Hermesphilus: An Eclectic Hermetic Blog

The author of this blog has done very well at hiding his identity, or I have been blinded by the subject matter and simply missed the obvious. Either way, I recommend everyone I know read this newly discovered jewel. well, it was new to me. The author says of himself

"I was first introduced to Hermetics as a teenager, through Regardies Golden Dawn teachings, in my early twenties I was actively seeking out Hermetic schools. The first contact with a group claiming roots in European schools, was in 1990. In 2001 I was accepted into an international esoteric Freemasonry group with several lodges in South Africa.

This is the place I like to share ideas and discoveries, subject matter includes Hermetics and any other related topic of interest to me."

Visit this blog; it has something for everyone. It is diverse, fascinating, intelligently presented and gorgeous!

http://hermesphilus.wordpress.com

Grande Loge Haitianne de St. Jean des Orients D'autre-mer

The Grande Loge Haitianne de St. Jean des Orients D'autre-mer whose intent is to unite the many Haitian lodges within the United States is centered in the New York- New Jersey area. It was incorporated as a fraternal organization, non-profit (Non Profit Organization), Department of State of the State of New York May 3, 1983.


Haiti has played a significant role in the development of Freemasonry in the Americas, especially of the Haute Grades or Higher Degrees Scottish Rite, which was developed from the Rite of the Royal Secret of Estienne Morin, first established in the New World in Saint Domingue in the 1740s which was in a few decades to become the Republic of Haiti.


Link to the Grande Loge Haitianne de St. Jean des Orients D'autre-mer site:  http://www.gdlghdstj.org/

The Grand Orient of Ireland

The Grand Orient of Ireland is an organization, which is motivated by two great principles: the respect for a tradition inherited from the founders of freemasonry and enlightenment and the search for progress for the improvement of Men and Society.

Being an Institution essentially philanthropic, philosophic, and progressive, Freemasonry has for its object, search after truth, study of universal morality, science and arts, and the practice of benevolence.

It has for its principles absolute liberty of conscience and human solidarity. It excludes no person on account of his belief, and its motto is 'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity."

Our lodges are open, liberal and adogmatic.

The Grand Orient Masons resent the accusation that they promulgated unbelief and atheism. The Grand Orient of Ireland, while it respects all philosophical beliefs, insists upon absolute liberty of belief. This does not mean that we banish from our lodges the belief in God. The United Grand Lodge of England, Grand Lodge of Scotland and Ireland on the contrary desire to make a belief in God compulsory. The Grand Orient of Ireland is liberal, since in proclaiming the absolute liberty of belief it permits to each one of its members the liberty to believe or not to believe in God, and by so doing desires to respect its members in their convictions, their doctrines and their beliefs.

http://www.grandorientofireland.com/

Gibraltar, Cadiz, America y la Masoneria Constitucionalismo y Libertad de Prense 1812-2012, CEHME, Gibraltar.

Gibraltar, Cadiz, America y la Masoneria Constitucionalismo y Libertad de Prense 1812-2012, CEHME, Gibraltar.

XIII International Symposium on the History of Spanish Freemasonry. Gibraltar, 11 to October 13, 2012.

Organized by the CEHME with the assistance of the Government of Gibralta, The Government of Aragon, Andalusia, University of Zaragoza, University of Cadiz, University of Glasgow and the Canonbury Centre.

Since 1983 the Centre for Historical Studies of Spanish Masonry has regularly convened scientific meetings in which many national and international researchers in the disciplines of history, sociology, philosophy, education, literature, musicology, information science, art, anthropology, etc. have participated.

The Prominent role of Gibralta in the development of Spanish Freemasonry, its place as a refuge during times of persecution, and the presence of Spanish speaking lodges in the English colony since the early 19th century as well as Freemasonry’s impact upon Freedom of the Press will be explored.

Info: masoneria.gibraltar@gmail.com.

Fifth International Conference: Mystic and Esoteric Movements in Theory and Practice

HISTORY AND DISCOURSE
Historical and Philosophical Aspects of
the Study of Esotericism and Mysticism

2-5 December, 2011 - St Petersburg (Russia)

Keynote lecture: Dr. Prof. Wouter J. Hanegraaff (University of Amsterdam)

The historical approach plays a highly important role in the study of mystical and esoteric movements as all other approaches are to an extent reliant on it. The extraordinary importance of historical analyses requires, however, special attention. It is well-known that over the course of the history of western culture mystical and esoteric phenomena have been to a great extent excluded from the cultural mainstream and have often been oppressed by dominant ‘exoteric’ discourses. This is because historians of esotericism and mysticism are often confronted with the discursive nature of historical witnesses and descriptions and are called for "not confusing our constructs with historical reality” (W. J. Hanegraaff). Could a supposedly realistic description of some esoteric phenomenon merely be a result of polemical discourse? Do clichés or even pure inventions appear in place of expected historical analysis? How do discursive formations influence the way mystical and esoteric aspects of religious culture have been perceived and represented during a particular period of time in history? How can a historian ‘separate the wheat from the chaff’ in (self)descriptions of mystical and esoteric phenomena? These and other related issues still call for more awareness and conceptualization within historical and philosophical research of deviant religious and cultural phenomena.

Conference Languages
Russian & English

Conference Fee
The conference fee is 40 Euro (for participants who are not from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States). The fee for non-CIS citizens who plan to arrive in Russia by opening a tourist visa is 30 Euro. The fee is to be paid upon registration.
Addresses of the Conference
191023 Saint-Petersburg, 15 Fontanka Naberezhnaya.
Phone: +7 812 3143521 and +7 921 3843029
Conference E-mail and Homepage

For additional information about the conference, please send an e-mail to the conference organizers (esot.conference2011@gmail.com).
The latest information about the conference will be published at the homepage of the Association for the study of Esotericism and Mysticism (ASEM) http://asem.ucoz.org/

A New Masonic Tarot by Osvaldo Menegazzi

Freemasons of an esoteric or hermetic bent may be interested in the new deck of 22 major arcana cards designed around a masonic theme by the master card designer Osvaldo Menegazzi. For those of you who are not aware of this, the development of Tarot as a divination system is intimately tied to Freemasonry and specifically several freemasons during the 19th century. Many tarot officiados do not realize that A.E. Waite, whose tarot designed for the Golden Dawn and which bears Waite's name was a Freemason. Similarly, many freemasons are unaware of his connection to the world of Tarot. The Waite deck contains symbolism every Freemason will recognize. A number of tarot decks have been designed over the years which focus on Freemasonry.

Click on the title for this post to see illustrations of the deck on the website.

Latin American Freemasons meet in Mexico for 2012 IMC's General Assembly

Published originally in the blog of the Grand Lodge of Baja California

During November 17 to 20, 2011, will be held the Preparatory reunion of the IMC General Assembly (Inter-American Masonic Confederation). The event is organized by the Grand Lodge of Baja California and promoted throughout the working sessions by APMR.

This week's meeting is preparatory for the 2012 general assembly to be held in Brazil. This year announced their presence in Tijuana IMC's Executive Secretary (Rafael Aragon Guevara), IMC's President (Jorge Jaramillo Valencia) and IMC's Zone/Area I President (Romualdo Sánchez Solórzano).

Second Masonic March against corruption in Brazil

(Reported on masonictimes.blogspot.com)
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
The second Masonic March against corruption took place on November 15 in Brazil, an important day in the history of Brazilian Freemasonry since on November 15 was Proclaimed the Republic. The march took place in several capitals of the Brazilian states, report APMR. In Goias attended Freemasons of the Grand Lodge and the Grand Orient, led by the two Grand Masters: Ruy Rocha and Barbosa Nunes. Also attended the event the Public Ministry, Order of Lawyers of Brazil, trade unions, students, Federal Police and representatives of various religious cults.

The Mason's Apron

Because there's always time for some good music!




Matt Malloy with the Chieftains, playing "The Mason's Apron."

International Conference American & Latin American Freemasonry: A new past & A new future

A long overdue contribution to the study of Freemasonry in the United States is developing at UCLA. The International Conference on American and Latin American Freemasonry, December 3rd, 2011 is one very welcome contribution and hopefully will be followed by many more!

Salon on Freemasonry for Women and Men

The Salon on Freemasonry for Women and Men


The Salon, based in Los Angeles uses Meetup.com social media. The Salon on Freemasonry is open equally to men and women, and to all with a disciplined curiosity. Meetup.com is a global technology, intended to link people in face-to-face meetings at a local site. Nevertheless visitors will be able to find links and other information at this site helpful in the study of Freemasonry and civil society without being a local member. Under study is the use of wireless technology to offer live links during a portion of the local Meetup. This would allow members to link up live and hear focused discussion and presentations from around the world! The Salon meets near UCLA.



Click on title to go to site!

The Library of Hermetic Philosophy: J.R. Ritman Library

The Library of Hermetic Philosophy is not a new institution, but is one which does not get the attention it deserves. It's worth a visit if you are in Amsterdam

The Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (BPH) was founded by Amsterdam businessman Joost R. Ritman (1941), who decided to make his collections part of the public domain in 1984. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, this private library is not associated with any public institution or library. The BPH with its collections of books and manuscripts and exhibition room is located on Bloemstraat 13-19, Amsterdam, and is accessible to the public at a moderate fee.

Admission fees per 1 September 2010
(In Euros; No concessionary rates available)
€5,00 One day pass (including exhibition)
Click on the title to visit the website!


http://www.ritmanlibrary.nl/

Conference on the Edges of Freemasonry

The Edges of Freemasonry – Western Esotericism and the Enlightenment

This is described as a two-day conference and an international and academic event organized by the University of Tampere School of Social Sciences and Humanities in association with The Research Lodge Minerva No.27 of the Grand Lodge of F. & A. M. of Finland.

The conference is open to scholars, researchers and post-graduate students from various disciplines, freemasons and the general public. The conference venue is the University of Tampere and will be held on 7–8 September 2012. The conference language is English.

Visit the site for this conference at: http://www.edges.fi/

Welcome to the Hedge Mason Blog

A word or two by way of explanation may be worth offering concerning the title of this blog. Hedge Mason, like similar terms Hedge Master, Hedge Lodge, and the more widely recognized Hedge School, are terms from Hiberno-English. The latter, as many Irish will know, refers to illicit schools dedicated to the maintenance of Irish culture and language, alongside the classics of European Philosophy, including Greek and Latin studies. These institutions were founded throughout rural Ireland during the Penal era when Irish Gaelic culture was under attack by the English occupier. During this time also, the term Hedge was added to masonic terms to refer to any masonic individual or institution not approved of by the Anglophone world. These often were lodges and masons working to advance the cause of Irish independence. It seems a very appropriate term then, for me to use to name this blog.

For quite a while I have observed various blogs and podcasts relating to Freemasonry, finding both much worth emulating and a few things worth avoiding among them. Fairly quickly it became apparent to me that there was little being published in North America (or elsewhere for that matter) that dealt fairly and offering a positive perspective on Liberal Freemasonry or the world beyond the confines of the Preston-Webb Rites or the AASR Northern or Southern Jurisdictions. Such sites exist beyond the Anglophone Internet, but The Hedge Mason will endeavor to bring some of that information within the grasp of an English speaking audience.

It seems to me that it is time for a change, and this blog will hopefully serve as a small corrective step in that direction.

The goal of this blog will be to provide interesting topics from time to time on subjects relating to Liberal Freemasonry and on responsible alternatives to what is exemplified by the mainstream Grand Lodge system in North America. While this site will not avoid covering contemporary issues, it will try to avoid heavy handed critiques of any system or tradition within Freemasonry. It is my belief that there is no such thing as clandestine or irregular freemasonry. Such labels belittle the rich tapestry of our traditions both contemporary and historical. Further, such attitudes directly contradict the premise of brotherhood and fraternalism which is the foundation of Freemasonry.

In short, this site is about education and expanding the horizons of Freemasons of all stripes and those who are just interested in the subject. It is not a place intended for debate or dispute.

We look forward to sharing with you!