I just knew that someone would beat me to it! I've been reading Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol." Not quite finished yet, but I am intrigued by what he calls the "33rd degree ritual" of drinking wine from a skull. As a 32nd degree mason myself, I was intrigued by this as going from "black hat" to "red hat" (KCCH) and then "White hat" (33rd) was always considered honorary, based on service. I'm a bit confused by the ritual Dan Brown presents which seems to show a combination of the 3rd degree of masonry with something from 'Skull and Bones.' Sure enough... a little searching on the internet today and I am not the only one. Check out this blog and the comments: http://lostsymboltweets.blogspot.com/2009/09/do-you-masons-really-drink-from-skulls.html

Now, all this comes after Dan Brown uses his character of Robert Langdon to dispel the difference between a "Secret Society" and a "Society of Secrets" on pages 28-32 of the novel. I know, I know. It's only FICTION and fiction based on conspiracy theory at that. I guess I just expect a little more thought to go into something that took six years to write. Surely there must be enough ex-masons out there willing to divulge craft secrets to the masses. After all, the rituals are public knowledge now. Anyone using a search engine can come across a copy of Duncan's ritual...so the curious of mind don't even have to stumble across a relative's old cipher to read up on ritual. (Actually, I'm rather surprised by the regional differences in ritual. Those I find much more fascinating than some standard ritual found online or seen on tv's "Secrets of the Freemason's Revealed!" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa-mdPb77K0). Personally, I'm finding the noetic consciousness connection more interesting thus far. After all, there's folks (yes, even pagans) out there like "Lon Duquette" who write about esoteric subject matter in masonry. His website and publications (see http://www.lonmiloduquette.com/ ) indicate a grounding in some of the more mysterious, and speculative, aspects of masonic lore: qabalah, Solomon's Key, Enochian magick and the Goetia. If that doesn't fall under Brown's dabbling in universal consciousness, then I will eat my hat.

Hi Folks. It's been many years since I was able to sit down and start blogging once again. The time is right! Soon, you can expect more updates from this 'disgruntled academic'. Stay tuned. Next topic ... Dan Brown and "The Lost Symbol." As a freemason myself, I was more than slightly confused by what the heck is going on in the ritual on pages 1-3 of "The Lost Symbol."