Magic Frank and The Freemasons

Magicians are fascinated by secrets. It comes as no surprise,  then, that as a magician I am fascinated by the Freemasons: a society of secrets.

Cronton and District Gun Club booked me to perform close up magic and a cabaret show at the weekend. It was their annual dinner. I was intrigued to find the event was being held in the Masonic Hall in Widnes. Perhaps, now would be my chance to explore the arcane world  of freemasonry in person instead of from books.

The most stressful part of my job is not performing in front of hundreds of people. No, it’s making sure I arrive on time. The Sat Nav is not always reliable, some buildings don’t have house numbers and there is always the possibility of a motorway hold up. With that in mind, I always leave ample time to make a journey.

So, arriving with my usual promptness gave me the opportunity to mosey around the hall. To be honest, it was all rather unexceptional. It could just as easily have been a golf club.

I was amused to see a photograph of the Publicity Officer. I thought the Freemasons shunned publicity. However, on closer inspection I realised that the gentlemen had duties supplying the many leaflets concerning the Freemasons’  charity work. I was also interested to see that they provide support services (eg counselling) for members (‘brethren’).

What may surprise you is that there were application forms for people interested in joining. Most people assume that you have to be invited by a Freemason who has identified you as a potential lodge member. I already knew this wasn’t the case and that you could apply to join but hadn’t known that there were application forms available.

Anyway, the rest of the evening was spent entertaining the club. They were a fantastic group. Really friendly and welcoming. Paul, who made the original booking enquiry, has already invited me back next year.

Freemasons in Guatemala

Part of the Freemason initiation ceremony

Anybody reading my blog knows my wife and I were holidaying in Central America recently.

One afternoon we were in a small village near Antigua in Guatemala. I noticed a small statue of the lower halves of two legs, one with the trouser leg rolled up. “Perhaps,” I joked to Sheila “the Freemasons have a lodge in the town.” I said this because it is a pretty open secret that part of the initiation ceremony requires a novitiate to roll up their trouser leg while they make certain pledges.

Then, when I inspected the statue carefully, I found it had, indeed, been erected by The Freemasons. I may send the Grand Lodge a photo to see if they can throw any light on this. I will keep you posted.

Leg and Insignia

Freemason Insignia

Magic Frank performs close up, parlour and cabaret magic across the North West. He is a member of the prestigious and secretive Magic Circle…but is not a Freemason! He hasn’t got the legs for it.

If you would like to amaze your guests with some top quality magic, why not contact him for a free quote.You can watch what delighted clients have said here.