Whence Came You? - 0718 - Watchmen in the Dark: Fighting Dictators and the Fear of Dying

This week, we're looking into two stories that challenge how we think about the past. First, modern technology points to hidden subterranean chambers right under the Giza Plateau, stirring up questions about who built them and what they left behind. Then, we look back at early high-degree Freemasonry, where forgotten rituals and ambitious degree peddlers reshaped our history. Links: http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon:www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show!: https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag!https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book!http://a.co/5rtYr2r

This week... We trace the ancient pathways of our ritual. We uncover why medieval cathedral builders banded together in secret peace guilds, and we unravel the mystery of the pelican feeding its young on the breast of the 18th degree. Join us as we look for the true origins of our modern Masonic journey. Links: The New SUBSTACK!http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon:www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show!: https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag!https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book!http://a.co/5rtYr2r

This week... we journey from the dust of ancient Egypt to the quiet chambers of the modern lodge. We're unearthing a forgotten physician who became a god, decoding the secret pagan symbol on your medical prescriptions, and asking a tough question: has the beautiful performance of our ritual caused us to lose our actual soul? Grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and let's explore. Links: The Masonic Camp http://masoniccamp.com The New SUBSTACK!http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon:www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show!: https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag!https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book!http://a.co/5rtYr2r

This week, we are looking closely at the unseen patterns that guide our lives. We're pulling back the curtain of the massive cosmic forces keeping our Earth from flying off into the dark void. And then we're zooming all the way down to the microscopic engines keeping you alive right now. Are you ready to see the invisible drawings on the trestle board? All this and more. Stay tuned.  Links: The Secretary Box (The Secretary's Equipage) http://www.wcypodcast.com/secretary-box The Texas Festive Board - August 15th, 2026 https://buy.stripe.com/7sY5kCamr0Grav8eGLfAc08 The New SUBSTACK!http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon:www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show!: https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag!https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book!http://a.co/5rtYr2r  

This week, we sit down with a brother who grew up in the rigid, structured world of a missionary home, only to have his entire spiritual landscape shatter. We explore what happens when we let dry analytical logic strip away our childhood sense of awe, and how a profound near-death crisis of faith became the very catalyst for reclaiming a mystical connection to the divine. We are diving deep into the shadow work of the craft, the dangerous trap of becoming a mason in name only, and why true mentorship is about far more than memorizing words on a page. Links: The New SUBSTACK!http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com The Secretary Box Teaser:wcypodcast.com/secretary-box Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon:www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show!: https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag!https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book!http://a.co/5rtYr2r A New Kind of Christian Audible - https://amzn.to/4yNknF6 Paperback - https://amzn.to/4yMG9ZM Adventures in Missing the Point Audible - https://amzn.to/4pIlBgS Paperback - https://amzn.to/4pNuyWi The Masonic Journey https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567257263513 Practical Masonry https://amzn.to/45spUDD A Path to Light https://amzn.to/4vSVCEU Lobster Uncomfortable Vid https://youtu.be/VEXIF2hNmv8?si=H_dVRJz778wYxvXk Zen of Motorcycle Maintenance https://amzn.to/4bO4lky The Strangest Secret in the World Paperback - https://amzn.to/4wysnZe Audible - https://amzn.to/4wucyCI    

This week, we peer into the grand, interlocking mosaic of our craft to ask two defining questions: what is the true active duty of a mason in a world pulled apart by extremes? And are we merely playing dress up in our modern lodges, or are we actively repeating the sacred initiations of the ancient Egyptians, the Mithraic priests, and the Eleusinian mystics? All this and more. Stay tuned! Links: The New SUBSTACK!http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com The Secretary Box Teaser:wcypodcast.com/secretary-box Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon:www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show!: https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag!https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book!http://a.co/5rtYr2r

This week on episode 0718, we dive deep into the archives of 1937 and 1938 to explore two powerful Masonic articles: Dr. Ernest Crutcher's controversial challenge to our fear of mortality in Death: A Resting Place Between Lives, and Rabbi H. Griffan's rallying cry against the rise of totalitarianism in Masons as Watchmen. Plus, we uncover the dark, forgotten history of a 1930s domestic hate group known as the Black Legion, and we have an important update regarding the 2026 John Skeene Conference. All this and more! Links: The New SUBSTACK! http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com The Secretary Box Teaser: wcypodcast.com/secretary-box Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon: www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show! : https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag! https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book! http://a.co/5rtYr2r  

This week, we explore the ripple effects of our words and thoughts through "Guard Well the Portals of the Mind," discussing Albert Pike's concept of everlasting vibrations and William James's theory of "idea-motor action" as a sobering reminder to actively banish pessimistic thoughts and invite in the Great Architect. Next, we challenge the notion of Freemasonry as a mere social club with George H. Steinmetz's "The Worthy and Well-Qualified," which argues that Masonic allegories are actually designed to conceal the secret doctrine from the multitude and that the Craft requires genuine intellectual pursuit as a "progressive science". Finally, we share an exciting announcement for the 3rd John Skene Memorial Conference happening August 28th to 30th, 2026, in Burlington, New Jersey; for just $100, Masons and non-Masons alike can enjoy a weekend of fellowship, scholarship, and entertainment honoring America's first Freemason—a highly recommended experience that RJ has personally presented at in the past. Show Links: Register for the 2026 John Skene Masonic Conference: https://forms.gle/HgWtegYx1q2hY8JZA The New SUBSTACK! http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com The Secretary Box Teaser: wcypodcast.com/secretary-box Skull and Crown Ltd.: www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon: www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show! : https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag! https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book! http://a.co/5rtYr2r

This week on Whence Came You?, we crack open a rare 1936 Masonic journal to uncover the tragic tale of a 13th-century alchemist who sacrificed everything to brew the elixir of physical immortality , only to discover the terrifying truth hidden inside his mirror. Then, we decipher the hidden codes of the Kabbalah to reveal how your local Masonic lodge is secretly laid out like the divine Tree of Life. Links: The New SUBSTACK! http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com The Secretary Box Teaser wcypodcast.com/secretary-box Skull and Crown Ltd. www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show on PayPal https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag! https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book! http://a.co/5rtYr2r  

This week, we are unlocking the archives of the nineteen thirties to expose a thin line between self-mastery and absolute tyranny. First, we dive into a striking 1938 piece titled Superman, written right as the shadow of totalitarianism was taking over Europe. We're looking at how a misunderstood philosophy was weaponized by dictators, and why true Freemasonry serves as the ultimate shield against the tyrant. Then we look at the purpose of Freemasonry, tracing how man, born completely helpless, utilizes the blueprint of the craft to step into his highest potential. It's an episode about breaking free from mundane conformity, mastering your passions, and mapping the future of human progress. Links: The New SUBSTACK! http://www.wcypodcast.substack.com The Secretary Box Teaser wcypodcast.com/secretary-box Skull and Crown Ltd. www.skullandcrownltd.com Craftsman+ FB Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftsmanplus/ WCY Podcast YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/WhenceCameYou Our Patreon www.patreon.com/wcypodcast Support the show on PayPal https://wcypodcast.com/support-the-show Get some swag! https://wcypodcast.com/the-shop Get the book! http://a.co/5rtYr2r