The Alchemical Origins of Freemasonry

It's well known Elias Ashmole (one of the world's first "chemists") was a Freemason. But he was not the first practitionar of what would become "chemistry".

Alchemy is an ancient and not "goofy" science. People often consider Alchemists as goofy elders with nothing better to do than throw potions around and be persecuted by the Church. None of which is true.

In fact, turning lead to gold is undoubtedly true.

Turning lead to gold is most likely the idiot's (or rather common person's) basic understanding of "Fire Assaying" in which an Alchemist could filter lead through a molten rock and extract Gold.

Fire Assaying was developed by Alchemists as early as the 1500s.

Alchemy, unlike Chemistry itself is deeply rooted in symbolism.

And so is Freemasonry.

Alchemy also was deeply connected to the other sciences not popularized by the Church (the popular sciences were Physics and Geometry and Astronomy...our pop-culture remembers the significant contributions to those sciences during the Renaissance).

Thus, how much influence could Alchemy have in Freemasonry? Is Elias the only connection? Or are there more?

True, I thought everyone knew that alchemy was a forerunner of chemistry. As far as Freemasonry being linked.....ummm, I'm not sure about that one.

If I remember correctly, the main trunk of the Rosicrucian Fraternity at one time, split into two.


One group following Elias Ashmole, and another group following a certain other Alchemist?

No?

well near as i know ( and i dont claim to be an expert), the freemasons that have shown to know of alchemy have never denounced it, and some have praised it.. but it becomes a thing of some alchemists are freemasons.. and some freemasons are alchemists.. but not all freemasons are alchemists and vice versa

See the following by Manly P. Hall:

Rosicrucian and Masonic Origins


...Then appears that charming "first American gentleman," Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who together with the Marquis de Lafayette, played an important role in this drama of empires. While in France, Dr. Franklin was privileged to receive definite esoteric instruction. It is noteworthy that Franklin was the first in America to reprint Anderson's Constitutions of the Free-Masons, which is a most prized work on the subject, though its accuracy is disputed. Through all this stormy period, these impressive figures come and go, part of a definite organization of political and religious thought—a functioning body of philosophers represented in Spain by no less an individual than Cervantes, in France by Cagliostro and St.-Germain, in Germany by Gichtel and Andreae, in England by Bacon, More, and Raleigh, and in America by Washington and Franklin. Coincident with the Baconian agitation in England, the Fama Fraternitatis and Confessio Fraternitatis appeared in Germany, both of these works being contributions to the establishment of a philosophic government upon the earth.

One of the outstanding links between the Rosicrucian Mysteries of the Middle Ages and modern Masonry is Elias Ashmole, the historian of the Order of the Garter and the first Englishman to compile the alchemical writings of the English chemists...

Wow, what a goldmine of info.

Speculative alchemy - the evolution of one's self to something more valuable - fits perfectly with our teachings.