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Is the central character in the Masonic ritual "Hiram Abiff" a Biblical cover for Hermes Trismegistus? Does the Masonic ritual contain encoded secret Hermetic knowledge of alchemy, astrology, and magic? During the tumultuous period leading up to the Thirty Years War and English Civil War, the best and brightest minds searched desperately for something - anything - which could soothe the tensions and re-unite people across religious confessions and political partisanship. Intriguingly alchemy and alchemical symbols emerged as a theme promoted by authors from a variety of affiliations. But with the Inquisition in the background and tensions high, Biblical framing of the secrets was essential. Infusing secret knowledge into the initiation rituals of the decaying Stone Masons guild as it shifted from a medieval labor union to a social club, alchemists fundamentally changed speculative Freemasonry at the dawn of the Age of Exploration and Colonization into a dynamo of social cohesion and unity. Yet early lodges were universally held in taverns. Overnight, a network of brewhouses, alehouses, and pubs popped up hosting Masonic lodges, with craft brewers experimenting with new flora and fauna. Their results could be quite literally enchanting, particularly in a secret initiation. Had Masonic lodges discovered the Stone of the Wise? The Grand Communication provides a fresh look at early Freemasonry's ritual and symbols to examine the nature of the Biblical and alchemical themes.
