Masonic calendar

I was reading a little bit of William Coopers Behold A Pale Horse last night, and in the book he claims that the Masonic calendar dates back to 4000 BC, at which time supposedly there was a star that exploded (I can't remember which, I was kind of tired while reading it). There was mention that scientists years ago discovered a radio signal that they claim originated with that star's collapse/explosion, and were able to establish some kind of timeline from the signal. The book also stated the opinion that the pyramids in Egypt were built to commemorate this event.

So to get back to what I wanted to discuss - According to Mr Cooper, the Masonic Calendar is now at the year 6004. There was supposed to be (again, according to Mr. Cooper) some great event corresponding to the energy from that stars explosion that was supposed to happen in 2000. I was hoping some of you Masons here could shed a little light on this for me. Is there a "Masonic calendar", and if so, what is it's signifigance?

My grandfather used to always keep a farmer's almanac, and I have heard that those also are related to Masonry in some way. He was a Mason at one time, so it makes sense, but I just don't know for sure.

Can you help me out here guys?

[edit on 7/16/04 by The Axeman]

Yes Please this does sound interesting. i have ran across the star event thing
somewhere, just cant remember where.(TMYTMB i guess)

The Masonic Calendar dates itself A.L. (Anno Lucis), meaning "In the year of Light". It is found by adding 4000 years to the common era: thus, 2004 A.D. is 6004 A.L.

Masonry dates its calendar beginning at 4000 B.C. because, according to the geneologies given in the Bible, this is the year that the world was created. Therefore, Anno Lucis refers to God's creating statement "Let there be Light." This dating system was first constructed by the Anglican Bishop Usher in 1611, and was originally a Christian method of dating; it was adopted by Masonic Lodges at a later time.

However, this dating system refers only to the Craft Rite. Other Rites use different calenders.

Royal Arch Masons date their calenders A.I., Anno Inventionis (In The Year of the Discovery), which is found by adding 530 years to the common date.

Cryptic Masons date their calenders A. Dep. (Anno Depositis), "In the year of the Deposit", which is found by adding 1000 years to the common year.

Knights Templar date their calenders A.O., Anno Ordinis, In the year of the Order, which begins with year 1118 C.E. (with 1119 being year 1 A.O.)

Scottish Rite Masons date their calenders A.M., Anno Mundi, In the year of the World, which is similar to Anno Lucis, except it uses the Jewish calculation instead of the Christian one. This is also known as Anno Hebraico, when used by Jews who are not Masons.

Important note: Masonry still uses Anno Lucis and Anno Mundi out of tradition, but we do not claim that the world was created in 4000 B.C. literally. We now know that our solar system came into existence over 100 million years ago.

Fiat Lvx.



[edit on 16-7-2004 by Masonic Light]

Thank you ML as always your post was very informative.

I am still curious about the connection between the Masons and the farmer's almanac. I can't quote any official sources but I have heard more than once that there is in fact a connection.

I will re-read the section of the book I mentioned and post the details of the star explosion (?) so maybe we can get some more feedback on it. It quite an interesting theory. Thanks again!

Originally posted by Masonic Light

Royal Arch Masons date their calenders A.I., Anno Inventionis (In The Year of the Discovery), which is found by adding 530 years to the common date.

Cryptic Masons date their calenders A. Dep. (Anno Depositis), "In the year of the Deposit", which is found by adding 1000 years to the common year.

[edit on 16-7-2004 by Masonic Light]

ML, I was still curious about the above organizations dates. What do the "Discover" and Deposit" mean? Obviously something happened at that time which led to the date's use, but what were they and why do these organizations use it. I get the others, but these I don't. Thanks.

OK so I went back and re-read the pertinent section here is an excerpt:

From Behold A Pale Horse by William Cooper

According to many, the great pyramids were built to commemorate and observe a supernova explosion that occurred in the year 4000 B.C. Dr. Anthony Hewish discovered radio pulses that have been proven to be emissions from a star that exploded around 4000 B.C.
George Michanowski wrote in The Once and Future Star that �The ancient Sumerian cuneiform� Described a giant star exploding within a triangle formed by� Zeta Puppis, Gamma Velorum, and Lambda Velorum� located in the southern sky� [An] accurate star catalogue now stated that the blazing star that had exploded within the triangle would again be seen in 6000 years. According to the Freemason�s calendar it will occur in the year 2000 and indeed it will.

So we have reference to the Freemason calendar that corresponds (beginning date) to a �blazing star� (a Masonic symbol, is it not?) exploding within a triangle formed by these three other stars. This guy Cooper has some interesting points, but almost in the same breath he is talking about the Gallileo space craft crashing into Jupiter and giving birth to a new star, which was supposedly already named LUCIFER. If memory serves me, Gallileo has already crashed into Jupiter, so that theory is irrelevant. It makes me wonder how much of his book is believable? I�ll admit it was quite interesting reading but he makes Freemasons out to be �main players in the plot to rule the world� and says that the 33rd degree is split with half making up the core Luciferian �Adepts� and the other half being totally oblivious to this fact. I find that a little hard to swallow. What do you make of it?

You have written several things that were already supposed to have happened, but have not.

If a star exploded in 4000 BCE, then there wouldn't be any kind of radio signature. Radio waves, like other radiant energy, travel "at" the speed of light. (shorter wavelenghts are a tiny bit slower).

If the star was seen from the earth in 4 K BC, then that is when the radio signature reached the earth, too.

So I can't see what your author would be talking about . . .

Is there a dark object emiting radio waves from the point in the heavens he's talking about? If so, why connect it w/ a star in 4000 BC.

You have to be pretty careful with ancient accounts, too. They didn't differentiate between meteors ( literally "falling stars") and supernovae.

The masonic blazing star is a conceptual symbol, and isn't located anywhere specific in the heavens, as far as I've ever heard.

I am also unaware of any particular "masonic connection" with the almanac. There are several alamanacs. Which one.

I have several almanacs, and I am a mason. Maybe I'M the connection . . .

Originally posted by dr_strangecraft
You have written several things that were already supposed to have happened, but have not.

If a star exploded in 4000 BCE, then there wouldn't be any kind of radio signature. Radio waves, like other radiant energy, travel "at" the speed of light. (shorter wavelenghts are a tiny bit slower).

If the star was seen from the earth in 4 K BC, then that is when the radio signature reached the earth, too.

So I can't see what your author would be talking about . . .

Is there a dark object emiting radio waves from the point in the heavens he's talking about? If so, why connect it w/ a star in 4000 BC.

You have to be pretty careful with ancient accounts, too. They didn't differentiate between meteors ( literally "falling stars") and supernovae.

The masonic blazing star is a conceptual symbol, and isn't located anywhere specific in the heavens, as far as I've ever heard.

I am also unaware of any particular "masonic connection" with the almanac. There are several alamanacs. Which one.

I have several almanacs, and I am a mason. Maybe I'M the connection . . .

As I stated in the first post of this thread, my grandfather who was at one time a Mason always kept a farmer's almanac. This is the only name I know it by. I was not implying that there was a connection, I was simply asking if there was one. I will try to find out if the almanac he used has some other more specific name.

As far as the author of the book, those are not my words, and on top of that, I am inclined to disbelieve alot of it. I wanted to present it to the rest of you to see who shared my opinion, because there are alot of people on this board who are more formally educated and well read than myself. The book was published in 1991, so it's no surprise that some of the speculations and theories have been debunked. That was my point in saying "It makes me wonder how much of his book is believable?". Thanks for your response, though.

Originally posted by The Axeman
I am still curious about the connection between the Masons and the farmer's almanac. I can't quote any official sources but I have heard more than once that there is in fact a connection.

If you are referring to Poor Richard's Almanac, it was originally published by Benjamin Franklin, who was a Mason and Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

Fiat Lvx.

Originally posted by slickwilly95991
ML, I was still curious about the above organizations dates. What do the "Discover" and Deposit" mean? Obviously something happened at that time which led to the date's use, but what were they and why do these organizations use it. I get the others, but these I don't. Thanks.

The Discovery and Deposit are linked together. According to Masonic legend, King Solomon built a secret crypt beneath the Temple, under the Royal Arch, and it was in this crypt that he hid the secret archives of Masonry. This was done in order to prevent the secrets of Masonry from falling into the hands of heathens should the Temple ever fall to Israel's enemies. This legend is re-enacted in the degrees of Royal and Select Master, and is why Brethren of these degrees are called Cryptic Masons. The Deposit refers to Solomon depositing the archives in the secret chamber.

The Discovery concerns the legend of the Royal Arch Degree. Solomon's predictions were correct, and the Babylonians conquered Israel, ransacking the Temple. Years later, under the reign of Prince Zerubbabel of Judah, a Second Temple was to be constructed on the site of the First Temple. While digging through the ruins, three craftsmen discovered the Royal Arch of the First Temple. While digging further, they discovered the secret chamber, and recovered the archives of Masonry. This refers to Anno Inventionis, the Year of the Discovery.

Fiat Lvx.

hi everyone. i was thinking about the egyptian/coptic/julian calendar in use in ethiopia. in that calendar the first of the year is the 11th sptember and the first of the fiscal year is the 7th july.

any bell ringing? 11th september is 9/11 of course, while 7th july is the bombing at london underground.

so, being the roots of hermetism in egypt, and roots of freemasonry in ermetism i want to ask you an innocent question hoping that you know the answer: what sort of calendar do freemasons follow? (julian, gregorian, coptic, egyptian, chinese, arab, french republican etc.?)

thanks, look forward to hear some news

Parafulmine, you can check out the masonic calendar in this post.

PS, Dr. Strangecraft, in case you’re reading this (2+years later) an Almanac with “Masonic connection” would most likely be Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac. ( a guess)

[edit on 2/1/07 by ConspiracyNut23]

Originally posted by Masonic Light

The Discovery and Deposit are linked together. According to Masonic legend, King Solomon built a secret crypt beneath the Temple, under the Royal Arch, and it was in this crypt that he hid the secret archives of Masonry. This was done in order to prevent the secrets of Masonry from falling into the hands of heathens should the Temple ever fall to Israel's enemies. This legend is re-enacted in the degrees of Royal and Select Master, and is why Brethren of these degrees are called Cryptic Masons. The Deposit refers to Solomon depositing the archives in the secret chamber.

The Discovery concerns the legend of the Royal Arch Degree. Solomon's predictions were correct, and the Babylonians conquered Israel, ransacking the Temple. Years later, under the reign of Prince Zerubbabel of Judah, a Second Temple was to be constructed on the site of the First Temple. While digging through the ruins, three craftsmen discovered the Royal Arch of the First Temple. While digging further, they discovered the secret chamber, and recovered the archives of Masonry. This refers to Anno Inventionis, the Year of the Discovery.

Fiat Lvx.

Blah blah blah.... you realize all this backstory is a complete fabrication for you masons to feel more self-important, right?

Ah well, enjoy handing over your money to your secret handshake and password club. I'm going to chose to live in reality.

Fiat Obscurum.



[edit on 27-10-2007 by CasterOfShadows]

You dragged this old thread up just to post that?!



It serves a purpose though; I was just talking to topsecretombomb a few weeks ago about ol' William Cooper.

You see dude? Even (WAY) before I was a Mason I knew that Cooper's "Behold a Pale Horse" was worth little more than a doorstop.

So, when you throw out the old "well, you're a Mason, of course you would say that" line, remember this.

Just because you might be ignorant to some facet of history, does not make it a fabrication. I'm not saying that the legends are true or false, and I am not a Royal Arch or Cryptic Mason, so I have no first-hand experience of the ritual.

My point is, "You don't know what you dont know."

Don't be so quick to judge.

Originally posted by CasterOfShadows
Blah blah blah.... you realize all this backstory is a complete fabrication...

Oh what a pointless post. Of course he realizes it. He said so in the post.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
According to Masonic legend...

Although I doubt it is a complete fabrication.

If you can't be bothered even to read the original post properly then your snide little comments are just going to make you look even more foolish than you already appear to be.

Have a nice day

reply to post by CasterOfShadows


Envy doesnt suit you....

Date 6012....
I believe way sooner...

a reply to: The Axeman

There are many calenders which state cleary that the world includes of course as you stated the Masonic Calendar, this is in all honesty and in the most simplisticly worded reason possible to give you, that the Free Masons were (and are) rooted in the Christian faith; as far as that little exlposion that supposedly happened with a star, that is what I like to call this world and it's scientists putting there spin on a factual act of God.

a reply to: The Axeman

There are many calenders which state cleary that the world includes of course as you stated the Masonic Calendar, this is in all honesty and in the most simplisticly worded reason possible to give you, that the Free Masons were (and are) rooted in the Christian faith; as far as that little exlposion that supposedly happened with a star, that is what I like to call this world and it's scientists putting their spin on a factual act of God.