The essence of the "sacred" in Freemasonry

The purpose of this article is to introduce the concepts of duality and unity to the earnest esoteric reader and the studious mason. It covers the general view of these concepts, however it leaves wanting the masonic student. So that he may search for himself the meaning of duality to the craft and how when unified, they may open the students eyes to the wonders of the mysteries. As well stated by the theosophical teacher; “Duality is present everywhere on every level of being — whether we think about it vertically or horizontally. This is one of the truths of the yin yang symbol, that within every single thing lie the seeds of its opposite. On every plane of manifestation (intellectual, psychological, physical etc.) there is nothing that does not have (or invoke) it’s opposite. To us, Oneness is largely theoretical, but in spiritual teachings it is said that when we experience (or a part of our being experiences) Absolute Oneness there is no duality. And we are rooted in this; our essential nature is an aspect of this absolute Oneness.”

This study investigates the transitional phases of English Freemasonry from the mid-seventeenth century into what can be described as a Masonic Enlightenment during the eighteenth century.  This movement was part of a wider enterprising evolution led by the Newtonian experimental natural philosopher Dr. John Theophilus Desaguliers and James Anderson, both members of the London based Grand Lodge founded in 1717 and both staunch Hanoverians.  The ritual, along with the accompanying Masonic symbolism, quickly became adopted into what would become known as ‘Modern’ Freemasonry, which spread its influence around England.
One of the aims of this thesis is to assess why it was embraced by some areas, yet rejected by others, such as York.  Scholarship to date has avoided analysis of the Masonic ritual, with Freemasonry being seen as a secret society, and many of the original documentation relating to Masonic lodges being held in private collections.  The United Grand Lodge of England has only recently opened its archive and library to the public, though this has only revealed how much documentary material has either been lost or destroyed.  An example of this is the absence of personal correspondence relating to Desaguliers’ Masonic ritual changes, despite the evidence that changes where made by him.  An objective of this dissertation is to examine why the development of ‘Modern’ Freemasonry was so successful, and why Desaguliers, and other members of the Royal Society were attracted to the Craft.
The study will also assess the fermentation of Freemasonry as it transmuted from the ‘operative’ society into a more ‘speculative’ one during the seventeenth century.  Precious little academic work has been published on this aspect of the society, and this study will analyse the contributions of Christopher Wren and Isaac Newton on the development of the Craft, concentrating on their emphasis upon the search for the divine measurement of Solomon’s Temple.  The later changes to the Masonic ritual reflected their work, displaying themes for the search of lost ancient knowledge set against the backdrop of the construction of Solomon’s Temple.  In this Masonic quest the ethos of Freemasonry became shaped by fashionable and attractive concepts of the ‘New Science’ merging with the ‘Old Science’ of magic and alchemy.  These concepts which became appealing in the light of the social and political atmosphere of the Whig Oligarchy of early eighteenth century England, will also be discussed, the study concluding with an examination of the overall contribution of the Masonic Enlightenment on English society.

Thomas De Quincey is best remembered for his work The Confessions of an Opium Eater, a nineteenth century exploration into an aspect of the Romantic movement. However, De Quincey also explored Freemasonry for one particular work, his Origin of the Rosicrucians and the Free-Masons being published in 1824, examining a history of the two secret societies. This paper discusses his background and the interests that led to this work being published.

The Fellowcraft degree, or second degree of Freemasonry, is often underestimated; its secrets sometimes unintentionally dismissed as ho-hum, or over laden with redundant Biblical tales concerning commonplace morality. This study examines the Legend of the Winding Stair, an intriguing and exciting element of Freemasonry, and a central theme of not only the second degree, but the entire masonic system. It suggests the Winding Stair is an esoteric link to the geometric principles of the Golden Ratio and the Phi Spiral, both early mathematical concepts and examples of ancient and sacred geometry. Following this trail, the article explores the involvement and contributions of natural philosophers and scientists such as Sir Isaac Newton, Elias Ashmole, Chistopher Wren and Newton’s secretary and British Grand Master John Theophilus Desaguliers, in the development and transmission of modern Freemasonry and its hidden mathematical allegories.

The Warrington Dissenting Academy, situated in the north-west of England, existed from 1757-1786, and as an independent centre of learning, it became a paradigm of dissent against the backdrop of the British Enlightenment, a time of fermenting radical views and a reaction to exclusion. Importantly, it also exemplifies self-help amongst the Non-Conformist community and indeed, the local community of Warrington, a community that also included the local lodge; the Lodge of Lights. Two members of the lodge were Academy tutors, a founder of the lodge had also assisted in founding the local circulating library, and a number of other Freemasons were linked to the Academy and its community. This paper will discuss how certain Freemasons promoted education within a culture of self-help, and helped to leave a legacy of civic philanthropy that promoted education and charity on a wider social scale.

This article investigates geometry’s importance within freemasonry and discovers the de facto guardianship provided geometry by operative masons through the Middle Ages. Operative masons passed their geometry and their philosophy from generation to generation via initiation. This paper illustrates the transmission and sometimes startling application of those principles while examining the masonic symbolism of the 47th Proposition of Euclid, the Golden Ratio and the Point within a Circle. Consequently, the study reveals an extraordinary path from the operative to the speculative age. By tracing the history of the Master Mason, or third degree, we gain a deeper understanding of this transition. We find a suggestion the third degree came into common usage in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, and an implication the resurrection and/or esoteric modification of masonic geometry occurred during this era. We explore the fascinating intersection of Dr John Theophilus Desaguliers and Sir Isaac Newton at the centre of this intriguing period, and contend these men played a part in not only the modification (or re-creation) of the Master Mason degree, but also in the resurrection of those geometric symbols from the operative age that define present freemasonry.

The Romantic poet Lord Byron was known for his epic verse such as 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage' and 'Don Juan', but he was equally famous for his scandalous lifestyle and his revolutionary activities in Italy and Greece. Byron became a member of the Carbonari while in Italy and referred to Freemasonry in 'Don Juan', the poet perhaps being familiar with his great-uncle's Masonic activities and that of his friends John William Polidori and Col. Thomas Wildman. This paper will examine Byron's links to Freemasonry and the Carbonari and discuss how the poet may have been influenced by the themes and the ethos of these secret societies.

On the other hand, Jan Assman cannot possibly deceive every one! His interpretation of the pictorial presentation of the evil worshipped by Hyksos as god cannot be left so incomplete. Certainly, the Hyksos worshipped Seth (Zety) and Apophis (Apope), but the depiction of Seth under the combined form of man and hippopotamus has nothing to do with artistic inventions due to a fictional need of "personalizing" Seth. Furthermore, Seth was not a properly speaking "desert god", as Assman implies; Seth was cast in the desert which represented for the Ancient Egyptians the concept of vacuum, the "non existence". But Seth was originally conceived as Satan, and according to the religious – spiritual concepts and fundamentals of the Ancient Egyptian Art, Satan was represented as a hippopotamus (and at times as a crocodile), when the apocalyptic level of mythical semiotics was involved. A perfect example in this case is the Messiah – Satan conflict narrative at Edfu (inner part of the Western Outer Wall) that antedates and clearly supersedes the Christian Book of the Revelation.

The fact that the Hyksos pseudo-pharaoh Apope dispatched a delegation to Thebes to demand the immediate termination of the traditional Egyptian game of harpooning hippopotamuses (which in the Ancient Egyptian culture was a theatrical act, aptly pre-modeling the ultimate victory of Messiah – Horus over Satan – Seth) illuminates his Satanic identity, while shedding also light on the real identity of any modern scholar presenting a pro-Hyksos version of Egyptian History.

All this is necessary to take into consideration, when the History of Ancient Kush / Ethiopia is concerned. Ideological – religious – spiritual identification clarifies much the situation and helps draw the correct conclusions. In fact, the same ideological – spiritual – religious clash that characterized Egypt for millennia can be attested in Ancient Kush / Ethiopia, and this greatly helps in properly assessing historical developments as the outcome of clash between two priesthoods.

As societies are not monolithic phenomena, one should not imagine that the kingdom of Kerma that sided with the Hyksos rulers was entirely under control of a priesthood dedicated to Satan – Seth. Ancient Egypt and Kush / Ethiopia were highly nuanced societies whereby the rival priesthoods coexisted for millennia, perpetuating their fight by means of myth interpretational variants, educational literature, socioeconomic involvement, and grip over the political – military power.
First published in AfroArticles, Buzzle and American Chronicle on 12th March 2010

This in-depth work examines a compendium of Masonic rituals found in Richard Carlile's once popular Manual of Freemasonry, some of the exotic high degrees displayed in his exposé being regularly practiced in England during the early nineteenth century. For the first time, Carlile's work is fully discussed, degree by degree, to not only reveal the full Masonic story, but to examine the eclectic sources of these degrees and the writers who influenced his work. Indeed, these writers, such as Thomas Paine, William Finch and Godfrey Higgins will also be observed, along with an examination of the radical, free thinking ideas that Carlile projected in his exposé. We will see how a rich array of Masonic high grades were practiced at a time of much development and profound change for English Freemasonry; the idea of the complete Masonic story being revealed via these high grades was, to certain English Freemasons, deeply attractive, especially to those who were found wanting after the union of 1813. Carlile's exposé, as we shall see, served these needs, his work revealing a rich fusion of radicalism along with an opulent collection of Masonic rituals that emerged from a variety of sources, such as Peter Lambert de Lintot's Rite of Seven Degrees and the French exposé Les Plus Secrets Mystéres. In short, Carlile's work is a highly valued piece of Masonic literature and gives an important insight into what can be seen as a very English practice of high degree Masonry during the time. This new examination of The Manual of Freemasonry is a much overdue rediscovery of the significance of his work on English Masonry and published in 2019, commemorates the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, an event that was witnessed by Carlile.

A search implies wandering, not just through places but, as Homer taught us with his Odyssey , through human thoughts and in ideas.
I would like in this draft of an essay on a Quest, I would like to talk about the ever present but constantly fleeting element of masonry, the Sacré.

Liverpool based Michael Alexander Gage had initiated the Masonic rebellion of Liverpool, when in 1818, he had written a memorial to the Duke of Sussex, the Grand Master of the recently established United Grand Lodge of England, concerning changes which had been introduced to the ritual and administration of Freemasonry after the union of the 'Moderns' and 'Antients' in 1813. The memorial had been withdrawn after a number of Freemasons had voted against Gage, his anger leading him to gather supporters and, in the face of expulsion from the Order; he led the rebels in organising a new rebel Grand Lodge. He resigned from this Grand Lodge in 1842, effectively rebelling against the rebels when he disliked the new administration. By the end of the same decade, Gage the rebel, had found another cause; that of the Rivington Pike Scheme and the Liverpool Waterworks Bill, and like the Masonic rebellion years before, he embraced the cause with passion, though this time, his vengeful nature became his undoing. Gage's story is a fascinating one; his involvement in Liverpool Freemasonry, politics and engineering during the first part of the nineteenth century being highly significant, his actions contributing immensely to the development of a rebel Grand Lodge that existed until 1913 and his celebrated plan of Liverpool, published in 1836, leading him onto other Council commissions. It was his ill-fated involvement in the Rivington Pike Scheme which will form the main focus of this paper, bringing together new research from local newspapers and Gage's own pamphlets, an analysis of his character and his unique contribution to Liverpool's history will be presented.

Ever since I began to research my PhD thesis on the origins and development of English Freemasonry at the University of Liverpool in 2000, I started to write articles for Masonic magazines in the UK and US such as MQ, Freemasonry Today, The Ashlar, Philalethes, Knight Templar Magazine, and The Square, amongst others. These were all highly regarded and excellent magazines in their own right, all dealing with the history, philosophy and current news of Freemasonry, most having an international readership. I have thus written around a hundred articles over the past twenty years, and when it was put to me to compile my favourite articles in a Compendium, it gave me the opportunity to not only choose my favourite pieces, but also the articles that I received the most positive feedback from by the readers. Various different magazines have their own in-house style; some magazines wanted footnotes for example, others did not, some wanted photos, others supplied their own. It also gave me an insight into editing and publishing, and also gave me an opportunity to meet other well-known writers and editors such as Michael Baigent. Coming from an academic background, and being a lecturer of local history, much of my subject matter was drawn from that interest, such as the Liverpool Masonic Rebellion and my work on the York Grand Lodge, both subjects becoming articles in various magazines and being the basis for future books. Other articles where particularly requested, such as Freemasonry and the French Revolution which is also featured in this book. Some articles reflected my interest and research such as my work concerning Thomas Paine and Joseph Brant, while other articles reflected my interest in archaeology, such as the tunnels of Joseph Williamson, the Hell Fire caves of Sir Francis Dashwood and the now derelict Woolton Hall in Liverpool. All however, reflected Masonic themes. As an academic, I also conducted research and wrote papers on the topic of Freemasonry that appeared in many academic journals, and I have also included some of those papers in this book. Some of my papers found homes in renowned Masonic journals such as Heredom, AQC and The Journal for Research into Freemasonry and Fraternalism, and were presented at various conferences and at universities. Most of the articles presented in this collection have a related theme; that of Freemasons changing the world for the force of good, be it natural philosophers that have made an advancement in medicine such as Edward Jenner, men of science and revolutionary politics such as Benjamin Franklin and men that took a strong stance against the slave trade such as Thomas Stamford Raffles. My aim with this book is not only to collect the most popular articles and papers together in one source, but to allow Masons and indeed non-Masons, to read and present the articles themselves.

ISBN 978 1 84549 760 6

This work, by John Toland, is considered by many scholars to represent the first published work which sets out the tenets of modern Freemasonry. One scholar claims that Toland had it privately printed, in a limited number of copies, for distribution to fellow masons. Note the nice--and typically Masonic--ex libris. Also of note is that much of the work takes the form of a Masonic "catechism"; the philosophical discussion is overtly deistic.

York in the eighteenth century was seen as the ancient centre of England, and in Masonic terms, this ancient northern city had its own independent Grand Lodge that rivalled the Grand Lodge in London. Indeed, York is now celebrated around the Masonic world, especially with the York Rite in the US, and there are a number of lodges in the US that celebrate York Masonry, such as the Ancient York Lodge which meets in Massachusetts  and another Ancient York Lodge which meets in New Hampshire.  York Masonry is also held in high regard in some Latin American countries such as Mexico, which has the York Grand Lodge of Mexico  and also in Bolivia.  There are records that refer to speculative Freemasonry in York and in Yorkshire dating to the 1600s, and this book aims to give a street-by-street guide to all things Masonic within the ancient Roman city, while also referring to the larger county as a whole. For example, there are a number of different and fascinating ritual variations; the York Working and the Humber Use, both of which have noted elements that date to the eighteenth century.
There are literally thousands of Masonic references to be found in the ancient city of York; from the mysterious medieval Masons loft in the Minster (which incidentally has hundreds of masons marks, Masonic stain glass windows and Masonic symbols on display) to the beautiful Masonic Hall at Duncombe Place. York has traces of Freemasonry in abundance; Duncombe Place is also the location of all the rare manuscripts for the Grand Lodge of All England held at York, and this new Masonic guide book of York will include never-before-seen photos of the rolls, manuscripts and artefacts of this early independent Grand Lodge.
The book will look at old pubs and places where the ancient St. John’s Lodges met, such as the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and the Punch Bowl Tavern, and the early Masonic symbolism that decorates some of the beautiful Georgian town houses of York, many of which had links to famous Freemasons of the day such as Sir Robert Fairfax and Charles Bathurst. The work will act as a companion piece to the recent Lewis Masonic guide book of London, and is both educational and entertaining; filled with new photos and easy-to-understand references and maps, all aimed at assisting the reader in discovering the Masonic mysteries of York and the county of Yorkshire, both from the past and the present.

Harrison’s latest work examines the enigmatic and enlightening story of the last Masonic rebellion in England; the Liverpool Masonic Rebellion and its formation into the Wigan Grand Lodge.  The story reveals the curious nature of England’s last rebel Grand Lodge against the backdrop of the radicalism and revolt of the early nineteenth century.  Using new evidence and never before seen archive material, Harrison reconstructs the rise and fall of this mysterious Masonic organisation, and exposes a tale of insurrection and the spirit of independence.

Nei primi tempi del mio percorso massonico, volendo mettere le mie idee su carta, credetti di farlo con originalità, usando la metodica del dialogo. Poi scoprii che in questo modo di procedere venivo ben ultimo rispetto a tanti altri Massoni. Non ho rinunciato all'idea, per la mia ben nota caparbietà. Anche qui, come in altri miei scritti, tratto di argomenti direttamente legati ai fatti interni della Massoneria, ma in questo caso appunto in forma di dialogo. Questa è un modo stilisticamente non facile, ma ha il gran pregio di mettere in discussione con un ipotetico avversario d'idee quelle proprie. In altri termini, ponendo a verifica logica il proprio ragionare, è un po' come giocare a scacchi da soli. Ho detto che non è facile e aggiungo che è pure stancante e talvolta molto irritante, specialmente quando accade di porsi delle obiezioni non previste, rimanendo col fiammifero acceso in mano. Per qualcuno sarà un po' ostico seguire un ragionamento in forma di dialogo e lo comprendo, siamo addestrati e abituati a leggere un ragionamento in tutto il suo evolversi, senza frazionarlo in battute dialettiche. Penso, però, che tornare a ragionare come fecero i grandi dell'antichità, Socrate e Platone, dibattendo nel cortile dell'Accademia o colloquiando sul palcoscenico della tragedia, Eschilo e Sofocle, sia un utile esperimento per incominciare innanzitutto a dialogare con se stessi e poi a saperlo fare con gli altri. Questi dialoghi si distinguono tra loro per il tono e la forma e molto spesso si sviluppano con " verve " ironica, anche pungente. Spero di non essere mai sceso al livello del sarcasmo che considero l'ironia degli ignoranti incivili. Sono Dialoghi " risoluti " perché hanno una forma apodittica, nel significato datogli da Kant che intendeva la parola nel senso di "necessario": un giudizio è apodittico quando afferma o nega in modo necessario, perché è "determinato attraverso le leggi dello stesso intelletto". Ma forse con maggior rigore la forma apodittica di alcuni di questi dialoghi è da intendere nel senso " retorico " aristotelico, cioè come sinonimo di logicamente certo [o di certamente falso], di necessariamente vero [o falso] e in opposizione a "dialettico". Sul vero o falso, ovviamente, è il lettore a decidere. Alcuni lettori meno rigorosi potrebbero intendere questo tipo di dialoghi nel senso di categorici, dogmatici e anche questa è una loro libera decisione. Altri Dialoghi riportati in questo libro hanno la forma di " insoluti " , nel senso di argomentazioni con conclusioni aperte, in altre parole, atte a suscitare dibattito. Pratica che sappiamo non essere usuale in tante logge, dove ci si limita a leggere una tavola e a fare quale sintetico e formale apprezzamento, chiudendo la cosa lì e guardandosi bene dal tornarci sopra. Ma il termine insoluto può benissimo essere inteso nel suo senso etimologico, di " non-soluto " , che non è sciolto, in altre parole irrisolto, lasciando la libertà di trovare la propria soluzione, sperando che qualcuno abbia voglia di dare una soluzione. Infine, ci sono i Dialoghi " dissoluti " , quelli apparentemente leggeri, che vorrebbero essere delle provocazioni intellettuali, una sorta di shock mentale che dovrebbe portare a pensare a qualcosa d'altro, di livello superiore o almeno diverso. Non ci si faccia confondere, di solito c'è molto più in mezzo alle battute del dialogo che dentro le battute stesse. Questi dialoghi sono stati elaborati nel corso di diversi anni, dall'inizio del mio apprendistato massonico fino ad ora. Il lettore attento, quindi, potrebbe osservare che alcune considerazioni sullo stesso argomento si differenziano tra uno scritto e l'altro. Questo non è altro che la conseguenza di un percorso di studio e ricerca che si è svolto man mano che affinavo il mio pensiero massonico e lo stesso vale per lo stile di scrittura. Rileggendo oggi i miei primi dialoghi da Apprendista e Compagno, ne scopro l'ingenuità e li rileggo un po'con nostalgia e un po'con fastidio, tuttavia li ho ugualmente riportati come espressione dell'angustia del pensiero in formazione dei primi due gradi e anche come resoconto dell'excursus personale di un Massone.

This paper focuses on August von Kotzebue's play "Der Freimaurer" [The Freemason], as a piece within the prolific genre of comedies about freemasons which emerged in the 1740s, and a work which includes numerous worldview-related allusions. In this context, the author extensively discusses the life and the oeuvre of the playwright who thus far has not been devoted any thorough study in Polish, apart from relatively brief mentions in works on the period and writers he had inspired .
The work by von Kotzebue may be interpreted on many levels. On the one hand, it features an ideological layer (support for the Enlightenment idea of equality) and an apologetic one (defence of freemasonry, in which both the protagonist and the author were involved). On the other hand, there are the comedic and romantic themes (a story of how love is capable of overcoming human vices). At the same time, the piece includes numerous references to the legends about freemasons which were widespread in Europe, a fact also addressed in the paper.