The Mystic Tye

Throwback episode: Bro. Lon Milo DuQuette delivers the opening keynote of the Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference (2022).

"Is Freemasonry esoteric? The simple answer is yes, of course it is. It is, if you are."

To kick off the first Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference in 2022, we invited one of the most respected voices in modern Western esotericism to set the tone. Lon Milo DuQuette did not disappoint.

In this throwback episode, DuQuette opens with a haunting, dreamlike vision of what Masonry could be: a secret international gathering of esoterically-minded brothers, meeting in a magnificent temple to labor for the soul of the Craft. From there he asks the harder question: why has so much of mainstream Masonry turned away from its own esoteric roots, and what does that mean for the future of the fraternity?

This is essential listening for any Mason who has ever felt the pull of the symbols, sensed there was something deeper behind the ritual, and wondered whether anyone else in their lodge was seeing the same thing.

What we cover

• The dream of esoteric Masonry: a vivid imagining of what the Craft is supposed to be
• Why anti-esoteric attitudes inside the fraternity are both ill-timed and self-defeating
• Membership decline and the one demographic still applying in significant numbers
• Symbols as living messengers, and how to follow the ones that find you
• DuQuette's own path: 25 years of ceremonial magic, the O.T.O., and A∴A∴ before joining the Craft at fifty
• Why an esoteric Mason is not made by Masonry — but esoteric Masons make Masonry esoteric

Q&A highlights

• Comparing the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, O.T.O., and the A∴A∴ to the Masonic experience
• The Chamber of Reflection and why it deserves a place in every lodge
• "Blue lightning" one-day classes and what gets lost when degrees are rushed
• How to nurture esoteric curiosity in brothers whose initiation experience left it dormant
• Concordant bodies versus the Blue Lodge: where the real treasure actually is

About the guest

Lon Milo DuQuette is an author, lecturer, musician, and one of the leading voices on Hermetic Qabalah, Tarot, and the work of Aleister Crowley. He is a long-time member of the Ordo Templi Orientis and the author of more than twenty books, including The Magick of Aleister Crowley, Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, and Low Magick. His latest book is The Tarot Architect. He returns as our keynote speaker for the upcoming Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference, alongside Ike Baker and Doug Russell.

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
• Patreon (early episodes, extended cuts, artwork, extras): patreon.com/mystictye

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. We are also building a directory of Freemasonic events and publications. If you know of something coming up, send Troy an email at troy@mystictye.com.

Graphics and web hosting by Art Szabo Creative. Theme music by Organist (Moka Only).

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

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