Alchemy and the Sprig of Acacia
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Lecture Synopsis:
“Alchemy and the Sprig of Acacia” takes the audience on a deep dive into the unknown history of the sprig of Acacia in Freemasonry. Inserted into the Master Mason degree by Alchemist and Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge in London, John Theophilus Desaguliers, the sprig of Acacia was borrowed from the “Royal Art” of Alchemy where, as early as the 4th century A.D., Acacia was considered by practitioners such as Zosimos of Panopolis and in Alchemical manuscripts—including the Turba philosophorum—to be the prima materia or “first matter” of Alchemy, from which practitioners prepared their lapis philosophorum, the “philosopher’s stone.” Further, this “stone” is shown to be nothing short of profoundly visionary compound, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine—better known as simply DMT.
Speaker Bio:
P.D. Newman is an internationally recognized author and lecturer who specializes in topics such as Alchemy, Theurgy, Shamanism, and Tarot de Marseille. Having authored two well-received titles on Alchemy and Freemasonry, Newman’s most recent books include Theurgy: Theory and Practice: The Mysteries of the Ascent to the Divine and Native American Shamanism and the Afterlife Journey in the Mississippi Valley, both published with Inner Traditions—Bear & Co. A Master Mason for over a decade, Newman was raised at Tupelo Lodge No. 318 in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he resides with his wife, Rebecca, and his youngest son, Bacchus.