I have been a Freemason for around 5yrs now, I have not found them to be anything other than what they claim to be, a brotherhood of men who have made a commitment to live moral and virtuous lives and to give to the relief of others (charity). I have not come across anything that runs contrary to my Christian faith. I wish this Brother Godspeed on his travels.
It’s the same thing as with the scam Covid vax. The upper level people know what it’s really about. The lower level people, which is the entire planet, only gets to hear the fabricated info to get them to do what the upper levels want.
Oh dear. French but in Serbia, freemason, "enterpreneur"... what red flags he doesn't have sticking out of him? I've dealt with these people before (although the Croatian variant - which isn't different at all). It's a shitfest.
> If you read it, I advise to try to dive into the journey and follow it with your mind and soul. It is enlightening.
Is this a ritual? And we participate in the ritual by imagining us participating in the ritual?
> What struck me the most was the sensation offered by being blindfolded.
I've heard about this. In (some forms of) satanism, the initiation ritual involves blindfolding the person, putting them in front of a mirror then telling them to "gaze upon a god" and releasing the blindfold. The first thing the person thus seas is themselves. In other words, they get told and shown that they are gods (and can thus do whatever they please).
> These terms seeking, persevering and suffering, I therefore heard and interpreted them to the 1st degree during my reception. It was only later that I understood not the definition of these terms, but the fact that these terms defined me as a new apprentice mason.
Allow me to translate: the lowest rank of freemasons are sheep sheared by the upper ranks. You're expected to work as a horse and make other's (other freemason's) lives better. I don't know this to the same level of certainty as the above elements of the ritual with the blindfold and the mirror however it stands to reason that most people who enter freemasonry are fools who are thus vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
> I said.
One of the errors of Wokedom is that they belive they can recreate and change Reality just by speaking. They belive a person can transition from a man to a woman just by saying they are a woman. I see your freemason friend is in the same error.
He described his "first journey" during initiation ritual, something all Freemasons are obligated to do in order to be promoted to lower levels of Freemasonry. I have read and heard a lot of similar experiences. Unfortunately I have to admit that in my opinion our Croatian friend groddlo described the whole matter pretty well, so I won't repeat his words. I just want to add something which is my experience from Serbia, probably peculiar for that country - you could hardly find more communists at one place anywhere else, which is something to think about (freemasons are required to be believers, not specifically Christians, and we all know what communists feel and think about religion).
On personal level I would also like to highlight his words about red flags he mentioned. Of course you know that person much better if you consider him a friend, but it's worth keeping that in mind.
If you are in search for spiritual improvement and attracted to something new - I think our good old Christian Orthodoxy is an ocean compared to a salty lake of Freemasonry. But that is my humble opinion. And you can meet good and interesting people (as well as bad) anywhere - in church , library, restaurant or gim, even here at Substack. :)
I was exposed to this at Uni under the guidance of solid scholars in French history and British history. It was a long time ago but what I've retained from the experience is that English Freemasonry at the top levels is decidedly reactionary (the Prince of Wales, now Charles III, the Heads of Scotland Yard, MI6, Foreign Office, Army, Archbishop of Canterbury, for example, are Freemasons and reactionaries. Historically they buttress the state and the monarchy and the established religion). French Freemasonry on the other hand is much more liberal (historically they challenged the state, and at one time the monarchy, and the Church) which is why the Vichy regime (arch monarchist and Catholic in sentiment) went after them so fiercely. Btw, the Vichy regime inadvertently did a great service to scholarship by confiscating the official records of the French Lodges and archiving them thus making what had been in-house and secret open and available to scholars.
I would second this. Freemasonry in the UK began as an anti-Catholic organization; it is still remarkably entrenched and powerful. if you want to make it through the hierarchy of the police, or do well in business (especially in the north of England) it is more than helpful to be a Mason. A friend eventually gave up doing business in the north and moved south, after a Mason told him, "you're either on the block or off the block" - and if you were off the block you weren't going very far. "On the block" referred to membership of the Masons; interestingly it was also Liverpool slang for a prostitute.
My grandfather was the master of a lodge in Liverpool. I have the gold watch they gave him!
One thing I will add- in cities with a strong defense industry presence, there will be a lot of intelligence people in the local Lodge. People who commute to work in vehicles with no windows.
It is a basic knowledge that the higher levels of freemasonry are not like that at all.
The lower levels are groomed to be lojal to the higher levels.
If they rise along the hierarchical ladder they eventually may be deemed mature to be presented with the truth when accepted to join the higher ranks.
They are then ready to take on important secret tasks.
Freemasonry was introduced along with the gradual migration of the Venetian Oligarchy.
That oligarchy's historical role is not often explained. But it gives a hint about why the current empire behaves like they do.
They practise balance of power strategy.
This strategy uses the deliberate encouragement and formation of rival groups.
When they clash they produce historical events but the historians dont explain the manipulative forces behind the scenes.
The Venetian mindset was transplanted to England and a Venetian party was founded.
Aloong with that gradual process England evolved to Britain. And Britain obtained a Venetian constitution meaning that it became an oligarchy. A circle of non-elect elite figures with a Doge - a kind of host - but without autocratic power usually associated with kings
Thus in 1714 Britains Hannovarian king was a doge
In 1717 the first grand lodge of freemasonry was founded
Britains freemasons took part in founding the lodges in other countries.
Thus Britain had the advantage of infiltrating all other nations while the rivals didnt have that advantage.
The year when the US declared independence the Illuminati was officially founded.
Since the illuminati has since been associated with freemasonry one may ask who might have needed this new branch in 1776?
If not the British..
The declaration of independence meant that two anglosaxon branches of freemasons were fighting a war.
Seems like Britain would like to obtain some means to regain control doesnt it?
But this time it couldnt officially be under Britains control.
So they needed somebody to act as their middleman.
To be rewarded later.
For example by being received as a partner within Britains banking.
That interpretation may explain why the Rothschilds are said to have acted like a liason with Weishaupt..
Britain was deeply involved in organising the french revolution where freemasons played an important role.
Of course historians mostly hide that.
Perhaps publisher's and reviewers are masons?
That would motivate those who like to have their books widely read to also join freemasonry.
But would then also have an oath to consider.
One situation when determined people have exposed the freemasons was when the Vatican was concerned abot the perceived antireligious position and aim of the masons.
Thus catholics presented research regarding Lord Palmerston and found out that he was the grand patriarch the highest in rank in world freemasonry.
They suggested this to have been the case from 1837 the year before Victoria was coronated
But only a limited group of masons knew during Palmerstons life. And some who did know produced false letters to the preceeding and now deseased grand patriarch who was believed to have been murdered.
The result was that other masons could have the impression that an italian nobleman from Rome was the leader and would have been assumed to be the mastermind behand many world events
This was valuable for the british empire since they now secretely handled the worlds masonic networks and many lojal masons would even be in good faith about Britain not being the stringpuller
One concerned Lodge made its archives available on the web.
There a different year than 1837 was mentioned namely 1846.
They wrote that there was a rumour about him having been posioned that year but they didnt assert it.
This means they could give the impression that the period 1837-1846 had been handled by the previous grand patriarch.
Therefore it is of interest to know what took place in that period.
It turns out it was the Israel project with british elite members who set it in motion.
The formation of B'nai B'rit a jewish spawn of british masonry.
Officially Palmerston was not in the cabinet between 1841 and 1845
Earlier
In the 16th century Venetian agents sponsored Martin Luther
Venetian agents also controlled Ignatius Loyola when he founded the Jesuite movement.
They likewise controlled John Calvin. Thus they excerted infuence over both protestants and catholics
They controlled both the reformation and the counterreformation. And were therefore able to provoke the thirty years war.
Like most other important historical facts this context is usually omitted
And that oligarchy had a hand both behind jesuites and freemasons.
There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that FM is Satanism. Literally no one that has actually looked into it can have any doubts of this. From its origins, created by a flaming homosexual King (James, yes, he of the Freemason Bible, also known as the King James’ Bible, with 33,000 “errors” of translation (intentionally designed to reduce the divinity of Jesus, the Grace of Mary and efemminise and disrupt Christianity, right down to misrepresenting the commandments (it’s do not MURDER, not do not kill. Because some people do need killing, which is why Catholicism has always agreed with the death penalty))) who also literally created freemasonry as we find it today.
Totally infiltrated the Catholic Church for about 200 years, finally getting their own into the Papacy (all “Popes” from Roncalli on jave been antipopes) in 1958. Which is why the ONLY Catholics left are Sedevacantists, which are also the only Catholics that Freemasons like John Salza keep trying to defame.
As for this post, it is a clear attempt to lure more of the useful idiots that form the lower ranks.
There is a reason why no Catholic can be a freemason. Because you can’t be a Christian if you serve Lucifer.
I have blogged on this very post at my own blog gfilotto.com (just type Aleks in the search me function at the blog) and will not be reading or referring to this blog any further other than to point it out as an obvious red flag to unsuspecting people. It also explains very clearly why there were so many obvious things this analysis blog seemed to miss. Such as Israel’s overwhelmingly criminal response lately. And far subtler things too.
As a result, I think this blog is fully compromised and cannot be trusted. I wonder if this comment will be left/shown or not. Either way, it will not change my mind. I am too familiar with freemasonry to ever pretend it is anything other than flat out Satanism.
A few random thoughts, after reading quickly this texte.
FIrst, it's useless to share this kind of texts/thoughts ouside a circle of FM because there way too many misconceptions regarding the true aims of FM, as can be seen in quite a few comments, and by the way the author has not respected his basic engagement/oath to remain discreet regarding FM rituals, symbolism etc. (not so much because there are things to hide to hte outside world but because you should adopt an attitude of inner silence to live / understand things)
FM is fragmented in many many obediences with their specific history, culture, symbolim etc. which quite often have a long history of rivalry between them (of no real interest). For instance there is little in common between the English FM and the french FM ... A topic also of no real importance.
Regardin the true aims of FM, in principle it should not be opposed to other forms of siprituality and specifically to the Church ... unfortunately this has not been historically the case (specifically in France) ...
Also as too many old institutions, with the passing of time FM has been infiltrated, subverted and "corrupted", a phenomenon we can also witness with the Church ... but there are still sincere FM (i.e. spiritual seekers) even if very few. Usually they remain discreet and avoid grand public statements.
Also, there are not useful idiots in the first degrees (The 3 first degrees) "working " for the glory
of their "masters "in the upper degress ... this is laughable ...
And last, If someone is really interested in understanding the real aims and the essence of FM, an essential reading is René Guénon collection of Articles (Etudes sur la FM et le Compagnonnage).
Also dont have a clue about free masons. I have to read and study more about free masonry. And read this again. But, with this you tickled my curiosity into an unknown space which I will start exploring because life is a neverending journey of knowledge 😊
I've been on some sort of personal journey for a while. Involves some straight talking sufi processes, some random talking shaman stuff, some person-making experiences and some excellent if difficult judgements. In other words, learning - and it is not easy - to trust intuition, that is to say to learn to recognise what is intuition and what is random real world flimflam. Oh, and also translating (moving house) from the literalist first-world to the imaginative and compassionate latin/native american.
To me, the freemason stuff (ably and convincingly dissected as to origin and credentials by a prolific Afghan author) is fruit of one developmental stream from the European Renaissance, and that is not to say it bears any spiritual quality.
Spiritual Development is of the order of Plato's Cave and tbh is qualified (capacitado, in Castellano) by results that actually work. In my case, around a year's work, solely on intuition and what Carlos Castañeda terms "intent", on the rehabilitation to his family of a deeply grieving domestic cat.
That paragraph is a touchstone.
If belonging to freemasonry takes you through that sort of experience, go for it.. me, I do OK without.
As a hint, the story of Mlakoran from Yuri Rythkeu's The Chukchi Bible, one who violates his community's sea hunting by taking to reindeer herding, causing disease that can be halted only by, according to The Outer Voices, dying by his own daughter's hand, and the horrifyingly cruel trial by torture that he invokes on the two shamans father and son before accepting his own death.
I have similar, if less gruesome, stories in modern days from my own adopted land in the region of the Andes. In a nutshell, real communities preserve their values by dealing with miscreants. The same applies with our northern brothers and also those of Oceania.
I offer the above to shine the light of realism onto the claims of the freemasons. A product of industrial commercial society, one whose values are lost in the false religion of individualism, their invitation to enter and partake of spiritual development as as real as the ill-fated Mlakoran's greedy attempt to utilise a husbandry not of his own community's possession.
We once went to the annual fiesta of a small village up in the bare hills a way inland. To my wife's enquiry as to the safety of our motor, a comunero simply drew his finger across his neck. And further away, a teenage sneak-thief had the local market fed up to the back teeth and was due a discipline: by whip. His mother turned up to appeal. So she was whipped as well, for having brought up such a useless and dangerous son.
"We protect our own, for that is all we are". Or in the words of the Oceti Sakowin, "we are unable to disobey our rules, because our rules are all we are".
For me, freemasonry is a word salad that can offer nothing genuine, simply because - from the OP and other accounts - it recruits on the basis of individual ambition.
Expressing here my gratitude for space to offer a considered, if exotic, comment.
As I am many circles around the sun, aged a wee bit, the senses are honed, tuned to the elements. The vibratory quality of this essay is dream like. Perhaps, as I become more transparent, ephemeral, the harmonic frequencies will speak louder; I will sense them, them…beyond the ones mentioned here. Quietly, I go this way and that. Journey well, my dear friend. Old lady with a virtual cat❤️🐈⬛
Limited hangover.
I have been a Freemason for around 5yrs now, I have not found them to be anything other than what they claim to be, a brotherhood of men who have made a commitment to live moral and virtuous lives and to give to the relief of others (charity). I have not come across anything that runs contrary to my Christian faith. I wish this Brother Godspeed on his travels.
Yes. That's basically what I learned from him as well.
The same for your travels.
Don, I have no personal experience with Freemasonry, and am wondering what your comments are on this comparison of Freemasonry and Christianity.
https://www.gotquestions.org/free-masonry.html
A puzzling recollection related here.
We all have our journeys.
Indeed.
What degree of Freemason is he? I heard the real information is only attained at the 33rd degree or higher.
Good question, indeed... I'll ask him :)
But perhaps I won't get an answer :)
It’s the same thing as with the scam Covid vax. The upper level people know what it’s really about. The lower level people, which is the entire planet, only gets to hear the fabricated info to get them to do what the upper levels want.
"The lower level people,..." Useful idiots.
Was trying to be diplomatic :)
If he’s 33rd degree or higher he won’t tell you any truths. Only lower level information that sucks in people for the bottom levels :)
If he just joined 4 years ago (if I understand correctly) a low degree still.
Oh dear. French but in Serbia, freemason, "enterpreneur"... what red flags he doesn't have sticking out of him? I've dealt with these people before (although the Croatian variant - which isn't different at all). It's a shitfest.
> If you read it, I advise to try to dive into the journey and follow it with your mind and soul. It is enlightening.
Is this a ritual? And we participate in the ritual by imagining us participating in the ritual?
> What struck me the most was the sensation offered by being blindfolded.
I've heard about this. In (some forms of) satanism, the initiation ritual involves blindfolding the person, putting them in front of a mirror then telling them to "gaze upon a god" and releasing the blindfold. The first thing the person thus seas is themselves. In other words, they get told and shown that they are gods (and can thus do whatever they please).
> These terms seeking, persevering and suffering, I therefore heard and interpreted them to the 1st degree during my reception. It was only later that I understood not the definition of these terms, but the fact that these terms defined me as a new apprentice mason.
Allow me to translate: the lowest rank of freemasons are sheep sheared by the upper ranks. You're expected to work as a horse and make other's (other freemason's) lives better. I don't know this to the same level of certainty as the above elements of the ritual with the blindfold and the mirror however it stands to reason that most people who enter freemasonry are fools who are thus vulnerable to being taken advantage of.
> I said.
One of the errors of Wokedom is that they belive they can recreate and change Reality just by speaking. They belive a person can transition from a man to a woman just by saying they are a woman. I see your freemason friend is in the same error.
He described his "first journey" during initiation ritual, something all Freemasons are obligated to do in order to be promoted to lower levels of Freemasonry. I have read and heard a lot of similar experiences. Unfortunately I have to admit that in my opinion our Croatian friend groddlo described the whole matter pretty well, so I won't repeat his words. I just want to add something which is my experience from Serbia, probably peculiar for that country - you could hardly find more communists at one place anywhere else, which is something to think about (freemasons are required to be believers, not specifically Christians, and we all know what communists feel and think about religion).
On personal level I would also like to highlight his words about red flags he mentioned. Of course you know that person much better if you consider him a friend, but it's worth keeping that in mind.
If you are in search for spiritual improvement and attracted to something new - I think our good old Christian Orthodoxy is an ocean compared to a salty lake of Freemasonry. But that is my humble opinion. And you can meet good and interesting people (as well as bad) anywhere - in church , library, restaurant or gim, even here at Substack. :)
hi Aleks
I was exposed to this at Uni under the guidance of solid scholars in French history and British history. It was a long time ago but what I've retained from the experience is that English Freemasonry at the top levels is decidedly reactionary (the Prince of Wales, now Charles III, the Heads of Scotland Yard, MI6, Foreign Office, Army, Archbishop of Canterbury, for example, are Freemasons and reactionaries. Historically they buttress the state and the monarchy and the established religion). French Freemasonry on the other hand is much more liberal (historically they challenged the state, and at one time the monarchy, and the Church) which is why the Vichy regime (arch monarchist and Catholic in sentiment) went after them so fiercely. Btw, the Vichy regime inadvertently did a great service to scholarship by confiscating the official records of the French Lodges and archiving them thus making what had been in-house and secret open and available to scholars.
I would second this. Freemasonry in the UK began as an anti-Catholic organization; it is still remarkably entrenched and powerful. if you want to make it through the hierarchy of the police, or do well in business (especially in the north of England) it is more than helpful to be a Mason. A friend eventually gave up doing business in the north and moved south, after a Mason told him, "you're either on the block or off the block" - and if you were off the block you weren't going very far. "On the block" referred to membership of the Masons; interestingly it was also Liverpool slang for a prostitute.
My grandfather was the master of a lodge in Liverpool. I have the gold watch they gave him!
One thing I will add- in cities with a strong defense industry presence, there will be a lot of intelligence people in the local Lodge. People who commute to work in vehicles with no windows.
You certainly brought out the loons with this one.
One thing I will add- in cities with a strong defense industry presence, there will be a lot of intelligence people in the local Lodge.
It is a basic knowledge that the higher levels of freemasonry are not like that at all.
The lower levels are groomed to be lojal to the higher levels.
If they rise along the hierarchical ladder they eventually may be deemed mature to be presented with the truth when accepted to join the higher ranks.
They are then ready to take on important secret tasks.
Freemasonry was introduced along with the gradual migration of the Venetian Oligarchy.
That oligarchy's historical role is not often explained. But it gives a hint about why the current empire behaves like they do.
They practise balance of power strategy.
This strategy uses the deliberate encouragement and formation of rival groups.
When they clash they produce historical events but the historians dont explain the manipulative forces behind the scenes.
The Venetian mindset was transplanted to England and a Venetian party was founded.
Aloong with that gradual process England evolved to Britain. And Britain obtained a Venetian constitution meaning that it became an oligarchy. A circle of non-elect elite figures with a Doge - a kind of host - but without autocratic power usually associated with kings
Thus in 1714 Britains Hannovarian king was a doge
In 1717 the first grand lodge of freemasonry was founded
Britains freemasons took part in founding the lodges in other countries.
Thus Britain had the advantage of infiltrating all other nations while the rivals didnt have that advantage.
The year when the US declared independence the Illuminati was officially founded.
Since the illuminati has since been associated with freemasonry one may ask who might have needed this new branch in 1776?
If not the British..
The declaration of independence meant that two anglosaxon branches of freemasons were fighting a war.
Seems like Britain would like to obtain some means to regain control doesnt it?
But this time it couldnt officially be under Britains control.
So they needed somebody to act as their middleman.
To be rewarded later.
For example by being received as a partner within Britains banking.
That interpretation may explain why the Rothschilds are said to have acted like a liason with Weishaupt..
Britain was deeply involved in organising the french revolution where freemasons played an important role.
Of course historians mostly hide that.
Perhaps publisher's and reviewers are masons?
That would motivate those who like to have their books widely read to also join freemasonry.
But would then also have an oath to consider.
One situation when determined people have exposed the freemasons was when the Vatican was concerned abot the perceived antireligious position and aim of the masons.
Thus catholics presented research regarding Lord Palmerston and found out that he was the grand patriarch the highest in rank in world freemasonry.
They suggested this to have been the case from 1837 the year before Victoria was coronated
But only a limited group of masons knew during Palmerstons life. And some who did know produced false letters to the preceeding and now deseased grand patriarch who was believed to have been murdered.
The result was that other masons could have the impression that an italian nobleman from Rome was the leader and would have been assumed to be the mastermind behand many world events
This was valuable for the british empire since they now secretely handled the worlds masonic networks and many lojal masons would even be in good faith about Britain not being the stringpuller
One concerned Lodge made its archives available on the web.
There a different year than 1837 was mentioned namely 1846.
They wrote that there was a rumour about him having been posioned that year but they didnt assert it.
This means they could give the impression that the period 1837-1846 had been handled by the previous grand patriarch.
Therefore it is of interest to know what took place in that period.
It turns out it was the Israel project with british elite members who set it in motion.
The formation of B'nai B'rit a jewish spawn of british masonry.
Officially Palmerston was not in the cabinet between 1841 and 1845
Earlier
In the 16th century Venetian agents sponsored Martin Luther
Venetian agents also controlled Ignatius Loyola when he founded the Jesuite movement.
They likewise controlled John Calvin. Thus they excerted infuence over both protestants and catholics
They controlled both the reformation and the counterreformation. And were therefore able to provoke the thirty years war.
Like most other important historical facts this context is usually omitted
And that oligarchy had a hand both behind jesuites and freemasons.
There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that FM is Satanism. Literally no one that has actually looked into it can have any doubts of this. From its origins, created by a flaming homosexual King (James, yes, he of the Freemason Bible, also known as the King James’ Bible, with 33,000 “errors” of translation (intentionally designed to reduce the divinity of Jesus, the Grace of Mary and efemminise and disrupt Christianity, right down to misrepresenting the commandments (it’s do not MURDER, not do not kill. Because some people do need killing, which is why Catholicism has always agreed with the death penalty))) who also literally created freemasonry as we find it today.
Totally infiltrated the Catholic Church for about 200 years, finally getting their own into the Papacy (all “Popes” from Roncalli on jave been antipopes) in 1958. Which is why the ONLY Catholics left are Sedevacantists, which are also the only Catholics that Freemasons like John Salza keep trying to defame.
As for this post, it is a clear attempt to lure more of the useful idiots that form the lower ranks.
There is a reason why no Catholic can be a freemason. Because you can’t be a Christian if you serve Lucifer.
I have blogged on this very post at my own blog gfilotto.com (just type Aleks in the search me function at the blog) and will not be reading or referring to this blog any further other than to point it out as an obvious red flag to unsuspecting people. It also explains very clearly why there were so many obvious things this analysis blog seemed to miss. Such as Israel’s overwhelmingly criminal response lately. And far subtler things too.
As a result, I think this blog is fully compromised and cannot be trusted. I wonder if this comment will be left/shown or not. Either way, it will not change my mind. I am too familiar with freemasonry to ever pretend it is anything other than flat out Satanism.
Hi,
A few random thoughts, after reading quickly this texte.
FIrst, it's useless to share this kind of texts/thoughts ouside a circle of FM because there way too many misconceptions regarding the true aims of FM, as can be seen in quite a few comments, and by the way the author has not respected his basic engagement/oath to remain discreet regarding FM rituals, symbolism etc. (not so much because there are things to hide to hte outside world but because you should adopt an attitude of inner silence to live / understand things)
FM is fragmented in many many obediences with their specific history, culture, symbolim etc. which quite often have a long history of rivalry between them (of no real interest). For instance there is little in common between the English FM and the french FM ... A topic also of no real importance.
Regardin the true aims of FM, in principle it should not be opposed to other forms of siprituality and specifically to the Church ... unfortunately this has not been historically the case (specifically in France) ...
Also as too many old institutions, with the passing of time FM has been infiltrated, subverted and "corrupted", a phenomenon we can also witness with the Church ... but there are still sincere FM (i.e. spiritual seekers) even if very few. Usually they remain discreet and avoid grand public statements.
Also, there are not useful idiots in the first degrees (The 3 first degrees) "working " for the glory
of their "masters "in the upper degress ... this is laughable ...
And last, If someone is really interested in understanding the real aims and the essence of FM, an essential reading is René Guénon collection of Articles (Etudes sur la FM et le Compagnonnage).
An Illuminati from France (99 degree)
Also dont have a clue about free masons. I have to read and study more about free masonry. And read this again. But, with this you tickled my curiosity into an unknown space which I will start exploring because life is a neverending journey of knowledge 😊
I've been on some sort of personal journey for a while. Involves some straight talking sufi processes, some random talking shaman stuff, some person-making experiences and some excellent if difficult judgements. In other words, learning - and it is not easy - to trust intuition, that is to say to learn to recognise what is intuition and what is random real world flimflam. Oh, and also translating (moving house) from the literalist first-world to the imaginative and compassionate latin/native american.
To me, the freemason stuff (ably and convincingly dissected as to origin and credentials by a prolific Afghan author) is fruit of one developmental stream from the European Renaissance, and that is not to say it bears any spiritual quality.
Spiritual Development is of the order of Plato's Cave and tbh is qualified (capacitado, in Castellano) by results that actually work. In my case, around a year's work, solely on intuition and what Carlos Castañeda terms "intent", on the rehabilitation to his family of a deeply grieving domestic cat.
That paragraph is a touchstone.
If belonging to freemasonry takes you through that sort of experience, go for it.. me, I do OK without.
As a hint, the story of Mlakoran from Yuri Rythkeu's The Chukchi Bible, one who violates his community's sea hunting by taking to reindeer herding, causing disease that can be halted only by, according to The Outer Voices, dying by his own daughter's hand, and the horrifyingly cruel trial by torture that he invokes on the two shamans father and son before accepting his own death.
I have similar, if less gruesome, stories in modern days from my own adopted land in the region of the Andes. In a nutshell, real communities preserve their values by dealing with miscreants. The same applies with our northern brothers and also those of Oceania.
I offer the above to shine the light of realism onto the claims of the freemasons. A product of industrial commercial society, one whose values are lost in the false religion of individualism, their invitation to enter and partake of spiritual development as as real as the ill-fated Mlakoran's greedy attempt to utilise a husbandry not of his own community's possession.
We once went to the annual fiesta of a small village up in the bare hills a way inland. To my wife's enquiry as to the safety of our motor, a comunero simply drew his finger across his neck. And further away, a teenage sneak-thief had the local market fed up to the back teeth and was due a discipline: by whip. His mother turned up to appeal. So she was whipped as well, for having brought up such a useless and dangerous son.
"We protect our own, for that is all we are". Or in the words of the Oceti Sakowin, "we are unable to disobey our rules, because our rules are all we are".
For me, freemasonry is a word salad that can offer nothing genuine, simply because - from the OP and other accounts - it recruits on the basis of individual ambition.
Expressing here my gratitude for space to offer a considered, if exotic, comment.
As I am many circles around the sun, aged a wee bit, the senses are honed, tuned to the elements. The vibratory quality of this essay is dream like. Perhaps, as I become more transparent, ephemeral, the harmonic frequencies will speak louder; I will sense them, them…beyond the ones mentioned here. Quietly, I go this way and that. Journey well, my dear friend. Old lady with a virtual cat❤️🐈⬛