Type: Writing
Format: Question and Answer
Info: I have a couple of papers to write based on a series of questions, and I thought. “Two birds one stone”
Q: What brought you in to this Society?
In the simplest answer “A Book” and in a more in depth answer “another step on a long road of curiosity & learning”. I first read about masonic ceremonies and symbolism when I was about twelve and bought a copy of ‘The Unlocked Secret’ by James Dewar, while on a family holiday. It was many years later that I finally joined the order, yet the symbolism of the rituals in that book opened a door of curiosity in my mind. Over the years my curiosity on “how things work”, “how did ancient people do what they did & why”, “what is the hidden meanings in old symbols & art really mean”, and the ever present “What if?” grew. I found myself reading books by A.E. Waite, Aleister Crowley, Rollo Ahmed, Montague Summers, J.H. Brennan, Hermes Trismegistus, to name but a few, My Interest in what is loosely called “esoteric knowledge” grew, I read up on different topics, had conversations with people of other faiths and paths to find out their views and feelings. Eventually I joined the Freemasons, Which is a great organisation rich with symbolism and hidden meanings. Unfortunately a lot of masons do not look too deep into the meanings of the symbolism laid out before them, and even though I greatly enjoy masonry it asked more questions than it answers. That is when I read “Beyond the Craft” by Keith Jackson, and rediscovered the S.R.I.A. I had come across mention of the order many years ago in relation with A.E. Waite, and the original creation of The Golden Dawn (Pre Crowley). From the words written in that book describing the order, I know that was a Society I would enjoy being to be a member of, and one that I would get a lot out of. I asked around, found a member who proposed me, and in 2012 I was brought into the Society.
