Humble Beginings Le Droit Humain No 1

[whistler]

In 1902 the Head of all True Freemasons suggested to some English women join Freemasonry in France - "Le Droit Human Lodge No 1" was the Co-Masonic Lodge that Annie Besant along with Miss Arundale 33^o and 5 others were duly initiated passed and raised and empowered to form the first Co-Masonic Lodge in England. founded under the name of "Human Duty" The first Lodge room was the drawing room of Mrs Jacob Bright a founding member - in that drawing room Lodge meetings were held, and initiations, passing and raisings performed at length until they reached the number of 35

[jerohm]

Yes, it was an humble begining, but what a wonderful begining ! When Human Duty has been created, LDH has just 10 years old, and that was one of the first step of the internationalisation of cofreemasonry... Unfortunatelly, in France, we often forget (or don't know) that Annie Besant and the Arundales have worked a lot to expand LDH all over the world.

Without their induction, LDH would be only French today...

[Leo]

Ah, yes.......a humble start. I feel Bro. Annie wouldn't have wanted it any other way. We within Co-Freemasonry have much to be grateful for.

Bro. Whistler, thanks for this reminder.

[whistler]

Spread it did in the old Empire just
25 years later there were
in the UK and Ireland
51 Craft lodges
9 Mark Lodges
6 Royal Arch Chapters
6 Rose Croix Chapters
In South Africa
6 Craft lodges
2 Mark Lodges
1 Royal Arch Chapter
1 Rose Croix Chapter
In India
23 Craft lodges
1 Mark Lodge
2 Royal Arch Chapters
63 Rose Croix Chapters
In Australasia
16 Craft lodges
3 Mark Lodges
4Royal Arch Chapters
4 Rose Croix Chapters

[jerohm]

Oh, one question : do you know which ritual has been worked by Human Duty when it was consecrated ?

Was it the continental ritual ? Lauderdale ritual ? Other ?

(sorry for my English that need some improvements... I settle down in November in London, hope to improve it and my knowledges in British cofreemasonry too )

[whistler]

Sorry Jerohm,
I don't know

[seekeroftruth]

as the lodge was founded back in the beginning of the 1900's I would hazard to say that the ritual used was the AASR. But then I could be completely wrong. Once in England you can pay the lodge a visit and find out

[aogop]

Who was the "Head of all True Freemasons?" Not fishing, just curious.

[anubis]

Feb 17, 2011 20:26:11 GMT aogop said:

Who was the "Head of all True Freemasons?" Not fishing, just curious.

TGAOTU? That would be my guess. ;D

[sid]

Feb 17, 2011 20:26:11 GMT aogop said:

Who was the "Head of all True Freemasons?" Not fishing, just curious.

A true Freemason.

[aogop]

I asked wondering if it was the GM of the UGLE at the time, or a GO who is called that as a titular position since there was no name given. I am not concerned with regularity and all that. I was just curious who was all involved and if there was a record of that particular discussion. I think it would interesting masonic history.

[corab]

Lodge Human Duty No. 6 was inaugurated on 26th September 1902 at 24 Albemarle Street, London. The ritual worked at the time was a translation of that worked in France - nowadays known as the Georges Martin Ritual. Later, in 1904, the first edition of a new ritual called the Dharma ritual was introduced, from which our present-day Lauderdale Ritual is derived.

h.g.w.,

Cora

[Tamrin]

Feb 17, 2011 20:26:11 GMT aogop said:

Who was the "Head of all True Freemasons?" Not fishing, just curious.

According to Leadbeater:

That the rituals and symbols should have been preserved to us with so wonderfully little alteration is surely a marvellous thing; it would be inexplicable but for the fact that the Great Powers behind evolution have taken an interest in the matter, and gradually brought people back to the true lines when they had swerved somewhat away from them. This business was always in the hands of the Chohan of the Seventh Ray, for that is the ray most especially connected with ceremonial of all kinds, and its Head was always the supreme Hierophant of the Mysteries of ancient Egypt. The present holder of that office is that Master of the Wisdom of whom we often speak as the Comte de S. Germain, because He appeared under that title in the eighteenth century. He is also sometimes called Prince Rakoczi, as He is the last survivor of that royal house. Exactly when He was appointed to the Headship of the Ceremonial Ray I do not know, but He took a keen interest in Freemasonry as early as the third century A.D.

In Co-Masonry we refer to Him as the Head of all True Freemasons throughout the world (abbreviated as the H.O.A.T.F.) and in some of our Lodges His portrait is placed in the east, above the chair of the R.W.M., and just beneath the Star of Initiation; others place it in the north, above an empty chair. Upon His recognition and assent as Head of the Seventh Ray the validity of all rites and degrees depends. He often selects pupils from among the Brn. of the Masonic Order, and prepares those who have fitted themselves in the lower mysteries of Masonry for the true Mysteries of the Great White Lodge, of which our Masonic initiations, splendid though they be, are but faint reflections, for Masonry has ever been one of the gates through which that White Lodge might be reached. Today but few of His Masons acknowledge Him as their Sovereign Grand Master, yet the possibility of such discipleship has ever been recognized in the traditions of the Order…

BTW, Comte Saint Germain "died" this day 1784.

[corab]

Feb 27, 2011 2:45:21 GMT Tamrin said:

Feb 17, 2011 20:26:11 GMT aogop said:

Who was the "Head of all True Freemasons?" Not fishing, just curious.

According to Leadbeater

Thanks Tamrin. It is worth noting that although many do, by far not all Co-Freemasons follow Leadbeater's assertions in this respect. Such is the beauty of absolute freedom of conscience and total absence of dogma.

Certainly our International Constitution is very clear in our Order's position on dogma: The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain professes no dogma. Its purposes is the search for Truth. Thus, in Lodges, discussions and debates on social or religious questions cannot, under any circumstance, have any other purpose than that of enlightening its members and making it possible for them, through a fuller understanding, to fulfil their duties as Freemasons.

I have personally always felt uncomfortable with the assertion of the principle of THOATF; and much prefer the optional wording in our rituals which avoids reference to the unnecessary and 'mediating' principle between TGAOTU and myself as introduced by someone else's belief system - The Ascended Master Teachings.

Thankfully, we work on the basis of respecting choice. The rituals that were crafted on that basis still contain reference to THOATF for those who prefer to work on that basis, and for those who don't, there is optional wording.

And then there is, of course, the Georges Martin ritual, which is the ritual worked by Lodge Human Duty when Co-Freemasonry first came to British shores, and of which many, many elements are still present in the Lauderdale and Verulam workings today. No THOATF in there, and contrary to popular belief, it is no less spiritual and esoteric than any of the more elaborate rituals commonly worked in English-speaking lodges of our Order.

Ah, the beauty of variety ;D

With h.g.w.,

Cora

[whistler]

Tamrin
ref:
BTW, Comte Saint Germain "died" this day 1784.

Which death was this?

[whistler]

Corab - Such is our Masonry
ref"Its purposes is the search for Truth. Thus, in Lodges, discussions and debates on social or religious questions cannot, under any circumstance, have any other purpose than that of enlightening its members and making it possible for them, through a fuller understanding, to fulfil their duties as Freemasons."
In some Masonic Flavours I understand the discussion of Religion or Politic is forbidden?"
RE Who was the "Head of all True Freemasons?
Try Who is the Head of all True Freemasons?
A Co-Mason is able to decide who/ what - he, she or it - is for them selves.
An Other example of the "Free" Nature of both the Easter Order and LDH - One is not required to be a Christian to join the Rose Croix -Though a Christian I am sure would find much in the ritual that sits very comfortably with their religious faith. Our Ritual is similar but different to the Male Craft - and reveals a drama that substantially pre-dates Christianity

[Tamrin]

Mar 1, 2011 7:56:18 GMT whistler said:

Tamrin
ref:
BTW, Comte Saint Germain "died" this day 1784.

Which death was this?

The one in 1784.

(hence the inverted commas)

[Tamrin]

Mar 1, 2011 8:12:50 GMT whistler said:

Try Who is the Head of all True Freemasons?

Do you thus consider all who do not accept, or even reject, his headship not to be "True Freemasons"?

[Tamrin]

Sept 7, 2010 8:17:14 GMT whistler said:

In 1902 the Head of all True Freemasons suggested to some English women join Freemasonry in France

By this I gather you consider the HOATF to be a real entity and not just an allegorical abstraction.

[corab]

Mar 1, 2011 11:05:20 GMT Tamrin said:

Mar 1, 2011 8:12:50 GMT whistler said:

Try Who is the Head of all True Freemasons?

Do you thus consider all who do not accept, or even reject, his headship not to be "True Freemasons"?

Thank you again - this is part of my inner resistance to the term "True Freemasons", but the stronger is the implied assertion of the intermediacy of a force between TGAOTU and myself.

I can no more disprove the existence of this force than I can prove the existence of a Creative Principle, and I won't deny anyone his or her right to exercise these beliefs in the context of their own religious practices - but in my strictly personal opinion Freemasonry ought to be free of dogma and therefore free of our own religious practices.

With h.g.w.,

Cora