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FREEMASONRY

Theory of the Origins

From ‘Homo Ludens’ to the Invention of a ‘Tradition’

Fabio Venzi

This work is divided into three parts, proposing three distinct and original theories, aiming to show the clearly identifiable, ongoing evolutionary trends extending from the origins of Freemasonry. This book charts the transformational processes which combine in a peak between the end of the seventeenth and the start of the eighteenth century. A period stretching from the birth of the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster and the publication of the Anderson ‘Constitutions’ (17171723), to conclude with an in-depth examination of the innovative ritual published through the work of the Lodge of Reconciliation (established 1813-1816 on the occasion of the constitution of the United Grand Lodge of England with the aim of identifying a ritual homogeneity between all the traditions of the two antagonist Grand Lodges of the ‘Moderns’ and the ‘Ancients’), and the subsequent rituality of the Royal Arch.

The latter ritual forms will illustrate how, throughout its evolution, the process of Masonic consciential development has been transformed from a ‘system of morals veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols’into a complex and profound mystic pathway.

The pathway illustrated in this work highlights how, on completion of its ritual evolution, to all intents and purposes Freemasonry should be considered as a ‘form’, or rather representative of that which authors such as Guénon, Evola, Schuon, Coomaraswamy and other authors of the perennialist school of thought define as Tradition. By ‘Tradition’, one refers to an entity inspired by a supratemporal truth that traverses all human time; the traditional forms therefore impart a wisdom of divine origin. By definition, each traditional doctrine possesses an immutable essence, although its methodology may be re-established within the framework of a specific conceptual style in line with the range of potential modes of intuition and according to human circumstances. www.lewismasonic.com A

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Printed in England AlternAtive MAsonic Addresses for the crAft degrees

FREEMASONRY: THEORY OF THE ORIGINS

BY FABIO VENZI

A diff erent angle

An interesting look at how it all started

In this book, Fabio Venzi has produced a learned and plausible account of the origins of Freemasonry. As a starting point, he takes the view that Freemasonry started in England.

Venzi considers three theories as to how and why it developed, indicating that the passage of time allowed the three theories to have a short-lived link in terms of evolving into the system we know today.

His fi rst theory of ‘Homo Ludens’ draws on the importance of a play element in the development of culture and society. He recognises that the growth of Freemasonry in the early 18th century followed the ritual dramas seen in English public theatre in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly the mystery and morality plays.

As a result, he raises doubts about connections to cathedral stonemasons’ guilds. According to this fi rst theory, Freemasonry arose from little more than a desire for socialising and entertainment.

The second theory focuses on the invention of tradition and the idea that tradition is brought about to ‘strengthen national bonds’ through the creation of something ‘that should appear to be so ancient as to have no memory’. This occurred during the 18th century through a process of ritualisation, formalisation, the use of symbols and referring to the past.

The fi nal theory is the journey ‘from morals to mysticism’, whereby Freemasonry developed from a simple ‘ethico-moral pathway’ to ‘a spiritual and consciential pathway of enhancement’, epitomised in the rituals of the Royal Arch.

For those wishing to delve deeper into the possible origins of Freemasonry, this book is certain to be of interest.

Review by Robert Jaggs-Fowler

Freemasonry: Theory of the Origins by Fabio Venzi, Lewis Masonic, 241pp, £21

ALTERNATIVE MASONIC ADDRESSES FOR

THE CRAFT DEGREES EDITED BY PHILIPPA FAULKS

A very handy book

Obscure addresses now easy to fi nd

Although this pocket-sized book has been available for a few years, not many people seem to know about it, which is a pity. It pulls together all sorts of additional and alternative addresses in one volume and is a useful book to have on the shelf.

Some of the material, such as the longer second degree working tools, can be found buried away towards the back of some ritual books (but by no means all). Other pieces, however, such as the walking charge or the Lodge of sorrow, are even harder to hunt down and might only be very rarely witnessed, if at all.

Moreover, those Lodges that do have one or two of these alternative and extra addresses in their repertoire may well have previously relied on some tired photocopy handed down over the years. Now, at long last, anyone can obtain these interesting texts for themselves.

Other addresses I would imagine most readers have never heard of (or, at best, only briefl y overheard vague hints of while going off to dinner) include an address to the organist, an alternative address to the stewards and a longer explanation of the third degree tracing board.

As well as these, there is the initiate’s chain, an address for transferring a Hall Stone jewel and a rather interesting short talk about Ecclesiastes Chapter 12. These are just a handful to show the fl avour of the book – there are more than 25 in all.

The only footling error I spotted was the recently obsolete toast to the Queen and the Craft, but that is hardly a reason for not buying this useful book. Future editions will doubtless have the up-to-date wording.

Review by Reginald Church

Alternative Masonic Addresses for the Craft Degrees, edited by Philippa Faulks, Lewis Masonic, 126pp, £7.50

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About the Author

Richard L. Gan was born in 1950, educated at the Becket School, Nottingham. He graduated from London University with a degree in Geology, where he also took a Master’s Degree in Education. In addition, he holds a degree in Management Studies from the Open University. His professional career was both successful and varied, including teaching and educational administration at a senior level.

He retired as the Deputy Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons in June 2010 and is a senior Grand O cer in all the major Orders of Freemasonry. Having relinquished the role of Editor of e Square magazine in 2014, an independent magazine for Freemasons, he is now fully retired, and able to devote more time to his Masonic writing and research, in general, and to Victorian Freemasonry, and the Orders beyond the Cra , in particular.

His previous books include: Gan – is that a Polish Name? 2020; Gan and Newman, Eds., Finding The Mark, 2019; e Treasures of English Freemasonry 1717-2017; Secret Handshakes and Rolled-Up Trouser Legs: e Secrets of Freemasonry – Separating Fact and Fiction, 2014. e book re ects the author’s research interests in Victorian Freemasonry, and the Orders beyond the Cra . e fact that the other Orders of Freemasonry in England have a combined membership greater than that of the United Grand Lodge of England, is perhaps not as well-known as it should be, nor the fact that the period 1845 and 1880 saw an unprecedented expansion in Freemasonry in general and the other Orders of Freemasonry in particular. In bringing together into one publication a set of six previously published essays and lectures the author hopes to provide a better understanding of the importance of the other Orders of Freemasonry. He is of the rm belief that within, what he terms, the Full Spectrum of Freemasonry the Cra is but one facet, and one in which the other Orders all have an equal and important part to play. Each of the six chapters deals with a di erent but complimentary aspect that:

• provides a better understanding of how the other Masonic Orders have grown and developed in parallel with Cra Masonry;

• highlights the signi cant contribution made by the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons (GLMMM), originally formed in 1856, which despite encountering considerable problems and opposition in its early years has grown into the formidable organisation it is today;

• demonstrates how the quality and status of the various Mark Masons’ Halls (MMH) headquarter buildings have re ected the increasing prestige and standing of the GLMMM;

• re ects on the prominence and social standing of some of its more distinguished Victorian rulers, revealed through the medium of the portraits originally commissioned for the original MMH;

• underlines the importance of Frederick Binckes, who for nearly thirty years, successfully combined the roles of both Grand Secretary of the GLMMM and Secretary of the Royal

Masonic Institution for Boys, and who played a key part in the development of both institutions;

• scrutinises the role of Robert Wentworth Little who was the prime mover and progenitor of four orders of Freemasonry, two of which, the Red Cross of Constantine and Societas

Rosicruciana in Anglia, are still very much active and thriving today.

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Printed in England

LOGIC WORKING OF CRAFT CEREMONIES

THE LOGIC RITUAL ASSOCIATION

The Full Spectrum of Freemasonry: An Anthology THE FULL SPECTRUM OF FREEMASONRY

AN ANTHOLOGY

Richard L. Gan

Royal Arch Mark

A&A Rite

RAM KT OSM

KTP AMD

RCC

ROS

RSM Scarlet Cord Acon

Operatives Athelstan SRIA

KBHC

Pilgrim Preceptors

de minimis Key to Front Cover

e cover shows a graphical representation of the respective size of membership, of the sixteen larger Orders of Freemasonry beyond the Cra currently working in England and Wales individually named, and the six smaller ones combined into one grouping designated as ‘de minimis’. In addition to an expansion of the abbreviation, the date given is that of the establishment of the respective governing body, not necessarily that of the rst known existence of the degree or order.

Royal Arch: Royal Arch: 1766; Mark: Mark: 1856; A&A Rite: Ancient and Accepted Rite [Rose Croix]: 1845; RAM: Royal Ark Mariner: 1871; KT: Knights Templar: 1791; OSM: Order of the Secret Monitor: 1889; RCC: Red Cross of Constantine: 1865; RSM: Royal and Select Masters: 1873; KTP: Knight Templar Priests: 1924; AMD: Allied Masonic Degrees: 1879; Athelstan: Masonic Order of Athelstan: 2007; ROS: Royal Order of Scotland: 1872; Operatives: Operatives: 1913; Scarlet Cord: Order of the Scarlet Cord: 2006; SRIA: Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia: 1867; Acon: St. omas of Acon: 1974; KBHC: Knights Bene cent of the City: 1937; Pilgrim Preceptors: Masonic Order of Pilgrim Preceptors: 1984; de minimis: Ancient Order of Noble Corks; August Order of Light; Corporation of Squaremen; Hermetic Order Martinists; Knight Masons; Royal Order of Eri.

THE FULL SPECTRUM OF FREEMASONRY

BY RICHARD L GAN

Now with instructions A rather mixed bag

A much-expanded edition of Logic rituals For those interested in Mark Masonry

One of the fascinations of Freemasonry under the United Grand Lodge of England is that there are many diff erent Craft rituals, which can make visits to other Lodges so intriguing.

Emulation, Universal, West End, Oxford, Standard, Taylor’s, Revised, Logic and Stability are well known. Others, such as Calver, Sussex, Castle, Veritas, Nigerian, Plymouth Common Sense, Bristol or Alnwick are less so.

Those such as Emulation have long had detailed ‘stage instructions’, so to speak, so that a Lodge can sometimes manage with just a rehearsal or two before the meeting. Other workings have not and have relied much more heavily on Lodges of instruction to promote and hand on the details of the fl oor work. Until now, Logic was one of those.

Indeed, during the past 30 or so years since this ritual was revised, many Logic Lodges have found it hard to keep well-attended Lodges of instruction going.

Moreover, as so many of us know, the pace and pattern of life is very diff erent these days, especially for younger members who can fi nd it harder than ever to spare the time preparing for Lodge meetings, no matter how much they love their Freemasonry.

As a result, the Logic Ritual Association decided to bite the bullet and greatly expand both the general introductory notes and the instructions throughout each ceremony. The outcome is now a rather plumper (and much more interesting) ritual book than most, which should greatly help Logic Lodges provide more uniform ceremonies.

As well as being pretty much essential to members of Lodges practicing this ritual, the book may be of great interest to anyone fascinated by the similarities and diff erences between Craft rituals. If they have not already done so, let us hope other ritual associations will soon follow suit.

Review by Julian Perry

Logic Working Of Craft Ceremonies, by the Logic Ritual Association, Lewis Masonic, 361pp, £15 The Full Spectrum of Freemasonry is a collection of academic papers that sets out to provide ‘a better understanding of how the other masonic orders have grown and developed in parallel with Craft Masonry’.

Sadly, I feel that the book is structurally incapable of achieving this aim. Two of its six chapters are essentially CVs of hitherto relatively obscure Freemasons, both with Mark connections. Three chapters are about the Mark degree and its headquarters and only one attempts to explore the other orders.

The book’s cover is a graphical illustration of the relative numbers of members of all Masonic orders (except the Craft). Chapter one does explore the development of the other orders alongside the Craft, although given that it is less than 20 pages (once the illustrations are removed) this is little more than scratching the surface.

Chapters two to four cover three aspects of Mark Masonry, taking around 100 pages to cover the development and establishment of the degree, the headquarters buildings it has had and some of its luminaries (as depicted in the art collection at Mark Masons’ Hall). Chapters fi ve and six describe the Masonic and non-Masonic lives of two individuals, both of who deserve to be better known.

I struggle to know who this book should be recommended to. Certainly, anyone intrigued by the art they see at Mark Masons’ Hall should fi nd it a useful book. And scholars of Mark Masonry more generally might well also fi nd it helpful.

Given that its academic format is unlikely to appeal to the average reader, I also feel that the title is somewhat confusing – something more Mark-related would make things clearer.

Review by Geometres

The Full Spectrum of Freemasonry, by Richard L Gan, Lewis Masonic, 250pp, £25