The Marquess of Northampton, Pro Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England (governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales) delivered a speech in June. Its text has recently been published in Grand Lodge’s house magazine MQ and I have just picked myself up from the floor after reading it. The speech expresses in bold terms his radical vision of Freemasonry’s function as a vehicle for personal enlightenment and doesn’t shy away from proposing that the way to reverse Freemasonry’s decline is for its membership to rediscover the spirit of enlightenment that guided its founders.

He acknowledges that we are in decline, that new members are rushed through the essential degree ceremonies and lose interest quickly. He goes on to explore the motives of the founders of the fraternity, who, he argues, were motivated by idealistic visions of a perfect society in an age of political and religious intolerance.

Rejecting unfair criticism of the Craft based on ignorance and prejudice, he urges more openness of the Craft’s membership which exists in a society that demands disclosure, even going as far as to recommend that Masons should talk about the lessons learned in the degree ceremonies. To potential detractors appalled by his suggestion to invite non-Masons to buy and read our ritual books for themselves, he points out that you can no more appreciate the profound lessons Freemasonry can offer by reading a ritual book than you can learn to swim by reading a book about swimming.

After an extended section proposing that Freemasons are “the inheritors of an important initiatic system containing universal truths”, and participants in a “system which guides man in his search for the sacred”, Lord Northampton expands on his understanding of Freemasonry’s role in individual enlightenment, using illustrations from, among other sources, the Bhagavad Gita, Emmanuel Swedenborg and Walt Whitman.

In what may become known as modern English Freemasonry’s first call to return to its core values, he states that “Anglo-Saxon Masonry has strayed from its original purposes and no longer teaches its candidates the fundamental truths which underpin the Craft”. Freemasonry, he suggests, can offer an answer to those men who are seeking “spirituality” in their lives without dogma and doctrine.

Why is this so significant? Well, it is unheard of in modern times for a leader of the Craft to set out such a challenging and personal vision. And challenging it will be for those who believe that the Craft is nothing more than an eccentric dining club.

The speech was not delivered to Grand Lodge and was prefaced by a disclaimer that the views expressed therein were personal and not those of Grand Lodge, but it is still a remarkable text and one which must have taken courage to make public. I, for one, heartily endorse its sentiments and hope it has the desired effect. If you are curious about what Freemasons do and why and you never read anything else about Freemasonry, read this speech.