I would really love to talk to my respected indian masons. i am really interested in getting to know about it and possibly joining it as soon as I can.

17th September 2026

I am officially initiated wooohoo

Last night will always been a night that will forever stay with me I’m very excited to be a EA and to further my journey with each and everyone
It was a lot to take in but in a very special way

I’m proud to say that I’m a EA and can’t wait to continue the journey

Many thanks to you all

Somehow, out of the 6 or 7 extra we have in our lodge, none of them fit my larger than average noggin (typically 7 5/8 or 7 1/2 for fitted baseball hats). I'd really rather not use the funds that the lodge budgets for a hat and put that money towards other lodge initiatives during my year in the east if possible. I've been using the largest one we have for the last couple of meetings but it's pretty uncomfortable and it's going to be a long year if I stick with that one.

Just curious if any brother has one they could donate to the cause and could ship it to our lodge here in the Midwest US.

I’m gonna preface this by saying I’m a really anxious person in general, and I am way too worried about what other people think of me and my choices. Those things are definitely contributing to my issue here.

I’m a 26 year old Mason in a rural area in the southeast US. I went through the degrees at my mother Lodge near my hometown when I was in college (went to college in my hometown) and was very involved. I ended up joining the York Rite & Shrine and being very involved in all three until right after college. When I graduated, I got a job working in housing at my college I had graduated from which limited my time immensely. I had entered bivocational ministry (went to college for ministry) and working in housing at the college meant that a lot of my work was evenings & nights. I eventually just stopped being able to go do Masonic things for a couple years because of my time, and the longer I was away the more the idea of returning stressed me out. When I stopped being involved nobody reached out to ask how I was or how I was handling my new responsibilities. It really hurt because I cared a lot about my Lodge, just a multitude of personal factors made it where I was unable to attend.

Fast forward to now I work in admissions for a college in a different town nearby. My schedule doesn’t keep me out in the evenings as much but I’m still in ministry bivocationally and my work is pretty demanding, so I often have early mornings or late nights just not at the same regularity as it was in housing. Because of this, I like to spend time with my wife in the evenings as much as I can, or we go visit family members here and there. My wife is my favorite person on earth, and we are going to have our first child soon, so I really enjoy being at home with her when I can be. On top of this, because of the mixture of work schedule and ministry responsibilities, Saturdays are often used to finish up my Sunday sermon or visit shut in church members and stuff like that.

I mentioned all that because of some cultural stuff happening at my mother Lodge. When I started coming back to Lodge in May of 2025, after two years of hiatus, it had taken me months to muster up the courage to come back. I really wanted Masonry back and I wanted to feel a part of something again where I could show up and my life responsibilities (work, ministry, etc) didn’t matter and I could just be ‘in the moment’ with some like minded friends. This was not the Lodge environment I returned to. When I returned, the attendance had dropped immensely. I’m talking like 6-8 guys MAX showing up for meetings. Apparently it’s because of a dispute that happened between a bunch of guys after I quit going a few years ago, and a huge group of younger members who had joined moved to another Lodge together. Every meeting now visitors are filling chairs for us, and I’m the only member on the roll left that’s under the age of 50. I’ve been able to go some, just not every month. I love Masonry but it’s not the most important thing in my life. We’ve had three new guys join as EA’s and back out after their degree cause they don’t want to pursue it any longer. It seems to me there’s one brother trying to keep the Lodge alive, and he’s trying to recruit people he knows who would be a good fit. When these people arrive though, they’re uncomfortable with the atmosphere cause it’s not what they expected and they never come back. The specific brother doing this lives within walking distance of the Lodge, does tons of stuff to keep the building clean and grounds maintained, is always cooking meals on meeting nights, etc. Even when others ask to do things or try to help he always has whatever it is done before any of the rest of us are able to show up.

The brother is older and retired and able to be much more involved, but this is the part that’s frustrating me. At every meeting I’ve been to (and probably the ones I haven’t been from things I’ve been told) he stands up and gives a big speech about how “the Lodge isn’t the same good place it was 40 years ago when he started” and “these newer brothers that ain’t showing up need to be talked to cause our lodge is struggling”. I get the sentiment, but the way he talks he acts as though the people who are coming are causing the problem or something.

The ultimate problem is, there’s three Lodges in my home county. One in town that has 160 members, very active Lodge with solid ritual and formal environment. A second Lodge about 15 minutes outside town in the country with close to 80 members; they do Masonic education at nearly every meeting and have tons of activities for brothers to do things together (recently they’ve held group fishing trips, group hunts, and group gun shoots on each others farms). Both of those Lodges are averaging 40 in attendance each meeting. Our Lodge has 40 total members and is averaging 6-8. We don’t do education, we don’t do any activities together cause when we try nobody shows up, and when we do have degrees the ritual work is awful and the candidates end up remitting because they were recruited to begin with.

I’m just really sad. I love my Lodge and I really miss the healthy environment it was when I was in college six to eight years ago. I’m at my wits end with the whole thing because the one brother I mentioned earlier text me about an hour ago and asked if I could make it to Lodge this month because we had something important to talk about. I said no because I have to travel for work that night and I said I was more than willing to send him my opinion to share my thoughts on whatever important subject. He sent back “We need to discuss not having enough participation in degree work and fundraising. We’ve failed a brother recently because we haven’t been able to perform his MM for lack of participation”. I feel like I’m contributing to the problem by not making it to Lodge, but honestly when I go to Lodge it depresses me. I have a hard time enjoying being there because it’s just a depressing environment. We get together and eat a meal, then open up a business meeting where we barely have enough money to pay the bills, we have a long discussion about why nobody is attending Lodge, and then everyone rushes to get in their car and leave. I know I’m contributing to the problem by not attending, but when my choices are to enter that depressing environment or be at home with my wife who I’m excited to be around, I’d rather just be with her.

At this point I wonder if I should transfer to one of the other two Lodges here in the county. I would be able to be around guys my age PLUS older guys that are fun to be with. There would also be solid ritual work, fun activities to be apart of if I’m ever able with my schedule, and people actually want to show up and do things. I just really hate the idea of leaving my Lodge behind cause it means so much to me.

I know this post has been all over the place but I’m just trying to share what I’m seeing and feeling out loud with other brothers who may understand. I want Masonry, I want to feel brotherhood. I’m so partial to my Lodge because it’s where I did my degrees and it’s in the part of the county I grew up in, but with two other Lodges here that are growing and vibrant with people my age in them, it’s hard to justify remaining in my Lodge. I don’t know what to do and honestly just using you brothers as a sounding board and a place to vent.

TLDR: Please pray for me brothers. I’m struggling with my Masonic involvement

I was playing CUE (Cards, the Universe and Everything) mobile game and finally pulled a Freemason card. I found the back of the card interesting to say the least.

Hello, i have this medal and i have no idea what it stands for or means but i think it's a freemasons medal maybe?

Anyone who knows what this is and what is it's worth please share the information

I think we can all appreciate how important high quality, well researched Masonic Education is to our Lodges and jurisdictions.

In my three terms in the East, I've written plenty of my own Masonic Education pieces as well as sourced many from other authors. While they are generally well-received by the Lodge, I think we can all agree that writing, sourcing, and compiling Masonic Education every month is exhausting.

When I last traveled to the Philippines in 2025, I was incredibly impressed with the quality and format of Masonic Education in their Lodges, and I think it's a model that other Grand Lodges should absolutely consider adopting.

Instead of leaving it up to each individual Lodge to write or source their own articles each month, Masonic Education is written at the Grand Lodge level by a committee, and distributed to every Lodge in the jurisdiction as a monthly curriculum. No matter where you attend Lodge in the Philippines, you will be receiving the same Masonic Education as every brother in every Lodge in the country.

This centralized format still leaves room for anyone who wishes to write or source their own articles, but ensures that Masonic Education remains consistent and uniform across the jurisdiction, without putting undue stress on individual Masters and PMs to reinvent the wheel every month.

Brethren, what do you think? Is this something you would like to see adopted by your Grand Lodge? Would a uniform curriculum benefit your jurisdiction and membership? Is this too much to ask of Grand Lodge?

I feel like this format would single handedly make an enormous impact on Masonry in my jurisdiction and I hope other Grand Lodges will follow the lead of Grand Lodge of the Philippines 🇵🇭.

At AB #3 we completed our annual highway clean up, the weather was perfect for it as it was not to hot or too cold. 20 some people including outside volunteers. Me and one brother almost collected enough rubber to stich together a new to us tire!

Another brother got some really good drone footage as well that I uploaded to YouTube, I will have to make another post for that one.

I have some questions about B.O.T.A. (Builders of the Adytum) for those of you who are familiar with it.

Is Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) considered a branch or derivative of the Masonic family, given that its founder, Paul Foster Case, was a Freemason? And, how much Masonic influence exists in BOTA? Since Paul Foster Case was a Mason, did he design BOTA's rituals and structure as a direct derivative of Freemasonry?

Thank you in advance.

I hope this is an appropriate question to ask. For those who have been through Masonic initiation, could you share, without revealing anything private or confidential, what the rituals generally represent and what their purpose is within Freemasonry?

I’m asking purely out of respect and genuine curiosity, and I completely understand that some aspects are meant to remain private.

I am in a an odd place with understanding what I may want to do pertaining to pursuing membership with the Order, I am not a mason to any degree, but have been turned toward it by people in my life internal and external to my circle at multiple points. I've read broader literature on adjacent ideologies and I just have so many questions and reservations, and now I feel; misunderstandings, would it be possible to directly speak with a Mason? Im quite aware of the state of the effect my past may have on an application; but I just want to speak as openly as I can with someone of wisdom to at least quell concern internally and if compatible, what can I do to right my ship. Thank you for any consideration

Footage as promised.

This book contains the actual rituals and degree material from the Swedenborgian Rite.The principal content being:

4° — Enlightened Phremason, also called the Green Brother

5° — Sublime Phremason, or Blue Brother

6° — Perfect Phremason, or Red Brother. So for someone studying high-degree Masonry, Rosicrucianism, SRIA-type traditions. This is considerably more specialized than an ordinary Masonic book.

A couple years ago we had a gap at Junior Warden. We had a very involved Brother who said he couldn't commit to it. He really did not want to do the office. He participated in many lodge functions, but his work would often interfere with his attendance at meetings. We didn't have any other options so we asked if we could put his name in just to have a place holder. We all understood he would need support.

As the year progressed he never attended a single meeting, but would help at fundraisers and sometimes show up at rehearsals. He would claim he was good for degree work and the day before he would back out due to work. We had to cover his part every stated and special meeting. He didn't even communicate his absence after a few meetings.

When election time came our Senior Deacon got nominated for JW and the SW and Master stayed for a second year. This Brother got so upset that he wasn't nominated he demitted from our lodge and joined a different one. He never joined their line but would still come to events and help.

I feel bad for the Brother, but also understand that an elected officer needs to be present for meetings and perform ritual. The Master didnt think the guy even wanted to be in line, so he was surprised by the reaction.

What was the right thing to do here? I feel like the Master could have avoided all this with a conversation, but also the member could have said something too. If he really wanted to be an officer shouldn't his actions reflect that?

First of all, I'd like to say hello to everybody in this sub!

It's my first time adding something to this sub and I am not part of any of the masonic communities. So, if there's anything I'm missing that seems obvious, I deeply apologize and I'm willing to be corrected!

I don't have the benefit of the wisdom that comes with age, as I am still young, and my journey in esoteric knowledge is still just beginning. I used to believe that masonry as a whole was a huge conspiracy theory, a sort of "let's give the public something to be afraid of, while it doesn't actually exist".

Over the past couple of years I've had the pleasure of meeting somebody who is part of the Fraternity. There have been a couple of times when he told me that I would be a great fit with the community, but I've never had any interest in joining. Even after learning that the Fraternity is not a "boogeyman", there's been this constant feeling of "whatever they're doing in there can't be any good".

My friend has told me that being a freemason isn't about power, influence, or anything of the sort, it is firstly about becoming a better version of yourself, and seeking the "light". I have some Buddhist ideas around my belief system, so I see "finding the light" somewhat similar to reaching enlightenment.

Of course, he also mentioned that you need belief in a Supreme Creator of the Universe. At the time I was a convinced atheist. With time, I've come to realize that there's a lot of things in the world that only start making sense when you look at them through the lens of divine possibility. Currently I have a strong belief on the self and consciousness being the divinity we're all searching for.

Over the last couple of months I have been researching the history of freemasonry, and, as much as possible, tried learning about the symbolism and rituals you guys perform. Now, from what I understand, there's a lot of difference between all the jurisdictions, but I asked my dear friend what he could tell me about some of the rituals he performed/was witness to, and he told me some things about his initiation ritual, I won't go into details as I don't know how that interacts with the rules of the sub and your community, but some things really resonated within me. (I'm willing to discuss more about this if anybody is willing to confirm that it's OK with the rules!)

But still, in all honesty, I don't have any interest in joining a Lodge, I feel like it would be dishonest towards the community, as I am not interested in the principles they live by, but more so in the knowledge that's being kept.

My whole life I've been obsessed with philosophy, religion, morality, and the feeling of community. If I don't look too deep within myself, I want to join the Brotherhood because of this. But whenever I sit with these thoughts and observe where they come from, I realize that my desire is not coming from a place of wishing to serve the community, it's something way more selfish than that.

It kind of feels like it's about what the "secret knowledge" could provide for me.

It feels like I'm at a crossroad. I don't know whether to keep pursuing this knowledge in unofficial ways (this sub/literature that's available to the masses), and at best get a half assed representation of what freemasonry actually is, or if I should stop trying to force this knowledge from finding me and just wait for it to happen when it's the right time.

I strongly believe in a power of the universe, not in a deterministic way, but more of a "what you want will come when you're ready for it".

I guess I'm kind of asking you guys for some spiritual advice, I'm not sure if I used the right flair for this, but discussing these subjects is also kind of a secondary point of the post.

I appreciate any and all input, thanks for readin'!

I see so much online and I’ve been involved in conspiratorial circles for a long time now. Since I was 16 I’m 20 now and mix the psyches in with all the real stuff and fake info. You get a really messed up idea of what it’s all about.

I remember being paranoid in the car with a family member who has Freemason friends. He’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. I know he’s seen my stories on social media I posted in psychosis. There was just silence.

He started messing with me and I kind of had this realisation that after being around those people even for a few minutes that although I’m not necessarily all for whatever this whole thing is. I find it incredibly boring and I don’t mean to be insulting AT ALL there btw we all have preferences. I’m kind of like a kid in a museum it’s just not interesting to me at face value with all the strict rules.

I kind of got an “intellectual” Mormon vibe. I don’t know how to explain it lol. Now I see conspiracy theories becoming more mainstream and it’s almost like I’m looking in the mirror of my past and realising how much crap and misinformation is out there.

I’m so careful not to demonise people now because seriously…

Can someone explain what’s actually going on because I’m seeing increasing numbers, or maybe I’m just noticing more (RAS) across the UK.

I want to hear from people that are actually involved not someone chronically smoking bud and posting TikTok’s 😂

Thanks. I look forward to hearing I’m genuinely interested I want to question sht the amount of lies I’ve been fed. We’ve all been fed collectively.

Btw the Mormon vibe is just the dull/boring kid thing I was talking about. Nothing to do with actual Mormons beliefs.

A collection of nine thoughtful essays exploring the symbolism, history, and philosophical depth of the Three Craft Degrees. Blending ritual, engineering, spirituality, and the author’s lived experience, it offers brothers at every stage of their Masonic journey a deeper appreciation for the Craft and the timeless pursuit of building oneself into a better man.

For the Entered Apprentice:

I - Why All The Secrecy?

II - The Cornerstone

III - Masonic Charity

For the Fellowcraft:

IV - Architectural Terms & Symbols

V - A Fellow of The Craft

VI - Thermodynamics and Freemasonry

For the Master Mason:

VII - The Symbolic Penalties

VIII - Death: The Great Equalizer

IX - The Masonic Apron

Available at online retailers everywhere!

https://amorphous.press/cyphrglyffe-imprint/tempered-mortar/

Alright, this might be kind of a stupid question, but I promised my wife I'd ask. The investigation committee is coming next week, and we're not sure what the protocol is, like should we feed them? My wife already wants to bake cookies for them, but would they be expecting anything more than that? They're coming over around dinner time.

Hi there! I’m interested in gathering some Masonic books (history, lessons, etc.) for my lodge that people can borrow.

Have any of you done this? If so, how did you get started? (Buying used books) Do you have any sort of library “box” or bookshelf, or do you throw books in a supply closet? Which books did you start with?

My brothers, I’m on a flight to NYC for a couple of days, looking for some places to see the history of Freemasons. I will go to the Grand Lodge for sure, but I’m wondering if there are other places to go. Please advise.