The Temple in Memory: Masonic Meditations

It is easy to believe, if you have spent any time observing contemporary Esoteric communities and traditions, of almost any stripe, that there exists a mysterious alchemical process whereby whenever anyone has a new or creative idea, the ethers take ahold of it and by the time they have a chance to share this new technique or vision with another, it has magically been converted into an ancient and timeless tradition. Gnostic and Hermetic traditions, being the closest in those circles to Freemasonry are no exception to this occult phenomenon. At least that is my independent judgment. Of course, the same may be said of Freemasonry itself, where when all else fails, it is possible to raise Frederick the Great from both his coma and his death bed to sign a charter for your fledgling obedience.

One such time honored technique of magical practice is that which today is commonly identified by the name of Pathworking. It is a fanciful term to describe a meditation based upon visualization. It is one technique, which if not originally grounded in Hermetic arts, is certainly in harmony with Hermetic principles. The basic concept is that if you can visualize forcefully, you can enter into an inner experience convincingly enough that for the duration of the exercise, you actually experience the events you visualize, or at least an emotional or spiritual equivalent of them. Any child who has ever daydreamed, or any avid movie buff, has experienced this, so there is no outlandish claims in this, at least on the surface. The fact that I had already been married for the second time before this word was first seen publicly in print, apparently does not affect its hoary antiquity as a technique.

To go beyond that, of course requires the assumption of metaphysical components or impacts deriving from these practices. I make it a habit to offer two observations whenever such matters come up in public. The first is to assert that I do not attempt to influence nor debate anyone else's belief or skepticism concerning spiritual matters. The second is to quote, depending on your adherence or non-adherence to certain conspiracy theories, either Shakespeare or Bacon,  "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

My skepticism of the antiquity of the technique not withstanding, there is some justification for its adoption in Western Mystic traditions, and even for its use by Freemasons. Of course, we have to ignore the fact that when the first Grand Lodge convened in London in 1717, they clearly stated in the documents, which you can see today if anyone ever finds them, that Freemasonry is only a social club, and besides initiation ceremonies filled with obscure symbolism, its only legitimate purpose is to read treasurer's minutes and to hold fish fries. Cigars and Single Malt may be consumed on premises only if you are in Scotland.

So, why would I claim that there's some legitimate connection between Freemasonry and the modern esoteric practice known as Pathworking? Quite simply due to the ancient, still remembered by at least a handful of people, practice known as "The Palace of Memory." That is the name of a technique first enunciated by the ancient Greek orators to assist in recalling lengthy speeches.

The long and short of it is that the technique refers to mentally associating elements of your lecture or speech with items or locations in a building you have imagined. This can also be used to remember or contemplate any other materials you may choose. This location may be your home, a public building, or even a path through the woods. In the examples we will discuss below, we will suggest the Chamber of Reflection and the Masonic Temple.

Let me first note that while I am not suggesting that any Masonic Obedience that I know of currently has formal teachings relating to meditation, apart from the active stage of initiation in those rites where the Chamber of Reflection is part of the initiation, which may legitimately be considered a contemplative process of intellectual and psychological meditation, I consider it a useful thing for Freemasons to consider, perhaps privately and quietly if they are members of obediences that pride themselves on being BBQ masters only. 

Further, one need not be committed to any form of spiritual or metaphysical practice to justify the exercise. If you are purely a materialist in outlook, a Masonic meditation can be adapted to some rather practical outcomes. An active visual meditation based upon the concept of the Palace of Memory may be used to aid an individual in memorizing ritual, or exploring the symbols used in Masonic practice and teaching. Imagine creating your own mental movie in which the ritual may be carried out with commentary provided by your inner voice, or in which the symbols come to life and explain themselves, or if that is too fanciful, where you can view them as if in a hologram while reviewing their meanings. All in all, it's a dramatic technique that remains a lot cheaper than producing your own educational videos.

If you are of a more metaphysical turn of mind, you can enact the rituals in full in your imagination, creating an experience on whatever higher plane you consider to be real, and strengthening, if your belief system includes such things, a masonic egrigore. If you are working with a lodge where the members are open to such ideas on any level, and not restricted by more intrusive regulations, you may well find that such a practice has practical implications for the energy and vibrancy of your more brick and mortar meetings when they occur. At the least they may inspire a more spirited participation when you meet for the "real" thing.

I realize that such an idea may appear fanciful to some masons, and that is fine. In spite of the attempts of some obediences to micro-manage what is acceptable practice, I feel that Freemasonry is at a juncture where some creativity in how we approach masonic education is called for. Since in our day and age, even quite mainstream psychology, thanks in large part to the imaginative work of Carl Jung, whose grandfather after whom he was named was Grand Master of Switzerland during his lifetime, recognized the value of contemplative practices including a variety of meditational forms, such an idea needn't be merely the reserve of the more esoterically minded Freemason.



Lastly, lest I be accused of "borrowing" other people's ideas, allow me to recommend a couple of published resources where such ideas, in one form or another are developed. There is an excellent little book, available as far as I know only in French, and only electronically, entitled "Meditation Maçonique: Le Secret du Ritual de Méditation Maçonnique" by Franck de Magellan. The other, which is more of a traditional application of Cabbalistic techniques, is available in English. It is Jean-Louis de Biasi's "Secrets and Practices of the Freemasons: Sacred Mysteries, Rituals and Symbols Revealed." I leave it to the individual reader to address for themselves the merits of these author's views of Freemasonry. However, I am interested in the practical techniques presented by these authors in the broadest interpretation possible as potential tools in personal education and in seeking more light. Fiat Lux!

Freemasonry and Victorian Hermetic Orders

It is common among certain of the more conservative elements within Freemasonry to deny that Freemasonry has links to anything which, well, to be honest, anything which makes them at least mildly dyspeptic. The problem is that nearly everything makes them dyspeptic. This is symptomatic of the Masonic tendency to eat its own young. We believe in universal brotherhood, except for other Freemasons who have some microscopic difference of perspective from our own, or whom we think might conceivably have a microscopic difference of opinion with us. 

This derives ultimately from the fear that another Masonic organization may have something to offer that we don't. Since we are not able to burn them at the stake as they no doubt deserve, Masons are left with nothing more gratifying than to call them bogus, or fake. 

I am not writing for those dyspeptic Masons. (Frankly, I secretly hope that they will read this and being highly offended, will bestow upon me that most prized of titles, "Bogus.")  I am writing for the other 95% of the Masonic world who are tired of the same old story, and who, while probably not remotely interested in joining Memphis Misraim Freemasonry, or the revivalist Martinists, much less the Golden Dawn, the OTO, or some similar esoteric order, are interesting in hearing a rational sentence or two concerning the origins of these orders and their real relationship to Freemasonry, perhaps even to a form of Freemasonry much like their own.

Probably we should start with what some of the major organizations were, what their origins were, and who the main players were. Then we will be able to see just what their relationship to Freemasonry was. Since much has been written about the beliefs and practices of most of these groups, we will not delve into the question of what Rosicrucian beliefs are, or what it is that the Golden Dawn or the OTO do or did. We just wish to note where and when these groups came into being, and their most immediate connections to Freemasonry, of whatever variety. I'm not interested in territorial claims concerning legitimacy.

What are defined by the UGLE derived Masonic institutions in the United States as 'heretical denominations', and upon which they heap the opprobrium only possible from a jilted lover, are those institutions owing their origins ultimately to continental, which most frequently means French inspired Freemasonry. I refer primarily to both Memphis Misraim Masonry, and Cerneau's version of the Scottish Rite. But what of the sinful Masonic apostates of the Anglophone world? Since they no longer or in some cases never claimed they were Freemasonry, the only response left, which defies not only logic, but historical truth, is to argue that they were not really influenced by Freemasonry, or that those who founded them, were not really Freemasons. The two most famous (and most recent) examples of these, are the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the OTO. At a slightly further distance, but perhaps no less influential are orders such as the The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, and the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. 

It all began a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. OK, so it didn't. It all began, as is the case of modern Freemasonic institutions, with a fiction. The fiction in this case was a series of documents describing a non-existent spiritual group which came to be known as Rosicrucianism.  Rosicrucianism was created. as far as anyone can ascertain, between 1607 and 1616, when two anonymous manifestos were published, first in Germany and later elsewhere in Europe. These were the Fama Fraternitatis RC (The Fame of the Brotherhood of Rose Cross) and the Confessio Fraternitatis (The Confession of the Brotherhood of the Rose Cross). Other documents followed. To say they contained internal contradictions would be an understatement. It was the ideas they contained rather than their claims concerning historical events that really mattered. The influence of these "revelations", presenting a laudable Order of mystic-philosopher-doctors and promoting a "Universal Reformation of Mankind", inspired an movement identified by Dame Frances Yates as the "Rosicrucian Enlightenment". 

Ultimately, after this new "Protestant Metaphysics" influenced a significant number of religious thinkers, most strongly in the German speaking world, in the 18th century with the growing fashion for Freemasonry, it was inevitable that the two would be united. Remember, this was before the fantasy that various obediences represented the masonic equivalent of the Vatican, and that their every pronouncement represented the word of the Almighty. Unlike the 19th and 20th Century hidebound rule of masonic legalese, the 18th Century was an epoch of creative vision and experimentation within Freemasonry. 

Some of these experiments were of questionable value, while others produced cogent philosophical thought and brilliant ritual. It should not be assumed that the best and the brightest went on to gain the most adherents, nor that those which survived had as much merit as those which did not. 

I will leave the topic of Hermetic, Egyptian, and Alchemical Masonic rites for another time. They deserve a separate examination. Instead, I will offer a brief description of several "Hermetic" and "Rosicrucian" orders, that while heavily modeled upon Freemasonry, may be viewed and indeed often asserted that they were not Masonic institutions. The justification for associating Hermetic and Rosicrucian orders together is that they themselves often associated these terms, and besides, what might be called one or another was often a "moving target."

• Fratres Lucis or Brotherhood of Light

Out of the various rites which combined Freemasonic ritual with Rosicrucian philosophy in the 18th Century, the majority of activity occurred or at least began in Germany, and often involved individuals associated with the Strict Observance. Among these efforts, one is most often cited as a source of influence upon the  late 19th Century organizations was the Fratres Lucis, or the Brotherhood of Light. 

There is a lot of disagreement about these matters, and the lack of standards in what passed for Masonic scholarship in the 19th Century doesn't help. However, the general consensus is that this order was founded by Baron Ecker Von Eckhoffen, who was also associated with the Golden Rosy+Cross and the founder of the Asiatic Brethren. Ultimately, many of the members of this latter order became members of a German masonic lodge called L'Aurore Naissante (or "the Nascent Dawn") founded in Frankfurt-am-Main in 1807.

Jean-Pascal Ruggiu traces a series of associations which imply that Eliphas Lévi who was alleged to be a member of this Brotherhood, represents the link between 18th Century Rosicrucian Freemasonry and the later 19th Century institutions such as the Societas Rosicruciania in Anglia, The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, and ultimately both the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Ordo Templi Orientis.

• Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA) was founded around 1860-1865 by the freemason Robert Wentworth Little . He claimed to have in his possession Rosicrucian documents deriving from an authentic ancient order. The SRIA seems to have operated as an alternative to Freemasonry. One of its important members was Kenneth Mackenzie, who assisted Little in running the society. Mackenzie was allegedly in contact with a "Count Apponyi" of Austria-Hungary, and is said to have received some sort of lineage from him. The more probable source was the Societas Rosicruciana in Scotia which eventually went silent at the end of the 19th century. Many well-known individuals of that time were members of the SRIA, including John Yarker, P.B. Randolph, A.E. Waite, E. Bulwer-Lytton, Dr. W.W. Westcott, Eliphas Levi, Theodor Reuss, Frederick Hockley, and William Carpenter. The SRIA was originally nothing but a study group, and initially did not work rituals. It eventually spread overseas with offspring in North America including one founded as the result of a charter received by Albert Pike from a Canadian organization. 

• The Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor was an initiatic organisation that first became public in late 1884, although it claimed to have begun in 1870. According to  Peter Davidson, the order was founded by Max Theon, who was initiated in England by "an adept of the serene, ever-existing and ancient Order of the original H. B. of L". These men formed this order that included practical magical work. The Hermetic Brotherhood of Light, or Luxor was mostly forgotten after the turn of the twentieth century. Jocelyn Godwin and others began researching the history of the order in the last decades of the 20th Century. The order apparently was similar to the later Golden Dawn having an Outer Order and an Inner Order. The “Outer Circle" offered a correspondence course on practical occultism which was advertised in print. Its curriculum included the writings of Hargrave Jennings and Paschal Beverly Randolph. The influence of the Rosicrucians and Masons is visible in the structure of its initiation rituals. We find the same basic initiatory rituals that were being used throughout Europe by "mainstream" Rosicrucian and Masonic orders of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. These included a system of degrees such as found in the majority of lodge systems. 

• The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (HOGD) was founded in 1888 by Freemasons and members of the SRIA. HOGD was established by Samuel Liddel MacGregor Mathers, William Robert Woodman, William Wynn Westcott, and they were all initiates of the SRIA as well. The Rosicrucian connection allegedly derived from a mysterious German adept; Fraulein Anna Sprengel, whom they contacted after having encountered some old cypher-manuscripts belonging to her lodge. Some researchers have seen a possible relation between the HOGD and the Fratres Lucis/Asiatic Brethren, of which one of its descendants was the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light/Luxor. The HOGD became an indisputable success, and attracted many prominent persons of its time, including A.E. Waite, Mina Bergson, Edvard Munch, August Strindberg, Rider Haggard, R.F. Felkin, "Aleister" Alexander Edward Crowley, William Butler Yeats , Allan Bennett, Bram Stoker, Rev. William Alexander Ayton, Frederick Leigh Gardner, and Florence Farr. The HOGD is the source to most of the modern ritual magic flourishing on the occult market today.

• Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) was originally founded by Carl Kellner, Heinrich Klein, and Franz Hartmann around 1895. Albert Karl Theodor Reuss Willsson succeeded Kellner as chief in 1902, and not until this point did it become a real operative order. Reuss was more of a typical continental occultist and Mason. He was chartered by Westcott of the HOGD, John Yarker of the Memphis-Mizraim, and Leopold Engel of the revived Illuminati Order. Reuss' energic efforts spread the OTO throughout the world. Many famous occultists of the time were in one way or the other linked to Reuss or the OTO,  — Papus, Rudolph Steiner, Jack W. Parsons, Ron L. Hubbard, Gerald Gardner, George Plummer, and Israel Regardie. It was brought to the Americas by Charles Stansfeld Jones (Frater Achad). The post-Reussian lineages of OTO are controversial to say the least. There are those who claims that Crowley was not the real heir to Reuss, and until to the present, many groups have either splintered away from the main order, or others have been founded claiming to represent the authentic order. 

That there have been many splinter groups and organizations that faded away is nothing surprising. This has been true of any organization made up of talented people as these are often opinionated (in the best of ways). It certainly has been true of Freemasonry in its more creative and dynamic aspects.  In any case, it is foolish to deny the profound influence that Freemasonry had upon Hermetic and Rosicrucian movements over the past few hundred years. We can see that even if some of these organizations are not with us today, their offspring are.  I wonder if the GM of Florida appreciates the irony in the probability that Wicca is a not so distant derivative of Freemasonry. If it's any consolation, I suspect that there are as many Wiccans who are made uncomfortable by that idea as there are Freemasons. 

Freemasonry and Reiki

For those of my readers who are not familiar with what Reiki is, a few words of explanation may be in order. Bear with me. Once I've explained what Reiki is, I will turn to discussing the unusual connection it has to Freemasonry. Reiki is what the medical profession calls a CAM. This acronym stands for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It's a term for those forms of alternative medical treatment that in recent years the allopathic medical establishment has begun to tolerate if not completely embrace. Reiki practitioners call it a system of energetic treatment.

In most states, Reiki has not been regulated by law, and as a result there is no standard certification process for Reiki practitioners. Reiki deals with the energy body, and western medicine has no way of measuring it. While some Reiki practitioners may touch the body during treatments, others do not. Either way, they at most put hands on the body, they do not manipulate the body or muscles as massage  therapists do. Reiki is essentially "healing by the laying on of hands."

Reiki came into this world in the early years of the last century in Japan. Mikio Usui, a follower of the Buddhist and Shinto religions of Japan, developed Reiki originally as a spiritual system but also began using it as a method of energetic, or spiritual healing.  It was eventually brought to the west by Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Mrs. Takata was a Hawaiian native of Japanese heritage. She first encountered Reiki in 1935 while in Japan. She was impressed by the healing she experienced under the Reiki master Chujiro Hayashi and spent a year studying and mastering the techniques. She returned to Hawaii and practiced Reiki there for decades. Virtually all western Reiki traditions ultimately derive from the lineage established in the west by Mrs. Takata.

As recently as 20 years ago anywhere in the west, Reiki meant simply Usui Reiki as taught by Mrs. Hawayo Takata. Not only that, but for decades the number of Reiki masters was kept artificially limited to a small handful due to the way in which Mrs. Takata enforced a rigid system of  initiation with exceedingly high initiation fees of ten thousand dollars. Mrs. Takata died in 1980, and subsequently the tight control over Reiki dissolved, and in addition to a dramatic lowering of prices, information became available demonstrating that Reiki in Japan was somewhat different from what Mrs. Takata had been teaching. In the past dozen years or so, a myriad different forms of Reiki have blossomed. This blossoming has reached the scale of an avalanche, and while nobody has any accurate count, there are today scores of complex Reiki systems and thousands of special focus reiki "attunements" or energetic treatments. Reiki considers that treatments can alter the flow and vibration of the energy of the person and can thereby alter peoples health and spiritual experiences. An entire side of Reiki is more concerned with spiritual issues than with physical therapy.

Over the past year, I have become aware that there are, perhaps not surprising given the dramatic and eclectic nature of the growth of Reiki, several Reiki attunements which have a connection to Freemasonry. Now, admittedly, those who scoff at anything alternative will be quick to dismiss these as simple con artistry, attempting to garner some respect from borrowing some of the aura of Freemasonry.  Let me hasten to note that Reiki has its own following and these systems hardly represent a large share of the focus of Reiki nor do they share a large part of the Reiki market. They are in fact, a perhaps natural development when one realizes that there has been a great deal of interest in Egypt in some schools of Reiki and an entirely separate system of energetic treatment based on ancient Egyptian traditions called Sekhem has been created or rediscovered. Through this, attention was drawn to Hermeticism, and eventually to Freemasonry.

There are a number of Reiki attunements which focus on either historical figures related to Freemasonry, and even to Rosicrucianism and the Templars. Among these are a Reiki attunement associated with John Dee, who although not known to have been a mason, was involved in much the same areas of spiritual and scientific investigation that early Freemasons such as Alias Ashmole were. More concretely in the area of Freemasonry, there is an attunement dedicated to the energetic principles associated with Cagliostro. Among the energies that this attunement maintains it aids, are healing powers, vitality, resilience, purifying the heart, enlightening the mind, Alchemy, Hermeticism, and wisdom.

Another interesting attunement, is called Metatron's Cube Reiki, named after the angel Matatron, this energetic treatment is inspired by sacred geometry. It also claims to provide an attunement and "empowerment" of the Rose Cross. The other attunement directly claiming a connection to Masonic "energies" is one called the Templar Grade Attunement. The description afforded this Reiki energetic treatment says that it represents "a symbol of oneness and the manifestation of...concsciousness into our world." Also, they note that "the Templar Degree is a wonderfully calm and peacefull attunement that is a valuable stepping stone for any Reiki practitioner."

There are other attunements associated with Hermes, and a number of others focusing on Thoth.

While this inevitably will not thrill certain elements of the North American old guard, nor the materialists among us, it should at least afford the skeptics a moment of amusement or bemusement, and the rest may find it of some interest that those engaged in modern forms of spiritual exploration still turn to the craft for inspiration.

Hermes in Print

None of the books I am posting on here are newly published books. Why that is not a problem is because I rather doubt most of the audience here has already read them. Yet, if you are interested in the subject of Freemasonry, and even more generally Hermeticism, then you need to have read at least these.

If one change needs to begin happening in the world of North American Freemasonry, it is the notion that one can get by reading the same old standards of 19th Century American Freemasonry. They were not accurate then, and they are far from sufficient today. Fine, you can treasure your Pike if you want, I  admit to having a deluxe edition of Albert Pike's Masonic Formulas and Rituals bound in leather, which I enjoy looking at from time to time. However, that will not make you an educated mason. That is not seeking light.

Today it is necessary to know and understand the advances in our knowledge of ancient culture and traditions which have been made in the past 150 years. If you don't ride to lodge using a horse and buggy, you have no business seeking light relying solely on resources that are equally antiquated. Don't throw the old standards away, but reach beyond them, far beyond them. 

The following suggestions represent nothing more than a point of departure.

The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind 
by Garth Fowden. 
Princeton University Press: Princeton and Chichester. 1986.


Although Fowden, perhaps unsurprisingly, critiques Black Athena in the Preface to the 1993 edition of this book, charging among other things that it was overtly political, as if his own work were not, this book represents none the less, a wealth of information about the place of Hermeticism in late Ptolemaic Egypt. The single greatest strength of this text lies in Fowden's ascertion that Hermeticism can only be properly understood if seen as a practical spiritual path. This title is also valuable for the insight it offers on both the technical and philosophical Hermetica of late classical Egypt. Once this material, little of which was directly available to the Victorian authors who make up the mainstay of American Masonic literature, and which was even less understood by them is apprehended, the confusion so common to contemporary Masonic discussions is easily understood and dismissed. 

What this book also succeeds at, is to contextualize the social and political environment in which the ideas central to Hermeticism, and so influential to Freemasonry, evolved during the late Ptolemaic period. This represents perhaps not the most exhaustive text, but certainly an invaluable one. It is even possible to forgive his establishment objections to Bernal's Black Athena, a work which had an infinitely greater impact on the field than Fowden's work, and which, being published only a year after this title, unquestionably stole a great deal of the attention this book might otherwise have received.

The Arabic Hermes: From Pagan Sage to Prophet of Science (Oxford Studies in Late Antiquity)

Kevin Thomas Van Bladel 

Oxford University Press: Oxford. NY 2009

As is noted in the preface, this book represents the first in-depth study of Hermes Trismegistus - the legendary ancient Egyptian sage, as he has been represented in early Arabic literature. Van Bladel acknowledges Fowden as the standard source on Hellenic Hermetica, which is founded upon centuries of labor and research, this book represents a plunge into uncharted waters, examining for the first time many of the examples of Hermetic writing which found their way into Arabic literature. Here, there is a freshness and less of a sense of adhering to the tried and true. As a result, while equally solid in skill and scholarship, Van Bladel is willing to take greater chances, to speculate on conditions in which certain pieces were written and how they might have been aprehended by their audiences. He does this without losing sight of his academic and historical responsibilities, and the result as fascinating and stimulating. Indeed, some of the Arabic works, although coming after the Greek, may even suggest the connections which connected the Greek texts to earlier purely Egyptian originals. This gives us fresh insights into the earlier, and at time more familiar materials. Examining Hermetic literature and philosophy as it came to be understood in the young capital city of the largest empire the world had ever seen, as he was in Bagdad of the 8th century, is to approach Hermeticism from an entirely unique direction. It is well worth the effort, and the understanding of the range of Hermes in literature, provides a renewed appreciation for the remarkable traditions of which Freemasonry is heir. 

Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization 

(Volume 1: The Fabrication of Ancient Greece 1785-1985) 

(Volume 2: The Archaeological and Documentary Evidence) 

(Volume 3: The Linguistic Evidence)

Martin Bernal

Rutgers University Press. New Brunswick, 1987.

Without getting mired in the never ending controversy over Bernal's works, suffice it to say that the defenders of the status quo - the supporters of European Classicist theory, find nothing of worth in Black Athena. It has been argued that intrenched scholarship, like many contemporary politicians operate on the principle that if an idea is repeated often enough, it becomes fact. Most other factions have championed Bernal's work.  The gist of Bernal's perspective is that he rejects the theory that Greek civilization was founded by Indo-European settlers from Central Europe; that theory (which Bernal calls the Aryan model) became popular during the 19th century. Bernal returns instead what the ancient model; pointing to the fact that both Egyptian and Phoenician influences on the Greek world were widely accepted in Antiquity.  Bernal emphasizes African elements in Ancient Near Eastern culture and denounces the Eurocentrism of 19th and 20th century research, including the idea of "Ex Oriente Lux" of Orientalists which, reflects  Western appropriation of ancient Near Eastern culture. 

In the extreme, Bernal's work has been used by Afrocentrist authors to support the agenda that all civilization is direct and traceable African foundations, which more extreme supporters of the 19th Century schools may be accused of taking racist stances in their reactionary assaults on Bernal's theories.

Where ever you may stand on the subject, all these books should be read as they provide a much more dynamic and often provocative examination of the Hermeticism on which the philosophy and work of Freemasonry is founded.

St. John's Day: Going Back to the True Origins of Masonry

John the Evangelist, is identified as the son of Zebedee and Salome, and the brother of James the Greater. The two brothers were often called after their father "the sons of Zebedee" and  Boanerges, the "sons of thunder." According to the usual explanation John became, with his brother, a disciple of John the Baptist, before following Jesus.

St. John is commemorated on 27 December, which he originally shared with St. James the Greater. At Rome the feast was reserved to St. John alone at an early date, though both names are found in the Carthage Calendar, the Hieronymian Martyrology, and the Gallican liturgical books. The "departure" or "assumption" of the Apostle is noted in the Menology of Constantinople and the Calendar of Naples (26 September), which seems to have been regarded as the date of his death. The feast of St. John before the Latin Gate, supposed to commemorate the dedication of the church near the Porta Latina, is first mentioned in the Sacramentary of Adrian I (772-95).

By history, custom, tradition and ritualistic dictates, the Craft reveres the days of St. John the Baptist on June 24, and St. John the Evangelist on December 27. A lodge would do well to celebrate these dates as a renewal of allegiance to everything in Freemasonry symbolized by these Patron Saints.

St. John the Evangelist first appears in masonry somewhere around the end of the sixteenth century. The earliest reference to St. John the evangelist in Edinburgh occurs in 1599, although earlier mentions are made in connection, probably with John the Baptist. "The Fraternity of St. John" is noted in Cologne in 1430.  "St. John's Masonry" is a distinctive term for Scotch Lodges, many of the older of which took the name of the saint. It has been noted that the Lodge of Scoon and Perth was called the Lodge of St. John.

Masons today seem as puzzled by the presence of the two Saint Johns, John the Evangelist and John the Baptist, in their heritage as they are about most of the rest of what they do. This is obviously due to the decision to turn their back on the spiritual and metaphysical foundations of their craft. Tobias Churton, in his book "The Mysteries of John the Baptist: His Legacy in Gnosticism, Paganism, and Freemasonry," (Inner Traditions, 2012)  states without equivocation, "There are in the world two principle groups of people for whom John the Baptist has significant spiritual meaning, though in the case of Freemasons, I should say a group for whom John ought to have spiritual meaning; Masons have mostly forgotten why they were once "St. John's men." Of course, the rest of that tale will lead us to subjects such as the original Templars, the caput mortuum, the Sabians and the Mandaeans, which is enough to give most masons a permanent migraine.

Despite confusion in some circles, while the Masons celebrate both St. Johns, in what must be viewed as a truly Hermetic touch, the greater importance must rest with John the Baptist. John the Baptist, on many levels may be viewed as a devine Mercurial figure, and his role in masonry, as that of John the Evangelist, deserves much more attention.

The Creative Power of Dreams

International Association for
the Study of Dreams
New England, Regional Conference 

"The Creative Power of Dreams"

Saturday, January 12, 2013* Snow date: January 26, 20139:30 a.m - 4:30 p.m.
Regis College
Weston, Massachusetts
Contact: Curtiss Hoffman

For millennia, creative people in all cultures have relied upon their dreams for inspiration.  Come and celebrate the creative power of dreams at this one-day IASD regional conference!   Keynote speakers are Deirdre Barrett, the author of The Committee of Sleep, and Ernest Hartmann, the author of The Nature and Functions of Dreaming.  In addition, there will be a performance of excerpts from Curtiss Hoffman's Gilgamesh Cantata, based on dream texts from C.G. Jung's Red Book and using musical themes derived from his own dreams.  Additional speakers will present papers on various aspects of dreaming and creativity.

Regis College is located in Weston, Massachusetts, near the intersection of Routes I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) and I-95 (Route 128).  It is accessible by bus from the Riverside Green Line T station.  Buses run about every half hour to and from Riverside. 

Early Bird Registration before December 15th, 2012
Regular $68; Student/limited income $38
(After Dec. 15th - regular $78; student/limited income $38)

Registration includes morning hospitality (coffee/tea/pastries) and a buffet luncheon. We regret that we cannot guarantee lunches for registrations received after January 1, 2013. A more complete listing of speakers and topics & transportation information to reach Regis College will be made available in late October 2012.

All USA mail-in registrations must be postmarked by January 2th, 2013 Download and mail in your registration form and send a check made out toIASD-New England Regional for the full amount in USD to the:

IASD Office1672 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94703.
or pay online using our secure PayPal system.

Keynote Speakers:
Ernest Hartmann:  The Nature and Functions of Dreaming:   The Dream is the Beginning of a Work or Art.
Deirdre Barrett:   Dreams and Creative Problem Solving

Papers:
Jeffrey Armano:  Shamanic Dreams: The Power to Regenerate
Linda Yael Schiller:  Creativity, Kabbalah, and Dreams
Lesley Zaret: Dreams and the Body
Tzivia Gover:  Dreaming on the Page: The Intersections between Dreams and Writing
Laura Atkinson:  Focus on the Dream: Photographic Techniques to Connect with a Dream
Ryan Hurd:  It's Daemonic! Reclaiming Access to the Daemon-Muse in Sleep Paralysis Visions and Lucid Dreams
Beth Scanzani: Dreaming on Purpose:  Discovering a Path to Joy and Fulfillment...While You Sleep
Gloria Sturzenacker:  Tiuken, Jorbor, Beseta: A Long-Term Search for the Meaning of Three Unknown Dream Words

Special Presentations:
Curtiss Hoffman: The Gilgamesh Cantata:  A Dream-Based Creative Process
Beth Scanzani and Lesley Zaret:  Stories from the Night Shift (dream group)

For additional information, please contact Curtiss Hoffman

Here's the webpage where you can find the active links and the registration form:http://www.asdreams.org/regionals/2013newengland/

Hermes Renascentis

Periodically, I have an irresistible urge to re-experience one of my sources of youthful inspiration. I viewed myself as a young man inclined to the visionary approach in a world devoid of mystics. Few people I knew shared my enthusiasm for the world of visions, dreams, mythology, and fantasy. Apart from my older brother, who was probably responsible for nurturing this tendency, I had nobody to speak with about it. It was acceptable, if perhaps a little questionable in terms of taste, to enjoy fantasy literature, but it had to be strictly a momentary escape from reality. Reality was an infinitely superior endeavor, and clearly more worthy of one's time. One's value as a human had to be in some form of measurable production, be that auto parts, haut cuisine, or in published words. If that production could not be converted into dollars and cents, it was valueless. Knowledge or experience was of no relevance if it did not find its way into the pages of a ledger book. Fortunately for both me and my brother, although our parents might not have approved of everywhere it led us, they encouraged us to read and to pursue artistic interests.

Now,  as I approach 3 score years, the world has only become more obsessed with materialism. As for myself, now within hitting distance of the aforementioned sixtieth birthday, that materialist view appears even less important than it did at 17. I remained chagrinned but resigned to the fact that I live in a world that values little of that which I see as being of worth.

As a teenager, I explored my own inner world extensively and found it often infinitely better than the external world. That does not mean I was withdrawn, lacking a social life, or otherwise uninvolved in the "real" world,  I just was aware of the alternatives. And then it happened.

There were a lot of other approaches to the inner world that I was exploring at the time, but few had as profound an impact upon me as one did. Ironically, I suspect the author of this particular inspiration thought of it largely as entertainment, albeit entertainment with a message. For the most part, I viewed it the same way. However, the message it held for me was the the visionary explorations I took did not represent something I did in isolation. There were others out there who were familiar with other worlds and were capable of accessing them, too.

This particular inspiration came in the guise of the adventures of a profoundly, and at times frustratingly "normal" hero of a tale told in an intentionally anachronistic style. That man was one Jack Flanders, and he had visited another man with the unique name of Meatball Fulton, to share his story. Meatball Fulton, produced and began broadcasting the amazing adventures of Jack Flanders, as old style Radio Dramas, in 1972. The first of these was "The Fourth Tower of Inverness," in which Jack entered an otherwise invisible piece of architecture - the fourth Tower of Inverness Manor, a mansion which in normal reality appeared to have only three towers. In this fourth Tower, he ultimately encounters the Lotus Jukebox, but not in the first story. He does however, need to find the Whirlitzer of Wisdom, the Great Green Jade Jukebox, and the Bodhisattva Jukebox before he can reach the Lotus Jukebox.

His adventures continue later include a trio to North Africa in the Drama entitled "Moon over Morrocco." There have been a number of other Jack Flanders adventures over the years, and several spin-offs for characters such as Mojo Sam, who played a character inspired by a Bogart Movie. However, I did not become aware of these later stories until decades later. For most of my adult life, "Moon over Morrocco" and "The Fourth Tower of Inverness," the first of the Jack Flanders adventure series, which combined elements of Americana and Old-time radio drama with metaphysical concepts such as past life regression, Sufi wisdom, Tibetan Buddhism and shamanistic communication with the natural world, represented the most dramatic parallel to my own inward exploration.

Recently, I noted there was a new Jack Flanders adventure. I admit, I now receive mail order catalogs from ZBS Audio Adventures, the distribution arm of Meatball Fulton's creative nexus. This latest adventure is entitled "Do Angels Really Have WIngs?" It also occurred to me, although I don't recall it in any of the stories I listened to over the years, that there is an uncanny connection between Jack Flanders and Freemasonry. After all, two of his most significant and earliest adventures take place in Scotland and in the Sufi filled world of the North African desert. I wonder when he will meet up with Count Cagliostro.

For the rest of this post, there is not a lot more to comment on. My main thought is to suggest that we can indeed find Hermetic principles in places we hardly expect to, such as in revivalist 1970s Radio Dramas, and perhaps these will inspire us to take some guided flights of fancy, to discover more of our inner world, and what lies beyond the middle chamber.

Sincerely, whether you are interested in a serious study of Hermeticism or not, and even if you believe that Freemasonry is only a social club for men, as the UGLE would have us believe, do yourself a favor and visit Meatball Fulton's site http://www.zbs.org . Go a step further and buy a story. Maybe try one of the shorter ones, although the two big classics of his that I mention here are in my opinion the best place to start. Now, the usual disclaimer applies: I have never received anything free from ZBS productions, unless you count the free downloads they have from time to time offered to everyone who visits their website, nor do I know Meatball Fulton personally or anyone associated with him. You should not assume that because I have claimed to see reflections of Freemasonry in these works, that it was ever the intention of the creator of these stories to draw such a parallel. I won't promise you enlightenment, nor even a serious exposure to hardcore metaphysics. However, if you don't find these stories good, rollicking and brain tweaking fun, you need them more than you know!

Masonic Vision: Glimpses of Glimpsing Beyond

Crystal Ball at University of Pennsylvania Museum

SCRYING: Crystals and Magic Mirrors in the history of Freemasonry

Freemasonry as an institution has always been greater than the sum of its parts. So, while some masons today seek, rather amusingly I think, to deny that Freemasonry has anything to do with Hermeticism, alchemy, theurgy, and such spiritual sciences such as divination, the fact remains that these matters have always been found attached to the Craft.

Dr. John Dee's Divination Equipment

For those who may find the subject of interest whether as an operative activity or a purely speculative examination, in this post the Hedge will take a brief glance at the art of scrying, which is the use of crystals or other reflective surfaces to inspire various types of spiritual vision.  The range of surfaces may include rock crystal, either natural or quite often as a polished sphere, natural transparent or translucent stones, glass, mirrors, polished metal surfaces, or water.

Of course, divination by means of inspiring visions (visual hallucinations if you are a neurologist) is one of the most ancient forms of seeking inspiration from the realm of the spirits. It is recorded in ancient Babylonia and Egypt, although most often those cultures used a speculum, or vessel containing some reflective liquid.

Those who would practice this art or science, are advised to use a relaxed gaze rather than a fixed stare, maintaining a steady gaze for no more than five minutes at a time. Depending on the source, the gazer may find their vision clouding over, or the interior of the crystal or scrying surface clouding over, and they may see images or symbols, or even scenes within the object. Alternately as they gaze, they may see their visions upon an internal screen. I will leave the practical comments to these few words and move on to a brief survey of some notable individuals who were Freemasons or by the common imagination may be associated with the masons, who studied or wrote on the subject. 

Dr. Dee at the Court of Queen Elizabeth I

Dr. John Dee (1572-1608)  The first Renaissance figure we might associate with both Freemasonry and Scrying is the legendary Dr. John Dee. Of course, there is no record of his having been a Freemason, but he is an indisputably significant figure in European Hermeticism, and all of the Noble Arts associated with Freemasonry. Some may wish to disassociate the craft from his name, but both Dame Frances Yates and David Stephenson place him firmly within the stream of ideas that contributed strongly to the development of speculative Freemasonry. Dee, born in London of Welsh parentage (his surname was originally Dû pronounced Dee, meaning black) was known for his work in using crystal gazers to communicate with angels.

Eliphas Levi (1810-1875) Alphonse Louis Constant made a living from his writing and by giving lessons in the occult. He renamed himself Magus Eliphas Levi, the hebrew equivalents of his first and middle names. In 1854 he took a trip to London, where he performed a ritual to conjure the spirit of Appolonius Tyana, a renowned magician of ancient times. Levi;s preparation included a week of fasting. Levi dressed in white robes and entered his magic chamber equipped with mirrors on the walls. His incantations went on for 12 hours after which the floor beneath him began to shake, and he saw an apparition in one of the mirrors. While Levi was not a Freemason, he had a great impact upon at least two very famous Freemasons, Albert Pike and A.E. Waite.

Count Cagliostro

Count Cagliostro (1743 - 1795). Moving into the category of individuals who are unquestionably identified as Masons, we come to one of my favorites, The flamboyant Alessandro Cagliostro who utilized scrying within Masonic rituals, as well as in other non-masonic spiritual practices. While a number of authors have discussed Cagliostro's divination practices, Theodore Besterman, devoted a lengthy essay to the subject. 

Frederick Hockley (1808 - 1885), an accountant by profession, was well known in circles which cultivated 'Rejected Knowledge'.Apart from his scrying experiments with crystals and so-called 'Magic Mirrors', which were used to induce trance states, he was a diligent copyist of old magical manuscripts. He became a significant figure in Esoteric Freemasonry in the 19th Century, although not well known by those who are not themselves committed esotericists.

Francis George Irwin (1828 -1892). Irwin was Chief Adept of the Bristol Soc. Ros. College. Irwin joined in succession several lodges and, according to Gould, so great was his desire to obtain more light, that there was scarcely a degree in existence, if within his range, that he did not join. In scrying seances during the years 1872-3, he communicated with none other than Cagliostro, who told him that 'the Crystal you have will be of little use. It is charged with an antagonistic principle.' Cagliostro came again on 29 October 1873 when he delivered the message that 'I am afraid that at present I cannot give (you) anything to be continuous.' Thereafter, between 31 October and 9 November Cagliostro communicated on four separate occasions and, according to Irwin's 'Spiritual Journal', dictated almost word for word the substance of the 'historical introduction' to the Fratres Lucis ritual.

John Yarker

John Yarker (1833 - 1913). John Yarker, was a prolific Masonic writer who dealt with many historic topics but was especially interested in esoteric topics. Not much admired, it would appear, by Albert Pike. Although that speaks highly of his character, among his other positive credentials was that he wrote a brief work, which was never published in full on the topic entitled "The History and Mystery of the Magic Crystal."  These final words of advice, should anyone care to try for themselves comes from Yarker's aforementioned work.  

"After carefully investigating the visions in their subjective and objective phases for nearly 20 years I imported an Indian or Bhattah Mirror in May 1886 and produced for a few friends a model that answered in every particular quite equal to the expensive original at a tenth of the cost Many investigators from some perhaps congenial cause getting no satisfactory results after repeated trials with the Ball or Egg shaped Crystals may try flat polished pieces of Rock Crystal quartz Cannel Coal Bloodstone or Obsidian or Mirrors their shape suiting them best but they must not forget that no matter whatever may be the cause of individual failure the power to see is in themselves aud not in anything they may..."  (quoted in Rosicrucian Brotherhood, vol. 1-3 (in one volume) p. 145.) S.C. Gould. 1907.

I hope that this brief post does not make any of my masonic brothers or sisters uncomfortable. If by some chance it does however, I admonish them to take a long hard look in the mirror. Any mirror will do. Take a break after five minutes, and try again.

2nd International Meeting of Mixed Grand Lodges

II International Meeting of 

Mixed 

Grand Lodges - 25, 26 and 27 October 2012 

Cordoba - Argentina

The Symbolic Royal Grand Lodge of Argentina, through its Most Worshipful Grand Master, is pleased to invite you to the Second International Meeting of Joint Grand Lodges, which is sponsored by the Great 

Joint 

International 

Hermetic Diet in the city of Córdoba (Argentina), between 25 and 27 October 2012.

The meeting will have a fraternal character, while open to the whole society, with the intention of showing the commitment of the Masons, towards improving the social structure of the whole world.

II° Encuentro Internacional de Grandes Logias Mixtas – 25, 26 y 27 de octubre 2012 Córdoba – República Argentina

La Real Gran Logia Simbólica Argentina, a través de su Muy Respetable Gran Maestre, tiene el agrado de invitaros al II° Encuentro Internacional de Grandes Logias Mixtas, que con el auspicio de la Gran Dieta Hermética Mixta Internacional, realizaremos en la ciudad de Córdoba (Argentina), entre los días 25 y 27 de octubre de 2012.

El encuentro tendrá carácter fraternal, a la vez que abierto a la Sociedad toda, con la intención de mostrar el compromiso de los masones, en pos de mejorar el Edificio Social de todo el Orbe.

La Masonería es la Sociedad fraterna más antigua de la Historia, y aunque por convención se dice que nació en 1717, sus verdaderos orígenes se pierden en la noche de los tiempos. Por ella pasaron las mentes más ilustres en la Historia de la Humanidad, y en sus Talleres de pensamiento, se formaron hombres y mujeres que dejarían una profunda huella en la evolución humana.

Cronograma de eventos

- Jueves 25: 10:00 Recepción de Autoridades y visitantes en sede de la Gran Logia. Acreditación. 13:00 Almuerzo fraterno. 18:00 Tenida hermética en 1er. Grado.

- Viernes 26: 10:00 Colocación de ofrenda floral al Libertador Gral. José de San Martín, Palabras alusivas. 11:00 Recorrido del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de Córdoba. 19:00 Conferencia conjunta a cargo de expositores de las distintas delegaciones.

Salón de Convenciones Shopping Garden – Corrientes 161

- Sábado 27: 11:00 Conferencia de Prensa y Lunch – Oficinas de la Gran Logia 15:00 Reunión de Grados Capitulares 19:00 Tenida hermética de cierre. 21:00 Ágape fraterno y despedida de delegaciones.Las confirmaciones de vuestra presencia, en este Magno Congreso de la Masonería a desarrollarse en Argentina, deberán hacerse a alguno (o todos) de los siguientes correos:

- - -

granlogiasimbolicaargentina@gmail.com secretaria@granlogiasimbolica.com.ar cyrano_leon@hotmail.com

Se solicita que como datos mínimos, nos remitan los siguientes:

Nombre de la Logia u Obediencia: 

Rito en el que trabajan: 

Ciudad y País de origen: 

Cantidad de miembros de la delegación:  

Nombre de la Autoridad que encabeza la delegación:  

Tema que desean exponer en Conferencia: 

Reservas hoteleras

Aquellos visitantes que deseen hacer reservas hoteleras en forma anticipada, pueden seguir las instrucciones que se dan a continuación. Los precios de estadía en hoteles de 2 a 5 estrellas, varían entre $ 679.48 y $ 2150.87 por tres días, en habitación de base doble. Hablamos de pesos argentinos.

Para hacer las reservas, deberéis ingresar al link siguiente, en donde se pueden ver los 54 principales hoteles de Córdoba. Desde esta página, pueden realizar reservas on-line o por teléfono. Sugerimos copiar la siguiente dirección web, y pegarla en el navegador:

http://www.booking.com/searchresults.html?src=city&city=- 983417&error_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fcity%2Far%2Fcordoba.es.html

Esperamos vuestra presencia, que hará mucho más digno este encuentro de Hermanos, reunidos bajo el signo de la escuadra y el compás.

Estáis fraternalmente invitados. 

A 03 días de mayo de 2012 E. ̇.V. ̇. S. ̇. F. ̇.U. ̇.

Gran Secretaría

Gran Logia Simbólica Argentina

granlogiasimbolicaargentina@gmail.com 

secretaria@granlogiasimbolica.com.ar