The Freemasons
The Freemasons may very well be the quintessential Secret
Society. Called in full the “Most
Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons,” they are
undoubtedly the largest of all secret organizations with their reach spreading
to every corner of the earth. While
conspiracy theorists are quick to place the Freemasons amongst the most devious
of fraternal organizations, the observable aspects of Masonry are seemingly
benign. Whereas no non-member can be
sure what goes on behind the closed doors of the Masonic Lodge, the group has
always maintained that their objective is to improve the moral, ethical and
spiritual aspects of its members. The
motto of the organization is “Making good men better.” Freemasonry is often simply referred to as
“The Craft.”
Masonry can be categorized into two divisions, Operative
Masonry and Speculative Masonry.
Operative Masons were those historical stonemasons who practiced the
physical crafts of building, stone working, architecture and mathematics. Speculative Masonry, the latter incarnation,
used the elements of the Operative Masons as symbolic images to teach various
philosophies and ideologies. The main
symbols of Freemasonry are the Square and Compass, tools which are used in
drafting prior to building. Other
symbolic tools of The Craft are the Gavel, the Chisel, The Plumb Line and Rule,
the Gauge, the Level, the Trowel and the Mason’s Apron. All of these are implements which would have
been used by physical stonemasons and symbolize those mental facilities
necessary to build an inner temple of knowledge and understanding.
The origin of Modern Masonry is a subject which is open to
debate. The first known Masonic writing
is commonly thought to be the Regius Manuscript. This writing describes the history of Masonry
as well as rules and regulations of The Craft.
A common theme in Freemasonry is the building of the Temple of Solomon
by his Chief Architect, The Master Mason Hiram Abif. In this masonic story, Hiram is confronted by
three “ruffians” who demand he reveal for them the secrets of The Craft,
specifically the “Master’s Word.” When
Hiram refused, the ruffians proceed to attack and kill the Master Mason,
sealing their own fates as well. Many of
the symbolic rituals of Freemasonry revolve around this semi-biblical story.
Some believe that Modern Masonry is a fraternity reserved
for the social elite. In fact, the group
consists of members from varied socio-economic backgrounds. One must be able to pay the dues of the
organization, which are relatively minimal, and the paying of dues must not
interfere with the family life of the member.
The general requirements for membership include being a free man who
joins of his own will, is of good reputation and professes a belief in a
Supreme Being. Although Atheists are not
allowed admittance, the nature of the belief in a Supreme Being is open to the
personal interpretation of the member.
Masonry is therefore available to people of various religions including Christians,
Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and general Theists. Although only men can join the Freemasons,
there are also Masonic organizations which admit women such as the Order of the
Eastern Star.
The Hell Fire Club
The London based Hell Fire Club was founded by Philip, the
Duke of Wharton in 1719 and was comprised of a small number of members of high
society. Several other clubs from
England and Ireland functioning under the same name would bring The Hell Fire
Club into popular infamy, the most infamous being the organization founded by
Sir Francis Dashwood in the 1730’s. The
club’s motto, “Do What Thou Wilt,” was later popularized by Aleister Crowley and
was also adopted, with some variation, by members of the Wicca Religion. The club of Sir Francis Dashwood was
originally known as The Order of the
Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe and a variety of other titles and was later
designated the name “The Hell Fire Club.”
Although it is difficult to know for sure the purpose of the
club, it is commonly thought that the members would meet to engage in acts
which were contrary to those prescribed by Church standards, hence the name
“The Hell Fire Club.” It is reported
that this may have included the reading of obscene literature, the viewing of
pornographic material and the displaying of pagan images. Although the organization was often accused
of worshipping The Devil and various demons, the club itself is thought to have
been mostly satirical, mocking the commonly found Gentleman’s Clubs of
London. It is reported that members
would dress as characters from biblical stories and eat meals which consisted
of foods such as Devil’s Loin and Hell Fire Punch. Unlike other clubs found in London at the
time, The Hell Fire Club would admit women as well as men.
The Hell Fire Club founded by the Duke of Wharton came to
end in 1721, being officially disbanded by Kind George I, after which Wharton
would become a Freemason and later the Grandmaster of the Lodges of England. Francis Dashwood’s club would persist until
the 1760’s. It is rumored that Benjamin
Franklin would often attended Hell Fire Club meeting as a non-member. Historians speculate that his attendance was
actually a form of spying on members of English high society. At the time before the Revolutionary War, recording
the various acts of the members would have been a way of giving the colonies
political leverage over some of the members of Parliament.
Sir Francis Dashwood’s nephew, Joseph Alderson, would revamp
the organization in 1781, after Dashwood’s death, under the name The Phoenix
Society. The Phoenix Society, later
known as The Phoenix Common Room, is a group which is still in existence
today.
The Rosicrucians
The Rosicrucians are said to have been founded in the late
medieval period by a German doctor named Christian Rosenkreuz, also called
Frater C. R. C. This group’s philosophy
revolved around an esoteric form of Christianity and was often associated with
Protestantism and Lutheranism. The
ideals of the Rosicrucians generally protested the dogmatic views of the
Catholic Church and praised empiricism and rational thinking. Rosenkreuz, which is considered by most to be
a pseudonym, is said to have assembled a group of eight doctors, each swearing
an oath to treat any and all ill patients without payment around the year 1407.
Rosicrucianism can refer to both members of specific secret
societies as well as adherents to its particular philosophy. The Philosophy incorporates aspects of
Alchemy, Ancient Egyptian mythology, Judaic theology and early Christian
Gnosticism. It emphasizes the rational
study of nature, the physical universe and the spiritual aspects of
reality. The Rosicrucian philosophy is
said to have influenced Freemasonry as it emerged in England and Scotland as is
evident in the Rose-Cross Degree of Scottish Masonry.
Other groups related to the Rosicrucians were the Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn, The Martanist Order of Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin
and the enigmatic Knights Templar. In
1915 the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis, or the Rosicrucian Order, was
officially incorporated in the United States.
According to the AMORC, various historical persons were associated with Rosicrucianism
including Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, René Descartes, Benjamin Franklin,
Thomas Jefferson, Francis Bacon and Aleister Crowley.
Today, the Rosicrucians may be most well-known to the public
by presenting theatrical plays which are often seen advertised in local newspapers. These plays often depict biblical story lines
with esoteric undertones.
No comments:
Post a Comment