X-oriente

In this episode Jason and Eric are joined by Chris Hodapp to discuss his recent blog entry The Decline of Men, and what Freemasons Need to Do About It. We had some technical issues with Chris' audio, we apologize for the difficulty. We think it is worth the listen.

While Jason is still completing his invasion of the European continent, Eric is joined by special guest host Juan Sepulveda. In addition to being one of the hosts of The Masonic Roundtable and host of The Winding Stairs podcasts, Bro. Sepulveda is an accomplished artist, and creator of a unique Masonic education program called Applied Freemasonry. In this episode we explore how we can make the tools of Masonry more applicable to everyday life.

Join special guest host Jason Richards from the Masonic Roundtable and Eric Diamond as they discuss that we as Freemasons should expect but don't get, and what we shouldn't feel entitled to.       

Eric and Jason discuss the elements of Enlightenment thinking and what we need to do to get better at it.

Jason and Eric discuss two paths in Freemasonry: The path of Enlightenment philosophy and the path of Esoteric philosophy and why both are critical to Freemasonry's survival. We reference Antoine Faivre's excellent paper "The Two Lights: Thoughts On Two Constituative Lights of Masonic History" published in A Path to Freemasonry: the International Review of Villard DeHonnecourt, the Research Journal of the GLNF.

Why is it so important that a Freemason believe in a Supreme Being? In this episode, Jason and Eric take the First of the Old Charges apart using PARDES to see why this requirement is so important and so misunderstood.

This was supposed to be episode 93, but we had a bit of a snafu with the show numbering. So while it says 93 on the title, it is really No. 95. You'll get over it. In this episode, recorded back in January, Eric and Jason reflect on their Masonic New Years resolutions.

During Masonic Week, Eric and Jason met up on Friday for a cookout lunch at the Grand Lodge of DC, where we were joined by Pete Normand. We thought it would be fun to do an episode about "Masonic Pet Peeves," and while we started with those intentions, the conversation went much deeper. If you don't know who Pete Normand is, you should. He's one of those super-Masons, up there with guys like Rex Hutchens, Art DeHoyos, and S. Brent Morris. Bro. Normand hails from College Station, Texas, and we won't make you read his Masonic CV with all the accolades and honors he's received, but Eric at least is convinced that he has received all of them. But Pete is more than a bunch of lapel pins and titles. He's a maker--for years he published American Masonic Review, a Masonic newsmagazine in the days before blogs. He is a founder of St. Albans Lodge, one of the finer brotherly establishments in the Lone Star State. He is the Editor of The Plumbline, the newsletter of The Scottish Rite Research Society. He is an expert on

In this episode, Eric has breakfast at Masonic Week with several podcasters including Mike "The Intern" Hambrecht, Jon "Big Data" Ruark, and Jason "The Mason" Richards of The Masonic Roundtable, and Frater O of Whence Came You? We talk about Masonic media in general, learn about how we approach things differently in Masonry, eat some eggs and bacon, and drink a lot of coffee. Pour yourself a cup and join us. Jason Van Dyke could not join us due to a massive hangover. (Kidding! He was having a well-deserved break from the brethren.)

Jason & Eric discuss an interesting post by Bro. Greg Starr, courtesy of Chris Hodapp's excellent Freemasons for Dummies blog. They also wish their listeners a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, and a Rockin' Kwanzaa!

Jason & Eric discuss science fiction and Masonry as we review "If This Goes On" by Robert Heinlein.

Eric and Jason are joined by special guest Jon Ruark of the Masonic Roundtable to critique John Wm. McNaughton's (Recently retired SGC of the Scottish Rite, NMJ) recent book, Reclaiming the Soul of Freemasonry.

In this episode Jason and Eric discuss the dark side of social media and Facebook, and why it seems so hard to have a civil discussion on Facebook, and why social media is no substitute for lodge.

In this episode, Jason and Eric talk about the apps and technologies they find useful in Masonry. Eric also talks to Jeremy Barnes and Michael Radigan, founders of the firm Copiri, which has developed Amity, a new app that helps Freemasons around the world travel and connect with each other in safety. To download Amity and sign up, visit you local app store: If you use iOS, go here. If you use Android, go here. For more information, visit Copiri. Special thanks to Michael and Jeremy.

Jason and Eric talk about Masonic identity and what Masonry feels like.

Jason and Eric discuss their experiences with Masonic conferences. It's not about the program, it is about the people you meet there. They also propose a new type of conference for Masonic Week. Please visit our Patreon Page and consider becoming an Xecutive Producer. It helps keep the show going and it helps us bring new and better Masonic experiences to you.

In this episode, Jason and Eric discuss a foundational aspect of Freemasonry: trust. What it is, why it is important and how it relates to honor. Eric referenced items from Honor: a History, by James Bowman

The events in Charlottesville were disturbing. I thins episode, Jason and Eric talk about an op-ed in the New York times on the perils of identity politics, an editorial warning about the unintentional dangers of Google and Facebook, and a speech on Masonry that is as fresh today as the day it was originally given. Full show notes at xoriente.com Here are the links to the editorials: Google Doesn’t Want What’s Best for Us I’m a White Man. Hear Me Out.  

In this episode we talk about some craziness in fake news (the real fake news, not the fake fake news) and an article on Elitism penned by Bro. Nick Johnson of the Millennial Freemason. Complete details and show notes at xoriente.com

The show so good we did it twice! Well in truth we had tech issues last week that prevented us from completing the show, but we fixed them! In this episode, Jason and Eric count down our top 10 Masonic movies. Now unlike other Masonic movie lists, we wanted to find films that didn't necessarily contain direct Masonic references (like National Treasure), but we wanted to find films that reflected Masonic ideas, themes and values. Special thanks to the guys at Oriental for their recommendations. Special thanks to the guys at Oriental for their recommendations. Also, special thanks to my wife, Fran Diamond, for helping me find the clips. Our choices: 10. The Matrix 9. The Grand Budapest Hotel 8. A Face In the Crowd 7. The Fountain 6. Spartacus 5. The Seven Samurai 4. Star Wars (Episode 4) 3. Master & Commander 2. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 1. Henry V Links to all the clips can be found in the show notes at www.xoriente.com. NOTE: The clips contained in this episode are included and intended for co