The Mystic Tye

This is a recording of the opening presentation from Grand Masonic Day 2026, featuring Bro. Josef Wages and Bro. Arturo de Hoyos. These respected Masonic historians ran through an impressive number of slides in record time. We join RWBro. Wes Regan for his introduction.

Bro. Wages is especially well regarded for his work publishing The Secret School of Wisdom, the authentic rituals and doctrines of the Illuminati. He is currently preparing forthcoming volumes on Écossais masonry, documenting the transformation of speculative Freemasonry into a philosophical tradition. He is a member of Plano Lodge 768 and the Scottish Rite Valley of Dallas in the Southern Masonic Jurisdiction, a member of the Society of Blue Friars, a fellow of the Philalethes Society, and a board member of the Scottish Rite Research Society.

Bro. Arturo de Hoyos is Grand Archivist and Grand Historian of the Supreme Council, 33° Southern Jurisdiction, and an executive officer at the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. He is the author, editor, and translator of more than fifty books and articles, and is considered America's foremost scholar on the history, rituals, and symbolism of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

In this presentation, Wages and de Hoyos trace the origins of the Élu Parfait degree system from its roots in the Irish wine trade in Bordeaux through the Atlantic networks of ships' captains and merchants who carried French high degrees to the Caribbean and North America. They examine how Stephen Morin's capture at sea in 1744 led to an unlikely chain of Masonic authority, how the original Scots Master degree forked into what became the Royal Arch, and how Laurence Dermott strategically appropriated French high degree material to build the Ancients Grand Lodge system that ultimately won the day in the Union of 1813.

Please forgive the occasional audio issues and edits, as this was recorded at a live event.

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Links and resources

• Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference: masonicconferences.com
• RSVP for the upcoming conference: esotericmasonry@gmail.com
• Mystic Tye website and event calendar: mystictye.com
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Graphics and web hosting by Art Szabo Creative. Theme music by Organist.

Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again.

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