Fraternity Freemasonry The Great East Of English-Speaking Countries

*Réforme dévoile « Le mystère concernant les esséniens »*

Jésus lui-même aurait été l’un d’eux mais la Bible, pourtant, ne les mentionne jamais. Parmi leurs traits distinctifs, figurent en bonne place l’ésotérisme et l’attente de la venue d’un messie. Encore aujourd’hui, leur identité reste nimbée de mystère, à se demander pourquoi le romancier Dan Brown, auteur du sulfureux Da Vinci Code, ne leur a pas consacré un ouvrage. Eux, ce sont les esséniens, un mouvement juif datant du tournant de notre ère. Bienvenue, lecteur, dans leur monde.

Afin de lever le voile sur le mystère des esséniens, nous avons interrogé l’historien Michael Langlois, bibliste au Centre de recherche français à Jérusalem. Qui étaient donc les esséniens ? Pour en savoir plus, direction la Judée, au tournant de notre ère. La Judée (aujourd’hui en Israël/Palestine) est justement une région qui intéresse particulièrement l’historien juif Flavius Josèphe (v. 37- v. 100). Retenez ce nom.

Le pouvoir des sadducéens
Flavius Josèphe est bien connu des chrétiens pour une chose en particulier : il est l’un des seuls auteurs du début de notre ère à mentionner le Jésus historique. Mais revenons aux esséniens. Auteur de la fin du premier siècle, Flavius Josèphe consacre deux œuvres à la Judée, La Guerre des Juifs et les Antiquités judaïques. “Dans le portrait qu’il dresse de la société judéenne, Flavius Josèphe écrit que le judaïsme y est divisé en trois mouvements principaux : les sadducéens, les pharisiens, et les esséniens, note Michael Langlois. Les esséniens sont donc une mouvance juive au tournant de notre ère.”

Qu’est-ce qui distingue ces trois branches du judaïsme ? “Les sadducéens sont proches du pouvoir sacerdotal, le pouvoir des prêtres, celui du temple de Jérusalem, explique Michael Langlois. C’est à l’époque un pouvoir très fort – on pourrait sans doute comparer l’envergure du grand prêtre de Jérusalem avec celle du pape à Rome. Les sadducéens ont aussi pour caractéristique de ne reconnaître que cinq livres dans le “canon” juif. Il s’agit du Pentateuque, ou Torah de Moïse.”

Esséniens et pharisiens
Mais le pouvoir du temple n’est pas exempt de critiques au sein du judaïsme… “Comme le protestantisme aujourd’hui, le judaïsme d’alors est fragmenté, souligne Michael Langlois. Pharisiens et esséniens n’ont de cesse de dénoncer les abus de pouvoir, la complaisance ou l’enrichissement des prêtres sadducéens. Pharisiens et esséniens ont aussi en commun de reconnaître d’autres livres que le Pentateuque, comme par exemple les livres prophétiques, le livre de Josué, le livre des Rois ou encore les Psaumes.”

Ce n’est pas tout ce qui rapproche ces deux mouvements. “Contrairement aux sadducéens, pharisiens et esséniens croient en la résurrection corporelle ainsi qu’en la venue du jugement dernier. Plus précisément, ils croient en la fin des temps, qui sera suivie selon eux d’un jugement et d’une résurrection pour les élus. Ils attendent la venue du messie.”

Célibat et vie en communauté
Il est plus difficile, compte-tenu de la rareté des sources qui nous sont parvenues, de définir ce qui différencie clairement les esséniens et les pharisiens. “Précisons une chose : les sources dont nous disposons insistent bien sur le fait que le mouvement essénien n’est pas homogène, il semble qu’il ait été lui-même composé de différentes branches, précise Michael Langlois. Ce qui caractérise les esséniens, par rapport aux pharisiens, c’est que certains d’entre eux vont prôner une vie de pureté, de détachement, d’ascèse même. Certains groupes décident de vivre reclus, en communautés de célibataires. Ces derniers se détachent alors de leurs biens matériels, en font don et partent vivre en communauté, où ils se mettent au service les uns des autres.”

Les esséniens, par ailleurs, ont un intérêt marqué pour l’ésotérisme. Ils pratiquent l’astrologie, la divination, la prophétie ou encore l’angélologie. Cette dimension ésotérique a été récupérée par plusieurs mouvements depuis, y compris de nos jours. C’est le cas de “l’Église essénienne chrétienne” ou “Nation essénienne”, groupe surveillé de près par la Mission interministérielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les dérives sectaires (Miviludes).

Un mouvement baptiste
Les esséniens, poursuit Michael Langlois, ont en commun une dernière pratique. “Ils sont, à proprement parler, un mouvement baptiste, dans le sens où ils pratiquent le baptême. Et le baptême, au sens étymologique, c’est une immersion. Les sources anciennes nous disent qu’ils pratiquent un bain quotidien, une sorte de rite de purification, hérité des ablutions rituelles que l’on trouve déjà dans l’Ancien Testament. L’archéologie a retrouvé la trace de leurs bains, appelés baptistères ou mikvés en hébreu.”

Critiques du pouvoir du temple, adeptes d’ésotérisme et vivant parfois en communautés isolées, voilà qui étaient les esséniens. Mais les sources sont si rares à leur sujet que l’on est soudain pris d’un doute : est-on sûr qu’ils ont vraiment existé ?

Narbonne: 15,000 euros for Ukraine put in the basket by the Grand Orient

On Saturday January 7, the Fondation du Grand Orient offered a check for 15,000 euros to Narbonne Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Fondation du Grand Orient has paid 800,000 euros, a colossal sum intended to help both Ukrainian refugees in France, but also to finance humanitarian operations. On Saturday, Narbonne Ukraine benefited from this huge boost, receiving a check for 15,000 euros. "I have neither joy nor pride, it is a gift due to necessity in a context of war in Europe that we would so much like to avoid, explained the councilor of the order René Durand, but the purpose of Masonry is the moral and material improvement of humanity. We consider mankind as sisters and brothers whether they are Masons or not. We work for perpetual peace, our greatest wish is for this war to end and for the invader to leave Ukraine.”

The councilor of the order insisted on the regional dynamic: “Perpignan, Narbonne and Carcassonne have built a deep furrow of solidarity. Humanitarian convoys have been organized, actions of all kinds have been mounted: the foundation has focused on Ukraine since the start of the war”.

15,000 euros for the ongoing actions of the association Independant – CHRISTOPHE BARREAU
A year 2023 rich in events
A check whose large amount will be precious for the next operations scheduled by Narbonne Ukraine. On April 6, a large humanitarian meal will take place at the Narbonnaise exhibition center, with a Ukrainian chef, where 1000 guests will be served at the table by Ukrainians and the meal will be accompanied by musicians of the same nationality. Another humanitarian convoy will also be organized in the first half of March after the success of the first two to the city of Mykolaiv, and next October, the national ballet company Virsky, which had a triumph at the Arena, will return to Narbonne. Faced with the war which unfortunately continues, the association multiplies the operations one after the other, strengthening the links initiated with the city of Mykolaiv.

Philanthropy in Freemasonry | Under the Headband

In this video, we explore the role of philanthropy in Freemasonry. Freemasonry is a secret society committed to promoting moral values ​​and helping members become better people. Since its inception, Freemasonry has always emphasized the importance of selflessness and helping others. Find out how Freemasonry is committed to helping those in need and supporting worthy causes around the world.

*10/12/2022: HUMAN LAW in a public conference in Bordeaux with Amande PICHEGRU, National Grand Master*

On the initiative of the Bordeaux circle “Maria Deraismes” of HUMAN LAW, Amande PICHEGRU, National Grand Master of the French Federation will lead a conference-debate on the theme “Voyages en mixités” on Saturday December 10, 2022 at 4 p.m. in Mérignac.

Location: House of Associations – 55 avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny – Mérignac

Admission is free and a drink of conviviality will close this event.

*London Freemasons support older people with dementia*

More than 250 older people will receive support to make friends and become part of their communities, thanks to a £60,000 grant from London Freemasons to the Link Age Southwark charity.

The project aims to find connections and friends for seniors and people with dementia in the community, which will reduce loneliness and social isolation, improve health and well-being, and help people live independently in their own home.

One of Link Age Southwark's main projects is its Friendship Service, which matches over a hundred older people and people with dementia each year with volunteers looking for friends or local connections. Time is spent creating the best interests, with most relationships lasting between five and ten years.

WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO THE FREEMASONS OF LONDON FOR THEIR GENEROUS GRANT WHICH WILL HELP TACKLE THE ISOLATION SO OFTEN EXPERIENCED BY THE ELDERLY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH DEMENTIA. HELPING PEOPLE BUILD CONNECTIONS AND FRIENDSHIPS CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO THEIR HEALTH AND WELLBEING.

The average age of beneficiaries is 81, they generally live alone and lack local family ties or social networks. Their age often means they may have many complex health needs and face the challenges of living independently. Over 30% are from ethnic minority communities in the UK, reflecting the diversity of the borough in which the charity operates.

Older people can be referred to the free service by GPs, family members, healthcare professionals and local partner organisations. Volunteer friends will visit beneficiaries in their homes or make contact by phone once a week and encourage beneficiaries to participate in community outings and activities.

*I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HELP LINK AGE SOUTHWARK WITH THEIR WONDERFUL PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE THE ELDERLY TO SOCIALIZE AND IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH AND INDEPENDENCE. THE PANDEMIC HAS LEFT MANY ELDERLY PEOPLE ISOLATED AND ALONE SO WE ARE VERY HAPPY THAT CHARITIES LIKE LINK AGE SOUTHWARK ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM AFTER A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING FEW YEARS.*

london freemason

*Closing dinner of the Convent of the Grand Lodge of Cultures and Spirituality (GLCS) in the salons of the Senate restaurant on Saturday*

The GLCS has, according to custom in Freemasonry, been able to finally organize its Convent this year and reproduce this long-awaited event that is its closing dinner, in the presence of dignitaries from friendly obediences, as well as many guests.

It welcomed nearly 200 guests in the prestigious salons of the Senate restaurant for a highlight, placed under the sign of reunion and fraternity within this great family that represents Universal Freemasonry.

The Grand Master Christine Sauvagnac elected unanimously to carry out a last year of mandate mentioned in her speech the renewal of her Grand College and the presence at her side as *the Deputy Grand Master of Pierre Lacagne* and *the representative of the Master Roméo MBU*, who accompanied him in the development of the *GLCS*. As in all persuasions, the *COVID*, let's not hide, has left traces, as in secular life; but *fraternity and solidarity, the DNA of Universal Freemasonry has made it possible to overcome these trials and the Chain of Union has been strengthened.*

The latter, who closed our evening with great emotion, also greeted in a very emphatic way during the toast of the tiler of the *Sovereign Grand Commander Marcel Laurent, the sisters and brothers absent and passed to the Eternal Orient.*

You will find below excerpts from the speech of Grand Master Christine Sauvagnac which illustrate the above statement.

“*The initiatory path of the GLCS is Spiritual, like the 4 million Freemasons in the world, mixed and non-mixed. This quest for Spirituality within our Order, unlike religions, does not promise eternal happiness, but it allows, here and now, to discover the true meaning of personal relationships with others*”

“* So, what are we missing, to create a link? Quite simply: “The Confidence”; first in ourselves, then for and towards others. This is why we have chosen the theme of Trust for this Masonic year.*

What more important value to develop in conscience than the confidence to resume the course of our life before, which has been put in quotation marks! We have lost what made our bearings and the rhythm of life that we had is no longer; we moved on to something else at high speed, in a world that is becoming uberized and blablacardized. It remains to reinvent ourselves, to transform ourselves to find the balance in responsibility between ourselves and others. »

“* So, now, Freemasonry must imperatively remain open to changes, promote change in humans and in our society. Let us have confidence in our future, work in lodge to build us, and build us together*.

I can't help thinking that you have to go there with the freshness of a child, to trust, to let yourself be guided. Bringing in our asperities, our apprehensions, silencing our fears, in short, learning to trust and love. This is the path taken by our Obedience. »

“I come back to our Obedience; I should say to this big family that is the GLCS, where everyone has an essential role to play.

What moments of happiness! So many joys, but also, of course, ups and downs, but it is clear that what has enabled us to overcome the storms are our values ​​of benevolence and work where everyone recognizes themselves in fraternity.

Because what brings us together is a *brotherly love* which is not an empty word, a trust between brothers and sisters with all that it entails of loyalty, hope and will. It is this true fraternity that has presided over each of our Convents for 20 years and in the extension during this evening.

Thank the GADLU for meeting us and working together for the good of each and that of humanity”

The Missing Masonic Connection

Much has already been written about the history of the dismantling and opening of the capstone box salvaged from the pedestal section of this monument, however, of particular significance to some were the Masonic artifacts it contained. . From my earliest conversations, with the very kind folks at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, it became apparent that the terms "Masonic" and "Freemasonry" were recognized, but not well understood.

Washington as a Mason. , California. 1868. Published by Currier Ives. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
Washington as a Mason circa 1868. Published by Currier Ives. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
With this article, I hope to clarify these terms, because a quick internet search will present you with a wealth of misinformation. Knowing what Freemasonry really is will help my explanation, later in this commentary, of the artifacts discovered in the cornerstone copper box.

Freemasonry (or Masonry) is the oldest fraternal organization in the world and is anything but a secret society! Although its origins can be traced back to medieval stonemasons and cathedral builders, Freemasonry remains a vital force in the daily lives of millions of people around the world.

Through a series of degrees and ceremonies, the values ​​of Freemasonry are passed down from generation to generation, Mason to Mason, in a timeless and tireless effort to make good men better. These degrees provide a framework that affects all aspects of modern life and are based on the values ​​of brotherly love, relief, and truth.

Every year, in virtually every city and town in America, thousands of men join the ranks of Freemasonry. Men of honor and integrity. Charity and obligation. Each one with the wish to be the best possible.

The ethical principles of Freemasonry concern compassion and tolerance towards all humanity.

Freemasons do not use their position in the fellowship to advance any agenda, whether political, professional, religious, or secular.

Freemasons Membership Certificate. California. 1861. Image courtesy of Library of Congress
Freemason Membership Certificate. California. 1861. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
Today, the United States is the largest Masonic country in the world. *On average, American Masons donate just over $2,600,000 a day to charity.*

While all Masons belong to a local Lodge, further personal enrichment for the Basic Mason can be achieved by joining auxiliary bodies within the Masonic family. These are mainly Shriners International, the Scottish Rite branch – Scottish Rite in its higher workshops – and the York Rite branch. These branches cover different aspects of Freemasonry, which in turn contain additional bodies. For example, The York Rite has the Lodge at its core, which progresses to the Royal Arch Masons who, in turn, can progress to the Knights Templar.

*An Alchemical History of the World*

Writing under a pseudonym, Arnaud des Brunis, member of the French National Grand Lodge, has been able to take advantage, after a long career in National Education, of his free time so that his pen gives us some unknown aspects of the sometimes not so natural sciences. that ! Professor of higher chair in preparation for the great agronomic schools and now retired, he invites us, as a scientist and passionate about history that he is, to read, in a very personal approach, a history of the world through the prism of alchemy. Ranging from the knowledge developed by our ancestors to the most recent discoveries, Arnaud des Brunis shares with us, thereby doing a work of transmission, a captivating history of science intimately linked to the history of societies and civilizations.

Candidate Higgs boson events from collisions between protons in the LHC
Starting from how life appeared on Earth at the Higgs boson, also nicknamed "the particle of God", Arnaud des Brunis, whose biology and geology remain his specialties, instructs us, by mobilizing the energies and intelligences brought to the over the centuries by the progress of science... In order to bring us into full light, the author asks the right questions.

From this still too little known discipline that is alchemy, let us remember that the author, a fine observer and scientist and specifying in his foreword that it is nevertheless a science from another time, built his plan around the three phases of the work, “The black work: from chaos to materia prima”; “The work in white, the chemical wedding” and “The work in red: the birth of the adept”.

Amphitheatrum sapientiae aeternae – Alchemist's Laboratory
Arnaud des Brunis therefore offers us a reading of the knowledge of the alchemists, from the Middle Ages to the present day, which, for him, did not fall into the category of storytellers and implemented the adage, which we should undoubtedly soak up and meditate, “Lege, Lege, Lege, regege, ora, labora et inventies”, which can be translated as: “Read, read, read, reread, pray, work and you will find”.

An Alchemical History of the World, which is not a history of the alchemical world, makes us rub shoulders with authors such as Marcelin Berthelot, Eugène Canseliet, Nicolas Flamel, Fulcanelli, Jean-Rodolphe Glauber, Serge Hutin, Nicolas Lémery, contemporary chemist and apothecary from the reign of King Louis XIV, Jules Mérias or George Starkey (1628-1665) English doctor and alchemist, famous for his alchemy treatises written under the Latin pseudonym of Eirenaeus Philalethes, Frenchified in Eyrénée Philalèthe. Until Louis Pauwells and Jacques Bergier and their famous work “Le matin des magiciens” published in 1960, “sometimes legend and sometimes exact” and devoted to “barely explored areas of knowledge”.

*By way of conclusion, the author reminds us that the alchemical journey is accompanied, in an oratory, by prayer and spiritual practice. There too, a Royal Art to put in expert hands because it is hermetic and holds great secrets.*

The former police chief of Paris Lallement initiated to the GODF?

According to our colleague Liberté Politique who is in a movement of the Christian right - therefore by necessarily sympathizing with the values ​​of the Masonic cause - and taking up an article from the site Polemia founded in 2002 by Jean-Yves Le Gallou, essayist, senior civil servant, man far-right French politician and political theorist:

FORMER PARIS POLICE PREFECT DIDIER LALLEMENT WAS INITIATED IN GODF ON DECEMBER 8, 1987.

According to the same sources, this initiation would have been an accelerator for the career of the former prefect.

Didier Lallement was born on August 27, 1956 in the 6th arrondissement of Lyon. Her father is a sales representative and her mother employed at La Samaritaine. He is a graduate of the Higher Institute of Management and holds a DESS in administration and management of local authorities. He is married and the father of five children.

He is a former leader of the socialist students of CERES, he participates in the delegation that, in solidarity with the Sandinista movement, the Chevènementist tendency of the Socialist Party sends to revolutionary Nicaragua during the summer of 1984.

On November 22, 2017, he was appointed prefect of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, prefect of the Gironde stationed in Bordeaux, replacing Pierre Dartout. He takes office on December 11, 2017. Previously, Alain Juppé, mayor of Bordeaux, had been reassured by Dominique Perben, alarmed by the detestable image preceding this man "with a fist".

Taunted again by the revelations of Mediapart and its repression of feminist activists during the demonstration of March 8, the prefect Lallement seems to be unanimous against him,

UNTIL THE FAMOUS PLACID ALAIN JUPPÉ, WHO CALLED HIM A "N**I"...

To our knowledge, the prefect has never denied his Masonic membership!

A PREFECT WHO DOES NOT HESITATE TO SIGN WITH 3 POINTS. INFO OR INTOX ? THE DEBATE IS OPEN…

Guide & Compendium of the Freemason

THE BOOK
This compendium proves to be an indispensable instrument for the instruction and training of any young mason. Whatever his rite or his obedience, all aspects of Masonic life, from its ancient history, its regulatory texts, its daily functioning are approached, with clarity, with pedagogy and with the historical hindsight that befits any historian worthy of this name. Whatever the quality of the instruction given to all the Brothers of a lodge, Apprentice, Companion or Master, these Brothers will find in this work what will enable them to make daily progress in the Masonic knowledge so seriously recommended by the Master to every initiate.

Editor's note = COMPENDIUM: Literary term derived from Latin and which refers to a writing where a body of knowledge is summarized. Most often, this knowledge concerns a fairly specific area.

THE AUTHOR
Gérard ICART, University, was Professor of Classical Letters; regular Freemason for 35 years; LGR of the United Grand Lodge of England. Previously, he was responsible at the Grand Lodge for the formation and instruction of the Brethren for about fifteen years. Project manager of the TRANSMITTER L’HISTOIRE collection, he is Grand Chancellor of the French National Grand Lodge. He is co-translator with Georges Lamone and adapter of the original compendium written by Bernard Jones in 1950 and enriched by the research lodge of the United Grand Lodge of England N°2076: QUATUOR CORONATI. He is the author of ten books on the formation, instruction, history and origins of traditional Freemasonry.

07/05/2022: Le Mans – “Corporations, builders of cathedrals and initiatory societies” by Jean-François Blondel

Coat of Arms Provincial Grand Lodge Maine-Atlantique
The Grande Loge Nationale Française informs us of Jean-François Blondel's public and free conference with a particular look at the remarkable Saint-Julien cathedral in Le Mans, one of the largest buildings of the Gothic-Romanesque period in France and a case unique in the West!

Jean-Francois Blondel
At the invitation of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Maine-Atlantique, on which the city of Le Mans depends, come and enjoy this beautiful event synonymous with exchanges and enrichment!

Practical information: Saturday May 7, 2022, at 3 p.m., Espace culturel Henri SALVADOR, 2 rue de la Gironde 72190 Coulaines (Le Mans)

A unique ancient dictionary that reveals the secret rites of Freemasonry is auctioned in Mexico

IT WAS OFFERED IN MEXICO CITY ON APRIL 26, 2022 AND HAS ESTIMATES BETWEEN 18,000-22,000 MEXICAN PESOS

On April 26 at 5:00 p.m., the Morton Auction House offered, in its “Ancient and Contemporary Book Auction,” a three-volume Encyclopedic Dictionary of Freemasonry, written by Lorenzo Frau Abrines and Aurelio Almeida and published in 1890.

This is a very comprehensive work on Freemasonry, which contains not only its history, but also its rules, laws, statutes and regulations, biographies of famous Freemasons, kabbalistic science, iconography, mythology and statistics of the Masonic population. Followed by a guide for dignitaries and lodge officers and a collection of rituals.

In his reading you can discover views, portraits, symbols, ceremonies, coats of arms and historical scenes of Freemasonry. According to Morton scholars and cataloguers, its author, Lorenzo Frau Abrines, was a 33rd Degree Master Mason of the Accepted Old Scottish Rite, although it appears that several authors were involved in the development of the work; it was published under the direction of Rosendo Arús y Arderiu, Grand Master of the Catalan Regional Grand Lodge of the Balearic Islands.

Among the revelations contained in this dictionary, the participation of women in Freemasonry through the so-called rite of adoption stands out, both in its symbolic and philosophical degrees. On the other hand, in the section "General Workshop of Freemasonry", the form and symbology of Masonic lodges, their liturgies and rituals in their various degrees are detailed. This workshop ends with the development of the main ceremonies, such as the inauguration and the consecration of the Masonic temple, the requirements for the constitution of a lodge and its installation ceremony. Likewise, in these volumes, the Bible is explained in its relation to the myths and traditions of Freemasonry.

Discover the paper newspaper by clicking here!

Freemasons are a fellowship or lodge considered secret due to the discretion of their practices that originated in London, England and have had followers around the world for over 300 years.

The price estimated by Morton Subastas specialists for these three volumes, marked with lot 80 of their catalog, is between 18,000 and 22,000 pesos. Interested parties could participate in person on the day of the auction, which took place on April 26 at 5:00 p.m. at Cerro de Mayka 115, Lomas de Chapultepec.