‘California streamin’: August symposium’

    

The Grand Lodge of California is doing it again. From the publicity:

The Grand Lodge of California’s annual symposium, held online and free to all, will discuss Fringe Masonry and explore the Mysteries that Bind Us.

Click here to register.

According to some estimates, there are 3,361 fraternal organizations in the state of California alone. Freemasonry is among the oldest of them, and certainly the most influential. But that influence goes both ways.

Just as many fraternal organizations have borrowed from blue lodge Masonry, so too has the craft borrowed elements from other Masonic and quasi-Masonic rites—from groups as varied and mystical as the Swedenborgian Rite, the Zuzimites, and countless others. Those connections are at the heart of the 2024 California Masonic Symposium, being held Wednesday, August 28. Join Masonic scholars and experts for a range of presentations on some of the most mysterious and esoteric Masonic rites—what is often referred to as “fringe Masonry.”

Join us for a wide-ranging discussion of the ways groups like these have and continue to intersect with craft Masonry—and the legacy they’ve left behind.

Speakers include some of the foremost authors on these topics. This discussion will be led by Gabriel G. Mariscal, the Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of California.

2024 California Masonic Symposium Speakers: Angel Millar, Jaime Paul Lamb, and Joe Martinez.

Read about the speakers here.

     

‘Make St. Alban’s Day great again’

    

Catholic Online

St. Alban

Another very pleasurable Saturday at The Cranbury Inn is in the books.

A group of us from New Jersey’s research lodge are making an annual tradition of this. Last June, St. John the Baptist Day was nice enough to land on a Saturday, so to celebrate that and the 300th anniversary of The Constitutions of the Free-Masons—more commonly known as Anderson’s Constitutions—being published, we gathered for lunch at this historic eatery. Today, being St. Alban’s Day, we did it again.

About The Cranbury Inn from its website:

In the mid-1600s in the center of the colony of New Jersey by Cranberry Creek, a mill town began to develop along an old Indian trail that had widened into a road. This road connected the colonies and was becoming a main thoroughfare for colonial travelers. In 1697 Cranberry Towne received its charter from England. With increasing development, a need arose in central New Jersey for a place to eat and drink, get fresh horses, and spend the night; thus, in the mid-1700s (1750 and 1765) our taverns were built to meet these needs of the travelers passing through this area. After the colonies declared their independence from the motherland this business officially established itself in 1780. What is now The Cranbury Inn has been functioning as a place to eat and drink since the 1750s.

We ate, we drank, but it’s a shame you can’t smoke in the place. Conversation remained in the orbit of Masonic history, particularly how one event in the 1800s gave shape to much of what we do today. That discussion just might develop into a conference, so I’ll sit on the details there.

But, St. Alban! I was asked in advance to provide the postprandial remarks, so the brethren patiently listened to “Make St. Alban’s Day Great Again.” I kept it short, but this is my pitch to elevate June 22 to its rightful place on the Masonic calendar on account of this saint having a historical connection to the masons of the building trades.

John the Baptist? No connection to the masons of medieval times. Read as many of the Gothic Constitutions as you please, but you won’t find any mention of John the Baptist. Or of the Evangelist, for that matter. But there is our true patron, St. Alban, in the Cooke Manuscript from the 15th century.

Excerpted, starting at Line 602:

And soon after that came Saint Adhabell into England, and converted Saint Alban to Christianity. And Saint Alban loved well masons, and he gave them first their charges and manners first in England. And he ordained convenient [times] to pay for the travail.

Another document, known as the Grand Lodge Manuscript, that is said to date to 1583, illustrates more:

England in all this time stood void of any Charge of Masonry, until St. Albans’ time, and in his days the King of England, then a pagan, did wall the town that is now called St. Albans. And St. Alban was a worthy Knight and Steward of the King’s household, and had the government of the realm, and also of the walls of the said town; he loved and cherished Masons right well, and made their pay right good (according the standing of the realm), for he gave them 2 shillings 6 pence a week and three pence to their cheer [food and drinks]; for before that time, throughout all the land, a Mason took but a penny a day and his meat, until St. Alban amended it. He procured for them [the Masons] a Charter from the King and his Council, to hold a general council together, and gave it the name of Assembly; and after having himself [become a Mason], he helped to make men Masons, and gave them a Charge, as you shall hear afterwards right soon.

So, personally, I believe St. Alban endeared himself to masons through the act of improving the food and drink allowance!

He is the patron saint of torture victims, so if you ever endured one of my talks, Alban is your saint.

For a smattering of hagiography, see the Catholic Encyclopedia here.

      

‘In the Reading Room: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician’

    

The Reading Room, one of the many features of Craftsmen Online, will host Angel Millar next month. From the publicity:

The Reading Room will open Monday, July 30 at 8 p.m. (ET). Our panel that evening will be RW Michael LaRocco, RW Clifford T. Jacobs, and Bro. Jason W. Short, with special guest Bro. Angel Millar.

Our reading selection is from Bro. Millar’s The Three Stages of Initiation Spirituality: Craftsman, Warrior, Magician.

Click here to download your free copy of this material. Click here to find the Zoom meeting.

     

‘Lodge to star in PBS history program’

    

East Bay Media Group

Historic Washington Lodge 3 in Rhode Island will star in a forthcoming PBS history program, according to local media.

The Warren Times-Gazette reports today how the lodge, which dates to June 24, 1796, will be featured on Rhode Island PBS’ Treasures Inside the Museum next month. The following is copyright © 2024 East Bay Media Group:

By Ethan Hartley

New England is a historical spelunker’s paradise. It’s a place where a day trip to any random corner of the region can result in stumbling upon some type of rare artifact or another that hearkens back to the earliest days of our colonial past, or perhaps even beyond that.

Warren, certainly, has its fair share of transportive treasures—both in objects carried down through generations held within historic walls, to the actual buildings themselves. And coming soon to a PBS station near you, one particular local location, and one particularly special historic artifact, will have its moment in the spotlight.

Washington Lodge No. 3, located at 39 Baker St. in Warren’s downtown historic district, boasts a title of the second oldest continuously operating Freemasons lodge in the United States, first opening up in June of 1796. The building has undergone renovations and although it is not technically a museum, the board of directors that take care of the building have been consistently seeking to share its vibrant history with anyone interested through a variety of open houses and events throughout the year.

John Miranda, a member of the board and the Junior Deacon at the lodge, said that he reached out to Rhode Island PBS last year to see if they were interested in visiting the lodge while they were taping the fifth season of the New England Emmy-nominated series, Treasures Inside the Museum. The show, produced by a collaboration of Ocean State Video and Weathervane Communications, took him up on the invite and visited Warren on December 28, 2023 to shoot the segment featuring the Washington Lodge.

Miranda said that the building’s history will be explored in the segment, along with some of the interesting Egyptian murals, and historical objects from the Freemasons of generations past.

“We explore traditional museum spaces in season five and the unexpected locations where treasures are kept,” said Betty-Jo Cugini, series co-producer and owner of Weathervane Communications. “We are excited to take viewers behind the scenes as exhibits come to life, from ideas shared around a table to an opening-night exhibit where unique treasures and cultures come together.”

One particular item from the lodge is sure to turn some heads and pique some interest among historical buffs: a water pitcher that was owned by George Washington. Miranda said it was given to the lodge by the family of George Washington’s quartermaster, but you’ll have to tune into the show to get the full story.

The show featuring Warren will air on July 19 at 8:30 p.m., July 20 at 12:30 p.m., and July 21 at 7 p.m. Warren will share a show with The Sailing Museum & National Sailing Hall of Fame in Newport.

“They were very excited to do a story about us,” Miranda said. “It’s exciting just to have the lodge featured on PBS and to let people see what’s in the building, because I’m sure there’s always mystery about what’s going on in a Freemasons lodge. At least we can now give them a little peek behind the curtain.”

Episodes of the show will be available to watch on Rhode Island PBS and on the Rhode Island PBS YouTube channel.

     

‘UGLE: Enough of this fake narrative’

    

England’s Masonic grand lodges shall remain single-sex, according to a story today in The Telegraph.

They’ve really got a scoop here, blowing the lid off this elusive mystery kept under wraps by the secret societies. The venerable news outlet cites the speech by the United Grand Lodge of England’s Pro Grand Master during the Quarterly Communication last week.

“There have been two recurring themes from different journalists,” RW Jonathan Spence is quoted saying. “The first is the claim that Freemasonry in this country is a male-only activity and therefore inherently wrong, non-inclusive and misogynistic. The second is, once again, a focus on the alleged lack of transparency relating to Freemasonry and yet another push to require full declaration of our membership almost in all circumstances.”

“Brethren, we have all had enough of this fake narrative and we should state clearly and unambiguously what Freemasonry is,” he added. “We have a proud tradition as a secular, non-religious, non-political, lawful and law-abiding activity in the United Kingdom, as it is elsewhere in the world. Freemasonry is proud of its history of inclusivity and for the last three centuries, we have welcomed members from all walks of life, regardless of religion, ethnicity, sexuality or socioeconomic background.”

“Across the world, most nights, in Freemasons’ lodges, these groups of people come together to enjoy their Freemasonry, united in their commitment to our core values, which this Grand Lodge articulates as integrity, friendship, respect and service,” he also said. “These values are based on long-established Enlightenment values and Freemasonry has fundamental ideals including liberty, tolerance, constitutional government and a meritocratic society.”

The Telegraph’s Steve Bird discovered the secret speech on the furtive fraternity’s website. Click here.

This boring non-story has been churning in the media for several weeks since the Garrick Club voted to admit females to its membership, and a brilliant super-genius in the House of Lords asked What about the Freemasons? Read more about that here. Since then, the UGLE and the two female grand lodges have issued joint statements affirming their rights to keep the same-sex memberships they choose.

Click here to read The Telegraph story.

@MayallOnline

     

‘A humble, daring, and eloquent banner’

    

time.com

Today is Flag Day in the United States. This is a holiday, but not a federal holiday that would close government offices and financial institutions. Flag Day has been a traditional observance in American life since 1916; while that may not compute to a great span of years, we today definitely inhabit a completely different world that eschews traditions. To almost all appearances, we have become a people conditioned to indifference toward our nationality and our symbols because of some alleged guilt for which we are supposed to atone in perpetual despair.

Why observe on June 14? It was on that date in 1777 when the Second Continental Congress voted to make the Stars and Stripes our country’s flag.

It was Woodrow Wilson who issued the presidential proclamation in 1916 to “rededicate ourselves to the Nation, ‘one and inseparable,’ from which every thought that is not worthy of our fathers’ first vows of independence, liberty, and right shall be excluded, and in which we shall stand with united hearts for an America which no man can corrupt, no influence draw away from its ideals, no force divide against itself, a Nation equally distinguished among all the nations of mankind for its clear, individual conception alike of its duties and its privileges, its obligations and its rights.”

The fourteenth of June was not designated Flag Day by law until 1949, when President Truman signed House Joint Resolution 170.

Between 1916 and 1949, New York Freemasonry made its own rules which, it could be argued, were befitting of those times. Grand Master Robert H. Robinson, speaking to Grand Lodge assembled in Masonic Hall on May 2, 1922, said in reflection on the previous year:

On June 14, 1921, National Flag Day was celebrated by Masonic lodges in nearly every corner of the State, and it is our hope that this birthday of our Flag may every year be made a veritable feast day in the Craft. Masonry inculcates loyalty to State and Nation, and it is for us, as citizens of our beloved country, to keep ever alive the wisdom, the loyalty, and the patriotism of our forefathers. I quote from a memorable document on “Your Flag and Mine”:

“If anything in the world symbolizes the realization of the dream and aspirations of men, it is surely the Stars and Stripes. It has been said that young men dream dreams and old men see visions, but never before in the whole history of our race had the prophetic souls of men more surely recognized the coming of a new and better age than when Old Glory was first flung to the breeze.

 

“It is the symbol of the hopes, the aspirations, the struggles, the sufferings, the victories, the happiness, the progress-in short, the very lives of more than one hundred million people.

 

“The world has never known a banner more humble in its origin, yet more daring in its conception, and more eloquent in its appeal to the hearts and minds of men the world over. For nearly a century and a half it has flung forth a message to liberty-loving peoples of all lands, bidding them welcome to a land of opportunity, a land where there are neither kings nor czars, princes nor peasants, a land where all men are brothers with equal liberty and justice for all. And its message has been heard and answered.

 

“There were but 3,000,000 persons, or about one-half of the present population of New York City, in the entire United States when the flag sent forth its message over land and sea, and the civilized world laughed cynically at the ‘great experiment.’ But men’s hearts thrilled and are still thrilling at the great experiment which has become the embodiment of the greatest ideal in government the world has ever known. Men came and tasted of liberty and found that it was good.

 

“Today, more than 100,000,000 Americans—men, women, children—stand ready to defend their ideal with their lives, if need be, even as the little handful of patriots 140 years ago fought and died for the same ideal. Whether they be newcomers or citizens whose forefathers sought refuge on these shores, it matters not now. Americans by birth and Americans by adoption make common cause of the Flag and the ideal for which it stands.”

My honored successor, I am sure, will have a message for you this coming Flag Day couched in his own fearless and inspiring words. I cannot myself lose this opportunity of impressing upon you, men of the Grand Lodge, the nobility and far reaching effect a yearly general celebration of Flag Day would have upon the life and vitality of our Craft, and if there is nothing else in the address read to you this afternoon that invites your attention, I beg your earnest, your patriotic, and your liberty-loving loyalty to the glorification of “your flag and mine,” our glorious banner of liberty.

MW Arthur Tompkins

Robinson’s “honored successor” was MW Arthur Tompkins (the brilliant visionary who signed my lodge’s warrant!) Several weeks later, he encouraged New York’s lodges to commemorate Flag Day. At his direction, Grand Lodge’s Bureau of Social and Educational Service provided lodges ideas for programs they could adopt, plus books, poems, and other relevant literature, including an essay of 6,000 words on the subject of the U.S. flag.

“The display of bunting by Masons throughout the State added materially to the observance of the day and patriotic exercises were conducted in many of the Lodges,” MW Townsend Scudder, chairman, said in his report on the matter.

And, in fact, on Flag Day 1921—at this very minute, actually—Sea and Field Lodge 1 hosted a Flag Day observance inside the Grand Lodge Room. Secretary William C. Prime reported to Grand Lodge how “upwards of 2,000 Master Masons from the Metropolitan District and neighborhood, at which addresses were made by Hon. Martin W. Littleton, Brother Job E. Hedges, by Rear Admiral Reynold T. Hall, Gen. Barbour, and by Bishop Wm. T. Manning. A large delegation of servicemen attended with colors, which were massed with appropriate ceremony, and the occasion was one of dignity, as befitted it, and truly memorable.”

There are many more details to share, but you get the point. My point in this edition of The Magpie Mason is I believe we have lost something. Of course our fraternity is much smaller today, so there is less talent and fewer hands to set to labor, but we unintentionally have accommodated modernity too much in our thinking. We ought to be honoring Flag Day right now. We have more than 400 lodges. Are any marking today’s holiday? I haven’t heard of any.

Our city tonight is polluted with other flags, symbols that divide people, shout for fringe cultic identities, and even encourage warfare. Our gentle Craft possesses an antidote to much of what ails society, and that the simple symbolism of a Flag Day celebration can signal to a weary and uncertain public that they are not alone—that unity with other citizens can be found.

     

‘Masonic treasures on display’

    

Magpie coverage of Grotto Week in New Orleans is forthcoming, I promise, but let me just publish another time sensitive post before I delve into a ton of photos and memories.

Two of New York Freemasonry’s most treasured sites will be open to visiting groups later this month.

MCC photo

Next Monday, the 17th, the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica will gather at the Daniel D. Tompkins Memorial Chapel in Utica. The Masonic Chapel Walk and Talk will be guided by Mara Mulligan.

Everyone will meet in the parking lot of the chapel (2150 Bleecker St.), located on Grand Lodge’s Masonic Care Community campus, at six o’clock for the 90-minute tour.

Donations are welcome. Click here.

On Sunday, June 23, New York Adventure Club will spend a few hours inside Masonic Hall in Manhattan (71 W. 23rd St.), the headquarters of Grand Lodge. From the publicity:

What do notable New Yorkers like John Jacob Astor, Harry Houdini, and New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia all have in common? The answer: They were members of Freemasonry, the world’s first and largest fraternity dating back to the 1600s.

From separating fact from fiction behind this members-only organization, to exploring more than a dozen breathtaking spaces that have been painstakingly restored to their original grandeur, it’s time to uncover the secrets behind one of New York City’s most unique buildings like never before.

Join New York Adventure Club for a special access trip through the historic Masonic Hall, the headquarters of the Freemasons’ Grand Lodge of New York since 1873. Led by one of the New York Grand Lodge’s most senior members, this rare two-hour weekend experience through many of the Masonic Hall rooms will include:

🎩 An overview of the history and concepts of Masonry

🎩 The story of Masonic Hall and why it was completely rebuilt in 1911 as a towering 19-story building

🎩 A look inside nearly a dozen meeting rooms and their eclectic architectural styles, such as the Renaissance Room, Ionic Room, and French Doric Room

🎩 A special visit to the Hollender Room, featuring a two-story vaulted ceiling, subtle Mayan and Incan motifs, leaded glass bookcases containing rare books, and a statue of George Washington (a Freemason himself!)

🎩 Famous Freemasons who visited Masonic Hall since the late 19th century, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt

🎩 A trip to the famed Grand Lodge Room, a masterpiece of design containing iconic stained glass windows and other elements that are believed to have influenced the design of the ill-fated Titanic

🎩 A discussion of the Library and Museum within Masonic Hall. Open during weekdays, these rooms house rare Masonic books, artifacts, and regalia that offer a glimpse into the cultural and historical contributions of the Freemasons.

Cost per person: $39.98. Begins at two o’clock. Click here.

If you cannot attend this time, the group will do it again on Sunday, July 21 at 2 p.m.

     

‘Massachusetts Masons commemoration’

    

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts will have a big anniversary to celebrate next Monday. From the publicity:

249th Commemoration

of the Battle of Bunker Hill

Monday, June 17

Join the Grand Master and a group of state and local dignitaries to pay tribute to the selfless acts of heroism during the early days of the Revolutionary War that paved the way for our liberty from the Crown. Her Excellency, Governor Maura Healey, and Most Worshipful Brother Hamilton will be among the speakers.

1:30 p.m.—Ecumenical Service at St. Francis de Sales Church, 303 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown.

Procession to Bunker Hill Monument.

3 p.m.—Battle of Bunker Hill Commemorative Exercises.

Dress: Dark jacket, tie, and apron (aprons will not be provided). Don’t forget your top hat (requested, not required).

If your lodge is named for Joseph Warren or otherwise has a touchable connection to the American Revolution, this would make an ideal weekday happening. Maybe top it off with a historic pub crawl? Or, at least, walk the Freedom Trail!

Yesterday was the 283rd anniversary of Warren’s birth. He was killed in action against the British at Breed’s Hill, site of the monument shown above, in Charlestown. Monday will be the 249th anniversary of the fighting. Next year will be the bicentenary of the start of the monument’s construction.

The National Park Service, with partners, has a more than week-long celebration underway already. Click here.

I cannot attend this one, but next year’s—the 250th—is on my calendar. Maybe see you there.

     

‘Bill Hosler, R.I.P.’

    

Bro. Bill Hosler circa 2018.

I just got home from what was the greatest leisurely week of the last thirty years of my life to learn of the death last Thursday of Bro. Bill Hosler.

I “met” Bill in the Masonic Light group, and he was one of the Knights of the North, and was on the ground floor at the launch of the Masonic Society, but you likely know him from the Midnight Freemasons and the Meet, Act and Part podcast. But he was irrepressible, so maybe you just know him via the electrical waves in the air.

Lady Tammi announced earlier:

The love of my life, Bill Hosler, passed away this past Thursday, unexpectedly. I am devastated and very overwhelmed, which has made it harder to make sure all who loved him is aware.

I do appreciate all who have reached out that loved him so much, as it has been helpful to me even if I can’t respond. I know he has been rejoined with so many that went before him who loved him, and I know our girl, Happy, greeted him at Heaven’s gate.

We will be sharing detailed service arrangements soon, but I did want those who loved him to know a service will be in Bentonville, Arkansas this Thursday and then a Masonic funeral service will be in Ft. Wayne, Indiana likely Saturday. Epting Funeral Home in Bentonville Arkansas is arranging all services.

Frankly, Bill wasn’t exactly the picture of health, and he and I would chat occasionally about how to manage various problems. He spoke from hard earned experience when cautioning me about these things. He always maintained his sense of humor—typically on the bawdy side—and that is the absence I’ll feel first, but he was a joy in discussion of Freemasonry. He had a lot of experience, having traveled around the middle of the country a lot in recent years. He possessed a wisdom about it all that will be missed especially.

Alas, my brother.

     

‘The Day the War Stopped’

    

Scott Clause/Feliciana 31

This one is killin’ me.

I’m a New York Mason; I’m currently in Louisiana; I’m also at labor in Civil War Lodge of Research 1865; and I still won’t be able to get to see The Day the War Ended!

This annual re-enactment of a Masonic moment during the Civil War takes place in St. Francisville, Louisiana in June. My trip to New Orleans for the Grotto Supreme Council happens to coincide.

The history tells of Bro. John Elliot Hart, of St. George’s Lodge 6 in New York, commanding officer of the USS Albatross, dying onboard his ship. A messenger was sent ashore to ask about the possibility of a burial, particularly a Masonic funeral. Confederate Army Capt. William W. Leake, Senior Warden of Feliciana Lodge 31, got word of it, and arranged a Masonic burial for his brother in the opposing naval force besieging his state for control of the Mississippi River.

Click here to read how Country Roads magazine describes it.

On Saturday, Masons from both Feliciana 31 and St. George’s 6 will re-enact that learning moment as part of a daylong celebration of local history and culture. Here is the itinerary:

Saturday, June 8

Downtown St. Francisville

All Day: Lodge Tours

Feliciana Lodge 31

Prosperity Street

9 a.m. National Anthem and Welcome

Feliciana Lodge 31

9:30 “The Day the War Stopped”

Jackson Hall, Grace Episcopal Church

10 a.m. Historical Re-enactment and Graveside Histories

Corner of Prosperity and Ferdinand streets and into Grace Episcopal Cemetery

11:30 to 1 p.m. Sixth Annual Jambalaya Cook-Off

Courthouse Grounds (across from lodge)

Noon to 2

Vintage Dancing and Music

Jackson Hall, Grace Episcopal Church

1 p.m. Jambalaya and Raffle Winners

Feliciana Lodge

1:30 to 2 Closing of the Lodge

6 to 10 p.m. Gala (music, food & drinks) $25

Magnolia Café

It’s a two-hour, 100+ mile drive each way—and I don’t have a car. So close, yet so far. Well, there’s always the Grotto’s Clown and Balloon Competition. Just as good.

It’ll be fine. I’m okay. D’oh!

     

‘Thomas Paine Day in New Rochelle’

     

Patch photo

Saturday will be Thomas Paine Day in the City of New Rochelle!

Paine was not a Freemason. There is some confusion about it on account of his writing a short book on the subject of the Craft, but he was not a Mason. The self-described atheist, who had difficulties supporting himself and was often viewed with suspicion, probably would not have been welcomed into a lodge of that period despite his value to the Revolution, however selflessly he contributed.

The book—a pamphlet, really—was published posthumously with the title On the Origin of Free-Masonry. Paine died on June 8, 1809 in Greenwich Village at what today is 59 Grove Street, now the site of Marie’s Crisis Cafe, a name alluding to Paine’s The American Crisis series of sixteen pamphlets (1776-83) exhorting the Americans to free themselves from British rule. A bronze plaque memorializing Paine can be seen on its exterior.

As a writer, Thomas Paine may have exceeded Thomas Jefferson as the wordsmith of the Revolution. (e.g., “These are the times that try men’s souls…”) His connection to New Rochelle is embodied by the farm that was given to him by the State of New York in thanks for his patriotic service and, frankly, to help him stay afloat.

But about Origin. It is entertaining. He begins: “It is always understood that Free-Masons have a secret which they carefully conceal, but from everything that can be collected from their own accounts of Masonry, their real secret is no other than their origin, which but few of them understand; and those who do, envelope it in mystery.”

Freemasonry, he continues, “is derived, and is the remains of, the religion of the ancient Druids, who, like the magi of Persia and the priests of Heliopolis in Egypt, were Priests of the Sun.” He explains how the use of the sun in our rituals and symbolism, which he gleaned from Prichard’s exposure Masonry Dissected, proves his theory, but there is more.

The colophon page explains how Origin came to be published.

 
In conclusion, Paine writes “I come now to speak of the cause of secrecy used by the Masons. The natural source of secrecy is fear. When any new religion overruns a former religion, the professors of the new become the persecutors of the old... A false brother might expose the lives of many of them to destruction; and from the remains of the religion of the Druids, thus preserved, arose the institution which, to avoid the name of Druid, took that of Mason, and practiced, under this new name, the rights and ceremonies of Druids.”

Paine’s writing on Freemasonry is wrong, but it is not nonsensical. There is a logic to his thesis that, frankly, is more solid than the weird suppositions about Masonry originating as a murderous Roman Catholic army deployed to the Holy Land. Paine’s pamphlet remains in print and can be had from your favorite bookseller. It is a quick read which I recommend to your attention.

     

‘My thanks to Eureka Chapter’

    

On the night before Eureka Chapter’s convocation, we went to Winter Garden Lodge 165 for its Fellow Craft Degree. A great night!

My thanks to Eureka Chapter 7 of Royal Arch Masons in Orlando, Florida for hosting me for a talk. I got bumped from the original March 7 convocation in favor of Juan Sepulveda—and, really, who could blame them?—but they got me there, wined and dined me, and hopefully enjoyed my presentation on what Jewish mystical writings known collectively as the Zohar say about certain Royal Arch symbols.

The meeting at Eureka was fun for me. I actually was drafted into an officer’s chair only to find the Opening and Closing rituals used are from the General Grand Chapter, so they are short and sweet compared to what I know from my chapter. A nice turn-out with about twenty Royal Arch Masons in attendance, including, I’m told, several who hadn’t been seen in some time.

Anyway, to summarize my talk, titled “Mystical Interpretations of Royal Arch Symbols,” as quickly as possible:

➤ In the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem, there is no High Priest, and consequently we each must be our own High Priest and govern ourselves accordingly.

➤ The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Book of Exodus as being covered in gold inside and out, which should remind us, as Royal Arch Masons, to be the same people inside and out. To be “good as gold” by letting our spiritual work give shape to our thoughts, words, and deeds so we are not projecting false images of ourselves and concealing weaknesses and failings.

➤ Of the Cherubims atop the Ark, they play a role as a conveyance of communications. The lesson I relayed to the companions was a reminder that when prayers fail to reach the Heavens on their own, these golden angels represent angels who carry prayers to the Upper World. In our labors, we must have the right intentions to produce the right actions that are worthy of the correct angels to connect us to the Upper World.

➤ And the Tabernacle itself? As the Holy of Holies, where the Ark was placed, was separate from the rest of the Tabernacle, we should understand the need to distinguish what is special in life from what is ordinary. Observe the sabbath of your faith as best you can. Observe your holidays likewise. Even the new moon each month is a reason for renewal. Don’t waste these opportunities to jumpstart your spiritual life.

There was more, like the High Priest’s garments and breastplate, among other things. And the Q&A was lively and even fun, thanks to a few companions who already knew where I was going with this material. Somehow we all forgot to take the obligatory group photo because of the engrossing discussion.

I am grateful to Franklin and Ivan for the invitation and for all the first class care I received during this, my first visit to Florida. Even the weather cooperated. As part of his babysitting duties, Franklin took me to a few local spots that got my attention.

The Morse Museum is home to a vast collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s glorious crafts. I shot dozens of photos, but I’ll share just a few:

The Tree of Life is a massive leaded glass window made from 1928 to 1931 for his country home, Laurelton Hall, near Oyster Bay. After Tiffany’s death in 1933, avid collectors Hugh and Jeannette McKean purchased as many pieces as possible, which now comprise the Morse Museum collection.

Detail of the Science panel of The Tree of Life.

Detail of the Creation panel of The Tree of Life.

Madonna and Child window.

We also visited Prometheus Esoterica, which is kind of like a smaller version of Morbid Anatomy in Brooklyn. It’s a retail business, but one that has oddities and faux occultism stuff. Lots of Baphomets! There also is a surprising number of Masonic pieces as décor and for sale:

Prometheus Esoterica displays a noticeable number of Masonic pieces, especially Shrine and Templar stuff.

Hanging in the washroom(!) is this A&ASR-SJ 32° certificate. Ill Aaron Shoemaker translates: ‘We, the Inspector Generals, testify through these Letters Patent that our well-deserving Brother, Joseph Landon Fincher born forty-nine years ago and residing in Pensacola, Florida, whose name is subscribed in the margin by his own hand, holds the rank of THIRTY-SECOND DEGREE SECRET MASTER (Master of the Royal Secret) of the same Rite. Therefore, we exhort and beseech all Freemasons residing anywhere beyond the borders of our jurisdiction to recognize our Brother in his dignity and to extend the same observance toward their fellow brethren within our jurisdiction.’

Another fez, but at right is one of the big copies of Manly P. Hall’s Secret Teachings.

Also, the night before the chapter convocation, we went to Winter Garden Lodge 165 for a Fellow Craft Degree. And expertly conferred it was. The Past Master who sat in the East was the father of one of the Apprentices being passed. At the end, the new Fellows were asked for their thoughts on what had just transpired. They handled the question with humor and impressive insight, considering they were put on the spot after a hefty ritual and pretty late at night. Also, it was the 94th birthday of the Brother Tyler!

     

‘History by type and as ritual’

    

The Spirit of Masonry, essential reading, figures in Ben Hoff’s upcoming paper.

New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 will meet Saturday. Two weighty papers are scheduled. From the trestleboard:

“Classifying History Writing by Type” by Bro. Donald Elfreth. This admittedly subjective short essay attempts to fit various types of history writing into four broad areas. There are no firm divisions of these areas, and each may have, to some extent, elements of another. The presenter does not expect all to agree with his analysis, and he looks forward to a lively discussion at the conclusion of his presentation.

“Monitors and Ritual Ciphers” by Distinguished Laureate Bro. Ben Hoff. A survey of history and development of Masonic Monitors and Ritual books, both coded (ciphers) and uncoded, along with their influence on the expansion of our ritual, particularly lectures.

I have read Ben’s well researched paper, and will host him at The American Lodge of Research in October to present it again as part of a multifaceted review of such books. You’ll hear about that when autumn approaches.

New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education meets at 9:30 a.m. in Freemasons Hall, home of Union Lodge 19, in North Brunswick. Light refreshments are served before, and a catered lunch ($20) after for those who booked in advance.

Now is still spring, and I will have to miss this meeting of LORE 1786 because it will coincide with the Grotto Supreme Council Session.

     

‘Parade of Planets heralds Publicity installation’

    

Let me now beg of you to observe, that the light of a Master Mason is but darkness visible, serving only to discover that gloom which rests on the prospect of futurity; it is that mysterious veil of darkness which the eye of human reason cannot penetrate, unless assisted by that light which is from above…

Charge of the Third Degree

The Perfect Ceremonies of Craft Masonry

1871

From where I now stand, just before sunrise, darkness visible is about all I get from looking skyward, as the impenetrable light pollution of the metropolitan area veils the heavens in artificial lumens. So, I can’t see the Parade of Planets currently on display.

Maybe you have better luck.

Still, the timing is impeccable. Later today, but well before sunset, my lodge will host its annual Installation of Officers. A celestial spectacle on the morning of our installation. Coincidence? I think not!

While I cannot attend this evening, I wish everyone all the best and a happy, successful year.

Astronomy is that Divine art by which we are taught to read the Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty of the Almighty Creator in those sacred pages, the Celestial hemisphere. Assisted by Astronomy, we may observe the motions, measure the distances, comprehend the magnitudes, and calculate the periods and Eclipses of the Heavenly Bodies. By it we learn the use of the Globes, the system of the World, and the primary laws of Nature, and while we are employed in the study of this science, we may perceive unparalleled instances of wisdom and goodness, and on every hand may trace the Glorious Author by His works.

Ibid.,

Second Lecture, Fourth Section