GRAND LODGE WOMEN OF GREECE

The institutional constitution of modern Freemasonry is conventionally placed in 1717, with the establishment of the Premier Grand Lodge of England.

On June 24, 1717 (the feast day of St. John the Baptist), the representatives of the four London Lodges, which had existed for some time, came together at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard in London, declared themselves a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer as their first Grand Master.

This was the first Grand Lodge in the world and the “start” of Freemasonry.

The founding of the first Grand Lodge (the Premier Grand Lodge of England) is a historical event, not only for Freemasonry but also for human history, because its contribution to global historical events, which shaped modern human history, was decisive.

This development (i.e. the foundation of modern Freemasonry) marked the transition from medieval guilds of builders to so-called “symbolic” and/or “philosophical” Freemasonry.  In this new context, the tools of the building art were transformed into symbols of moral and spiritual cultivation, while the Lodge acquired the character of a space of philosophical dialog and self-improvement.

 James Anderson’s 1723 edition of the Constitutions of the Free-Masons provided the institution with organizational coherence and ideological identity, integrating it into the spirit of early modernity.

Freemasonry developed in parallel with the Enlightenment movement and largely served as a carrier for the dissemination of ideas of this movement.

The Masonic lodges were the meeting places of people of different social status – scholars, merchants, professionals and intellectuals – at a time when free public expression was often limited.

Within this protected environment, rational thought, tolerance, discussion of scientific and philosophical issues and questioning the absolute authority of the Church and monarchy were cultivated.

It is no coincidence that important personalities of the Enlightenment, such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot, Goethe and Mozart, were directly or indirectly associated with Freemasonry.

The notion of tolerance is of particular importance in the context of masonic values.

In a period of intense religious conflicts, Freemasonry promoted a broad understanding of faith, emphasizing moral behavior rather than dogmatic uniformity.  The acceptance of members from different religious and cultural backgrounds has highlighted the idea of fraternity as a superexisting identity, compatible with the enlightening principles of tolerance and respect for individual conscience.

At the same time, Masonic Lodges promoted the principle of Equality and meritocracy, at least on a symbolic level.

Within the Lodge, members were theoretically equal regardless of social or professional status, which constituted a radical conception during those times.

However, the implementation of this equality has been historically limited.

The exclusion of women, institutionalized by the charters of the 18th century, highlighted a profound contradiction between proclaimed values and social practice.

This contradiction led, in the 19th and 20th centuries, to the development of the Rite of Adoption, mixed-sex Freemasonry and finally of the Autonomous Female Freemasonry, proving that masonic values are not static but subject to historical revision.

From a sociological perspective, Freemasonry can also be interpreted as a mechanism for covering fundamental social and psychological needs, such as the need to accept, respect, appreciate, exchange of views, debate, etc.

Participation in a fraternity enhances a sense of belonging, social recognition and emotional security, elements associated with higher levels of needs, as described in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model (in the shape of a pyramid).

Ritual, symbolism and collective memory act as stabilizing factors, giving meaning to both individual and collective experience.

The coverage of the above needs for humanity’s existence is mainly pursued through the existence of a fraternity, as is Freemasonry.

In modern times, Freemasonry faces new challenges.  Secrecy, which has historically served as an element of cohesion and protection, is often interpreted negatively in the context of information societies, fueling conspiracy theories and suspicion.

At the same time, the change in social structures and the weakening of traditional collective identities, raise issues when it comes to updating masonic forms of organization.

However, the strengthening of charity action, the increasing transparency and the active social presence of many Lodges demonstrate the constant adaptability of the institution.

Although the institutional origin of Freemasonry is set in 1717, its philosophical and spiritual origins derive from antiquity, the arcane traditions, and the spiritual quests of ancient civilizations, which were oriented toward the quest for the Supreme being.

 

The dearly departed brother Constantine Politis, the Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Greece, connects the dynamic of the founding of modern Freemasonry with the Great Mysteries and the Lodges of Mysteries of the Ancient Greeks.

He writes: “…. the Lodges of Mysteries emerged, where the pious came to be enlightened, making chains of work among themselves and imitating the harmonious rhythms of The Lyre of Orpheus; they tried to acquire their precious self-knowledge with pure orgiastic dances.

Over time, these Lodges extended their philosophical pursuits to many directions, attempting to penetrate more into the ignorance of the human mind; by using defined mystical rituals, always in accordance with the events in nature, they reached the creation of the Eleusinian Mysteries. …

Centuries passed and time changed a lot; the powerful Light of the Mysteries began to not be understood by the cold dim light of the dogmas… but some Lodges secretly performed their sacred initiations among the ignorance of the medieval humanity of the time.

And we arrived at 1717, where the first Sanctuary of thought was established, apparent in the abundant Light of the Day… and then the creation of a multitude of Respectable Lodges offered their work-acquired mercy to all pious people.

That very Golden Mercy which was distributed by Ancient Eleusis back then….¨” (br. C. Politis, 2017)

His study reveals both the possibilities and the limits of human institutions, illuminating the complex relationship between ideas, social action and historical change.

 

SOURCES

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Burke, Peter. 1992. History and Social Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.

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Huffmire, Edward. 2004. “Recovered Masonic Archives from Moscow and Their Historical Significance.” Heredom 12: 45–68.

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Jacob, Margaret C. 2006. The Origins of Freemasonry: Facts and Fictions. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Kant, Immanuel. 1784. “Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung?” Berlinische Monatsschrift.

Mackey, Albert G. 1873. An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. Philadelphia: Moss & Company.

Maslow, Abraham H. 1943. “A Theory of Human Motivation.” Psychological Review 50 (4): 370–396.

Outram, Dorinda. 2013. The Enlightenment. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Stevenson, David. 1988. The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland’s Century, 1590–1710. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Tocqueville, Alexis de. 1835. De la démocratie en Amérique. Paris: Gosselin.

Grande Loge Féminine de France. 2015. Histoire de la Franc-Maçonnerie Féminine. Paris: GLFF Publications.

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