The Eye of Providence is a familiar symbol appearing on the back of the United States one-dollar bill. It appears at the top of a pyramid without a capstone. Rays of light radiate from the eye. It was adopted in 1782 as part of the symbolism on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States.
Other names for the Eye of Providence are the all-seeing eye of God, or simply the all-seeing eye. While the Freemasons have adopted the symbol, its use on the dollar bill is from other sources. It appears in the Christian art of the Renaissance period before any record of the Freemasons’ use of it.
The Eye of Providence symbolizes the omniscience of God watching over humankind. As the United States and the world face the rise of the coronavirus pandemic, we, the people, need the Eye of Providence more than ever.
The symbol has a remarkably mystical quality, especially for such official government uses. I imagine that most Americans have long since ceased to notice it. But there it is, reminding us of our need and of a truth behind the mysticism.
I can’t speak for the vision and intent of those who originated the symbolism of the Eye of Providence. But I can speak to a truth that it symbolizes, based upon my own direct experience.
I know the Eye of Providence looks upon me. There is an all-forgiving light that shines upon my soul. I believe that is true for you, too. But you will have to accept that for yourself to know that it is true.
I also know that the Eye of Providence is my true sight. It is the light of understanding and care I bring to this world and the people in it that I love so much. I am being myself when I bring that kind of sight to the people I meet.
Is that sight all-seeing? Is it omniscient? I certainly don’t see everything there is to see in my world. But think of this pandemic. Today, there are people from all walks of life thinking about how to keep their world safe. There are governmental leaders at every level considering what they can do to preserve life. Neighbors are caring for neighbors. We applaud all those who are rising to the call to service they hear.
It is true that not everyone is looking at the world this way. There are people hoarding. There are people blaming. There are people full of fear. And still, through it all, there are people of great faith and courage who are providing for their worlds.
Don’t you see? We are the Eye of Providence. All the eyes of all the people who care, who love, who understand, are the Eye of Providence. None of us can see all that should be seen. But together we—as we each look upon our world without judgment but with the light of understanding—are the all-seeing eye of God. To see that way, we must release judgmental human sight.
Given the state of the world, this might seem fanciful. But today, can you feel the Eye of Providence at work through people of profound love and goodwill everywhere?
For every field of human activity—every family, community, organization, nation, etc.—the Eye of Providence is at work to the degree that the people in that field are that eye.
This past Saturday, Jane Anetrini and I taught an Introduction to Attunement course. We presented the spirit of each of the seven major endocrine glands. We name the spirit of the adrenals as the Spirit of the Single Eye. The adrenals have a connection to focused thinking and understanding. Think of an occasion when you had an adrenal rush. In such circumstances, people often report that the world slows down. They see and understand with unusual clarity. This can be accompanied by hysterical strength. There are reports of women lifting cars to save a child, a woman in a village on Hudson Bay fighting off a polar bear, and much more.
Having two eyes gives us depth perception. But the Spirit of the Single Eye enables a unified field of vision. In our Attunement training, we teach that the Spirit of the Single Eye is activated by a nonjudging view of oneself and others. It is interesting that the more you judge another person, the more they recoil and hide from you. And the more you judge and shame yourself, the less your own heart will be open and vulnerable, and the less you will know yourself.
An attitude of understanding opens up the field of vision. It does so for the individual. And it does for any collective. With an attitude of understanding, the individual perspectives that we each bring can be folded in upon each other, so that they blend. The Spirit of the Single Eye is activated in that collective. The Eye of Providence is present in our world.
Martin Cecil’s family motto is “One Heart, One Way.” When we are standing in the one heart, the collective way becomes apparent. The vision and understanding of that way become apparent. And when we see our vision and understanding as part of a fabric of knowing that we are sharing with others, it becomes a fabric of intelligence that fits together, part of one cloth. The way opens up before us.
This is a matter of mental function and a mental practice, but it is a process that involves not only the mind. The mental practice of nonjudgment and deliberate care to understand and to let yourself be understood goes along with an emotional intelligence practice—an openness of heart. The Spirit of the Single Eye is not just a mental experience; it is a warmth of heart and compassion for others.
That warmth, compassion and caring are part of creating a body of consciousness that is constantly being folded in on itself and integrated. It is a joy to share that with another person. Isn’t that part of the delight of getting to know somebody? Somebody so different from you, and yet, in the process of communion with them, you are always folding who you are into that relationship and allowing them to do the same. You are appreciating what is so apparently different and yet so complementary, because it is all part of the one field of awareness that you are creating with that person. This is a magical, wonderful process if we allow it to continue, in any relationship. So it is in any field of people. So it is for all humanity.
On this day, let us together be the Eye of Providence for our world. Let the light of care and understanding shine. Let us be a collective witness to the transmutation of humankind.
With all our care and understanding, there are those things that are ours to do to bring aid and comfort to our fellow human beings. Yet this pandemic is teaching us that there are forces of Creation at work that are bigger than us as human beings. There are events that are out of our direct hands. Let the light we bring illuminate this process and the way forward.