The Western Gate

The Secret Freemasonry of a Priest in the Temple of Nature.;- by Johann Samuel Mund (1724-1794) Painter, Mason, Rosicrucian.
Rolf Keil. Josef Wagnes. Paul Ferguson
Lewis Masonic Press

Freemasonry, a secret society or a society with secrets. Whatever the concern or paranoia regarding the brethren, whether they existed or not there would always be a brotherhood, somewhere, somehow, connected to playing golf, or classic car meetings, perhaps the splendour of a cigar and drinking establishment, what not. It happens, we are all in a click, a gang, and we all in some way exclude those who do not hold our values/upbringing etc.
We can talk of those secrets that we the outsiders see them as holding, which once uncovered are little more, give or take with some artistic licence, allegories to be the perfect form, the upright man, the rough ashlar smoothed and carved into a thing of beauty. The re-enactments of a ‘mystery’ play regarding the murder of the master mason by three ruffians, we then become part of the builders for the subsequent rebuilding of ‘the’ temple.

J.S.Mund, Freemason, devised his own rituals under the banner,Union of Loyalty and Truth of the 3 Rosy Crosses, White, Red and Gold. He designed its own rituals and incorporated into it the esotericism and alchemy that was evident during this period of enlightenment, the era of illumination.

Lewis Masonic produce fine books, the vast majority being of interest to Freemasonry and its parallel orders, and many of them are fascinating and worthy of both study and learning.
Gerald Gardner let it be remembered with his small book of the first three accepted rites of freemasonry, devised from them his own three degrees of initiation which became Wicca, albeit not so male orientated. I use Gardener only as a reference point to acknowledge its, (freemasonry), influence reaches every strand of western hermeticism and subsequent paths, where the slightest hint of dogma is laid then you will find its border traced by the square and compass somewhere. It is because of freemasonry most hermetic orders and western influence draws from Kabbalah, that great “storehouse of wisdom from the Hebrews”, and even if this is denied let us agree that the mysticism of the Hebrew systems are in the main strengthened by the Masons who kept its knowledge into their own peculiar allegory and emulation rites.
Munds system is explained fully with the original German text on the left hand pages and the English interpretation on the right. Throughout, many of the themes familiar to Masons are reworked , revisited or expanded. For those, who are unfamiliar with the masonic emulations/’mystery plays’, all the knowledge is given such that one doesn’t need to have a background or introductory to the themes and rites. The esoteric and deeper themes encompassed by Mund would be sidelined into that order known as Rosicrucianism, the ideas of alchemy -pre chemistry and physics, and the perhaps limited understanding of the universe could then be kettled away from the branches of Freemasonry which stick rigidly to its ritual themes. Mund would therefore be purloined into rosicrucianism as opposed to an accepted parallel masonic order, though of course many of the themes and drama born from freemasonry is present. As with the 18th century view on Alchemy and Astrology/Astronomy there is a heavy leaning towards the idea of God and the pursuance of its understanding, being God is always a He, always benevolent, always likes good old subservient submission from his flock. There are many paraphrases and elements drawn directly from the Old and New testament, there many would begin to waver in Munds design, the brethren becoming bound by the church, and yet separate to it, so why not just stick with the Orthodox Church.
Mund, was a romanticist, who loved Nature and saw within it the great design and meaning, and yet, there the system of Munds emulation rites fall, for this plan of Nature is never incorporated fully, wholly or otherwise into his emulations. Where is the Fall from Eden? when the human race were in equilibrium with nature and yet sought to take from it the wisdom of its design, just to know. Instead of dancing with it in perfect harmony, mankind wanted ownership over it and thus, the knowledge of the Gods given/taken but forfeited by the separation of Humankind from Nature. The rebuilding of the temple, lay not in the eyes of Zerubbabel, nor are the lost words and wisdom of masons found in secret scrolls in the hollow columns, but outwardly. Masonic temples were built much like Egyptian temples from whom the Hebrews knowledge was founded. The Outer Courtyard, the inner and then within this, the sanctum which housed the most sacred representation of the culture. Yet, what is behind that terraced courtyard? Over that wall there that secludes the brethren from the prying eyes and cowans? the world!and where, pray tell did all the prophets receive their wisdom? It wasn’t in the shrine of the holy of holies but in the wilderness, in the cave, at the base of a tree with nothing but the air to breathe. These such emulation rites are never examined nor reflected , except in the raising from the coffin, to be reborn, or the baptism… yet reflective and solitude to the point of non-being is simply not a part of these or any masonic rituals.
And yet , just as to delve into the works of Shakespeare or Mozart, there is within some semblance of otherworldly escape which, with it, brings answers arising to the mind.
I had hoped that Mund’s temple of nature would be set in the glades of a forest, where naked, they would chant arcane root words lost from races, where the fruits and herbs and the spirit of Nature itself would be reckoned and then recovered.

Freemasonry requires of its elect and propositioned entrants to be of good standing, to be intent to establish that which is good and perfect. This all becomes subjective, and thus elitist and more to the point outside the reach of most who seek not to stand upright and obey but to bring the whole corrupt temple crashing to the same rubble under which that poor master builder was buried. It’s not the architects fault that the temple was inherently flawed, but the ruffians within whose greed for power and want foresake any oblation and promise they made. It is, then, those who tread upon the mosaic floor who sully and soil its foundation, and where those same and true cowans of the temple of knowledge affirm their pledge of silence, it is the true artisans of wisdom outside that cloistered temple who both seek to shout, and reveal , who are the true inheritors of Hiram Abiffs plans. Not Freemasons, but freemen.
“See not the poor man, but see all as equal”, and yet, those who use freemasonry for personal gain and ulterior motives create the corrupt temple. We can all hide behind charity, just as Jimmy Saville, but corrupt is corrupt is corrupt.¹ However….

Lewis Masonic offer the lay reader an opportunity to study knowledge from the lodges, from history and by study to reckon, in our gardens ( and those temples of nature), an understanding albeit,(viz.) alike a Shakespeare play or Mozart opera, and for that we can put our prejudices and concerns and anger at the threshold of the stairs that lead first to the outer courtyard, and then hush our protest as we ascend the steps to the inner temple before we even want to decide whether to look inside the inner sanctum/holy of holies at Fagins “beautiful” box of trinkets, and what after all is holy of holy ? only nature ! That we left and forgot outside that bolted door on the way in.

—

Postedit

1/ Of course, the inference that Freemasonry is inherently corrupt is woefully wrong, just as I know many decent, loyal and trustworthy Masons, also -Christians and even Millwall fans who should on paper be my enemy, there are reciprocally those whom, with a gun to my head if I had to say which path or banner I follow equally have followers within, even if but a few, who are vile, dishonest and treacherous. I have left the comment and ‘ranting’ in, perhaps if only to show the prejudice and scepticism most have of ANY ‘secret’ society. Certainly, its a subject I will come back to. Apologies to anyone, rightfully, offended.