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Saint Vincent Lodge No. 1404 in the Province of Bristol |
| LET'S WALK
by Bro. Daniel John Lewis (April 2009) |
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 There are many different routes into and
through Freemasonry, and when you are part of a lodge you'll often hear about
the various routes. I thought that I should write a little about my experience
of finding out about Freemasonry, and the desire to join. My hope is that by
being completely open and honest about my particular path, it may encourage
others to do so too, and by so doing that we can learn more about ourselves and
others.I was at Further Education College, when I first heard anything about Freemasonry. To be honest, it was typically my friends talking about "Conspiracy Theories" and how "The Freemasons are part of the Evil Illuminati who will take over the world," but I was very doubtful and did a bit of my own research on the worldwide web. I found that the Masons were actually people to look up to. The Freemasons are a group of spiritually-inclined men who are trustworthy, charitable - simply good people. After college I went to University to do an undergraduate degree within the broad field of Computer Science at Oxford Brookes University. I hadn't really specifically thought any more about Masonry, but my interest in spiritual matters increased. I delved into Paganism and also Buddhism, and became a lot more spiritually-orientated than in my youth. I learnt Tarot cards (and of course, came across the writings of A.E. Waite), and also joined the Oxford Pagan Circle where I was lucky to meet Mogg Morgan owner of Mandrake and founder of the Oxford Golden Dawn Occult Society. So, as you may be able to tell, I was being subconsciously exposed to some of the things which have spun-off from "Fringe-Masonry" or have been somehow attached to the more arcane authors of Freemasonry. Unfortunately some nasty things happened in my personal life. But then something nice: I met my (now) fiancée! She is Christian, and I found myself going to Church with her. I started to move away from Pagan and Buddhist practices and started to follow some Christian practices instead. I was baptised and confirmed in late 2007 in Oxford into the worldwide Anglican Communion (in particular the Church of England). I have never found myself a "typical" Christian, and have always enjoyed reading the deuterocanon/apocrypha and the Gnostic gospels, and I don't think I'll ever let go of that mystical/esoteric side. Anyway, I've digressed… I found myself looking at the symbols on the side of Oxford University Buildings and on various Churches around Oxford. Once again, I did some research on the world wide web, and thought "huh!?, stonemasons…. those Masons again?". So I started looking into Freemasonry again, and I found that it fitted very well with my beliefs about Society. I then enquired into joining the Oxford Freemasons. I was very close to applying for initiation into Round Table Lodge of Oxford (No. 9509) when I found out that I was accepted for postgraduate study at the University of Bristol. So I decided to postpone my application to Freemasonry, and I moved to Bristol. When I moved into my flat in Bristol (May 2008), I found that I was only "up the road" from the Freemasons' Hall in Bristol. So, I thought, "yes, it's time". I got in touch with the Provincial Grand Secretary in Bristol, who informed me that the Province had a University Lodge. "How perfect is this", I thought, "a lodge which is attached to my new university". I got in contact with Saint Vincent Lodge (No. 1404), and then found myself having meetings with the Secretary and then submitting my application for membership. I was proposed in lodge, successfully balloted for, and then got the call about the Initiation date. It turned out that I would be initiated on Saint Vincent Day (22nd January 2009), in Saint Vincent Lodge, as part of a "double first." I was actually quite pleased to be one of two being initiated that night, it meant that I wasn't alone in my speculation of what was going to happen. Interestingly, what I found out from my enquiries into the Bristol Province is that Bristol is truly unique amongst all of the Provinces in England. We have a different ritual, which comes from the pre-Union (of the Antients and the Moderns) era of English Masonry. Its rituals potentially derive from Ireland but possibly also from Scotland and France. This was quite different from the Freemasonry that was being talked about in London and York in the 1700s. Every Bristol Mason I have spoken to so far is very proud to be a Bristol Mason, and I am certainly very pleased that I joined Saint Vincent Lodge in Bristol. |
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