Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
P.D. Newman
Tupelo Lodge No. 318
Q. What qualifies a Man for the Seventh Order [of Masonry]? A. ...the
Composition of the Grand Elixir. (Post Boy Expos, 1723)1
As outlandish as it may sound, allusions to the entheogenic properties of the
acacia are commonplace in Masonic literature and various rituals. For, it
would appear that the psychoactive nature of acacia was fairly widely known
in certain Masonic circles at least up until the late 1700s. However, some
time between the mid to late 18th century and the 19th century occult
revival, the secrets of acacia, like the true word of a Master Mason, appear
to have been lost. It is only now that the true significance of the symbol is
stepping back into the light.
In their daring book Mushrooms, Myth & Mithras, authors Ruck, Hoffman,
and Celdrn made a bold attempt to interpret the founding myth of
Freemasonry in an entheobotanical context, seeing in the allegory of Grand
Master Hiram Abiffs Raising a possible allusion to a ritualized harvest of
acacia root.
"[T]he murdered body of Hiram Abiff, a Master Mason and Master of Works
on Solomons Temple, was 'raised' from his resting place beneath an acacia
sprig which marked the spot to those who would be sent by King Solomon
to search. After the interred corpse of Hiram was found, Solomon himself
went to the site to recover the body. Feeling beneath the ground at the site of
the acacia, the king felt Hirams 'hand.' In the process of recovering his
corpse, he first used the grip of the Entered Apprentice, then that of the
Fellowcraft, but twice felt the skin slipping off Hirams hand. Finally
Solomon used the grip of the Master Mason to raise the corpse. In the
entheobotanical context, we feel that this myth is a description of a ritualized
acacia harvest. We note that the subterranean root bark of acacia and mimosa
species are known to contain high levels of Dimethyltryptamine, an
entheogen which is strongly psychoactive when extracted and inhaled, and
which is easily combined with other sacred entheogenic plants, and
consumed as a potion."2
Such an application of the Hiramic allegory, while indeed startling to many,
actually illuminates perhaps one of the most bizarre references to the acacia
inhale its fumes; that is, for him to smoke it. "Lo," said the angel, "this
[burning coal] hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and
thy sin is purged."10 It is notable that acacia literally means freedom from
sin. One wonders how far back this tradition actually goes.
It is notable that Melissino, while allegedly a strong supporter and close
friend of Cagliostro, was not only himself a practicing chemist, but his rite
actually preceded that of Cagliostro by over a decade. It is therefore
probable that Melissino is responsible for exposing Cagliostro to the
substance and not the other way around. On the other hand, both Melissino
and Cagliostro were initiates of the Rite of Strict Observance, which
contains its own potential allusions to the psychoactive properties of acacia.
See, for example, the following excerpt from the Oration from the Reception
of a Master Mason:
"As those who sought the [philosopher's?] stone wanted to climb, in order to
retrieve it, one grasped a hold of the green sprig or [Acacia] branch, which
pulled out of the ground, when they observed that it had no roots. This made
them think that this branch must signify something"11 [italics mine]
Note that DMT is found primarily in the roots of the acacia. This branch
must have signified something indeed.
Whatever the case, it is quite apparent that both Cagliostro and Melissino
knew something very special about the acacia. Furthermore, Melissino was
not the only Russian mystic to have preoccupied himself with treasures
extracted from a tree. According to G.I. Gurdjieff's biographer James Webb,
the founder of the Fourth Way once claimed cryptically that "only three
drugs from the whole Western pharmacopeia were useful -- opium, castor oil
and an unidentified substance extracted from a certain tree."12 [italics mine]
As it was claimed by Gurdjieff's successor P.D. Ouspensky that his guru's
teachings were derived in part from Russian Freemasonry, it is not
impossible that Gurdjieff's "unidentified substance" and "certain tree" are
none other than DMT and Acacia confusa or nilotica, respectively, and that
he learned of the secret from a fellow Russian who was knowledgeable not
only of Melissino and his rite but also of chemistry. One can only speculate.
Still, perhaps it is to Mysteries such as this which the following excerpt from
Mackeys Encyclopdia of Freemasonry refers:
"It is admitted that the texts and nomenclature of Medieval materials on
[Hermetism]...were cryptic and queer; but for that there are several
explanations for the need for secrecy, the mixture of languages owing to the
many living and dead languages of the sources used, ...[and] the need to
keep laymen from endangering themselves with drugs they could not
understand..."13 [italics mine]
END NOTES
1. Morris, The Post Boy Exposure Sham
2. p. 225
3. Faulks, p. 214
4. p. 225
5. private communication from practicing Naqshbandi Sufi Amir Soofi
6. The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants, p. 426
7. http://realitysandwich.com/ (The Fatimiya Sufi Order and Ayahuasca)
8. Bennett, Cannabis: the Philosopher's Stone
9. Collectanea Vol. XXIII pt. 1
10. Isaiah 6:7 (KJV)
11. Collectanea Vol. XXI pt. 1
12. Webb, The Harmonious Circle
13. See the entry under Ordinall of Alchimy
REFERENCES
Bennett, Chris Cannabis: the Philosopher's Stone
De Hoyos, Arturo Collectanea Vol. XXI pt. 1
De Hoyos, Arturo Collectanea Vol. XXIII pt. 1
De Nerval, Grard Voyage to the Orient
Faulks, Philippa The Masonic Magician: the Life and Death of Count
Cagliostro and His Egyptian Rite
http://realitysandwich.com/ (The Fatimiya Sufi Order and Ayahuasca)
Mackey, Albert Encyclopdia of Freemasonry
Morris, Brent The Post Boy Exposure Sham
Ratsch, Christian The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants
Ruck, Carl Mushrooms, Myth and Mithras
Shanon, Benny Biblical Entheogens: a Speculative Hypothesis
The Holy Bible, KJV
Webb, James The Harmonious Circle