Author Archive

Was Saint John the Baptist an Essene?

Was John the Baptist the cousin of Jesus of Nazareth?

Brethren and Ladies as we spend much time contemplating the Holy Saints John I thought I would share some of the research I have dug up on the Baptist. Some of it is controversial speculation but interesting none-the-less...

John the Baptist was the son of Zachary, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinswoman of Mary who visited her.

He was probably born at Ain-Karim southwest of Jerusalem after the Angel Gabriel had told Zachary that his wife would bear a child even though she was an old woman. He lived as a hermit in the desert of Judea until about A.D. 27. When he was thirty, he began to preach on the banks of the Jordan against the evils of the times and called men to penance and baptism "for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand".

According to Albert Pike in

    Morals and Dogma

"Knight of the East and West" St. John the Baptist was likely a member of the Essene sect as he followed their ascetic doctrine. Pike further says that his teachings like those of the Essenes were truths gathered from India, Persia and elsewhere from the east as well as from Pythagoras and other Greek thinkers. Thus Masons carry on with these truths taught by John the Baptist, The Essenes and others now gone.

"... and the old faiths have faded into oblivion. But Masonry still survives, vigorous and strong, as when philosophy was taught in the schools of Alexandria and under the Portico; teaching the same old truths as the Essenes taught by the shores of the Dead Sea, and as John the Baptist preached in the Desert; truths imperishable as the Deity, and undeniable as Light. Those truths were gathered by the Essenes from the doctrines of the Orient and the Occident, from the Zend-Avesta and the Vedas, from Plato and Pythagoras, from India, Persia, Phoenicia, and Syria, from Greece and Egypt, and from the Holy Books fo the Jews. Hence we are called Knights of the East and West, because their doctirnes came from both."

Edmond Szekely is an eminent scholar and author of numerous works on this subject including

    The Essene Gospel of Peace

. Szekely obtained access to Aramaic documents in the Vatican archives in Rome, and corroborated his translations with other ancient Greek and Hebrew documents (and confirmed by the writings later discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls) surmised that both lived and studied at Qum Rum, that this is where Jesus "lost years" were spent, at the monastary of the Essenes by the Dead Sea where the scrolls were undoubtedly written, then sealed up and buried for eons.

The finding of these long lost Essene documents have created a problem as they mirror the story of the passion play in the Gospels of the bible. They follow the ministry of one called only "Master" in the scrolls, but who also speaks the Sermon on the Mount and ends with the Master being crucified before Passover. Szekely states that the problem for the orthodox churches lies in carbon dating of these scrolls, which dates them 100-years prior to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

At any rate Jesus and John were cousins. Mary mother of Jesus was the sister of Elizabeth mother of John, and Mary and Elizabeth have been tied to the Essene sect by scholars. That John and Jesus were preaching different doctrines is unlikely. In fact it was probably orchestrated, as the church of Rome teaches that John the Baptist was to lead the way for Christ.

This is the account from Catholic.org: "He attracted large crowds, and when Christ came to him, John recognized Him as the Messiah and baptized Him, saying, "It is I who need baptism from You". When Christ left to preach in Galilee, John continued preaching in the Jordan valley. Fearful of his great power with the people, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Perea and Galilee, had him arrested and imprisoned at Machaerus Fortress on the Dead Sea when John denounced his adultrous and incestuous marriage with Herodias, wife of his half brother Philip.

John was beheaded at the request of Salome, daughter of Herodias, who asked for his head at the instigation of her mother. John inspired many of his followers to follow Christ when he designated Him "the Lamb of God," among them Andrew and John, who came to know Christ through John's preaching. John is presented in the New Testament as the last of the Old Testament prophets and the precursor of the Messiah. His feast day is June 24th and the feast for his beheading is August 29th."

Fraternally Yours,

Steve Laurvick
Junior Warden
SW Hackett #574

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The Sack Lunches

by Anonymous

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat.

It was going to be a long flight.. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me.

I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars.

It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.

'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.

Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.' Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated.

She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?

' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked.

She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane.

Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars! Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.

I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.' Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country.

I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little... A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

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What Did Albert Pike Say About the Press & Politicians?

Timely Excerpts from Morals and Dogma

The Press

"The Press is the great sower of falsehood. To slander a political antagonist, to misrepresent all that he says, and, if that be impossible, to invent for him what he does not say; to put in circulation whatever baseless calumnies against him are necessary to defeat him,---these are habits so common as to have ceased to excite notice or comment, much less surpise or disgust."
"There was a time when a Knight would die rather than utter a lie... No profession of an opinion not his own, for expediency's sake or profit, or through fear of the world's disfavor; no slander of even an enemy; no coloring or perversion of the sayings or acts of other men; no insincere speech and argument for any purpose, or under any pretext, must soil his fair escuteon." (1)

Yesterday or Today?

"Government should not foster the strong at the expense of the weak, nor protect the capitalist and tax the laborer.  The powerful should not seek a monopoly of development and employment; not prudence only and the expedient for to-day should be appealed to by statesmen, but conscience and the right: justice should not be forgotten in looking at interest, nor political morality neglected for political ecomomy: we should not have national housekeeping instead of national organization on the basis of right." (2)

What is right?

"There are certainly great evils of civilization at this day, and many questions of humanity long adjourned and put off.  The hideous aspect of pauperism, the debasement and vice in our cities, tell us by their eloquent silence or in inarticulate mutterings, that the rich and the powerful and the intellectual do not do theri duty by the poor..."
" A sentence is written against all that is unjust, written by God in the nature of man and in the nature of the Universe, because it is in the nature of the Infinite God. Fidelity to your faculties, trust in their convictions, that is justice to yourself; a life in obedience thereto, that is justice toward ment. Nor wrong is really successful.  The gain of injustice is a loss, its pleasure suffering. Iniquity often seems to porpsper, but its success is defeat and shame. After a long while, the day of reckoning ever comes, to nation as to individual. The knave deceives himself. the miser, starving his brother's body, starves also his own sould, and at death shall creep out of his great estate of injustice, poor and naked and miserable. Whoso escapes a duty avoids a gain. Outward judgement often fails, inward justice never...(3)

What is magic?

"Magic is that which it is; it is by itself, like the mathematics; for it is the exact and absolute science of Nature and its laws." (4)

Brother Steven Laurvick
S.W. Hackett Lodge No. 574

(1) Morals and Dogma p. 579
(2) Morals and Dogma p. 836-837
(3) Morals and Dogma p. 837
(4) Morals and Dogma p. 841

Freemason FAQs

(Thanks to the Masonic Brethren At Fulton Friendship Lodge #102 in New Jersey for this list of questions and answers. We are adapting things such as age requirements for California Grand Lodge Rules and Regulations.)

Freemason FAQs

Author: http://www,SanDiegoFreemason.com

Frequently Asked Questions About Freemasonry

1) What is Freemasonry?
Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternal order in the world. It is a universal brotherhood of men dedicated to serving God, family, fellowman, and country. It is often described as a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated with symbols.

Though its exact origins are uncertain, it is generally believed that the organization descended from the guilds of stone or "operative" masons who were "free" to travel from city to city to employ their skills in the building of Gothic churches and cathedrals in Medieval Europe. These craftsmen were known for the architectural skills and commitment to high standards and ethical values, and their guilds or operating lodges served as learning centers and protectors of competitive trade secrets, to be revealed only to trusted, capable companions. Gradually, as the cathedrals and churches were completed and the need for building skills declined, the lodges began to accept men of prominence who were not stonemasons, but who nevertheless desired to associate with the operative craftsmen. This new class of members, known as "speculative" masons, were given the status of "accepted"; that is, accepted into the lodges as members having something to offer, but to be distinguished from the operative masons. As time went on, these speculative masons outnumbered the operative masons, and the lodges accordingly shifted their focus from the discussion of technical and operative building arts to the teaching and practice of moral philosophy. It was from these groups of accepted masons that Freemasonry as we know it today had emerged.

2) How is Freemasonry organized?
The fraternity is organized into what are known as Symbolic or "Blue" Lodges. Each Blue Lodge is comprised of a group of Masons who meet on a regular basis. Blue Lodges are organized under a Grand Lodge, which serves as the authority for and dictates the practices of all lodges within its jurisdiction. No regularly constituted lodge can come into being without the consent of a Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge is the highest Masonic authority within the jurisdiction in which it resides; its word on any Masonic subject is Masonic law within its own borders. In the United States, Masonic jurisdictions are coincident with state lines.

The first Grand Lodge was established in England in 1717. The fratenity grew rapidly soon after. Today, there are an estimated 5 million Masons throughout the world, with the United States claiming about 3.5 million of the total membership.

3) What are the Masonic "degrees"?
A man who enters Masonry does so by progressing through three ritualistic ceremonies or degrees, each of which is designed to inculcate important principles and practices of the fraternity. The three degrees are Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. The significance of the lessons presented within each degree ceremony become more apparent to the candidate as he proceeds through them. The ceremonies are of a serious and solemn nature, and the candidate should have no apprehensions whatsoever in participating in the ceremonies or of the manner of his reception into each degree.

4) Is Freemasonry a religion?
No. While the moral philosophy of Freemasonry is based upon religious principles, it is not in itself a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. To state it another way, the Fraternity does not regard itself as an instrument of God for the purpose of reconciling men to Him, but it does teach that men do need such reconciliation and should seek it through the religious faith of their preference. Candidates for Masonry are thus required to profess a belief in God and be of good moral character, though they are not required to be of any particular religious affiliation. Consequently, the fraternity is comprised of and welcomes men of all religious beliefs and persuasions. How and where a Mason chooses to practice his faith is entirely his own business.

5) Is Freemasonry a political organization?
No. Masonic organizations and Freemasonry in general are non-political. Lodge memberships consist of men of diverse political and social views. As Masons, they recognize one another as friends and brothers without regard to political party or allegiance. Indeed, partisan (as well as religious) discussions are forbidden within lodge meetings, as such topics can often result in divisiveness and disharmony.

It is also important to remember that Masonry never requires its members to do or say anything that might conflict with their duty to God, their country, their neighbors, or themselves. A man's obligations as a Mason in no way conflict with his obligations as a member of society. On the contrary, the Masonic Fraternity reiterates, reinforces, and reemphasizes them.

6) Is Freemasonry a charity?
Freemasonry is not a charity organization per se, although charity is a basic teaching and important element of the fraternity. Masons assist distressed brother Masons and their needy families through charity funds, maintained by most lodges.

But Masonic charity also reaches well beyond the Fraternity. Indeed, Masonry spends over $2,000,000 per day to support charitable causes. The best-known examples of such charities are the Shriners' Hospitals for Children. Known as the "World's Greatest Philanthropy", this renowned pediatric healthcare system provides outstanding treatment for children with orthopedic problems and serious burn injuries. A remarkable aspect of these hospitals is that they do not have a patient billing department - all services are provided totally without charge to the patient and family, and without regard to the family's Masonic affiliation.

Other examples of Masonic charity include treatment, rehabilitation, and research services for learning and speech disorders, cancer, mental illness, vision problems, and those in need of special dental restoration.

7) Is Freemasonry a "secret" society?
No. Freemasonry is a well-known organization that has been in existence for centuries. Its members freely identify themselves and are proud to be known as Masons. Masonic Lodges are familiar sights in communities all over the world. Their constitutions, rules, and regulations are open for inspection by anyone who cares to view them, and there are literally thousands of written works available in public libraries and bookstores on the subject of Freemasonry.

Freemasonry does have certain modes of recognition, rites, and ceremonies that are kept secret. These "secrets" are viewed by the Fraternity as private affairs, similar to the secrets kept by private businesses and other organizations who choose not to publicize certain information. Strictly speaking, therefore, Freemasonry is not a secret society, but rather a society with a few secrets.

The secrecy of Freemasonry is an honorable secrecy. Any man may ask for her secrets, and those who are worthy will receive them. To give any such secrets to those who do not seek or who are not worthy of them would trivialize their importance and impoverish their meaning.

See also the following paper: What Can I Tell My Non-Masonic Friends?.

8) How can I become a Freemason?
An important characteristic of the Masonic Fraternity is that it never solicits members. Our code of conduct prevents it. Thus, no faithful Mason will ever invite you to join the Fraternity. Instead, a man must ask to be admitted by contacting a lodge and requesting a petition for membership.

Applicants for admission must be at least 19 years of age, be mentally competent, be of good moral character, and must believe in the existence of a Supreme Being. Upon submission of a petition, a candidate must provide three character references, and will be investigated by a committee of inquiry. The Lodge must approve his candidacy by a unanimous ballot. The candidate is then eligible to receive the three Degrees of Symbolic Freemasonry.

...

Is Freemasonry a Religion?

Is Freemasonry a Religion?

Author: http://www.SanDiegoFreeMason.com

This question has been asked of me by close to half of those who discover that I am a member of our ancient and honorable fraternity, including prospective applicants.

The answer is of course no, freemasonry is not a religion, however it is too simplistic of an answer. To answer it in a more intelligent way I recently checked out Albert Pike's "Morals and Dogma" from the library at the San Diego Scottish Rite (thank you Bro. Norris), and will share what I gleaned from it here.

Brother Pike consolidated and reworked the Masonic degrees following the blue lodge degrees in the mid 1800s. He is an unimpeachable source and this work contains his opinion on all things Masonic.

I would dare not presume to interpret Pike, and find it unnecessary. The same is true of the ritual. If one does not understand the meaning then one should read it, or if possible, recite it again. There is a conciseness in the work rarely found in literature of any kind.

However to answer this frequently asked question I am going to rearrange this passage in his work as below:

Says Pike, "This is what is asked and answered in our catechism, in regard to the Lodge."

"A 'Lodge' is defined to be 'an assemblage of Freemasons, duly congregated, having the sacred writings, square, and compass, and a charter, or warrant of constitution, authorizing them to work.'"

"Though Masonry neither usurps the place of, nor apes religion, prayer is an essential part of our ceremonies. It is the aspirations of the soul toward the Absolute and Infinite Intelligence, which is the One Supreme Deity, most feebly and misunderstandingly characterized as an "ARCHITECT."

He continues, "Certain faculties of man are directed toward the Unknown--thought, meditation, prayer. The unknown is an ocean, of which conscience is the compass. Thought, meditaion, prayer, are the great mysterious pointings of the needle. It is a spiritual magnetism that thus connects the human soul with the Deity. These majestic irradiations of the soul pierce through the shadow toward the light."

"It is but a shallow scoff to say that prayer is absurd, becouse it is not possible for us, by means of it, to persuade God to change His plans. He produces foreknown and foreintended effects, by the instrumentality of the forces of nature, all of which are His forces. Our own are part of these. Our free agency and our will are forces. We do not absurdly cease to make efforts to attain wealth or happiness, prolong life, and continue health, because we cannot by any effort change what is predestined. If the effort also is predestined, it is not the less of our effort, made of our free will. so, likewise, we pray. Will is a force. Thought is a force. Prayer is a force. Why should it not be of the law of God, that prayer, like Faith and Love, should have its effects?

"Man is not to be comprehended as a starting point, or progress as a goal, without those two great forces, Faith and Love. Prayer is sublime. Orisons that beg and clamor are pitiful. To deny the efficacy of prayer, is to deny that of Faith, Love, and Effort. Yet the effects produced, when our hand, moved by our will, launches a pebble into the ocean, never cease; and every uttered word is registered for eternity upon the invisible air.

"Every Lodge is a Temple, and as a whole, and in its details symbolic. The Universe itself supplied man with the model for the first temples reared to the Divinity. the arrangement of the Temple of Solomon, the symbolic ornaments, which formed its chief decorations, and the dress of the High-Priest, all had reference tothe order of the Universe, as then understood. The Temple contained many emblems of the seasons-the sun, the moon, the planets, the constellations Ursa Major and Minor, the zodiac, the elements, and the other parts of the world. it is the Master of this Lodge, of the Universe, Hermes, of whom Khurum is the represetnative, that is one of the lights of the Lodge.

"For further instruction as to the symbolism of the heavenly bodies, and of the sacred numbers, and of the temple and its details, you must wait patiently until you advance in Masonry, in the mean time exercising your intellect in studying them for yourself. to study and seek to interpret correctly the symbols of the Universe, is the work of the sage and philosopher. It is to decipher the writing of God, and penetrate into His thoughts."

...

Free Masons Join LA Lodges at Record Pace

Freemasons in midst of popularity, membership boom
The secretive society gains a higher, hipper profile as younger men seek out a place for fraternal bonding.
By Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 18, 2008
IN LOS FELIZ, across from a 7-Eleven on North Vermont Avenue, a few dozen men in their early 20s to late 80s share a dinner behind closed doors. Some wear full tuxedos with bow ties and jeweled cuff links, some have shoulder-length hair, and others wear open-collared shirts that reveal the slightest filigree of tattoo arching across their chests.

Over Italian food, retired lawyers and judges sit elbow-to-elbow with owners of scrap metal yards and vintage clothing boutiques. They hold forth on philosophy, the weather; they rib each other and joke about saving room for cannoli. As they reach for seconds, they reveal skull-cracking rings emblazoned with a compass and a square.

Meet the millennial Masons. As secret societies go, it is one of the oldest and most famous. Its enrollment roster includes Louis Armstrong and Gerald Ford, and it has been depicted in movies such as “The Da Vinci Code” and “National Treasure.” Once more than 4 million strong (back in the 1950s), it has been in something of a popularity free-fall ever since. Viewed with suspicion as a bastion of antiquated values and forced camaraderie, the Masons have seen membership rolls plummet more than 60% to just 1.5 million in 2006.

Only now the trend seems to be reversing itself, and nowhere more noticeably than in Southern California. The reasons seem clear. In another Masonic Hall, this one on La Cienega, a Sri Lankan-born banker, a sunglasses-wearing Russian immigrant and a continent-hopping Frenchman break bread, poke at their salads and chat about their health.

"For a time it looked as if Masonry was going into a sharp decline, if not the death throes," said UCLA history professor Margaret C. Jacob, who has written extensively about the fraternal order. "But it looks like it may be making a comeback."

That's because the Freemasons, whose tenets forbid soliciting or recruiting members, have enthusiastically embraced the Internet as a way to leverage curiosity about an organization with its roots in Europe's medieval stonemasons guilds. Freemasonry today sees itself as a thinking man's salon, a learned society with a philanthropic bent.

"We had a record number of new members last year," said Allan Casalou, grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of California. "We added 2,000 men, which is the most since 1998 and our seventh straight year of membership increases."

And, to paraphrase that Oldsmobile campaign, these definitely aren't your father's Freemasons. They are bar owners, male models and olive-oil brokers. They are men like Zulu, an L.A. tattoo artist with a swirling Maori-inspired design inked across his face and a panoply of metal piercing his ears, nose and face. They are men like Jonathan Kanarek, who runs a men's vintage clothing store on Hollywood Boulevard and whose retro chic wardrobe of polka-dot ascots, glen-plaid jackets and smartly pressed pocket squares earned him a spot on Esquire magazine's 2007 list of best-dressed real men in America. And they are men like Daemon Hillin, whose surfer-dude looks and blinding white smile can be found on Japanese TV, where he plays sidekick and comic foil to the Japanese version of the Hilton sisters.

They are also all men who want to be part of an all-for-one and one-for-all brotherhood built on shared ideals, philosophical pursuits and a penchant for rings, aprons and funny hats. As Zulu bluntly put it: "I joined because I was looking for people to hang with that were like-minded but also hip and cool, and a lot of tattoo artists tend to be drunks and druggies."

Hillin, who originally joined the Masons in Temecula, moved to L.A. and is interested in the Santa Monica-Palisades Lodge No. 307, one of the youngest and most diverse congregations in the state (the average age of active brothers is just 33). The lodge's senior deacon, Jim Warren, calls it " 'Star Trek' without the chicks." "We have every possible national origin, ethnicity and religious denomination you could imagine," he said.

Warren credits the Internet. "We were one the first lodges in the state to have a website up," he said. "That led to a huge spike in membership."

Other lodges followed suit, putting up their own sites and drawing a crowd. That's how prospective Mason Johnny Royal ended up at the door of Elysian Lodge No. 418 last month. Intrigued by the distinctive Masonic architecture that graces most halls, the 31-year-old publicist with sideburns to his chin and hair to his shoulders and a Renaissance lute player tattoo on his right forearm hit the Web.

What he read about the Masonic ideals -- wisdom, strength, beauty and the pursuit of knowledge -- made him decide to pursue membership. "My generation wants to be part of something beyond itself," Royal said. "I want to learn; I want to participate."

The Web generation

THE INTERNET hasn't only made it easier to learn about the Freemasons, Casalou says, it's changed the type of men coming forward. "There is so much information on the Internet that by the time someone comes to a lodge to seek membership, they already know a lot about Masonry," he said. "Which is a big departure from previous generations. And it means they are more likely to be active participants."

Zulu became curious about Freemasonry after tattooing Masonic symbology on several clients. He joined five years ago at age 39 and now serves as webmaster and senior warden of North Hollywood Lodge No. 542. He has also gone on to become both a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner (Masonic membership is a prerequisite for both), and next year he will become the leader of his lodge. "I'll be the first black worshipful master in the lodge's history," he said, using the proper term of respect.

But he probably won't be the last. Because California's contingent of Freemasons is expected to grow, the average age of its members, once 71 and now 65, is expected to drop. By 2018, as Casalou predicts, the state will be awash in 55-year-old pre-retirement Masons giving each other secret handshakes, wearing ritual aprons and invoking the Grand Architect of the Universe.

The Internet continues to help. Zulu said that he gets at least four e-mails a week from prospective Masons around the globe who see his tattooed and pierced visage at the lodge website and want to be reassured such an alternative look isn't a barrier to membership.

"Yeah, I think it's going to become hip and chic to be a Mason," Zulu said. "And that could be a dangerous thing."

adam.tschorn@latimes.com