Lost Origins
In October, 2003, I attended a lecture entitled The Lost Origins of Freemasonry given by a current member of a Lodge affiliated to the United Grand Lodge of England. The lecturer clearly knew the Order only as a charitable organisation and Gentlemen's Club. He rather tentatively supposed that Masonry had its origins among the Cathedral builders or the Craft Guilds of the twelfth to fourteenth centuries and that there was some evidence for its existence in Scotland in the fourteenth century, but that it did not emerge as a unified organisation in England until the eighteenth century. Elias Ashmole (Founder of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford) had been initiated into the Order in 1646, but apparently did not attend again until 1684. The United Grand Lodge was formed in 1751.The lecturer stated that there are only three Degrees in current Masonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft Freemason, and Master Mason.
It seems that, so far as the generality of members of the Order in England are concerned, Masonry has either lost touch with its roots or its "ordinary" members are unaware that there was, and may still be, a "select" body of more advanced members forming what we might call the "soul" of the brotherhood.
My personal interest in Freemasonry was further stimulated when I read The Hiram Key by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, published by Arrow Books in 1997. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as an account of how two members of the Order investigated its roots for themselves. The authors took some trouble to delve into the history of the Order, and have written their conclusions in a very clear and compelling style.
Dr Lomas has also instituted a Web site at Web of Hiram which contains a good deal of information about various Rites and branches of the Order. In particular, it gives an account of the ritual and lectures of the Three Degrees of the United Grand Lodge of England, as well as some interesting details of the Fourth to Thirty-third Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
It has become clear to me that what is now Freemasonry originated as an initiatic Order. Initiation is a beginning, and what begins is a course of study and practice through which the individual may consciously participate in his or her own evolution, particularly in moral, psychic, and spiritual realms. The initiate advances by degrees, the commencement of each degree being marked by a new initiation.
In Masonry, as in other initiatic Orders, actual initiations take the form of ritual dramas in which the candidate for admission or advancement plays a leading rôle. Rituals may include devices for testing the candidate's courage, determination, and commitment to the ideals of the initiatic Order.
It seems probable that in all ages, initiates have constituted only a very small subset of the human population, and this is certainly true today. Initiation is open only to those who truly and sincerely desire to become better people, dedicated to serving mankind rather than themselves. It is therefore not possible to conduct initiations through the medium of the Internet, even if one were otherwise qualified to do so. But it is possible to provide material whereby individuals may judge for themselves whether or not they feel emotionally drawn to the principles expounded therein. And there is good reason to believe that "when the student is ready, the Master will appear". In other words, appropriate doors will open to students who sincerely seek initiation for the right reasons.
Readers who wish to learn more about the tradition and significance of initiation are recommended to read The Great Initiates by Edouard Schuré.
Readers will recognise that some of the lectures are far too long to form part of a ritual initiation. It is clear that they were intended primarily as background for shorter lectures to be delivered at Lodge meetings to which admission would be restricted to members who had already been initiated into the degree in question. The lectures do not by themselves betray any Masonic "secrets". They do, however, contain much background information and expound moral principles which have for too long been forgotten or neglected by a materialistic consumer society.
The lectures will be presented with minimal editorial revision. In general, quotations in classical languages, or which contain Hebrew or Greek characters, will be translated into English where they cannot be omitted altogether. In some places, Pike adopts a rhetorical style which results in very long sentences which the present-day reader will find difficult to follow, and some attempt may be made to revise such passages without altering the sense.
Freemasonry and The Hiram Key
Freemasonry by W. Kirk MacNulty, published by Thames and Hudson of London, is a very good introduction for the serious student who wishes to understand what Freemasonry is about. It explains the significance of the First, Second, and Third Degrees.
Initiation
For millennia, all the finest buildings in the world have had a religious purpose. They were built to the glory of God; they were built to last; and many of them were built as theatres for initiatory purposes. It is therefore not surprising that architects and practitioners in the building trades have from time immemorial been close collaborators with initiates, religious leaders, and priests, and must thereby have become privy to many of the secrets of the Mysteries.
The Lectures
Albert Pike's 1857 versions of the Lectures for the Fourth to the Thirty-second Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite will provide the spine for the Ardue University course of study.
Question Sets
Each lecture will be accompanied by a set or sets of questions intended to encourage the reader to interpret material prepared shortly after 1850 in the light of current twenty-first century conditions. Some lectures contain more "meat" than others, and deserve more time for consideration and absorption. It is therefore possible that two or more months may be allowed to elapse between lectures. In such cases, it is intended that a fresh question set will be published in each of the intervening months to maintain student concentration and reduce flagging.
Secrets
Perusal of Pike's lectures should make it clear that far from being an evil influence undermining the democratic foundations of American, British, or other societies, true Freemasonry is a noble ideal underpinning them. While passwords and signs of recognition must obviously continue to be secrets of its members, the uplifting Masonic philosophy deserves to be given the widest possible publicity. Long may it flourish!