Osirian Musings

This was originally posted to a private lodge Facebook group for Fort Worth Lodge #148.

In the laundromat, I sat down to read a book that Rhit lent me (The Initiatic Experience) and while reading, I had an externally quiet, internally loud "A-HA!" moment.

In the second chapter (which is as far as I've gotten so far), there's a lot of talk about the basics of the Egyptian death/afterlife mythos, including the resurrection/rebirth of Osiris, who was buried far in the West. After reading this, something kind of clicked for me and I tried to remember what I learned about Egypt in school!

According to the ancient Egyptians, the West was representative of Death. So much so, in fact, that people would traditionally build homes and regular temples on the East side of the Nile (the land of the living, where the Sun rose) instead of on the West side where tombs and funerary temples were built (the land of the dead, where the Sun set).

In the Lodge, or at least in Texan Lodges (as well as many others, I'm sure), the door through which the candidate enters is on the western side of the room, just north of the Senior Warden's chair. Here we see that he's in a dark place, being on the "west bank" where the sun sets (as well as towards the North of the Lodge). By receiving the candidate, we bring him through the doors of the Lodge, from West to East.


Taking the West as Death, the direction of East as Life, and the doors as the barrier between those two worlds, not only is the candidate brought from darkness (western sunset) to light (eastern sunrise), but he is also reborn from death (west, outside the lodge room) to life (east, into the lodge room) as a new man and Mason.

The Evolution of Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry

Original flowchart:

Cleaned-up version that I made:

How to Become a Freemason

A Disclaimer

Masonry is not for everyone, and that's okay. 

If you have any questions about this guide, email me.

Basic Qualifications

In mainstream ("regular") Masonry, there are few basic qualifications to become a Mason:

• You must be a man.
• You must be at least 18 years old (sometimes 21).
• You must believe in some form of God (in any religion).
• You must be a good citizen without felonies on your record.
• You must join of your own free will.

How to Join

Finding a Lodge

Visit a few different lodges before you pick on to join. Look for lodges that are close to home, or close to work.

If you are in Texas, there are two Grand Lodges: the Grand Lodge of Texas, and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas. Each one has many local ("constituent") lodges. Which lodge and Grand Lodge you belong to is your choice.

Here are some links to find lodges in Texas:

• A Google Maps map of all the lodges in the Grand Lodge of Texas
• A searchable list of lodges in the Grand Lodge of Texas
• A searchable list of lodges in the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas

If you live outside of Texas, check out this list of Grand Lodges and use it to find the correct Grand Lodge for your state/country. Use their website to either find a list of lodges, or the Grand Lodge contact information. They will help you find a lodge.

Visiting Lodges

There are a few basic guidelines to visiting lodges:

• Reach out to the lodge by phone, email, or Facebook first. Let them know you're interested in visiting and learning more about becoming a Mason.
• Ask the lodge what their dress code is and come dressed appropriately. If you don't know what the dress code is, wear a suit and tie, or a sport coat and slacks. 
• Make sure you understand what day and time the lodge likes to meet new prospects.
• Talk to everyone, and ask a lot of questions. Be ready to answer a lot of questions, too.
• Be patient. Some lodges will give you a petition right away, and others will wait until you know the lodge and the lodge knows you, which can take months. It's worth the wait.

Filing a Petition

Once you know the lodge, and the lodge knows you, you will be given an application to become a Freemason (a "petition") which requires a few signatures from members of the lodge. After your petition is turned in to the lodge, the lodge members will investigate you by formally interviewing you at your house. Once you are investigated, your investigators will turn in their reports, and the lodge will vote to accept (or decline) your petition to become a Mason. If it's accepted, congratulations - you're going to be a Mason.