NO?!
[giant animated hammer swings down repeatedly on head of animated Mason]
BAD! BAD! Very BAD!
Once, for about 20 minutes…
IIRC, Rosicrucianism shares some symbols with other orders of the Rose Cross, including the 18th degree of the Scottish Rite, the Golden Dawn, and the 5th degree of the OtO. I vaguely recall hearing that Rosicrucians are another group that split from the mainstream at some point.
A number of semi-mystical societies/organizations sprang forth in the early 1700’s and many seemed to draw on the same sources for their rituals. As it’s the best documented, I feel a case can be made that masonry is the source (at least for the time in question). Granted, OtO came about some time later, but Crowley did claim to be a Freemason. Whether or not he was, I dunno - With his reputation, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that no one wanted to be associated with him and altered the records. Then again, knowing the obsessive record keeping of the fraternity, if Crowley was a mason there is a note of it somewhere.
I don’t wear glasses, so I’m not him. I think I’ve seen him in Lodge, tho.
BrainGlutton Re:Was Rudyard Kipling a Mason?
He was made a Mason at Hope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782 at Lahore Punjab, India on April 5, 1886
Sorry, I don’t know either. But I just wanted to mention that we have such a “deconsecrated” lodge a few blocks away from my home, which is now the home of the famous Village Recording Studios, where many legendary recordings have been laid down. Unquestionably it’s the coolest building in the neighborhood; too bad for the Masons that they had to let it go.
My father, grandfather on both sides, various other male relatives have been Masons. Me–well, not yet anyway. I am, these days, agnostic at best; I couldn’t in good faith declare my belief in a Supreme Being at the moment.
That said, I’m curious what you think about some of the ‘reforms’ that’ve been going around lately–all-in-one-day degree fests, possible relaxation of the ‘to be one, ask one’ policy to allow Masons to more actively recruit, and so on. My father doesn’t seem to care for the trend, and I sympathize with him from the feeling I have from my own research of the Golden Dawn, OTO, and other esotericish orders.
On the other hand, I understand the situation the Masons find themselves in, with numbers declining and the membership aging. It has to be a tough spot…
I’m against them. I understand why we do it, but I don’t have to like it. I personally don’t believe that one day fests don’t increase the numbers long term (I’ve been a part of several, and I never saw most of those guys again). Allowing recruiting… Well, since it still seems to be a common belief that you have to be invited, I guess it makes a little sense. But it also violates a basic premise of the Entered Apprentice degree (not being unnecessarily cryptic… um - one must seek knowledge not wait until it’s offered)
Quicky rituals for a good reason - like for a guy that’s leaving for Basic Training, are a different story
It is sort of a ‘Party of the Masses’ versus a ‘Vanguard Party’ debate. Oddly, it has been held before. Harry Truman in some of his letters denounced the rapid rituals to get young men in before they went off to WWI.
I suppose the heyday of fraternal organizations in the US was from about 1890 to about 1920. We can never reach those sorts of numbers again. It was an anomaly.
Just ran across this little gem describing a film to be shown in NY somewhere ‘The Anti-Atheist Documentary’-Omer Pasha link
(bolding mine)
Well, I certainly wish to reconsider BrainGlutton’s offer now, boy howdy!
I’d forgotten how big a part anti-masons played in getting me interested in masonry.
Foaming at the mouth diatribes amuse me.
Anything and anybody who upset Hitler, Mao, Franco and Stalin is alright in my book.
Wow, that’s one of the most extreme ones I’ve ever seen. I love Chick World and would like to visit there.
Hey, I was cheated! I want a glass dome for my fez-shrine!
“Oops, there’s Baphomet again!” might be my new signature.
What’s all this King Kill/33 Degrees business all about, anyway? Did you guys off Kennedy or what?