# Starting Point



## Soheil (Nov 6, 2019)

Hi Everyone,
I want to know what is the starting point to be a mason ?
I have some background on Esoteric and occult subjects.
and the problem is I cant access to any lodge (Sadly lodges are banned in our country ) to join or find the materials to read,
but in my Book archive I have many books on or about freemasonry ,

such as :

Albert Gallatin Mackey - The History of Freemasonry
Albert Pike - Ancient and accepted Scottish Rite of freemasonry, 1872
Arthur E. Waite - Aspects of Masonic Symbolism
Frank C. Higgins - The Beginning of Masonry

and thousand of other names...

thanks


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 6, 2019)

If Masonry is banned in your country it could possibly be dangerous to go in search of it. We do not encourage people to break the law.


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## Soheil (Nov 6, 2019)

its not `official` banned,
the president of country is an scotish rite,!
is banned,but for out of they inner circle

more possibility is  maybe people burn you as a `witch` lol

I got all the material from the internet without any VPN  and nothing happened to me...
no one knock my door


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## CLewey44 (Nov 6, 2019)

What country is this?


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## Soheil (Nov 6, 2019)

CLewey44 said:


> What country is this?


iran lol


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## CLewey44 (Nov 6, 2019)

Soheil said:


> iran lol


Ok, I highly doubt you'll find much in Iran on Freemasonry. As others have said, be cautious.


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## Elexir (Nov 6, 2019)

Soheil said:


> its not `official` banned,
> the president of country is an scotish rite,!
> is banned,but for out of they inner circle
> 
> ...



Lets get one thing straighten out.
Freemasonry does not limit itself to secret circles around the rulers.
If they would be members of AASR it would be open for anyone and there would be a GL in Iran. Wich there isnt.


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## David612 (Nov 6, 2019)

Interestingly there is a Grand lodge OF Iran though it is not IN Iran.


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## Brother JC (Nov 6, 2019)

David612 said:


> Interestingly there is a Grand lodge OF Iran though it is not IN Iran.



Nope, it’s in California.


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 6, 2019)

CLewey44 said:


> Ok, I highly doubt you'll find much in Iran on Freemasonry. As others have said, be cautious.


Agreed!


Elexir said:


> Lets get one thing straighten out.
> Freemasonry does not limit itself to secret circles around the rulers.
> If they would be members of AASR it would be open for anyone and there would be a GL in Iran. Wich there isnt.


For sure.


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 6, 2019)

David612 said:


> Interestingly there is a Grand lodge OF Iran though it is not IN Iran.





Brother JC said:


> Nope, it’s in California.


Interesting!


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## David612 (Nov 6, 2019)

So there you go, want to join in Iran? Go to Cali


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## Soheil (Nov 7, 2019)

David612 said:


> Interestingly there is a Grand lodge OF Iran though it is not IN Iran.



iran has an grand lodge named  : Damavand grand lodge ,
but after the 1979 regime change (anarchy) , lodges closed and many masons left iran, sadly

yes it is but I don't know much about that,'
I think I read somewhere , masons that left iran had made that lodge,


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## Soheil (Nov 7, 2019)

David612 said:


> So there you go, want to join in Iran? Go to Cali


Im planning on a migration in next 10 years, and of course I wanted to go and find the a lodge on the destination country.


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## Soheil (Nov 7, 2019)

Elexir said:


> Lets get one thing straighten out.
> Freemasonry does not limit itself to secret circles around the rulers.
> If they would be members of AASR it would be open for anyone and there would be a GL in Iran. Wich there isnt.


but they do anything they like to  do , even opposite of any rules,


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## Soheil (Nov 7, 2019)

Soheil said:


> Hi Everyone,
> I want to know what is the starting point to be a mason ?
> I have some background on Esoteric and occult subjects.
> and the problem is I cant access to any lodge (Sadly lodges are banned in our country ) to join or find the materials to read,
> ...


anyway , I want to start reading books on freemasonry until I find out a lodge in another country , so as the books I say , which book or books are good for a beginner  im thinking about reading : Frank C. Higgins - The Beginning of Masonry

as I say I have tons of Ebooks on freemasonry.


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## Elexir (Nov 7, 2019)

Soheil said:


> but they do anything they like to  do , even opposite of any rules,



The problem is that freemasonry works in a certain way that cant be tweaked.
For example you cant have AASR without a GL as the first three degrees have to be given by a lodge and lodges are under a grand lodge.


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## Elexir (Nov 7, 2019)

Soheil said:


> anyway , I want to start reading books on freemasonry until I find out a lodge in another country , so as the books I say , which book or books are good for a beginner  im thinking about reading : Frank C. Higgins - The Beginning of Masonry
> 
> as I say I have tons of Ebooks on freemasonry.



Freemasonry for dummies by Chris Hodap.
http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com

A good introduction to how freemasonry works, degrees are used etc.


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## David612 (Nov 7, 2019)

why do you want to join freemasonry?


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## Soheil (Nov 7, 2019)

David612 said:


> why do you want to join freemasonry?


actually Im very interested in esoteric sciences, old books, and occult subjects
my main reason is to access to libraries and read the masonic books,

lets say , I want to know `what` is life and its purpose

kinda like Pi Scenario ,


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## David612 (Nov 7, 2019)

Soheil said:


> actually Im very interested in esoteric sciences, old books, and occult subjects
> my main reason is to access to libraries and read the masonic books,
> 
> lets say , I want to know `what` is life and its purpose
> ...


Well you don’t need to be a mason to read books, they are all there for your consideration-


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## Soheil (Nov 8, 2019)

David612 said:


> Well you don’t need to be a mason to read books, they are all there for your consideration-


hmm..

(in my mind) most of the books im looking for, they are not public,
if they are public , then where I can found them ?


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## Elexir (Nov 8, 2019)

Soheil said:


> hmm..
> 
> (in my mind) most of the books im looking for, they are not public,
> if they are public , then where I can found them ?



What books exactly are not in public?
The only secret masonic books are books that are linked directly to the rituals and only contains a mixture.

Look up Jakob Böhme, Thomas Karlsson, John Dee, AE Waite as a start.


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## Soheil (Nov 8, 2019)

Elexir said:


> What books exactly are not in public?
> The only secret masonic books are books that are linked directly to the rituals and only contains a mixture.
> 
> Look up Jakob Böhme, Thomas Karlsson, John Dee, AE Waite as a start.


thanks for aware me of that,books im looking for are in public

I will look up,them,


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## Glen Cook (Nov 8, 2019)

Soheil said:


> hmm..
> 
> (in my mind) most of the books im looking for, they are not public,
> if they are public , then where I can found them ?


Amazon.


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## coachn (Nov 9, 2019)

Self-study...hmmm... 

If you're only interested in the esoteric aspects of what Freemasonry points followers toward, ritual acts as a road map to just that; when you understand its archaic hyperlinks.  

Hyperlink Example: One lecture references "a point to a line to a superficies to a solid... ". It's a direct allusion to Plutarch's "The 'E' at Delphi" (among others). The reference is an 18th century "hyperlink". 

There are thousands of them!  When you follow these hyperlinks, the world of scholarship opens up for you.  

However, if you're studying ritual and Freemasonic writings thinking the esoteric gems are in themselves the value you seek, you're going to be sadly barren in your results.  The hidden gems have no value to you other than to say to others, "look what I found!".  That's superficial.  The true value is in developing the skill set to find, understand and apply these gems to life.  

Keep this solidly in your frame of thought: _Freemasonry points to Masonry._ When you understand the distinction between the two, you get an entirely different understanding of what is before you and which path will enrich your soul best.


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 11, 2019)

coachn said:


> The true value is in developing the skill set to find, understand and apply these gems to life.
> 
> Keep this solidly in your frame of thought: _Freemasonry points to Masonry._ When you understand the distinction between the two, you get an entirely different understanding of what is before you and which path will enrich your soul best.


Exactly and well said.


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## Bloke (Nov 17, 2019)

Elexir said:


> The problem is that freemasonry works in a certain way that cant be tweaked.
> For example you cant have AASR without a GL as the first three degrees have to be given by a lodge and lodges are under a grand lodge.


Not 100% correct  - there are Regular GLs in South America which are "Grand Lodge of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite" which confer the first Three Degrees only in the AASR - Chile is an example. When I first saw a certificate from there, I thought it was Irregular... not so. Apparently Chile is not the only one like this in South America..


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## Brother JC (Nov 17, 2019)

Also Puerto Rico, and a very few rare US lodges.


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## Bloke (Nov 18, 2019)

Brother JC said:


> Also Puerto Rico, and a very few rare US lodges.


In the USA too ? I did not know that. Could you tell me which ones in the USA confer the First Three Degrees in AASR ?


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## Keith C (Nov 18, 2019)

Bloke said:


> In the USA too ? I did not know that. Could you tell me which ones in the USA confer the First Three Degrees in AASR ?



There are several Lodges in Louisiana that confer the Scottish Rite EA, FC and MM Degrees.


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## Brother JC (Nov 18, 2019)

Etoile Polaire 1

http://www.etoilepolaire1.com


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## bupton52 (Nov 21, 2019)

Bloke said:


> In the USA too ? I did not know that. Could you tell me which ones in the USA confer the First Three Degrees in AASR ?



Germania 46 does in Louisiana. I believe that all of the lodges in their 10th district near New Orleans still do. 


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile


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## Elexir (Nov 21, 2019)

Bloke said:


> Not 100% correct  - there are Regular GLs in South America which are "Grand Lodge of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite" which confer the first Three Degrees only in the AASR - Chile is an example. When I first saw a certificate from there, I thought it was Irregular... not so. Apparently Chile is not the only one like this in South America..



They are still organised under a GL. You cant just jump into the degrees.


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## Soheil (Jan 21, 2020)

hi again, Im back, and I actually find the what I was looking for,
and it was `mysticism`  same subjects as I found in kabbalah writings....

thank you all for the your valuable comments-leads


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## Elexir (Jan 21, 2020)

JamestheJust said:


> As you may have realized, each set of spiritual disciplines exists within the energy field of a sponsoring intelligence.  Intelligences that are well intentioned towards humans should release those that are ready to move on.
> 
> For example, the intelligence that manifested the Piscean Age, holds humans that have not learned the lessons of Pisces and releases those that have.  Of course some humans like to cling to the past and they may remain with Piscean beliefs and mysticism long after they are ready to graduate.
> 
> The Intelligence that manifests the kabbalah and related spiritual sciences was most relevant to Earth humanity until about 1000AD.  Some time later the Intelligence behind the Renaissance introduced new qualities into human culture.



The problem with your reasoning is that if it where true then about 75% of all mystical orders be useless. The problem is that they arnt. The currents flow trough the ages and still hold potential.


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## Elexir (Jan 22, 2020)

JamestheJust said:


> >if it where true then about 75% of all mystical orders be useless.
> 
> The over-lighting entities have indefinite lifespans.



And thus nothing changes but our perception.


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