Aldo Reno, Author at - Page 11 of 11

Freemasonry and Occultism

The evoking the spirit of the dead was an activity that attracted the interest of people from all social classes in the 18^th century, including Freemasons. At that time many of the Masonic lodges in existence were filled with bored aristocrats with a good majority of them in search of distraction and gratification.

Initially the lodges had only apprentices and companions. It was only in 1724 that a higher degree was introduced and it was one that was inspired by the legend of Hiram Habif, which in turn was based on the even older Egyptian myth of Iris and Osiris. Alchemy scholars of the time could not be anything other than enthusiastic that Hiram’s legend had been introduced in the Masonic ritual; death and resurrection related well to the processes of death, decomposition and sublimation which are considered essential passages for the base metal’s transmutation journey into (philosophical) gold.

Twenty years after the foundation of the Grand Lodge of England (24.6.1717) the Chevalier Andre’ Michel Ramsay (1686-1743) , an expatriate Scotsman who lived in Paris and was the Orator of the Lodge “Le Louis d’Argent” , made a famous speech whereby he affirmed that the origin of the Masonic Order and of its secret doctrine were aristocratic. He stated that it were the Knights Templar– religious soldiers drawn from the noblest families in Europe – who had rediscovered the secret elements of the Masonic teaching during their stay in the Holy Land (the Orient) and had brought them back to France and Scotland.

Continue reading Freemasonry and Occultism

The Masonic Lodge : an explanation of the traditional opening hour

For the ancient Romans a new day would begin at midnight, for the Greeks it would start at sunset and for the Egyptians at dawn.

The hours are an ancient invention and were codified by the Greeks in the 5^th century B.C. by measuring the distance that the sun covers in the sky.

But it took the Romans around two hundred more years to eventually feel the need to count the number of hours present in the day and another century after that, to finally define them with some precision.

Until the end of 400 B.C. the Romans were still dividing the day in two parts rather than into hours; one part was that period of light that came before midday, the other part was filled with the hours of darkness.

In ancient Rome “Herald” was the title given to an official messenger of the Consuls. The one, who was posted high up on a hill, would monitor the passage of the sun at its meridian point and then instantly notify the population by blowing his trumpet. That signal indicated that labour – which had begun at dawn – could now be stopped.

The Spanish born Roman lawyer and politician Seneca, better known for his philosophical discourses and letters, stated that at the time of the Roman Empire no one knew the exact time. The lack of precision of the mechanical gadgets that were in use – like the Greek sun-dialler and the water clock or “clepsydra” [1] – made such a thing impossible. But so too did the following idiosyncrasies.

Continue reading The Masonic Lodge : an explanation of the traditional opening hour

The two St Johns and Freemasonry

The Masonic ritual makes references to both St Johns the Baptist and St John the Evangelist and it also contains the principle that the Bible must be kept open on the Gospel in an open Lodge.

According to Paul Naudon [1], author of the book “Les Loges de Saint-Jean”, the origin of this tradition is in great part influenced by the Knights Templar and more particularly so by the Knights Hospitalier who assimilated the former when they were officially suppressed in March 1312 by King Philip IV of France.

The Knights Templar, whose motto was “obedience, poverty and chastity”, were established as an Order in Jerusalem around the year 1118 for the purpose of safeguarding the Christian civilization in the Orient and protecting the life of the pilgrims who visited the Holy Land. The Order comprised of the most formidable fighting Crusaders as well as non fighting members who were skilled in economic and religious matters. The fathers of the Order had received their Chart from Teocleto, Patriarch of Jerusalem, who was also the 67^th successor of St John in that role.

Saint John became the Patron of the Templars and on 24^th June of each year the whole population of masons, carpenters and various other craftsmen clebrated him with the lighting of bonfires by the Grand Master of the Order. This custom was retained even after the dissolution of the Order and St John effectively became the Patron of both the Order and of the masons.

But who where the two Saints John?

Continue reading The two St Johns and Freemasonry

Handel’s character of Zoroastro in the Opera “Orlando”

In the London of the XVIII century, Freemasonry was a predominant and mysterious movement present in society.

Freemasonry was officially born in London in 1717, when the first United Grand Lodge of England was established there.

By the year 1735 there were well over one hundred lodges in the Capital, many of them characterised by a mixed membership of middle-class individuals, clergymen and aristocrats.

Indeed, many Grand Masters came from the nobility and have contributed in no small part to the success of the Order. They played a reassuring role in the mind of the population who assumed that ,with such a distinguished list of names to its record, Freemasonry could not be a subversive and dangerous sect.

Such awareness in turn made people wanting to learn more about that secretive society which , for at least a while longer, remained free from persecution.

Freemasonry’s notoriety reached such a peak as to having its meeting advertised both in the London press and in the pamphlets distributed and read in the London coffee houses.

And with people’s curiosity growing insatiable, Freemasons were happy to be playing into the phenomenon by even appearing in public celebrations.

From 1721 to 1747 a much splendid procession for the Masonic Grand Festival was held yearly in the streets of London. Bands of musicians accompanied the Brethren from the house of the Master Elected to the place (a Hall or most likely a Tavern) where he would be installed in the chair of Solomon. They marched two by two dressed in their aprons and jewels and carrying the emblems and banners of the Craft, followed by the nobility being transported in their rich carriages.

In such a climate it was no surprise that music composers, poets and librettists – many of whom were themselves members of the Craft – choose to incorporate elements from our Society’s symbolism and ideology in their work.

In that respect , much has been written about Mozart’s Opera “The Magic Flute”, but less about the work of another highly successful music composer of the time, the German George Fridiric Handel [1] who was born in the same town and year as another great composer : Johann Sebastian Bach.

Continue reading Handel’s character of Zoroastro in the Opera “Orlando”

Ianus

The word Ianus in Latin means “door” . In ancient times Ianus was a “God” associated with the Sun and traditionally better identified as the protector of every “beginning” and every “transition”.

Not surprisingly the first month of our calendar year is called Janu(ary) or Ianu(ariu)s in Latin.
In addition to being depicted with two faces – each looking into the other’s opposite direction – Ianus was also shown holding two keys.
One key was made of gold , the other was made of silver and they respectively symbolised the “great” and the “small” mysteries. The Catholic world adopted the symbol of the two keys – we can see them on the flag of the Vatican – and gave them the meaning of the union between the spiritual power (gold) and the temporal one (silver) both held by the Pontiff.
Continue reading Ianus

Freemasonry and the Ars Structoria

Ever since man took his first steps to evolution and left behind his condition of ignorance, he has had the capacity to remember and a desire to tell his experiences to his fellow creatures. In other words he has always felt the need to pass down the wisdom that cascades from his forbearers’ actions.

The conquering nations needed to instil fear and respect in the hearts and minds of the subdued people. They needed to accomplish this so that they may have retained control over them and to achieve it they built permanent reminders of their military prowess and of the achievements of their political leaders.

At the same time the conquerors, finding the need to integrate the capitulated people , imposed on them their traditions, their religious belief and – where present – their legislation or rules of obedience.

In essence, they passed on their “Ars Vitae”.

Continue reading Freemasonry and the Ars Structoria