Chickenrabbits

The Blog Author with Huge Lass, Vehda

My favorite, 2 1/2 appointment old, magnificent teenager visited me today and informed me that she saw a "chickenrabbit" at the honor she and her kin visited only. No matter which about Vehda's world is chaste, magical, wondrous and mystical. Her trusting musings are the interior and heart of magic and paganism.

Taking into account one result, Vehda took me back an splendid 40 living to subsequently I was three living old. In a consequence of seconds, I recalled what it was give pleasure to to private no uncertainties, to be like a dream tuned to the nature and all within it, to character the "magic" all surrounding me, and to private no concept of "disbelieving" - "suchlike" was that you can think of.

Finished our lives, amongst the trials, successes and defeats, we lose chase of the real "magic" all too straight away. Heap miscellaneous weeds, firewood and plants to add to our mud-pie creations measure in concert to the butterflies is replaced (too at full tilt) with racing the era to battle and "grow up". The stresses and burdens of adult life intently present a insignificant of tranquil or frenzy, let ally "authorization" to reconnect with the wonders that make life exciting. We're conditioned to leave the magic as "drivel", as we learn to bill ourselves to everything "preceding" the everyday.

Whether we see it or not, the magic IS silence there! Top-quality habitually than not, we call for really make an application to reconnect with mud-pies, butterflies and chickenrabbits.

"Known in the Pagan Reimbursement as the "Lush Witch", Polly Taskey is descended from Mary Bradbury (Perkins). She uses her correspondence talents to bring you PAGAN BY Comfort BLOG and Seminar BOARDS. If reprinted, this byline and associations prevented arrived must be included."

A New Encyclopaedia Of Freemasonry And Of Cognate Instituted Mysteries

Book: A New Encyclopaedia Of Freemasonry And Of Cognate Instituted Mysteries by Arthur Edward Waite

This book is an astounding collection of Masonic and other Secret Society Information. This book provides a complete view of the history, literature and myths surrounding Freemasonry. Comprehensive explanations of their secret rituals and symbolism. Including alchemy, astrology, Kabbalism, Ceremonial Magic, Animal Magnetism and more. I have owned this book for over one year and every time I see something in another Masonic work that I am unsure-of, I can find a reference to the material in Waite's Encyclopaedia. The only reason people think it is too archaic is because people do not read enough. This book is a must-have for any researcher in the field of Masonry and/or other Secret Societies, including the H.B. of L. I appreciate this work, almost daily. If you can't read this one, forget "The History of Freemasonry," by Albert Mackey. This is a wonderful research book, despite the fact that it needs a thorough index, for quick-reference. I would be willing to Index this work, because of it's value to all Masons and other researchers in the field. I cannot begin to describe how amazed I was, when I cracked the covers of this book for the first time....and the thrill continues, each time I take it off the shelf!

Buy Arthur Edward Waite's book: A New Encyclopaedia Of Freemasonry And Of Cognate Instituted Mysteries

Downloadable books (free):

Robert Ellwood - The Encyclopedia Of World Religions
Scott Cunningham - Cunningham Encyclopedia Of Wicca In The Kitchen
Scott Cunningham - Cunninghams Encyclopedia Of Crystal Gem And Metal Magic
James Hampton Belton - An Encyclopedia Of Ancient Greek And Roman Mythology

Was Billy Graham A Freemason

The Reverend Billy Graham is not a freemason. The following correspondence to a reader of the Cutting Edge Ministry makes this very clear:

Subject: Freemason
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 97 11:23:21 -0500
From: dkinde@graham-assn.org (Don Kinde)
Thank you for your e-mail message. We understand your concern about rumors that Mr. Graham is in some way associated with Freemasonry. The reports are erroneous — though we continue to hear them. Mr. Graham is not, has not been and does not expect ever to be involved in Freemasonry. Your help in keeping the record as accurate as possible would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Don Kinde
Christian Guidance Department
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

One possible source of this rumour was Composite Lodge No. 595’s website in Santa Monica, California, USA. The brother maintaining the site reproduced a list of famous freemasons that mistakenly included the Reverend Billy Graham’s name. Once the error was brought to his attention, the list was amended on December 28, 1996. Other masonic websites unwittingly reproduced the list and several years passed before most, if not all of them, were corrected.
The late Jim Shaw claimed that Billy Graham was present when he was made a 33rd Degree freemason. This is only one of Shaw’s many lies exposed in such publications as Is it True What They Say About Freemasonry?
On 13 June, 1997 anti-mason and fundamentalist Christian, Steve Van Nattan went on a syndicated Christian Fundamentalist radio talk show, "The Cutting Edge," to announce his "proof" that Graham was not only a freemason but that the freemasons were trying to hide his membership. The Cutting Edge Ministry subsequentially accepted the denial issued by Billy Graham’s office.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Rabbi Michael Laitman - Kabbalah Revealed
John Dee - La Grande Table De La Terre French Version
Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men
Sri Swami Sivananda - Brahma Sutras
Castells - The Apocalypse Of Freemasonry

The Real History Of The Rosicrucians

Book: The Real History Of The Rosicrucians by Arthur Edward Waite

This is Arthur Edward Waite's study of the elusive Rosicrucians, a secret society of which the first public notice was in early 17th century Germany. Was this an actual organization, or just a fantasy? No actual Rosicrucians ever surfaced, but there was plenty of documentation about them. The problem is that these documents are, for the most part, obviously fictional. In time, a mythology grew up around the Rosicrucians. Today there are groups which claim the name. These date at the most to the late 19th century, although they usually claim pro forma to go back as far as Egypt or Atlantis. The Rosicrucians have also been woven by conspiracy theorists into their web alongside the Freemasons, Illuminati, Templars, and so on, even though there is not a shred of evidence for this.

Waite presents complete translations of all of the texts which defined the Rosicrucians, including the Fama Fraternitatis, the Confessio Fraternitatis, and the Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz. The longest text, the Chemical Wedding is a fever-dream which is a thinly veiled alchemical allegory. The authorship of these documents is disputed, but it may have been written by Johann Valentin Andreas, a German theologian and writer. Waite also surveys Rosicrucian literature from successive centuries, including extensive quotes from authors who wrote about the Rosicrucians such as Michael Maier, Robert Fludd, Thomas Vaughan and John Heydon. Heydon wrote Voyage to the Land of the Rosicrucians, reminiscent of Thomas More's Utopia, about a voyage to an obscure continent inhabited by Rosicrucians, included here in its entirety.

All in all, this serves both as a survey of the literature about Rosicrucians and an invaluable anthology of that literature. Waite, although he had a solid background in the occult, is in a firmly rationalist mode in this book. The Real History will be of use to both academic and general readers, and makes fascinating reading. --J.B. Hare

Buy Arthur Edward Waite's book: The Real History Of The Rosicrucians

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Arthur Edward Waite - The Real History Of The Rosicrucians Part Iii
Arthur Edward Waite - The Real History Of The Rosicrucians Part Iv
Arthur Edward Waite - The Real History Of The Rosicrucians Part I

The Morality Argument Of Masonry

The first conclusion is that Atheists are incapable of following God’s Moral Law, and they are therefore incapable of meeting on the Square. The most often-quoted example of this comes from James Anderson in his Constitutions of Free-Masons (p. 50): “A Ma?on is oblig’d, by his Tenure, to obey the moral Law; and if he rightly under?tands the Art, he will never be a ?tupid Athei?t, nor an irregular Libertine.” Can Atheists follow moral law? Again, from an areligious perspective, an Atheist can hold the same values that a non-Atheist holds, but for different reasons. A religious man may hold moral law to be a sacred or divine teaching, whereas a man without religion may believe that “doing good” is beneficial to himself and all of humanity, though not link it to God. Therefore, Atheists are capable of reaching the same end, that of acting uprightly, though they may have used different means to arrive at their conclusion.

If Atheists can practice brotherly love, relief, and truth, then why deny them admittance to our Order? Paton (p.154) suggests that the Atheist “… acknowledges no relation to God which should lead to fear, or hope, or love, or obedience. To him, as to the most absolute speculative atheist, the moral law is nothing.” Paton suggests that following moral law is but a whim, a fleet of fancy which may be turned upon because a man who does not fear God has no reason to remain moral. Perhaps the best example of this philosophy was given by Albert Pike (ch. 23):

The intellect of the Atheist would find matter everywhere; but no Causing and Providing Mind: his moral sense would find no Equitable Will, no Beauty of Moral Excellence, no Conscience enacting justice into the unchanging law of right, no spiritual Order or spiritual Providence, but only material Fate and Chance. His affections would find only finite things to love; and to them the dead who were loved and who died yesterday, are like the rainbow that yesterday evening lived a moment and then passed away. His soul, flying through the vast Inane, and feeling the darkness with its wings, seeking the Soul of all, which at once is Reason, Conscience, and the Heart of all that is, would find no God, but a universe all disorder; no Infinite, no Reason, no Conscience, no Heart, no Soul of things; nothing to reverence, to esteem, to love, to worship, to trust in; but only an Ugly Force, alien and foreign to us, that strikes down those we love, and makes us mere worms on the hot sand of the world. No voice would speak from the Earth to comfort him.

Paton adds the idea that Masons believe in a “Future State,” which he defines loosely as rewards and punishments to be given in the next life or in the afterlife. In this case, Paton makes the point that without a belief in a Supreme Being or the afterlife, there is no immortal consequence to breaking moral law. This has historically been a key reason for denying Atheists positions in Masonry—they cannot be trusted to maintain morality. Although it is true that Atheists have no belief in immortal consequences, good men tend to be good men; using this as the only argument to keep Atheists out of Masonry is hardly sufficient.

The other perspective often repeated in Masonic literature dealing with the subject of Atheists is that those who do not believe in a Grand Architect are somehow baser than those of us who do believe. The effect of allowing Atheists entry into Masonry

would be to lessen confidence and weaken friendship, and no obligation would be regarded as binding among men … Mankind would give way to the most unrestrained, cruel, and base passions of their worst natures. The very foundations of good order would be subverted, and society would soon degenerate into a state of anarchy. (Ernst, p. 69-70)

This is an even more prejudiced view than the view that Atheists cannot be trusted to uphold moral law, though there are connections between them. Anderson’s reference to Atheists as “stupid” (meaning base, not of lower intelligence), implies the belief that non-believers are less of men. This, in addition to the aforementioned arguments, makes up the bulk of the arguments opposing the Atheist’s admission to the Lodge.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Phil Hine - Aspects Of Tantra
Anonymous - The Emerald Tablet Of Hermes
Henry Cornelius Agrippa - Of Geomancy
Castells - The Apocalypse Of Freemasonry

Secrets Of A Mystic Society

Daily Express, 23rd March 1910.
DAILY EXPRESS
23rd March 1910.
SECRETS OF A MYSTIC SOCIETY.
ROSICRUCIAN ritual TO BE REVEALED.

In consequence of a decision of the Court of Appeal yesterday, the secrets, rituals, and ceremonies of the mystic "Rosicrucian Order of A.O." are to be disclosed today to an expectant public.
The order is a modern revival of the famous Rosicrucian Order, which is believed to have been founded in the thirteenth century, and which possessed so much influence in Germany. The present order was instituted in 1888 by Comte Liddell MacGregor, of The Avenue, Beckenham, who is it’s head; Dr. Wynn Westcott; and the late Dr. W. B. Woodman.
At the time of the breach of promise case, brought by Mrs. Eliza Dinah Shetheld - the daughter of a ship’s steward, who became a West-End hostess - in 1903 against the Marquis Townshend, it was stated that Mrs. Shetheld was the high priestess of the order.
The appeal yesterday was brought by Mr. Aleister Crowley, an expelled member of the order and editor of the "Equinox" magazine, who was recently ordered by Mr. Justice Buckmill not to publish the secrets of the order in a number of the "Equinox" to be issued today. Mr. Crowley contended that Comte MacGregor also obtained the injunction from Mr justice Buckmill, had no cause of action, and the view was upheld by the Court of Appeal.
JUDGES AMUSED.

Comte MacGregor is a man of remarkable appearance, with long grey hair. He showed signs of displeasure at the evident amusement of the judges when counsel read the following extracts from an affidavit made by him - I am the chief of the Rosicrucian Order. It is an order instituted in it’s modern form no less for the study of mystical philosophy and the mysteries of antiquity. The order is upon the lines of a well-known institution of Freemasonary.
The exclusive copyright of the rituals, ceremonies, and manuscripts of the order are vested in me. I being founder and chief of them and I claim such an interest in the same as will entitle me to restrain any enfringement of my rights therein.
On November 18 1888, Aleister Crowley, having duly qualified himself, signed the preliminary pledge form, to {unclear} required intending candidates for their signatures. {some words missing due to clarity of original document}. After compliance with the necessary signatures he became a member, and further ratified the obligation of his signed pledge form by a solemn obligation in open Temple of the Order.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Greg Wotton - Suffering A Thelemic Perspective
Phil Hine - Aspects Of Evocation
Aleister Crowley - Cocaine
Gerald Cremonensis - Astrological Geomancy
Aleister Crowley - One Star In Sight

Grady Mcmurtry

During the Second World War, two Californian O.T.O. members, Grady Louis McMurtry (Oct. 18, 1918 - July 12, 1985) and Frederick Mellinger (Merlinus, 1890-1970) (Mellinger was originally a refugee from Nazi Germany), traveled to Europe on military assignments. McMurtry went earlier and visited Crowley on several occasions while on leave. Mellinger visited Crowley after McMurtry was rotated back to the United States.

There was a good rapport between Crowley and McMurtry, and Crowley respected McMurtry's military experience. In 1943, Crowley personally conferred the IX° of O.T.O. upon McMurtry and made him a Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Order, and gave him the Magical Name he was to use from then on, Hymenaeus Alpha, 777.

In 1944, Crowley began discussing with McMurtry the possibility of assuming the "Caliphate." Crowley wrote to McMurtry on Sept. 28, 1944: "I hope you will prefer my plan for your career as my Fides Achates, alter ego, Caliph, & so on." On November 21, 1944, he wrote to McMurtry again:

`The Caliphate.' You must realize that no matter how closely we see eye-to-eye on any objective subject, I have to think on totally different premises where the Order is concerned. One of the (startling few) commands given to me was this: `Trust not a stranger: fail not of an heir.' This has been the very devil for me. Fr? [Saturnus] is, of course, the natural Caliph; but there are many details concerning the actual policy or working which hit his blind spots. In any case, he can only be a stopgap, because of his age; I have to look for _his_ successor. It has been Hell; so many have come up with amazing promise, only to go on the rocks. ... But — now here is where you have missed my point altogether — I do not think of you as lying on a grassy hillside with a lot of dear sweet lovely woolly lambs, capering to your flute! On the contrary. Your actual life, or `blooding,' is the sort of initiation which I regard as the first essential for a Caliph. For — say 20 years hence the Outer Head of the Order must, among other things, have had the experience of war as it is in actual fact to-day.

The title "Caliph," while perhaps appealing somewhat to the sense of humor of both men as a pun on the abbreviation for California (the State of McMurtry's residence and the location of Agape Lodge), is from the Arabic word Khalifa, meaning "deputy." It was historically used in early Islam to designate the successor to the Prophet, the worldwide Commander of the Islamic Faithful. Crowley's use of the term as applied to Germer and McMurtry was parallel for O.T.O.

In 1946, Crowley entrusted McMurtry with documents of emergency authorization to take charge of the entire work of the Order in California, which included the only functional O.T.O. Body at the time. Crowley additionally appointed McMurtry his personal representative in the U.S.A., whose authority was to be considered as Crowley's own. These two charters, dated respectively March 22, 1946 and April 11, 1946, were subject only to Karl Germer's approval, veto or revision. Germer was well informed of McMurtry's charters from Crowley, as he had attended the Agape Lodge meeting at which McMurtry had presented them. In addition, in a letter to Germer dated June 19, 1946, Crowley informed Germer that "The only limitation on his [McMurtry's] power in California is that any decision which he takes is subject to revision or veto by yourself," thus removing the requirement for prior approval by Germer.

On June 6, 1947, Crowley wrote to Germer:

You seem in doubt too about the succession. There has never been any question about this. Since your re-appearance you are the only successor of whom I have ever thought since that moment. I have, however, had the idea that in view of the dispersion of so many members, you might find it useful to appoint a triumvirate to work under you. My idea was Mellinger, McMurtry, and, I suppose, Roy [Leffingwell], though I have always been a little doubtful about the trustworthiness of the last.

On June 17, 1947, six months before his death, Crowley wrote to McMurtry and informed him that while Germer was to be Crowley's successor as Head of O.T.O., McMurtry should hold himself prepared to succeed Germer.

Crowley, while trusting in Karl Germer's ability to govern the Order as his successor, evidently did not trust in Germer's ability to find and designate an appropriate successor for himself. In what appears to have been an additional contingency measure in the event that McMurtry died or became incapacitated, Crowley also advised Mellinger to hold himself ready as a possible successor to Germer, in a letter dated July 15, 1947. However, Mellinger did not receive any assignments of the kind given to McMurtry, and Crowley never used the term "Caliph" in reference to Mellinger.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Phil Hine - Oven Ready Chaos
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Rampa Story
Sri Swami Sivananda - Brahma Sutras
Gerald Massey - Gerald Massey Lectures

Masonry Beyond The Historical Perspective

Until this point, this paper has dealt with Masonry from a historical perspective. Various opinions of prominent Masonic Authors from the last three centuries were discussed, and a brief history of the inclusion of God as a part of Masonic teaching has been laid out. However, none of the theory or philosophy thus far presented has gotten to the heart of the issue: why can’t Atheists be admitted to Lodges today? Answers of “that’s the way it has always been” have been proffered (see, for example, Lippincott & Johnson, p. 84). However, this excuse is on its surface weak. There was a time when only men of sound body were admitted; several Grand Lodges, including the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, have begun admitting men with physical deformities (see, for example, Hoenes, p. 6-7). Other changes have been made over time; admitting Atheists would only be a modernizing adaptation. Other answers to this question have been dealt with above. Though some may find solace in these answers, others may find them to be excuses based on prejudice and fear. The remainder of this paper will attempt to discuss, why, in the culturally accepting 21st century, there is still no room for Atheists in Masonry.

In the end, the origins of religiosity in Masonry are not as important today to the argument of admitting Atheists as the role of the Mystic Tye. The prime reason for continuing to deny Atheists admittance into our Brotherhood is the presence of God and religion throughout Masonic beliefs, as noted before. By itself, the ritual we practice has overtones of the Grand Architect. These rituals would make Atheists (a) uncomfortable given their individual beliefs and (b) unable to understand the nuances of Masonry, given the absolute importance Masons put on their faith to God. Beyond ritual, the myths and legends that make Masonry what it is today are inherently religious.

Was Freemasonry only a society of fraternity, with no religious component, such as a Moose Club, or a charity-only organization, such as Rotary International, these stringent requirements regarding an individual’s beliefs would not be as important. Our Fraternity, however, is one with religious components. One needs look no further than the Ritual presented to a Candidate during the First Degree. A candidate is asked in whom he puts his trust and is required to give an answer which acknowledges a belief in Deity. He is told that since his trust is in God, he is sound in faith in the Great Architect. In other words, to proceed past the first moments in the Lodge, one must affirm his faith in Deity.

Naturally, such a display would be difficult for someone who does not hold a belief in the Supreme Architect of the Universe. One might assume that an Atheist, not being tied to his morality, would lie (as has been suggested by some); but to what end? What would an Atheist see in an open lodge that would interest him?

As the ritual stands, an incredible number of references are made to the Volume of Sacred Law, to God, and of our submission to Him. An Atheist in such surroundings would likely feel uncomfortable.

Nor should we change our Craft and the beliefs of our Order; to do so would be to destroy the heart and soul of the Fraternity. The foundation of Masonry, that which supports us and holds us together, is the shared belief in the existence of Deity:

Other foundation there is none; upon God Masonry builds its temple of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth … God is the first Fact and the final Reality—the Truth that makes all other truth true; the corner stone of faith, the keystone of thought, the capstone of home … Everything in Masonry has reference to God, implies God, speaks of God, points and leads to God. Not a degree, not a symbol, not an obligation, not a lecture, not a charge but finds its meaning and derives its beauty from God, the Great Architect, in whose Temple all Masons are workmen. (Newton, p. 58-60)

In reality, therefore, Masonry is necessarily theistic. There is no part of Masonry which does not call upon the Great Architect, in whose presence we conduct our meetings.

If an Atheist were to join the Craft, he would find that he would be not be able to fully understand even part of the esoteric mysteries which bind Masons together. Looking no farther than the lecture and charge given to new brethren upon being initiated into our Craft, it is clear that the firm belief in God is required to understand the nuances of these lessons.[ii] Take, for example, the significance of something as simple as the white leather apron: as an “emblem of innocence,” the white leather apron’s purpose is to symbolize right and proper behavior is the path to the Celestial Temple above (Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia [hereafter GLDC], p. 179-180). Furthermore, the significance of Jacob’s Ladder, key instruments thereof being Faith, Hope, and Charity, shows that proper reverence must be given to Deity. Finally, an Atheist would likely be put off by the discussion of the perfect Ashlar and Trestle Board:

By the rough Ashlar we are reminded of our rude and imperfect state by nature; by the perfect ashlar, of that state of perfection at which we hope to arrive by a virtuous education, our own endeavors and the blessing of God; and by the Trestle Board we are also reminded that as the operative workman erects his temporal building agreeably to the rules and designs laid down by the Master on his Trestle Board, so should we, both operative and speculative, endeavor to erect our spiritual building in accordance with the rules laid down by the Supreme Architect of the Universe in the Great Books of nature and revelation, which are our spiritual, moral and Masonic Trestle Board. (p. 183)

What does it mean to “erect our spiritual building in accordance with the rules laid down by the Supreme Architect”? One interpretation is that our “spiritual buildings” are our individual souls—the essential parts of ourselves, which will inevitably be brought to the World Hereafter (what Paton called the “Future State”). We therefore instruct our new initiates to stand tall before God, marking our lives against those laws He has set down for us, in our Volumes of Sacred Law and in our hearts as Brothers formed in His image. To “erect” our souls is to stand upright and to act nobly in our lives, especially in service to Deity.

It is therefore impossible to allow Atheists to join order because they are incapable of measuring themselves against the will of God, to whom Masons all must show reverence. Though an Atheist may be a good man in the traditional sense of the word, as someone who acts nobly and charitably towards his fellow man, he is missing a vital component of Masonry: reverence to God. It is only through God that a man may be a Mason, for it is only through appropriate “reverential awe which is due from a creature to his Creator” (GLDC, p. 187) that a man can be an appropriate candidate.


Books You Might Enjoy:

Robert Wang - The Qabalistic Tarot
Tarostar - The Witchs Spellcraft Revised
John Dee - The Hieroglyphic Monad Latin Version
Greg Wotton - Suffering A Thelemic Perspective

Masonic Papers By W Bro Julian Rees

Julian Rees was initiated in the Kirby Lodge No. 2818 in London in 1968, was Master in 1976/77 and again at the centenary of the Lodge in 1999/2000.

He is a holder of the silver matchbox*** award of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement, and has also served there on the Precepting Committee.

He was Master of the German-speaking Pilgrim Lodge No. 238 in 1978/79.

He was a regular contributor to the quarterly magazine Freemasonry Today since its founding in 1997 and from 2003 to 2007 he was Deputy and News Editor.

In 2003 he delivered the prestigious Wendel K Walker Memorial Lecture in New York, entitled Through ritual to Enlightenment.

He was one of the founding members of The Cornerstone Society, serving as Secretary for a number of years, and has lectured to lodges in this country, in USA and continental Europe.

He has been honoured by the Institut Maconnique de France with the Ordre Maconnique de Lafayette.

He is a Past Junior Grand Deacon of the United Grand Lodge of England.

He is the author of Making Light – a Handbook for Freemasons, and The Stairway of Freemasonry – 30 Short Talks and Questions.

His two latest works So You Want To Be a Freemason? and The Tracing Boards of the Three Degrees in Craft Freemasonry Explained will be published in 2009.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Al Selden Leif - Pagan Herbs By Use
Solomonic Grimoires - The Book Of Secrets
John Dee - The Rosie Crucian Secrets

Are The Freemasons Parodying Judaism

No.

While Christian fundamentalists and antisemites have their own reasons for condemning masonic ritual or beliefs as being Enochian or Zadokite, Jewish fundamentalists will make similar accusations for different reasons.

The accusation is not that Freemasonry is a religion, but that it is a pseudo-religion; that it is a parody of Judaism. While, superficially, aspects of the rituals of masonic concordant bodies may possibly be viewed as aping Judaism, within regular Craft Freemasonry there is nothing in the ritual or practices that would support this accusation. In the defence of the concordant bodies, it should be stressed that the intent is certainly not to belittle Judaism, nor do they consider the use of Judaic or Hebrew titles to mean that they are engaged in Religious practices. The ritual pertains to the history of King Solomon’s Temple and the second Temple of Herod. It would not be possible to represent or re-enact this history without reference to the Historical and legendary personages, many of whom were priests.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Reynold Nicholson - The Mystics Of Islam
Jacqueline Stone - Death And The Afterlife In Japanese Buddhism
Franz Cumont - After Life In Roman Paganism
Aleister Crowley - Absinthe The Green Goddess

Get Masonic Membership

If you've read this far and are now interested in Masonic membership for yourself, simply visit your local Masonic lodge or call the Grand Lodge for your area. Masons, except in countries where persecution may require it, don't hide: our buildings (unlike most of our detractors) are clearly found in virtually every city and town throughout the inhabitable planet! Click HERE for a list of Grand Lodges. Nearly all of them have locator lists on their site to assist you in finding your local lodge.

If you know a man who is a Mason, ask him how you can join: we suspect that you'll both be glad you did! In many parts of the world, Masons wear jewelry which makes them easily identifiable. We further elaborate on this here. Hope it helps!
Remember that not all of Freemasonry is '"web empowered". As a result, phone calls, letters, and personal contacts might work far faster than using electronic means. Also, during summer months, many lodges close so that Masons can enjoy some rest and relaxation. As a result, requests for information during that time might languish while members are off enjoying summertime activities with their friends and family.

Finally, if none of these work, drop us a note: we'll be glad to try and provide contact information for you! As we said before, there are no membership contests and we don't earn "brownie points" for connecting folks with the right place but we do know from our online activities that the Internet makes knowledge of Freemasonry far more available than at any time in the past. As a result, serious men of high caliber are seeking membership in ways totally unimaginable just twenty years ago. It would be an honor to know that we've helped in your decision making. If your years in Masonry prove to be only one-fifth as pleasurable as ours, you'll consider yourself richly rewarded!

Books You Might Enjoy:

Vovim Baghie - The Grand Satanic Ritual
Gerald Massey - Gerald Massey Lectures
Pansophic Freemasons - Masonic Symbolism
Giuseppe Bezza - The Astrological Metaphors
Robert Anton Wilson - Prometheus Rising

Fremason Lodge Membership

Freemasons are expected to exhibit the utmost tolerance both in "Lodge" (the meeting place of a group of Freemasons) and in their daily lives. Freemasonry will thus accept members from almost any religion, including all denominations of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and so forth. Exactly how far this goes depends on the particular branch or "jurisdiction" of Freemasonry one is dealing with. Deists have traditionally been accepted. In Lodges derived from the Grand Orient of France and in certain other groups of Lodges, atheists and agnostics are also accepted, without qualification. Most other branches currently require a belief in a Supreme Being. But even there, one finds a high degree of non-dogmatism, and the phrase "Supreme Being" is often given a very broad interpretation, usually allowing Deism and often even allowing naturalistic views of "God/Nature" in the tradition of Baruch Spinoza and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (himself a Freemason), or non-theistic views of Ultimate Reality or Cosmic Oneness, such as found in some Eastern religions and in Western idealism (or for that matter, in modern cosmology). In some other (mostly English-speaking) jurisdictions, Freemasonry is not as tolerant of naturalism as it was in the 18th century, and specific religious requirements with more theistic and orthodox overtones have been added since the early 19th century, including (mostly in North America) belief in the immortality of the soul. The Freemasonry that predominates in Scandinavia, known as the Swedish Rite, accepts only Christians.

Generally, to be a Freemason, one must:

1. be a man
2. believe in a "Supreme Being"
3. be at least the minimum age (18-21 years depending on the jurisdiction),
4. be of sound mind, body and of good morals, and
5. be free (or "born free", i.e. not born a slave or bondsman).

The "sound body" requirement is today generally taken to mean physically capable of taking part in Lodge rituals, and most Lodges today are quite flexible in accommodating disabled candidates.

Freemasonry upholds the principles of "Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth". It teaches moral lessons through rituals. Members working through the rituals are taught by "degrees". Freemasons are also commonly involved in public service and charity work, as well as providing a social outlet for their members. There is considerable variance in the emphasis on these different aspects of Masonry around the world. In Continental Europe, the philosophical side of Freemasonry is more emphasized, while in Britain, North America, and the English-speaking parts of the world, the charity, service and social club aspects are more emphasized.

While Freemasonry as an organization does not directly involve itself in politics, its members have tended over the years to support certain kinds of political causes with which they have become associated in the public eye: the separation of Church and State, the establishment of secular public schools, and democratic revolutions (in the American United States and French France on a smaller scale, but on a larger scale in other places such as Mexico, Brazil, and repeatedly in Italy).

Many organizations with various religious and political purposes have been inspired by Freemasonry, and are sometimes confused with it, such as the Protestant Loyal Orange Association and the 19th century Italian Carbonari, which pursued Liberalism and Italian Unity. Many other purely fraternal organizations, too numerous to mention, have also been inspired by Masonry to a greater or lesser extent.

Freemasonry is often called a "secret society", and in fact is considered by many to be the very prototype for such societies. Many Masons say that it is more accurately described as a "society with secrets". The degree of secrecy varies widely around the world. In English-speaking countries, most Masons are completely public with their affiliation, Masonic buildings are clearly marked, and meeting times are generally a matter of public record. In other countries, where Freemasonry has been more recently, or is even currently, suppressed by the government, secrecy may be practiced more in earnest (again, depending greatly on the particular country). Even in the English-speaking world, the precise details of the rituals are not made public, and Freemasons have a system of secret modes of recognition, such as the Masonic secret grip, by which Masons can recognize each other "in the dark as well as in the light," and which are universally kept strictly secret. (Although these "secrets" have been available in printed exposes and anti-Masonic literature for many years.)

Books You Might Enjoy:

Aristotle - On Dreams
Frater Alastor - Quinti Libri Mysteriorum Appendix
Franz Cumont - The Mysteries Of Mithra
Robert Anton Wilson - Prometheus Rising

Freemasonry And Satanic Ritual Abuse

Excerpt from The Egyptian-Masonic-Satanic Connection by David L. Carrico

My name is Neil and I experienced at least 18 years of Satanic ritual abuse by several groups of Masons. The Masons all over the country are an organization - a secret order - and part of what they do is ritually abuse children, adults, and animals. The people in my family are to blame, as well as the Masons and our society for allowing it to happen. The Masons are an organized part of society, including politicians, judges, lawyers, policemen, rabbis, priests, doctors, etc. The Masons are all are over the country, including the female chapters, which are called Eastern Star.

This testimony by a SRA (Satanic Ritual Abuse) MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) survivor should give us reason for concern about the possibility of a connection between Freemasonry and Satanic ritual abuse. What is even more compelling is the fact that this testimony is not unique. All over the United States victims are disclosing that Satanic ritual abuse is being perpetrated by Freemasons and that this type of abuse is taking place on Masonic properties.

There is now a rapidly growing awareness among therapists and Christian counter-cult ministries that high percentages of their victims have a connection with Freemasonry.

A Christian minister has worked with about 100 SRA MPD victims and reports that 90% of his victims claim that they were abused by Masonic perpetrators and that over 50% of the actual abuse took place on Masonic properties.

A practicing psychotherapist gives the following report:

I am a psychotherapist in private practice and treat mainly survivors of Satanic cult abuse. About half of the clients I treat report that their fathers were Masons. About half of the others report that a very close friend of the family's was a Mason. They recall going to parties and gatherings at the homes of Masons.

For some time now our ministry has been involved with warning the church about the cancerous anti-Christian menace of Freemasonry. We have also been compiling a record of statements from therapists and of victims like Neil who have testified to a direct connection between FREEMASONRY and SRA (SATANIC RITUAL ABUSE). These testimonies are becoming too numerous to ignore and the study of the Masonic connection in SRA could open up new areas of understanding and prevention.

Our suspicions were first aroused that there could be a connection between Freemasonry and SRA during our involvement in the "Blue House SRA case" in Evansville, Indiana. The children in Evansville alleged that they were taken from school and subjected to Satanic abuse in a blue house. According to Rick Doninger, the leading children's advocate for the 'blue house children', all of the 'blue house children' claimed that they were abused by Masonic perpetrators. Mr. Doninger also informed us that the police who investigated the 'blue house case' also were Freemasons. No arrests resulted from the investigation.

Some people say there is no reason for unusual concern when Freemasons are accused of SRA because many ministers, teachers, day care workers, and policemen have also been accused. On the surface this argument seems to make sense but the logic is faulty. What has often come out upon closer examination is that those ministers, teachers, etc., accused of SRA have a common denominator - Freemasonry.

Books You Might Enjoy:

Thomas Moore - Candle Magick For Love
Pansophic Freemasons - Masonic Symbolism
Vovim Baghie - The Grand Satanic Ritual
Anton Szandor Lavey - The Satanic Rituals

Compatibility Of Freemasonry And Christianity

Freemasonry is incompatible with Christianity because it promotes indifferentism. Indifferentism is the heretical belief that all religions are equally legitimate attempts to explain the truth about God which, but for the truth of His existence, are unexplainable. Such a view makes all truths relative and holds that God can be equally pleased with truth and error. Because Christians believe that God has definitively revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, and desires that all men come to the knowledge of this truth, indifferentism is incompatible with Christian faith. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." (John 14:6).

Freemasonry's Teachings and practices also result in syncretism which is the blending of different religious beliefs into a unified whole. This is evidenced most especially by Masonry's religious rituals which gather men of all faiths around a common altar, and place all religious writings along side the Bible on the Masonic altar. This is also demonstrated by the Lodge's prayers and its unique names and symbols for God and heaven. Syncretism is the logical consequence of indifferentism.

The Lodge's practice of requiring its members to swear immoral oaths is also incompatible with Christianity. These oaths require a Christian to swear on the Holy Bible that he will uphold a code of moral conduct that prefers Masons over non-Masons, and to preserve secret passwords and handshakes. Such oaths are gravely immoral because their subject matter is trivial or does not give rise to the necessity of an oath. These oaths are also sworn under symbolic, blood-curdling penalties of physical torture and death called self-curses (e.g., having my throat cut across, and my tongue torn out by its roots). These penalties show a lack of respect for God and amount to blasphemy which is a serious sin.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Robert Ambelain - Martinism History And Doctrine
Rodolfo Amadeo Lanciani - Pagan And Christian Rome
Albert Mackey - History Of Freemasonry Vol I Prehistoric Masonry

Was Vladimir Lenin A Freemason

Lenin was not a recognized freemason. Although claims have been made that he was a member of the Grand Orient of Russian Peoples, there is no proof of this. The Grand Orient of Russian Peoples was an irregular and clandestine body, having no relations with regular Freemasonry. The Revue internationale des Societes Secretes (Vol. VIII, 1919. p. 702) claimed, without citation, that Lenin was a member of a secret masonic lodge in Switzerland. Prince Dr. Otto zu Salm-Horstmar said in a speech in the upper house of the Prussian Diet, in August 1918, that Lenin was a Jew and belonged to a masonic lodge in Paris with Trotsky, but his sources are also uncited.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

John Dee - Les 48 Appels Enochiens French Version
Aleister Crowley - Liber Al Vel Legis Greek Translation
Charles Webster Leadbeater - The Hidden Life In Freemasonry

The Mysticism Of Masonry

Book: The Mysticism Of Masonry by Anonymous

In placing this volume, which is the revised edition of the book first issued under the title, Ancient Mystic Oriental Masonry, I do so without the thought of an apology, owing to the fact that the first edition was received by the earnest students of Masonry and the Occult not because it was an expose, but because it was an Interpretation of Masonic Symbolism as handed down to us through the ages from the Mysteries of the Ancients.

As a Masonic work, the book must stand unchallenged for the reason that the basis of its symbolism is from the highest and universally accepted Masonic writers. The Interpretation is also Masonic, with an additional Mystic interpretation appearing within brackets. For this I am personally responsible, though these explanations are based on and entirely harmonious with the inculcations of the Ancient Mysteries as received by myself through my various journeys in the realm of the mystic. It is therefore entirely lawful for me to offer them to the aspiring neophyte.

Download Anonymous's eBook: The Mysticism Of Masonry

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Castells - The Apocalypse Of Freemasonry
Franz Cumont - The Mysteries Of Mithra
Reynold Nicholson - The Mystics Of Islam
Captain William Morgan - The Mysteries Of Freemasonry
Anonymous - The Mysticism Of Masonry

Mysteries Of The Freemasons

Book: Mysteries Of The Freemasons by Michael Hall

Generally a good balanced view of Freemasonry, with plenty of opinions from several angles and well-known writers, both masonic and non-Masonic, on the Craft.. Libraries will find this outstanding DVD a popular pick, offering a fine historical and Biographical review. MYSTERIES OF THE FREEMASONS provides a fine survey of the world's oldest secret society, reviewing codes, murder, and offering a blend of reenactments and expert interviews to survey Freemason history. Great Information. Highly Recommended.

Buy Michael Hall's book: Mysteries Of The Freemasons

Downloadable books (free):

Bernard King - Meanings Of The Runes
James Anderson - The Constitutions Of The Freemasons 1734
Franz Cumont - The Mysteries Of Mithra
Captain William Morgan - The Mysteries Of Freemasonry

Why Do Masons Wear Aprons

The use of the apron is extremely old, not, as with the operative Masons, as a protector of clothing and body against tools and stone, but as a badge of honor. It was so used by the priests of Israel, by candidates for the mysteries of Mithras in Persia, by the ancient Japanese in religious worship. Ethiopia knew aprons as did Egypt. In all times and climes, it has been a badge of distinction. It is as such that a Mason wears it.

The material of the Masonic apron-lambskin-is a symbol of innocence, as the lamb has always been.

Color and material are important in its symbolism but Masonry admits the "symbol of the symbol"--as, for instance, an electric light in place of a candle. Hence a Mason has more than once been "properly clothed" when the lambskin aprons of the lodge were all in use and he came through the tiled door clad in a white handkerchief!

Downloadable books (free):

John Sebastian Marlowe Ward - The Master Masons Handbook
Aleister Crowley - The Mass Of The Phoenix
Aleister Crowley - Why Jesus Wept

Further Masonic Reading

MASONIC BOOKS

BEHA, Ernest, A Comprehensive Dictionary of Freemasonry (Arco Publications, 1962).
BOX, Hubert S., The Nature of Freemasonry (Augustine Press, 1952)
CAHILL, E., Freemasonry and the Anti-Christian Movement (Gill and Son, Dublin, 1952).
CARLILE, Richard, Manual of Freemasonry (Wm Reeves,
London, 1845).
CARR, Harry, The Freemason at Work (Lewis Masonic, 1976).
COVEY-CRUMP, Rev, The Hiramic Tradition, (London,1937).
COX, Barry, SHIRLEY , John and SHORT, Martin, The Fall of Scotland Yard (Penguin, 1977).
DEWAR, james, The Unlocked Secret (William Kimber, 1966).
FITZWALTER, Raymond and TAYLOR, David, Web of Corruption (Granada, 1981)
GOULD, R. F., history of Freemasonry (Caxton, 1951).
HANNAH, Walton, Darkness Visible (Augustine Press,1952); Christian by Degrees (Britons Publishing Co 1954).
JONES, Bernard E., Freemasons' Book of the Royal Arch (Harrap, 1957); Freemasons's Guide and Compendium (Harrap, 1950).
'JUBELUM', Freemasonry and the Church of England Reconciled (Britons Publishing Co 1951).
KNIGHT, Stephen, Jack the Ripper.. The Final Solution (Harrap, 1976).
LAWRENCE, Rev John, Freemasonry - A Way of Salvation? (Grove Books, 1982).
LAWRENCE, Rev John T., Masonicjurispradence (A. Lewis,1923).
LENNHOFF, Eugen, The Freemasons (A. Lewis, 1934).
LEPPER, J. Herron, The Traditioners (Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, vol 56, Quatuor Coronati Lodge, no 2076).
LEO XIII, POPE, Humanum Genus, 1884 (Britons Publishing Co, 1952).
MACKENZIE, Norman (Editor), Secret Societies (Aldus, 1967).
MACKEY, Albert G., Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry (3 vols) (Macoy Publishing and Supply Co, Richmond, Virginia, 1946).
MORGAN, William, Freemasonry Exposed (Glasgow,1836).
NEWTON, Joseph Fort, The Builders.. A Story and Study of Freemasonry (Hogg, 1917; Allen and Unwin, 1918).
PICK, Fred L. and KNIGHT, G. Norman, The Pocket history of Freemasonry (Frederick Muller, 1953).
PINCHER, Chapman, Tbei'r Trade is Treachery (Sidgwick and jackson, 1981).
RAINSBURY, Rev A. W., Freemasonry - of God or the Devil? (substance of a sermon preached in Emmanuel Church, South Croydon, 1959).
RUMBLE, Dr L., Catholics and Freemasonry (Catholic Truth Society pamphlet).
THURSTON, H., Freemasonry (CTS pamphlet).
'VINDEX', Light Invisible, A Freemason's Answer to Darkness Visible (Britons Publishing Co, 1952).
VOORHISS. H. V. B., Factsfor Freemasons (Macoy Publishing Co, 1951, revised 1979).
WHALEN, William j., Christianity and American Freemasonry (Bruce Publishing Co, Milwaukee, 1958).

MASONIC PERIODICALS

Freemasons' Magazine and Masonic Mirror
Freemasons' Montbly Remembrancer
Freemasons' Quarterly Review
Masonic Square

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

John Sebastian Marlowe Ward - The Master Masons Handbook
Solomonic Grimoires - The Magic Of Armadel
Israel Regardie - The Art Of True Healing
Aubrey Bell - The Magic Of Spain

Did The Freemasons Kill William Morgan

No.

William Morgan was an itinerant stoneworker who settled in Batavia in 1824. He convinced the local freemasons that he was a brother and participated in lodge activities, made speeches and visited other lodges. He signed a petition for the formation of a Royal Arch Chapter in Batavia, but some other freemasons questioned his masonic legitimacy. Another Royal Arch petition was then submitted, which he was not permitted to sign. Morgan was furious about this, and vowed revenge. He agreed to work with David Miller, publisher of the Batavia Advocate, and several partners, in the publication of a book exposing Freemasonry. The project was made public, resulting in consternation among the freemasons of Batavia and the surrounding towns in western New York, and leading ultimately to his disappearance on September 19th, 1826. It is generally agreed that William Morgan was taken to Canada by freemasons and there given $500 and a horse, with the agreement that he never return. However, despite a lack of evidence, rumours persisted that he had been murdered.

Those involved issued the following statement;

"The plan from inception to completion, contemplated nothing more than a deportation of Morgan, by friendly agreement between the parties, either to Canada or some other country. Ample means were provided for the expenses and the after-support of Morgan and his family. This plan had been perfected from the fact that the minds of Masonic brethren had been agitated by rumors that William Morgan was preparing an exposition and was preparing to give it to the public. It was then mutually agreed that Morgan would destroy the document, refuse all interviews with his partner and hold himself in readiness to go to Canada, settle down there and upon arrival he should receive 500.00 dollars with his written pledge to stay there and never return to the States. We also agreed that Morgan’s family should be cared for and sent to Canada as soon as a suitable home had been provided for them. What a tremendous blunder we all made! It was scarcely a week until we saw what trouble was before us. Morgan had sold us out as he had sold his friends in Batavia. Within forty eight hours after his arrival in Canada he had gone. He was traced to a point down the river not far from Port Hope where he had sold his horse and disappeared. He had doubtless got on a vessel there and left the country."

Morgan’s deportation cannot be justified by any legal, moral or masonic principle. It should be noted that Morgan’s "expose" was little more than a cobbled plagiarism of earlier English exposures, of little interest or value.

Public interest in the affair began about three weeks after Morgan’s disappearance in the form of inflammatory hand-bills printed throughout New York and Canada accusing the freemasons of Batavia of abducting and murdering William Morgan. Conventions and public meetings were held demanding an investigation and offering rewards for the discovery and conviction of those involved.

DeWitt Clinton, a distinguished and eminent freemason, was Governor of New York at the time. He issued proclamations condemning the actions of those accused of abducting Morgan and secured indictments against four men involved in the conspiracy.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Tobias Johansson - The Crucible And The Reasons For The Salem Witch Hunt
Nathan Johnston - The Devil And Demonism In Early Modern England
Albert Mackey - History Of Freemasonry Vol I Prehistoric Masonry
Anonymous - The Trinity Is It Christian Or Pagan