tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post4606342515610593550..comments2024-03-18T20:09:21.858-04:00Comments on Freemasons For Dummies: Pentacles, Wiccans and MasonryChristopher Hodapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-33846657833573946832020-12-06T00:38:58.596-05:002020-12-06T00:38:58.596-05:00Also, I'm curious as to whether your lodge rec...Also, I'm curious as to whether your lodge recites overtly Christian prayers and, if so, whether you must participate.Grant K. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17567240874806613880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-79233443517804520182020-12-06T00:36:36.776-05:002020-12-06T00:36:36.776-05:00What did you use as the VOSL? Was it your BoS?What did you use as the VOSL? Was it your BoS?Grant K. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17567240874806613880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-83651506034040051002018-08-26T23:30:06.699-04:002018-08-26T23:30:06.699-04:00An inverted star of the OES depicted with a letter...An inverted star of the OES depicted with a letter G in the center was never an 'official' Eastern Star symbol to my knowledge. I suspect it was a combination of the OES with the Masonic G by an inventive headstone carver. Never encountered it myself. The OES is a Masonic appendant organization for both men who are Freemasons and women, and it meets in Masonic lodges. The OES originally required women to be the wife or daughter of a Freemason I order to join. With married couples it's common to find both a Masonic square and compass and an OES star together on headstones.Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-11403699752354445962018-08-26T22:53:56.727-04:002018-08-26T22:53:56.727-04:00My great great grandfather was a grandmaster mason...My great great grandfather was a grandmaster mason I went to pay my respects to him and my grandmother. On her grave was the upside down star with the G in the middle. I always thought back then woman where not apart of the masons. Could someone please explain why this would be in her grave.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01876774114057883506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-54677775925457272652013-06-10T00:13:30.570-04:002013-06-10T00:13:30.570-04:00What book might a Pagan use as the VOSL to make hi...What book might a Pagan use as the VOSL to make his obligations upon? There is no one sacred book in that faith(s). (However, there is legal precedent of someone taking an oath of citizenship in Canada that was sworn on the Homeric Hymns.) Might a Pagan use a book of myths, then? Or perhaps the Hermetic text "The Kybalion"? Devyn Christopher Gillettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06314675717273742097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-24618867529778383992010-11-01T03:43:01.094-04:002010-11-01T03:43:01.094-04:00I'm pagan and I have been made a Mason, the lo...I'm pagan and I have been made a Mason, the lodge I petitioned Has known from the beginning. as far as I know I'm the first Openly Pagan that was made in MarylandUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05712400022996779633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-91563616705557026672007-05-07T20:59:00.000-04:002007-05-07T20:59:00.000-04:00Cue the maniacal laugh track.Cue the maniacal laugh track.Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-76730468358519913842007-05-07T15:20:00.000-04:002007-05-07T15:20:00.000-04:00The (independent) Grand Chapter of New York uses a...The (independent) <A HREF="http://www.nyoes.org/" REL="nofollow">Grand Chapter of New York</A> uses a right-side-up version of the Eastern Star emblem. Perhaps they are the good ones.... ;)cmhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13364396399710683125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-54758150707348706552007-04-26T01:41:00.000-04:002007-04-26T01:41:00.000-04:00Of course, there's the old connection between late...Of course, there's the old connection between late 19th century Freemasons and Wicca, in the endlessly confused dabblings of Waite, Wynn-Westcott, Woodman, MacGregor Mathers and the rest of the Golden Dawn gang. <BR/><BR/>Which led to Isis-Urania Lodge, and Crowley and OTO and Gardner and... <BR/><BR/>And I swore I'd never get that discussion going again!Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-36644624762203312422007-04-26T01:31:00.000-04:002007-04-26T01:31:00.000-04:00WS,Interesting article. My next book, The Templar ...WS,<BR/>Interesting article. <BR/><BR/>My next book, <A HREF="http://www.templarcodefordummies.com" REL="nofollow">The Templar Code For Dummies</A>, co-written with Alice Von Kannon, started out as strictly being just about the Knights Templar. We expanded the portions about the Templars where they touched on the Da Vinci Code, which led to much research on the "sacred feminine" sources Brown used. Let's just say there's a lot of wishful thinking on the part of folks like Margaret Starbird and others.<BR/><BR/>I get especially entertained by folks who spend reams of paper and gallons of ink insisting that the Roman Catholic Church "suppressed" feminine influences and worship by covering up Mary Magdalene's role as Jesus' moll. So, just what the hell was the Virgin Mary, a cross-dresser? Church [i]tradition[/i] (not law) that developed in the countryside over the centuries gave the Virgin Mary almost equal status with Christ, as far as day-to-day worship went. Brown wants to make the Roman Catholic Church the Snidely Whiplash character in denial of feminine goddess worship in Christian tradition, but I have to tell you, I say blame it on the Protestants...Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-75057184158762022992007-04-25T13:54:00.000-04:002007-04-25T13:54:00.000-04:00Excellent post, Bro. Chris."Co-incidentally" (ther...Excellent post, Bro. Chris.<BR/><BR/>"Co-incidentally" (there are no coincidences) I came across a January 2001 article about Wicca just this morning that outlines its history... and then debunks it. Interesting reading <A HREF="http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200101/wicca/2" REL="nofollow">here</A>.<BR/><BR/>Widow's Son<BR/><A HREF="http://burningtaper.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow">BurningTaper.com</A>Widow's Sonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05135009678671539418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-9242027646574945502007-04-24T18:50:00.000-04:002007-04-24T18:50:00.000-04:00Nice commentary on an ancient religion. I am not ...Nice commentary on an ancient religion. I am not in that camp but have had many contacts with folks who practice a 'Nature' religion and have felt their honesty compelling.<BR/><BR/>However i might suggest that the misconception that Wiccans are devil worshipers is further clouded by the comparison you made at the beginning of your post. Witches do not worship satan that is left over to satanists (they do exist). From what I have encountered the Wicca faith is very peaceful and has a type of creed call the Wicca Rede "Harm no one, Do what you will." A very similar thought as many mainstream religions. The argument for Wiccans in the lodge should not be debated around superstition but more on the essence of who the Supreme Being is to them. This is the sticky subject.<BR/><BR/>The essence of Wicca is to define the world and its spiritual realm as it is felt and influenced by teachers. Many Wiccans believe in competing myths or descriptions of a Mother and Father who give birth to creation and other lesser gods. <BR/><BR/>I truly support Wicca as a religion but our Landmarks direct us to think of the GAOTU as a singular God (monotheistic) and as a Father (brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God) then I think this does not meet the expectations of being duly and truly prepared, worthy and well qualified.<BR/><BR/>Symbols are only points, lines and planes. Meaning is personal.David Peronnet, RAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13949317009439268458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-36758921441092244882007-04-24T14:42:00.000-04:002007-04-24T14:42:00.000-04:00Oh, come now, Bro. Chris - we all know that the "r...Oh, come now, Bro. Chris - we all know that the "right side up" stars are <I>angelic</I> while the "upside down" stars are <I>satanic</I>.<BR/><BR/>I read it on the internet, so it must be true.Tom Accuostihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07005315193581153959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-15342867162484552162007-04-24T13:25:00.000-04:002007-04-24T13:25:00.000-04:00More important, if pentacles are inherently demoni...More important, if pentacles are inherently demonic, then the American flag must be Beelzebub's satanic banner, what with 50 of the scary things on it...Christopher Hodapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-13617918193300326432007-04-24T10:28:00.000-04:002007-04-24T10:28:00.000-04:00...now don't I feel like an moron. Let this be a l......now don't I feel like an moron. Let this be a lesson - blogger is not pda friendly. After posting my comment, I saw that original post continued, below my comments (the images skewed the formatting on a small screen). So I apologize. The question I think still remains: does innovation corrupt the Craft?<BR/><BR/>J.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-73171338481157396642007-04-24T10:17:00.000-04:002007-04-24T10:17:00.000-04:00Hmm - Brothers who have a problem with alt-religio...Hmm - Brothers who have a problem with alt-religions based on the use of stars have obviously never used tracingboards, which are rife with stars, especially on the MM, where the Hebrew HEH or the number 5 is occasionally replaced with a 5-pointed star. So, I am guessing their Lodges used the lantern slide method or the slide project method to illuminate the lectures.<BR/><BR/>Proof that innovation corrupts the Craft?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-54372685887924009962007-04-24T04:55:00.000-04:002007-04-24T04:55:00.000-04:00In the version of the Scottish Ancient and Accepte...In the version of the Scottish Ancient and Accepted Rite used in Continental Europe, and specifically in Portugal,it is commonly used a five-pointed star with a āGā in the center in the Fellowcraft degree. It is enlightened and it is called "Estrla Flamejante" (Flaming Star). One of most used interpretations of the symbol is that it represents man (remember well known Leonasdo's drawing of a man arms and legs opene...) with Divinity inside him or Man enlightened by God.Rui Bandeirahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08822463325489356150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-37754732933138846342007-04-23T21:25:00.000-04:002007-04-23T21:25:00.000-04:00If y'all allow Mormons like myself, there is no re...If y'all allow Mormons like myself, there is no reason that Wiccans shouldn't be allowed as well.<BR/><BR/>My local Lodge would have no problem admitting a Wiccan or other type of professing Pagan brother.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787092364477664570noreply@blogger.com