Masonry
Whose civilisation?
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Freemasonry is a fraternal organization which exists in nearly all countries where men are free to choose the company and character of their associates. It teaches a belief in the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man and the immortality of the soul. It is religious in character, but adopts no particular creed and urges all of its members to practice the religion of his choice. It is designed to make men of good morals better by symbolically applying the principles of architecture and operative Masonry to the science and art of character building. It urges its members to be charitable but is not a charity. It is not a secret organization in a free society, but it is the first to be banned when a government becomes totalitarian. Anyone wishing to petition must seek the recommendation of a member. Also Known as "The Order of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, Symbolic Craft, Craft Masonry" The True Origin? The lodge is traced back to London, England in 1717. It is believed that James Anderson set up the constitution. In 1717, Anderson along with George Payne and Theopholips Desaguliers, came together to form the first Grand Lodge. It is said that the lodge was birthed in a Tavern! Good place to start a Godly organization isn't it? The lodge comes to America! The first official lodge was St. John's, Boston Mass. July 30, 1733. The first American born lodge was founded in Savannah, Georgia in 1734. During the 1800's, several thousand lodges sprang up all over the country. It pulled political strings back then just as it does today. Many powerful people were and are masons, including 15 Presidents and 19 vice-presidents. There are hundreds of masons in high government positions today!! In the 1800's, a man named William Morgan opposed the masons and started passing out anti-mason tracts, telling about the secrets and rituals. He disappeared in 1826 and was never heard from again.
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The orthodox traditions were carried from Chaldea by Abraham. They reigned in Egypt in the time of Joseph, together with the knowledge of the True God. Moses carried Orthodoxy out of Egypt, and in the Secret Traditions of the Kabalah we find a Theology entire, perfect, unique, like that which in Christianity is most grand and best explained by the Fathers and the Doctors, the whole with a consistency and a harmoniousness which it is not as yet given to the world to comprehend. The Sohar, which is the Key of the Holy Books, opens also all the depths and lights, all the obscurities of the Ancient Mythologies and of the Sciences originally concealed in the Sanctuaries. It is true that the Secret of this Key must be known, to enable one to make use of it, and that for even the most penetrating intellects, not initiated in this Secret, the Sohar is absolutely incomprehensible and almost illegible.
The Secret of the Occult Sciences is that of Nature itself, the Secret of the generation of the Angels and Worlds, that of the Omnipotence of God. "Ye shall be like the Elohim, knowing good and evil," had the Serpent of Genesis said, and the Tree of Knowledge became the Tree of Death. For six thousand years the Martyrs of Knowledge toil and die at the foot of this tree, that it may again become the Tree of Life. The Absolute sought for unsuccessfully by the insensate and found by the Sages, is the TRUTH, the REALITY, and the REASON of the universal equilibrium! Equilibrium is the Harmony that results from the analogy of Contraries. Until now, Humanity has been endeavoring to stand on one foot; sometimes on one, sometimes on the other. |
To organize Anarchy, is the problem which the revolutionists have and will eternally have to resolve. It is the rock of Sisyphus that will always fall back upon them. To exist a single instant, they are and always will be by fatality reduced to improvise a despotism without other reason of existence than necessity, and which, consequently, is violent and blind as Necessity. We escape from the harmonious monarchy of Reason, only to fall under the irregular dictatorship of Folly. Sometimes superstitious enthusiasms, sometimes the miserable calculations of the materialist instinct have led astray the nations, and God at last urges the world on toward believing Reason and reasonable Beliefs. We have had prophets enough without philosophy, and philosophers without religion; the blind believers and the sceptics resemble each other, and are as far the one as the other from the eternal salvation. - Albert Pike |
The basic organizational unit of Masonry is the lodge; this is the form it takes on the local level, as shown by the many thousands of Masonic lodges that are all over this country, even in small, out-of-the-way towns (which, by the way, requires that a huge number of ordinary Americans actually be evil Satanic thugs, if Szymanski's take on the Craft were to have any validity). Three or more lodges can group together and form a Grand Lodge, which has jurisdiction over those lodges in matters of Masonic practices. In most countries there is one Grand Lodge for the whole country, or at least one Grand Lodge recognized as such by the United Grand Lodge of England, which is the parent body of all Masonry in the world today. I should mention here that 'recognition' does not imply jurisdiction; the United Grand Lodge of England does not rule over any other Grand Lodge. Similarly, each Grand Lodge is a completely autonomous and self-contained entity, though fraternal relations exist between most of them and a Mason under one Grand Lodge can generally visit lodges that are under the jurisdiction of another Grand Lodge than his.
In the United States, there is a separate Grand Lodge for each _state_, a relic of the time when each state was considered an autonomous sovereign country. That makes fifty Grand Lodges in the United States....or fifty-one, since the District of Columbia has its own Grand Lodge. To make matters more complex, because of past racial prejudice in this country a completely separate form of Masonry, called Prince Hall Masonry, exists in this country. It is made up of blacks who were barred from being Masons in past times....though unfortunately this tradition of Masonic prejudice continues in the Grand Lodges of the Bible Belt (as you can see, I don't cover up distasteful Masonic practices where such actually do exist). There is thus also a Prince Hall Grand Lodge for each state (and, again, the District of Columbia). What all this adds up to is that there are no fewer than _one hundred and two_ entirely separate and autonomous Grand Lodges operating in the United States. Thus, far from being a vast monolithic hierarchy with sinister tendrils extending all through the modern world, Masonry is actually probably the most decentralized organization you will ever see.
It is also run quite democratically, as the officers of a lodge (who typically only serve for a single year) are elected by lodge members, and new additions to the bylaws for a Grand Lodge have to be voted on by the various lodges that operate under that Grand Lodge's jurisdiction. Masonry's structure is not authoritarian in the least. One must also be a law-abiding citizen to join and remain a brother, as well as hold a belief in a Supreme Being. - via Rense.com
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Categories and Levels
The Blue Lodge All masons must undergo an initation to enter the Blue lodge. The Blue lodge has three degrees: Entered Apprentice --- Fellow Craft --- Master Mason To achieve each of these levels, one must go through rituals and swear an oath. One such oath is as follows:
"I promise and swear, that I will not write, print, stamp, stain, hew, cut, carve, indent, paint, or engrave any secrets on anything movable or immovable.. binding myself under no less penalty then to have my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by the roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea at low water mark.. where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty four hours; so help me God, and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same"
Now the word is, they have toned the oath down a bit, but they are still told never to tell of the goings on and never tell any secret. Once this is done the mason receives his degree as Master Mason and has his ring and other trinkets to be identified by other masons. From here a mason may choose to go on further in one of two branches. The York Rite or The Scottish Rite.
The York Rite Also called the American Rite, this is the most popular one to follow. The York is perhaps the oldest form of the craft. There are ten degrees in in York Rite. It is split into three categories:
These ten include the three from the Blue Lodge and the others are as follows:
Select Master has three degrees which one can enter:
Knights Templar is the highest in the York Rite. As in the Blue lodge, one must swear an oath of secrecy and obedience. The Scottish Rite It is also known as Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. There are four different lodges or chapters
Two more exuberant titles :
There are twenty-nine additional degrees in this branch. the highest is the 33rd. It is called Knight Commander.
Other Orders
Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Also Known as the Shriners. This is the most well known branch. The Shriners operate three children's hospitals in Boston, Galveston and Cincinnati.
The Order of the Eastern Star. This is for women who are related to a Mason in some way. There are five degrees Adah, Ruth, Esther, Martha and Electa
Daughters of the Eastern Star. Set up for Girls age 14-20 who have a father as a mason and a mother as an eastern star.
The Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. This is part of the eastern star and the officer is called, the Supreme Worthy High Priestess.
The Order of DeMolay. This one takes they name of Jacques DeMolay, 14th century leader of the Knights Templar. Members are male 14-20.
The International Order of Job's Daughters.
The International Order of Rainbow for Girls.
The Order of Amaranth
Lesser Orders
Daughters of Mokanna Daughters of the Nile Knights of the Red Cross
Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America National Sojourners
Social Order of the Beauceant of the World Order of the Builder
Tall Cedars of Lebanon of the USA True Kindred Odd Fellows
Masonic Fraternities
Acacia The Square and Compass Sigma Mu Sigma
Order of the Golden Key Tau Kappa Epsilon
Prince Hall Freemasonry was born as a result of Black Masons who were barred from the white lodges. |
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More detailed accounts - the Scottish rite - York rite and the order of de molay
before reading further below, notice the emphasis placed on charitable work & philanthropic ventures.
propaganda from shrine of North America: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Order of DeMolay -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young men in their teens learn to practice the principles of Masonic charity in the Order of DeMolay. An organization for boys aged 12-21 (12-year-olds must have completed the 7th grade), DeMolay provides opportunities for community service, charity, public speaking and leadership development. Its members are young men who are striving to grow by taking on the responsibilities of adulthood.
To raise funds for charity, members participate in various sales, fairs and community festivals. They conduct walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, all-night dances, and other programs to encourage donors to pledge charitable gifts. Some chapters work at telethons, others ring bells for the Salvation Army. Many chapters participate in food bank and clothing drives, while others volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
The amount of money contributed, or the number of hours worked, is of little consequence. What matters most is that DeMolay members learn to make the act of service and caring for others a part of their daily routine.
The Order of DeMolay is a charitable extension of Masonic concern for the community. Freemasonry serves future generations of leaders by providing a safe, wholesome, fun and educational environment in which young people can grow. Masons have traditionally provided the adult leaders needed to conduct a quality program. Masons have provided quality meeting facilities and financial support of DeMolay chapters all across the country. Most importantly, Freemasonry has provided the model of a successful fraternity from which DeMolays learn the values of brotherly love, relief and truth.
The basic chapter program allows young men to select their own leaders, plan their own programs and conduct their own activities. The members learn and grow by planning, budgeting, and administering their own programs; the advisors guide and suggest. Other programs are essential to the complete DeMolay chapter and include visitations to other chapters, civic and Masonic service projects and fund-raisers. All DeMolay chapters observe an annual Day of Comfort, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, to emphasize the needs of others. Each chapter has its own program of service. Typical projects include volunteering at a local nursing home, raising money for local and national charities, community clean-ups and renewal work parties. The success of DeMolay is demonstrated by its members, both active and senior. Senior members include newscasters Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, the late actor John Wayne, weatherman Willard Scott, athletes Bob Mathias and Fran Tarkenton, the late Walt Disney, radio personality Paul Harvey, President Bill Clinton and Senator Bill Bradley. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Scottish Rite -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Scottish Rite is one of the two appendant bodies of Freemasonry in which a Master Mason may proceed after he has completed the three degrees of Blue Lodge, or Craft Lodge, Masonry. Any Master Mason in good standing may petition for membership. He must be judged of good moral character and be elected by the members. Neither Scottish in origin nor a rite in the religious sense, the Scottish Rite has as its ultimate goal mankind's moral and spiritual development. The local Scottish Rite organization, called a "Valley," confers the 4th through 32nd degrees in degree-conferring meetings. The Scottish Rite is sometimes called the "College of Freemasonry," because it uses extensive allegory and drama to emphasize the message of its degrees. The degree work may, but not necessarily, be completed at one time. The Scottish Rite shares the belief of all Masonic organizations that there is no higher degree than that of Master Mason. The degrees are in addition to, and in no way higher than, those of Blue Lodge, or Craft Lodge, Masonry. The degrees simply amplify and elaborate on the lessons of the craft, providing further knowledge of Masonry, the building of the Temple, and ancient religions, with memorable lessons ranging from the days of chivalry to modern times. The Scottish Rite is said to have been brought to the New World in 1761. In 1801, the first Scottish Rite Supreme Council was established in South Carolina, becoming known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, the Supreme Council 33rd degree, Mother Council of the World. Twelve years later, this council authorized the formation of a second one in New York City, known as the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America. The Supreme Council of the Northern Jurisdiction, with headquarters in Lexington, Mass., consists of 15 states north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River. Membership in the Supreme Council of the Northern Jurisdiction is limited to 66 active 33rd degree Masons, excluding emeritus and past active members. The Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction includes the other 35 states, plus the District of Columbia, Republic of Panama, China, Guam, Japan, Okinawa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Taiwan. The Southern Jurisdiction has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. In addition, Canada's Scottish Rite is governed by the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada, headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario, and Mexico also has its own Scottish Rite jurisdiction. All Scottish Rite jurisdictions nominate a select few members to receive the 33rd Degree, Inspector General Honorary, in recognition of outstanding service to the Rite, or in public life, to the principles taught in the degrees. In the Southern Jurisdiction, the Supreme Council chooses 33rd degree members from among those who have previously received the rank and decoration of Knight Commander Court of Honor. The KCCH is bestowed in a Ceremonial of Investiture in recognition of outstanding service to the Rite, or in public life, to the principles taught in the degrees. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The York Rite -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The York Rite is one of two appendant bodies of Freemasonry in which a Master Mason can proceed in Masonry after he has completed the three degrees of Blue (or Craft) Lodge Masonry (the other appendant body being the Scottish Rite). Any Master Mason in good standing may petition for membership. He must be judged of good moral character and be elected by the members. Ancient York Rite Masonry, which took its name from the old English city of York, is considered by many Masonic historians to have been "original" Masonry. It is said that a British king who was converted to Christianity in York granted the original charter to the Masonic guilds there nearly 1,000 years ago. This organization apparently functioned for about 50 years, then faded, but it left traditions that were revived years later. When Masons came from the British Isles to the New World, they brought with them Masonic degrees conferred in the mother country. Fearing that many of the lessons of ancient Freemasonry would be lost or altered by Masons scattering through the new land, early Masons arranged some of these lessons in a series of rites. The term York Rite has come to be applied to this series of degrees conferred in three primary bodies: the Royal Arch Chapter, the Council of Royal and Select Masters, and the Commandery of Knights Templar. These additional degrees supplement and amplify the Symbolic Degrees of Freemasonry, adding to the moral and spiritual lessons taught in the Lodge. Though not a religion in itself, York Rite Masonry develops themes based on Christianity. In ancient Masonry, the Royal Arch Degree was conferred for a time in the Blue Lodge, but eventually evolved into a separate body in the York Rite. The degrees of the Royal Arch bring to completion the symbolism of ancient craft Masonry, and each degree has its own story to tell, its own lesson to teach, and its own moral truth to illustrate. The Royal and Select Masters follows the Royal Arch. The degrees of this body each inculcates its own special historical and moral lesson. In some jurisdictions, membership in the Council of Royal and Select Masters is not a prerequisite for membership in the final York Rite body, the Knights Templar; the Council, however, is believed essential in fulfilling a Masonic education. The Order of Knights Templar is considered the Christian branch of Freemasonry. The three orders in this body are the Order of the Red Cross, the Order of Malta and the Order of the Temple. These orders are founded upon the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ as related in the New Testament. A candidate for the orders must be of the Christian faith, accepting his individual obligations as a man, a Mason and a Christian, and in some jurisdictions must be a Companion of the Royal Arch in good standing. A genuine concern for others is one of the basic characteristics of Templary. Local chapters of each of the three main bodies of the Rite are organized into state, provincial or regional organizations. Chapters of Royal Arch Masons are organized into Grand Chapters, which themselves form a unified association called the General Grand Chapter. Chapters of the Royal and Select Masters form Grand Councils, which together form the General Grand Council. And Commanderies of the Knights Templar are organized into Grand Commanderies by states, and those bodies form the Grand Encampment, Knights Templar of the U.S.A. In Canada, this body is known as the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada. As in Craft Lodge Masonry, the governing bodies at the state or provincial level are autonomous and sovereign in their own jurisdiction. The Grand Chapters and Grand Councils may or may not choose to affiliate with the corresponding national or international governing body. Grand commanderies are required to belong to the Grand Encampment.
The grand architecture: Advertising architecture
can you spot the ancient design?
hmmm... a few pillars ...
can you appreciated the order, the beauty?
No...I can't either
Maybe because it is we who are being ordered...
archtecture is civil & social engineering.
They build the maze, while we navigate it unknowingly
down with murder inc.
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