“The Ark of Freemasonry: A Journey Through the Initiatic Transmission of the Secret Teachings of the West”

In this presentation, Masonic Historian, scholar, and practitioner Ike Baker examines the many

through-lines of esotericism connecting the religio-philosophical and esoteric teachings of

antiquity to Freemasonry in the modern day. Arcane arts and sciences such as astrology,

alchemy, and ritual magic all begin to take on the forms in which they are recognizable to us

today in the Hellenistic period, following the Alexandrian conquests of Persia and Egypt. Giving

the intellectual and historical context and textual references needed to glean a broader picture

of western intellectual and spiritual culture, Baker will show how esotericism is in fact at the very

heart of Masonic symbolism. Baker will also examine core Masonic symbolism in the light of

their antique origins.

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Ike Baker is an initiate of several lineages within the modern Western Esoteric traditions

including Freemasonry, Martinism and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. He is Imperator

of the Aroueris-Hathor Temple in Asheville, North Carolina, as well as an author and content

creator who hosts the ARCANVM YouTube Channel and Podcast. creating documentary-style

presentations and interviewing some of the top scholars, practitioners, and authors in occultism,

magic, and esoteric traditions. He is also a co-founder of the 2024 New Hermopolis International

Conference being held in October of this year at the New Hermopolis eco-village in Egypt near

the ruins of Hermopolis Magna, which will host keynote speakers and presentations from

scholars and practitioners in the modern esoteric traditions. Ike is also one of the co-founders

and organizer of the 2024 Southeastern Masonic Symposium in Asheville, North Carolina taking

place June 8th and 9th. His debut book dealing with the history, theory, and practice of the

western esoteric traditions from antiquity to the modern day, entitled A Formless Fire:

Rediscovering the Magical Traditions of the West was published earlier this year by Tria Prima

Press.

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A Formless Fire: Rediscovering the Magical Traditions of the West, is podcaster, lecturer, and

practitioner Ike Baker’s debut book on the history, theory, and practice of the Western Esoteric

Traditions. An ambitious first offering, A Formless Fire takes the reader on an epic tour of the

ancient histories, philosophies, and worldview from which the modern occult and magical

traditions emerged, supplying much-needed context and insight culled from two decades of

research and practice in such arts as astrology, alchemy, tarot, geomancy, and ceremonial

magic. Baker follows the astro-theological and theurgic threads of magical philosophy and

practice beginning in Hellenized Egypt, culminating in their transmission throughout the history

of western civilization to the modern day, while elaborating their detailed and exhaustive

theoretical bases and practical applications.

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