The Occult Lodge: Part Seven

A New Age

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

Bro. James E. Frey 32° KT, ROS

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part 6 

 

 

As occult studies entered into the 20^th century its Christian and Kabbalistic influences would fade and occult leaders sought to re-create mythology they found interesting. With Crowley’s achievement in creating his own mythology and esoteric system, it inspired a New Age of occult groups, who began to form and adopt what they wished with very little Masonic influence. This stream of thought is found within society today within the New Age Movement. New Age has very little to do with Masonry objectively, but subjectively it still bears important elements of the lodge structure. New Age often includes types of moon worship, herbs, crystals, types of yoga, meditation, and candle magic. 

This new age movement has a firm foundation in Wiccanism, the claimed modern incarnation of traditional Celtic Druidism and Shamanism. Overall the system is dedicated mostly to elemental energies and some selected planetary energies. But what most Wiccans don’t realize is that their New Age movement had its origins and had been heavily influenced by Freemasonry, even after every prayer they say, "So mote it be."

The founder of Wicca was Gerald Gardner who was born in 1884 to an upper-middle-class family in Lancashire. During his life he worked as a civil servant, author, and amateur anthropologist. Gardner claims he was initiated into Masonry at Sphinx Lodge 113 in 1905, yet no record exists. Gardner claims to have left the Masonic fraternity in 1908 after he had received his Ancient Craft degrees. Interested only in obtaining the secrets of the Craft he took much of the symbolism and teachings to heart and began elaborating them into a system of his own creation.

Gardner worked through the structure of the OTO becoming the head of Britain. It was there  that he began his contact with Aliester Crowley and shared his dreams of founding a Celtic themed magical society. He paid Crowley 200 pounds to write out this system of modern witchcraft and thus Wicca was born. 

  

Crowley and Gardner used the lodge structure and many of the aspects and initiatory rituals of Masonry and incorporated them into Wicca. Compare these aspects of the Wiccan First degree with that of the Entered Apprentice degree; The initiate is blindfolded with a cabletow binding them, representative of the umbilical cord of material life and is conducted to the edge of the Magic Circle which in Masonic terms would be the lodge room. The Initiate is received by the tip of a sword and is told “it is better that thou plunge your heart upon this sword than to enter this circle with fear in your heart, and never to divulge the secrets of your coven” which is almost identical to the reception of the Apprentice.

Both groups venerate the four directions and refer to their work as the craft, and there implements as "working tools". Masonic initiations end with a “Charge to the Candidate or Lodge’ which is a lecture explaining the historical and symbolic lessons of the grade, while Wiccan initiates end with a ‘Charge of the Goddess” which shares much of the same purpose. On the third the Master receives the ‘Five Points of Fellowship’ while the Wiccan, on their, third initiation receive the ‘Five Fold Kiss’.

Even with the almost overwhelming similarities, Wicca is founded and propagated in 1954. The Wiccan first degree focuses on the adoration and worship of the “Goddess” or Mother Earth. It is here you are brought to light in the power of elemental energies and you take your obligation to the coven and are ‘reborn’ or ‘twice born’ into your new dedication as a Wiccan. The second degree is dedicated to the masculine God or ‘Horned God’ taking personification for the Celtic Green Man or Greek God Pan which is associated with the sun. It is in this Second Grade that the Wiccan is given their Magical Name within the Order. The Third degree is dedicated to the unification of the God and Goddess through a symbolic death and resurrection. 

 

All three degrees echo a Masonic Structure and seek to connect themselves to a stream of ancient pagan energy that had been lost for almost one thousand years. What Wiccanism did though, was make esotericism mainstream. From this mainstream new age movement would come a new breed of charlatans, gurus, self help books, pseudo-science, and attempts to revive long dead traditions.  

 

~JEF

 

James E Frey 32° classifies himself as a gentleman of the old world, which means he is known to stand in the great forests reciting poetry to fair-haired damsels while wrestling bears for sport. He is a District Education Officer for the Grand Lodge of Illinois, a Past Sovereign Prince of the of Danville AASR, member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, Royal Order of Scotland, Quram Council Allied Masonic Degrees and initiate of the Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He is also a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry for the R.E.B.I.S Research Society

The Occult Lodge: Part Five

The Occult Reformation 

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

Bro. James E. Frey 32° KT, ROS

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

The period existing during the mid 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century saw the rebirth in the romanticism with the occult lodge. This was termed the occult reformation and no other group embodied this evolution in esoteric practice more than the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn is often considered the most fundamental magical school to come out of the Occult Reformation in the 1880s. This Group had extremely close ties to Masonry, not only being founded by Masons, but being founded by Elite Masons of the Societia Rosicruciana in Anglia. This Group of Masons sought to reform Rosicrucianism and create a magical order that was separate from Masonry so women could have equal membership in the mysteries. But this Hermetic Order has its origins steeped in legend and is riddled with mystery surrounding one of the most prominent Masons of his day poet and historian Kenneth Mackenzie.

Mackenzie became a Mason in 1870 and a brilliant occult researcher, and authored the “Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia” in 1877 after mastering the Masonic mythos. On his quest for greater light in occult knowledge it was claimed that Mackenzie traveled across Europe seeking the true lineage of the Rosicrucians. During his time in France he was initiated through the nine grades of the “Gold und Rosenkreuz Order” and was given special permission to take notes on their initiations forming what would be known as the “Cypher Manuscripts”. Upon returning to England Bro. Mackenzie was instrumental in developing the initiatory grades of the S.R.I.A with Bro. Robert Wentworth Little who founded the order in 1867. The S.R.I.A became the premiere Masonic organization in London and because of its esoteric and occult nature it drew into its ranks influential membership including Dr. William Wynn Wescott, Samuel Liddell “Macgregor” Mathers, Dr. Robert William Felkinand Arthur Edward Waite. Wescott and Mathers would be deeply influenced by the S.R.I.A and with the obtaining Cipher Manuscripts after Mackenzie’s death they would go on to found the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

The Cypher Manuscripts are a sixty page outline of magical initiations, corresponding to the elemental energies of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, as well as kabalistic and alchemical notes related to each Grade. Wescott and Mathers included these manuscripts into the Order incorporating Egyptian symbolism and various Grimoire influences creating a sustainable current of energy that has been used as the foundation for countless occult orders. The First grade of Neophyte 0=0, is on a general level dedicated to the concept of darkness. In this Grade the Initiate is meant to realize he is bound by his own perception of subjective reality and that he must purify and cleanse his own being in order to shed the influence of his lower self upon his soul. The Initiate walks the path dictated in certain chapters of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and divided his sprit from the elemental energies freeing himself from material influence. The Grade of Zelator 1=10 correlates to the element of Earth. In this Grade the Initiate regains the element of Earth but with a new spiritual perspective and thus begins the journey of regaining his elemental energies to reform his spiritual self. The Grade Theoricus 2=9 correlates to Water, Practicus 3=8 to water, and Philosophus 4=7 to fire.

Hierius at Vernal

Equinox Ceremony

With the elemental energies regained like the Godform Osiris, the parts of the self that were once divided are now united into a balanced spiritual being. This new spiritual being is now dedicated to the Great Work without an influence of creed or religious dogma. Each grade also has kabbalistic and alchemical correlations that give a tremendous depth to its symbolism and value as an esoteric system. It is at this point the Philosophus engages in the ceremony entitled Portal, which represents the unification of their elemental energies with spirit. This creates the unified pentagram of the individual, a blazing star of aether united with all elemental forces.

The Golden Dawn created such a stir in the esoteric communities that it attracted a variety of influential people from the artistic community such as actress Florence Farr, poet W. B. Yeats, writer Bram Stoker, poet William Sharp, and bad boy Aleister Crowley. The legacy of the Dawn was short lived, as schisms among members led to the dissolving of the Order. Overall, the Golden Dawn tradition is alive but heavily divided over who should be considered the “official” Golden Dawn. With egotistic leaders claiming direct contact with the secret chiefs to eminent Freemason Chic Cicero with his lineage from Reguardi, to a variety of independent temples, the Golden Dawn community is in contest with each other.

Overall, for the esoteric student the works of the Golden Dawn are fundamental to the understanding of the Western systems of Magic. It was founded by masons in an attempt to revive and reform Rosicrucianism. They sought to overcome the mundane influences of humanity, only to be destroyed by the lower parts of the human character. Research of the Dawn is important to all Brothers who wish to further understand the Occult revival, as most esoteric groups to come after are forever indebted to the efforts of Wescott, Mathers, and Mackenzie.

~JEF

James E Frey 32° classifies himself as a gentleman of the old world, which means he is known to stand in the great forests reciting poetry to fair-haired damsels while wrestling bears for sport. He is a District Education Officer for the Grand Lodge of Illinois, a Past Sovereign Prince of the of Danville AASR, member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, Royal Order of Scotland, Quram Council Allied Masonic Degrees and initiate of the Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He is also a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry for the R.E.B.I.S Research Society.

The Occult Lodge: Part Four

Masonic Magic to Mysticism 

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

Bro. James E. Frey 32° KT, ROS

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Martinist Regalia

During the time in which the original Elu Cohen was in operation, Martinez de Pasqually took an apprentice by the name of Louis Claude de St.-Martin. Louis Claude de St.-Martin was born in 1743 to a religious family of minor French nobility. St. Martin was admitted into the Order of Elu Cohen around 1767, but prior to that had been admitted to an unknown Masonic lodge in 1750 as well as an initiate to the Rite of the Strict Observance in 1773. St. Martin became the secretary of the Elu Cohen from 1768 to 1771. This is when he met Willermoz who was the head of the Elu Cohen lodge. St. Martin was inspired by the philosophy and teachings of Pasqually and sought to integrate then with the Rite of Strict Observance. The Rite of Strict Observance was founded by Baron Karl Gotthelf von Hund in 1749, and was based on the myth of a direct lineage to the original Knights Templar which was received by an “Unknown Superior” in Paris in 1742.

St. Martin became more and more disengaged with ceremonial magic of the Elect Priests and began to wonder if all the magic circles and ritual elements were necessary to experience the presence of God. St.-Martin saw one’s spiritual path as an internal work, which he called the “way of the heart”.

St. Martin believed that Christ was the Word or the Gnosis as written in the gospel of St. John, and this Word was with Man in the beginning, but had been lost. Only through recovery of this lost Word could Man be whole and Reintegrated into the presence of God. . St. Martin began to publish his philosophy under the pen name the Unknown Philosopher. Not only did St. Martin have dislike for the ritualized working of the Elu Cohen, he also began to question the necessity of ritual in a Masonic setting as well. In July of 1790, he left Freemasonry in order to focus on his contemplative “Way of the Heart” until his death in 1803.

Papus

The French Revolution, though destructive for all of France, was equally devastating for St. Martin’s path of Martinism. St. Martin had few disciples but his teachings survived through a lineage of student to teacher aural recounting until in 1891 when a student named Gérard Encausse desired to reform the Order of Martinism. Taking the name Papus he claimed a succession from Augustin Chaboseau and Henri Delaage supposedly going back to St.-Martin himself. Papus reformed Martinism into a Masonic structure, of a series of three degrees which were reminiscent of the Craft Degrees of Freemasonry, but with a mystical emphasis. Usually referred to as Associate, Initiate, and S:I:. This newly-organized system of Martinism became associated with the French Gnostic movement and has long been associated with the tradition of the ‘Episcopi Vagantes’ or “Wandering Bishops”, and Encausse was most certainly made a bishop.

The three-degree system of modern Martinism borrowed Masonic symbolism, such as the pillars of Solomon’s Temple, and added Kabbalistic and Gnostic emphasis to lead the Initiate into a deeper understanding of the nature of Polarity as it occurs in both Nature and the mind of Man. There was also some borrowing from the Mark Master degree in order to gain a deeper appreciation of the True Meaning of the Stone that the Builders rejected as a symbol for the Christos. This rebirth in Martinism is a part of a larger cultural movement of the time referred to as the Occult Reformation.

~JEF

James E Frey 32° classifies himself as a gentleman of the old world, which means he is known to stand in the great forests reciting poetry to fair-haired damsels while wrestling bears for sport. He is a District Education Officer for the Grand Lodge of Illinois, a Past Sovereign Prince of the of Danville AASR, member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, Royal Order of Scotland, Quram Council Allied Masonic Degrees and initiate of the Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He is also a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry for the R.E.B.I.S Research Society.