A Freemason I Am

In 2023 I was required to do some soul-searching. Who and what am I? Who and what do I wish to become and how do I get there? Should I find some help or guidance and if so what kind? I am not religious and strongly resent dogmatism … so, where should go? I decided to join the Freemasonry. “Know thyself” is one of the mottos of the Freemasonry … so a good place to start the exploration and discovery journey.

Now, some of you might have read odd and very silly things about the Freemasons online (conspiracy theories and cult-like weirdness). Well, believe me or not (your choice), it’s nothing like that. If I had to describe Freemasonry in one sentence: ‘a dogma-free semi-philosophical ethical brotherhood of spiritual and philanthropic Freethinkers’, where all brothers work by themselves and together on the bettering of oneself and the world.

Perhaps that sounds interesting to you and you wish to know more? Then I suggest visiting my blog Roel’s World, I wrote a couple of articles about Freemasonry.

I had the opportunity to share why I became a freemason in the Dutch Freemasonry magazine VM:

Read / download the complete VM magazine

My Masonic Path

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FIRST DEGREE – Entered Apprentice

My initiation (in Freemasonry, becoming an Entered Apprentice) took place in 2023 at lodge #303 “De Gulden Regel” (The Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would like to be treated”) in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.

It was a memorable experience. I can’t share anything about the initiation ritual, but joining this Brotherhood felt a bit like being ‘knighted’. After all, entering knighthood was a kind of “rite of passage”, when you were thought worthy to rise from squire to knight. Also a moment of the transition from boy to man and from ‘common man’ to a ‘noble man’. With it came some duties and responsibilities. The same, of course, also applies when taking the vow as a Freemason: accepting the duties and responsibilities you have for you Brothers, but also for your fellow man in the mundane world and in fact the world itself.

This first year on the Masonic path is about self discovery, ‘Know Thyself” (←my article on Roel’s World). In this year I have learned wonderful things about myself and my ‘inner world’. Obviously also things I could (should) improve.

Another lovely thing that year was my election for the function ‘Director of Music’ (also known as ‘Organist’). Back in the day, on of the Brethren would accompany rituals and ceremonies on organ (or piano). Nowadays with all the technology available a sound system in the Temple is used. With laptop and controller I now play the music and control the light during rituals and ceremonies, that is, as far as my degree allows it. That is ‘the thing’, when you are elected for a function normally performed by a Master Mason. It’s a great honour though, and rather rare being elected for this function as Entered Apprentice.

Notes by this portrait

The photograph was captured by Saskia de Wit.

In Masonic portraiture, a Brother is often depicted holding a symbolic working tool, emblematic of his role and labour within the Lodge. For this photograph, however, I have chosen to hold a non-Masonic tool — a tuning fork. This tool serves to symbolise the sonification of Freemasonry elucidated in this work.

Upon the music stand rests Mozart’s Der Maurerfreude, placed there to symbolise the joy that Freemasonry brings into his life.

The Master Mason apron of my Mother Lodge, No. 303 De Gulden Regel (The Golden Rule) is adorned with two chain tassels and two blue rosettes. In place of a third rosette upon the flap, the Square and Compasses are displayed. The flap is fringed with ‘gold’. The body of the apron is fashioned from white sheepskin, bordered with the ‘Freemasons Universal Tartan’, registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans (SRT), reference no. 6245.

I wear the collar of the Director of Music, my function at my Mother Lodge.

Pinned upon the left lapel of my tailcoat are the jewels of — from left to right: the American Lodge of Research, New York (correspondence membership), The Philalethes Society, Philadelphia (membership), and the Research Lodge Quatuor Coronati, London (correspondence membership).

The black-and-white Saddle Oxford shoes — once emblematic of the Rock ’n’ Roll, Blues, and Jazz scenes of the 1950s — serve as a subtle reference to my past as a musician, and to the ever-present duality of life.

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2ND DEGREE – Fellow Craft

I was passed to Fellow Craft on 2024. Yet again a memorable moment on my Masonic path. While self discovery was the main assignment as Entered Apprentice, as Fellow Craft instead of looking inwards, you have to look outwards, to the ‘outer world’ and figure out what role you can and should play in it.

I started studying the Liberal Arts, as recommended to all Fellow Crafts, and the Quadrivium particular due to my love for music. This in turn inspired me to write a book … more about that later.

I continued my role as Director of Music.

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3RD DEGREE – Master Mason

In 2025 I was raised a Master Mason, a transforming experience.

I became Correspondence Member of Research Lodge Quatuor Coronati (Londen) and the American Lodge of Research (New York). My membership of the Philalethes Society (Philadelphia) was excepted as well. Lovely wells of knowledge, contributing to my personal and Masonic growth.

Still Director of Music.

I will continue working on my book. I hope to finish this work and find a publisher before 2027.

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Memberships:

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Subscriptions:

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Feel free to ask questions via my mail form, but keep in mind that I can’t share anything about what happens behind closed doors and the rituals, unless you are a freemason yourself. It is therefor useless to ask such questions …