ANNIE BESANT AND FREEMASONRY

 

Blavatsky died in 1891 and Annie Besant became the leader of the Theosophical Movement in Europe.

A year later Annie Besant became interested in Freemasonry, but at that time the Freemasons still did not accept women into their lodges, with the exception of a French Masonic association called "The Grand Mixed Symbolic Scottish Lodge of France, Le Droit Humain."

Annie Besant traveled to the headquarters of this lodge located in Paris where she was initiated on July 27, 1902.

Regarding this incursion, Jinarajadasa, who was Annie Besant's personal secretary, mentioned the following:

« Annie Besant's foray into Freemasonry began when she became involved with a French Masonic organization initially called the 'Supreme Council of Universal Co-Masonry'."

This organization, composed of certain members of the Grand Symbolic Scottish Lodge of France, is a branch of the Supreme Council of France, and from 1882 it began admitting women into its premises.

In 1902, Annie Besant joined them along with other friends.  She is an ardent Freemason and has devoted much of her enthusiasm to the cause of the Fraternity, as practiced in this semi-secret organization.

Due to her extraordinary competence and her role in international affairs, the Supreme Council of France conferred upon him a high rank, and his official title is:

V:. e Ilus:. H:. [Venerable and Illustrious Sister] Annie Besant, 33°, Deputy and Vice-President of the Supreme Council, First Sovereign Lieutenant, Gr:. Commander of the Order.  V:. e Ilust:. Gr:.Comand :.  [Venerable and Most Illustrious Grand Commander] of the British Federation.

Under its jurisdiction in Great Britain, the Dominions and Dependencies, there are today 161 Masonic bodies, composed of Blue and Mark Lodges, Royal Arch and Rose-Cross Chapters, two Camps and one Consistory. »

(Brief Biography of Annie Besant, 1932)

Upon returning to England, Besant worked to found the first lodge in London of this Masonic association, which was established on September 26, 1902 and was named  "Lodge Number 6" .

Photo of the founders, Besant is in the middle. George Arundale, who would become the president of the Theosophical Society of Adyar after Annie Besant's death, was also one of the founders but was not present when this photo was taken.

 

Later, Besant helped to found more lodges in the United Kingdom, and eventually co-founded the British Federation of that Masonic organization.

And when Besant became president of the Theosophical Society of Adyar in 1907, she also worked to establish lodges in Ireland, India, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Burma, Ceylon, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Several of the most historically important buildings of the Theosophical Society of Adyar were associated through ceremonies with this Masonic organization, or were simply dedicated to it.

For example, in 1909 Annie Besant ceremonially laid the cornerstone of the Co-Masonic Rising Sun Temple built at the headquarters of the Theosophical Society of Adyar, located in Madras, India.

There was also a Masonic ritual when on July 27, 1913, Annie Besant ceremonially laid the cornerstone of the administrative building in Adyar.

And again there was  a Masonic ritual when on August 29, 1926 Annie Besant ceremonially laid the cornerstone of the administrative building of the Theosophical Society of Adyar in America,  which was established in Wheaton, Illinois.

Photo taken during this ceremony

MY OPINION

Personally, I find it irresponsible of Annie Besant, being the leader of the Theosophical Society  – first in Europe and then throughout the world –  instead of focusing on expanding Theosophy (which was her role), she set about expanding that Masonic organization.

And don't misunderstand me, Annie Besant had the right to get involved with whatever organizations she wanted, but then she should resign from her position in the Theosophical Society since she was not giving it the attention that this position required.

It's as if the great leader of the Freemasons were to start opening lodges of Martinism.

So why are you a Freemason?

Focus on one organization, and that is what Annie Besant should have done.

But Blavatsky also did not want these two institutions to be joined because she explained that these organizations deal with different energies and therefore it is not convenient to associate them.

But Annie Besant didn't care what Blavatsky said and put them together on a whim.

BESANT IN HER MASONIC CEREMONIAL ATTIRE

Below are more photos where Annie Besant appears dressed as a Freemason:

THE MESS THAT CHARLES LEADBEATER MADE

Charles Leadbeater was a fraud who made a terrible mess of everything he got involved in: he greatly distorted theosophical teachings, his "scientific" investigations through his fictitious clairvoyance are pure charlatanism, and when he got involved with Freemasonry he also distorted it enormously.

The problem is that Leadbeater had complete control over Annie Besant, which caused the Freemasonry practiced in the Theosophical Society of Adyar to become increasingly false and full of errors, fantasies and lies.

THE MASONIC FUNERAL OF BESANT

When Annie Besant died in 1933, her body was carried in procession to the Co-Masonic Temple where a Masonic service was held and  afterwards the body was cremated.

In the following photo you can see Leadbeater and several Freemasons from Adyar during this cremation.

OBSERVATION

Annie Besant remained a Freemason from 1902 until the end of her life, but as with Theosophy, Besant did not understand Freemasonry either, because if she had understood those two esoteric teachings, then she would not have allowed Leadbeater to distort them.