Posted in California, Thinking, Visiting on November 2, 2007 | No Comments »
So, finally getting around to looking back over the past three months … It’s difficult because from just a handful of lodge visits, I am obviously in no position to make any sort of judgement on the state of American freemasonry.
But I was fortunate enough that I got to see all three Craft degrees as [...]
Posted in California on October 2, 2007 | 4 Comments »
Before I get in to the thoughts that have sprung up from living in California these past three months, here is a quick resume for the reader (the posts are easily accessed through the archive):
Sitting in lodgeI visited Academia, Oakland for a First degree and a Lodge of Instruction cum Grand Master’s dinner, and Mission, [...]
Posted in California, Encounters on September 30, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Alright, this was the last Masonic event for me in California (for now): Br. Chris Hodapp had been invited to the Grand Lodge of California (they are having their Annual Communication this weekend) to speak in relation to the Initiated Eye exhibition.
Br. Hodapp touced on the founding fathers and Masonic architecture in Washington, DC, subjects [...]
Posted in California, Encounters on September 27, 2007 | No Comments »
Our time in California is running out, so we are doing a last, few touristy things. Today we had planned to walk across Golden Gate Bridge, but decided to go to Mountain View cemetary instead, as that was closer. And wow – so glad we did: It is a huge plot of land off Piedmont [...]
Posted in California, Visiting on September 27, 2007 | No Comments »
Went back to Mission lodge to see the same candidate* raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason.
It was quite an experience. Particularly the second part, which is the mystical drama concerning a central Masonic figure, was quite a show. Again, ritually this was so different from the Swedish Rite that it may as well [...]
Posted in California, Encounters on September 23, 2007 | No Comments »
I had the opportunity to see the traveling exhibition, The Initated Eye, at the Grand Lodge of California.
It is a series of paintings by Peter Waddell, done in the Fifties, chronicling Masonic influence on the architecture of the nation’s capital. Some of the characters are a little stiff, but many of the paintings have very [...]
Posted in California, Visiting on September 15, 2007 | No Comments »
This week I was out visiting again. This time to Mission Lodge in San Francisco. I had planned to try and see the temple, just as a tourist, because the few glimpses from their website hinted at a nice hall. Instead I ended up seeing a full second degree, and had a great night.
The Mission [...]
Posted in California, Encounters, Soul & Body, Tarot on September 3, 2007 | No Comments »
(Well, I missed the planned second part of this series, but I’ll get around to that one sooner or later.)
Yesterday I had the tatoo done, and it was a good experience. I had communicated with the artist, Gordon, but I hadn’t actually seen any artwork, so that was pretty exciting. When I saw the illustration [...]
Posted in California, Visiting on August 19, 2007 | No Comments »
Yesterday was another evening in the welcoming arms of Lodge Academia, an excellent Lodge of Instruction, which also saw Grand Master of California, Melvyn B. Stein visiting. To recap, Academia is a young Traditional Observance lodge, and this night exemplified their philosophy: dresscode of tux or tails, candlelit lodge, demonstration quality ritual, interesting lectures, good [...]
Posted in California, Planning, Soul & Body, Tarot on August 17, 2007 | No Comments »
Yeah, I’m finally getting my tatoo. I had some internal back and forth on what to get, where it should go, the timing etc. But last year I made the decision to get it done, and while here in California, I finally came to the conclusion that I should stop agonising over the exact image, [...]
Recent posts
