Thanks. I'm asking for a female friend who had interests in those directions, but who was dismayed at finding out that she wasn't eligible. I'll pass your information along to her.
--- In [email protected], "Irmeli Mattsson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > No comments on what you wrote, Irmeli, except to say > > that I enjoyed reading them. But I do have a question. > > In what organization or group did you learn freemasonry? > > I was under the impression that it was closed to women. > > > > Unc > > Under the umbrella of freemasonry there are many organizations. The > biggest of them like Grand Orient are for males only. There are also > organizations that accept both men and women. I belong to that kind of > organization. It was founded in Paris in 1893 and its name is Le Droit > Humain. It is active in 70 countries. > There are also organizations where only women are accepted. > > Earlier the big male organizations didn't recognize organizations, > where women where members. Now also that has started to change and we > have had visitors in our lodges from the big male organizations. > I once discussed with a high ranking visitor form the Grand Orient and > he also confessed to me that he considers the work in our lodges to be > clearly more advanced than in theirs. In our organization we think it > is because we have both men and women as members. > I was initiated to freemasonry in 1982 and have also been in the > position of the Master in my lodge. > > Here is the address of Le Droit Humain: http://www.droit- humain.org/ > > The name of my lodge is Lux Aboensis. Its home page is at: > http://members.tiscali.fi/luxaboensis/ > > By clicking at certain points you can proceed in it. > > Irmeli > > > > --- In [email protected], "Irmeli Mattsson" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "jim_flanegin" > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > It is the most unique achievement we can have as human beings. > > > > Infinitely complex and arduous to accomplish, yet absolutely > > > > irreproducible by anyone else. Uniquely personal to each of us > > is > > > > our journey to liberation, our journey to our Selves. No one > > else > > > > can follow our path. > > > > > > > > > > I liked the whole post, but comment only on the passage above. > > > > > > This is probably why I have found my spiritual home at co- > > freemasonry. > > > There we have no dogmas to follow, just some general ethical > > > principles like freedom, equality, brotherhood. Freemasonry > > recognizes > > > and appreciates hierarchy and uses it as a tool of education, but > > its > > > structure is not authoritarian. Critical thinking is appreciated at > > > every level. We are encouraged to find our own path to truth. When > > you > > > progress further you actually see it to be the only way. > > > > > > Freemasonry provides a close and long lasting community for > > spiritual > > > seekers. The closeness of brotherhood is accomplished through > > rituals > > > and symbols as methods of shared communication. We don't need to > > share > > > the same worldview to feel brotherhood. The rituals create the > > close > > > sharing people often yearn for. > > > > > > The founding thesis in our lodge was appreciation of differences of > > > thought between humans. I have seen many times what kind of > > richness > > > it is, when people with different spiritual backgrounds and > > conceptual > > > frameworks share their thoughts on certain issues like `loyalty'. > > > > > > Compared to freemasonry the eastern traditions of unquestioningly > > > surrendering to and following a guru feel quite immature as a > > > methodology to enhance people's spiritual growth. > > > > > > In freemasonry the benefits of close sharing can be accomplished > > > without the pitfalls and very apparent weaknesses of authoritarian > > > guru systems. > > > > > > Freemasonry as a form and structure of spiritual school is very > > old, > > > probably thousands of years. Because its methods of education have > > > been far ahead the societies inside which the lodges have existed, > > the > > > system has had to develop powerful methods to hide and protect its > > > secrets. There is also prevalent the idea that you are initiated to > > > deeper aspects only, when you have reached certain maturity. And > > many > > > people evaluate the maturity of the candidate. It is not at the > > mercy > > > of the possibly self-serving interests of a guru. > > > > > > Irmeli > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
