Join us for an exploration of western esotericism and comparative religion through the lens of Freemasonry.  

We anticipate a broad selection of interesting topics that we hope will enable Freemasons and scholars to learn from each other.The volunteer group that has operated as “Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference” for the last five years is pleased to announce an expansion of our effort and a return to an in-person model for our sixth annual event. “Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference 2022” (EFC2022) will be held over the weekend of October 1st and 2nd at Occidental Lodge 2006 NW Market Street, Seattle. A single track of presenters with original content will be offered through both Saturday and Sunday with some entertainment and social events being organized for Saturday evening.

The purpose of this conference is to encourage an approach to original research with regards to Freemasonry and Western Esotericism with an eye towards academic rigour when possible and a sympathetic ear from other practitioners. We hope to bridge the gap between seekers and academics to create an open environment for everybody. Several discussion panels are also planned. A formal proceedings will be published. Lon Milo DuQuette has agreed to attend as the Keynote speaker.

We are seeking participants for our event, “Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference 2022” (EFC2022), to be held in-person on October 1st and 2nd in Seattle, Washington.  

This conference encourages rigorous and original research merging the study of Freemasonry and Western Esotericism.  We hope to bridge the gap between Masonic seekers and academics, providing an open and sympathetic forum.  Moderated Q&A sessions following each presentation represent an opportunity to learn from each other.  Formal proceedings from this conference will be available through [publisher name, website, etc.]Most talks will be open to all registrants, but some presentations may be restricted to Freemasons at our discretion. (Alternative programming will be available to non-members at such times).  

Registration will be no more than $100 and includes access to presentations across both days. Those presenting at the conference will be admitted free of charge, and their work will appear in the proceedings. This event is managed and promoted by the volunteer group operating as “Esotericism in Freemasonry Conference,”  led by Troy Spreeuw and Ken Lane.Abstracts should be no more than 500 words and should include a title, two to three keywords,  details of the argument, the method of analysis used, types of evidence deployed, and the time required to present.  With respect to the latter, the expectation is 45 minutes (though longer presentations may be considered at the committee’s discretion).  Up to nine presentations will be selected.  These presentations will be delivered orally, with the option to include slides, and will be followed by 10 minutes of Q&A.
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All presentations will be spoken with the option to include slides. Up to 9 presentations will be selected with 45 minutes each to present and 10 minutes of Q&A. Longer presentations will be considered if needed. Please include a 500 word abstract and state the length of time you would need to present this subject. We also welcome panel submissions.  Panels will be driven by audience questions after a brief presentation by the panel chair (panelists may also make brief introductory remarks, but this should take no more than a few minutes).  The submission must include the topic of the panel, the name of the chair (who will also serve as moderator) and three other panelists.  Panels will generally be 90 minutes in length.

Deadline for abstracts is June 1st, 2022. Presenters will be notified of acceptance no later than July 1st, 2022. Deadline for full publishable paper is August 1st, 2022 for an advance proceedings.

Abstracts can be submitted to esotericmasonry@gmail.com. All updates and schedules will be posted soon.
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‍Troy Spreeuw can be contacted directly at tspreeuw@gmail.com
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‍Ken Lane can be contacted directly at lkmjr@msn.com