In the Branches of the Kongo Tree

I am hosting an exclusive, live interactive workshop this coming Saturday at 2pm on Zoom to explain and detail the different forms of Kongolese spirituality in Cuba.

There is a lot of confusion over just what are and aren't the differences between the distinct Ramas (the branches, or denominations if you will) of Cuban Palo Congo, the traditional Kongo inspirations of Cuba. Much of the information available online is partial, misinformed, confused, or various combinations of all three. If you do not know me, I am an academic ethnographer, with a doctorate in Folklore. I also have 30 years of experience as a practitioner with licensia in multiple lineages who was initiated in Cuba in the last century.

What we will cover:

･A broad overview of how Kongo traditions arrived and were transplanted onto Cuban soil. How those kongolese traditions were not monolithic to begin with and how contemporary afro-Cuban Congo practices have maintained a similar structure.

･From there we will touch upon the major ramas or denominations of the religion. 

Note: This is an opportunity to learn about the traditions and history of Palo Congo. Being online, it would be impossible to confirm everyone's initiatic status, thus do not expect to learn the "secrets" of these traditions here. There will be information however that many if not most will have little to no exposure to, so it will be of interest.

･Live Q&A where I will answer your questions about the material discussed in the talk.

To allow time for your questions, I am limiting admission to 15 people. Cost is $60 PM me at FB or MeWe or email at eoghan.ballard@gmail.com to save your place and to confirm most current payment methods. (They have changed.)

The Declaration of Marseille | UMURM - the Universal Masonic Union of the Modern French Rite

The Declaration of Marseille | UMURM - the Universal Masonic Union of the Modern French Rite

Declaration de Marseille

Marseille, April 11, 2026

Barcelona to Marseille: Continuity and Commitment of the Modern Rite

Gathered in Barcelona in June 2011, the Philosophical Bodies of the Modern Rite performed a foundational act by creating the Universal Masonic Union of the Modern Rite (UMURM). This act was not merely organizational; it forcefully affirmed a vision of Freemasonry grounded in absolute freedom of conscience, the sovereign independence of its constituent Bodies, and the determination to make the Modern Rite a living space for dialogue, mutual recognition, and initiatic universality. Barcelona thus established the bedrock, the framework, and the method: to unite without imposing uniformity, to coordinate without dominating, and to gather together without excluding.

Eight years later, in Porto—a city symbolically marked by the history of liberty—the UMURM reaffirmed this orientation, endowing it with both doctrinal and forward-looking significance. The Porto Appeal of 2019 served as a reminder that while direct persecution largely belongs to the past, dogmatism, ideological imperialism, and the temptation to retreat into identity-based isolation remain contemporary realities. In the face of these dynamics, free Freemasonry is called upon to strengthen its capacity for resistance, regeneration, and plurality. Porto underscored that initiatic work is not an abstraction, but a living praxis—that "the work is done in the doing"—pursued in a spirit that is humanist, cosmopolitan, and deeply committed to human dignity.

The Marseille Congress, taking place in April 2026, fits fully within this continuum. It represents neither a fresh start nor a rupture, but rather a stage of maturation. Marseille—a Mediterranean crossroads and a port open to diverse cultures and peoples—naturally embodies the UMURM’s vocation to build bridges. First and foremost, bridges between the Bodies practicing the Modern Rite, in order to strengthen the awareness of a shared lineage founded upon reason, ethics, liberty, and progress. Bridges between Freemasons, transcending territorial, linguistic, and Obediential boundaries. Finally, bridges with other Masonic Rites, in a spirit of attentiveness, mutual respect, and recognition of the diversity of initiatory paths.

Indeed, the UMURM asserts that the Modern Rite—by virtue of its history, its structure, and its values—is uniquely suited to play a role of mediation and dialogue within universal Freemasonry. It does so without hegemonic pretensions, without any desire to impose norms, but rather with the conviction that the plurality of Rites constitutes a source of richness when situated within a shared horizon of freedom of conscience and the pursuit of human self-improvement.

From Barcelona to Porto, and from Porto to Marseille, a single trajectory takes shape: to foster a Freemasonry that remains faithful to its heritage, clear-sighted in the face of the challenges of the contemporary world, and resolutely oriented toward the future. Marseille 2026 thus aims to serve as a time for reflection, convergence, and openness—dedicated to a universal Freemasonry that builds bridges rather than borders.