The global power of freemasonry - Gnostic Liberation Front

The global power of freemasonry - Gnostic Liberation Front The global power of freemasonry - Gnostic Liberation Front

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Other Masonic Rites Freemasonry officially came to Sweden in 1735, when Count Axel Wrede-Sparre founded a lodge. The meetings took place in the Stenbock castle on Riddarholmen in the Old Town of Stockholm. Wrede-Sparre had become a freemason in France. In actual fact a secret lodge (later called the Rite of Swedenborg) was founded in Stockholm as early as 1721. There is also evidence of an even earlier period. The freemasons of today prefer not to discuss this. The mystic Emanuel Swedenborg became a freemason himself in Lund in 1706. The Swedish Rite is descended from the lodge at Kilwinning in Scotland. This small town, not far from Glasgow, is regarded as the cradle of Scottish freemasonry. Sparre accepted eight noblemen into his lodge between 1735 and 1738 and five of these later became royal councillors (Harry Len- hammar, "Med murslev och svard" / "With Trowel and Sword", Delsbo, 1985, p. 57). King Frederic I banned all masonic meetings on 21 October 1738; defiance of the law was punishable by death. The king of France had likewise prohibited the activity of the masonic lodges. Frederic I was petitioned and he recalled his prohibition in December of the same year. Frederic I later became a freemason himself, but the order made sure that he was never informed of any deeper secrets. In the 1750s, the under-secretary Carl Fredric Eckleff of the Swedish Foreign Office created a system, which would later become known as the Swedish Rite. The Grand Swedish National Lodge was founded by Eckleff together with 24 other high-ranking masonic brothers, including Fredric von Stenhagen and Israel Torpadius, on 25 December 1759 in Stockholm. The Swedish Rite is Christian in appearances. In reality it is even more influenced by syncretic mysticism (a combination of different mystical doctrines), Jewish magic and cabbalism, than British freemasonry, according to the Norwegian historian Sverre Dag Mog- stad. 91

The freemasons wore a yellow and red hat-cordon. It was im- mediately evident who belonged to the order. Duke Carl, Frederic's brother and masonic grand master, sent out a directive 1798 sugges- ting a special dress code for freemasons from the eighth degree and upwards. The letter states that "this uniform, which the king has given his consent to, shall consist of a French frock-coat of dark blue cloth buttoned with a row of gilded buttons with an embossed cross, with a scarlet lining, a folding collar and lapels of the same colour with braiding or white piping, a white waistcoat, straw-yellow breeches, tall riding boots with spurs, a three-corner hat decorated with a red and white cockade and stamen of white feathers, a white leather baldric and a gilded sword" (Harry Lenhammar, "Med murslev och svard" / "With Trowel and Sword", Delsbo, 1985, p. 81). The intention was that the freemason would be seen as a knight of charity. On 9 March 1803, the police began to follow the activities of all secret societies. But this surveillance did not extend to freemasonry, which was under the protection of the king. In 1818, the new king Charles XIV became the supreme patron of Swedish freemasonry. This information comes from the masonic register of 1826. There were ten degrees in the Swedish system, and two more degrees, which were regarded as secret. Not long ago, the register also began to list those who had attained the eleventh degree. The 11th degree is called Most Enlightened Brother, Knight Commander of the Red Cross. The three first degrees are called the St. John's degrees or the blue freemasonry. The minimum age is 21 years. The St. Andrew's (Scottish red degrees) encompass the fourth to sixth degrees, and finally there are the chapter degrees from the seventh to eleventh (the eleventh is called the honorary degree, but there is also a secret twelfth degree). The former Minister of Defence Anders Bjorck is a freemason of the 10th degree. According to the secret 37-page book containing the foundation regulations and ritual descriptions of Svenska Frimurare Orden (the 92

Other Masonic Rites<br />

Freemasonry <strong>of</strong>ficially came to Sweden in 1735, when Count Axel<br />

Wrede-Sparre founded a lodge. <strong>The</strong> meetings took place in the<br />

Stenbock castle on Riddarholmen in the Old Town <strong>of</strong> Stockholm.<br />

Wrede-Sparre had become a freemason in France. In actual fact a<br />

secret lodge (later called the Rite <strong>of</strong> Swedenborg) was founded in<br />

Stockholm as early as 1721. <strong>The</strong>re is also evidence <strong>of</strong> an even earlier<br />

period. <strong>The</strong> freemasons <strong>of</strong> today prefer not to discuss this. <strong>The</strong> mystic<br />

Emanuel Swedenborg became a freemason himself in Lund in 1706.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Swedish Rite is descended from the lodge at Kilwinning in<br />

Scotland. This small town, not far from Glasgow, is regarded as the<br />

cradle <strong>of</strong> Scottish <strong>freemasonry</strong>.<br />

Sparre accepted eight noblemen into his lodge between 1735 and<br />

1738 and five <strong>of</strong> these later became royal councillors (Harry Len-<br />

hammar, "Med murslev och svard" / "With Trowel and Sword",<br />

Delsbo, 1985, p. 57). King Frederic I banned all masonic meetings on<br />

21 October 1738; defiance <strong>of</strong> the law was punishable by death. <strong>The</strong><br />

king <strong>of</strong> France had likewise prohibited the activity <strong>of</strong> the masonic<br />

lodges. Frederic I was petitioned and he recalled his prohibition in<br />

December <strong>of</strong> the same year. Frederic I later became a freemason<br />

himself, but the order made sure that he was never informed <strong>of</strong> any<br />

deeper secrets.<br />

In the 1750s, the under-secretary Carl Fredric Eckleff <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Swedish Foreign Office created a system, which would later become<br />

known as the Swedish Rite. <strong>The</strong> Grand Swedish National Lodge was<br />

founded by Eckleff together with 24 other high-ranking masonic<br />

brothers, including Fredric von Stenhagen and Israel Torpadius, on 25<br />

December 1759 in Stockholm.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Swedish Rite is Christian in appearances. In reality it is even<br />

more influenced by syncretic mysticism (a combination <strong>of</strong> different<br />

mystical doctrines), Jewish magic and cabbalism, than British<br />

<strong>freemasonry</strong>, according to the Norwegian historian Sverre Dag Mog-<br />

stad.<br />

91

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