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.

The Influence of Freemasonry on Wicca and Paganism

The Square and the Circle: The Influences of Freemasonry on Wicca and Paganism by Payam Nabarz.

I am not in the habit of posting about a book I have not read cover to cover. Further, I am doing so admitting that I have some issues with it thus far. In total fairness and in the desire to meet the demands of full and fair disclosure, this has much more to do with the issues I have with the religious movement(s) of Neopaganism and Wicca. These go back to the time in my youth, from my teens through my 30s, when I was involved in those religions.

While I grew beyond those movements and into others, I fully acknowledge that that is a matter of my own path and not a critique of those religions.

Having said all this, and noting there are approaches in this text that I disagree with, I have to say that I am very pleased to see this text and want to encourage anyone remotely interested in this subject to read this title. I cannot excuse myself for allowing this to go unnoticed by me for nearly a decade. My only excuse is that it has been a hectic decade.

My objections are mostly subjective and will most likely evaporate by the time I finish the book. So, why mention them at all? In part because I have seen masonic authorities behave in very unmasonic ways toward pagans in their midst. This is inexcusable. I want to point out that even when we may have differences, they do not outweigh our need for tolerance and acceptance.

The author clearly has close familiarity with both camps and delves into a detailed and informed comparison of the structural and ritual similarities of the two rites as well as a thoughtful history of their interaction.

While I believe there is room for more work relating to this, I am pleased that Payam Nabarz has offered such a careful introduction to a topic which deserves better understanding. I am certain this book will advance that cause. If I can draw even a couple of new readers to the book or encourage further research, I will be pleased.

A book on the Saints John

I realize it has become traditional to raise the subject of the two Saints John on their feast days, but as much as I love tradition, I also enjoy flaunting it. That may make me a bad mason in some people's eyes, but if it also makes me an interesting one, I'll be content. Regardless, I recently came across this fascinating title and wanted to share a few words about it.

I know it may be trying to push a boulder uphill, but even though they may not be in English, I hope that by exposing an Anglophone Masonic audience to at least a notice about publications in other languages, a taste for exploration may be encouraged.

In any case, here goes.

The Initiatory Festivals of the Two Saint Johns: The ritual doors of the Masonic year

By Jean-Patrick Dubrun

The Masonic tradition has fortunately preserved the commemoration of the festivals of the two Saint Johns. Celebrated during the winter and summer solstices, they punctuate the year and the ritual work of the lodges. The reference to two Christian saints, the Baptist and the Evangelist, should not make us forget what these two festivals owe to the older initiatory traditions, marked by the transmission of the Light and the formulation of the Word. To understand why and how these two special moments of the year that are the two solstices must be ritualized, it is necessary to go back to the thread of the initiatory tradition, which leads in particular to the Roman god Janus, the astrological signs of Cancer and Capricorn, and the principle of the sacralization of time by the rite. The  possession of these traditional keys sheds light on the symbolic figure of the two Johns and makes it clear why their feast consecrates the opening of the ritual doors of the Masonic year. 

The Ku Klux Klan and Freemasonry in 1920s America

It is rare that I post on books that address troubling aspects of Freemasonry's role in society. There are several reasons for this, none of which include a desire to avoid controversy or to avoid critiquing Freemasonry. The fraternity is a human institution ana as such it is no more above reproach than any other sphere of human experience. Beyond that, no small number of books critical of Freemasonry have historically been of questionable accuracy and of more questionable intent.

This book however, deserves a read. Now more than ever. It must be remembered that even an institution that historically strove to scrutinize its applicants thorough is likely to not always do so well. One that emphasizes familiarity and presumes a level of character can sometimes be blinded. We all know that in the Southern United States, many though not all masons had been involved in the Confederacy, including some of the most influential. 

Not all who enter Freemasonry truly embody Freemasonry's aspirations and values. Unfortunately, some have not only misrepresented themselves to the fraternity but to themselves as well. This book, without intending to besmirch Freemasonry, applies its own standards of honesty and self-reflection to understand and make clear one of Freemasonry's more troubling  moment. It also demonstrates how the fraternity was able to remain faithful in the longue dure to its true principles.

From the publisher's site:

The Second Ku Klux Klan’s success in the 1920s remains one of the order’s most enduring mysteries. Emerging first as a brotherhood dedicated to paying tribute to the original Southern organization of the Reconstruction period, the Second Invisible Empire developed into a mass movement with millions of members that influenced politics and culture throughout the early 1920s. This study explores the nature of fraternities, especially the overlap between the Klan and Freemasonry. Drawing on many previously untouched archival resources, it presents a detailed and nuanced analysis of the development and later decline of the Klan and the complex nature of its relationship with the traditions of American fraternalism.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Klanishness: Brotherhood in the Invisible Empire

Chapter 2 – Freemasonry’s Fighting Brother: Militancy, Fraternalism and the Ku Klux Klan, 

Chapter 3 – Kluxing America: The Use and Abuse of the Masonic Reputation

Chapter 4 – Hate At $10 a Package: Selling the Invisible Empire

Chapter 5 – Hooded Freemasons: Dual Membership and Conflict in Local Lodges

Chapter 6 – Dallas Klan No.66 and Anaheim Lodge No.207: A Case Study of Two Communities 

Chapter 7 – Friend or Foe? Grand Masters’ Responses to the Ku Klux Klan

Chapter 8 – The Collapse of the Second K.K.K.

Conclusion - An "Invisible" Empire?

This book may disturb some Freemasons, perhaps it should. The instution of Freemasonry in all its varieties needs be reminded that we are not perfect, but hopefully in the process of becoming better. Part of that work is committing to writing a more accurate and probing history of our craft. And reading it.

See Routledge's page on this book

Bantu Religious Traditions in Africa and the Americas: a course

Many do not have a clear idea of the roots and character of Bantu spirituality nor the extent of its influence in the Americas. Indeed, many view the terms Bantu and Congo (or Kongo) as synonymous. While they are related, synonymous they are not.

There are many Bantu ethnicities each with their own languages and religions across most of subsaharan Africa. The BaKongo with an important historical kingdom was one of these, and happens to be the one that left a significant mark on African derived religious traditions in the Americas.

While Bantu religions in Africa shared many similarities, they also had significant differences, and thus should not be considered interchangable. Few actually had any significant impact on New World practices.

There are also many speculative attempts to classify their practices. For better or worse, modern attempts claim a scientific character to them, or to Khemeticize them.

After having received requests to do so, I am planning a course to explore many of these themes.

"The King of Congo and the Bantu Roots of Afro-diasporic traditions" will look broadly at the diverse Bantu practices in Africa, from initiations to divination. It will also explore the Congo influences in the Americas from carnivals to spiritual practices. Along the way we will touch on the reasons for C or K in Congo/Kongo, and what that difference is not.

Cost for the course is $250. Email  to register. As with all my classes all lectures and written/graphic materials are delivered asynchronously so that you can participate on your schedule and can review materials often.

A New Raprochement: The Church and Masonry

Cardinal Calls for Permanent Dialogue with Freemasons

Following a closed-door meeting in Milan, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmiero reportedly said he believed ‘an evolution in mutual understanding’ had taken place between masonry and the Church over the past 50 years.

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/pentin-cardinal-calls-for-permanent-dialogue-with-freemasons?amp