Eastern Star?

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS

A Freemasonic lodge is for men only, an Eastern Star is for the ladies , however a man must be present at all times during a meeting. Also, even though it is contradictory.. an Eastern Star lodge is also considered Co-Ed.

It is co-ed because both men and women can become members of the Eastern Star. Men must be Master Masons to qualify for membership.

The man present during a Eastern Star meeting is a higher member , surely not an apprentice. Most likely a Marshall or higher .

All men present at Easter Star Chapter members must be initiated members of the Order of the Eastern Star. Thus, they must also be Master Masons.

Eastern Stars is the sister organization of Masonry. They aren't the only sister organization, but the most recognized.

They are powerful in their own right. Very magickal.

I am curious, what do you mean by this? Especially the "very magickal" second part of the statement...

Originally posted by Privy_Princess
They are powerful in their own right. Very magickal.

reply to post by ALightinDarkness

I'm not gonna generalize and say ALL high ranking eastern stars practice ancient withcraft, but SOME definitely DO.

Hi all,

I never read or post in the Secret Societies category, but this thread was on the "recent topics" list and the Eastern Star caught my eye...I stay away from all the Illuminati, Masonic threads just because my main interest is UFOS....

But this caught my eye because I was just going through a few boxes from my great grandparents and great great grandparents etc...and I found an old, thin book with Eastern Star printed on the cover....and I opened it up, and it was my great-grandmothers, and I leafed through it, wondering what it was...it seemed to be very religious from what I skimmed....

I read through this thread and that makes sense, that it's the female version of the Masons, since her hubby, my great-grandfather was a Mason...

Anyway, the point of this post is, this didn't appear to be a "secret" book...but should I take another look at it? Or is it probably benign? I know nothing about all of this Masonic/Eastern Star stuff...Are these little thin books common? Let me know, thanks all

reply to post by Privy_Princess



But I'm sure you would agree what they do in terms of religious practice has nothing to do with their membership?

Also...I'm not in Eastern Star - do we have anyone here who is? I'm thinking its probably much like masonry as far as "higher ranks" not existing - in other words there are none, everyones on the same level and some people serve as officers.

reply to post by LateApexer313


I'm not an Eastern Star member, but I know enough to say that its not really the "female" version of masonry. Its an appendant body and it teaches its own lessons which are certainly good ones from what I can gather, but its not freemasonry.

Not sure what the book is, it may be the Eastern Star version of the masonic lodge monitor. In which case its a public book that is available to just about anyone or one that you can buy for a few bucks on ebay.

reply to post by ALightinDarkness


I'm not really sure what you mean...but yeah women of any religioin can join. You just have to have belief in a higher power.

Usually Eastern Stars are family/close companions of Freemasons. It's really a close-knit group.

If you look at the name "Eastern Star", the Eastern Star another name for Sirius, the DOG STAR.

There is also a collegiate offshoot of the Eastern Stars, called the Oh YES. lol

I'm not an eastern star, but from what I know, it's pretty much just like masonry. The higher you get, the more involved the teaching becomes.

reply to post by Privy_Princess


What I mean is that the Eastern Star does not "promote" withcraft. People who are witches in it would be so regardless, and joining masonry does nothing for their religious preferences.

The whole dog star stuff is rooted in anti-mason propaganda and is not reflective of reality in my experience. And the reason why I think its similar to masonry is because there are not higher levels in masonry, and I'm a mason so I know this. I doubt the Eastern Star would structure things differently, although I know they teach different things. Don't know for sure though (about the ranks).

Originally posted by Privy_Princess


If you look at the name "Eastern Star", the Eastern Star another name for Sirius, the DOG STAR.

Actually, the name of the organization is taken from a verse in the Gospel of Matthew, and refers to the Star of Bethlehem. When the Magi presented themselves to Herod and asked where they might find the Christ Child, they told him, "We have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him".

The organization, including its name, was created by Dr. Rob Morris in 1849.

I'm not an eastern star, but from what I know, it's pretty much just like masonry. The higher you get, the more involved the teaching becomes.

Like Masonry, there really isn't any "higher you get" in the Eastern Star. Once you've been initiated, you're a full member. There are no "highers", unless you count those elected officials as being temporarily higher while serving their terms of office.

reply to post by ALightinDarkness


Thanks ALightinDarkness for the clarification, guess there's no need to go dig the box out of the basement then I guess, huh? Have a great day all!

reply to post by LateApexer313


The OES book that you may have is it Gold with OES overlapping? This is our ritual book. There is nothing in it more than the re written work of the bible in another persons text. This book can be found anywhere. When you are accepted in Star for membership you are initiated and it is about 3 hours or beautifully laid out labrenth work. Again all in the book(at the back of it in diagram form). You do this one time, then there in that book states there is 18 officers the 5 star points are the five heroines of the bible who were re written later on as they began as Luna, flora, hebe, thesis and areme the constellations. I am a pagan who is part of the Order of the Eastern Star. There are elected chairs of associate conductruss, (North) Conductruss (South), associate matron and associate patron (west) and Worthy Matron and Worthy patron in the (east). Yes there are only a few offices that can be held by a man, such as Marshal, Chaplin, Warder, Sentinal and the East and West. I hope this helps as I am a member, I am pagan and will tell you of truth and loyalty to the good of the chapter. Fraternally........... Sister Esther

I was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star for about 3 years, but quit due to utter boredom. Well there were other reasons too, one of which was a divorce from my first hubby and his whole entire family were involved in Masons, Eastern Star, De Molay and Rainbow Girls.

I didn't want to be around those people any more, period. So I just stopped going and quit paying membership dues and that was 10 years ago. They weren't the reason I joined, for I had eligibility for membership through my late grandfather and my aunt & uncle are still active members.

reply to post by Ceara

Hi all,

I never read or post in the Secret Societies category, but this thread was on the "recent topics" list and the Eastern Star caught my eye...I stay away from all the Illuminati, Masonic threads just because my main interest is UFOS....

But this caught my eye because I was just going through a few boxes from my great grandparents and great great grandparents etc...and I found an old, thin book with Eastern Star printed on the cover....and I opened it up, and it was my great-grandmothers, and I leafed through it, wondering what it was...it seemed to be very religious from what I skimmed....

I read through this thread and that makes sense, that it's the female version of the Masons, since her hubby, my great-grandfather was a Mason...

Anyway, the point of this post is, this didn't appear to be a "secret" book...but should I take another look at it? Or is it probably benign? I know nothing about all of this Masonic/Eastern Star stuff...Are these little thin books common? Let me know, thanks all


The comment was in reply to grandmas book. Not trying to offend only wanted to make a statement.

reply to post by rutlandgrl


Its just their ritual book. I'd keep it, if only because its a important part of your family's history - but its not really secret. And just for clarification, Eastern Star is an affiliated masonic group, but are not "female masons."

When the Order of the Eastern Star started, membership was limited to the wives, mothers, daughters and sisters of Master Masons and, of course, Master Masons. I know this because my mother was a member of a chapter called Wimodasis (think about it...). Since then, they have opened membership to any woman who shares the values of the Order.

I have two Eastern Star rings in my possession. One from each grandmother. And one 25 year pin from my father's mother.

I'm always amused when people attribute strange religious beliefs or lurid practices to the Eastern Star in particular. Google "Order of the Eastern Star." Go find some pictures of their events. The installations are public and photographs are often taken.

There you will see pictures of mostly middle-aged women who are dressing in nice gowns so as to have an excuse to dress up occasionally and the mildly bemused men who love them. These are the women who bake cookies and pie so that they can have a social event at which the highlight is putting together care packages for the troops. These are the women who spend hours cooking something special to take the the pot-luck dinner so it will be just a little bit nicer. Many of them are a little heavier than they'd probably like to be -- in part because they've spent more time on their families than themselves over the years. Many of them are older, because only now do they have the free time to do something that interests them.

They get together and perform their ritual, do some community service, and try to live up to ideals that they have exemplified for years to those of us who have been lucky enough to have then in our lives. They take their responsibilities seriously but, honestly, if you look carefully at the pictures you'll see they have trouble taking themselves too seriously.

These women (and the men, too) live decent lives of the sort of quiet nobility that doesn't often give them a chance to be recognized in public.

Now, really, try to imagine them tolerating a goat on the nice carpet of their chapter room after they had to vote to raise their dues to pay for it. Or worshiping the devil when there are school supplies to be bagged up so that every kid has what he or she needs to learn.

You just really can't see it, can you?

But I want to thank you. I can't imagine much that would have made my grandmothers laugh harder than the idea that they had magical powers beyond the ability to "kiss it better."

Originally posted by driley
When the Order of the Eastern Star started, membership was limited to the wives, mothers, daughters and sisters of Master Masons and, of course, Master Masons. I know this because my mother was a member of a chapter called Wimodasis (think about it...). Since then, they have opened membership to any woman who shares the values of the Order.

driley,

Good post and not to be nit-picky, but membership in the Order still requires a connection to a Master Mason, so not just "any woman" can join, and the male members (of course) must be Master Masons already.

www.easternstar.org...

Regards,

Senrak (Past Worthy Patron, OES, 1991-92)

Originally posted by senrak
... membership in the Order still requires a connection to a Master Mason...

www.easternstar.org...

Senrak is correct, as he ought to be since he has served his time in the organization under discussion.

Thank you, Senrak, for the correction.

Just some thoughts:

No, I don't think the Eastern Star was invented to get our wives out of our hair. In fact most masons whose wives are members are the ones who enjoy being around their wives and visa versa. You're guaranteed to be spending MORE time with a spouse if you belong to the star, and THAT is the idea......to share more of your lives with the women in your family. Every couple I have known who was active has been very close, and hopefully the shared experience makes others closer then they were before.

Second, the Pentagram is an ANCIENT symbol. It wasn't devised by masons, nor any single religion. It's symbolism has to do with it's mathmatics. If those mathmatics have special meaning it is as a result of the creator, and the mathmatics we find in his creation. That it has become an "occult" or "satanic" symbol is an invention of modern ignorance.

Much like the Swastika it has been hijacked.......which was a symbol of the ancient Native Americans, Hindus, Buddists, Chinese, Sumerians, Celts etc and found nearly universally....long before Adolf Hitler hijacked it for his evil agenda.

One would probably do better to study C. Jung to learn why these symbols have found their way to so many independent cultures.

[edit on 10/7/2008 by ForkandSpoon]

The Book that Eastern Star used can be found in any public library, this organization is in no way withcraft associated. I think that like any organization that has songs,symbols, or anything not openly told the public people associte with witchcraft or other demonic things. It's an organzation geared towards positive things and is based on faith.



reply to post by LateApexer313