What are the "secrets" of the Freemasons? Star of David?

Factual Questions
1

I know some people consider this a very serious subject that should not be discussed but I had a very odd experience a few years back, and my curiosity has not quelled much since.

BTW, this contains content concerning the Occult.

I was working at a resort at Roche Harbor in Washington’s San Juan Islands. It was originally built by a multi-millionaire, John S. McMillin, who operated the world’s largest lime quarry at the time, located close by. He was a Freemason and he and his family are buried in what is known as the Afterglow Mausoleum(whadda name).Here are some excellent photos but they take forever to download(of course). As you can see in the photos it could be quite spooky on a dark night.

On to the story.

I walked to the mausoleum with a few cow-orkers after work, I was a barback and we usually closed up around 2:30 AM. When we got there we saw a man and a woman: the man in his mid-forties and the woman in her mid-thirties and they appeared to be teacher and student. We approached them with beer in hand and he politely asked that we leave our beverages outside of the circular structure. They had placed candles around the perimeter of the table and had laid a prayer shawl(?) over it with sacred stones, a talisman, and other “seance paraphernalia” placed in a deliberate fashion. He notified us that it was the night of a full moon and that he was performing some sort of ritual. He said that he was a Jewish rabbi and looked the part(beard, yarmulke, prayer shawl, etc.)

He explained that they had come to the Freemason temple because Judaism was somehow connected to the Mason organization and that he practiced the cabala, the secret tradition of Jewish rabbis. Here is some information from a Mormon site(surprise to me) that says some of the same things he relayed to me that night.

This is where my understanding gets a littly fuzzy. I have heard that the reason Freemason temples have the Star of David(six-pointed star, also known as Solomon’s Seal, often associated with Saturn worship) on them is because it is not just a Jewish symbol, it stands for the Occult. The link above, which is very Left Behind-esque, gets into some pretty hairy stuff saying that anyone who displays a hexagram is Satanic and that it’sThe Mark of The Beast, which is slightly convoluted because Assembly Hall(The MAIN Mormon temple) in Salt Lake City boasts a huge hexagram in a stained-glass window(ironic).

Some interesting stuff. The site goes on to tell about the history of the hexagon and it’s presence on the back of a dollar bill in the form of thirteen stars representing Satan, “guardian of the treasury”. Also under the pyramid it states “NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM”, meaning “new world order”. Under the seal it states “of the United States”, not “The United States of America.”(picky picky :smiley: ) Basically it was saying that the “end is nigh.”

This is the part that causes me the most interest. The Mormon site explains that “new agers” undergo an initiation ceremony to accept the mark, “They almost universally report that although they approach the ceremony with dread and foreboding, after it is over… 'I discovered that the LINES ON THE PALM OF MY RIGHT HAND HAD BEEN ALTERED, and a portion of them now FORMED A SIX-POINTED STAR about an inch in circumference. It terrified me when I first spotted it… But as time went on, I learned to accept the changes within my body, and I really felt quite special.” (Marrs: Mystery Mark, p. 39)"

I think this is the ceremony I may have stumbled upon. The “new ager” part also explains why he let us smoke marijuana within the circle but demanded that our alcohol be left outside.

I have many questions, but here are the ones most pressing right now:

Why is there a hexagram on the main Mormon Church if it is supposed to be The Mark of the Beast? It seems ironic.

What is the connection between the Cabala(Kabbalah) and the Freemasons?

Why exactly would they be at the Afterglow Mausoleum?

Could the Afterglow Mausloleum have been built specifically for these rituals?

Has anyone seen or heard about the hexagram symbols appearing in the wrinkles of people’s hands?

2

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…

Lines in ones palm changing shape?

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…

Freemasonry connect with the occult? Mormons? Jews? While I’ll recognize that some Jews become Masons, (I don’t know about Mormons)…

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…

Seriously, however, I suggest you run a search here in GQ with key words “Mason”, “Masons”. “Freemason”, etc. There have been many threads regarding “secrets” and two things have been determined.

  1. Masonic dopers will not reveal secrets, but will provide available information, because they respect the oaths they took.

  2. Many people will provide conjecture about secrets. Some of these may be true while others are not, but you’ll get no confirmation from Masons.

Almost since Masonry, there have been “anti-masons”, those who fear the tight knit brotherhood of the group. Sure they have secrets, but this is more to make the members special to the group and not to excercise this over others. (And what power does “I’ve got a secret, I’ve got a secret” hold on anyone over the age of six?) Masonry and it’s secrets are not much different than that “club” you started with your friends when you were nine. Masonry is just a bit more sophisticated, philanthropic and has lasted a lot longer.

<insert secret handshake here>,
Spritle

3

There is no conspiracy[sub]fnord[/sub]. Honest.

4

I don’t really have anything to add to this, as I’ve already been labeled an “anti-mason” by some people on this board so clearly anything I would say on the matter is biased and affected by my deep belief in conspiracy theories.

But one thing I did want to say is that I believe the hexagram was a symbol used for the worship of Mercury, not Saturn. Some sources I have read (I’m not much of a biblical scholar so I can’t really comment on the accuracy of it) point to Revelation 022:016:

as the reason Christians might use the hexagram.

5

Hmmm…

I think you just answered your own question.

6

If you can dig up the Big Secrets book by William Poundstone, it has a section on Masonic secrets.

7

Don’t know much about the Mason’s, but I am a practicing Mormon. The “Mormon Site” you linked to, helpingmormons.com, is no more an accurate site about Mormonism than the neo-nazi’s site is an accurate source about Judaism. It would be funny if so many people didn’t believe stuff like this. The Assembly hall in Salt Lake City is an important building, but it is not “the Mormon Temple”, it is a church designed for large meetings, and the traditional place where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs. As far as why there hexagram on the window, I’m guessing because the design was pretty. It is somewhat reminicent of the “Rose Windows” in many cathedrals, but much smaller in scale. I know of no symbolism related to the window.

8

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Angel of the Lord *
**

Hardly. Nobody has even touched on these three questions:

**What is the connection between the Cabala(Kabbalah) and the Freemasons?

Why exactly would they be at the Afterglow Mausoleum?

Could the Afterglow Mausloleum have been built specifically for these rituals? **

Thanks to those of you who have tried to answer my questions, especially those of you who did so without MOCKING me. :smiley:

9

I don’t believe there is any connection. Other than that some Freemasons might have borrowed some hocus-pocus aspect of Kabbala in some superficial manner.

IOW, I can assure you that if you looked through genuine Kabbala works you will not find the slightest reference to Freemasonry. Whether the opposite is also true I wouldn’t know.

10

Your assertion that the above site is 'from a Mormon site" is incorrect. The inaccuracies, assumptions and flat out incorrect statements regarding the building, it’s function and the supposed symbolism are flagrant and insulting. Here are two official sites regarding the beliefs and doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints, both of which include brief commentary on the buildings of the church and are factually accurate as to the names of the buildings, the function of the buildings and any symbolism associated with architectural design.
http://www.lds.org This one is the official site and this one while not an official site, has accurate articles regarding symbolism and photo’s of temples www.ldsworld.com/temples/0,1815,101,00.html

There are in fact symbols that are used in both Judaism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Not being versed in what they mean to the people who practice Judism, I will not speculate as to if they have the same meaning.

11

In fact upon further investigation the site is flagrantly ANTI and is obviously designed to intentionally spread the kind of ignorance and bigotry that I have seen people of this message board claim to be fighting. If that site was as hateful and defamatory about the Jewish faith, homosexuals, Native American’s, Black American’s, or Buddhism I believe it would have been removed.

Disappointed and angry at the moment that ignorance and hate do appear selectively acceptable on the SDMB,
Abby

12

My good wishbone, I was not mocking you particularly. I mostly was 1)laughing at my joke regarding your screen name, 2)laughing that people believed that the lines in their palms changed over the course of an hour or so, and 3)that there is such a pervasive belief STILL out there about Masons.

I humbly apologize if you were offended by my response. Reading my post above, I certainly understand how it could be taken negatively.

Search the SD archives, Cecil did a couple of articles about Masonry. Also, check the SDMB archives in this forum. There is a lot of info there.

In short, Masonry is not much different from the Elks, Moose lodge, whathaveyou. It’s just a lot older. It lasted such a long time partly because they are honest and loyal (in line with the not divulging secrets, etc.). It may be interesting that to note the number of “famous” people who were masons, from Presidents (George Washington) to movie stars (John Wayne) to political figures (C. Everett Koop). Also interesting is that they don’t recruit members. Everybody who is a mason has asked to join, not been asked to join.

13

And I don’t know if calling kabbala “The secret tradition of Jewish Rabbis” is accurate. You don’t have to be a rabbi to study kabbala, and a lot of rabbis don’t.

14

Assembly Hall, is an assembly hall, NOT the main temple, not even A temple. The temple on Temple Square is obviously the most widely known temple, but was not the first constructed, nor was it the first completed.

It is NOT a “Mormon” site, in fact it is “Anti-Mormon”.

Actually, the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not support your assertion that the six pointed start is a “Mark of the Beast”. The six pointed star is there because it is pretty. We share symbols with the Jewish faith because ultimately the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ has ancient scriptural links to Judaism. In fact, we believe that some people on this (the american continential) are ancient descendents of the Jewish people.

Abby

15

If it were accurate, I guess that would make Madonna like a Rabbi. Hmmm, good point.

Listen, all I really want to hear is some good old-fashioned mumbo jumbo, witchcraft-type voodoo sh*t. And if the only secret about the Masons is that you can get $1.50 well drinks before six then fine.

Spritle, I am a dreamer. My life is very dull. I am asking you please not to disillusion me any further. Thank you. :slight_smile:

16

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by wishbone *
**

Heck, in that case, the Masons had JFK killed! :wink:

17

Man, those Catalina 42’s sure are nice boats…

Oh, sorry, what were we talking about? :wink:

The only thing I wanted to add was, are you sure that it was a hexagram and not a pentagram that is supposed to be the sign of the beast? My understanding was always that it was the pentagram.

Also, IIRCm, many of those conspiracy theories or whatever can be found in the bogus book called The Illuminati.

The Illuminati are bunk, too, of course. But you if nothing else, it will amuse Captain Amazing. :wink:

18

No! It’ll amuse Wishbone…I was miscredited…the Illuminati fnord aren’t amusing. They fnord don’t exist!

19

Well, it’s been a while since I studied any of this, but in high school I had a very smart and attractive g/f who was (and probably still is) fanatically into anything occult, so naturally I had an interest in it.

Anyway, to sum it up in a nutshell the connection is due principally to indirect mimicry by the Masons.

At the time the formal Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons was founded (18th century) it was fashionable among the intelligentsia to think radical, forbidden thoughts, about things like human rights, new philosophies, new forms of government, and the occult. To the Europeans of the time, the most mysterious and foreboding occult practice was “oriental mysticism,” meaning basically Egyptian and Arabic (pre-Islamic) mysticism.

And, surprise, surprise: the tradition of the kabbalah is at least as old as the migration of the Jews from Egypt.

So, it should come as no shock that the Kabbalah and Freemasonry share some symbology or even ritual.

20

  1. Bear in mind that the Hexagram - or Star of David - has absolutely no religious signifigance. It’s a popular symbol, nothing more. Except for the Temple in Jerusalem (and, debatably, certain graves), all sacred objects in Judaism involve the written word.

  2. Therefore, a Hexagram does not imply the presence of Kabbalistic thinking. Kabbala is all about letters and numbers, not shapes and forms.

  3. The Kabbala did not originate in Egypt (although Jews believe that its roots did), but is rather a product of the Middle ages - the 12th century, I believe.