem, Arcadia, he had written eulogizing a friend that had recently passed away. His name was John Hall,who was professor of Classics and Ancient History at Brigham Young University, specializing in Roman and Etruscan studies. Denver’s poem contains references to ancient Egyptian religion and symbolism as a way of honoring his friend and taking the opportunity to teach some sacred doctrine through obscure symbols. Roman, Greek and Etruscan Religions owe much of their ritual, myth, and esoteric beliefs to the Egyptians. You can read Denver’s poem here:
https://denversnuffer.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Arcadia-1.pdf
You will find the poem is full of symbolism and words that are probably unfamiliar to you and will not make any sense to you, unless you have read Hugh Nibley’s writings on Abraham or a few of his books such as, Joseph Smith Papyri. There are also some phrases in the poem that bridge, or elude to The Testimony of John, Greek esotericism, and the Mormon Temple endowment.
I don’t pretend to know the meaning or intent behind Denver’s use of mythological terms and image. But I recognize many of the symbols he uses from reading various books on the topic, particularly the Egyptian studies that Hugh Nibley wrote. I can only write what I think about the symbology he uses and what my studies have taught me about some of those symbols. Denver uses these symbols from Egyptian and Greek religion to introduce concepts and principles describing ascension to heaven without divulging things he may be reluctant to explain openly.
I have broken down this discussion into two parts: The ascension to heaven through Egyptian and Greek symbology being the first. The second is a discussion of the Pole Star Fellowship.
Hugh Nibley explained the interpretation of Egyptian religious symbology this way (paraphrasing): ‘You can translate word for word from Egyptian hieroglyphics on temple walls and papyrus, but you can’t translate the hidden meaning, because no one knows what they fully represent. Egyptian religious writings and inscriptions are coated with layers of mystic symbolism. Overall, Egyptologists have been unable to determine the keys to understanding the real mystical meaning of Egyptian mythology and religion because everything the Egyptians wrote about was considered by them to be too sacred to be explained and revealed to the uninitiated. Not understanding this basic understanding of Egyptian religious writings, the experts believe they can criticize the Book of Abraham simply by comparing the papyri that inspired Joseph Smith, with the text of the scripture that he “translated” (The Book of Abraham). They can read the actual papyri, translate word for word, but they don’t understand it. They think they do, and write very scholarly books on just what the Egyptian priests believed. But the Egyptians veiled their beliefs about heaven and the ascension process of the soul. Because the scholars think they “understand” they can declare that Joseph made it all up, because it is “obvious” that the Joseph Smith Papyrus doesn’t say what he said it does. Nibley believed the Joseph Smith Papyrus is an ascension document and Joseph only uses it as a reference document for the Book of Abraham, not the source for a literal translation.
Denver appears to use ancient symbology in this poem in a similar way the Egyptian Priests write about ascension. He veils what he doesn’t feel free or is reluctant to detail openly. This is what he says about the poem Arcadia:
“If the poem “Arcadia” contains things that puzzle you, then you ought to see whether you can search them out and make sense of it. The Egyptian religion, so far as we can reconstruct it at this late date, was filled with symbols and figures that represented ideas, doctrines, principles and truths. They were not so ignorant as to think these symbols were real beasts or hybrids, but used pictographic representations to communicate ideas.” 1
So, this is my attempt to offer insight into the meaning of the symbols, and maybe a few ideas about what principles may be behind the symbols. My purpose is to help people interested to at least get a start into understanding the labyrinth of ideas and truths hidden in the poem. Again, I don’t pretend to know what was on Denver’s mind, only that I recognize some of the symbols he uses and how I interpret them.
Take flight now to a distant shore
Let seven gates open before you
May the Sentries acknowledge the rites you hold
And welcome you back to a prior abode
First Stanza: The Soul, at death, takes on a form like a bird and flies to the Western Lands to enter the first gateway to heaven. In the first four stanzas of the poem you can find similarities to the symbolism of the endowment ceremony of the modern LDS temple. There are possibly five gates that are presented in the LDS temple endowment. The seven gates that Denver mentions in the poem could be a reference to Jacob’s Ladder, which is symbolic of the levels that one must ascend to return to the Kingdom of the Father. In Egyptian Mythology, a soul will be brought to numerous gates to be tested, and if he/she passes the test, will be allowed to pass the gate and continue on their journey. If he does not pass the test, his ba (Soul) is fed to Ammit.
We’ve held two fingers against our lips
And held inviolate trusted relationships
Learned within a five-point embrace
What is only disclosed in sacred space
Second Stanza: I think of the two fingers against our lips as a doubly guarded warning to not divulge sacred principles to those who have not received a dispensation– sacred principles that are revealed to individuals directly from heaven, not through another person. In the temple ceremony before 1990, the soul was brought to the veil where through a sacred embrace, having 5 elements of contact, the soul, having passed all the tests, is given sacred and secret keys and allowed to pass into the realms of heaven.
The world searches in vain to recover
What heaven alone will let man discover
No amount of study and contemplation
Can gain what must come through dispensation
Third stanza: There is only one way a person can obtain the secrets of heaven and be allowed to ascend to heaven, and that is through the mechanism that God has established for all men and women who are sincerely, and with all their might, seeking. That mechanism is through the Holy Spirit. There is no other way. Inspired men can only point a direction, but the individual must establish, by themselves, a connection with heaven.
Let your heart be weighed against a feather
That Ma-at’ may justify your heavenly treasure
Bypass Ammit leaving her unfed
And move freely beyond the dead
Fourth Stanza: In the first figure above, the soul is brought to a scale where his heart is measured against the weight of a feather. If her heart is heavier than the feather, her soul is fed to the monster, Ammit. Ma’at is the feather of justice and charity with which your heart is compared. The dead whose heart is heavy remains dead (the second death?), while the saint is allowed to pass on her journey to ascension.
Let nothing imprison you below
Mount up to Arcadia through the narrow
Take in the light that Ammon sends you
As your new flesh, and bone and sinew
The fifth stanza: The theme of the poem is ascension to the kingdom of heaven, Arcadia. It is a narrow strait path. Ammon is the great senior God (The Father) who is the source of all light, all life, and the regulator of the very breath we take as well as our heart beat. Arcadia is a place in Greek mythology that brings to mind an idyllic place, a pastoral paradise akin to our concept of Zion. It will be necessary for you to obtain a new body, as promised at the veil in the temple.
Rise on the barque of Ra through Wedjat-eye
Beyond this dark earth’s opaque sky
Where ancient knowledge is found unsullied
And all secrets of the cosmos are studied
Sixth Stanza: Ammon-Ra is the supreme creator. He represents giving light through the symbol of the sun that rests above his head. The Wedjet-eye seems to be used by the Egyptians to denote a divine presence, which blesses whatever ceremony or ordinance is taking place. Could it represent power and authority? In terms we are familiar with, would that be equivalent to priesthood fulness, or acceptance through sealing power?
In Egyptian mythology there is a sun-barque and a moon-barque, both symbolizing a journey through the heavens. The moon is “unharmed” (complete) when it is full. It achieves its fulness in steps or degrees. There are 14 steps to the waxing moon from new moon to full moon. The moon demonstrates to the Egyptian the process of ascension. To us it demonstrates the degrees of light we obtain at various stages as we approach fulness, or completeness.
Facsimile 2 in the Book of Abraham has a depiction of the Barque of Ra, fig.3, with the Wedjet-eye in front of and behind Ra. Fig.3 (Facsimile 2) “Is made to represent God, sitting upon his throne clothed with power and authority; with a crown of eternal light upon his head; representing also the grand key-words of the holy Priesthood…”(Book of Abraham, Facsimile 2)
Dark Earth’s opaque sky: There is a veil placed surrounding this world where light/truth is severely filtered except by “dispensation”(3rd Stanza) and by covenant. Book of Revelation discloses that the heavens will roll up like a scroll when Christ comes. In my mind, that is symbolic of the veil that surrounds the earth being removed. When the veil is removed, the earth will be exposed to the full glory and light of the heavens. Receiving knowledge by dispensation means receiving knowledge by revelation, which each individual is admonished to obtain for themselves.
Ancient knowledge is closer to revealed truth than modern knowledge. All ancient secrets are available there beyond the veil (or through the veil), as Denver writes in stanza 2, “What is only disclosed in sacred space” Joseph Smith wrote about how the fulness of things revealed to Adam from the foundation of the world will be made available. The hearts will be drawn to the Fathers, because the Fathers obtained the fulness which is not available currently on the earth. The Ancients knew much more than we do. And because of the promises made to the ancient Fathers, we can receive the same knowledge and blessings.
Commentary: The true purpose of revelation and prophecy is to demonstrate and teach every soul who desires to ascend that they cannot depend on anyone else to find and follow the path to the heavenly realms. You will be walking the path alone. No one, not a prophet, not a seer, not parents, president, apostle, pastor or even the Lord can save you without you connecting directly to the Father and obtain your own revelation. What prophets and seers and other inspired people can do for you is tell you what is possible, that you can approach the Lord and that you can achieve salvation, but they cannot take you there. It is your heart that will be weighed against the Ma’at feather. When that event happens, you will stand naked. Your deeds in life will not count, your obedience to a church or creed will not count, your contributions to “worthy” causes will not count. Only the weight of your heart. Where is your heart when you pay your tithing? Where is your heart when you fulfill a calling? Where is your heart when you go out to the homeless and work with them to provide succor and support? What is your motivation for doing good works? Do you perform them out of duty, or fear, or because you were assigned, or because others are watching, including heaven? Or do you do them out of pure charity with no expectation of any kind of reward? In Egyptian parlance the key words and phrases that you must know to pass the sentinels (angels) are just symbolic of what you obtained by righteous living. Works are dead because you can’t earn your way into heaven. Only your relationship with Christ will get you past the gates. Works are only an imperfect evidence of where your heart is.
Language, words, are a very primitive way to communicate. It is a limitation of our mortal existence. The Lord often uses symbology and ideas to communicate with us. That is why religious, or spiritual symbology is so powerful. It communicates beyond words. We tend to take words literally, but symbology has many facets and levels of understanding. Revelation and prophecy will sometimes come to you as compressed ideas, or as symbology, which then allows you to unencrypt and decompress a much more vast amount of light than words can convey. The symbology that Denver uses can open a door to a vast amount of knowledge if you are willing to pay the price. It requires approaching the light, inquiring, and opening up your mind to the unfamiliar, and maybe even the strange.
So, what is happening here in this parable of a poem? What happens when you pass over to the other side? Near death experiences (NDE’s) are not really death experiences because they came back, so we can’t really take what people say about their experience with trust. We can trust that they had an experience, but they were only in a transition state momentarily. The people who experience NDE’s are only relating their understanding of symbols and ideas that are individual in nature- for which they have an inadequate language to express. We do have the scriptures, but they only lay out a very general, 10,000 foot view of what happens when we pass over. If anything, the mystery we need to pay attention to in this poem is that there is more at stake then we seem to grasp. We tend to take the whole topic very cavalierly, not giving it the seriousness it demands. Finally, If you want to understand better the mystery of ascension, then you may want to become a member of the Pole Star Fellowship.
The second part that I will publish in a follow-on posting will discuss the symbology of the “Pole Star Fellowship”, stanzas 7-13.