Occult historian Tracy Twyman discussed the Masonic heritage of the United States, and how the doctrines and beliefs of Freemasonry influenced Capitalism and the 'magical' American monetary system.According to Twyman, the markings on American money are rife with occult and Masonic symbolism. The '$' sign, for example, appears to be very similar to the Caduceus (Staff) of Hermes, which is a symbol of alchemical transformation, she explained.Twyman said the Federal Reserve can be viewed as "a board of magicians that declares money into existence," much like practitioners of alchemy attempted to create gold magically. Unlike money pegged to the gold standard, Twyman pointed out, this system requires the American people accept on faith that their dollars have value, since the Federal Reserve essentially creates money from nothing. ... More »