I have just got back from the 2-day High Council Meeting of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (or SRIA).
Day 1 (Friday):
So I had to wake up at silly-o’clock to head off into England and to sunny Lamington Spa, and the fantastic conference centre Woodland Grange. Arriving early so that I could get the lay of the land, I wandered over the the SRIA registration table, where I discovered my nametag had not been printed, so I therefore got to write my own.
For the weekend I shall be “Lord Fauntleroy De Richleau the Third“, I then collected my welcome bag of mints, pen, notebook, bookmarks, and other goodies and entered looking for coffee. You will see that a big part of this weekend will involve coffee. But I must insist I am not an addict!
There was free coffee, everywhere had free coffee machines, it was HEAVEN!
After catching up with many people, and drinking even more coffee the High Council started at 1pm. We had a Requiem for those who passed, and then reappointed, and appointed those in office, including our own new Chief Adept for the Province of Western Counties and North Wales Dr. Steven Markham.
Out with the old and in with the new.
Our old Chief Adept hands over the baton to the new Chief Adept
We then had the first talk of the weekend, the CCR winning paper on “Allegories of Internal Alchemy in the Fama Frateritas Rosae Crucis” before breaking for coffee.
Everyone then split up either to hear the second talk of the event, or go for the rituals of grades 9 and 8. I was honoured to join the Third Order and go for my grade 8. It was a fantastic ceremony, and it will take me a few days to read the ritual and understand all that was involved.
Coffee break! then Dr A. Fear gave a talk on “Journey into the body: Know yourself” we then broke for a meal at 5:30pm.
Afterwards I booked into my room, grabbed a change of clothes to relax, and off to the final talk of the day which was “a demonstration of Esoteric Music Through the Ages” which involved singers, music, talks.
It was then time to go sit and chat in the bar until the wee hours of Saturday morning….
What a Day 1.
Day 2 (Saturday):
I was up and on my second coffee of the day by 7am. Then when breakfast started serving it was time for a full English, before dropping my bags off in the car, and signing out of my room before the day started at 9am.
Well most people’s day started at a more reasonable 10am, but I attended the Director of Studies meeting at 9am. Where we heard about the new diploma scheme and how to volunteer to be part of setting it all up. It was an interesting meeting and worth skipping that 4th coffee to go to.
It was then time for the 3rd or 4th talk of the weekend (I have lost count) which was “CRC’s Journey“. I say it was a talk, but it was a performance. A video played of the Metatron giving CRC permission to return to earth for a one night only special. And the speaker came in wearing a monks robe and bald cap, and without breaking character (or voice) gave an account of CRC’s journey as if from CRC himself. Best performance of the weekend!
Then it was time for a quick coffee break, before the next talk “Enoch – Who walked with God – The lost patriarch of Englsh Freemasonry” which was another very interesting talk.
We then did the High Council work of appointing officers for the year, hearing and voting on the reports, an address by the Supreme Magus. Then High Council was closed, and we all left for food. lots and lots of food.
After lunch there was a chance to re-hear some of the previous talks if you had missed them, a group of us decided to play pool, then have a cold drink outside in the sun before heading in for the last talk of the weekend. “The Camino de Santiago – A Masonic and Rosicrucian initiation into The Self“
What a weekend!
The Supreme Magus of the SRIA along with the heads of our sister organisations