Legends of the Craft

In this second installment, we continue our exploration of the history of Prince Hall Freemasonry, examining its development, influence, and enduring place within the broader history of Freemasonry in America. Building on Part I, this episode takes a deeper look at the people, institutions, and historical circumstances that shaped Prince Hall Masonry and helped establish a Masonic tradition that continues to this day.

Founded on the heels of the American Revolution, Prince Hall Masonry, so named for its eponymous founder, is one of the oldest Masonic organizations still in existence in North America. Yet, over the two and a half centuries of its existence, its members have faced fierce discrimination. What can we learn from the uplifting story of the struggle of so-called "Negro Freemasonry" for legitimacy?

In this episode Matias and Aksel explore the work of Italian philosopher, occultist and astrologer Pico Della Mirandola, his connections to Masonic thought and whether or not his writings and practices formed the very beginning of what would become modern Freemasonry.

In this episode Matias and Aksel explore perennialism, the philosophical concept that all religions point backwards to a single origin at a time before the catastrophe that destroyed the Golden Age. Is today's Freemasonry the remnant of this ancient and mysterious faith?

Freemasonry is an ancient occult science that trains its practitioner in the exploration of inner worlds. Dreams are the primary method by which we encounter worlds beyond the material in which new realities can be explored beyond the limitations of the material plane. But how does one cross the threshold and become a practicing dreamer?

The Root Races is the name for a concept which originated in the writings of Helena Blavatsky and was taken up and propagated by the early followers of Theosophy. It describes the evolution of human consciousness on the earth and the many cycles through which it progresses. What connection does this idea have to Freemasonry and how can it help us understand the role of the Ancient Mysteries?

Freemasonry is said to have its origins in "time immemorial" but what is this immaterial substance "time"? Why does its contemplation lead to the establishment of the Mysteries? Join Brothers Matias and Aksel as they attempt to answer these questions and many more in a far-ranging discussion on how humanity's understanding of time itself has been shaped throughout the centuries by occult and esoteric teachings.

It is often said that Freemasonry's origins belong to "time immemorial" and that our Craft stretches back to the institution of the Ancient Mysteries. But where exactly do these threads lead us? In this episode of Legends of the Craft join Brothers Matias and Aksel as they journey backwards to the very beginning of civilization - Sumeria - and the mythic tale of the goddess Inanna. Could the mysteries of Inanna be the origin of Masonic ritual?

Charles W. Leadbeater was a Freemason and a towering figure of the occult world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Reviled by some, adored by many others, he was certainly a controversial figure in his own lifetime. But his contributions to occult knowledge, Co-Masonry, the Theosophical Society and the Liberal Catholic Church not only vivified those institutions but inspired thousands around the world. Does this man deserve the scorn he so often receives?

Anderson's Constitutions, penned in 1723, form the foundation of modern Freemasonry. Much has been written about the historical veracity of this document, its origins, authenticity and its worth to the Craft. But very little has been said about what this document is exhorting Freemasons to do. Anderson's Constitutions give us the outline of an ancient honor code, a code which a Freemason is bound to live by and uphold. What does this code entail and how should the Freemason enact the strictures of Anderson's Constitutions in his daily life?