Masonic World News: October 2026 in Service, Fellowship and Books
October 2026 Masonic news: charitable grants, international meetings and new books, including Pooyan Ghamari’s The Ledger of Five Marks.
Symbolic editorial illustration. The image does not depict a reported event.
Charitable grants in London, international meetings in Bolivia and Nigeria, and new books exploring Masonic life and symbolism feature in this review of the Masonic world. The reports show several ways in which Masonic organisations engage with the public: through practical assistance, education, cultural work and cooperation across borders.
This roundup draws on statements from the organisations concerned and published book information. Upcoming events and announced programmes are identified separately from reported outcomes.
London grants support children, families and people living with sight loss
London Freemasons announced two grants in October addressing needs at different stages of life.
On 26 October, the Metropolitan Grand Lodge reported a £5,000 contribution to BlindAid’s Share London Plus initiative. The funding will help recruit, train and supervise 50 volunteers, providing companionship, practical assistance and accompanied outings for up to 60 isolated blind and partially sighted adults in Islington and Kensington and Chelsea. The planned support includes home visits and help reconnecting with local community life. 1
An announcement on 20 October detailed a £60,000 grant to St Hilda’s East in Tower Hamlets. Over two years, its programme expects to reach 150 children under five and 150 parents or carers. Activities include inclusive play, communication support and sensory sessions, alongside guidance for families seeking further assistance. 2
International cooperation in Bolivia and West Africa
The Grande Oriente do Brasil reported its participation in the annual assembly of the sixth zone of the Inter-American Masonic Confederation, held in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, on 22 and 23 October.
The Brazilian delegation included Grand Master General Ademir Cândido da Silva and Lucas Galdeano, Secretary-General for Foreign Masonic Relations. According to the organisation’s account, the discussions addressed cooperation and matters of shared interest among the participating jurisdictions. 3
Earlier in the month, the District Grand Lodge of Sierra Leone and The Gambia attended Nigeria’s Annual Convocation and Communication in Lagos on 10 October. Its delegation was led by District Grand Master Emile Moses Charles Carr.
The reported programme included a memorial lecture, formal proceedings and opportunities for visiting delegations to exchange experiences. The district’s account emphasised closer relations between Masonic communities across West Africa. 4
Four American Scottish Rite jurisdictions contribute to a shared charitable effort
A significant example of cooperation earlier this autumn came from the United States.
The Scottish Rite’s Northern Masonic Jurisdiction reports that representatives of four American Scottish Rite bodies presented $169,224 to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation on 11 September 2026. The contribution followed a joint fundraising campaign involving the Northern and Southern jurisdictions and their Prince Hall counterparts.
The foundation supports families of fallen first responders and military personnel, as well as severely injured veterans and first responders. The campaign brought distinct Scottish Rite jurisdictions together around a defined charitable purpose. 5
Editorial illustration of books and an archive. These are generic volumes, not the covers of the books discussed below.
New fiction: Pooyan Ghamari’s The Ledger of Five Marks
October’s literary releases include The Ledger of Five Marks: A Freemasonry Mystery Across Four Centuries, by Dr. Pooyan Ghamari.
LovelyBooks records the English-language hardcover as a BoD publication dated 27 October 2026, under ISBN 9783696702670.
According to the published synopsis, the story follows provenance lawyer Mara Voss after the death of Geneva archivist Pierre Savary. A sealed deposit leads her towards a ledger whose history stretches across four centuries, connecting early modern Scotland with the private archives of Switzerland.
The narrative examines obligations carried between generations and the consequences of preserving, concealing or surrendering a record. Its historical settings include Edinburgh, London, Geneva, Vienna and Basel. 6
The author’s accompanying presentation identifies five recurring marks: Measure, Shelter, Witness, Counterweight and Light. It also distinguishes the novel’s fictional events from real Masonic institutions. Freemasonry supplies historical atmosphere and symbolic language; the story does not present allegations against actual lodges or individuals. 7
Austria: Georg Semler explores Freemasonry as a lived practice
The Grand Lodge of Austria has presented Freimaurer Sein, a new book by Grand Master Georg Semler, published in autumn 2026 by Edition Lapis.
The organisation’s introduction describes a work concerned with how ethical principles are practised, how lodge meetings function and what membership asks of an individual. Its intended readers include both Freemasons and people approaching the subject with curiosity or scepticism.
The book’s ISBN is 9783950454383. For readers in Central Europe, it offers a contemporary account of Freemasonry from the perspective of an Austrian Grand Master. 8
Germany: explaining the persistence of conspiracy narratives
The October newsletter of the Große Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland addresses the myth of a worldwide Masonic conspiracy.
In the contribution, Werner H. Heussinger examines how compelling narratives spread, why contradictory evidence can fail to dislodge them, and how social media reinforces existing beliefs. The discussion forms part of the organisation’s public explanation of Freemasonry and its response to persistent misconceptions. 9
France: statement issued concerning disclosed data
On 27 October, the Grande Loge Féminine de France announced that it had filed a complaint after partial data attributed to the organisation appeared on the dark web on 17 October.
The statement said an investigation was underway. It also reported that technical checks had found no compromise of the organisation’s central information systems and that a substantial portion of the disclosed data was obsolete. Those findings remain attributed to the GLFF’s statement. 10
Occitania: the published programme for the IMU congress
The Suprême Conseil d’Occitanie’s website carries the programme for the founding congress of the Institution Maçonnique Universelle, scheduled for 16 and 17 October in the Toulouse area. The announcement names Christian Belloc as international president.
Its planned proceedings included a founding charter, the installation of international officers and discussions concerning peace, human dignity and initiatory transmission. The available page is an invitation and programme. It does not establish which resolutions were ultimately adopted, so those outcomes cannot be confirmed from this source alone. 11
Looking ahead: Grand Festival in Agra
The Grand Festival website announces the Grand Lodge of India’s 2026 gathering in Agra on 28 and 29 November, hosted by the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India.
The published programme provides for the Annual Communication and associated activities. As of this review’s editorial date, the gathering remains an upcoming event. 12
Sources
[4] District Grand Lodge of Sierra Leone and The Gambia
[5] Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction
[6] LovelyBooks
[9] Große Landesloge der Freimaurer von Deutschland
[10] Grande Loge Féminine de France
[11] Suprême Conseil d’Occitanie
[12] Grand Festival 2026