‘A look inside the Masonic Building in Boston’

    

Magpie coverage of the Boston Tea Party anniversary celebration last weekend continues belatedly with a quick tour of the Masonic Building, headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, in Boston. The following photos were shot both during a formal guided tour and while I was exploring on my own. Some items are permanently displayed; others were exhibited for the special weekend. Descriptions are mostly the official histories, but some also have my editorializing, which you’ll be able to discern. Enjoy.

The seal of the Grand Lodge greets you upon entering the side door. Not a typical mosaic, but each tile is a stone shaft of (I think) two inches bored into the floor by artisans from Italy who labored several years throughout the building in the early twentieth century. A shame everyone trods across, but evidently it can take it. You might recognize ‘Follow Reason,’ which also is the motto of St. John’s Lodge 1 in New York. A tour guide was unsure where the motto originates, but it may come from the coat of arms of the Duke of Montague, sixth Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England. Those are beavers flanking the shield; a nineteenth century study by Grand Lodge said they were lizards! (Don’t tell David Icke.) The tour guide didn’t know what to make of the left side, saying the castles may have something to do with Henry Knox, but of course that comes from the arms of the first Grand Lodge of England, and is still used on the UGLE’s arms.

I was told this portrait of Bro. George Washington was painted by Gilbert Stuart, which is not impossible, I suppose, considering the artist’s Athenaeum Portrait is displayed in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. The brother also mentioned it had undergone very extensive restoration in recent years.

The Rev. Thaddeus Mason Harris, (1767-1842) first Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

Christmastime is a good time to visit Boston.

The immortal Warren!
That such men lived is miraculous.

A sample of the Boston Tea Party tea! Said to have come out of the boots of one of the participants, and donated to the Grand Lodge by W. Bro. Paul F. Dudley of Milton Lodge.

Read the description below.

Click to enlarge.

A copy of the very rare first edition of Ahiman Rezon, Pennsylvania’s Masonic constitutions, dedicated to George Washington.

Joseph Warren’s King James Bible, printed 1614.

Until modern scholarship, which I’ll get to in the next edition of The Magpie Mason, this eyewitness account of the Boston Tea Party by George Hewes is the most reliable source. (I was told on Faceypage last week that the Tea Party was a revolt against the Stamp Act. ‘Tea tax,’ I reminded the brother. He told me to read the lodge secretary’s minutes. Ooh boy.)

Certificate of Rising States Lodge, Boston, signed by Paul Revere, September 3, 1800.

You know St. Andrew’s Lodge was the Scottish lodge that met in the Green Dragon Tavern, but you might not have known that the tavern got its name on account of the oxidized copper dragon employed as signage above the door. It turned green over time. And this is it! The actual green dragon!

Note the dragon above the entrance.

Detail.

Henry Price. The reason Massachusetts claims to have the first grand lodge in the Western Hemisphere is because Provincial Grand Master Henry Price constituted the original grand lodge there. Knowledge of the original Grand Lodge of England’s way of doing things is needed, I think, because while we today might assume provincial grand lodges were akin to our current Masonic districts, the truth is the Premier Grand Lodge considered provincial grand lodges to be local sovereign authorities.

Henry Price’s headstone. At some point, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts obtained permission from Price’s family to take possession of this headstone and move it to the Masonic Building to prevent damage caused by time and weather. It now is installed in a wall upstairs. In exchange, the brethren commissioned a massive monument for their founder.

MW John T. Heard, Grand Master 1856-58, was said to have weighed more than 400 pounds...

…consequently, this eight-legged chair was made for him.

Click to enlarge to read the card.

Franklin + Pallas Athena = Wisdom. Corinthian Hall.

And finally, a portrait of Ned Flanders. No inscription accompanies his portrait because he was not a grand master, but his picture hangs in respect for (I think) a massive donation he made to the Grand Lodge. Remind me to tell Tabbert there’s a Ned Flanders!

I shot many more photos, but these are the most interesting. Thanks for looking.

     

‘Tommaso Crudeli: Masonic martyr’

    

The plaque reads:

TOMMASO CRUDELI
(1702-1745) Florence, Italy
FIRST MARTYR OF
UNIVERSAL FREEMASONRY
Presented by the President
of HSTCI of America
MWGM KENNETH S. WYVILL Jr of GL of MD
MMXV

I wish I could have copyedited that.

Born on this date* in 1702 was Bro. Tommaso Crudeli.

That’s a new name to me, having learned of him only last weekend. Taking in the many sights inside the Boston Masonic Building, home to the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, on Saturday, I was drawn to this bust. The plaque on its pedestal is not the most informative inscription, but I shot a photo and looked up Bro. Crudeli later. There’s an amazing story.

From the Institute of Historical Studies Tommaso Crudeli:

Tommaso Baldasarre Crudeli (December 21, 1702-March 27, 1745) was a Tuscan free-thinker who was imprisoned by the Roman Inquisition in Florence. He was a poet, lawyer, champion of free thought, and is remembered as the First Martyr of Universal Freemasonry.... Tommaso was the seventh [Crudeli generation] to graduate from the University of Pisa [both canon and civil law, 1726]. His mentor was Bernardo Tanucci (Premier of Naples and Sicily Kingdom) during the preparation of studies and university years; in Pisa he had strong relationships with teachers and colleagues for cultural affinities Lucretian and above the nascent Enlightenment.

Tommaso moved to Venice at the family of the Counts Contarini and then he returned to Florence as professor of Italian for English Colony. For his lively intellect and his boldness, Tommaso was brought into the English Lodge, first Masonic Lodge in Italy and dependant from Grand Lodge of England, in which he was initiated on May 5, 1735. He became secretary, but also a scapegoat for a strong conflict between the Vatican and English Freemasonry, who began in Florence at the end of the long dynasty of the Medici trying to establish the Lorraine, titled dynastically, to change the political destiny of the Grand Duchy.

 

He was arrested for suspicion of heresy, or worse, to be the bearer of heresies, and was left in prison in total darkness and without air for three months. He was interrogated for days on “francmassonery,” but he did not cooperate and he would not sign the papers falsely noted his guilt so he was incarcerated again for another four months in inhumane conditions.

 

Questioned again about the aims of Freemasonry in Florence, members’ names, and Masonic rituals, he would not comply. He was sent back to jail even though his body was tried and he was vomiting blood. Meanwhile his father, Atto Crudeli, pleading the liberty for his child, sadly died of a broken heart for sorrow. Before Christmas, his brother Antonio clumsily attempted to free Tommaso, with a daring plan that ended before it was started. The Inquisitor interpreted the plan as proof of guilt and was convinced even more the need to pursue the prisoner. After another four months in prison, still in the darkness with sealed windows for fear of escape, he was questioned and charged with sins against religion whose list was irrelevant but that eventually concluded “and other serious facts known only to us.”

 

Subsequently, the inquisitors carried him, near death, to the prison at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence where he spent three months. In August 1740, in a church parade in black, they did ask him to recant, accepting his gasp as explicit consent. After the sentence came the partial grace that provided the compulsory residence in his home until the end of his life with a series of religious obligations that Tommaso never fulfilled.

 

CORRECTION: Apparently, I saw a copy of the bust at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial during a visit in November 2022.

Meanwhile all of Florence was in turmoil and especially the Governor, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, and brothers of the lodge. Even the Grand Lodge of England mobilized, giving the King these facts, among others, that touched British interests in the dynastic succession in Europe. The Grand Duke of Tuscany (also a Mason) asked for a report from Tommaso. Because he had some bed rest, but was still sick and dying, Tommaso was able to dictate a detailed report which was why Francis Stephen of Lorraine, husband of Maria Theresa of Austria in 1742 closed the Inquisition Tribunal forever (next to the Basilica of Santa Croce), and after five years had it demolished.

 

Meanwhile Tommaso died in his bed because of the after-effects of imprisonment on March 27, 1745. He did have the satisfaction of seeing the Inquisition abolished by the secular power, the first in the Catholic world. The “Antica Condanna” which in fact was the first conviction by the Papal Bull of April 1738, was heard for many decades in which the writings and poems of Tommaso Crudeli were scattered, as it was altered many times [and] on the basis of which the Grand Duke did close the Inquisition Tribunal.

A brief video from 2008 when the Grand Lodge of New York memorialized Bro. Tommaso Crudeli.

*They used another calendar back then, so just play along.

     

‘St. John’s Lodge installation’

    

Look to the West!
Ionic Hall, Masonic Building, Boston.

There’s something infectious about the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts’ claim to be the oldest in the New World (and third eldest in the world, after England and Ireland) when you are inside the Masonic Building in Boston, the Grand Lodge’s headquarters. Yes, Pennsylvania Masons say something about that claim—and, as far as I’m concerned, the current English grand lodge dates only to 1813!—but when the Massachusetts Grand Master says it inside Ionic Hall on the occasion of the 154th installation of officers of St. John’s Lodge… it’s just extremely persuasive!

The original grapes!

Furthermore, this lodge dates to July 30, 1733, when it began meeting at the Bunch of Grapes tavern, prompting the claim that it is “the oldest Masonic lodge in the Western Hemisphere.” Again, the Philadelphians harrumph, and there even is local confusion thanks to some accounts pointing to some lodge holding meetings in King’s Chapel in Boston in the 1720s(!), but this edition of The Magpie Mason is the first in a series on the past weekend’s celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, which united Masons and other groups in proud remembrance. The photo at right shows the original grapes that hung outside the tavern in the 1700s! Straightforward advertising signage in a time of near universal illiteracy. They are displayed in the East for special occasions.

St. John’s is an amalgamation of First Lodge, Second Lodge, and Third Lodge, the originals of that period, if I understand correctly.

I had to disable my IroniMeter2000™️ because what passes for government in Boston and Massachusetts today seems an impossible fate to befall the land of the Boston Massacre, Tea Party, Shot Heard ’Round the World, Bunker Hill, and so much more in the birth of this nation.

Worshipful Master Mark and his officers.

Anyway, preceding St. John’s installation, there was the Historic Tavern Tour, originally a six-stop pub crawl until Democracy Brewing backed out at the last minute for some reason. But the brethren persevered and marched from Elephant & Castle to Sam Adams Tap Room to Union Oyster House to Bell in Hand Tavern to, at last, the Green Dragon Tavern.

I had signed up for this, but reconsidered. It was to begin at three o’clock; the installation was set for 6 p.m. I figured all the walking, the waiting for drink (and food) orders, and the drinking and eating would not be possible in that timeframe. I really wanted to attend this installation. And I don’t take alcohol before lodge meetings anyway. Someday I will get back up there when I have more time, and I’ll visit those esteemed establishments—especially the Green Dragon!

MWGM Hamilton, center, with his retinue.

But the installation was pretty quick, open to families and friends, and elegant. W. Bro. Mark is the new Worshipful Master. Huzzah! (There was a lot of that during the weekend.) Grand Master George F. Hamilton presided in the East. I didn’t know a soul in the room except for Bro. Rob, who traveled from the South to the West; and Bro. Rich, the new Grand Historian in New Jersey, on the sidelines.

The Three Great Lights.

They had an official photographer, who gradually is sharing his work on Faceypage, but these are authentic Magpie photos. Yet again, I regret not bringing a real camera.

I’d had a really long Friday, rising at about 3 a.m. so, by the time the lodge closed, I was happy to return to the hotel and collapse.

I always check out regalia,
especially in historic lodges.

One thing in particular said by MW Hamilton really caught my ear. He mentioned how Fourth Estate Lodge had consolidated with St. John’s Lodge. Fourth Estate consisted of newspaper journalists and, it is said, every paper in the city was represented in its membership. I have read a little about this lodge in my research of my own lodge, Publicity 1000. Publicity was instituted October 30, 1922, and Fourth Estate was constituted October 2, 1923. I don’t know if there ever was any interaction, visitation, etc. between the two. Fourth Estate consolidated with St. John’s on May 23, 1985. Hugo Tatsch was a member in the thirties! We got Haywood from Iowa, and they got Tatsch from Iowa.

Once upon a time, the Masonic Building had DC power and these handles controlled the electricity in Ionic Hall. Kelitrol Stage Switchboard, installed by Clark & Mills Electric Co.

Congratulations and happy 290th anniversary to St. John’s Lodge! It felt like a warm and welcoming place.

MW Melvin M. Johnson, Grand Master, 1914-16.

     

‘Five Great Sources for Masonic Research’

    

Chris Ruli and Maynard Edwards.

The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, SJ-USA YouTube channel posted a new podcast episode Tuesday in which host Maynard Edwards welcomes Chris Ruli to discuss research techniques.

This ain’t the whole thing! Watch the video.

The video runs less than twelve minutes, and it concludes with a most useful pointer.

     

‘Discover the Lost Word in the Reading Room’

    

Next in Craftsmen Online’s Reading Room is a chapter of Albert Mackey’s The Symbolism of Freemasonry. From the publicity:

The Reading Room will open on Tuesday, January 30 at 7 p.m. Eastern. Our panel for the evening will be R∴W∴ Clifford T. Jacobs, Bro. Jason W. Short, R∴W∴ Bill Edwards, and V∴W∴ Michael LaRocco. This meeting is open to the public, as all persons with an interest in the Ancient and Gentle Craft of Freemasonry are welcome.

Our reading selection is from Mackey’s The Symbolism of Freemasonry. We will focus on Chapter 31: “The Lost Word” (pages 300-311). This will allow us to have a lively philosophical discussion without getting into any of the ritual work in a non-tiled setting.

Click here to download your free copy of this material. Click here to enter the Reading Room.

     

‘Memo to the Grand Masters’

    

Complete and utter bullshit. A subliterate mission statement, a bogus phone number, updates posted around the clock every day consisting of platitudinous memes without any real Florida information. These are all over Facebook. Grand Masters, you can fight this, and you should.

The next meeting of the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America will convene the weekend of February 17 in Seattle, and I have a suggestion, if I may be so forward. (My Grand Master is chairman, so I’m making an effort to be respectful here.)

Amid all the planning of brilliant, forward-thinking initiatives, put together a system in which all Conference members pay into a fund that will be used to retain one law firm that will contact the social media companies that allow frauds to impersonate our grand lodges and other legitimate Masonic groups.

You have rights. And responsibilities! “To preserve the reputation of the fraternity unsullied must be your constant care.”

Real grand lodges in this country all—I’m assuming—are incorporated in their respective states. You don’t have to accept some clod(s) operating Facebook accounts in your members’ names.

My social media activity is very limited, but even I can see on Facebook the increasing number of bogus accounts purporting to be legit Masonic bodies. The most prolific as of tonight, it seems to me, are those claiming to be the grand lodges of Texas and North Carolina.

13,000 followers?!

The “Texas” contact info includes a phone number with area code 518. That’s the Albany, New York area. The Grand Lodge of New York doesn’t maintain an office in Albany, so don’t ask me what the Texans supposedly are doing up there. And I think the WhatsApp button is an Illuminati Brotherhood dead giveaway.

MW Bill Sardone, a frequent victim of impersonation, used to get phone calls at his Masonic Hall office from hapless naifs asking when they should report in person to begin their Masonic journeys.

The perpetrators’ motivations? To extract money and identity information.

Complaining to Facebook via Facebook as a Facebook user will get you nowhere. They’ll tell you to block the impostor, as if that will solve anything. Facebook will, however, take seriously a letter from your attorney. But you need the attorney. Not your sister-in-law who botches real estate closings; not the personal injury guy you know from Scottish Rite; and never anyone from the grand lodge in New Jersey. No, hire social media law specialists.

It won’t be expensive because you’ll never go to court. A demand letter for each instance really should suffice, which means you need only the resolve to combat this fraud.

The frauds could be from one perpetrator, judging from the same photos cross-posted at practically the same times. Probably a kid too.

This is feasible. It’s even easy. It’s the kind of accomplishment you can talk about every year when racking up more successes and brag about when you return home.

The next problem is why the impostors are more determined than the grand lodges to leverage social media. (The Conference’s Facebook page hasn’t seen an update since February 21.) Listen, I don’t have all the answers.

UPDATE: DECEMBER 14–“Samuel Jacob” of Nigeria has merch!

     

‘Project to rebuild Tun Tavern!’

    

Rendering of the proposed rebuilt Tun Tavern.

Speaking of Pennsylvania (see post below), I miss City Tavern, Philadelphia’s Colonial-themed restaurant that stood twenty-six years on the site of the historic City Tavern, where our Founding Fathers dined—and drank—at the nation’s birth. Rabbit was my usual dish. The pandemic killed it three years ago, and the National Park Service, owner of the property, had some plan to lease the site to a new restauranteur, but it remains shuttered still. But that’s another story.

Magpie news today is the reported effort to reconstruct and in many ways recreate Tun Tavern! That too was a favorite spot of the Founders, who evidently decided it was the right place to establish both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Oh, and our ancestor Freemasons met there as well.

A non-profit organization was formed in 2021 to raise funds and, presumably, to undertake the building of a new Tun Tavern. Parties involved are said to be Freemasons and others affiliated with other groups with roots in the original tavern and that are still extant. From the publicity:

Our Mission: To rebuild and re-establish The Tun™ as it was, a functioning mariner’s tavern reminiscent of colonial Philadelphia, serving period-influenced refreshments, food, and entertainment and offering an educational experience through exhibits, historical documents, and special events. All profits from operations of The Tun™ will be donated in perpetuity to support veteran causes, Masonic charities, educational scholarships, and qualified charities as determined by The Tun Tavern Legacy Foundation’s independent Board of Governors.

The Tun Tavern Legacy Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed by members of these organizations with origins at Tun Tavern that are still in existence:

United States Marines (1775)

Pennsylvania Freemasons (1731)

St. Andrew’s Society (1747)

Society of St. George (1729)

The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick (1771)

United States Navy (1775)

Members of these organizations are represented on our Board of Governors and are working together to re-establish The Tun™ in Philadelphia.

In America there are groups who have “created” destinations just because of their membership or interest in an organization or subject. These groups have a passion that draws them to their destinations, be it a love of nature, a love of country, a love of history… or love of tradition. There was such a place along Philadelphia’s early burgeoning waterfront in the 17th century, and it gave birth to no less than six prominent organizations– all of which are still in existence today with nearly 5,000,000 members who can claim the common heritage of their organizations’ founding at this place.

The fact that members of these organizations can name this place without hesitation is astounding, because no one has been there or seen it for more than 240 years, although most know its exact address: Water Street & Tun Alley. That place was The Tun tavern, often referred to in historical records as simply “The Tun.”

Opened in 1693 as what would today be called a micro-brewery, it was one of the first taverns erected in the new settlement of Philadelphia. Originally built by Master Brewer Joshua Carpenter, with the help of his brother Samuel Carpenter, The Tun had a reputation for the finest beer in Philadelphia. The demand for Joshua Carpenter’s beer was so strong that after operating The Tun for only about three months he decided to lease the tavern to someone else so that he could focus on his passion–crafting the finest beer and ale. It was apparently a good decision, as Joshua Carpenter was considered one of the wealthiest men in Philadelphia at the time of his death in 1722.

Between them, the Carpenter brothers owned four taverns and/or “coffee houses” (coffee and tea on the first floor, beer and spirits on the second). Joshua Carpenter’s businesses were so successful that he was one of the principal founders and financers of Christ Church in Philadelphia; a structure that still stands to this day.

The tavern changed hands multiple times over the next few decades, and it was under the management of a widow, Mary Campion in the 1730s, that it gained the reputation for good food. By the 1740s it was run by the Mullan Family, and furthered its reputation as the best place to get a meal in Philadelphia under the moniker “Peg Mullan’s Beefsteak Club.” Yet, as popular a destination as it was in the 1700s, the tavern had fallen into disrepair after standing nearly 100 years, and was razed in 1781, disappearing from the Delaware waterfront but never from the collective memories of the members of organizations that share a common heritage at The Tun.

It’s the destination that the members of these organizations still seek on an almost daily basis according to the Independence Hall National Park Rangers who encounter them. Yet, despite knowing the address, they just can’t find it.

Read more here.  I really hope this is legit and successful and fast. I look forward to downing a few pints—and hopefully relishing more rabbit—there.

By the way, a tun is a large wooden cask for beer, wine, and other essentials.

     

‘New team at Penna research lodge’

    

Myself and plenty of others at New Jersey’s research lodge would love to visit Pennsylvania Lodge of Research, but time and space prevent it. Their meetings often coincide with ours, and the commonwealth is so large that their meetings can be hundreds of miles away. That was the case yesterday; we held our meetings, and theirs was in Pittsburgh.

Their lodge reorganizes its officer line every December, and Bro. Seth Anthony, on Faceypage, reports:

“After several years of service, today was my last meeting as the secretary of the Pennsylvania Lodge of Research. I wish my successor, Mike Moran, all the best as he assumes the role. Also, congratulations to Richard Muth on a great year in the East, and best wishes to Christopher Rodkey on his upcoming year as Worshipful Master. You’re doing great work, Brothers!”

It’s extra notable news to me because Bro. Moran was the book reviews editor, and Bro. Rodkey was an assistant editor of The Journal of the Masonic Society for a number of years. They and Seth have been frequent writers in The Journal also. Congratulations, everybody!

(Coincidentally, Pennsylvania L of R Past Master Aaron R. White will be the guest speaker at Mariners Lodge 67 on Wednesday, presenting “The Tyranny of Memory.” I always say Mariners communications are not to be missed, although I myself never seem to get there, and this one will be no different. Great lodge. Great people. Great meal. And Aaron!)

Looking to the new year, Pennsylvania’s research lodge will meet June 15 at Williamsport; and December 14 at York. The former will not coincide with New Jersey’s meeting, but the latter will—and both are too far away. D’oh! I would join if they came east once in a while, but don’t let that stop you.

     

‘Museum to honor Masons’

    

Despite this blog having zero visitors from South Carolina, let me tell you about an interesting event coming later this month in Charleston, where the International African American Museum will salute the local Prince Hall Grand Lodge.

From December 14 to 17, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South Carolina will convene its 155th Annual Session in Charleston, and on Sunday the 17th, the IAAM will welcome the brethren for a day devoted to them. There will be a 10 a.m. church service at Mother Emanuel AME Church (110 Calhoun Street) from which there will be a parade at 12:30 to the museum. (The parade will turn right onto Concord Street, then left onto Inspection Street, then right onto Wharfside Street, ending at the museum at 14 Wharfside.)

From the publicity:

Since 1868, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South Carolina Free and Accepted Masons has been actively involved in making a difference in the community through faith-based, economic, and political engagement. Their work has focused on improving conditions for African-Americans, helping them build their own churches, schools, and businesses. The Masons have funded various social justice campaigns from the 1940s throughout the Civil Rights era. Under the leadership of the Most Worshipful Grand Master Victor C. Major, the group is working with the theme “Bridging the Gap of the Past, with an Eye on our Future, while Protecting our Brand.”

“Charleston is the home of the first five Masonic lodges established in South Carolina. One of the earliest known Masonic lodges began with African-American military men during the Civil War on Morris Island here. We are honored to recognize the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South Carolina and its work promoting fellowship, charity, and personal development in the state,” said Dr. Aurelio Givens, IAAM Faith Based Engagement and Education Manager.

I haven’t been able to learn what the IAAM has planned for the occasion, but it is scheduled to end at two o’clock, so maybe there’ll be a reception, some brief speeches, and refreshments in the West Yard of the African Ancestors Memorial Garden. I am not seeing anything on a possible exhibit on Freemasonry. (And you can’t get a human being on the phone.)

I wish the brethren a productive and harmonious Annual Session, a nourishing church service, and favorable weather for the procession to the museum.

     

‘A lovely evening with Jim Dillman’

    

Yes, they need to work on their logo.

While it’s hard to stay current with all the Masonic podcasts, I had to budget some time to listen to the November 26 episode of That Other Masonic Podcast for the simple reason that the guest is…Bro. Jim Dillman!

Jim is an old friend; I think we go back twenty or so years, starting with the Masonic Light group, then the Knights of the North, and on to the Masonic Society, where he served as president a decade ago. He was made a Mason in 2000 at Royal Center Lodge 585 in Indiana, but might be better known through Lodge Vitruvian 767, the European Concept lodge in Indianapolis founded by Jeff Naylor, with Roger VanGorden, Chris Hodapp, Jim, and other conspirators endeavoring to introduce a high style of lodge experience to the Masonic scene there. That’s how I found these gifted Masons. I had the idea of organizing a similar lodge in my area, and their know-how was invaluable (although I ultimately failed to get such a lodge launched).

All I can say about Jim is already said by the co-hosts of the show; quoting VanGorden, they describe him as “the definition of what a Mason should be.” (Not even an old man in dotage or a madman would say that about me, so it impresses.) Jim has a colorful Masonic past to share, although talking about himself does not come naturally. The co-hosts mention bringing Jim back another time, and with some show prep, they could pose the questions that would elicit his story better.

This podcast is carried on the usual platforms. The show runs almost ninety minutes, so choose a double corona from your humidor, keep the decanter and ice near, and enjoy a pleasant chat on the Level.

     

‘Research officers now installed’

    

CWLR photo

Civil War Lodge of Research 1865, of Virginia, Installation of Officers, Saturday at Farmville Lodge 41.

“In consequence of your cheerful conformity to the charges and regulations of the Order, you are now to be installed…”

Congratulations to the officers newly installed at Civil War Lodge of Research 1865 in Virginia!

Our new Worshipful Master is Bro. John Butler. The first meeting of 2024 will convene Saturday, April 13 at Mebane, North Carolina.

That’s a little far for me, but the subsequent meeting will be July 13 in Delaware, and I’ll catch up with the brethren then.

Congratulations also to now Past Master Andy Wilson on a busy term now complete.

     

‘A lodge may hear lectures’

    

Approaching my ninth anniversary as a New York Freemason, I finally bought a copy of Grand Lodge’s law book last week. I’ve had time only to thumb through a few sections, but immediately found a number of impressive items.

“Fear God!” It’s not in New York ritual, but read this from last Friday.

This one dates to 1859:

Grand Master John L. Lewis, Jr. brought this before Grand Lodge. I’ll have to look into whatever prompted it.

     

‘Taschen to release Waite-Colman Smith tarot collection’

    

Taschen has done it again. This time the publisher of lavish books and other sumptuous treats is poised to release its take on the A.E. Waite/Pamela Colman Smith tarot deck. You know, the one we all get started with, although it is more than enough for a lifetime of contemplation. Coming soon, and open for pre-ordering now, is a box of book and deck. From the publicity:

Doors into Our Uncharted Depths

The Story of the World’s

Most Popular Tarot

A unique edition of bright texts, brilliant images, and historic reprints, this kit provides everything that both beginners and advanced Tarot users might need and want to read cards for themselves and to study and experience this cultural gem in all its beauty and significance. The valuable collector’s box includes a complete deck of the Waite Smith Tarot cards and Waite’s famous companion book The Key to the Tarot. In this illustrated book, with texts and images compiled by Johannes Fiebig, the Tarot cards become psychological mirrors and signposts leading toward new answers and personal solutions. The fact that this works well can be attributed to certain advantages inherent to the Waite-Smith cards, and these points are illuminated in an essay by Rachel Pollack.

All 78 cards are presented individually and in detail. The explanatory texts provide several dimensions and levels of interpretation, including concrete practical tips. Further, the book offers a new feature: the quick check. This presents a concise hint regarding the meaning of each card in each possible position of all the spread patterns featured in the book.

When Arthur E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith developed their Tarot deck in London in 1909, nobody could have predicted that it would have an overwhelming renaissance starting around 60 years later. What were the lives, works, and passions of these creators like? Pamela Colman Smith and Arthur E. Waite are brought vividly back to life in essays by Mary K. Greer and Robert A. Gilbert.

The authors

Johannes Fiebig is one of the most successful authors in the field of Tarot and a leading expert in the psychological interpretation of symbols. He published his first book in 1984. Since then, his books have sold more than 2 million copies, translated into more than a dozen languages. In 1989, he co-founded and co-owned Königsfurt publishing house, which later became the publishing houses Königsfurt-Urania and AGM-Urania, of which he was managing director until 2018. Since then, he has been an independent writer based in Kiel.

Mary K. Greer is one of the world’s leading Tarot scholars and experts, famous by her outstanding, both exciting and useful Tarot blog. She is an author, teacher, and professional tarot consultant known for her innovative teaching techniques. With an M.A. in English Literature, she taught Tarot in colleges for fifteen years. Since the 1980s and her book Tarot for Your Self (1984), Mary belongs to the pioneers of the tarot as self-experience and as a tool of personal transformation and empowerment. She is a co-author of Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story (2018). She lives in California.

Rachel Pollack is the author of 46 books, including two award-winning novels, a book of poetry, a translation, with scholar David Vine, of Oedipus Rex (2012), and a series of books about Tarot known around the world. Her first book, Seventy-Eight Degrees Of Wisdom, was published in 1980 and has been in print ever since. Her work has been translated into 15 languages, and she has taught and lectured on four continents. She also is a visible artist, creator of The Shining Tribe Tarot, and has collaborated with artist Robert M. Place to create the Raziel Tarot, and the Burning Serpent Oracle. She lived in Rhinebeck, New York for many years, where she died in 2023.

R. A. Gilbert is a retired antiquarian bookseller and a prolific author and editor in the field of Western Esotericism, specializing in the life and work of A. E. Waite and in the history and lives of members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. His books include A.E. Waite: Magician of Many Parts (1987); The Golden Dawn Scrapbook (1997); Gnosticism and Gnosis (2012). Gilbert read Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Bristol, and received his doctorate from the University of London for a thesis on the publication of esoteric literature in the Victorian era. He lives a Somerset Village, England.

Click here to explore the pre-order process. Treat yourself or someone else important to something extraordinary for the holidays.

     

‘Boston cops: Paul Revere’s tombstone vandalized’

    

Lowell Sun

Boston Police said a homeless man was arrested during the morning of Sunday, November 26, after a lengthy vandalism spree victimizing a number of properties—and gravesites, including that of Founding Father and Freemason Paul Revere.

“Around 10:44 a.m., officers responded to the Granary Burying Ground, located in the area of Tremont Street and Bromfield Street, for a vandalism report,” a police report stated. “Officers were advised that multiple tombstones on the property had been vandalized, including Paul Revere’s. A total of fourteen tombstones were vandalized by being pulled from the ground or broken into pieces.”

(I have been unsuccessful in finding a photo from local media of Revere’s headstone. I’ll update this if I find one.)

Boston Herald

Lawrence Hawkins

For reference, that’s less than half a mile from Grand Lodge.

A man identified as Lawrence Hawkins, age 46,  described as homeless and said to have a history of mental illness, drug abuse, and arrests, was arrested. The suspect allegedly smashed the windshield of a police car, broke a window at the New England Holocaust Memorial, and damaged several businesses. Between the Granary Burying Ground and the King’s Chapel Burying Ground, a total of twenty headstones were damaged, many from the Colonial period. Police say one stone had been “pulled from the ground or broken into pieces.”

Lowell Sun

Hawkins was charged with multiple counts of destruction of property, and destruction of a place of worship. He was arraigned Monday on three of the alleged incidents, WCVB (local channel 5) reported. “A judge set bail at $7,500 for each of those three incidents he heard Monday morning, and ordered Hawkins to be seen by a doctor for a dangerousness hearing. In court it was revealed that Hawkins previously spent time at Bridgewater State Hospital. Hawkins at times during Monday’s arraignment was swearing, talking about the FBI and had to be told several times to listen to the allegations against him. Hawkins’ defense attorney said after court that Hawkins client suffers from psychiatric and substance abuse issues, which makes it difficult for him to speak with Hawkins.”

Of course he pleaded not guilty.

Three other acts of the alleged vandalism involved federal properties, and Hawkins will be arraigned for those incidents separately.

This sad news comes weeks before the city’s and the fraternity’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.

Bro. Paul Revere served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts from 1794-97. Thursday was the 253rd anniversary of his installation as Worshipful Master of St. Andrew’s Lodge (that’s St. Andrew’s Day).

Boston, founded in 1630, is today at the mercy of woke politicians, like District Attorney Kevin Hayden, who does all he can to keep criminals on the streets, employing “restorative justice” and other tactics to promote the interests of criminals.

     

‘1784 St. John’s Day sermon at Morristown’

    

There is a short article in the December trestleboard from New Jersey’s research lodge that makes relevant today a page of local early Masonic history. I’ll just reproduce it here:

To Fear God:

The 1784 St. John’s Day Sermon 

On St. John the Evangelist Day 1784 at Morristown, The Rev. Uzal Ogden delivered a sermon before Lodge No. 10. As best I can determine, he was not a Freemason, but with the surname Ogden, it is easy to see he had family connections to the fraternity, most probably to Moses Ogden and others at St. John’s Lodge in Newark. As for Lodge No. 10, this is the mysterious lodge in Basking Ridge chartered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. 

From the 1781 Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Book of Proceedings. It’s a safe bet that this Dr. Blatchley is Bro. Ebenezer Blatchley, a Past Master of Lodge No. 10 who, in 1787, retroactively signed onto the formation of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. Little is known about the lodge, except that it was chartered in 1767 by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (Antients) and was empowered to meet within five miles of Basking Ridge.

The reverend, an Episcopalian, was known to preach at Trinity Church in Newark and at the more famous Trinity Church in Manhattan, as well as at St. John’s Church in Elizabethtown. He graduated from Princeton University at age 18, and was ordained in 1773 at 29. He was an experienced speaker by age 40 when he preached this sermon to the local Freemasons, and he did so without notes. The reason we have it today is the lodge requested a written copy for publication, causing the reverend to put quill to paper after the fact. Historically, we readers find ourselves one year after the Revolutionary War ended and almost two years before the founding of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey.

This sermon is far too long to reproduce here, so I will summarize one of its four key ideas: “to notice what it is to ‘fear God.’”

What is it to fear God? When the candidate for the degrees of Freemasonry seeks admission to any of New Jersey’s lodges, the Worshipful Master orders that he be in “the fear of the Lord” upon entering. It must be important because it’s in all three degrees. It is more specific than belief in a higher power. What does it mean?

To fear God, Ogden said, is to love or to serve Him. He illustrates this with multiple quotations of Scripture, including two attributed to King Solomon: “It shall be well with those who fear God.” (Ecclesiastes 8:12) And “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)

By the fear of God, he continues, “we are to understand a due observance of religion, which it may be said, consists of three particulars: knowledge, faith, and practice.”

“The first principle of religious knowledge requisite we should be acquainted with,” Ogden says, “is that there exists some Being superior to ourselves, who gave excellence to Creation, who inhabits eternity, whose knowledge is infinite, whose presence fills all space, whose power preserves and sustains all nature, and who possesses all possible perfection.”

“Can we behold the heavens above or the earth beneath,” he adds, “without acknowledging the infinite power, wisdom, and goodness displayed by some, though to us, invisible Architect?” 

Faith, Ogden’s second particular in fearing God, also is the first of the principal rounds of the ladder—Faith, Hope, and Charity—reaching to Heaven that Freemasonry discusses in its First Degree. Ogden begins: “But it is to no purpose we are informed of these things unless we believe them. ‘Without faith,’ it is said, ‘it is impossible to please God, for he that comes to Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.’”

“To hope for the friendship of God,” he adds, “while we disclaim His authority…would be irrational, as futile, as it would be to…behold the light if deprived of the organs of vision!”

Of the third of his particulars—practice—Rev. Ogden is all about character. “Although it is most reasonable we should offer to our Almighty Creator and divine benefactor the oblation of our hearts; and though Christianity is calculated to deliver us from infamy and woe, and to exalt us to honor and happiness, how often are its benefits rejected?” he asks. “How many are there, even of those professing to revere this dispensation of mercy, who live regardless of its precepts, and who, in their actions with men are so far from ‘doing as they would be done unto,’ that no feelings of humanity, no sense of honor, nor any fear of divine vengeance, nor any thing but present punishment can divert them from acts of dishonesty, barbarity, and flagrant impiety?” 

While there is no obvious documentation of Rev. Uzal Ogden being a Freemason, it is clear that Lodge No. 10 chose its speaker for St. John the Evangelist Day wisely. He anticipated his audience and crafted his remarks accordingly, and we are fortunate the lodge opted to have his sermon printed so posterity may enjoy it.