The first weekend in November saw the Canonbury Masonic Research Centre hold its seventh international conference – an event that drew speakers and delegates from as far afield as Finland, Italy, Poland, Romania and the United States. The North London based centre was established in 1999 to help facilitate scholarship on matters relating to Freemasonry, and the theme of this year’s conference, ‘Seeking the Light: Freemasonry and initiatic traditions’, focused on the heart of the matter – on Freemasonry’s role as an initiatory society.
    Ritual is thought to be as old as humanity itself and is truly universal; it is also commonly judged to serve profound needs. The modern word ritual appeared in the English language in the early fourteenth century and derives from the Latin word ritus – a term which denotes a ‘custom’, ‘religious observance’, or ‘solemn ceremony’.
    Initiations are also ancient and were commonplace in the classical world. However, the earliest known explicit accounts of these initiatory rites are comparatively recent, the oldest being descriptions of ancient Greek mysteries dating from the sixth century B.C. These rites are known to have been enacted at the high point of a pilgrimage made on the road from Athens to the sacred site at Eleusis, and they were performed in honor of Demeter, goddess of the earth and fertility. Demeter was also associated with the Egyptian goddess Isis, the Phrygian goddess Cybele, and the Roman goddess Ceres, and such was the legacy and allure of these antique rites that the Rev. William Stukeley, famous for his studies of Stonehenge, joined a masonic lodge in 1720 in the belief that Freemasonry was a remnant form of these ancient mystery societies.

The Initiate’s Journey

A theme that resonated throughout much of the weekend was that of a journey made by the initiate, what the mythologist Joseph Campbell termed the separation, initiation, and return. Such a journey requires an individual to dare to go on a quest, to leave an old world behind and to enter an unfamiliar world of trial and hardship. Such journeys typically involve a symbolic or mystical death before the pilgrim is finally reintegrated back into society, usually laden with gifts of importance for all. Kirk MacNulty’s presentation highlighted these themes and spoke about the many different facets of initiation, including rites of passage which typically mark life’s major stages and the conveyance of secret teachings which might be intended to help bond the individual to the group or to raise consciousness. He also postulated the theory that Freemasonry was essentially a child of the Renaissance, as this was a time when scholars began to retrieve detailed knowledge of the antique world and its mysteries, knowledge which helped to confirm or enhance their own beliefs. And in so doing, he described Freemasonry as a modern instrument of initiation which, if functioning correctly, should perform a similar function to the ancient mystery schools.
    Dr. Peter Maxwell-Stuart of the University of St. Andrews also spoke about the two basic forms of initiation ritual in late antiquity - rites which consisted of a symbolic rebirth or which brought the candidate into the presence of divine or angelic beings. He described how the basic degrees of modern Freemasonry were essentially examples of the former. He pointed out how the early Greek, Jewish and Coptic sources, mostly dating from the first century of the Christian era, described techniques which would enable the practitioner to achieve an altered state of being or consciousness and he contrasted these techniques with those used by shaman in their sacred rites. He also stressed how particular symbols and words were employed during these rites to help the initiate precipitate the required state of mind which would in turn enable the aspirant to acquire knowledge which was normally beyond the reach of the physical world.
    Dr. J. Scott Kenney, Assistant Professor at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, also spoke about symbolism and meaning in the ritual actions from a sociological perspective. Dr. Kenney highlighted how symbols were used to create meaning and identity in Freemasonry as well as various kindred societies, and how the members of a given society typically projected a meaning onto a symbol before integrating that meaning into their personal lives to help reinforce their own identity.
    David McCready, from The Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College, Dublin, spoke on rituals of rebirth in the Christian tradition. He emphasised the central importance of baptism and priestly profession in the context of the Christian mysteries, both of which are traditionally viewed as initiatic thresholds to a new, spiritual life. And the Rev. Neville Barker Cryer continued the theme of ritual initiation in the Christian tradition by emphasising the importance of the guilds on the development of modern Freemasonry and described intriguing masonic practices of some eighteenth-century Yorkshire lodges.
    Robert Cooper’s talk on the order of Free Gardeners in Scotland continued the theme of the guilds. And although Robert, the Curator of the library and museum of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, stressed that this order was not masonic, he highlighted how the seventeenth-century interest in gardens and plants paralleled the increased interest in building, and how the Free Gardeners developed their own rituals of initiation.
    Julia Cleave spoke on initiation in the Elizabethan era and highlighted how there were some ‘masonic’ allusions in the literature of the period, and delegates were also treated to a fascinating film presentation by Tobias Churton, an Honorary Fellow at Exeter University, who outlined the emergence and history of seventeenth-century Rosicrucianism. Philip Carr-Gomm also took the audience on an inspiring musical journey through the works of twentieth-century English composer, Sir Michael Tippett, and focused on his Druidic-inspired opera, The Midsummer Marriage.
    Anat Harel, a Ph.D candidate from Leiden University, spoke on a controversial episode in Dutch masonic history, when an attempt was made in the nineteenth century to adapt the ceremonies to the thinking of the time. Although the attempted change failed, many of the issues raised had parallels with recent debates over the direction of the Craft. Following in a similar vein, Pauline Chakmakjian, a Ph.D candidate at University College London, rounded off the weekend with a thought-provoking presentation on the masonic initiation of Oriental candidates. Concentrating mainly on Japan, Miss Chakmakjian proposed that the Judeo-Christian mythos at the centre of Freemasonry might be altered slightly, to help cater for a different set of religious and cultural sensibilities. It was a challenging and fitting way to end a stimulating weekend.

The Canonbury Masonic Research Centre also holds monthly lectures: contact Carole McGilvery, phone 020 7226 6256. Email mcgilvery@canonbury.ac.uk.