authenticity in Freemasonry Archieven

An open handwritten letter beside Masonic square and compasses symbolizing connection

Montaigne on Cicero: The Letter as a Bridge Between Souls

There are two ways to look at a letter. The first is the way of the rhetorician: a letter as a stage, a vehicle for persuading the world of your own brilliance. The second is the way of the brother: a letter as an outstretched hand, a quiet acknowledgment that no person is complete without the other. In his thirty-ninth essay, “A Consideration Upon Cicero,” Michel de Montaigne places these two attitudes in sharp contrast — and it is precisely in that contrast that a surprising kinship with Freemasonry reveals itself. The Rhetorician: Cicero and the Letter as Display Marcus Tullius Cicero was undeniably one of the greatest orators the ancient world ever produced. His letters — more than eight hundred of them — remain among the most studied correspondence from the Roman world. But Montaigne reads them with a critical eye. What strikes him is that Cicero often used his letters as extensions of the political stage. They breathe ambition, self-justification, and a longing for recognition by posterity. The letter becomes a monument to the writer himself, rather than a genuine reaching out to the recipient. This is the perspective of the rhetorician. The words are carefully chosen, but […]

Candle and old book of Seneca's letters in a Masonic lodge setting

Seneca on Philosophy and Humanity: A Masonic Reflection

A candle flickers softly as a Freemason lingers after lodge, turning the yellowed pages of Seneca’s letters. He reads Letter V and recognizes something deeply familiar in the Roman philosopher’s words — a call to authenticity that echoes the very rituals he just experienced. Two thousand years ago, Seneca wrote about how philosophy connects us to humanity without alienating us from our fellow human beings. This idea holds up a surprising mirror for the modern Freemason. The Paradox of Standing Out by Blending In In his fifth letter to his student Lucilius, Seneca warns against two extremes. On one hand, there is the temptation to make such a show of philosophical practice that you repel ordinary people. On the other, there is the danger of conforming so completely to the crowd that you abandon your inner work altogether. Seneca advocates a middle path: live according to your principles, but without theatrical display. The true philosopher differs from others not by his clothing or outward behavior, but by the quality of his inner life. This tension is intimately familiar to every Freemason. The fraternity does not operate discreetly out of secrecy for its own sake, but from an understanding that inner […]

Return and Loyalty: What a Football Transfer Teaches About Ethics

A seasoned 37-year-old footballer returns to the country where his career began. Some call it sentiment; others see a calculated move. But behind every homecoming lies a deeper question: what does it mean to return to your origins? And what does that choice reveal about someone’s character? When Dutch club NEC announced the return of a Serbian midfielder to Nijmegen, it offered a surprising mirror for an age-old ethical question — one that stands at the very heart of Freemasonry. The Outside View: Romance or Calculation? For the average football fan, a transfer like this stirs mixed feelings. Is this a veteran looking to perform one last trick on familiar turf? Or a seasoned professional eager to prove his worth in a league he knows inside out? The cynic sees a marriage of convenience: the club gains name recognition; the player gets game time. The romantic sees a man returning to his roots — to the place where it all started. These two readings coexist without either being entirely right or wrong. The outside world tends to judge quickly. We search for motives, hidden agendas, the self-interest lurking behind every decision. That impulse is profoundly human, but it often says […]