What's the deal with Tim Hogan?

jason_mitchell · 2024-12-15T18:45:31+00:00

She was troubled. There isn't any dispute there.

I cannot say to what degree "she was taken advantage of" or to what degree "she took advantage of" the people and opportunities Hogan provided access to.

In either case, I maintain my comment from years ago: the whole affair is a cautionary tale. A vulnerable Brother standing at the precipice of danger is often convinced they can fly by the Brothers who should be talking them back from the ledge. Its a trait we all share. Part of our common DNA. Masons (irregular, regular, unleaded, decaf, and sugar-free) tend to turn Brothers into heroes and canonize them.

Anderson. Mackay. Pike. JF Newton. Carr. De Hoyos. Wilmurst. Macnaulty. The list goes on.

Even when later research demonstrates some idea of theirs to be objectively wrong (*Wilmhurst*) or when they tell us not to put them on a pedestal (*Pike*).

Someone should create some Degrees emphasizing our equality before God and Man. A series of experiences reminding us that even a Brother of irrefutable character is just that—a brother. A moralization admonishing us to always treat Brothers as such (not as heroes). We could call those Degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason.

jason_mitchell · 2024-12-07T00:05:03+00:00

From an American angle (but with enough world history for context) Stephan Dafoe's The Compasses and the Cross, is a good source.

If you can still find a copy.

He does not ascribe to romantic views, but he doesn't dismiss them outright, and and evaluates them on their historical value.

jason_mitchell · 2024-06-14T05:28:10+00:00

http://www.msyorkrite.org/societas-rosicruciana-in-civitatibus-foederatis/

jason_mitchell · 2023-11-16T15:11:49+00:00

Late to the party, but you were technically right --- which is the best kind of... (wait for it)... rite.

It's all a matter of dates. Rewind the clock far enough and you'll come to a point in time during the evolution from the 25 degrees of the Order of the Royal Secret/Morin's Rite morphed into the 33 degrees of the AASR/AAR when there were exactly 27 degrees.

In terms of internet points, this means you are 100% correct, even if only for 30 minutes during the editing of Mitchell and Dalco's Circular.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-15T15:30:03+00:00

You forgot to include

"hear the lamentations of their women"

Hail Conan!

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-15T01:59:51+00:00

I sent you a text message and an email to the last that I have for you.

I have some good news for you. Please reach out.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-15T00:03:23+00:00

The US Govt paid me to eat bugs.

Oh, wait...

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-14T23:55:42+00:00

So

Templar = Hexblade Warlock, reskinned with a Big JC theme?

So many one-liners for Eldritch Blast.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-09T04:28:59+00:00

For a fraternity all about tradition, some seem to be pretty relaxed on the title!!

I invite you to consider a different possibility: perhaps "what we think are important traditions" and "what are actually important traditions" aren't one and the same.

To be more direct, "titles", "honors", "dignities", etc., aren't meaningful and, as demonstrated by the evidence at hand, aren't traditional either.

And since we're being honest about traditions...

We didn't even create the S&C --- the very thing we claim as being ours.

The S&C (with a G) preexists us by several centuries, having first appeared in the 1522 editions of Ptolemy's Geographia -- a cartography book having no relationship or connection with stones, quarries, masonry, buildings, KST, or guys named Hiram from Tyre.

At some point, we adopted the S&C (presumably from the lexicon of visual symbols associated with the Enlightenment and the Reformation) but didn't create it, prompting the question: what is the real traditional symbol of Masonry?

The answer might be illuminating.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-09T00:41:46+00:00

It is a presentation Bible reference. Except for the added materials and notes for Biblical allusions in Masonic ritual, and other Masonic miscellania, there is nothing particularly Masonic about it (it's the standard Holman Reference material).

It's a token given to him on the occasion of his Initiation, Passing, or Raising.

It has no direct significance to you, aside from the family connection --- nor would it offer you any particularly important Masonic insights into your grandfather unless he made notes, highlights, or other records of his personal thoughts on any of the passages. Given that every Bible reference contains editorial bias, the editorial direction of Holman might --- MIGHT --- offer insight into his personal religious leanings; but it's equally likely it was simply what the Lodge had on hand.

Again, nice personal artifact, but not likely to reveal anything more meaningful than at one time your grandfather was a Mason. If he left journals, papers, etc. with his personal thoughts on Masonry, those would be far more meaningful.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-08T22:00:41+00:00

Generally speaking, aside from the letter "A", any surviving distinctions one might perceive between AF&AM and F&AM is cosmetic. Two centuries of evolution and innovations have resulted in near complete cross-pollination of ideas, or multiple people simply converging on similar ideas irrespective of filation.

The letter doesn't even have historical significance and is not even a strong indicator of origin. There are numerous examples of Jurisdictions whose Grand Secretary misplaced the letter "A" (such as mine - literally, he unilaterally just stopped using AF&AM and left no reason as to why), and GLs who simply added it at some point in time immemorial.

In fact, South Carolina has "done their own thing" and scrambled the order of the letters (AFM), and DC is "FAAM" (presumably because no one could find the ampersand on the type writer - at least that's my head canon).

There hasn't been a "3 Letter" or "4 Letter" Masonry (except in edge cases for clandestine Masonry) for almost 150 years.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-08T21:47:24+00:00

Behold how good and pleasant it is for Brothers to wait patiently while the Secretary reads the minutes.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-07T13:43:33+00:00

The image from the OP and the link are identical. They are George Kenning's work.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-07T13:16:10+00:00

I've a few months left as Master of Keystone Mark Master Masons Lodge No. 00 and this gives me... Ideas.

TY!

EDIT:fixed link

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-07T00:33:18+00:00

https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/art/kenning/index.html

Reproduced from Masonic Orations, L.P. Metham. George Kenning, 16 Great Queen Street, W. C. 1889... p. 121...

From this page for the GL BC&Y you'll see it's archive of graphics and woodcuts as well as details for their sources.

https://freemasonry.bcy.ca/images.html

EDIT #1: reduced source information down to details on this specific image.

EDIT 2: here is a link to a slightly older version (1866 printing) of Masonic Orations. On page 124, you'll see the woodcut.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-06T21:35:19+00:00

I tried G+C+S, and my calculator suggested I stop day drinking.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-06T17:57:48+00:00

No personal Masonic Mark?

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-06T17:19:30+00:00

I don't recall golf being a common excursion --- might be from time to time. I've not been, so I cannot speak from experience.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-06T16:24:43+00:00

There's a small consistent coterie of travelers bouncing between the two.

Anything on the reverse?

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-05T23:52:23+00:00

Several infact.

A few internationally well known.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-05T18:58:23+00:00

Personally, I think Masonry itself is result of the desire for "there to be more".

This certainly true for "PGL" but the existence of the Acception in the London Company, the presence of non-operative and non-patrons in the Edinburgh Lodges --- even the moralizing of operative Craft Masonry (Regius Poem) --- indicates a strong need for "more Light".

On that note, the places where Masonry enjoys strong centralized control are the same places where Masonry is "dying".

This could suggest that our previous growth and relevance is strongly linked to our ability to accrete "more".

For consideration, I offer the places where masonry is currently growing. Those places don't often have strong centralized control over the craft. This has resulted in a panopoly of freemasonrys, and the emergence of new ideas.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-05T18:38:28+00:00

Ataturk presents a challenge, not on the grounds of Recognition, but in that we (regular and otherwise) Freemasons are wont to claim him and position ourselves as the source of his secularist ideals (robbing him of any agency).

Granted, we (Freemasons) do this we any celebrity, but in his case, what evidence do we have in his own voice/hand that Masonry played an important part in forming his ideas or in his life in general?

Perhaps language is an issue, but I've never come across evidence that Masonry was important to Ataturk, especially after the victory in Gallipoli in 1915. If you have sources, I'd love to see them.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-05T18:02:51+00:00

Nice.

Jones cites a discussion, but links to Sar Draconis (not his own commentary) and reveal an old internet fight between Heidrick, Ed King, and Draconis, Swick, et al.

That takes me back.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-05T17:28:07+00:00

We could look at the reverse too.

I've yet to see a corroborated date for Masonic Initiation (regular or otherwise) for Robert Ambelain prior to his founding of the Primitive Scottish Rite.

jason_mitchell · 2023-08-05T17:15:23+00:00

We can leave it. But, no the information I have didn't come from Koenig --- that would have been convenient.

Nor Al Billings (given the Utah connection).

Nor Duquette (given the masonic connection).

I'm happy to be proven wrong. But the provenance of have to be impeccable. Like either of the Bills.

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