"Elias Ashmole, Initiation, and Freemasonry" with Bro. Richard Harris (Throwback Episode)

Recorded in support of the Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference 2022, this throwback episode features Grand Lodge of Washington State brother Richard Harris in conversation with Troy about his conference presentation on Elias Ashmole, initiation, alchemy, and Freemasonry.

Please forgive the minor audio issues and edits. Enjoy.

Bro. Richard Harris is a member of Esoterica Lodge No. 316 in Seattle, a serious student of alchemical and Hermetic history, a licensed therapist, and an avid collector of ancient coins. He studied at the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture in Wales, focusing on cultural astronomy, archaeoastronomy, and the history of astrology.

In this episode, Richard and Troy explore:

• Who Elias Ashmole actually was, and why Richard calls him "Superman"
• Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum and its place as the most important English-language alchemical anthology
• The relationship between alchemy, Rosicrucianism, and early operative and speculative Masonry
• How Ashmole's royalism, legal career, and obsessive collecting all tied together
• Isaac Newton's debt to Ashmole and the Theatrum, and what Newton was really obsessing over
• The cross-currents between the alchemists, poets, and spy networks of 16th- and 17th-century England
• John Dee, Edward Kelley, and the Enochian system that Ashmole helped preserve
• The checkerboard floor and why Richard believes it is one of the most misunderstood symbols in Masonic and Western history
• Tobias Churton's biography Magus of Freemasonry as an entry point to Ashmole
• Richard's personal journey from Roman Catholicism to evangelical theology, Jungian psychology, Chinese medicine, and finally Masonry
• Troy's own path into the Craft, from teenage conspiracy theory rabbit holes and the Satanic Panic through Israel Regardie and Aleister Crowley to Thelema

Books and figures mentioned in this episode:

• Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum by Elias Ashmole
• The Order of the Garter by Elias Ashmole
• Magus of Freemasonry by Tobias Churton
• Israel Regardie, The Garden of Pomegranates and The Golden Dawn
• Aleister Crowley, The Book of Lies
• John Dee and Edward Kelley (Enochian system)
• Francis Bacon, The New Atlantis
• Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe, John Milton
• Nick Campion, Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture
• John Belanger (bookseller and Masonic contact)
• Bro. John Gerardi (Masonic scholar and research partner)
• William Kissel's Esoteric Book Conference

Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again.

Links and resources

• Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference: masonicconferences.com
• RSVP for the upcoming conference: esotericmasonry@gmail.com
• Mystic Tye website and event calendar: mystictye.com
• Patreon (early episodes, extended cuts, artwork, extras): patreon.com/mystictye

Support the show

If this episode resonated with you, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review on your favorite podcast platform. We are also building a directory of Freemasonic events and publications. If you know of something coming up, send Troy an email at troy@mystictye.com.

Graphics and web hosting by Art Szabo Creative. Theme music by Organist.

Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again.