‘Masonic Café?’

    

As promised on The Magpie Mason way back in 2010, yours truly will be the evening’s lecturer at the April 20 meeting of the New York Mythology Group. Our group is the New York City Chapter of the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and among its regular activities are these monthly discussions, collectively known as Mythology Café, or perhaps for this one evening, Masonic Café.


The topic, unsurprisingly, will be Freemasonry, consisting of a summary of the fraternity’s complicated history, with explanations of the spiritual aspects of Masonic ritual and symbol. Mindful of the audience demographic, the speaker will anticipate pointed curiosity of Masonic tenets, practices, and even the vast diversity of lodges in New York City.

We’ll meet at 7 p.m. at our usual haunt, Ciao Stella, located at 206 Sullivan St. in Manhattan, between Bleecker and Third streets in the Village.

Membership in the New York Mythology Group is open to all, and you should formally join us if you plan to attend this event because we need your reservations. Seating at Ciao Stella is somewhat limited – it’s a pretty small place – and it is not unusual for Mythology Café to fill the room. Since management allows us to take over the restaurant, it is expected we all contribute toward the night’s receipts, so even if you don’t want to order a full meal, at least have a drink or something. (I’ll be having a few.)