X-oriente

In this episode, Eric and Jason talk with Heather D. Fulton, a member of Le Droit Humain. Le Droit Humain is a coed form of Freemasonry that is recognized by the Grand Orient de France, and while much smaller than our mainstream English style Freemasonry, they are just as active as our system. Heather was a lot of fun to talk to, and we think this was a conversation you won't want to miss.

In this episode, Jason and Eric discuss anti-intellectualism, what it is and how it is affecting Masonry. This was recorded before our break, so ignore all the talk at the end about how we're taking off time. We took it, and we're back, baby!

Our first Live broadcast! In this episode, we discuss Traditional Observance and the Masonic Restoration Foundation: It's a force for good, but like any powerful idea, there are perils and pitfalls to watch out for. For additional show notes and links, go to the blog page

Our very first video X-Oriente! Well not actually our first, but our first in our regular shows. This is more an experiment. Going forward we will try to record LIVE and we invite you to join. We will record at 8pm Central, 0100 (Next Day) UTC on Sundays. Join us at Facebook Live. See our Facebook Page For more details. For now you can get the video on our Youtube Channel, on Facebook, or get the Audio on your Favorite podcast software or on iTunes. Links below. In this episode, Eric and Jason have a frank discussion about Grand Lodge Amity and Recognition, the "nuclear option," and why it seems to be used more and more these days. Is this unusual? If so, what might be the cause? Who really suffers? We take a thoughtful, yet respectful look at what is going on and why. Also, we are switching audio format to AAC (.m4a). We are doing this because the license agreement for MP3 is expiring and software will slowly start to phase it out. (Betcha didn't know, but someone actually owns the MP3 format!) Most of you s

Jason has a lot on his mind in this episode. He's thinking about advertising and Masonry. Is it necessary? Is it a good idea? What role does marketing and advertising play in attracting men to Freemasonry? We have a discussion. Visit www.xoriente.com for links and references! By the way, you will notice a break in the numbering. Don't worry, you haven't missed anything. We've got some episodes that we decided not to publish for various reasons. We'll try and bring them back.

  W. Bro Michael Swaney is an expert on Leadership and developing executive talent. He was the Worshipful Master of Oriental Lodge No. 33 in Chicago for the 2016 Masonic Year. In this episode, Jason and Eric discuss the qualities of Leadership in life and the Lodge and the challenges that leaders in an all-volunteer organization like Freemasonry are likely to face. This episode was originally recorded last Fall 2016, and thanks to a technical problem wasn't usable, but thanks to some hard work, we were able to restore it for your listening enjoyment.

In this episode, Jason and I sit down with Thomas Francis Lane II and Eve Bottano, of the 357s, a Masonic themed-alt-rock band from Northwest Indiana. Jason and I love the sound, which is a mixture of punk, rockabilly, goth, a little New Wave and, as Eve insists, the B-52s. The 357s challenge what a Masonic rock band could and should be: aside from Thomas, all the members of the band are female. But the sound is distinctive and haunting. Thomas, Jason, Eve and I talked about the band's influences and how Masonry informs Thomas' musical experience. Funny story: Thomas thought we recorded the show in a proper studio, so they made the trip up from Indiana to Skokie. My home studio will barely fit 2 people, let alone 3, so we had a lot of last minute scrambling to relocate all the recording gear to the dining room! Apologies for any dogs barking. I'm glad Eve and Thomas were such good sports about it, and after several tech challenges we were able to get the recording going. The 357s album drops on September 17th

Does your lodge have it's own unique traditions? Maybe you are like Williamsburg Lodge No. 6 in Virginia that March in Colonial garb every St. John's Day. Perhaps you are like St. John's No. 1 in New York that takes care of the Washington Bible, or Independent Royal Arch Lodge No. 2, which is largely credited for re-inventing the modern "Table Proceeding" ritual. Or maybe like my lodge that performs the Tyler's Toast at the end of each social gathering. Lodge traditions help lodges find their own voice, but traditions must be managed to make sure they don't interfere with the core work and traditions. In this episode, we'll discuss lodge traditions: creating them, maintaining them, reinventing them and retiring them.

In this show, the first of our summer season, we are joined by special guest Dr. Ramesh Rhagavan to give us an introduction to mysticism from the Hindu perspective.  Ramesh is Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the School of Social Work at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in New Brunswick. He is also a member of the core faculty of the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research. He is both an MD and a PhD, so I guess you could call him a high degree Mason (i crack myself up sometimes). He was initiated, passed and raised in Ionic Lodge No 520 (now Ionic Composite Lodge No 520) in 1999 in Los Angeles, CA. He is a current member of Tuscan Lodge No 360 in St Louis, MO, where he was most recently Senior Warden. I really enjoyed our conversation with Ramesh, and learned a lot about the Hindu perspectives. It gave me new insights to my own practice and I hope you enjoy the conversation.   We recorded this almost a month ago, so the Masonic news is a little bit stale.

The recent actions of some grand lodges to withdraw recognitionof others is based in the idea that there are certain principles,or Landmarks that are the foundational principles that defineregularity. While we like to think of them as fixed andimmovable, the truth is that they are highly variable and open tointerpretation. In this episode, Eric and Jason discuss Landmarksand why they are important. They also discuss some differentcollections of landmarks and compare and contrast them.For additional reading, see Paul Bessel's excellent website.

Apologies for the delay...we had a few technical glitches but we've got them figured out... I think. In this episode Jason and Eric are joined by W. Bro. Jon Ruark, one of the host of The Masonic Roundtable. Jon is taking on an ambitious and much needed project--he is doing a Masonic survey to try and learn what is the real cause of our decline. We then talk a little bit about retention and how me might think about not just attracting the right kind of men, but keeping the good ones we have. Please go right now and take the Masonic survey at http://tinyurl.com/masonicsurvey. and enjoy the show!

Sure, Freemasonry is not a business, but lodges do business. Managing our finances, raising funds, dues...in this episode Jason and Eric have a discussion of various aspects of the finances of a lodge, and some of the problems that lodges face when they neglect the financial side of things.

The third in our series of shows about the tenets of Freemasonry. What is Truth? Is Truth subjective? How can we know if something is true? And as Masons, how should we be thinking about Truth in our pursuit of it? This time Jason and Eric are joined by Professor Sandy Goldberg, Chair of Philosophy at Northwestern University to explore these questions. Understand what truth is and where and how to find it has never been more important.  We also will bring you up to speed on the recognition situation. IMPORTANT NOTE: we do our best to get the latest information, but if you are in one of the jurisdictions affected [Currently, CA, DC, TN, GA, ME, RGLB (Belgium), GLNF (France)] please contact your Grand Lodge or Lodge Secretary regarding issues of visitation, plural membership, etc. Do not rely on podcasts or blogs for official information. As always, the views expressed on this show are those of the participants and are not those of any Lodge, Grand Lodge, Appendant Body or any other Masonic body or organization

The second part in our exploration of the tenets of Masonry. What is relief? Is it the same as charity? What forms of relief are there and what is our duty as Masons to perform Relief? In this episode, Jason and Eric explore the meaning of Masonic Relief.

Big News! I'm pleased to announce the addition of a co-host! Jason Van Dyke will be in the co-pilot's seat, starting with this episode! Religion and politics are the two subjects that are forbidden to be discussed in Lodge, as we say they are the two topics that serve to divide men. Recent events in Tennessee have elevated both religion AND politics into the Masonic sphere, causing all kinds of problems. Outside of the Craft, we are in the midst of a political process that is breaking down because of a lack of mutual respect and civility.  Can Masonry help us as a society walk this back? Are we destined to be torn apart by the same forces that are straining democracy all over the world? We open the discussion: How can Masonry help? Visit www.xoriente.com for more detailed show notes.

The first tenet of Freemasonry is brotherly love. What is brotherly love, how is it distinctive from other kinds of love, and how do we understand it both from historical precedent, and today? If indeed brotherly love is a tenet, how should inform our conduct today? It is said that the tenets of Freemasonry are brotherly love, relief, and truth. And were going to spend the next few shows exploring just exactly what that means. Visit xoriente.com for more detailed show notes and links to more content.

It is the most powerful object in freemasonry and can either enhance or ruin the harmony of the lodge. But do we really pay attention to the black cube and how it can help or harm the Craft?

We've been talking about social relevance. In this episode I propose that our cause and our banner should be EDUCATION, in all of its forms. When people ask "what do masons do, imagine a world where we can say, "we protect the world from ignorance and tyranny," Who wouldn't want to sign on for that?

OK, I know we said we were not going to talk about this any more, but no sooner was last episode posted, than The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia came out with a statement of Masonic principles designed to distance themselves from the Grand Lodges like Georgia and Tennessee that are actively discriminating against men based on sexual orientation. In this episode, a quick one, I share with you what I found and comment on some reader comments made to Chris Hodapp's Freemasons for Dummies blog. The comments can be found here. The original text from the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia can be found at www.xoriente.com. Remember: my words are my own and do not reflect the opinions of the GL of DC (or any Grand Lodge, Lodge or Masonic body). What do you think about the GL of DC's statement?

I originally placed this episode into the vault, never to be published, but recent events in Georgia have made it necessary to dust it off and publish it.  I realize it is controversial, but it has to be said. What do you think? Share your thoughts for me after you listen to the episode.