#The Freemasons

[calamarr]

dead serious that rugby is #1 method to heal the most convoluted of trans man trauma

[xtruss]

The Freemasons Have Inspired Centuries of Conspiracy—This Is Their Real History

The Story of How a Stonemasons’ Guild Became the World's Largest Secret Society is Less about Conspiracy and More About Enlightenment Thinking.

— September 19, 2023 | By Erin Blakemore

The Title Page of the Freemason Constitution at the Museum of Freemasonry in Paris. Freemasonry traces its roots to medieval stonemason guilds, though its modern iteration dates to the 18th century. Photograph By Godong, Universal Images Group/Getty Images

What do Rev. Jesse Jackson, George Washington, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Duke Ellington, and Buzz Aldrin have in common? All are members of the world’s largest secret society, the Freemasons—a group whose members include some of the world’s most influential people and whose secretive rituals have persisted for centuries.

Conspiracy theorists speculate the group pulls the strings of international power and finance and is responsible for high-profile murders—some even claim its members worship Satan.

Where is the line between fact and fiction within this secretive society? Read on to learn more.

18th Century Italian-Austrian Artist Ignaz Unterberger Painted this Initiation Ceremony in a Viennese Masonic Lodge in 1789. Photograph By Deagostini, Getty Images

The Origins of Freemasonry

Though the Freemasonry movement has roots in medieval guilds of stonemasons, the vast majority of the movement’s members are not masters of stonework. It’s believed that as stonemason membership decreased, the group began accepting “speculative,” or honorary, members to bolster their numbers. Freemasonry’s modern incarnation dates to the 18th century Age of Enlightenment, when educated Englishmen aimed to commune with others and discuss issues of philosophy, religion, and life in an organized setting.

Fraternal organizations had existed for centuries, but in the 18th century, a variety of men’s groups named after the English pubs at which they met joined together in what they called a “Grand Lodge,” an association that would meet to hold rituals and ceremonies and induct new members. Now known as the Premier Grand Lodge of England, the group was the first of its kind, and as membership expanded so did its list of secret rituals and ceremonies and its membership requirements.

According to the Masonic Service Association of North America, there were about 898,000 Freemasons in the U.S. as of 2020, and there are an estimated 6 million Freemasons worldwide.

Freemasons hold a Lodge meeting in Bordeaux, France, in 2008. Photographs By Regis Duvignau, Reuters/Redux

Who Can Be a Freemason?

Today, membership requirements are relatively simple: Though each group, or Lodge, of Freemasons has its own rules, in general a Freemason must be a male who is recommended by other members of the Lodge, believe in a “Supreme Being,” be of good moral character, and pledge to learn the ways of the fraternity and conform to what Freemasons call their “ancient uses and customs.”

Those customs include a strict hierarchy and a variety of ceremonies and rituals. After they are initiated into their lodge, members go through a series of “degrees” of membership, rising from Entered Apprentice to Fellowcraft to Master Mason. Along the way, they learn the language, rites, and beliefs of the “craft,” engaging in rituals that harken to Biblical beliefs . They also adopt emblems that range from the square and compass, which represents morality, the beehive, which is said to represent cooperation and work among members, and the “Eye of Providence” or “All-seeing Eye,” which represents God’s eternal watchfulness. Some of these symbols are so well known that they are familiar to non-Masons—for example, the Eye of Providence can be found on U.S. one dollar bills.

The masonic symbols of a square (virtue) and compass (wisdom) are placed atop a Bible, which is open to the Gospel of St. John, during a Freemason ceremony. Photograph By Raquel Clausi Rochina, Cordon Press/Redux

Why Catholicism Forbids Freemasonry

When they’re not holding elaborate membership rituals, Freemasons often engage in community service and philanthropy, provide mutual support to members, or work with associated organizations. But despite this charitable focus and the fact that it is not a formal religion, Freemasonry isn’t universally accepted. In fact, Freemasonry is banned by Roman Catholicism, which forbids Catholics from joining and encourages them to associate with Catholic organizations like the Knights of Columbus instead.

“Their principles have always been considered undesirable by the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden,” the Church declared in 1983. “The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.” As Catholic Herald’s Ed Condon explains, the Church opposes Freemasonry because of its secular focus and its role as a sanctuary for “those with heterodox ideas and agendas.”

Power and Panic

Those agendas have long spurred controversy because of the political power wielded by some Freemasons. Though the rules of most lodges discourage members from discussing politics, many of its members are active in political parties and government and the organization’s secrecy and vows of brotherhood have spawned conspiracy theories about its members’ political agendas.

Most conspiracy theories speculate that all Freemasons have the same beliefs and act as a body, tying in with modern anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that associate the group with a shady “New World Order” which controls international finance and relations.

Left: Seats for high-status members are seen in the Freemasons Hall of the United Grand Lodge of England in London. Photograph By Peter Dazeley, Getty Images

Right: A statue of George Washington in a Masonic apron stands inside the New York Grand Lodge Headquarters. Photograph By Fred R. Conrad, The New York Times/Redux

As a result, Freemasonry has become iconic in popular culture and among non-members who are intrigued by its shady rituals. Yet membership has dwindled for years. Why the decline? Some connect it to a larger trend among fraternal organizations and service clubs like the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, which have seen steep declines over the decades. Others attribute falling membership to the movement’s refusal to recognize women despite the existence of some all-female lodges.

Or perhaps the fall is due to growing public awareness of the movement’s once-secret rituals, historian John Dickie told NPR in 2020. “I think possibly actually the issue is that secrecy has lost something of its magic," Dickie said. “In an age when it can take two minutes or less on Google to find out what the Freemasons' secrets really are, I'm not sure that they can really hold that much mystique for members anymore.”

Despite controversy and condemnation, the movement persists—but only time can tell whether Freemasonry can remain relevant in the 21st century. Meanwhile, its members say they see Freemasonry as everything from a powerful brotherhood to a chance to give back to the community to what one English member calls “an avenue for personal growth and development.” For now, Freemasonry’s secretive rituals and symbols live on—along with the influence of its best-known members.

[punkitt-is-here]

honestly its the funniest thing when someone gets concerned and messages me telling me that my deadname is still up somewhere. I super appreciate the sentiment, but i don't have a deadname! i rolled with a couple different names for like a day or two early in transition, but i really think they nailed it with mason, can't get any better than that in regards to me, toe to tip thats a mason!!!

[taxusbaccata6]

[earlgraytay]

I find the gap between "how the Freemasons are portrayed in fiction" and "the IRL Freemasons" to be goddamn hilarious

in every third work of conspiracy fiction, the Freemasons are this globespanning organization that has deep pockets and deeper intrigues.

...Meanwhile, the local Freemason branch is advertising FREE MEMBERSHIPS (please we're desperate), on a flier that was clearly designed in Microsoft Paint.

[mythologyofblue]

Francois-Nicolas Noel, Illustration of the Cross of Calvary from La Physique du Macon (The Symbols of Freemasonry), 1812

[racefortheironthrone]

Maybe this is too broad, but wondering if there's a better term than "conspiracy theorist" to describe some large figures in the ongoing national discourse? Not that "fluoride in the drinking crowd" were serious thinkers or total harmless, but am I alone is finding "conspiracy theory" too quaint and mild to describe how mainstream rather fringe these things are and also how totally evidence-free and something just plain dumb they can also be?

I don’t think conspiracy theories have ever been quaint and mild.

Think about the history of antisemitism from medieval blood libels to 19th century theories of Jewish financial cabals to the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” dreamed up by Tsarist agents-provocateur that took the theory global and spawned untold numbers of imitators, to Hitler’s invention of “Judeo-Bolshevism” that married traditional antisemitism to anti-Communism and nationalist populism. Conspiracy theories one and all, but fully capable of spawning pogroms and fascist dictatorships.

Likewise, we think of Anti-Masonic or Illuminati conspiracy theories as self-evidently ridiculous and harmless, but we forget that they were used by cultural conservatives in church and state to wage culture wars on the Enlightenment, liberalism, secularism, democracy, every revolution from America to France to 1848 and beyond, feminism and almost every social movement of the 18th and 19th century. People died or were surveilled or were sent to prison, political parties were formed or banned, and conservatism itself was founded in the name of “poisoning the minds of the lower orders” to inoculate them from the influence of secret societies.

As Dan Olsen has shown, even seemingly benign conspiracy theories like the JFK assassination cover-up or the Moon landing was faked or the earth is flat can hide much more malign motivations, just waiting for the opportunity to radicalize and proselytize:

[msclaritea]

Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman to Lead 'War of the Roses' Remake

"The Roses’ is a wildly funny, bigger than life, and yet deeply human story,” said Searchlight president Matthew Greenfield announcing the project. “With Jay at the helm, and Benedict and Olivia and Tony, we have a dream team bringing it to life.”

So Matthew Greenfield at Searchlight is dirty...BEYOND dirty. No comment on Olivia Colman as of yet, but we all know now that actors and actresses usually have NO SAY I'm the projects they're currently put in. This film should not be made. It's another horrible, cruel joke to play on the fans of Benedict Cumberbatch and the people pushing it are on the same level as that jackal Jay Z and the NFL This is pure, sick, Freemason, ancient bullshit. Also, how is it this project is STILL in development, when it's BEEN in development since 2017?

And Benedict, if you go along with this project, it will be revealed to the public that you are going along with your own public humiliation, in order to enrich human traffickers.

Was Clarence really not enough for you?

Or Eric?

How about pissing on yourself in Louis Wain?

AND HEY, DISNEY...BIG FUCKING MISTAKE!

[nocerealmilk]

Always your sword, my umbral sovereign.

[askjumblr]

Sorry I forgot to add the option of extended family...

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

I just randomly remembered this, I'm not even sure if it really happened im so sorry-- but back when we were first getting the pictures for season 2, weren't people saying that there was a freemasons symbol or something of the sort? Like a square and compass? I think it was in Edinburgh, did that actually end up happening??

Hiya! :) Oh yes! And it is in the show! :)

[katey76762]

Favorite female podcast characters

 Okay I know it’s almost the end of International Women’s Day, but I wanted to list my favorite podcast ladies 

Evelyn from Less is Morgue

Antigone Funn from Wooden Overcoats

Dr. Marella Morgan from Primordial Deep

Talia from Desperado

Sister Carpenter from The Silt Verses

Dusty from Starship Q Star

Gayle Kruger from Two Flat Earthers Kidnap a Free Mason

JJ Armstrong from Mockery Manor

Kilner from We Fix Space Junk

Madge Stallion from Fawx & Stallion

Tamika Flynn from Welcome to Nightvale

Lily Harper from Unwell

Helina from Windfall

Mahira Varma from Valence

Collette Guise, Ariadne Culver, Clytemnestra Seedeater, and Jenny Ostertag from the Kingmaker Histories  

Mama Gabe, Ed Tucker, Sufi, Lucy Kensington from Where the Stars Fell

Daughter Dooly, Polly Barrow, Granny Underwood, The Walker Sisters & the Dead Queen from Old Gods of Appalachia

In conclusion:

[rubedeckillerofficial]

Myself (Less Is Morgue, Mayfair Watchers Society), Addison Peacock (The Kingmaker Histories, The Cryptid Keeper, Two Flat Earthers Kidnap a Freemason), Meg Molly Tuten (The Kingmaker Histories, Less Is Morgue), and Zuwie Le Fou (Another Crab’s Treasure) are currently working on the most unhinged audio drama you’ve ever heard.

It’s been in production for about two years, but we’re finally casting, recording, and producing. We hope you like aggressive queerness, feral murder-women, and futuristic death battles. More to come soon…

[elennemigo]

Benedict Cumberbatch (and Jude Law) joined Letters Live show at the Freemasons' Hall in London to read these amusingly contrasting letters. (2016ish)

[illustratus]

[ihaveanaversiontodecisions]

I love the way Mr malevolent wrote the freemasons and the grand lodge. he very obviously did a lot of research on the organization, members, and even down to the way he described the building/ decoration style. everything is so accurate, like even in my small hick town our lodge is decorated *very* similarly to the one described. all of the awards are real, the varied age ranges, the "lodge members only" talk, it's all so accurate and I love the way he wrote it.

also detective Noel is so right about the members being the way they are. all of them suck wo badly I hate them