Conspiracy theories, world domination, secret rituals, elitist, anti-religious, Satanic, I don’t honestly know how many terms appear when you first ask someone what they know about the Freemasons. That it is a secret society exclusively for men seems to be in foremost as a description for everyone who has ever come across the name Freemason, but the other words?
Photo Credit: mrbill – Creative Commons
What about humanitarian and enlightened? I suspect these two words don’t come into the equation because of the secrecy surrounding this society which, since its official formation in London in 1717 (although it existed long before this), has been wrapped in a veil of secrecy and plagued by bans and bad press.
I was asked, when I started looking into publishing small books on various subjects, why I didn’t approach the Freemasons and ask them for financial support in my endeavors. The answer is, I did and, not surprisingly to me now, I have received the help that I need if not directly as a financial payment, as information and assistance with different aspects of my planned work. Anyone who has taken a glance at my planned publications will already have seen that there is one title ready for issuing with a Masonic theme – coupled with Zen Buddhism – and will know, from the News section of the web site, that more are planned and being worked on at the moment.
Photo Credit: mrbill – Creative Commons
So how can it be that a society so wrapped up in itself, so hidden from the public view, is willing to work together with an outsider – and a female at that – and give out their secrets for publication? The answer is, of course, that they are not. To give out their secrets, for what they may be worth, goes against the basics of the society but, at the same time, it works well for the Freemasons to correct some of the mis-information which has been published and propagated over the years, and it is not as if there is a dearth of writing in the public domain, penned both by Masons and by others, which delve into the darker realms of their work and ideals.
Photo Credit: mrbill – Creative Commons
The first thing which must be understood is that the Freemasons, as a whole, do not work collectively with outsiders but individuals within the society do. The society is made up of many hundreds of Lodges which work under the guidance of a Grand Lodge but which, to all intents and purposes, are autonomous. So long as the basic rules are not broken there seems to be few problems, few difficulties. Such has certainly be proven by the willingness of some Lodges to allow cameras, news teams and individual journalists into their Temples to view – to an admittedly limited extent – the inner workings and by the wealth of literature which is available.
Photo Credit: Stevie-B – Creative Commons
Different countries have different ideals, though, when it comes to opening their doors and allowing outsiders a glimpse inside. It is still accepted that each Brother in a Lodge should decide for himself whether he wishes to be ‘outed’ as a Freemason or not, and none amongst his brethren should do it for him. It is still accepted that the ‘secrets’ surrounding thew ritual workings of a Meeting should not be made public, although many of the rituals have been revealed and can be purchased openly. It is a fact that, in some countries, Freemasons are still a hunted species, still looked upon with suspicion, still accused of being behind financial and natural catastrophes around the world. It is still accepted – with or without any concrete evidence – by many that the Freemasons influence governments and hold the controlling reins in many if not all international companies. Certainly the links between Freemasons and the Constitution of the United states or the French Revolution do nothing to dispel this idea.
Photo Credit: mrbill – Creative Commons
The next question which might be leveled at me is, if there is so much already available in writing by or about Freemasons, why enter the field as a publisher? Why go into a market where there is already an abundance of material and where the competition, especially from the Internet, is so great? And, I must admit, I have spent a long time thinking this over. In the end it is much the same as publishing books about spirituality, esoteric, literary theory or criticism and creative writing: there is plenty out there, but is it everything? Is there more that can be written, more that can be told in different, interesting ways? Is the subject exhausted?
For me, doing some fairly – I admit – basic research and after talking to several people more intimate with the subject than I am, there is a fascination with the subject, as with the others I plan on covering. There are secrets hiding there and just waiting to be uncovered, to be revealed to the public. Perhaps not secrets in the form of how world domination can be achieved, or how all the major international firms and banks are controlled by Freemasons, but at a more intimate level.
Photo Credit: mrbill – Creative Commons
This intimate level is that of the Masons themselves and what they have discovered during their time within the society. It is the ideas which their many differing rituals, which their work with others have raised in their own minds and how they have come to terms both with themselves and with their surroundings. It is how they hope to help society – or the society in which they live – with humanitarian work in a quiet and unobtrusive manner and, just as important, what Masonry means for each of them as a person. Although Freemasonry is not a religion – not even a cult – it has something of a religious working on many of those who enter and gradually – or, in some jurisdictions in the United States – rapidly rise up the ladder through the various grades.
Every single story is different. Every single reaction to the ritual, to the meetings, conversations, discussions, to the usage of what is learned in open society, to the intimacy for an individual member is like a different character. No two people are influenced in the same way, no two people react in the same way. Freemasonry is a massive collection of individuals going their own way from a joined, shared beginning, and each one has their own interpretation, their own story to tell. That is what makes the whole so fascinating, and what makes it, from a publishing point of view, viable.
- Viktoria Michaelis.
The post Uncovering Secrets appeared first on Viktoria Michaelis.