When he holdeth his peace, is counted wise...

Conspiracy theorists often forget that by speaking out about something that they understand only superficially, they confirm their lack of understanding to the rest of the world. The most common example of this is the assumption that Freemasonry has a single organizational structure either in terms of its governance or the progression of degrees. When I tell them the truth, they are either left speechless or assume that I'm lying because it immediately disarms their entire rationale for despising the Fraternity.

But this is only the most common example. Interpretations of symbols is another common case where conspiracy theory goes off the rails. For example, a recent "Above Top Secret" posting analyzed the art of Freemasonry. Its conclusions were absurd, but it's important to understand why they're absurd. It's not because they're wrong. In fact, an argument could be made that they're not wrong because there's no such thing as "right" when it comes to interpreting Masonic symbolism. At best, one has a better claim to understanding the symbolism if one has been initiated, but that's only because they symbols are intended to relate to the initiatic experience.

So, here are a few examples from that article:

The compass and square ... As we can see the compass (Female) is on top of the square. Indicating that the female is the Stronger of the sexes.

First off, the interpretation of the Compasses (compasses is never singular) as female is arbitrary. I could make an argument that it does represent the female, but it's a thin argument (based on historical associations of circular vs. squared shapes in art). It's certainly not a slam-dunk assertion that this is the correct interpretation of that symbol.

As an example let me provide a second interpretation: the square is a tool for measuring the real world. Is this stone square? Let's check... But the compasses are a tool for measuring intent. You use them on paper to lay out abstracts. The abstract is above the concrete (no pun intended) because this is how we view our metaphysical situation.

That's my interpretation, but it's not "right" either. There is no right interpretation.

The all seeing eye is in actual fact. The Holy See. The Vatican. Because Freemasonry is just another extension of the Vatican.

This one is fairly silly, but I'll point out that this is contradicted by the fact that the Catholic Church has, in the past, sentenced Freemasons to death for their association with the Fraternity and still considers membership in the Fraternity to be a "grave matter" (otherwise known as a "mortal sin," preventing the Mason from receiving communion).

Another side point, the correct name for the "all seeing eye" is actually the "Eye of Providence" and it is not merely a Masonic symbol. Centuries before it was used by Freemasonry it was a symbol of the Christian conception of divine providence. It later became a generic symbol of the omnipresence of deity, and that is why Freemasonry alludes to this symbol.

[In the artwork depicted] The leaves represent fractals.

Fractals are a concept that really were not fleshed out until fairly late in the 20th century, and even their initial introduction as an abstract concept wasn't until the late 19th century. Freemasonry has been around for at least 200 years longer than that, possible 3 or 4, depending on how you measure and which historical evidence to take as indicating the existence of something that could reasonably be called "Freemasonry."

Symbols do not have to have just one meaning. It is what makes them so interesting.

This is the only insightful comment in the article, and yet the author does not appear to understand it...

There are 33 degrees in Freemasonry. Because there are 33 vertebra in the Human spine.

This would be fascinating... but there's a problem. There are many more than 33 degrees in Freemasonry. There are 33 degrees in the Scottish Rite... well, that's not strictly true, but there are 33 numbered degrees. But they're broken up into a sequence that has no mapping to the spine. As a result, I'm inclined to assert that this is a coincidence only, but there's certainly room for allegorical ideas about the spine and the Scottish Rite due to the presence of this coincidence. It just can't be treated as a sole interpretation.

Unfortunately, this is the point at which the author lost their own thread and started trying to interpret the sacred art of various world religions instead of the art of Freemasonry. It's sad, really, because it punctuates what might have been a passable attempt at giving one interpretation of the symbols of Freemasonry with what amounts to a rambling torrent of gibberish ranging from the Apse of St. Peter's Basilica to Levi's Baphomet (not a Masonic figure at all until it was associated with Freemasonry by the Taxil Hoax) to the Swastika to the Yin/Yang to various random examples of sacred geometry.

In general, here's a good rule: Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise. (Proverbs 17:28) If you are not certain that what you know is true, it is best not to say anything, but if you must, do not say it with an air of veracity and authority.

What is initiation, why is it secret and how does society benefit from it?

The Initiation Chamber
Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii

I've made the outrageous claim before that society makes great strides when the initiatic tradition is intact and widely adopted and that civilization suffers when this is not the case. In order to even begin investigating the validity of that claim, we need to understand what it is we mean by "initiation" and how it works. This is the goal of the present article.

So, what is initiation? In its simplest form, it is the recognition of entry into a new role or subculture in a larger society, using a system of ritual, performed exclusively by those who have previously been initiated.

Let's look at some examples to clarify what that means: When a man is going to be married, most Western cultures have some sort of ceremonial celebration at which the man is prepared for his new role in society as a husband. In the US we usually call these "bachelor parties." Similarly, when one joins the military, there are many distinct rituals of bonding and acceptance performed as a part of "basic training."

Within the societies which perform stand-alone initiations such as Freemasonry, Rotary and so on, the role of the initiation is not merely a demarcation which one experiences and then moves on. It is an entry into a fellowship, but the process is still very much the same.

We now have a sense (if only by example) of what initiation is, so why is it almost always secret?

Certainly, there are elements of many initiations that are considered private matters (bachelor parties might involve watching a "stag film" or, more commonly in the modern day, hiring an exotic dancer; military initiations might be considered violent by outsiders; etc.) but this is not the primary reason for secrecy.

Rather, secrecy is a part of the reason for initiation. Forming a hidden "token" of belonging between the initiate and the existing members of the group makes the act of initiation meaningful. We see this in every trivial act of initiation from the proverbial "keys to the executive washroom" to the programming communities where contributors who have been accepted into project are given permission to submit new source code.

This gives us a reference point from which to begin to talk about how initiation benefits the individual, the group and society at large.

For the individual, initiation is a signpost. Before and after initiation one leads different lives: the exoteric and the esoteric. By creating and valuing an esoteric context, we promote the notion that there is meaning and value in belonging and contributing to something which is more than just the sum of its individual members. This idea, in turn, is the hallmark of functioning societies.

To quote Yeats' poem, The Second Coming, "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity." It is this lack of conviction on the part of those who have the most to contribute which initiation is meant to address and resolve; not simply by bonding the initiate to the existing members, but by bonding them to the initiatic body itself and teaching them that they can add value to their cultural context by seeking the acceptance of their peers.

In a future update, I will address specific historical examples of societies with and without strong initiatic traditions....

The Eye of Providence, Freemasonry, Illuminati and the Great Seal of the United States of America

Last Supper at Emmaus
Jacopo Pontormo, 1525

There's a great deal of misinformation around the eye in the triangle symbol and what it means. I'd like to clear that up. FIrst off, it's called "The Eye of Providence."

The Eye of Providence inside of a pyramid is not "the Illuminati logo". The symbol of the Illuminati was the Owl of Minerva. The Eye of Providence was a symbol of the Christian notion of divine providence circa the 15th century in art, but was adopted by many different organizations in the 17th and 18th century as a symbol of the omniscience of deity without being specifically of any one religion.

It was in this sense that Freemasonry, not the Illuminati, used the symbol (though, also not as their primary symbol or logo, which was the Square & Compasses), but it did not appear inside of a pyramid. The conflation with the pyramid probably arose from The Great Seal of the United States where the Eye of Providence represents the providence of God with respect to the founding of the nation from 13 individual colonies (hence the 13 stones making up the base of the pyramid). This providence is clearly explained in the Declaration of Independence, where it is clear that one of the most important aspects of the founders' claim to the right of self-rule, in the face of centuries of monarch-lead claims of divine right to rule, was divine providence. But note that the eye is not inside a pyramid on the Great Seal either! It's actually inside of a triangle. We'll get to where the eye started to go in a pyramid later on...

The Great Seal, like many other uses of the Eye of Providence in the 19th century, had little to do with other uses, so much as it generically represented the philosophy of one group (the framers of the early US system of government). Was it used because of Freemasonry's use? Probably not, but we can't know for sure. Freemasonry was one of many groups that routinely used that symbol in the 18th century, and it was probably used more to avoid specifically referring to any one group or philosophy than the opposite.

The eye is routinely associated (by conspiracy theorists as well as well-meaning enthusiasts) with the Eye of Horus, a symbol from ancient Egyptian mythology. The problem with this theory is that there is absolutely no evidence to support it, and the eye as a symbol of the awareness of deity has cropped up in many isolated systems of iconography from Eastern religions such as Hinduism to the Western aboriginal folk art. There is therefore no particular reason to assume that the Eye of Providence had to be based on some previous icon, and there is no evidence to cause us to do so.

So, why are we so convinced that the Eye is a symbol of the Illuminati and that it was displayed inside a pyramid? Well, that all gets to a funny little thing that happened in the 1970s. Robert Anton Wilson published a story called The Illuminatus! Trilogy which was a comedic, science fiction take on just about every brand of conspiracy theory, and it based its titular organization on what had been a relatively obscure bunch mostly of interest to historians for their alleged influence on the later Jacobins: the Bavarian Illuminati. The book developed most of the sorts of memes that we're familiar with today regarding the Illuminati including absurdly broad influence over governments, religions and secret societies; contact with aliens; the whole works!

It also featured on its cover the Eye of Providence inside of a pyramid... probably influenced by the Great Seal.

The Eye of Providence is an important part of the history of post-enlightenment symbolism and it's sad to see so many people ignoring its actual history in favor of comedy/sci fi. I love good sci fi, but I try not to confuse it with history.

Faith and the Craft

Ian Edwards'
Leap of Faith

We use the word "Faith" all the time as Masons. It's a part of the lessons of the first degree, but how many of us think about what the word means?

Obviously, faith can refer to a belief in deity, but I think that Freemasonry uses it more specifically than that. When we use the word, I believe that we are very particularly talking about the acceptance of and trust in the idea that the world is not simply random. That is, that being of good character and seeking Light has meaning. None of the other lessons of Freemasonry have any value whatever without this foundation, so it must be accepted by the new Mason before he can even proceed to be obligated as an EA.

Let's look over some of the definitions that others have used and compare to this analysis.

Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry defines Faith as, "synonymous with confidence or trust, and hence we find merely a repetition of the lesson which had been previously taught that the first, the essential qualification of a candidate for initiation, is that he should trust in God." Note that he points out that it is this "trust in God," not just a belief. It is the faith in, "evidence of things not seen," which allows us to accept that we, our Brothers and the lessons of Freemasonry have merit and meaning.

We also direct the Worshipful master, in the Charge as given in Webb's Illustrations, to a "diligent observance of ... the Holy Scriptures, which are given as a rule and guide to your faith." Again recall that the VSL is a symbol, representing the scriptural dogma of a given Brother's belief. It is this faith in the codified meaning of one's beliefs, handed down through generations that the Brother who has attained the Oriental Chair is admonished to observe. Not because there is a dogma which Freemasonry is advocating, but because it is that faith in the continuity of the wisdom from which Freemasonry derives which enables our Craft to proceed with their work.

Is This Your Work? The Journey of a middle-aged, young Mason

In 2012, I was part of a local gaming group. We played a variety of games including some of the euro-import board games and various roleplaying titles, usually focused on rich story and political intrigue. One of our gamers was a really interesting character. He was a former rabble-rouser and very politically aware and active liberal guy who also happened to be gay. All of this may seem irrelevant, but it formed a picture in my mind of who he was and how I expected his life to be.

Then that all changed. One day, he told me he was a Freemason. "Wait... what... you?!" I must have asked with some obvious incredulousness. Yes, he was one of those old guys that sat around talking about Elizabethan politics over brandy and a cigar... or at least that's what I thought Freemasons were when they weren't out driving their clown cars.

This drove me to learn more. I started studying Freemasonry a bit and asked casual, low-key questions every now and then, trying not to step on any need for secrecy that would prevent his answering further questions.

This was at a time in my life when much had changed. I'd come out as bisexual to my friends and family over a decade before, but the process is never quick or simple. One of the more unexpected and tangential results of that transition was a change in my beliefs. I'd always called myself an agnostic. I didn't deny the existence of God, but neither did I think that there was likely an old man in the clouds waiting for me to pray to him. I had no particular faith, but more and more, as I questioned my role in society, I also questioned my role with respect to existence.

That all came to a head as I investigated Freemasonry. I started reading about men like Ben Franklin who identified as deists, and I looked into their beliefs. The classical deists were more or less Abrahamic theists without the dogma and generally held to a non-interventionist view (e.g. no miracles).

I thought: if this Franklin fellow could be a Freemason and hold more or less the same view that I do, why can't I?

So, I approached my friend and asked about joining the Fraternity and how one went about doing so? Did he have to ask me or could I just fill out an application?

I was invited to the Lodge and given a tour. My silly questions were answered and maybe I asked one that wasn't... I don't remember, but I know I asked about why women weren't in the Fraternity and why there were secrets and whether anything I'd be asked to do or take an oath to would violate my conscience... all of the usual stuff.

He reassured me on every point that this wasn't the kind of group that someone like himself would have any problem with, and so I was unlikely to be concerned, but that Freemasonry isn't a prison, and I was free to turn around at any time.

With this assurance, I took my first step. I came back for an interview and the application process a little while later and then panicked over whether or not they were going to reject me... it took so long (probably a month or two, but I was really wound up about it at the time).

In the end, my journey as a Mason began the way all of the worthy Brothers before me have begun: with that first step forward to the door of the Lodge room.

After my initiation, my mind was swirling! There was so much there! There was morality and philosophy and history and a kind of art that I had never experienced before! Like every earnest Mason after that first degree, I was overwhelmed and, of course, I'm still unravelling that experience today.

What struck me most in joining the Fraternity was not just the eagerness to have another set of hands... I expected that, but the eagerness to teach, to discuss, to puzzle out the nature of our work. This is now my work, and it will be judged by future generations, I suppose. Is it good work?

How many Masons are there?

It's a simple question: how many Freemasons are there in the world/US/wherever. The statistics can be hard to gather. You'll hear numbers like 6 million or 5 million, but these numbers don't give a clear picture. I can clear this up a bit...

As you can see, the graph looks rather stark. The decline in the US that we hear about and are often told began in the 1970s or 1980s actually began in either 1960 (total number) or 1955 ("per capita" or fraction of the total population of the US). Why are these different? As with most questions regarding the US population in the 20th century, the answer involves the Baby Boomers, WWII vets and the changing landscape of our culture in the 1960s.

But starting in the 1960s, even the WWII vets couldn't prop up the numbers any longer and the fact that the Baby Boomers were not joining in the same numbers as their parents became clear. Over the next 40 years, the decline was as steady as a heartbeat. It was only in the 2000s that the number began to show signs of leveling out, but of course, by this point the numbers were radically declined, and it's possible that there are just dynamics of a smaller population that take over.

But there are some interesting hints in the data. The existence of an existential threat that both unifies the population and encourages it to view its history with pride seems to have a significant effect on membership. Notice the drastic change in trajectory between 1940 and 1942. The numbers hadn't changed much, but the trajectory went from a major slide down to a sharp spike up!

But is membership all we care about? It's nice to have the money that comes from 4 million dues-paying members, but is it necessary? I don't think that it is. We're a link in the chain of the Western initiatic tradition. Ultimately we will contribute to the next link in that chain and they to the next and so on. What is critical is that we maintain a sense of why that chain is indissoluble for long enough to connect to whatever comes next; to pass that wisdom on to the Academy that will teach the next generation of seekers. Will that be in 5 years or 50 or 500? There's no way to know.

Honest Trailer: Freemasonry

Symbols often obscure the
discussion of Freemasonry
with non-Freemasons.

Continuing the trend from my previous article, Everything Wrong With... Freemasonry, the title of this article also refers to a popular YouTube movie review channel, but this article is equally as serious as the first. Previously, we discussed the anti-Masonic claims, but I suggested that I would also write about what Freemasonry really is and give a positive perspective, rather than just disclaiming the negative. That is the goal of this article.

So let's begin at the beginning. Most attempts to summarize the benefits of Freemasonry fail to be coherent or are overly simplistic. Typically they are in the form of vague language such as "Freemasonry is a system of morality," or, "Freemasonry teaches a set of moral lessons using an abstract and symbolic language." To the uninitiated, this sounds not only strange, but arguably like the doublespeak of a cult, and I think tends to alienate more prospective members than it attracts. Instead, I'm going to try to break down what kind of people would be interested in Freemasonry, what kind of people would not and what the former would get from it in simple language without using vague terms like "system" or arm-waving at what we do by calling it "lessons."

First, some basics so that we're all on the same page: Freemasonry is a fraternity. You've probably heard this, but it's probably a less useful term than we might hope. The term has come, primarily, to refer to the Greek system of fraternities on college campuses. These organizations are, to some extent, modeled on Freemasonry but they are not Masonic bodies and their goals can vary widely. Instead, Freemasonry is a fraternity in the sense that it is a social organization of men with a common set of interests.

Freemasonry is also an initiatory body. That is, we have an initiation ceremony that must be undergone before one can become a member of the organization. This initiation is broken up into three parts: the Entered Apprentice degree, the Fellowcraft degree and the Master Mason degree.

Each degree teaches a set of philosophical ideas that are deeply entwined with the notions of deity, charity and self-discipline.

To return to the goal of this posting, now that we've established the basics, let's get to the questions:

Question: Who would be interested in Freemasonry?

Any man with a belief in a Supreme Being who has a desire to answer larger questions in his life than those of his own benefit. More specifically, Freemasonry provides a man with a massive and highly concentrated set of teachings through these degrees and Freemasons have literally spent their lives unraveling those degrees and determining what they mean to them. Men who find that philosophy is fascinating but daunting because of its extreme breadth and thousands of years of history will often find that Freemasonry gives them a way to "find their depth" and learn at their own pace. One can comprehend the degrees merely as initiation formalities and otherwise enjoy the company of their new Brothers or one can dive deeply into the symbolism and tradition of those degrees in order to become a true scholar of the Fraternity. Both types of men are welcome in our Fraternity.

Question: Who would not be interested in Freemasonry?

If you read the above paragraph and concluded that this sounds like a bunch of intellectual self-satisfaction, then you're probably not going to get much from the Fraternity. You could still join and could still derive enjoyment from being a member, but it would be a bit like going for a "swim" in the ocean and never doing more than getting your toes wet.

Also, those who are either atheists or are offended by abstract discussions of religion or the presence of those of religions other than their own are going to find that the discussion of deity in the Fraternity is either too ubiquitous in the former case or not specific enough to avoid offense in the latter case. Freemasonry teaches its lessons about a set of moral truths through allegories and metaphors that deeply involve deity and abstract references to Abrahamic faiths. While there are many non-Abrahamic faiths represented in Freemasonry, we all use that lens to understand the ideas being taught by these degrees, to some extent.

Question: What is the role of esotericism in Freemasonry?

This is a question that's come up more than once, and I think Freemasons try to dodge it more than they should. Freemasonry is fundamentally esoteric. Our degrees are "hidden" in the sense that we do not discuss their content publicly and the literal meaning of the word "esoteric" is "hidden knowledge." In that sense, Freemasonry is esoteric. However the term has come to mean something more specific. It often refers to the idea that there are specific sorts of mystical beliefs and practices which are not part of mainstream theology or philosophy and which claim a deeper understanding of both of those areas. Esotericism is, in this sense, a broad label for several specific sets of practices and bodies of knowledge ranging from Kabbalah to Theosophy to Sufism to many forms of quasi-religious practices.

My answer to this question, then goes in two different directions. First, Freemasonry provides a philosophical context which is cognizant of these traditions and within which it is possible to discuss them rationally, but it is not a part of them, nor is it simply a gateway to them. In the same way that Freemasonry embraces members from most religions it also embraces those who are or wish to become students of each these esoteric ideas. There is a rich history of Freemasons who have, in fact, done just that, but Freemasonry stands on its own and is not simply some esoteric tradition's front door.

My second answer is that there are elements of Masonic lessons which can be interpreted as nods to dozens of esoteric practices throughout the world. But the key word, there, is "interpreted." The degrees have no "correct interpretation." There are people like Albert Pike and Manly P. Hall (who I'll point out do not entirely agree with each other's views) whose interpretations are deeply esoteric while there are others like Thomas Smith Webb whose interpretations are much less so.

Each man must determine what the degrees mean to him, and no Freemason can definitively tell any other that his interpretation is "wrong" unless it clearly runs counter to the text of the degrees. So the role of esotericism in Freemasonry is as one of many possible interpretations of the meaning of our system of degrees, as is the role of specific dogmas from religions. These are the tools of the individual, however, not of the Fraternity as a whole.

Question: If Freemasonry has been around for hundreds of years, is there anything left for me to contribute?

Yes! Right now is a particularly excellent time to contribute to the Fraternity in terms of your time, thoughts and leadership. Over the past 30 years or so, membership has declined in all fraternal organizations and many religions as the general public's interest in many related topics has waned. However, the millennials are beginning to show an interest in those elements of society once again. The numbers of young applicants to the Fraternity is growing rapidly, and we need people who can take on a leadership role in order to guide them and reinvigorate the Fraternity around their unique perspective.

The unfortunate stereotype of the Fraternity as a social club for retirees is primarily a result of that decline in membership, so the next generation really does need to carve out their own Freemasonry to some extent. As the Fraternity grows once more, we will need capable members to re-discover lost institutions and re-contextualize them without losing their essence. There is, in short, no better time to be a Freemason with the possible exception of the early 18th century when the Fraternity was first extending itself beyond its comparatively small origins.