A Grand Master declaring that he and his line are to serve an extra year due to Covid, suspensions and expulsions of Brother Masons, and a Sexual Assault cover-up complete with widely circulated victim-blaming? This is not the fraternity I signed up for.
I’m curious to hear what the brethren here think— NJ or not
I am a surgical ST6 preparing for my exit exams. One of my mentors invited me to become a member of the free masons. He told me that every successful consultant is a member and all the C-suite of the NHS belongs to this club. He says he invited me as a new recruit because if my "future potential career trajectory" and hinted it is impossible to have a private practice or achieve the upper echelons of a medical career without membership.
Has anyone else had experience of this? I'm not sure how this works or if it fits into my current religious beliefs. My consultant is a good guy and has achieved a lot in his career.
Hey guys, first of all i just want to make it clear that i am NOT a freemason nor a demolay, etc. So im really really reaaally sorry if this sounds disrespectful, or if it's something that cannot be discussed publicly or anything, i don't want do be disrespectful to anyone, that's just a question that has been on my mind for some time and i have decided to ask it to people who i'm sure that will know how to answer it.
I'm 16 years old now, and since i was 14 i've had a large interest on things such as theology, philosophy, religion, metaphysics, esotericism, occultism, etc, and studying and reading about those things i've stumbled multiple times across references to freemasonry, i think that the latest one and the one which made me really curious about it was when i was reading "Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual" (i don't know if this is the right name of the book in english) from Eliphas Levi, and sometimes he mentions freemasonry when talking about things such as hermeticism, kabbalah, alchemy and etc. I remember watching videos and interviews of a youtube channel from my country with a master mason (not sure if thats his actual degree, but he was clearly someone important), and they often talked about these things i mentioned, even sometimes things such as the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, or Enochian Magick.
But on the other hand, often when reading things related to freemasonry on reddit, quora, etc people tend to say that it is just a social club, or an organization that helps men self develop and become better persons, etc, and that it has nothing to do with religion/dogma/esotericism, and the rituals and initiations are purely simbolic. Those things kinda confuse me, because some people say that it is an initiatic philosopic esoteric order yada yada yada, but other people say that it is just a group of self development with no relation to religion and dogma. Which one of them is right? Does freemasonry has anything to do with kabbalah, hermeticism, alchemy, etc or not?
Again, sorry if this is something disrespectful especially because i am not a freemason. And sorry if my english sounds weird, it is not my native language
I find myself seeking other like minded people who generally strive for self improvement.
I also consider myself a bit of an occultist, and I like hermeticism best of all the philosophies I've encountered thus far. I have experimented and read enough esoterica to gain a basic understanding of the mysticism involved with Freemasonry in it's historical context.
Lately I am disillusioned with current affairs and seek a way to continue building myself up to provide a much need positive influence in this world. A beacon of light.
What I have done so far isn't important really... I am interested in hearing from members here how Freemasonry has impacted their lives, and if anyone wants to read my content on Reddit to give their opinion of whether I'd fit in, or if I'm perhaps too occult oriented, that would be appreciated.
A PM keeps repeating this, and he justifies it through what he claims is:
- dechristianisation of the ritual
- sacrificing the essence and turning it into just a social club for the sake of numbers and survival
- the majority fell into the dogmatic trap
- some jurisdictions amended and added to the ritual, adding to the “massacre” of butchering the ritual.
What is your personal stance?
Edit: One of the rituals in the Mormon temple involves giving various handshakes that act as passwords. These are necessary because mormons believe that once they die they can be used as passwords given to angels as a means to ascend to what they term "the celestial kingdom." I think this shows clear parallels to a theme in Jewish Hekhalot literature wherein mystics must also give passwords to angels on their descent toward the throne of God. I've heard that freemasonry is diverse in it's stories and ritual meanings between branches and I wonder if the connection can be traced to some form of freemasonry at the time.
http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/2014/2014-35.pdf
Take the poll, feel free to add any thoughtful discussion in the comments
I have to admit that I do love when I see titles such as the above. They usually then go on to make crude assumptions, zoom in on an image until you can’t see what the poster is talking about (ENHANCE), or just babble something that can be refuted with a simple Google.
Anyway, I love to spark a good ol’ tussle, a lovely debate.
I’ve seen a lot of people convinced that the organisation has roots embedded in that of Freemasonry. And whilst, do not get me wrong, I do believe that somewhere along the line in CT Russell’s past, he was involved with a fraternity of sorts (as were lots of men of his time), I do not believe it was Freemasonry and I believe his only ties would’ve been with friends who were members of a fraternal organisation such as freemasonry. To see so many people convinced that the organisation is tied to an evil secret society (even though I personally believe that Freemasonry and others alike are innocent in nature) is absolutely ludicrous. - and the same goes for governing body members being Freemasons.
Any thoughts? I will not take a Smurfgirl video as evidence I’m afraid, as it does not include any objective proof or evidence - just some random person’s crazy ideas (quite like the watchtower).
Even if you agree with me up to a certain point, feel free to add a comment of what you think.
If you disagree, please know that I’m not attacking you, so please don’t get oddly defensive (not that it affects me anyway…).
Love you all, stay safe.
I understand that most of us here are not in the Order of Eastern Star, but it seems that many also don’t really know much about it other than that they (probably) meet at your local Lodge building, and ladies can be members. OES is an organization for Master Masons and their female relatives. It is not the same Lodge experience that we have in Craft Lodge, but a way to include adult female family members in a Masonic setting. Job’s Daughters does something similar for teen/tween family members, though in that case, the Master Masons involved are not members, but assist in supervising and supporting the members. DeMolay for boys and Rainbow Girls offer basically the same thing, but without the need for members to be related to a Mason.
Generally speaking, candidates for OES membership must be either Master Masons in good standing, or have some kind of connection to Freemasonry, usually in the form of being related to a Master Mason who is, or was at the time of his death, in good standing. There are specific requirements, so unlike joining a Lodge, a random woman on the street can’t just rock up and ask to join.
When we have women inquiring on the sub about joining a Lodge/Freemasonry, it is not helpful to tell them to look at the Eastern Stars unless they have a Masonic connection. First of all, an OES Chapter isn’t “the same as a Lodge but with women,” and secondly, they will almost certainly not be able to join OES without a Masonic connection.
What is helpful in these instances is to point these women to groups they can join, regardless of the fact that your Grand Lodge is not in amity with any of those groups - because there are no Lodges these woman can join that are in amity with your Grand Lodge. Groups like:
The Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons
The Centre de Liaison International de la Maçonnerie Féminine
and Co-Masonic groups like:
among many others.
Of course, if a woman does post saying her grandfather (or whoever) was a Master Mason and she’s interested to become involved in Masonry, feel free to suggest that she look into OES.
I have this friend who's curious, and I'm wondering if there are any good books on Freemasonry that I can send them? I would prefer something more informational/talks about the history.
Thank you.
So what are your guys' opinions on Freemasonry ?
Despite The Papal ban on Catholics joining it; Despite everyone blaming them for all evil in the world (alongside the Jews) and knowing that they're not innocent, I still have an interest in it, or at least its presumed esoteric aspects. Is anyone here a Freemason ? Does anyone here have any interest in it ? Is Rosicrucianism and/or Martinism "better" ? Does it have any worthwhile teaching, or is it just a lame club for boring men to babble nonsense to each other ?
(One thing to 'compound' my interest in it, is Mormonism adopting certain aspects from Freemasony and mixing with Christianity. I still haven't finished Peter Levenda's book on Mormonism, but the whole thing puzzles me.)
After finding this subreddit, I found that most of men are happy about their choice, joining freemasonry. I read many good things about the craft here, and I wanted to hear what are the most frustrating aspects of freemasonry to you. It is not being pessimistic, but it is better to be aware of bitter things, and know what you're going for.
- Profane
A while back I asked this group for some thoughts on real world benefits to freemasonry. Thanks for the feedback btw. I wanted to share this expanded thought with you and get additional feedback on a potential pamphlet for potential brothers.
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Improved memory Studies show that the use of oral tradition and the passing of oral history improves the memory of both teacher and student. Improved memory will benefit a brother in many ways both inside and outside of the lodge.
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Appreciation for tradition while not being bound by it Masonry is steeped in tradition. A big part of Masonic education is learning the origin, meaning, and application of our ideals. This light gives not only guidance on how to lead a good and productive life, but exposes a modern audience to traditions dating back millenia.
While we believe these traditions are beneficial to society we do not bind people to strict adherence to roles or ideas. This gives brothers the flexibility to apply tradition in their life as part of their world-view and make good men better no matter who they are or what they believe. 3. Exposure to different people and ideas Masons are a diverse group of people be that in the political, religious, ethnic or social arenas. A good and well-governed lodge should not discriminate based on these areas affording brothers the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life.
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Greater presence in the community We are all about charity and improving our community. Masons volunteer in the community, recognize community members for their achievements, and assist their fellow man in times of crisis. This is all part of our Masonic tradition. An active Mason will be well known in the community. This presence fosters greater community cohesion and less conflict benefiting the local economy, civil atmosphere, and Mason and his family
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Knowledge of history As with tradition Masonry is woven into the history of the world. Prominent figures and leaders have been Masons throughout the years. Countless books have been written on the impact Masonry has had allowing for endless opportunities to learn. Any student of history will find a wealth of knowledge in a Masonic lodge.
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Mentorship (as leader and learner) Master Masons teach and learn. We are always seeking new light (knowledge) and when we attain new light we want to pass it on to our fellows. Masonic mentors lead those new to the craft learning from them in turn. Masonic mentors find it to be an enr
I’m currently in “A” school in San Antonio Texas for the Navy. I would like to start my journey in freemasonry. I just don’t know who to contact as the military takes a lot of my time, and I will not be in Texas for too much longer. I’ve heard of accelerated ways to get degrees, if possible I’d like to do something like that.
For those who have not been following my occasional (un)popular series "How Freemasonry Fails..." posts the links for those are included at the bottom. Please feel free to go back an peruse those at your leisure.
I may continue that series with a few more entries though as there is still some discussion to be had on that subject, but I want to introduce the adjunct to that question which is - lets stop failing and start winning.
Today, I am going to introduce a concept that some of you might have run into many of you who work in IT, production, or really any industry that heavily relies on processes/value streams. Just as companies have used tools like this to improve their efficiency and productivity numbers by huge percentages, they can also be utilized to address some of the core problems our fraternity is facing.
What is this magical elixir to which you are referring - black magic? alchemy? No it is Root Cause Analysis.
What is Root Cause Analysis
I'm just going to steal the definition this excellent introductory article on it instead of spending 15-20 minutes coming up with my own armchair explanation.
"A root cause is defined as a factor that caused a nonconformance and should be permanently eliminated through process improvement. The root cause is the core issue—the highest-level cause—that sets in motion the entire cause-and-effect reaction that ultimately leads to the problem(s)"
Warning: Root Cause Analysis Is Hard
I've sat on many "quality assurance" or "quality improvement" teams in my career. And, I can tell you doing this kind of analysis is difficult even when you are dealing with 1) the work environment and 2) processes that people generally have no emotional connection to at all. I've tried to use a few of the tools found in RCA with different Lodges and have had varying levels of effectiveness. A few times we had "breakthroughs" where people finally started understanding the causation between various inefficiencies in the system. Other times it has devolved into a "blame game" of sorts with hurt feelings all around (and even one man demitting as a result).
Do NOT just jump into this without realizing it is not a panacea (yes I love that word) to all of our problems. To properly deploy these tools you need to have a strong facilitator and a team that is willingness among those participating to fully engage, and most importantly TIME. Analysis of this type can
... keep reading on reddit ➡
I'm a master mason and luckily in my Lodge (and those that I've visited), everybody is blessed with a relatively healthy body that doesn't suffer from visible physical impediments. However, I was wondering whether someone who has a disability could fully participate in the rituals.
For example, had I lost my arms, I would not be able to perform the handshakes or signs. Had I been in a wheelchair, it would be hard to move me around during my initiation as apprentice, when I was passed as fellowcraft and when I got raised as a master. If I was blind, a lot of symbolism would be lost in me and if I were deaf, I wouldn't be able to hear any of the texts.
So I would like to ask if anybody of you knows a fellow mason who had a disability upon joining or contracted one after joining? If so, how did the Lodge deal with this? I do have a past in studying occupational therapy so I'm quite interested in how freemasonry could be made more accessible for those who have disabilities.
Ever get tired of hearing about the most recent Grand Lodge "program" that is supposedly going to bring men back to Lodge? Or grow weary of the latest white wash job that just serves as convenient cover for the real, systemic issues? I am - so figured I would outline a few of the most "repeat offenders" at least from how I see it.
Masonic Education. This is on the top of my list. Masonic education is not some sort of panacea and no Brother Jim your poorly sourced article on something that is probably not true is not really all that educational. But, alas, it has been a trend embraced from Grand Lodges across the US on down to instill Masonic education in every Lodge meeting. Of course, these "mandates" come with absolutely no support from GL. Brothers are just expected to "figure it out" (I guess) or "use the internet" (as a very helpful District Deputy once told us to do). In practice, this doesn't produce anything of value being added to any meeting. It doesn't result in an external speaker coming in and talking about a subject of interest. Or motivates the Brethren to formulate an educational program based upon real research. The result is usually the poor chump who got thrown in the Masonic education chair having to pull something up on their smartphone 30 minutes before the meeting so it looks like they have some real content when the WM calls on them.
Now I am a big fan of ACTUAL Masonic education, but most of what is being proposed from GL on down isn't actually producing anything of educational value. Let's stop it with the whole farce or actually provide Blue Lodges with programs of real value.
Theme Meetings. If your Lodge wants to do an outside Degree or fun themed BBQ during the summer, by all means. These are a great way to engage some members and do something different. But, let's leave it at that. There is no reason to have "Hawaiian Shirt night" at a regular communication. Or to have a costume night for the October meeting. And good Lord please, oh please, do not do that Cinqo de Mayo theme ever again where Brother Bob gets tacos, wear a sombrero, and tells jokes of questionable taste because hey its a theme night which makes Mexican jokes OK....right....?
Unless your Lodge has a tradition of doing an actual theme that cuts into its history and tradition (like a cool "cowboy" Lodge I once visited in Montana) just don't, just please don't.....We are grown ups and our Craft is over 300 years old. Let's give it the respect it deser
... keep reading on reddit ➡So I had a discord account for the very first time 3 days. I got the discord server link from this sub and I joined. The name I chose is "FraternalTies" and that led other Brothers to recognize and chat with me. After about an hour or so, I received an email from discord saying my account was disabled due to spam, etc. I never spammed and did not join any other server. Can an admin reverse this? I can't login to discord at all.
