Today, the word “Illuminati” is so widespread and associated with ‘conspiracy’ that it has become satirical in its own right. Yet even as a subject of ridicule, the prevalence of occult symbols in the mass-media is undeniable.

Take this showcase at London Fashion Week, for example.

--> Help Support CE: Become a member of CETV and get access to exclusive news and courses to help empower you to become an effective changemaker. Also, help us beat censorship! Click here to join.

Hosted at St. Andrew church in London, the avant-garde fashion show was the creation of Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu.

As you can see, Findikoglu’s display of costumes and apparel was nothing less than an ode to all things occult.

It’s about as ‘in-your-face’ as it gets, with satanic sigils, Masonic pillars, checkered tiles, eyes of Horus, pentagrams — you name it. Naturally, responses ran wild among conspiracy communities.

The well-known occult decoders over at the Vigilant Citizen had a lot to say about it as well:

The backdrop is basically a mish-mash of Masonic-inspired imagery. On each side are the Masonic twin pillars. Between the pillars is the letter G inside an inverted pentagram. Underneath it is the all-seeing eye inside a hexagram. There is also the Masonic square and compass in there. To top it off, the runway was a checkerboard pattern. Here’s a classic Masonic painting for comparison.

They go on to explain how the fashion show was a re-creation of what is known in occultism as a Black Mass: “Historically, a Black Mass is a ritual characterized by the inversion of the Traditional Latin Mass celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church and the desecration of Christian objects for Satanic purposes. The fact that models walk around a Church wearing devil horns recalls the concept of Black Mass.”

Findikoglu Responds to Backlash

In response to public backlash about her glaring occult references, Findikoglu told Dazed Digital that her show had “no religious, Illuminati, [or] secret society meanings.” She explained:

A lot of brands use similar symbols as I do, but I think my whole theatrical hair and make up made people think that it was a Satanic ritual. Actually all the church people really liked the show and thought it was very beautiful. They personally came and thanked me at the end of the show. The show I did has no religious, Illuminati, secret society meanings… All the symbols I used were for positive purposes. I am a creative and I am not trying to offend anyone. I understand people can be sensitive, but I think all these hate email and attacks I am getting from Christians show who really is wrong – if there is such a thing as right or wrong. People are so ready to hate each other and find a victim to throw heavy negativity. But isn’t religion supposed to say we should spread love? I think this whole idea of religion is so corrupted and this is a very good example of it.

When the Diocese of London was asked about the controversial show being hosted within the church, a spokesperson told Dazed they “were not aware of the content or design before the show took place” and that it “does not reflect the Christian faith of the Church. We will be looking at our booking process going forward to ensure this does not happen again.”

What Do We Take From This?

It is clear there are two polarizing ways of looking at Findikoglu’s exhibit, and all occult symbols, for that matter.

So let us consider the two sides.

Let us consider that all of these occult allusions in pop culture are merely coincidence. Let us consider that, by chance, the people in charge of these artistic projects have chosen the eye, the pyramid, the checkered tiles, the pillars, compass, skull and bones, and every other occult symbol out of simple fascination. Let us consider there is nothing more to these symbols than our own over-analytical projections of fear and separation.

On the other side, let us consider that there is truth to these occult symbols. Let us consider that a group of people in power are influencing and communicating a message through the many forums of pop-culture today, and that we are the unwilling subjects of a dark agenda.

Where does that leave us?

It brings us to the point that is most important in this discussion.

While we know awareness is a necessary component of change, and we see the power of this taking place right now with the unravelling of elite pedophile rings and sexual abuse in Hollywood, there is another element that is often overlooked in the realm of these topics. Regardless of what side of the story we buy into, both sides act as the same thing — a distraction from what really matters.

And what really matters is that the collective takes back their power from giving it away to the external — the Trumps, the secret societies, the corporate news stations — and start recognizing that real change starts within.

It is when we stop looking outward and focus our attention inward that we begin to see the truth. And the truth is that we only have the power to change ourselves first and foremost. Only we have the power to step out of the mind and into the heart.

It is a simple and powerful choice, one that we must make every day moving forward. From there, and only there, will we truly create the ripple of change that our world needs.