The Truth about Lucifer, Albert Pike and Freemasonry

What if I told you the very claim that we Freemasons worship Lucifer, is ironically the work of the Devil himself? And those making this claim, while thinking they’re doing God’s work, they’re are the ones spreading a lie!

You have probably heard people say that Albert Pike himself states that Freemasons worship Lucifer, but those same people then use this to claim that all of Freemasonry is satanic.

Now this is largely based on Morals and Dogma, where Pike references Lucifer many times. However, when you criticise Pike’s work and examine its history, you reveal that these views and claims are the work of Lucifer himself - they’re lies!

It goes to show the active work of the devil himself. Where any rebuke of him and the revelation of his true identity & nature causes a diarrhoea of misinformation, lies and deceit all while weaponising individuals against truth and blinding them with the “light” they falsely claim is good.

So have you fallen prey to the work of Lucifer himself, into believing that Freemasonry is satanic worship disguised as an Ancient and Honourable fraternity?

Well in this edition of Daily Masonic Progress, I will reveal the truth about Freemasonry, Lucifer and Albert Pike. We will look into:

1. Who Albert Pike was and his connection to the Scottish Rite,

2. Where does the false accusation of worshipping Lucifer originate, and

3. What does a 33rd Degree Grand Cross Mason have to say about this

And if you stick around until the end, I’ll also share a way that we as Masons can easily debunk these false accusations.

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But to understand where these alleged satanic worship views come into Freemasonry, we need to more about who Albert Pike was and his connection to the Scottish Rite. Otherwise, we lack the foundational knowledge of his work that is used by non-masons to justify their false claims about Freemasonry and how they consider Morals & Dogma the “one true authority on Freemasonry.”

Albert Pike (1809-1891), was a self-educated teacher who distinguished himself as a prominent lawyer. He notably represented Native American tribes, while concurrently pursuing careers in journalism and poetry. Pike's many talents and interests led him to engage in politics, military service, and most significantly, Freemasonry.

During the Civil War, Pike served the Confederacy as a brigadier general, primarily focusing on negotiations with Native American tribes and commanding the Indian cavalry. He resigned from his post in 1862 amidst allegations of financial mismanagement, though these charges were subsequently found to lack any evidence.

Pike's involvement with Freemasonry commenced in 1850 and it swiftly became a central focus of his life. He ascended rapidly through the ranks of the Scottish Rite, culminating in his election as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction in 1859, a position he retained until his death in 1891.

Dedicating considerable time to the development and refinement of Masonic rituals and philosophy, Pike significantly shaped the Scottish Rite of the Southern Jurisdictions practices and teachings. It’s important to note that this influence has little impact on other non-Amercian jurisdictions and no impact on Craft Masonry.

His most influential contribution was the publication of "Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry" in 1871. This seminal work, which explores the symbolic meanings and moral lessons of the Scottish Rite degrees performed by Chapters under the Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction, became a cornerstone of Masonic literature and a key cause of many false and misinterpretations of Freemasonry as a whole.

His writings have been criticised by many Masonic scholars owing to that Pike's writing is often considered excessively complex, difficult to comprehend, and easily misleads readers. But also because his work largely represents his personal views rather than universally accepted Masonic teachings. Several of Pike's claims about Masonic history and symbolism have been disproven.

But if there was one criticism of Albert Pike’s work that is the most alarming, it is the over-reliance and overemphasis on his writings as the ultimate truth of Freemasonry, rather than them being his interpretation and specifically applicable to a single jurisdiction being the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction.

What’s important to remember about Pike and know about Scottish Rite Masonry, is that the Mother Supreme Council (Southern Jurisdiction) was established in 1801, some 57 years before Pike was elected its Grand Commander. But the “high degrees of Freemasonry” are said to have been practised informally for some considerable time, before the emergence of their formalisation as a Rite in 1747 in France.

We also need to consider that by the time Pike was head of the Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction, many other Supreme Councils around the world had been formed and were practising the 33 Degrees:

• France in 1804

• Italy in 1805

• Ireland in 1824

• England & Wales in 1845

So while the Southern Jurisdiction is the Mother Supreme Council, the same as how The Grand Lodge of England is the Mother Grand Lodge— it is by no means the absolute single global authority. After all, each Supreme Council is Supreme of its jurisdiction, you cannot be a member of more than one Supreme Council, otherwise, it wouldn’t be supreme.

So now we know who Albert Pike was and have some preliminary history about the Scottish Rite; where do these views of Freemasonry being satanic come from?

Well in Morals & Dogma Pike mentioned Lucifer and the Devil around 40 times. But the one quote that lights the fire about these satanic worship claims is:

From this very quote, many arrive at the incorrect conclusion and interpretation about Freemasonry concerning Lucifer. But such is only done on a passing glance and without spending any more than a few milliseconds and effort. If you just hear “Lucifer, light bearer” and then like most who just headline read and partially skim text, it gets easily misinterpreted. But this false interpretation then gets spread and becomes the “accepted truth” without any interrogation of the actual text it comes from.

But do you know what Pike writes before this very controversial quote?

“the nineteenth Degree, the Apothesis of that Sublime Faith which aspires to God alone, and despises all the pomps and works of Lucifer.”

So it is ironic that in the very preceding text, Pike himself states and directs you to God and away from Lucifer, and all in the same context of Freemasonry.

That being said, isn’t it always the case that those who make these false claims about Freemasonry, when they’re rebuked, respond with:

Well you aren’t a 33rd Degree so you don’t know the truth, you’re not high enough, you're not in the inner circle, blah, blah, blah!

While I find this hypocritical that a Non-Mason with No Degree is now an authority on what is or isn’t a teaching of Freemasonry; they always lay claim to wanting a 33rd Degree on the Supreme Council to tell them the truth while no one else on earth can.

I wonder how would they respond if an actual 33rd Degree Mason, with a Grand Cross of Honor who is a full member of the Supreme Council of the Mother Supreme Council, the Southern Jurisdiction, actually gave them the truth — would they deny it or accept it?

Well, they’d probably still deny it, and would probably deny God himself if he directly gave them any revelation face-to-face simply that is contrary to their own false beliefs. Such is the power of the deceiving light of the evil one which is exactly what Pike is warning about.

That being said, the best explanation and the truth about Lucifer, Albert Pike and Freemasonry comes from Ill. Arturo De Hoyos 33° GCH who is America’s foremost expert on Freemasonry, the Grand Archivist and Grand Historian and a full Member of the of the Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction.

This was shared in the comments section by Bro Dennis Littleton 32° (@K4DL-AL) about the passage I mentioned before:

LUCIFER, the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darknesss! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual or selfish Souls? Doubt it not!

So here is the truth from the highest Masonic authority on the matter. I have linked all references Bible verses to their corresponding verse on Bible.com

This passage is easily misunderstood when not read carefully, and just as easily understood if read carefully.

Let us break it down into two parts:

(1) Morals and Dogma states that the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation), the last book of the New Testament, is the “apotheosis” (ideal example) of faith which aspires to God, and rejects the works of Lucifer. Clearly, the passage states that the Biblical book of Revelation is an example to the righteous;

(2) It then adds that “Lucifer” is a strange name to give to the spirit of darkness who uses “light” to mislead weak and selfish people. But why does it say that “Lucifer, the light-bearer” is a strange name for the spirit of darkness?

Simply because the name Lucifer means “light-bearer.”

The name derives from the Latin genitive lucis (light) and ferre (to bring or to bear); hence lucis-ferre becomes Lucifer, the “light bearer.” It is thus ironic that the “spirit of darkness” should be called “light bearer.”

The notion that the Adversary uses light to deceive people was accepted by the Apostle Paul, who wrote that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14), and this scripture may have helped connect the Adversary with the name Lucifer. Lucifer, Son of the Morning.

But why is Lucifer called “the Son of the Morning?”

This alludes to older translations of Isaiah 14:12 (e.g. KJV), which read, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!”

According to Biblical commentators this verse is actually a condemnation of an ancient king of Babylon, who had persecuted the Israelites, and does not refer to the devil at all.

The original Hebrew verse calls the Babylonian king heleyl, ben shachar (רחַשָׁ־ןבֶּ ללֵיהֵ), meaning “Day Star, son of dawn.” The word heleyl, “day star,” was a title for the planet Venus, which is second nearest the sun. Isaiah’s language evokes the image of the Babylonian king, filled with pride.

The Latin Vulgate Bible also used “Lucifer” in this verse as the name of the planet Venus, as a metaphor of the King of Babylon, who would likewise “fall” as the planet apparently does.

Isaiah’s chapter includes a prophecy of his downfall. The Vulgate’s translation of heleyl as “Lucifer” was not an error; both the Hebrew and the Latin words mean the planet Venus.

Additional strong evidence that the word Lucifer does not mean “the devil,” appears in the New Testament. The Latin text of 2 Peter 1:19 actually uses the name Lucifer for Jesus, calling Him “the day star” who will “arise in your hearts” (lucifer oriatur in cordibus vestris), while Revelation 22:16 also calls Jesus “the bright and morning star,” which is another allusion to the same planet.

Clearly, Biblical allusions to the planet Venus are merely used to evoke an image of the star’s brightness and glory. Fortunately, modern Bible translations frequently include detailed notes which explain and preserve the original context of these and many other difficult passages.

Although some early Christians, including Tertullian (Contra Marcionem, 11, 17), considered Lucifer an appellation of Satan, the Adversary, John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667) helped establish the common notion of Lucifer-as-the-devil which prevails in much of the English-speaking Christian world today.

Indeed, the theology of Milton’s epic work colors common notions about Biblical theology.

Paradise Lost not only relates how Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, but develops the story of Lucifer, an angel cast out of heaven with his followers. He becomes Satan, the Adversary of God and enemy of man’s salvation. Angered at being cast from heaven he and his followers strive to lead the man Adam and his posterity astray.

Morals and Dogma 19:28 is also sometimes mentioned together with the “Léo Taxil hoax,” a known forgery which asserted that Albert Pike and Scottish Rite Masons worship Lucifer as their god.

This notorious hoax was created soon after Pike’s death when Léo Taxil declared that Albert Pike was the “Sovereign Pontiff”(!) of Freemasonry, ruling over a secret body called the Palladium.

According to the hoax, Pike delivered instructions to “The 23 Supreme Confederated Councils of the world” (no such organization actually existed). The instructions included the statement “Yes, Lucifer is God,” with the further assertion that Adonai, the God of the Bible, is the evil god.

In spite of its patent absurdity, the hoax was accepted by the Roman Catholic Church for many years, and Freemasons were denounced as Luciferians and devil-worshipers. Taxil’s hoax was eventually uncovered, and he made a full and public confession which was published in contemporary newspapers; the hoax is now officially rejected by the Catholic Church.

In spite of this, anti-Masons continually use this false witness against the Fraternity.

- De Hoyos, Arturo; Hutchens, Rex R. Albert Pike's Morals & Dogma: Annotated Edition

So what this all means is that the very claim that Freemasons worship Satan, originates from the Leo Taxil hoax and misinterpretations of Albert Pike's writings.

Ironically, this false accusation is the work and, an embodiment of, the very deception of Lucifer/Satan/The Evil One.

Also, despite Taxil's public confession to fabricating these false claims and the fact that Pike's actual writings direct Masons towards God, this misconception continues to persist, demonstrating the enduring power of misinformation and the evil one.

Therefore as Masons, when we are confronted with these accusations that we as Freemsons worship Lucifer, how can we respond?

Well I think the easiest response is to say:

“You know it’s the work of the Devil himself that you believe and push these false claims are you really doing the work of the Evil One? These false claims originated from the Leo Taxil hoax, where he lied about the claims of devil worship and Abert Pike. Pike directs Masons towards God and rebukes and cautions against falling for the false light of Lucifer.

So are you doing the work of God or are you doing the work of Satan?”