I've been in Freemasonry for over 25 years, but I'm still relatively low on the totem pole due to a long period of absence during my university and working years abroad. I came back in 2008 when I moved back to Scotland and am really enjoying it.
▶️ DTube ▶️ IPFS
So you're illuminati bro?! Is all the conspiracy stuff true? World domination, take-over, etc?
I’m not in that order, though I am considering applying to join the Preceptory of Knights Templar. I don’t learn about any of that conspiracy stuff at my lowly level. I’d like to say no, it’s all a crock, but it’s entirely possible that I’m just part of the ignorant smokescreen that helps to justify its existence. So while I personally believe it’s all ridiculous, I can’t say for certain because I really have no idea. And I’d I ever did learn otherwise, I don’t suppose I’d be at liberty to say. That old liar paradox!
I'm just listening to your interview just now with @myndnow and what you said about cultivating leadership skills is something that freemasonry is doing for me. I'm not a natural leader by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm learning those skills in a safe environment. That's one of the things I meant in my response to @to7 below about personal development. Also my public speaking / performance skills are being cultivated in that arena. I'm regarded as a good ritualist, which really means that I'm willing and able to put the work into learning my lines and I'm able to deliver those lines in a calm and comprehensible way. Of course my heart is hammering in my chest, but much less so than it used to. And now I'm in the chair of the Royal Arch, meaning I'm the figurative head honcho and have to run the committee meetings and the regular meetings, organise events, visit other chapters around the country to represent my own, welcome visitors to my chapter, and give speech after speech after speech. None of that comes naturally to me, but it is getting easier and it's bringing rewards that affect my life outside of freemasonry. Oh, and DTube fireworks! Ha ha.
Oh man. I just read this now. I’m glsd it’s helping you and improve :) I’m such a cokehead or personal development :)
How do you think one can figure out if their lodge has been over taken by dark occultists?
I know everyone in my lodge personally. None of them appear to be dark occultists, but then I guess they wouldn’t, would they?
This was very interesting. I have heard so much about the Freemasons but always figured it was a social group. Is that how you would classify it?
That’s certainly a big part of it. Like most things in life, people get different things out of it. I enjoy the performance and ritual aspect of it, but it’s helping me in terms of personal development too as I don’t socialise easily and this helps me to practice getting better at that. I also learn good morals and it ties in nicely with the AA 12 step programme that keeps my ship on an even keel. Most of the time lol.
From the way you describe Freemasonry, it all sounds like harmless fun, but I do wonder if many Councillors are Freemasons. I own a retail property which is currently let as an off-licence. When my tenant was applying for a liquor licence, the licence hearing was postponed at the last minute so many times that I did start to wonder if a special handshake was required.