X-Oriente
The New Voice of Brotherhood

Are academic and affinity lodges a good way to reach out to specific communities, or are they a way to highlight inequality in the craft? Eric and Jason discuss the pros and cons of specialty lodges.

Direct download: 113.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:44pm CDT

Eric and Special Guest Host Mike "The Intern" Hambrecht of The Masonic Roundtable discuss the idea of the gentleman and how it informs ideas in the Craft.

Direct download: 112.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:41pm CDT

If you haven't seen it yet, Lodge 49 is AMC's newest show that features a fraternal organization that is something between the Freemasons, The Odd Fellows and the Elks. In this episode Jason and Eric use the venerable PARDES method to critique the show. If you like TV, and you like esoteric Masonry, you'll want to have a listen.

THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! We only talk about episodes up to ep4.

You can catch Lodge 49 on Monday nights at 10pm ET, on AMC, or on the AMC app.

Direct download: 111.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 10:34pm CDT

Eric and Jason discuss the benefits of traveling as a Freemason. How to do it right, the benefits, and what to expect.

Direct download: 110.m4a
Category:general -- posted at: 10:23pm CDT

We are back from our technical difficulties (knock wood!) In this episode, Eric and Jason discuss the new show Lodge 49, the decision by UGLE to allow Transgender women to remain masons and the concept and meaning of the term "unmasonic."

Direct download: 109.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:15pm CDT

Eric and Jason imagine what they would do if they could be Grandmaster of American Freemasonry. Who is more hard-core? Jason or Eric? Who will be the first to withdraw recognition from the other? The Grand Lodge of Diamond, or the Grand Lodge of Van Dyke? Listen and see! It is an action-packed episode full of Millennial insights, crazy edicts, and hopelessly naive conclusions. We may not be the Grandmasters you need, but we are the Grand masters you deserve. Or something like that.

Direct download: 108.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:33pm CDT

Jason and Eric are joined by special guest, M.: W.: Joe Crociata, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Washington, D.C. and Masonic scholar to talk about Table Proceedings, aka The Festive Board. They talk about the background of these proceedings, The Seven Toasts, why they are important and some tips to insure that your Festive board is a memorable Masonic event.

Direct download: 107.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:04pm CDT

Jason and Eric discuss the idea that there are winners and losers in Freemasonry and how that might help and hurt the Craft as a whole.

Direct download: 106.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:15pm CDT

One way to lessen the effect of ego and improve well-being is through meditation and the practice of Mindfulness. Visit the show notes at www.xoriente.com to access a bunch of useful tools and resources to help you get started or get better.

Direct download: 105.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:08pm CDT

Jason said, "Masonry's biggest problem is Ego." Eric wanted to know more. In this episode we talk about how ego can get in the way of the Craft.

Direct download: 104.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:03pm CDT

We talk about the need to change all the time, but HOW should we innovate in Freemasonry? What is permissible to innovate? Eric and Jason discuss ways to framing the problems and an approach to iterative innovation that preserves what is essential about the Craft.

This episode was damaged when our systems crashed during the live broadcast. We've spliced together nearly all of the content. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Direct download: 103.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:55pm CDT

"The map is not the terrain, we are told." In this episode, Jason and Eric (and our Live audience) explore the importance of symbols, how symbols work, and finally banish the word "symbology" from the lexicon.

Direct download: 102.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:46pm CDT

In this episode Jason and Eric are joined by Chris Hodapp to discuss his recent blog entry The Decline of Men, and what Freemasons Need to Do About It.

We had some technical issues with Chris' audio, we apologize for the difficulty. We think it is worth the listen.

Direct download: 101.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 5:14pm CDT

While Jason is still completing his invasion of the European continent, Eric is joined by special guest host Juan Sepulveda. In addition to being one of the hosts of The Masonic Roundtable and host of The Winding Stairs podcasts, Bro. Sepulveda is an accomplished artist, and creator of a unique Masonic education program called Applied Freemasonry. In this episode we explore how we can make the tools of Masonry more applicable to everyday life.

Direct download: 100.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:52pm CDT

Join special guest host Jason Richards from the Masonic Roundtable and Eric Diamond as they discuss that we as Freemasons should expect but don't get, and what we shouldn't feel entitled to. 
 
 
Direct download: 099.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:34pm CDT

Eric and Jason discuss the elements of Enlightenment thinking and what we need to do to get better at it.

Direct download: 098.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:53pm CDT

Jason and Eric discuss two paths in Freemasonry: The path of Enlightenment philosophy and the path of Esoteric philosophy and why both are critical to Freemasonry's survival.

We reference Antoine Faivre's excellent paper "The Two Lights: Thoughts On Two Constituative Lights of Masonic History" published in A Path to Freemasonry: the International Review of Villard DeHonnecourt, the Research Journal of the GLNF.

Direct download: 097.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:15pm CDT

Why is it so important that a Freemason believe in a Supreme Being? In this episode, Jason and Eric take the First of the Old Charges apart using PARDES to see why this requirement is so important and so misunderstood.

Direct download: 096.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:19pm CDT

This was supposed to be episode 93, but we had a bit of a snafu with the show numbering. So while it says 93 on the title, it is really No. 95. You'll get over it. In this episode, recorded back in January, Eric and Jason reflect on their Masonic New Years resolutions.

Direct download: 095A.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:17pm CDT

During Masonic Week, Eric and Jason met up on Friday for a cookout lunch at the Grand Lodge of DC, where we were joined by Pete Normand. We thought it would be fun to do an episode about "Masonic Pet Peeves," and while we started with those intentions, the conversation went much deeper.

If you don't know who Pete Normand is, you should. He's one of those super-Masons, up there with guys like Rex Hutchens, Art DeHoyos, and S. Brent Morris. Bro. Normand hails from College Station, Texas, and we won't make you read his Masonic CV with all the accolades and honors he's received, but Eric at least is convinced that he has received all of them. But Pete is more than a bunch of lapel pins and titles. He's a maker--for years he published American Masonic Review, a Masonic newsmagazine in the days before blogs. He is a founder of St. Albans Lodge, one of the finer brotherly establishments in the Lone Star State. He is the Editor of The Plumbline, the newsletter of The Scottish Rite Research Society. He is an expert on the history of Freemasonry in Texas. He is truly committed to the betterment of the Craft and he has spent many years not just serving the Craft, but making stuff that makes Masonry better.

But to us, Pete is a friend and a mentor. Pete is one of the reasons that Eric travels to Masonic Week each year. Eric remembers his Masonic week discussions with Bro. Normand as a primary inspiration to start X-Oriente. He is generous with his insight and a dry wit, and completely down to earth. We're glad he agreed to share his time with us. We thought it made for good radio.

Direct download: 094.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:48pm CDT

In this episode, Eric has breakfast at Masonic Week with several podcasters including Mike "The Intern" Hambrecht, Jon "Big Data" Ruark, and Jason "The Mason" Richards of The Masonic Roundtable, and Frater O of Whence Came You? We talk about Masonic media in general, learn about how we approach things differently in Masonry, eat some eggs and bacon, and drink a lot of coffee. Pour yourself a cup and join us.

Jason Van Dyke could not join us due to a massive hangover. (Kidding! He was having a well-deserved break from the brethren.)

Direct download: 093.m4a
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:12pm CDT