Any Co-Masons here?

Eris Discordia · 12-29-2007, 11:46 AM

Hi There,

I am new to this site so please forgive if I offend anyone with my inquiry! I am a proud member of OES and my husband is a 32nd degree as well as an active member of his local lodge here in the U.S. I have been studying FM, templars, alchemy, Kabbalah, hermetics, etc. long before Dan Brown made it fashionable! Anyway, I love my sisters in the lodge but I really wanted the spiritual experience of progressing through the degrees of FM. OES is not even close to being like FM. In fact, it is an outwordly Christian order and most members do not understand the true Kabbalistic meaning behind the symbology. Consequently, my feeble attempts at having an intelligent discussion about it are met with disdain and sometimes outright hostility by other members. Most members are blinded by their dogmatic religious beliefs and refuse to look deeper into the beautiful symbolism and higher spiritual meaning of the ritual. It's a shame because it is rich with spiritual truths!

So, with that said I am going to do something I don't normally do. As a newbie to this forum I should be lurking quietly for the first few weeks and get the feel for the attitudes and personalities of the people. But I'm not going to wait. I am going to stick my neck out at the risk of getting it chopped off. Here goes......Are there any Co-Masons on this forum who are willing to share their experiences and thoughts about Co-Masonry?

D. W. Brown · 12-29-2007, 12:13 PM

Eris,

Great to hear from you and please let us know if there is anything we can do for you.

I completely understand the problem with Christian influence in Antient Masonry, if the Anti-masonic organizations really knew the truth they would support Freemasonry and not shun them. Please let me know where you are located and I'll see what I can do to locate a co-masonic lodge near there.

On a lighter side, not that it matters

, but how does your husband feel about you joining a co-masonic group when he is an Antient Mason. You know you could get one of those license plates that says "A House Divided" like they have for football teams.

Eris Discordia · 12-29-2007, 01:09 PM

LOL!

Actually, I have already contacted LDH and met with them in Lexington KY. I live in Indiana and I went through the rather lengthly application process and I will be initiated sometime in the next month or two, probably in MO. Since I just surfed in to this terrific site today I wasn't sure what the prevailing attitude would be about the so-called "clandestine" lodges!

Since I am a rather independent thinker and generally do what I want, my poor husband really has not choice but to accept my pursuit of the square and compass! However, out of respect for him and his lodge Brn. we decided to keep my Masonic activities a family secret. I actually have a very good relationship with my husband's lodge Brn. I have taken an active role in supporting all of the activities and fund-raisers at the lodge and in the process have gotten to know many of the members. Some of the members are aware of my extensive occult/FM knowledge and have come to me for answers when researching different areas of Kabbalistic thought. I have donated esoteric books and DVD's to the lodge which sort of tipped them off to my choice of reading material!

I would hate to make them uncomfortable around me. My activities might also affect my husband's ability to move up in the lodge and my standing in the OES. So actually I decided that it was better for everyone if they were not told. It is a shame, really. That whole idea of keeping women out of the lodge is so archaic and sexist. Most of the younger FM that I know feel the same way as I do. Many of the Brn. in LDH were members of the masculine lodge before they made the switch. Some switched over to Co-Masonry because they had more open views about religion and sexual orientation.

In Co-Masonry I have found what should be in every lodge, tolerance and acceptance of all religious beliefs, brotherly love for all human beings regardless of their sex or sexual orientation, background, ethnicity, or station in life. The spiritual growth that FM offers should be open for any person who is willing to do the great work regardless of type of vessel their soul is inhabiting at the time!

Thanks for offering to point me to a Co-Mason lodge! I am glad to see I am not shunned for my progressive ideas! ;-) I am originally from California and living in Indiana has been a real culture shock! That is why I can relate to the story about the Halcyon lodge in OH. This part of the country has a long way to go as far as the prevailing attitudes go!

D. W. Brown · 12-29-2007, 01:38 PM

That is GREAT, please keep us up to date on your progress.

I've always been a supporter of Co-masonic groups and if there was one here in my area I'd join in a heart beat. Freemasonry in my opinion should take a hard look at other societies & groups that segregate women from men and see how that has worked out for them.

It is truly sad that we can all not be humanist at our core.