Is it on your side?

Torah, read it.

Well I have been dealing with some pretty significant things over the last few months. I apologise for the lack of posts (my 2 wonderful followers!) but I have been struggling with the only eternal issue that matters (at least to me) the drive towards the divine.

My intense time overseas at the start of the year; at the heart of humanities holiness; while dealing with the most destructive period of time in history has raised significant doubts in my fight to become closer to the divine.

I have embraced a stronger relationship with G-d, by which I mean the G-d of Abraham and Issac, Moses and Samuel. I have been reading the Torah daily, arguing with my more knowledgable friends and attempting to get to Shule when I can. I have found the words of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Abraham Kook and the Psalms to be where my heart is focussed these days. This has not really changed my approach to my Masonic system; the removal of the Saints John from my liturgy has not really been a problem. I have not replaced them with a Torah equivalent, I am waiting to see what manifests through my research and meditation on the issue.

I am not 'going Jew', even though I have been asked that in recent history (said like it was a bad thing? I'm pretty sure it's not a bad thing). I am a Noahide. I take the seven commandments to Adam and Noah from G-d as my guide. I contemplate the Unity of G-d and the majesty of his unity. I revere the mystical connection between my creator and I through prayer, ritual and action. I have discovered a stronger link between my Masonic system and my faith now. It feels as though I have swept away a whole facade that got in the way of my interaction with my system and G-d.

I love it and life is better for it.

Pax

MvdV

Walking Away From the Big JC

Well,

I've been a busy boy over the last 6 months. I realise I haven't written anything in a while, this is mostly because of the business of family life, having to work and trying to maintain my personal practice. While I usually try to commit some of my thoughts into writing at least once every three weeks, well it's been really hard keeping up with my previous schedule.

So, I sit here with my (truly awful) lukewarm cup of tea in a post winter cold room (chilly tiles=cold feet) trying to shake a sense of despondency. I have been spending a lot of my time reading through some of my earlier notes and a massive change has occurred in my personal magical practice, it has been a slow thing, but viewed over the long term it is a significant shift. While I have always worked within a Christian framework (it is the culture I have grown up in, live in and to a great extent, think in) I have been finding more and more of my personal religious beliefs moving away from the Christian-ness of its past. If something leaves and creates a vacuum, something will come in to fill that space to ensure it is full. What is the replacement? I haven't quite figured that out. I have been focusing on Hebrew and my daily practice so far.

I have the feeling that this change in my feelings comes from a few different things.

1. My travels around the place and some time I spent in Jerusalem
2. My initiation into a new order and the changes it has wrought
3. The normal stresses and everyday pressures that influence thought and interactions
4. Doing some Biblical work and coming away unconvinced 

I have encountered some major flaws in my previous understanding and I have found that I have been unable to find the glue to put my knowledge back together. I have been unable to make the same leaps I used to, and I have found that no matter where I look and who I speak to to discuss the issue I am unable to get back to my previous mindset.

I have been exploring the Noahide Laws and B'nai Noach and regularly spend time reading through Torah and discussing Torah and Talmud with my Jewish friends, I may actually be trending towards Judaism as a future life path.

Anyway, enough for now. I've had a big day discussing the role of Jesus as the Passover offering with my students...

Pax,

MvdV

Simple is as simple does

One of the problems with Magical Orders and Magicians is we constantly desire more knowledge. Generally I believe enquiry is a good thing, but often I find myself not achieving mastery of a skill before moving on to something more complex. This is, in my opinion, a symptom of our current state of generational affairs and an issue which will cause many problems in the future. I can use the example of the original Golden Dawn order as a great example. Minimal Magic in the beginning, minimal magic in the middle, some more at the top, but not much more.

Mastery of a skill is essential to evolve and incorporate that skill into your 'normal' sphere of experience. Using Martial Arts as an example, the grooving of action in certain situations is an essential part of training. Working to step a certain way, move your body a certain way or respond appropriately to aggression need to be experience over and over again. Repetitive, mind numbingly repetitively occurring actions. Step, block punch, step, block punch, step, block punch. Finally the reaction becomes normal and part of the way you react and interact with/to the world.

Magic should be this way too. I don't care if you just did a powerful grimoire based evocation of the seventeenth demon of the outer gap using Selibus the Heretics fourth method. Is the BRP and the Middle Column part of your existence. Do you know intimately the basics? Can you perform the Cabalistic Cross correctly with evocations and inner work fully aligned? Does the Hebrew sing to you? Is it part of your existing mind? Can you elevate yourself using these simple tools? Is it a snap to drop into your meditative/magical state?

If you can, then, you, are, awesome!

If you cannot, well, maybe drop all that other "higher" magic and BECOME magical in the everyday using basics that alter you. Magic is not a weekend only thing. It is 24/7, 365 trying to become more than the lame meatbag yu used to be. Yes. It is hard graft, but hey, it is more than worth it.

Pax,

MvdV

Everyday I'm Sigilin'

With the advent of new technology, we, as magicians need to take advantage of the new opportunities that face us. Instead of dealing only with the age old methods, we can advance our skills forward using things that are common to our society as well as those that remain from the old.

Technology, knowledge, wealth systems, social structure, transportation (of goods and individuals), availability of tech and raw materials. All of these things allow us to attempt to improve our magical practice.

Smartphones are cool, they are also a possible source of magical operations and actions. music, images, communication and also, as I'd like to discuss today, practical actions. I inherited a Samsung Galaxy 3 due to a lost and found situation and I have been enjoying it more and more. One of the things I have recently been using in a magical context is the lock function. The Galaxy enables you to use a 3x3 connect the dots code grid which allows for a variety of simple or complex diagrams to unlock the phone. Chaos types should be aware of the possibilities within a 3x3 grid, especially since it is possible to multiple contacts on points.

The opportunities are pretty good for us to appropriate simple things like this into our daily practice. Every time I unlock my phone, I reactivate and interact with my chosen symbol. Any more ideas for daily magical use?

Pax

MvdV

The Structure of Freemasonry

I truly hate this picture...

This is a difficult topic.

One persons fringe is another's centre and working within an area that is shrouded in mystery, like Freemasonry, can be especially difficult to understand for people who do not have a working understanding of the relationships between organisations.

The purpose of this post is to try to work on improving the readers understanding of 'recognition' and the relationship between 'Masonic', 'Appendant Bodies' and 'Quasi-Masonic/ Fringe Orders'.

'Lodge Masonry'

First it is essential to emphasis (again and again) that there is no degree higher in Freemasonry than the 3rd, the Master Mason. There is rank and recognition of experience in the form of the Past Master who has been the Master of a Lodge. In some constitutions there is a 'Board of Installed Masters' which is convened at the Installation of a Master in the Chair of a Lodge, but this is not an additional Degree in the Masonic sense. I will be using the designation Lodge Freemasonry and Grand Lodge Freemasonry to identify "Blue Lodge", "ordinary Freemasonry". ( I know I have been using lots of quotation marks, it makes it easier, so sorry).

Usually 'mainstream' Lodge Freemasonry is decided by recognition by the United Grand Lodge of England. This is the easiest and most visible sigh of Lodge Masonry normality. The Grand Lodge of Western Australia for example is recognised by the UGLE and enjoys recognition from all of the bodies around the world that also find themselves in a positive relationship with the UGLE. There are exceptions and there is an alternate group of Grand Lodges arranged around the Grand Orient of France (yes this is simplistic and grossly reduced to mud map status, but this is not an academic paper, it's a blog). Many of these Grand Lodges do not require a belief in God or may accept women members. This means they are not 'recognised' by the UGLE due to these differences. This system is not perfect for example, in my opinion, the Grand Orient of Italy has been poorly treated by the UGLE and many of the 'Regular' Grand Lodges. The GOI still adheres to all of the Ancient Landmarks but were de-recognised in the 1980's due to the P2 scandal and associated issues.

These Grand bodies oversee the activities of Lodges and give them their legitimacy with a Warrant and Constitution.

'Appendant Bodies'

Any other Degree received by a Freemason is usually from what is called an Appendant Body. Membership of these organisations usually have certain Masonic prerequisites, such as being a Master Mason or a Past Master for instance.

It is VITAL to understand that the rank achieved in the Appendant Bodies has NO IMPACT OR INFLUENCE in Lodge Freemasonry. A Grand Officer in an Appendant Body has no rank in Grand Lodge created by the Appendant Body rank (obviously they may have Grand Rank they have earned through service to the Lodge and Grand Lodge) and are considered to be ordinary general members of the Lodge. Other members of their Lodge who are members of the Appendant Body that they have received the high rank in may treat them with more respect, but it depends on the individual.

Now the vaunted 33rd Degree that conspiracy theorists are so fond of spruiking as the 'secret masters' of Freemasonry with the 'real secrets' have no real pull or influence in Lodge Freemasonry. Their 33rd degree is in the Antient and Accepted Scottish Rite and only influences members of that Appendant Order and usually only at their meetings. A 33rd could tell me what to do in Lodge Freemasonry, and if I outranked him I could ignore the instruction, but at an AASR meeting, I'd be following his reasonable request.

Masonic and Appendant Body ranks only work in relation to Masonic and Appendant Body activities. I would not expect to be told by a superior to sell my house or do certain activities outside of the Masonic or Appendant Body sphere. I would be more than happy to follow his instruction on a ritual matter, how to walk or where to stand during a degree for example.

There are many Appendant Bodies to be found in the Masonic sphere, anything from Secret Masters to Masonic Knights Templar, and the rank that they achieve is only relevant to that organisation. Some of the organisations are very different to Lodge Freemasonry in that they restrict membership to certain faiths. Christian Orders are prevalent in the Appendant Orders and some Orders restrict membership to Trinitarian Christians. I am a member of one such Appendant Order and I feel it fits the Degree work and the purpose of the Appendant Order to remain as such.

'Quasi/Fringe Masonry'

This brings me to 'Quasi/Fringe Masonry' (QFM). This includes organisations that may ignore the traditional prerequisites for Freemasons to be Men and believe in G-d. These orders are such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Co-Masonry, Feminine Freemasonry and countless other Organisations working under the radar. Many of these organisations have a mystical or magical focus and may contain both sexes for balance. These are unusual and may head too far into the occult for normal everyday members of Freemasonry. I am not saying they are wrong, just not right for everyone. Often these organisation have a specific religious focus and may have specific magical/esoteric/occult goals.

Feminine Freemasonry and Co-Masonry allow female and male members and only women to participate in Masonic Activity.

This is only a brief sketch to ensure that I get the major points across.
1. There is no higher degree in Lodge Masonry than the Third, or Master Mason Degree
2. Appendant Bodies may be recognised by Lodge Masonry and linked to it via mutual membership, but they have no official influence on each other.
3. Mystical, Magical and mixed gender is not 'normal' for mainstream Freemasonry.

Pax

MvdV

2014

The start to this year has been an experience.

I have done some massive travel, made significant changes to my practice and finally gotten to the dentist to get that root canal done. My jaw hurts, my family is happier with me and I have a bit more direction in my career focus.

Magically things have been pretty much on the back burner. While I did/am taking part in Peregrin's working to enhance understanding towards refugee's, that has been about it. I performed some workings while travelling taking advantage of the environment I was in with some nice results, but it was minor and an almost subliminal working.

I had some great experiences on my trip that have given me a new direction for my religious path which I will be unfolding over the next few months and then putting a few insights up here.

Masonically it has been quiet as we break for the summer months and do not start back until March. I have also been waiting on initiation into another order with a more esoteric focus, which I am very excited about.

Other than that, not much has been happening.