I met a freemason of Egyptian rites

Yesterday I was at a meeting in Paris about the secular laws.

Here was a fifty-ish years old guy, well dressed and with a grey beard perfectly cut, who defended sharply the separation of State and churches. He argued that all cultures are not separate identities, but a complex gradient, or flux, of hybridations and mixing elements. He said, and that is very true, that what we call French culture is a  amalgamation of dozens of influences, mostly foreign ones, and not a statis (nor old) "identity".

To illustrate his world view, and because we were in a close circle, he revealed himself as a Master of the freemasonic Order of Memphis-Misraïm. He explained this organization is the only "nomadic freemason Order". Spiritually nomadic : they do not attach themselves to any dogma, school or identity as a fetish, they learn to perceive the nuances of influences and the rich fabric of cultures, philosophies, worldviews, spiritualities. They learn from all and evolve.

It sparked my interest, so I asked him for more insight on his discreet organization. He said to me his order, founded sometimes during the 18th century, broke off from the main freemasonry because it was still too close from christianity. They see monotheism, and its freemasonic version of the Supreme Being or Great Architect, still as a new name for the lone God of abrahamic religions. So they deconstructed the Great Architect to become only the principle of order in the universe. I guess that must be the energy and work needed to fight against entropy, against the automatic chaos and decomposition which inevitably happens if you do nothing.

They also chose an imported set of Egyptian rites from some oriental freemasons to cut off completely from the monotheistic origin of french freemasons. Reference to dead multiple gods provide a framing that distance themselves from the influence of abarhamic cultures, and give them the neutral mindset to see all living religions as equal, because they don't participate in them anymore. From what I understand, they seek knowledge and revelations from rites and esthetic scenes formally devoted to Egyptian gods... in little lodges where they do esoteric and spiritual stuff.

Well, it fascinated me. I love meeting new people, and especially people queer or different. It's quite uncommon to learn firsthand of freemasonic stuff for someone who doesn't participate in it. They are not numerous and do very few publicity. It never interested me too much, because what I know about is the biggest one : le Grand Orient de France, which is essentially a retirement club for the notability where they do philisophy book clubs or things like that. Not very interesting to be honest. I thought freemasonry was mostly a high people club to network, something like that. I guess the major orders are really just that, a place to meet people and talk about books and political debates.

I guess I am more fascinated by the more esoteric lodges, far tinier and minor. Perhaps I'll ask the Egyptian freemasons, through this guy I met, if I can see their inner meetings, someday. If it stays with me for months or years, I'll do it, as it'd be the proof it really did interest me. I hope they are not all very old folks, though.