Dear all,

I’ll state straight away that I formed as a Mason in the Goi; I joined it years ago and I am still there. Years ago my Worshipful asked the Lodge to work on the subject: “Why did I join Freemasonry?” – I turned my contribution around: “Why after all these years, despite everything and everyone, am I still here? “.

This is not to show off records of membership (or tolerance?) but to say that during my wandering through lodges, rites and even so-called (by the GOI) non-recognized rites, I’ve had many hints and I’ve become richer with experiences that have changed me.

In these wanderings of mine I have also had the chance to attend to women’s Lodges and I remember those works are among the most intense which I’ve participated in.

I feel like expressing some points that are today (don’t know about tomorrow) quite steady for me.

First of all Freemasonry as we know and practice it today, that is organized in lodges and communions, I think is a product of the English eighteenth century. It was effective for the time and “roughly” applicable for that (or those) social classe(s) that practiced it. Is this same organizational form valid for the man of the twenty-first century? I don’t have an answer and I don’t feel like expressing a fideistic positive opinion. Perhaps Freemasonry as well, or its expression, is linked to the times and therefore it must evolve and change.

This introduction allows me to consider a women’s masonry possible, even if our rituals (generally, as far as I know, more or less similar) don’t seem to me appropriate for the feminine world and they should be “reviewed”. I’ll explain: it seems to me that some symbols and instruments are more appropriate for men than for women, but maybe this opinion of mine can be a prejudice due to thirty years of activity in male masonry.

I am very puzzled, though, about a mixed masonry. I’ll try and explain, although I find it very difficult to express my feelings. According to my experience of masons’ works, I think women are more able to work on levels beyond rational than men or at least it’s easier for women. Man can easily unbalance, much more than he does in exclusively manly jobs. I think that if the women’s Lodge can work well, man can join in only if he is “well formed”.

I hope my fellow men won’t bear me a grudge, but I think that the separation between male and female works is more useful as a defense for “guys” than as detachment from women. For much less masons have separated, re-separated and repudiate each other, in the name of ‘my laundry is whiter than white’ (and certainly whiter than yours).

Think about it for a moment! If to the “discussions” between us men about Great Masters and Commendators, English and American acknowledgements, sociality of initiation and a secret that is not secret that stays secret, we add also the relationship between men and women, where will this poor Freemasonry end up? Let’s try and work well first, then we’ll think of the rest.

Regards to all,
Maurizio


Dear Maurizio,

without going too deep in the conceptuality of the subject, I consider noteworthy some points, “unfailingly skimmed over”.

1) the “right to the access” of the other half of the world, to the initiatory way.

2) The equal Dignity of human Rights: material, social but most of all spiritual.

3) The necessity of –bi-polar- energy for the Edification of an operating Chorda Fratres (Eggregore).

4) The utopist vision, I admit it, in which Man and Woman are the first initiators of the infant, male and female.

5) The Lunar way is linked to the sexual Magic and to the physical substance of the being (man and woman).

6) The Solar way is linked to the metaphysical essence of the being (androgenous mind).

7) The old war of the sexes.

I’ll stop here. It would be interesting as well as actual, to study some subjects, rather than limit to collect “Masonic picture-cards” or whatever.

I understand that standing at the borders of problems is more reassuring, but the technique of the ostrich doesn’t make us more conscious.

I must also say that I find aberrant the avalanche of conformism under which both the mysterial and the mystic ways have been buried (see VITRIOL). And I wonder 1) why? 2) in favor of whom? 3) and for what?

I’ve been educated as a free man therefore I am used to thinking of and questioning everything, starting with myself and ending up with those who call themselves “leaders” and analyzing the meanings of every merry-go-round which we have ridden on during our lives.

It seems to me that instead of bringing “objective” arguments to this –fundamental- discussion about the (initiatory) future of humankind, some people prefer to “quibble” about what is more enjoyable rather than face the “tiger” (feminine world).

This constant escape of the – masculine – when facing the – feminine – will have to end sooner or later.

It always comes the time to change because this means “to grow”.

Where to start a –change- if not from those parts of humankind that “should” be the most advanced and prepared fringes.

Cyclically the conscience of the being advances and this produces “crisis” also called revolutions. Therefore we must “accept” the change as a fundamental factor of evolution that is not founded on immobility but on progress, although some people seem to forget this.

Therefore advance to grow. The cycles of history can’t be stopped. The man who clings to the past dies inside, and the world is full of dead inside. The mason, though, should be part of that fringe of “re-awaken” to the light of wisdom; this means that the mason should be a revolutionary, always, because he should be a thinker. Revolutions of thought precede concrete and formal ones.

Then, when intellectual revolutions become too low, they become ideological mush.

Past history shows this to us constantly, but in the meantime we all make a step forward and this is called progress. Without progress there isn’t civilization but only ideological slackness.

Today we’re going through a moment of full ideological slackness (just look around). The signs of a next “maturation and change” appear. Are we conscious of this push, us “initiates-children-of-the-light”?

Are we the new Builders of the Temples of Humankind or only the frequent callers of old superstitions?

We must answer to that and then decide if we “stay with the history” that advances or if we “stay in the history” that goes, in a sequence of out of focus images.

They say that everything changes and transforms itself. Will the mason as well be able to accept the advancing Change or will he think he’s reached a terminal of perfection?

To all those who “prefer” the second answer all that is left is to keep “looking like white-washed sepulchers”.

But we know that they are leaving history to become a memory of old assessments.

Fraternally
Athos A. Altomonte

From a message sent to the ml Freemasonry and Initiation
…. Personally I find that a solar (initiatory) tradition should be strictly reserved to men.

Before “certifying” the meaning of –solar- and attributing it to exclusive copyright of a unique humankind, therefore reducing it to a simple affirmation of faith (we’ve suffered enough stakes), we should consider from which side we’re looking at its meaning. Then decide the sense to give to the concept, if it is the one originated by the exoterical view or the one coherent with the initiatory principles.

In a symbolic, and therefore virtual, form the “solar” aspect is only the lighting of some 100 Watts lamp during a symbolic representation. This is the only “Light” coming from the exoterical East of Freemasonry.

If you’re happy with it, that’s ok.

If by solar you mean inner “illumination” that follows a precipitation of psychic energy rising from the superior Ego, or the soul or spirit, or eggregore, this doesn’t depend on any sexual attribute because man and woman are physical-animal peculiarities of no importance in an initiatory aspect.

The Lunar way, according to the universal initiatory principles of East and West, is all that belongs to or rises from the physical-animal sphere of the being, included “virile” emotions and passions.

The best known Lunar way is that of the sexual Magic, interpreted both by men and women.

The Solar way, on the other hand, is the path of those who come to the illumination (Gnosis, or knowledge by contact) “rising” from the metaphysical or spiritual sphere of the being. Therefore it doesn’t originate thanks to any physical specifics.

The Lunar way, then, is not the way of passion as sex and pos-session. It includes any kind of emotion, even the highest ones, such as the earthly ideals of god, the mother country and the family, which too often are a source of conflicts among similes.

The solar way, on the other hand, is a path that separates from any kind of profane or material sensation, transforming the personal self into a wonderful “instrument” at the service of the wellbeing of humankind, Men and Women.

The Solar way is the way of the metamorphosis that transmutates the physical mind up to extend it to the –pure Reason- starting from the development of the inborn sense of justice so well described by Kant.

I don’t think there’s much to add for a short introduction. We know that for those who don’t want to listen, all the common sense of the world won’t be enough to destroy the “old prejudices” of the war of sexes.

How many “clever esotericists” know the old reasons for this obvious competition to overwhelm that is still occurring?

Fraternally
Athos A. Altomonte

________________________________________
From: Merlin [mailto:Merlin_Wizard@libero.it]
Sent: Monday 25th February 2002 22.41
To: Massoneria_it@yahoogroups.com

Dear Paolo, I was born a guy! Therefore I am part of that portion of Humankind “privileged by God”.

If I believed in this fantasy I would be jolly and happy for this “divine luck” and I’d move on. But I don’t believe it.

Therefore, if the Master Web allows me to do so, I’ll make some things clear.

I grant that everybody is free to make the mistakes he wants to, although I regret this a bit.

The large way (of ignorance) is big and spacious and many superstitions still dim the light of civilization.

Therefore I haven’t got anything else to add on the subject. It is necessary to make some small but dutiful corrections.

1) I don’t have experience of mixed Workshops……
Dear Brother, there are “mixed salads” but not Masonic Lodges of Communions among Men and Women, which are the two parts of Humankind. It’s not your fault, I know, but I know the subtle tricks used to express depreciation through the reduction of the terms.

The reason to state such a dignified presence is for me quite simple and I’ll say it in two words: if Men and Women, through the Initiation will recognize each other as two parts of the same medal they will be better Mothers and Fathers to educate sons and daughters on the way of perfection. They will avoid them to suffer all the imprinting of the profane culture.

Therefore the Initiation of Men and Women could turn into an immunization system against the corruption of the material world, that will be able to be lived in a less obsessive and more balanced way.

This is my wish for this initiatory Union (marriage).

2) …and the currents of the Force flow in a new and unusual way…

I’d like to highlight, if it is still necessary, that energy, even more if it’s Ritual, is made up by plus (positive-masculine) and minus (negative-feminine). The true ritualist knows that if he’s not able to activate both of them nothing will happen, the eggregore won’t answer. The only result will be a pale form of thought that doesn’t have anything to do with a ritual Eggregore. In fact, where only one of the energetic components of the Chorda Fratres is activated, the ritual calm that follows is a distention of inertia, because nothing happens but in the popular imagination.

There are two possibilities, then. Either the Initiate is so advanced that he has developed in himself both his masculine and his feminine (+ and – energy) or there is a Chain where + and – are alternate.

Let someone who is an expert in the construction of Eggregore say it.

As you can see, dear Brother, my few reasons haven’t got anything to do with passion or sexuality of the being, that is a completely profane vision. A true initiate, neither symbolic nor virtual, places himself on the highest levels of the mind and in contact with the higher levels of the conscience. There, no manifestation of physical or sexual attributes can reach. This part is the non-sexual or impersonal part, both for men and women.

If you understand this you will understand the alchemic meaning of Androgenous. At the same time you’ll discover how useless and stupid is to instigate the old war of sexes.

Ask yourself, though. Who needs this war? Who are its manoeuvrers? If you understand this you will immediately abandon the arms to the great puppeteers of humankind who divide to rule.

This is the missing joggle in this argument.

I hope I’ve supplied three reasons to reflect and decide who to “get passionate about” in a free and most of all anti-conformist way.

Fraternally
Esonet’s Editorial Staff