An Open Letter

Lodge Circumspect is a lodge of Post-Modern Freemasonry, a member of the 1613 Nation community of Masonic lodges. Located in New York City, our function is to service sincere seekers of Masonic light.

As a Post-Modern lodge we exist far outside of the Masonic "box." we are not mainstream, we are not recognized by the mainstream. nor are we a apart of the European flavor "continental" system. We reserve the right as free men and women to determine for ourselves our own direction. To establish out own lodge as we see fit. We do not seek permission, we do not live by excuses.

Lodge Circumspect is under reformation. We where founded by members that for whatever reason found themselves not in line with the ideals that they promised to uphold. We do not hold this as a permanent sin. We hold no ill feelings. We have removed the influences that have been counter productive. We have started anew and we are here to stay.

Others may claim the name Lodge Circumspect. As we live in a free society this is their right. We do not own exclusive rights to either the word lodge nor circumspect. We do however represent the 1613 Nation in an official capacity and we are the only lodge in New York City authorized to do so. Should anyone else claim otherwise at the very best they are not in possession of the facts and more than likely are our out to intentionally mislead.

We do not engage in profane verbal sparring matches. Those who are former members are no longer of any value to us. We wish them the best as fellow members of global humanity but they hold no special favor with us. We are here for our brethren. We stand shoulder to shoulder beside other members of the 1613 Nation. In times of need we are there for our own. Outsiders are not our concern.

With that out of the way we welcome those who are interested with open arms. We invite those who are interested in what we are about to contact us. We will answer all inquiries with honesty. We believe that information is power.

Our lodge is not for everybody. In fact it isn't for most. We never claim to be a "one size fits all lodge." We aren't members of a generic community. We may not be for you who are reading this and that's OK. But we are for some. God willing, we will be here for a long time.

We wish all the very best in whatever path they choose to pursue.

Big Changes for Lodge Circumspect

As many may have heard some rather drastic changes are underway at Lodge Circumspect. For reasons known only to the parties involved, the Worshipful Master of Lodge Circumspect June Lennon has resigned. Along with her the previous membership of the lodge. We wish those three ladies the very best and we will not encourage gossip as it is unMasonic behaviour.

We will announce that Lodge Circumspect is to continue and is in the process of entirely new leadership and membership being put into place. Unfortunately when you are a new lodge in a new order the wrong things can happen. This time they did happen for all of the right reasons according to us as it allows the lodges to get back to it's original intention. Lodge Circumspect is a lodge of Post-modern Freemasonry and is dedicated to the 1613 Manifesto and ten point program. Let us make this perfectly clear.

More news will follow as it develops. in the meantime we invite those who share our mission to contact us. Those who have given us their support the deepest of gratitude. Those who wear the black, may the Nation continue to thrive.

IN LVX,
WM Lodge Circumspect-1613 Nation
New York City, New York -USA

Big Day for Lodge Circumspect

A lot of preparation lead to our first Feast of Saint John. We also we also did our first initiation. This was indeed a very large milestone for us and all went better than I ever could have imagined. We where a packed lodge of over twenty in attendance. This helped make this special occasion even more so. We cannot thank enough our friends and supporters.

Special thanks to all of those who could attend and make such a wonderful occasion possible. Thanks to all of those who are on Facebook also for their support. Our little lodge of Post-Modern Freemasons is growing and it is wonderful to see this all come to life.

Plenty of pictures to follow. Stay tuned.

H.G.W.
June Lennon

VITRIOL and MERCURY

I was asked several weeks ago, buy an EA , what purpose mercury filled within the reflection chamber. I am sure she didn't appreciate my rhetorical answer: "what do you think?" Nor did she appreciate my stories of the dubious medical uses for mercury in centuries past. My point is that the symbols contained within Freemasonry remain inanimate and obscure to us unless they are personalized and used. Made animate buy our own self's imagination and intellect.

A symbol must be interpreted on three levels. A visible symbol, a living force in and of itself: like a STOP sign at an intersection. Then three is the meaning of the symbol, the direction to be taken; the allusion to the process of transformation. Lastly, the symbols deeper lesson, the understanding of the spiritual principle, and the motivation of the life force of the symbol. Both mercury and VITRIOL and significant alchemical landmarks. Both, in my opinion, are representative of the plumbline.

V.T.R.I.O.L. Visita Intoriora Terra Rectifinancio Invenis Occultum Lapidem "travel to the interior of the Earth and by rectifying you will find the Philosophers Stone." The Stone that promised to be revealed was, in actuality, the perfect ashlar. The Philosophers Stone here is not that magical , wishful gem that would bring wealth to it's owner. The perfect ashlar of self was meant to be magical , enriching and rewarding quest. Revealing the path to one's true spirit and self. Indeed it was magic in the making, life extending and rewarding. VITRIOL is action, a process, a doing. The symbol of the Great Work itself! The alchemist's rectifying, or continued distillation was a process of separating the dross from the pure gold. While many medieval chemist became distracted by the notion of this process's effect on profane metals, the true esoteric interpretation of one's self and self's place in the cosmos. The digging deep into the personal abyss. Thus the warning of the Reflection Chamber: "If you fear having your faults exposed turn back now."

VITRIOL , if seen as the universal solvent, is astrologically associated with Uranus: the planet on the fringe of our galaxy; big, dark and expansive, represented on Earth as the infinite ocean. It is easy to understand the primal need of (wo)man to stare glaringly down into the dark abyss of the water, only to see his or her own face staring back. The lesson possibly is that everything you need to know is ultimately contained within self not "out there." I had the occasion to create a small plumbline jewel, it was suggested, when it was finished that it looked more like a fishing weight. That design was not intentional! But, nonetheless it was an astute observation.
Indeed, one must cast the plumb into the unknown-to plumb it- to finally know the depth of it.
VITRIOL, like the plumb bob, allows me to explore my depths. To explore: how deep and true are my thoughts? How straight is my character?

Mercury, on its surface is a mirror. Look down into the bubble of it and see for yourself. Fracture the bubble's surface and see a dozen selves. Independent, contained yet fractionalized.
This is the many faceted human personality. I see mercury, or if you will, quicksilver, as the rolling, changing evolution of self. If VITRIOL was the solvent to the early chemist then mercury was the base metal most often worked. In the elusive quest to create physical, profane gold, mercury was often imagined to be the most likely producer of the Philosopher's gold. Which was an allusion of the spiritual self's perfect ashlar. Mercury, Hermes, Hermillion in the ancient Greek literally means "a pile of stones." I imagine myself as unpurified Mercury, a collection of unhomogenized ideas, or a pile of unworked stone. A base metal that, with the correct application of VITRIOL, an acid, will be purified and made useful.

It is Mercury,s reflective quality that I find most intriguing. Just as I can stare down into the ocean entranced by it's dark depths, so too can I wonder at the reflective surface. That cool shimmer, mirroring infinite space and sky, reveals mans small place in the cosmos. Not only do we see ourselves in this personal mirror, others can see themselves reflected in us. I have observed the candle and holder in my living room. It has a large mirror attached to it so to reflect and increase the light. That, I believe, is one's purpose: to reflect and magnify the light, the light of the self, and to reflect the good and illuminated in others. This is possibly how one lodge builds upon another: magnifying first the intentions of its individual members then to reflect the light of each lodge, culminating in the international face of the Obedience.

Physics has taught me that for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is proven to me on a daily basis as I work with mercury and have idly toyed with the little reflective balls, flicking them away, to have them roll back. In this way, I believe, mercury proves one of my beliefs; that what you send out comes back to you. My actions and energies, whether directed to an individual oe sent out to the universe in general will return to me.

Now, possessing the understanding and recognition of the symbol is valuable. But, of far greater is the use of the symbol in one's own life. I recall my own initiation and the blinfords imposed darkness. The isolation forcing me to look inside for answers and to evaluate my commitment to the oaths required of me. This was only the first application of spiritual VITRIOL. The human body is a temple of the spiritual self, the soul. The VITRIOL that leads me to my own depths and exposes, sometimes painfully, the elusive philosopher's stone, is also a means to expose the illuminating inner self.

In conclusion, if VITRIOL is the tool of travel and visitation to the interior human landscape, the mercury is the mirror by which I can reflect on this self's place in the material world.

Logia Jose de San Martin-1613 Nation

Our Sister Lodge. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Post-Modern Freemasons of the 1613 Nation.

1613 Manifesto

We stand united against the forces of stagnation and institutionalised regression. As Freemasonry is a progressive science we seek to regain a fluid and flowing form. The rejection of tradition for the mere sake of maintaining the status quo. We hear-by issue in a new era. We take control of our own sovereignty. Our members are who matter not some far away "supreme council" or dictatorial oligarchy. We maintain the right of self determination. Empowerment is the new order of the day.

Preamble:

A maelstrom is rising, reaching out across the globe. The powers that have come to dominate over the last 300 years have grown tired. So bloated by their own institutional creation they have grow slow, unable to react to the needs of the twenty first century seeker of Masonic light. The traditions that they have come to rely on have betrayed them. Just as a poor diet with lead to a body ravaged with afflictions and cancer and a poor education leaves a mind dull and witless their allegiance to seventeenth century best practices have left them on life support in the twenty first century age. Today's seeker of light wants more than the stale status quo. They want more than just the social men's club but the radical progressive revolution of the enlightenment.

Where do we go from here? When will apathy and stasis be replaced with enthusiasm and emotion? Now! By who? The revolutionaries who go by the Freemasonry beyond form. We call ourselves Post-Modern Freemasons, the 1613 Nation.

Guiding Principles:

Unlike our Modern and Antient predecessors , Post-Moderns are united together not through the bonds of institutional servitude but by the genuine desire to build upon common principles. It is no the desire to form yet another among the countless institutions. It is not the feeding of ego that can so easily lead to a cult of personality. It is the genuine desire and belief that a true community based upon common sense pragmatic principles will allow us to guide ourselves in the model of the twenty first century Freemason.

The first of these principles is that of sovereignty. Sovereignty not only of our lodges as independent houses of the Craft, but sovereignty of the individual to practice the Craft how would best benefit their individual lives. As Freemasons and free men and women; we the members and 1613 Nation loudly and proudly declare our sovereignty and independence; not only as Freemasons but as collective citizens under the canopy of Heaven. We hold it within our rights to manage our affairs as we see fit, regardless of attempted outside interference.

The second of these principles is the abandonment of rigid institutionalized forms. In Order to remain effective the Craft needs to be adaptable to any situation we find ourselves in. We cannot be so dedicated to one way that it leads us right off the cliff to extinction. This is counter productive ad potentially suicidal. We need to approach the Craft with a pragmatic mindset. The growth of the Nation leads to the service of seekers of Masonic light. This is our mission, we cannot be so caught up in "tradition" that we loose focus that would lead to aspirants slipping through the cracks.

The third principle reflects our commitment to the service of all true aspirants. We must not discriminate dues to gender, race, sexual orientation, class, creed, religion or lack of faith. To do so is a gross violation of contemporary human virtue. We must build a cosmopolitan Craft, one who is inclusive and meaningful in order to build a better humanity.

The fourth principle reflects our operative focus. For being operative, our Freemasonry, conscious of accomplishing the great divine intention and transcendent teachings of the ancients, does not admit any limitation to the absolute liberty of conscience and, for its natural extension, the complete liberty of the spirit. All free and honest human beings, from all races, genders, religions, social situations, philosophical or political ideals and economic conceptions should commune in harmony and unity to be free citizens within the temple of Masonic light. The operative magicks of shall be transmitted through our workings. United in this glorious endeavour, we the custodians of this magickal Rites now open this mutual community.

It is these principles that separate us from those who have come before. We claim no superiority except when it comes to being such for ourselves. Just as we do not hold any foreign authority in supreme regard we do not hold the standards of organizations outside of our community as absolute standards. We are united in our common bond and strengthened in by our will.

1613 Nation Structure:

Cooperation, Compassion, Community we are the pillars of the Temple!

The 1613 Nation is not a grand lodge or orient. There is no grand master nor supreme council. The 1613 Nation is a co-operational community guided by principle and help together by mutual benefit and respect. The institutionalized way of doing things has given us a three hundred year old case study. This is a lot of data to process and we have come to the conclusion that an institutionalized system always leads to status. When the blood stops moving the host body dies. That is what has let to a cross divisional collapse of what once was an initiatic Craft. We are determined to avoid this path of esoteric starvation.

Each lodge is independent, but each lodge is also tied to the community. We do not help each other out of fear of retribution but rather out of the joy and sense of purpose it gives , Craftsmen helping Craftsmen each busy building the temple not built by hands- one living stone at a time.

We are resolute that we will not adopt the self destructive habits of institutionalism or elitism.

1613 Nation: Ten Point Program of the Post-Modern Freemason

• 1.) Dedication to both lodge and individual Masonic empowerment. There is no greater lodge than the lodge of self. The four chambers of the Craftsman's heart not the four walls made of stucco and drywall. We as members of the 1613 Nation seek a high level of operative skill. We seek to reach a point of the "perpetual lodge." A state of being. We understand that it is not enough to meet once a month as Brothers than depart back into a state of a essentially profane life. It is through the empowerment of both the lodge of the individual Craftsman that must always remain in out focus or we will lose out state of perpetual motion.
• 2.) Commitment to the grow of the individual Mason as a Craftsman of Masonic and related arcana. We realize that Freemasonry is not a unique self contained system of spiritual enlightenment. In other words it was not created in a vacuum. Freemasonry pulls it's life energy from those traditions, schools and systems that came before it. It is made imperative in order for us to have a skill set in one so must we in the others. A 1613 Craftsman is a practitioner of other mystery traditions. Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Martinism , Kabbalah, Tantra and other forms are required if one is going to be building a temple on Earth. All our tools within our familiarity.
• 3.) Abolition of the regressive policies found within Freemasonry such a hierarchical grand lodge system. To remain a community based upon cooperation. To Abolish outdated best practices such as recognition based organizational criteria. All of these things are the enemy of the twenty first century Post-Modern Freemason. We simply cannot allow ourselves to fall into regressive "headtrash." The second we do we have failed in our divine purpose.
• 4.) Restoration of "obscure" Rites of Freemasonry to a level of active practice. To be blunt we find value in all the Rites and rituals that have come before. Within every one you'll find the "golden thread" that binds us all together. We feel it is a crime that Rites be locked away as if in a museum or some perverse literary zoo. We have the honor to have all of this great body of work to have survived the centuries. Why not use them to progress our work? We make every effort to make what is available accessible to our membership.
• 5.) The encouragement of the creation and implementation of new Rites and rituals. What has come before is fantastic, build what is born a new can make the difference between something next generation and something obsolete. We need to continuously push ourselves to not only master what we have available to be create. This creativity is the very essence of the Post-Modern Freemason.
• 6.) Dedication to overall experimentation. Unless new ideas are put into action they are useless. Let us experiment with new techniques and best practices. Lets be honest with ourselves with what works and what fails. Let us find what works and build upon it.
• 7.) Active participation in the non Masonic community. To foster the role of education and tolerance in order to build a better planet. Freemasonry is nothing more than a hobby and a distraction if what we learn and are capable of is not applied to the outside world. It is up to us to be better people. better fathers and mothers, better sisters and brothers. Better employers and employees. better citizens of the worldwide lodge. The Post-Modern Freemason sincerely believes a Masonic planet is better than a profane one. make it happen, live it.
• 8.) Maintain a strong work ethic. To build instead of buy. To be self sufficient. As a grassroots movement it is up to each and every Post-Modern Freemason to get their individual hands dirty. rely on the community for help and support but more importantly be reliable. Don't buy what you can build.
• 9.) To leave no Brother or Sister behind. Be responsible for one another. We are our Brothers keepers. Brotherly love, relief and truth for the Post-Modern Freemason is not a marketing slogan. Love your Brothers and Sisters. Make time for one another and always have each others best interests in mind. There are many obstacles against the Nation, we need to always make sure that we take care of our own.
• 10.) Maintain an atmosphere of "kaizen" continual improvement. What can be built can always be built better. Improve, innovate.

The 1613 Nation is a community movement, spreading across the globe with speed and efficiency. In keeping with the spirit of a Post-Modern fluid movement dedicated to results over absolute forms we leave it up to the individual 1613 member to make their individual views know with their own personal manifesto. We need to make sure that all who seek are serviced. Everyone is just as important as everyone else. We are not based upon the ego or agenda of one person or a select group of people. We must continue to be a dynamic movement based upon skill building, growth , harmony and perseverance.

Now is the time Brethren, the birth of the 1613 Nation.