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[sc:wptop]Hello, SleepyHeads! This week on Witness Prophecies, we discuss Sleepy Hollow’s fall finale, Season 3 Episode 8, entitled “Novus Ordo Seclorum” which originally aired on November 19, 2015. Novus Ordo Seclorum is Latin for “new order of the ages,” and it seems that this is what Pandora, and her husband, The Hidden One want to bring to the world.
It appears that The Hidden One (Etu Ilu) requires the power from the red gemstone (binding stone), or “eye,” which was encased in the Shard of Anubis, and he is extracting that power out of Jenny as if it is his lifeblood. We are given a clue that he needs this power to create a “righteous fire” to rid the world of all the mortals who have destroyed it (in his opinion), but would not fire destroy the world even more? In Greek and Roman mythology, the gods would often disguise themselves and walk on the earth, taking human lovers, and often manipulating the humans. Pandora and Etu Ilu seem to be more concerned with ridding themselves of the humans and re-creating whatever magical world they believe they have left behind, many millenia ago. They both seem to possess a narcissism that would be in line with the mythological stories, and present a clear contrast to our Team Witnesses, Abbie Mills and Ichabod Crane, and their selfless sacrifices against the many evils they have been fighting. Indeed, we watch Abbie make what appears to be the ultimate sacrifice at the end of the episode.
We have been receiving hints during this season that Abbie and Ichabod may have been tapped as Witnesses by something other than accidental circumstances. Pandora tells Abbie that it is her lineage, and we know that Ichabod retrieved a stone tablet from his ancestral home that bespeaks to an age old battle of which his family may have been aware. Grace Dixon, Abbie’s ancestor, was engaged in fighting the supernatural during the Civil War period, and it certainly seems that fighting evil is in the blood of our Witnesses. This should not be surprising – just as hair and eye color may be passed from generation to generation, traits and skills may also be inherited – and the moral fiber, intelligence, bravery, and sacrifice of our Witnesses may have been inherited from earlier generations who also fought this same battle. Pandora and The Hidden One alluded to this as well, as they referenced similar fights with Witnesses from the past.
Nicole Beharie and Tom Mison once again brought us wonderful performances as Abbie and Ichabod, as they prepared to go to battle against Team Tribulation and free Jenny. Abbie questioned her motives for saving her sister, as an intelligent, self aware individual would do in a critical situation, and Crane reaffirmed her actions. The deepness of their friendship, built during difficult circumstances over this two year period, and their clear respect and trust for each other has made this season a true joy to watch. They needed each other to fight monsters in the earlier two seasons, but the writers are showing us the bonding that takes place as people begin to truly know each other. Another enjoyable development has been the relationship between Jenny Mills and Joe Corbin, played by Lyndie Greenwood and Zach Appelman, respectively. While Joe had limited play during the first two seasons, his integration into Season 3 has been seamless, and he feels and acts like a natural part of the team. His willingness to sacrifice everything for Jenny was touching, and it has been fun to watch the “bromance” develop between Joe and Crane.
Certainly the most angst filled moment came at the end, as Abbie walked into the “Trevil” with the “eye” believing she was saving her sister and friends from certain death. At the beginning of this season, Abbie had walked away from Sleepy Hollow, been (presumably) deserted by Crane, and was pursuing her own life and career. When she gave Danny her FBI badge, she made the decision that her sister, her family, would always be first, which was something she had not always done during her life. Is this not a dilemma many of us face today, but on a much smaller scale? How many times might we have put work ahead of family? After her confrontation with Pandora, Abbie clearly realized what she needed to do – stand by her sister and her friends, and again embrace her role as a Witness. The look on Ichabod’s face as she looked at him and then walked into the tree was one of shock and devastation. I suspect he will look to any and every way to find out what happened to Abbie, and will need Joe as his barometer to keep him from resorting to “dark magic” which could hurt his soul. It will be a great spring!
What will Sophie Foster bring to the table in the 2nd half of the season? Will she be a friend or a foe? What about Danny and his boss? Exactly what type of side project are they running, and do they know more about the supernatural events than they are admitting to us, the audience? Time will tell …..
This week, we had references to Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Paul Revere – another fine performance by Dustin Lewis, as Revere. And we certainly enjoyed Atticus Nevins (Bill Irwin), and will miss him as Pandora reduced him to a puddle of blood…….
History Lesson of the Week – Freemasonry and The Eye of Providence:
It was prophetic that Team Witness needed to obtain The First Book of the Masonic Law, from what turned out to be a fraternity house, as Freemasonry is a fraternal organization that traces its beginnings to stonemasons in the 14th century. These early fraternities regulated the qualifications of those individuals and their interactions with the authorities and their customers. The local unit of each organization is the lodge, which is governed at the regional level by a Grand Lodge. Each Grand Lodge is independent and there is no worldwide governing body.
There are many rituals and ceremonies associated with the Masons, and Freemasonry is described as “a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” These symbols are normally made from the tools of stonemasons. New masons must swear to keep the secrets of their organization and support fellow Masons in distress.
The earliest known American lodges were established in Pennsylvania, prior to 1715. In 1731, Benjamin Franklin was initiated into the local Masonic Lodge in Pennsylvania and he
became Grand Master in 1734. That same year, he edited and published the first Masonic book in the Americas, a reprint of James Anderson’s Constitutions of the FreeMasons. Other prominent American Revolutionary FreeMasons were George Washington, Paul Revere, John Paul Jones, and John Hancock.
The Eye of Providence (or the all-seeing eye of God) is a symbol showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light or a glory and usually enclosed by a triangle. It is sometimes interpreted as representing the eye of God watching over humankind (or divine providence). You can see eye on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, which appears on the US one-dollar bill. The Eye of Providence is often associated with Freemasonry. It first appeared as part of the standard iconography of the Freemasons in 1797, with the publication of Thomas Smith Webb’s Freemasons Monitor. It represents the all-seeing eye of God and is a reminder that a Mason’s thoughts and deeds are always observed by God.
Wikipedia link to the History of Freemasonry
Wikipedia link to Benjamin Franklin’s biography
Wikipedia link to The Eye of Providence
February 5, 2016 – Sleepy Hollow Spring Opener
Sleepy Hollow is on hiatus until February, when we will see the spring opener of Season 3, an as yet untitled Episode 9. Your Witness Prophecies team will be providing you with special updates during this period, so please be sure to check Facebook and Twitter for the latest!
And SleepyHeads – don’t forget about the new book, Sleepy Hollow – Creating Heroes, Demons & Monsters, by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry. It would make a great Christmas present! You can order it on Amazon, by using the Golden Spiral Media link.
Feedback
Look into your crystal balls, and let us know your future “prophecies” of events that may occur in Sleepy Hollow by sending us your feedback, SleepyHeads! Our deadline is 3pm Eastern, on Saturdays! Use our Feedback page to type an email, record a voicemail, or upload an audio file, or call 304-837-2278. We’d love to hear from you! And while you’re at it, why not take a few minutes to leave a rating and review in iTunes?
SleepyHeads! Here are a few pictures from “Novus Ordo Seclorum!”
