The search for an identity Lunnebourg Ferdinand of Brunswick, Duke of Brunswick, first Grand Master of the Order Corrected.
"... does not grant you rest until it has been rebuilt
in this city you Santa, as it should have always remained
if the crime had not knocked down ... "
Louis-Claude de Saint Martin
" New Man "
The long Scottish heritage
In the relentless pursuit in the folds of our history forever elusive Masonic Scottish influence, expressed in a multitude of degrees and rites, is an exciting challenge. That is why in this short article I propose to return for a moment lects the eighteenth century and analyze the origin of This particular characteristic of our Order. In several works devoted to the tradition of initiation in freemasonry, I referred to the significant presence of Jewish tradition, especially the Kabbalah, together with the current Rosicrucian and hermetic philosophy in Masonic esotericism.
These schools have expanded strongly in the second half of the eighteenth century, forming a series of rituals that reached an unusual prominence in continental lodges, not only in France but also in the rest of Europe, from Portugal to Russia . His influence grew at breakneck pace to hit rationalist currents of the century, whose ideology would benefit from the progress of the Enlightenment, the triumph of the French Revolution and the birth of a new era, marked by the dictatorship of reason.
While Europe became encyclopedic, illustrated, Freemasonry discussed their future and their role in the world. In general, it can be said that the Masons of the second half of the eighteenth century were divided into two broad streams.
The first, which could be defined as the English model, emerged from the Grand Lodge of London, was limited to perpetuate the tradition of the old quarry and was organized under the current structure three degrees of Masonry traditional symbolic and fellow trainee in the first stage, which then joined the teacher. In principle only be called teacher who ruled the lodge, to which was then treated as a new level with its own symbolism and liturgy.
The second stream had developed a Scottish tradition, Christian markedly distinct from the English by the presence of an imprint chivalric myth linked to the survival of the Order of the Temple. Both concepts were soon to clash on the Scots as teachers unilaterally assumed the task of monitoring and maintaining the purity of its tradition in symbolic lodges, which generally worked Scottish hiding his true parentage and self-knowledge of its chapters.
was a time characterized by the permanent displacement of Masons, who traveled from town to town looking for mechanisms and forms of association between different lodges which appeared everywhere. It succeeded on the convents and meetings which discussed the authority and organization of the various Rites and degrees. The main purpose seems to have focused on the formation of superstructures to establish clearly the direction and purpose of the Order.
In this context, in which come together, simultaneously, the most remarkable mystics of modern history proliferated Rites introduced various religious and esoteric Hermetic philosophy from the Hebrew Kabbalah, alchemy and occult science all who tried to unravel the mysteries of nature . The Magi from the East seemed to have returned, said almost literally, since many of these characters, as the famous Count of Saint Germain and Cagliostro, claiming an ancient age and the possession of the secrets of immortality and healing. The stone masons had replaced free by the philosopher's stone.
esoteric currents were becoming stronger in the lodges of France, Germany and the Empire, while the Templar Freemasonry was at its peak, thanks to the efforts of the Scots by introducing the High Grades. Despite the anxieties of many Masons honest, could not avoid the appearance of deleterious characters, exploiting the gullibility of so many willing to adhere to the most unlikely theories, helped create a climate of disorder and confusion that affected the course of Order.
In the taverns to the temples
Thus was born the need, clearly perceived by a group of large French and German leaders, to join efforts to find a definitive meaning to the Freemasons, a common spirit that unites the sincere Masons, providing them with the tools to enable them to develop a spiritual freemasonry restore the transcendent condition of man.
aim was to strengthen the idea of \u200b\u200ba masonry overcomes the mere social, philanthropic and Epicurean affecting a large number of lodges. But not all Masons considered appropriate esoteric positions this turn. In a recent publication, the Grand Orient of France refers to the time in these terms speak for themselves: "... Throughout the eighteenth century Freemasonry was able to become a center of unity and 'a means to build a sincere friendship between people who otherwise would never have been able to achieve brotherhood with each other' and, as as the constitution says Anderson, is still a place of sociability mundane and festive ... "
is widely known that many Masonic lodges indulged in excessive celebration in the taverns where they met and Some authors do not hesitate to describe as brothels. Lucia Gálvez rightly said that his profile was closer to that of Sarastro's Falstaff.
Between 1730 and 1750 there was a succession of scandals that have seriously affected the reputation of the Freemasons, largely exaggerated by the appearance of some works that sought to unravel the true mysteries of the brotherhood. In 1723 appeared in London a pamphlet entitled The great mystery of the Masons discovered precursor to a charge that would be used both by the enemies of the Order as anti-religious Masons: "That the leaders of the lodges were Jesuits in disguise ..." In 1730 appeared the work of Samuel Pritchard, Masonry dissected, leaving the fraternity pretty bad off and forced himself Desaguliers to answer that same year with his famous defense of Freemasonry.
This did not stop even published a book about the drunkenness of Masons whose title says it all: Ebrietatis encomium and sung in Paris and London famous songs regarding this alleged habit of the brothers. Beyond the critical insidious public ridicule did nothing but reflect the relaxation of the lodges. Horace Walpole himself, Mason and prime minister of Her Britannic Majesty said wryly to 1743: "... "The reputation of the Freemasons is at its lowest in England. I see nothing but a persecution to bring them into vogue. "
The situation was different in France or Germany. We have seen in the other Christian Empire how the excess in the incorporation of people from the bourgeoisie had led to the lodges in the way of the vulgarity and coarseness, a situation that led the Scots to create higher levels to control the situation .
As pointed out by Jean-Francois Var "... disorders in the lodges, are at the time, unanimously denounced. Hence the occurrence of several attempts by the High Grades of controlling the situation: According to the Statutes dictated by the Grand Lodge in 1755, teachers were explicitly Scottish lodges monitoring mission. "
In his extraordinary biography of Jean-Baptiste Willermoz, Var that transcribes a letter addressed to Baron Carl Gotthelf von Hund- , dated December 1772, in which, remembering his entry into the Order, which occurred twenty years ago, describes the particular state in which the French lodges were "quite young Admitted in our Order, the heads of the loggia I had received, they wanted to reward my zeal to fast forward into its mysteries. In 1752 I was elected venerable. The relaxation quite common in lodges France also slipped in this, my stiffness traveled to many, what made me stand with a small number of lovers of our laws, and form another lodge under the title of Perfect Friendship. "
Chapters elected teachers established by the Scots in the first half of the century were right in that regard, and trying to provide the grading system containing sociability that transcended the mundane to the festive and referred the document Great Eastern.
von Hund himself mentions the efforts of the Strict Observance lodges comparing its jurisdiction to the rest:
"These lodges attract people in spirit, for they do not fall into the same follies and noisy in the same pleasures that were fashionable in the lodges of Germany at that time. The same lodge of Altenburg, who has only three degrees working with order and decency, the other lodges in Germany are as temples of Bacchus, and if either are men of merit, will be ashamed to appear in these assemblies This naturally will lead to the decline of the Order. "
can say that all traditional Masonic currents of the time agreed on the seriousness of this situation, and denounced.
Despite the fragmentation that were immersed in the esoteric and spiritual currents of Freemasonry, when necessitated a new alliance that would ensure a spiritual freemasonry able to conjure the decadence of bourgeois freemasonry that other, more and more foreign issues inherent in the origin, meaning and destiny of the human soul. Well, after all, flows tight, Rosicrucians and neotemplarias share an eschatological vision in which Freemasonry was, thanks to the initiation process, the path to higher consciousness, the construction of the Inner Temple appropriate for a new spirit and, ultimately, to salvation.
We are still at an earlier stage of the Masons of bourgeois style can find its place in the years before the 1789 revolution. Freemasonry whose story we will address that is not led by the end of the century bourgeoisie but by the aristocratic elite of the Old Regime. Chapters and Convents meet in the privacy of abbeys, palaces and royal courts, the noble passion embrace an endless search of mysteries and miracles, hosting the most interesting characters linked to the so-called occult sciences.
not support the social nuisance, but are capable of stirring events that speak of a militant Christianity that understands the profound meaning of charity and mercy. They are the children of enlightened despotism, but begin to understand their responsibility in building a more just world. Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick, head of the Allied armies in the Seven Years War and Grand Master of the United German Lodges give money hand over fist. Is as capable of lavishing fortunes to charity to pay the alleged secret communications.
Finance
endless expeditions and trips of interest to the Order. Stands in Brunswick a free school where kids learn drawing, French and mathematics. Founded in Prague a haven for orphans and aids the mountain of Saxony in the terrible famine of 1771.
The Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, as Frederick the Great, welcome to his court scholars and alchemists, pilgrims and pirates. There he spent his last years, the legendary Saint Germain, making magic and illusions various fluids. Carl von Hesse-Cassel is a fine man, a gentleman capable of the most noble but it fails to be one of the largest suppliers of mercenary troops from Germany.
Paradoxically, while the mystic currents aligned forces with a view to a final resolution of differences and disputes affecting the various Rites, a situation that undermined the whole "growing up in the shadows the poison with a masonry without God or spirit, whose aim was not other than the destruction of religion and the monarchy
The final clash of these opposing forces was held in the city of
Wilhemsbad in 1782. The circumstances surrounding that event and the long past that developed in the previous process, form a web of intrigue and mystery than any fiction novel. The size of its protagonists, its political implications and the emergence of two opposing views of Masonry make Wilhemsbad in a field of confrontation, a moment in the history of the Order. Marks the first continent-wide event to polarize in future Masonic field. Explains, finally, the origin of many of the events that shook Europe and foreshadows the tragic days of the Great Revolution.
Wilhemsbad should be remembered as the first Masonic Convent in which two opposite conceptions of Freemasonry presented their vision of the Order and its interpretation of its origin and destination. Ushered of future conflict between rationalists and spiritualists in a framework that could not have been more symbolic and meaningful, because Wilhemsbad clashed for the first time the Bavarian Illuminati with the Martinez. The first openly advocated the destruction of the throne and the altar, while the latter sought a new spirit to the Western Tradition.
Wilhemsbad
It was hard to be heard and brash, the allegations of the enlightened against the baleful influence of Freemasonry Jesuit. And although it suffered a defeat lapidary, managed to open two fronts not stopped growing since then: The formation of an anti-clerical Freemasons antireligious would find its way from the French Revolution and the birth of a masonry conceived as a political instrument of the new religion of reason.
Masonry defeated anti-monarchist and anti-Catholic Convent in Wilhemsbad
emerge victorious after the French Revolution. While Freemasonry and Christian mystic, who had defeated the atheists in the Masonic area, would be his victim in the tragic years of the Terror. The birth of a revolutionary masonry without god that reason, eclipsed the masonry of the Great Mysteries.
Since then, the two currents form the framework in which the great contradiction invalidates freemasonry: Reason and Tradition. Wilhelmsbad echoes, its lights and shadows still fly the Masonic lodges.
