Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Trollflöjten (in Swedish, Die Zauberflöte in German and The Magic Flute in English) shows signs of holding deeper meanings are the, literally, uninitiated, will find therein.
Getting right to the point, note that the Grand Freemason Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon wrote the following in Mozart’s Magic Flute – Love, Forgiveness, Tolerance and the Brotherhood of Man:
In the case of Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, the Masonic traditions observed by the composer and its librettist (Emanuel Schickaneder) have prompted some of the most philosophical discussions in the annals of opera.
Librettist (libretto) refers to the text of an opera or other long vocal work; Schickaneder translated Mozart’s Swedish text into German and premiered it in 1791 AD.
Moreover, in true Freemasonic secretive fashion they further note:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a fellow free-mason, speaks to the masses outside the circle of free-masonry regarding The Magic Flute:
“It is enough that the crowd would find pleasure in seeing the spectacle; at the same time, its high significance will not escape the initiates.”
More background includes:
The Magic Flute is noted for its prominent Masonic elements. Schikaneder and Mozart were Masons and lodge brothers, as was Ignaz Alberti, engraver and printer of the first libretto. The opera is also influenced by Enlightenment philosophy, and can be regarded as an allegory advocating enlightened absolutism. The Queen of the Night represents a dangerous form of obscurantism or, according to some, the anti-Masonic Roman Catholic Empress Maria Theresa, or, according to others, the contemporary Roman Catholic Church itself, which was also strongly anti-Masonic…Her antagonist Sarastro symbolises the enlightened sovereign who rules according to principles based on reason, wisdom, and nature.
The story itself portrays the education of mankind, progressing from chaos through religious superstition to rationalistic enlightenment, by means of trial (Tamino) and error (Papageno), ultimately to make “the Earth a heavenly kingdom, and mortals like the gods” (“Dann ist die Erd’ ein Himmelreich, und Sterbliche den Göttern gleich”); this couplet is sung in the finales to both acts.
It is interesting that the Queen of the Night is generally depicted as standing atop a crescent moon which is a depiction of a scene from Revelation chapter 12 which Catholicism wrongly attribute to Mary (see here for details), “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”
However, as can be seen since at least the 1815 AD stage set and on into Ingmar Bergman’s 1975 AD film version and many, many other performances; those in the know (whoever in the production knows) has the Queen depicted in the pose of as above, so below with one hand pointing upwards and one downwards. This reflects the illustration of the Baphomet (right hand up, left down) or Azima (right down, left up); the magickal occult hermaphroditic goat figure.
Kenneth Mackenzie’s classic text. The Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia, contains the following definition of Baphomet that ends in typical Freemason form:
Among the charges preferred against the Order of Knights Templar, for which Jacques de Molay suffered martyrdom, was that of worshipping an idol or image called Baphomet or Baphometus. Many discussions have arisen respecting this word. Maccoy considers it to have been a corruption of Mohammed; but when it is remembered that the very object of the Templar Order was to combat the faith of Islam, it is easy to see that such a view must be erroneous. Von Hammer suggests that it may have arisen from the two Greek words [Greek font for], the baptism of wisdom; and Nicolai suggests that the three heads, sometimes shown on the image, referred to the Trinity; but it might as well be referred to Cerberus, as we have dog-headed divinities constantly in the Egyptian and Hellenic mysteries. It is curious that bafa is the Provencal for a falsehood. That it was a Kabbalistical talisman is unquestionable, and was connected with the esoteric doctrines of Hermetic philosophy. It is very likely that an image embodying these doctrines may have existed, nor is it difficult to reconstruct its singular form, in itself essentially Masonic and universal. Be it remembered that the Rabbis were the jealous custodians of the science of the Cabala or Kabbalah, and that their mystical form of reading would prevail in the terminology of that science. If the word be read in the Hebrew manner (that is, instead of BAPHOMET, read thus, TEMOHPAB), it is found to be an abbreviated cipher of the words TEMpli Omnium Hominum Paces ABbas–“The father of the Temple, the universal peace of men,” thus conveying in a phrase an appropriate and universal sentiment of a Masonic nature. It has been suggested that Baphomet is none other than the Ancient of Days or Creator.
More cannot be said here without improperly revealing what we are bound to hele, conceal, and never reveal.
There are two love stories, as it where, one between Papageno and Papagena and another between Tamino and Pamina. These seem to be the male and female aspect of one single being as they appear to be the same name in opposite forms. Thus, this pertains to, at least, two magick occult concepts which is that the ultimate being—human, god or apotheosized human-god—is a hermaphroditic as it combines the dichotomized male and female.
This pertains to mystical alchemy which can be seen within Freemason’s compass and square symbol within which is a “G.” Reportedly, at one point Masons are told that the “G” refers to geometry, then at higher levels they are told it refers to God and ultimately that it refers to generative, as in sexual union. This latter one seems to be the actual identification of the symbol as it is merely the clockwise rotation of the rune for fertility, called Inguz.
A character called Sarastro is the head of a kingdom and priesthood of Isis and Osiris. Both Papageno and Tamino undergo a clearly Freemasonic ceremony in order to become initiated into Sarastro’s mysteries. They are blindfolded thus, in darkness and seek light; typical Freemason ceremony ritual aspects. Sarastro tells the priests that Papageno and Tamino will go through ritual ordeals which will lead to enlightenment and invokes the Isis and Osiris.
One of the trials is to remain silent which mirrors Freemasonry’s oath of secrecy.
Besides general enlightenment (actually, endarkenment) Papageno’s prize was to be union with Papagena and Tamino’s to be united with Pamina—the sacred mystical unions. Papageno fails, since he speaks when he was supposed to be silent and yet, still gets Papagena in the end. Yet, Tamino succeeds his ritual trials; he overcomes fear of death, pass safely through chambers of fire and water (more dichotomy) and Tamino accompanied by Pamina are ushedred into the great temple.
Therein, Sarastro proclaims the sun’s triumph over the night (more dichotomy) and Isis and Osiris are praised as a new era of wisdom and brotherhood is initiated since Sarastro’s goal was to find someone to replace him as leader.
Of course, there is much, much, much more to the story; the point is to be on the lookout for hidden and no so hidden meanings.
Lastly, some claim that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart revealed too many Freemasonic secrets within the Magic Flute which broke his vow to silence and was thus poisoned to death by Freemasons—and that is another issue.
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