Wednesday, November 29, 2006
FREEMASONRY AND THE KABBALAH
In the post below this one I've shown that a relationship exists between York Rite Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism, and quoted a passage from the Canadian SRIC website that speaks about the Kabbalah.
In searching for more information about Kabbalah from Masonic websites I came upon the Lewis Masonic publishing house and their publication KABBALAH: TRADITIONS OF HIDDEN KNOWLEDGE. They have more books that look interesting at the "esoteric" link, including books on alchemy, magic, meditation, astrology, hermetics, evocation, and another about Kabbalah. It looks as though the Lodge has decided to stop claiming there is nothing occult in their practices.
There is a book about the Knights Templar on the publisher's website, written by Alan Butler and Stephen Dafoe, and titled THE WARRIORS AND THE BANKERS: A HISTORY OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR FROM 1307 TO THE PRESENT. Dafoe is editor of "Masonic Magazine." At the magazine's website he reviews another book by Alan Butler titled THE VIRGIN AND THE PENTACLE in which he writes:
A first glance at the subtitle of this book–The Freemasonic Plot to Destroy the Church–and the would be reader might get the impression that the book is another anti-Masonic shot at the Craft and how it is out to destroy and or infiltrate Christianity. However, such is not the case. Although he is not a Mason, Alan Butler has always had a respect for the Masonic institution.
The Virgin and the Pentacle is the story of the battle between Freemasonry and Orthodox Christianity over the years, but particularly in the early to mid 19th Century.
In the book, the author discusses the problems and conflicts between the Catholic Church and Freemasonry. It is Butler’s belief that this tension is largely due to a matriarchal and patriarchal take on the godhead.
He also takes note of the fact that Butler is not a Mason, and that Masonic Lodges exclude women from their meetings, making Butler's argument a bit odd. If the objective is to spread confusion, I'd give them an A+.
Returning to the Lewis Masonic website, I found that perhaps the most interesting title of all is the webpage for the book THE ROSSLYN HOAX ?, which asks the question "Is it true that Rosslyn Chapel has been changed to make it Masonic?" Since the chapel had fallen into a state of disrepair, Restoration was begun in 1736, 19 years after the Masonic Grand Lodge of London was formed in 1717.
The year 1717 is the official year of the beginning of Freemasonry as we know it today. Kilwinning Lodge in Scotland was formed prior to 1717, however, in that transitional period from operative lodges to speculative lodges, which makes Scotland the birthplace of Freemasonry in the eyes of many Masons. But I'm getting sidetracked from my quest for information about Kabbalah in Freemasonry.
I found a paper by Thomas D. Worrel titled "A Brief Look At The Kabbalah", which was presented to the Allied Masonic Degrees Britannia Lodge #303 on March 3, 1996. Here you will find a brief description of Jewish mysticism as it developed into the Kabbalah teachings, and as Freemasonry has adopted them. Worrel asks is "the influence of Christian Cabala really the same as an influence of Rosicrucianism, a movement possibly connected with secret societies and particularly with Freemasonry?" He also speaks of the close association of Tarot with Kabbalah.
Worrel's website is linked at tracingboard.com, the website of "The Trestleboard--The Cutting Edge of Freemasonry"--a publication of the Rite of the Rose Cross of Gold. Who might Thomas D. Worrel be?
His name turns up at the Mill Valley Lodge in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Worrel was Grand Master of the Lodge in 1999. A number of his papers are reproduced in the website, including the paper on Kabbalah. According to the history page in the Lodge website. At the bottom of the history page is this curious entry:
Finally, in the late 20th century, Mill Valley Masons Thomas D. Worrel, P.M., and Edward M. King established two new Lodges in Mill Valley. Bro. Worrel established the Commandry of the Green Lion, Order of the Aurum Solis in 2000; Bro. King established Mons Abiegnus Camp, Order Templi Orientis (OTO) in c. 1998.[emphasis mine - ct]
Aurum Solis and the Commandry of the Green Lion? Stay tuned.
