Oh me, oh my…. CNN is deep into investigating a sinister plot…
…Freemasons in Congress.
You can read the whole report on Aftermath News.
Dateline NBC’s “To catch a Freemason”
Sorry, the title is a play on the “other” shows that Dateline puts out.
In case you missed it, Dateline NBC and Matt Lauer spent some quality time with Dan Brown in the house of the temple to talk all things Masonic, oh, and the Lost Symbol too.
I can’t find the full video of the episode yet, but you can find clips at the Dateline site, and a transcript of the program here.
I did want to say nice work to friends of FmI Br.’s Cliff Porter and Tim Hogan, nicely done brothers. Late in the program Br. Cliff came on to support the idea that Freemasonry does in fact hold some secrets, though not of the nefarious type.
Another shout out to Br. Arturo DeHoyas from the house of the temple. He did a spectacular job in defining Freemasonry and laying out the history of the fraternity in the short clips that they were edited into.
All in all, the dateline program was flattering to Freemasonry and really seemed to paint Brown as the reluctant spokesman for the fraternity, his way of writing a letter of fictional recommendation for it. Even more interesting recently was his letter to the Scottish Rite, acknowledging their invitation, tanking them, but declining an appearance.
All interesting stuff.
In the mean time, here’s a clip about the Dateline special, and when the final episode makes it onto the web, I recommend you check it out.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Teachings of Diogenes-Lesson 3 Light of Teaching
In winter Diogenes walked barefoot in the snow. In summer he rolled in the hot sand. He did this to harden himself against discomfort. “But aren’t you overdoing it a little?” a disciple asked.
“Of course,” replied Diogenes, “I am like a teacher of choruses who has to sing louder than the rest in order they may get the right note.”
How do you mentor your new masons? Do you hand them a book and say memorize this and call me in a month? Or do you teach him the catechism then slap him on the back say congratulations and forget about him?
It is a sad fact that most masons lead a double life. They never try to get to know or help out the candidate, sure they come out to lodge and help with the ritual but who lives the example outside the lodge.
M.W. Brother Herman Forester GM, GLKY puts it very eloquently in the Masonic Home Journal, June, 2009:
The Brotherhood of Freemasonry is not just something we belong to, it is a way of life which has been passed down through the ages, Freemasonry teaches us to be better than ourselves. It is about the good things about man, love of God, love of our fellow man, made in God’s image, our families, neighbors, community and country. The teachings of Masonry are so important to a world desperately seeking the things that Masonry teaches. Brothers, let us all stand together for the right things, which are not always the most popular things, harmony and Brotherly love must always prevail in our Lodges. Honor, integrity and unity must set the standard for all who wear the square and compass, and a rallying point to live by not hollow words but noble actions and deeds for all to see.
I have had the pleasure of taking a young mason under my wing and helping him to understand masonry both in and out side of lodge. He is a sponge soaking up what ever I put before him. Not everything you see or read is correct so careful study is required this actually benefits both of us, as he learns so do I. I show him both sides the correct as well as the incorrect ways of masonry.
The Masonic Journey is of an individual nature. Each individual must choose his path if he is not mentored he may become lost and fall off the path, but those who are mentored and have someone to look to for guidance will keep to their path and grow.
“Did you ever think?
- 15 Masons gathered to make you a EA,
- 15 Masons gathered to pass you to Fellowcraft,
- 33 Masons gathered to make you a Master Mason.
What did you do?
Well I walked barefoot in the snow and rolled in the hot sand so that my voice could be heard above the chorus!
Read Teachings of Diogenes-Lesson 1 Emptiness
Read Teachings of Diogenes-Lesson 2 Honesty
fraternally
Wor. Bro. Ian M. Donald
A man is not measured by how tall he stands,
But by how often he bends to help, comfort and teach!
Diogenes (c. 412- c. 323 B.C.) was a very playful philosopher who liked to use great wit when challenging the values and beliefs of his fellow citizens in ancient Athens. He lived in great poverty, probably begging and stealing his food, and steadfastly disdained all forms of luxury. It was because of his determination to follow his own dictates and not adhere to the conventions of society that he was given the epithet “dog,” from which the name “cynic” is derived.
– From the web site of David Quinn
Spiritual But Not Religious?
It sounds like song title, Spirituaql but not Religious… The trending seems to match the PEW results from last year that found a down turn in American Religious trends, but an uptick in general spirituality.
Now, this last Sunday’s Parade magazine published their results asking America, Have you become more Spiritual?
From the publication:
HAS AMERICA BECOME MORE SPIRITUAL?
EXCLUSIVE PARADE MAGAZINE POLL REVEALS AMERICANS’ THOUGHTS ON RELIGION, FAITH, BELIEF IN GOD AND MORE
New York, October 1 — America is generally thought to be among the most religious nations in the Western world. Results from a new PARADE poll on spirituality are revealed in this Sunday’s issue of the magazine. Here are some of the findings:
- 69% of Americans believe in God; 27% don’t; 7% aren’t sure about the existence of God.
- 78% of respondents believe in an afterlife; 43% think people go to Heaven or Hell. depending on their actions on earth; 28% believe our souls or spirits live on, and 7% think we will be reincarnated as another life on Earth.
- 33% said religion is important but not the most important thing. The most religious and least religious respondents balanced each other—24% said religion was the most important thing in their lives and 22% said it wasn’t a factor at all. Another 22% said religion was in their lives but not particularly important.
- 30% attend a religious service once or more each week; 20% of respondents say they go to services anywhere from once a month to a few times a year; 50% rarely or never attend.
- 82% would consider marrying someone of a different faith; a nearly equal number (78%) would never think of converting to another religion.
- 51% of respondents said they pray daily; 67% said they pray because it brings them comfort and hope. 15% of those who pray said they do so because God expects them to. 77% who pray do so outside of religious services.
- When praying, 72% ask for the well-being of others, 60% for forgiveness, 27% for personal success, and 21% for money or other material things.
- How has the recession affected religion? Just 7% of respondents say they are attending religious services more often, and 10% of respondents say they’ve been going less frequently since the recession began.
- Two-thirds of respondents say they’ve never met with mediums or psychics, had a psychic experience, or even watched a psychic or medium on TV. 12% believe in astrology and check their horoscopes regularly. The rest don’t believe in astrology at all or read horoscopes purely for fun.
- 83% have had no experiences with the spirit of anyone who has passed away, while 17% believe they have.
- When asked to pick their favorite of these films involving spirituality—The Da Vinci Code, The Exorcist, The Omen, The Sixth Sense, The Ten Commandments, Ghost, and It’s a Wonderful Life—one out of every four people selected The Ten Commandments.
The movie selection seems to have a strange bias or lack of similarity, so the comparison seems skewed, but in the end, does that matter much?
How important is spirituality to you? Take their poll and see the full results at Parade.com/spiritual
Symbols and Symbolism
By Carlos Antonio Martinez, Jr., J.D., PH.D., M.A., 33º
ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SYMBOLISM
With respect to the term “Mysteries”, no semi-educated mind can doubt that Symbols (especially Masonic symbols) were the Universal Language of Ancient Theology. For the Tutors of the Ancient World – in likeness with Nature – imparted their teachings by way of sight. The ancient sages of Persia, Egypt and Greece adopted the custom of surrounding their doctrines with enigmas difficult to interpret, illustrating men and women with imagery and parables that were more within their reach and knowledge.
So too were the Mysteries a succession of symbols, and the oral aspect of the same an explanation of their significance; in them were amalgamated sacred commentaries, ideas about Physics and Morals, theories about Creation, allegories about Nature, the relation between planets and elements, and all other conceptions regarding the relation between the Gods and mankind.
The word Mystery comes from the Greek word Musterion, which means: “Secret that must remain Occult” or “secret counsel of God”, hence the strict Silence that must be observed and our consequential familiarization with another term which is etymologically applied to everything related to Mysteries: “Mystic”, a word derived from the Greek “Mustikos” which is an adjective of “Mustes” or Initiates, a reason for which Mystic is considered a synonym of Initiate, and henceforth the essential “mysterious relation” between Initiations and Silent Secret Doctrines. In the most exterior sense, Mystery is that which should not be talked about, that which is prohibited to make known to the outsider. In a second more interior sense, the Mystery designates what is received in Silence, that about which no discussion should be had, for these are truths that by virtue of their supra-natural/rational nature, are above any discussion.
Finally, there is a third much more profound sense in which the Mystery is properly Inexpressible, it can only be contemplated in silence, and for that reason is incommunicable.
There exists an alliance between philosophical systems and symbols that are evident in monuments of all ages, and in the symbolic writings of the Parents of Nations that later came to be part of the rituals of Secret Mystic Societies. It was in this way that Patriarchs and Matriarchs alike expressed themselves through a constant series of invariable and uniform principles that form a harmonious and perfect conjunction which together define a ceremony of religious and cryptic nature that necessitates a preparation or initiation on the part of the individual who desires to comprehend them. Thus exist Lesser and Greater Mysteries, being the first ones those of symbolic nature and common use, those that comprise all that is related with the development of possibilities of the human condition and that culminate with what has been denominated Restoration of Primordial State; and these are nothing but the preparation for the Greater Mysteries, which appertain to the realization of supra-human states, taking the individual from the condition in which he/she was left in the Lesser Mysteries and conducting him/her through stages of spiritual order until the Supreme Identity. Hence the dominance of the Greater Mysteries over Metaphysical Knowledge. They are the most exalted and bring the initiate/adept closer to the occult truths of divinity. To characterize these two terms – Lesser and Greater Mysteries – we can utilize two geometric symbols: to the first we can assign a horizontal line, symbolical and representative of human dominion, which, in turn, serves as a base to the second: a vertical line allegorical of one’s ascension to the heavens, a supra-human realization identified with superior states.
All the philosophers that illustrated antiquity were disciples of initiation, being the progress and foundation of the mysteries what, in those times, permitted mankind to free itself from superstitions. Only the Mysteries could liberate man and woman from barbarousness. From them are derived the doctrines of Sages of the likes of Zoroaster, Confucius, Plato and, of course, Hermes Trismegistus. Such is the vastness and timelessness of the Ancient Mysteries that fragments of them can be appreciated still influencing the various Rites of the modern Masonic Order. Some of the most important to date are the rites of Osiris in Egypt, those of Mithra in Persia, those of Adonis in Syria, those of Dionysius and Eleusis in Greece and those of the Druids among the Celts, to mention a few. In all the Mysteries can be found a common factor indicating a same origin: all initiations had a funereal aspect and were about a type of mystical death and resurrection alluding to a heroic personage or semi-god. Through the assimilation of the Mysteries the Candidate was instructed in the subordination of the Degrees, physical trials and tests of knowledge were given in the darkness of the night, the aspirant had to be solemnly and severely tried and entirely purified in order to attain Wisdom and Light. The Esoteric character of the mysteries remained preserved by way of mandates and oaths of secrecy whose violation was punished with death.
The legend of Osiris offered our fore-brothers and sisters their first glimpse of the Masonic Symbolism of Immortality, when Isis found a lush acacia tree over the grave of her dead husband Osiris. This imagery and concept was taken – much later – by the Jews, mainly due to their leaders Moses and Joseph who were both Egyptian Priests and Nobles. At some point, much later in time, the story of Hiram, the martyr-hero of the 3rd Degree, was created, emulating for posterity his allegorical death and resurrection in the persona of every initiate, and the rather timely and propitious symbolism of the sprig of acacia; In the mysteries of Mithra, Zoroaster secluded the initiates in lugubrious caverns, a striking ceremony that was later adopted by most Mystery Schools until it reached the Masonic ritual in the form of the Chamber of Reflection; The Eleusian initiation demanded that the aspirant remain stationary through various intervals of time, hence the Ages of Masonry; In the mysteries of India, the candidate journeyed three times describing a circle that stopped in the South, Symbolic Masonry has preserved these journeys or “travels’ in the form of Circumambulation; And way before our Brothers-Knights of the Order of the Temple came into existence, the Essenes conditioned the admission of all aspirants to the immediate surrender of their wealth to the Brotherhood and their works of charity.
In short, it is my opinion that, for all the aims and goals of our numerous rituals, symbols are of a great transcendence to the Masonic knowledge, compelling us to work in their internal mysteries seeking the Light in everyone of us and in those who surround us, always upholding our sacred principles of Liberty, Fraternity and Equality.
To conclude for the time being, I wish to proclaim that “Any day is good to fix things… including our lives”.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity!
More Masonic Symbols.
Reprinted by permission of Carlos Antonio Martinez, Jr.
NPR on the Masonic Trail
All things considered took a trip to the House of the Temple and had a good conversation with Br. Brent Morris.
An excerpt:
Best-selling author Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol, draws heavily on the lore and mystique of the Freemasons. A visit to one of the locations in the novel, a prominent Masonic building in Washington, D.C., serves as an introduction to the history of the once feared and even reviled secret society.
The House of the Temple, the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, is an impressive and dignified edifice on Washington’s 16th Street. The design was inspired by the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, in Turkey. A couple of sphinxes on huge pedestals flank the steps.
Secret Of The Masons: It’s Not So Secret
Nicely done Br. Morris.
Masonic Central – What is Freemasonry?
This show dedicated to talking about the fraternity of Freemasonry, what it is and what it represents. It is an open line program for your questions, comments, ideas, and theories. The goal is to talk about the various aspects of the fraternity and what it means to be a member.
Missed the Program? Listen Now!
or Download
At its heart, Freemasonry is a fraternity of brothers who share common values, who gather to better serve society and improve themselves through their fellowship. I encourage you to listen to the full program.
Also you can listen to the program live from our home at Masonic Central on Blog Talk Radio and join in with our live program chat, or from our player widget on our website at Freemason Information.
The secret is how to die.
An excerpt from the “The Lost Symbol” in Parade Magazine…
House of the Temple
8:33 P.M.
Since the beginning of time, the secret had always been how to die.
The thirty-four-year-old initiate gazed down at the human skull cradled in his palms. The skull was hollow, like a bowl, filled with bloodred wine.
Drink it, he told himself. You have nothing to fear.
As was tradition, he had begun this journey adorned in the ritualistic garb of a medieval heretic being led to the gallows, his loose-fitting shirt gaping open to reveal his pale chest, his left pant leg rolled up to the knee, and his right sleeve rolled up to the elbow. Around his neck hung a heavy rope noose—a “cable-tow” as the brethren called it. Tonight, however, like the brethren bearing witness, he was dressed as a master.
The assembly of brothers encircling him all were adorned in their full regalia of lambskin aprons, sashes, and white gloves. Around their necks hung ceremonial jewels that glistened like ghostly eyes in the muted light. Many of these men held powerful stations in life, and yet the initiate knew their worldly ranks meant nothing within these walls. Here all men were equals, sworn brothers sharing a mystical bond.
Read more of the pro-log and chapter 1 here.
Freemasonry and Sufism: Two Roads One Destination
“My heart can adopt all forms, I follow the religion of Love: Whichever road the camel of Love takes, that is my religion and my faith”
-Ibn Arabi
By Carlos Antonio Martinez, Jr., J.D., PH.D., M.A., 33º
Contrary to the majority of “Exoteric Spiritual Systems” Free-Masonry lacks totalitarian ambition. It accepts that although its method is “just and perfect”, it is not the only one through which its goals are accomplished. It recognizes that its modus-operandi is merely one more of the Traditional Avenues of Access to Knowledge, just like in the Occidental world so were the diverse Gnostic Schools with which it shares a number of basic elements.
For the individual who knows how and when to advance beyond the appearances which at times seem discordant and contradictory and reaches the central nucleus of a proposed concept and/or theory, it must not be difficult to encounter profound parallelisms among Traditions which emanate from the same fountain. Thus, it is with minimum or no effort that we can realize how Free-Masonry shares so many essential tenets, attributes and characteristics with other socio-cultural movements which have emerged all throughout the history of mankind; Movements which in the form of academies, cults, private associations, clubs, congregations, guilds and corporations united and still unite “men and women of good repute and customs” who labor incessantly in the construction of their Inner Temples.
The acceptance of this proven fact, however, must not lead us to the extreme assumption that “everything is identical”, thus reducing Traditions to its minimum common denominator and therefore losing its intrinsically characteristic richness. The fact that “within their nucleuses” Traditions seem analogous does not make their manifestations appear so before the eyes of the common folk, for in order to really appreciate it, it is necessary to make an active and persevering effort.
One of the traditions which outside the occidental frame distinguishes itself among those most proximate to Free-Masonry, is Sufism. The similarity and compatibility of Sufism with the Craft is such that, quite frequently, learned men and women refer to Free-Masonry as: “Western Sufism”, and, in like manner, they refer to Sufism as: “Free-Masonry of Islam”. Before continuing on, it is important to under-line what I consider the most fundamental difference between these two Traditions: While Free-Masonry accepts any “exoteric frame”, Sufism can only be lived plentifully within the Islamic Religion. In this occasion, therefore, notwithstanding how passion-inspiring the topic may be, I will not address the more or less true relationships existing between these two Institutions and their precursors; I will, however, focus very succinctly on points that are central and common to both Traditions.
There are two origins commonly attributed to Sufism: One, is a type of “Concealed Interior Doctrine” directly transmitted by the Prophet (may Peace be upon him!) to his most intimate Disciples; a somewhat similar to certain Gnostic Interpretations of Primitive Christianity and transmitted to our modern days by way of a “golden thread” of Initiates. And the other, entirely different from the first one, is that of the Persian Influence upon the primogenial Arabic Islam, an influence through which certain pantheist and monist depth was aggregated. It is indeed probable that both theories bear much Truth in them; But, only one reality remains uncontested: Sufism has been present in Islam since the first centuries of its existence, having, just like Free-Masonry, a best or worst fate while living its Principles of Love and Tolerance in any of the social/political contexts of the last twelve hundred years.
Though Sufism is not a monolithic block, and philosophical positions from the most orthodox to the most heterodox have been based on it, the most adequate definition may be the one given to us by Omar Ali Shah: “Doctrine which seeks to remove the veil from the eye of the heart (Ayd al-Qalb) to see what is Real (al-Haq)”. It is difficult to condense greater profoundness in such a few words, and impossible to explain them to he/she who does not feel. On the other hand, the moral aspect, just like in Free-Masonry, is not alien to Sufism; Hence the definition given by Junayd of Bagdad: “Adoption of superior qualities and abandonment of inferior ones”.
Sufism, contrary to practices and Ascetic Schools of the Indian subcontinent with which it is also compared, is vivid and practiced in open communities, thus vertebrating themselves with Progressive Ways from smaller groups headed by a “Master” to larger “Grand Orders”, of which the Naqsbandi is probably the best known. The exterior practices of Sufism are determined in great measure by belonging to either “Order”, and most specially by the “ritualistic knocking”, counsel and input of the founding “Master” who inaugurates all major ceremonies which are then followed by prayers, supplications, invocations, diets, pilgrimages and other activities which are as generic and specific to the Muslim World.
The internal practices are, on the contrary, much more faithful to Sufism and very common/familiar to it independently of the “Order” affiliated with, as it usually happens with any esoteric doctrine of difficult comprehension to the non-initiate. Let us in this occasion only mention the practice of Meditation over the Internal Reality (Haqiqah), over the thought-integrator of opposites, over the motion of Nature innate to all human beings (Fitra) and which reveals in its interior the Full Sense of Creation and the presence of Allah (Dhirku’llah) in an analogous perception.
These exercises, among other disciplines, are carried out individually, but, under the tutelage of the “Master” of a regular Community where nobody is granted admission, unless he/she has been subject to rigorous trials aimed at provoking the “Awakening of the Sufi”, an event rarely referenced to under such appellative, but, instead, commonly known as: the “Awakening of a Friend”, very close to the Masonic expression: the “Resurrection of a Brother Master Mason”.
May these few lines suffice to at least superficially emboss the coincidences between Sufism and Free-Masonry, in order that the individual interested in the study of Esoterism in general may benefit from the resources offered by either path, and the Free-Mason, with or without an apron, may know of a Sister Tradition in the Muslim World, a world that is now so perversely defamed and slandered by Profane and “Mason” alike, a world that, contrary to the nefarious assertions of our nation’s failed leadership, is plethoric of Hope, Faith and Charity and ever ready to extend the hand of Brotherly/Sisterly Love, Relief and Truth to all the people of the world.
Reprinted by permission of Carlos Antonio Martinez, Jr.
The Occult Bookstore – Chicago
Few book stores really give you whatyou pay for, and even fewer don’t sport a big box name that you can recall on opposite ends of the continent. In Los Angeles, its rare to find a unique book store that really delivers what its name implies. In fact, I can only think of one here in LA, and that’s the Bodhi Tree in West LA.
What I stumbled onto today is the home site for a new store that opened (re-opened) in the Great Lakes region, and I only wish I were closer to drop in and check it out for myself. If your anywhere near Chicago Illinois, I would highly recommend stopping in and spending some time at the Occult Bookstore in Chicago, Il., and if you do, drop me a line and give me the details.
But it really is a rare find these days, even in enlightened cities , to find a store that caters to the esoteric and occult at least in so many words.
From the site:
Occult Co. is a historic occult business based in and operated out of Chicago, IL. For years, we’ve made it our mission to immerse ourselves in the study and practical applications of metaphysics and occult practices. Our specialty lies in Rare / Antique Artifacts (inc. books, tribal fetishes, relics, occult art, ancient rites, and living stones).
…our business has experienced growth and expansion so that our rare magicio-sacred items are now available worldwide. Regardless of where you live – whether surrounded by urban sprawl or secluded in the depths of remote locales – you now have access to the supernatural potential of our high quality magickal items, some of which until now, have been unavailable anywhere in the United States.
Their webstore is do up any day now, and I can’t wait to see what they have in the mix.
What really strikes me is that the store is an oddity in a landscape made exotic by Starbucks Coffee houses housed inside of Barnes and Nobles book stores, or chairs and benches strewen about in Borders. A store like this is something I’ve contemplated opening on more than one occasion myself, so I’m glad that I’m not the only one thinking about these things and that they still have a commercial presence. There is just something about thumbing through a book on meditation and magick rather than “Looking Inside” through the virtual Amazon store.
So, iff your nearby, the Occult Booktore is located on Milwaukee Ave near Ashland and Division in Chicago IL and I encourage you to take a trip and check it out.
And, if your not close by, check out the Occult Bookstore Website.
In the mean time, what book stores do you recommend that cater to your esoteric proclivities?