History and philosophy of freemasonry

This concludes a two-part paper that discusses three major aspects of modern Western esotericism: esotericism as a form of thought, esotericism as gnosis, and esotericism as discourse. Freemasonry is seen as a significant and influential aspect of esoteric traditions in reviews of writings by scholars of modern Western Esotericism.

A Quick Guide to Freemasonry was my fourth published book, and was commissioned by Lewis Masonic as part of a proposed quick guide series, aimed at mentors and new members to the fraternity. It was written in an easy-to-understand question and answer format as requested by the publisher and covered a variety of Masonic topics, with many of the questions actually coming from new Masons that were submitted to the author via social media.

The book provides a brief history of Freemasonry, along with a quick guide to many of the English Masonic rituals, Masonic dress and various practices; also covering the roles of the Officers, the Festive Board, toasting and the use of symbols within Masonry. Containing the basic FAQs and more deeper considerations.

Spis treści:

- Wprowadzenie (N[orbert] W[ójtowicz])
- Elżbieta Jagielnicka, Symbol w wolnomularstwie. wczoraj i dziś
- Arkadiusz Morajko, Rola i znaczenie rytu w wolnomularstwie
- Norbert Wójtowicz, Różnorodność masońskich wizji Wielkiego Architekta
- Monika Kała, Żydzi i masoneria - między mitem a prawdą
- Norbert Wójtowicz, "Masoni" w polskiej prasie katolickiej drugiej połowy lat 30-tych
- Łukasz Kamiński, Masoneria w Polsce Ludowej
- Aneks A. Konstytucja Andersona (1723)
- Aneks B. Czy istnieje filozofia masońska? Wywiad [Norberta Wójtowicza] z profesorem Andrzejem Nowickim, autorem książki pt. "Filozofia masonerii"

We all know what masons are. They are tradesmen involved in building in stone. We are not so certain, however, about Freemasons. To say they are Masons who are free is not much help. We need to ascertain what is free about them. That’s the question which this evening’s lecture will attempt to address. Our concern will not be with masonry in the sense of stonework, nor with the etymological derivation of the word mason (it is probably from a root that means to hew or cut), but with Masonry/Freemasonry as a fraternal movement.

This paper is the text of an address by Rt. Wor. Bro. Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple, AO RFD, Past Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales & the Australian Capital Territory, to the Montefiore Lodge, Tel Aviv, Israel, on 9 October, 2012.

Jimmy Page had a deep interest in the occult, especially the work of Aleister Crowley, and this interest, which can also be seen in other British rock acts at the time such as David Bowie, filtered into his work with Led Zeppelin, something that can best be exemplified with the cover of Led Zeppelin IV. This short paper will explore the British rock music scene's flirtation with Crowley during the period of the 1960s and 1970s, and will attempt to put forward a reason behind this strange fascination.

A vossa primeira instrução como maçon foi a que mais define o que é a Maçonaria. Foi a instrução dos sinais que vos colocam em ordem, dos toques que vos permitem reconhecer irmãos, da palavra que é o vosso nome de aprendiz e a chave de acesso ao grau, da marcha, da bateria, da aclamação – foi a instrução de uma prática iniciática, não de uma doutrina simpática.

La Franc-Maçonnerie est née de la mutation au premier tiers du XVIIe siècle au Royaume Unie et en Irlande des loges opératives où les membres étaient des constructeurs d'églises, en loges spéculatives où les membres étaient des intellectuels venus partager un rite et chercher ensemble à s'améliorer moralement et spirituellement. Le Rite en 33 degrés Ce fut Joseph M. Myers nommé Inspecteur Général Adjoint (Deputy Inspector General), qui ajouta huit autres degrés au Rite à Charleston, en Amérique.

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 is the popular story: in the Middle Ages the artisans who constructed the great European cathedrals and castles were “operative” Masons who carried their credentials in the form of modes of recognition. They lodged on site and shared a social life. Later they were joined as “honorary members” by outsiders interested in the symbolism of building methods and working tools. Eventually the “speculatives” supplanted the “operatives”, and Masonry as we know it was born. Where this took place is not certain: “operative” Masonry seems to have been centred on the European continent but the speculative version developed in England. All we can say about the time frame is that the new version was in place in England by early 18th century.


This paper originally appeared as a chapter in Freemasonry: Studies, Speeches and Sensibilities, by Rt. Wor. Bro. Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple, AO RFD, Past Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales & the Australian Capital Territory, published by The Museum of Freemasonry, Sydney, 2010, pp. 181, ISBN 9780980758405.

In my book The Genesis of Freemasonry I proposed how natural philosopher and Freemason Dr Jean Theophilus Desaguliers was responsible for creating the third degree by the mid-1720s. Before this, there were two 'parts' being performed; the Entered Apprentice and the Fellow Craft. The new three degree style ritual soon spread. It seemed that Freemasons soon wanted to explore deeper pathways within Masonry, leading to new ideas being developed. Chevalier Ramsey was a Jacobite Mason who had gone to France to tutor the sons of aristocrats, and in his Masonic address in 1737, he famously outlined that Freemasonry was linked to the Crusaders and Chivalric Orders. His Oration put forward that after being preserved in the British Isles, it was transported to France, and though there is no evidence that Masonry was associated in any way to the Crusaders or Chivalry, it does show that at this time there was a developing interest in Chivalric Orders in relation to Freemasonry. Though Ramsey did not set out any plans for new Chivalric Masonic Orders in his 'Oration', his address certainly assisted to inspire them.

Il Grande Oriente d’Italia, rifondato nel 1859, ebbe fra i suoi elementi identitari un viscerale anticlericalismo. Al centro del suo impegno nella società civile vi fu la costante mobilitazione per limitare l’influenza della Chiesa cattolica nella sfera pubblica, per difendere la laicità dello Stato e per propagandare i valori del progresso e della scienza contro ogni forma di oscurantismo. Per svolgere questa sua attività la massoneria non esitò a utilizzare figure e simboli del passato che potessero incarnare questi valori. Oltre a personaggi come Giordano Bruno, Savonarola, Tommaso Campanella e a innumerevoli scienziati ed eretici, spesso perseguitati dalla Chiesa, la massoneria esaltò la biografia e il mito di Galileo facendone un emblema del suo universo ideale. A Galileo fin dai primi anni dopo l’Unità furono intitolate alcune logge e gli furono dedicati articoli su riviste e giornali massonici. Il Grande Oriente prese poi parte ad alcune manifestazioni pubbliche in suo onore, come quelle svoltesi a Pisa nel 1897 e nel 1901, e altre ne organizzò per proprio conto.
La relazione intende ricostruire queste vicende inquadrandole nel più generale contesto del protagonismo pubblico della massoneria italiana fra Otto e Novecento e all’interno delle sue battaglie per la laicizzazione e modernizzazione dello Stato.

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.

La Belgique Maçonnique, 5de uitg., Brussel: Librairie Tillot, 1887, 191 p.
Liste des personnes adoptées, présentées à l'admission, initiées ou affiliées dans les loges maçonniques de Belgique 1830-1886 / Lijst van aangenomen, voorgedragen, ingewijde of aangesloten personen bij de vrijmetselaarsloges van België 1830-1886.
Dans le livre La Belgique Maçonnique, l'éditeur bruxellois Tillot a publié environ 5500 noms de francs-maçons entre 1830 et 1886, sur la base de listes de membres des loges, avec les noms, l'occupation et le lieu des frères pour autant qu'ils soient connus. La liste n'est pas exhaustive, mais fournit néanmoins une mine d'informations.
// In het boek La Belgique Maçonnique publiceerde de Brusselse uitgever Tillot circa 5.500 namen van vrijmetselaars tussen 1830 en 1886 op basis van ledenlijsten bij de loges, met de naam, het beroep en de verblijfplaats van de broeders voor zover die bekend waren. De lijst is niet volledig, maar levert niettemin een schat aan informatie.

Nathan, iniziato alla massoneria nel 1887, fu gran maestro del Grande Oriente d’Italia dal 1896 al 1903 e dal 1917 al 1919. In questi anni contribuì al rafforzamento dell’istituzione massonica, che durante il suo mandato si trasferì nella nuova sede di Palazzo Giustiniani, accentuandone il ruolo politico in chiave patriottica e anticlericale.

[The Second DAILY Invocation: To the Superior agents in Merai nicknamed Mercury; for the spiritual Monday, and not for the temporal Monday. SUNDAY is the true day Monday, given to Mercury.] O you M.10., O you M.93., O you M.21. I CALL you and invoke you by the triple and quadruple-increased power that the Eternal creator has upon his minor creature by his own power— being however, a major Superior temporal one! I am that powerful creature the Lord dedicated to be the most perfect agent to those that are temporally spiritual. Your power is bounded in its faculty of action and operation, of which the God-man of the earth was the point before his prevarication. So that you remember the truth of what I am saying to you, I reiterate to you the first commandment which was made to you by the first man, who subjected your power to his own by the power of his word! I am that first man who was presented to all of you dressed in his first virtue and spiritual power. Warning, fear and trembling are given to you, by the triple and quadruple power of the word controlling you and commanding you to obey promptly the contents of my invocation set before you in the tableau of my operation. I conjure you through all I have that is most sacred, by everything most holy, and the formidable power of O M.52. and O M.47., who preside over all of you from the angles of East and West up to your visual region; I conjure you again by the very name, Holy action of the Eternal O M.68., who presides over you from the angle of the North in your region, so that the most powerful intelligence that is innate in you now joins to my spiritual and temporal wellbeing. I compel you with all your superior powers joining you to do that commanded of you by the Eternal, his actions and operation, and to be in all the circumstances of this temporal life intimately subjected to Him

A recent visit to Kosovo in the Balkans gave me a glimpse into three Islamic Sufi Orders; the Bektashi, Saadi and Halveti. It was interesting to talk to the Masters of these Orders, and to learn how they use initiation and a culture of secrecy, while also providing a journey of spiritual discovery and development for the initiate in a learning environment of signs and symbols, achieving levels of spiritual knowledge—a journey that is perceived by some nineteenth century writers, such as John Yarker, as being reminiscent of the spiritual journey some may experience within Freemasonry. Indeed, Bektashi, Saadi and Halveti are but three of the twelve Sufi Orders that can be found in Kosovo, other examples being Bajrami and Mevlevi. This short paper attempts to explore and examine the perceived Masonic similarities to the Islamic Mystical Movements that can be found in the Balkan region, and will also discuss how the views of nineteenth century Orientalist writers assisted in popularising this view.

This book will examine the deeply esoteric eighteenth century Rite of Seven Degrees, a Masonic rite that was based in London, but was led by French engraver Pierre Lambert de Lintot. The work will not only present the story of de Lintot and his rite, but for the first time will display the translated ritual and the minute book from the late eighteenth century French, which not only reveals the workings of the lost rite, but adds to our historical understanding of the development of the rituals in a wider context. This is the third book in Harrison's Lost Rites series and follows on from his last work Rediscovered Rituals of English Freemasonry.

In 1728, a year after the death of Sir Isaac Newton, his protégé and ardent supporter, Dr. John Theophilus Desaguliers (1683–1744), published a poem in celebration of Newton’s mechanical Universe, titled The Newtonian System of the World, The Best Model of Government: An Allegorical Poem. The poem—reproduced on the beginning on page 99—celebrated Newtonian Experimental Natural Philosophy, Desaguliers applying Newtonian mechanics to a poetical formula that at times, struggled under the sheer weight of Newton’s immense achievements. The poem also praised the Hanoverian Monarchy of the time, and as we shall see, the ordered Universe of Newton was applied by Desaguliers in his praise of this new system of British government.

'In the Beginning' is a document written in 1966 explaining the formative years of the American Canadian Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. (ACGL), a regular Grand Lodge today being one of the five constitutive Grand Lodges within the United Grand Lodges of Germany. I reproduce this document here with notes complementing or correcting the information provided. It also provides an history of military U.S. Lodges in Germany created after the end of the Second World War.

The "OMS – Threshold of Initiation" PDF contains all the relevant information on the Ordre Martinistes Souverains (OMS), its means, purposes, and how to apply.

Included is the:
-OMS Public Manifesto,
-Pre-Associate Operation,
-Rule of the Ordre in 9 Points,
-Application.

The Application, which is purely confidential, helps us to start to understand your esoteric history so that we can better serve you, and helps us both to ensure that we are a good fit for each other.

The Pre-Associate Operation is required in order to be considered for initiation so that you may test some preliminary exercises, and we can both evaluate if you are a good fit for the Ordre, and if the Ordre is a good fit for you.

Please direct further questions to the email grand.chancellor@martinism.net as instructed in the document.

ABSTRACT
Similar to some other so called sensitive issues, Freemasonry as well is avoided due to it has been accepted objectionable spoken and written. However, ''who do not know history can not shape the future''. In fact, there are how many issues similar to this, particularly on socio-cultural low fragments of less developed and developing  societies which were accepted taboo and shown hostility, actually without knowing what it is.
In this connection, without taking into account similar unconscious hostility, I will try to reflect  the subject of ‘’The Role of the German Grand Lodge ‘’ZU DEN III WELTK’’, on the Development of the Ancient and Accepted Scotch Rite (AASR) of Freemasonry in the Continental Europe’’, for which I realised a deep research on that subject, in the content of this talk.

At the very beginning, I must elaborate that ‘’why I have chosen this subject?’’ While researching the historical development of Freemasonry in Turkey,  I have always felt the need for a more detailed examination of the known that the beginning phase of Freemasonry’s implantation, development and spreading in the Continental Europe in general terms.

The very first Freemasonry Lodge of the Continental Europe was founded by a group of Jacobins under the leadership of Lord Charles Radcliffe, the Count of Derwentwater, in Paris France in 1725. As it is seen, contrary to the thought at first glance, Ancient and Accepted Scotch Rite of Freemasonry was neither founded in Scotland nor England but France.
The Masonic authorities of France tasked Stephen Morin from Bordeaux in 1761, in order to deliver the high degrees to the next shore of the Ocean and Morin established these degrees in Caribbean islands in 1763. On May 1801 in Charleston  in the United States, the first Supreme Council was opened as known the US South Jurisdiction.
Following this brand new establishment, we learned that on August 14th, 1738, at the Rheinsberg Castle in Brunswick which is castle of the Crown Prince who wil be known Frederick the Great of Prussia later on, a private lodge was established as the first step of Freemasonry and  Frederick II initiated to the Freemasonry in this lodge. Afterwards, on September 13th, 1740, a second private lodge was established in Berlin by Etienne Jordan with the permission of the King and Frederick II stayed as Grand Master until 1799.
Therefore, you will find the roles of either the Grand Lodge 3 Globes and Frederick II on these developments, in the context of this research study.
ÖZET
Bazı diğer sözde hassas konular gibi, genelde konuşulup yazılması sakıncalı kabul edildiği için Masonluğa da uzak durulur. Ancak ‘’tarihi bilmeyen geleceği şekillendiremez’’.  Özellikle az gelişmiş toplumlarda ve de bu toplumların sosyo-kültürel alt katmanlarında ne olduğu bilinmeden tabu kabul edilen ve düşmanlık gösterilen benzeri ne çok konu vardır.
Ben bu bağlamda, benzer bilinçsiz düşmanlıkları dikkate almadan, bu konuşmamda sizlere, uzun süredir araştırdığım ‘’Eski ve Kabul Edilmiş Skoç Riti’nin (EKSR) Kıta Avrupasındaki Gelişiminde, Alman Üç Küre Büyük Locası’nın Rolü’’ konusunu yansıtmaya çalışacağım.
Sunumumun başında, bu konuyu seçme nedenimi de yansıtmak isterim. Masonluğun ülkemizdeki tarihsel gelişimini incelerken, zorunlu gördüğüm karşılaştırmaları gerçekleştirebilmek için, hep Eski ve Kabul Edilmiş Skoç Riti’nin kıta Avrupasına girişi ve yayılmasındaki başlangıç aşamalarını daima genel hatları ile bilinenden daha detaylı inceleme gereğini hissetmişimdir.
Kıta Avrupasındaki ilk Mason Locası 1725’te Derwentwater Kontu Lord Charles Radcliffe öncülüğünde bir grup İngiliz Jakoben tarafından Paris Fransa’da kuruldu. Görüleceği üzere, ilk bakışta düşünülenin aksine, Eski ve Kabul Edilmiş Skoç Riti İskoçya’da veya İngiltere’de değil, Fransa’da kuruldu. 1761’de Fransa’daki Masonik Yetkililer yüksek dereceleri Okyanus ötesinde Amerika’ya taşımak üzere Bordeaux’dan Stephen Morin’i görevlendirdi.  1763’te de Morin bu dereceleri Karaip Adaları’nda Fransa patenti altında kurdu. Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde Charleston’da Mayıs 1801’de, bugün ABD Güney Juridiksiyonu olarak bilinen ilk Yüksek Şura açıldı.
Bu Locanın kuruluşunu takiben, 14 Ağustos 1738’de Brunswick’de sonradan Büyük Frederik olarak anılacak Prusya Veliaht Prensi’nin kendi Rheinsberg Kalesi’nde, Prusya’daki Hürmasonluğun ilk adımını oluşturan bir özel loca kurulduğunu ve Frederik II’nin bu Locada mason olduğunu biliyoruz. Bunu takiben kıralın izniyle 13 Eylül 1740’ta Berlin’de Etienne Jordan tarafından 3 Küreler adı altında ikinci bir Özel Loca kuruldu ve Frederik II 1799 yılına kadar Büyük Üstad olarak kaldı. İşte bu araştırma kapsamında gerek 3 Küre Büyük Locası’nın ve gerekse Frederik II’nin bu gelişmelerdeki rollerini bulacaksınız.
More Info:

This talk was delivered by M. Iskender TARGAC, on November 28th, 2012, in Turkey’s Idea and Culture Association in Istanbul.

Time: 7 PM to 9 PM

KEYWORDS

3 Globes, Frederick II, Frederick the Great, Lord Charles Radcliffe, Stephen (Estienne) Morin, John Mitchell, Fredrich Dalcho, German Grand Lodge, Lycee Louis-Le-Grand, Magnoludoviciens, Clermont Cizvit Koleji, Francken Manuscripts, Albert Pike, Franz Liszt, Lorenz Adlon, Symbols, Theology, Mythology, Religion

Event Date: November 28th, 2012

Organization: Turkey’s Idea and Culture Association (Istanbul)

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.

Доклад на X конференции АИЭМ, 23–25 апреля 2019, г. Ставрополь. Масонский Храм вне всякого сомнения является центральным объектом масонского символического метода. Сам этот метод подразумевает совершенно особый подход к символам, основанный на средневековых и, возможно, еще более древних методологиях эзотерической работы со смыслами и объектами реальности. Он состоит не только в осмыслении того или иного символа посредством медитации и интеллектуального квеста в поисках его толкования посредством аналогий в различных мифологических, религиозных и научных системах мировой истории. В первую очередь, масонский метод состоит в протопрактиках "проживания" символа, помещения человеческой личности в пространство символа в особой сгенерированной ритуалом "пограничной реальности", где в идеале происходит самоотождествление личности с самим символом, будь то переживание опыта символической смерти в ходе масонского ритуала степени Мастера или переживание опыта слияния со Вселенной и всем человечеством в ритуалах открытия и закрытия работ и посвящения в степень Ученика. Масонский Храм имеет одновременно "горизонтальное" измерение (соединяющее каждого масона со всем сотворенным миром) и "вертикальное" (соединяющее его со всеми масонами в прошлом и будущем). Ключевые слова: масонство, масоны, масонский храм, история масонства, масонский символ, символизм храма Масонский храм вне всякого сомнения является символическим и социальным центром всего масонского общества. Являясь эзотерическим обществом, основанным исключительно на понятиях коллектива и коллективного приобщения к традиции, в противовес большинству прочих эзотерических орденов и организаций, отдающих преимущество индивидуальному приобщению к традиции и передаче посвящения от индивидуума-индивидууму,-масонство традиционно рассматривает место собраний своих ячеек как центральный элемент своей символической системы, фокальную точку ритуальной практики и ключевой элемент институциональной философии и идеологии. Храм является местом проведения собраний масонской ложи-главной структурной единицы масонского братства, одновременно и первичной, низовой его ячейки, и основополагающей, фундаментальной символической единицы «всемирной братской цепи».

Within Freemasonry, there have been a range of views about the extent to which Masonic teachings and practices are esoteric. By contrast, a review of writings by scholars of Western Esotericism finds that many of them see Freemasonry as a significant and influential aspect of esoteric traditions. This paper reviews writings of Frances Yates, Antoine Faivre, Jan A.M. Snoek and Edmond Mazet here in Part One. Writings of Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Kocku von Stuckrad, and Henrik Bogdan are reviewed in Part Two.

One of Freemasonry's most overlooked traditions is also among its oldest: the fundamental responsibility of the Master of the Lodge to educate his fellows. This article traces that role and shows how Masonic legend and tradition reinforces the educational mandate of the station through symbolism and ceremony. The full text of Wellins Calcott's 1767 Masonic charge for installation of a lodge Master, which became absorbed into standard installation ceremonies in most English-speaking Masonic jurisdictions, is included and analyzed.

CHICAGO CITATION: Shawn Eyer, "Light and Instruction: The Educational Duties of the Worshipful Master." Philalethes: The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters 72(2019): 138-46.

The first Australian masonic activity was in the form of “travelling lodges” attached to the early regiments. There were also some freemasons amongst the convicts. Neither group of masons, however seems to have included any Jews. No known Jewish name appears in the lists of the 46th and 48th Regiments. But from the time of the formation in 1820 of the first Australian lodge, known as the Australian Social Lodge, No. 260 in the Irish Constitution and subsequently No. 1 under the Grand Lodge of NSW, Jews are gradually found in the membership lists. This paper is an abridged text of a lecture delivered by Rt. Wor. Bro. Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple, AO RFD, Past Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales & the Australian Capital Territory, at the Victorian Lodge of Research on 23 March 1995.

The background of this research has emerged from a lack of studies on Freemasonry in small towns or district areas in the Dutch East Indies, because research on Freemasonry in Indonesia is limited to its development in large cities or provincial regions. Freemasonry is the largest secret society in the New Age Movement which was founded in 1717 in England, spread throughout the world and many world leaders, politicians and professionals were members. In 1756 the Great Loge of Netherlands was established as the beginning of the formation of Freemasonry in the Netherlands. Freemasonry was established in the Dutch East Indies when two lodges were established in 1767 and 1769. The Great Loge of Nederland was recirded that the number of lodges in the Dutch East Indies in the golden period reached 25 lodges and 1,500 members. Methods used for this research is historical methods, that consists of heuristics, critics, interpretation and historiography. The main problem of this research is “What is the activity of Freemasonry at Karawang and who are the influential figures in the Krawangsche Kring?” The results of this research show that Freemasonry in addition to exist in large cities also developed in small town areas such as Karawang and even some local figures became members. This local-branch of Freemasonry is called "De Krawangsche Kring" or "Vrijmetselaarkring Krawang" which carried out various activities from 1926 until Japanese occupation (1942). De Krawangsche Kring held regular meetings since it was founded and had been vacuumed in 1930-1933 until new officials were appointed to succeed in reactivating organizational activities. Various annual or monthly routine meetings are held with several objectives, namely developing and evaluating organizations, holding discussions with themes such as science, occultism, magic, mysterious, supernatural and spiritual.

This paper will be the first to comprehensively cover the little known Liverpool Masonic Rebellion of 1823, a rebellion which went on to become the Wigan Grand Lodge.  This was the last Masonic rebellion - taking place after the union of English Freemasonry in 1813, and the independent Grand Lodge lasted until 1913.  The paper will cover the themes of the continuation of the Antients and of both Masonic and social rebellion in the early nineteenth century.

In the third degree ritual the central feature is the death and upraising of Hiram Abiff. It brings solemnity and drama into the occasion, though our version lacks the theatricality of some other rites which use costumes and elaborate dialogue. All versions believe it is a true story that happened at the time when Solomon constructed the Temple in Jerusalem, but those who look for Biblical backing are bound to be disappointed.

Paper delivered by Rt. Wor. Bro. Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple, AO RFD, Past Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales & the Australian Capital Territory, at the Discovery Lodge of Research, Sydney, 27 January, 2010.

If one wants to summarize in one brief sentence three centuries of Egyptian radiation throughout the Middle East and Northeastern Africa, the following is quite sufficient:

A permanent strife between two priesthoods for prevalence and authenticity.

The two opposite priesthoods permeated the temples' personnel, the court, the administration, the army and the society. They viewed their rightful rejection of one another in terms of human authenticity and orientation. Their views were diametrically opposed, and each of them considered their perception of the world as the only reflecting the purpose of the Creation, and of the existence of the Mankind.

This spiritual – religious – intellectual – ideological clash did characterize other countries as well; Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Canaan and other parts of the Middle East and the world have become the theater of similar debates and strives. In Egypt and Kush / Ethiopia, we identify the beginning of the opposition in the 4th millennium BCE.

It all reflects an opposition between a monotheistic approach to the perception and description of the Divine and a polytheistic system that highly personalizes the aspects of the Divine, and favours the use of pictorial representation of the Divine. The monotheists are virtually aniconic, which means they reject / oppose the use of icons, idols, statues and bas-reliefs. Polytheism and idolatry are identical.
First published on 19th March 2010 in AfroArticles, Buzzle and American Chronicle
Republished in the portal of Oromo parliamentarians:
https://www.oromoparliamentarians.org/English/Facts%20about%20Oromo/Oromo%20Kushatic%20nation-Egypt.htm

This paper examines the Grand Lodge of All England held at York, otherwise referred to as the York Grand Lodge, which was an independent body of Freemasons that existed during the eighteenth century. The paper explores the origins of this Grand Lodge and how it came into conflict with the dynamic of the Premier Grand Lodge of London. The leading figure of York Masonry Dr Francis Drake will be discussed, and how this concept of independent Masonry survived up until the closing years of the eighteenth century, leaving behind remnants of a Masonic culture that still inspires Masonic researchers to this day.

In several previous articles, I examined the parallel characteristics of the fake colonial states of Sudan (real Ethiopia) and Abyssinia (fake Ethiopia) that have been the end result of the Freemasonic Orientalist fallacies of Pan-Arabism and Ethiopianism.

In this article, I will examine a bogus-historical term that has been constructed by the Freemasonic Orientalist ateliers and academia of France and England to further spread confusion in the wider region, and – more importantly – consolidate the two fallacies in the area, namely the pseudo-doctrines of Pan-Arabism and Ethiopianism: Nubia.
First published in:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/143394

Republished here:
http://www.oromoparliamentarians.org/English/Facts%20about%20Oromo/Ethiopia%20Kushati%20land.htm
and
http://www.egyptsearch.com/forums/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=006830;p=1