Freemason Harry Houdini: Master of Masonic Mystery and Freemasonry - S2 75a

Freemason Harry Houdini: Master of Masonic Mystery and Freemasonry
Harry Houdini, originally named Ehrich Weisz, was born on March 24th 1874, in Budapest, Hungary.
At the age of nine, he performed his first public magic act under the moniker "Ehrich, the Prince of the Air." However, it wasn't until he adopted the stage name "Harry Houdini" in honor of the French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, that his career truly began to take off.
Houdini's career as an escapologist and illusionist skyrocketed in the early 20th century. He became renowned for his daring stunts and seemingly impossible escapes from handcuffs, straitjackets, and even jail cells. His performances captivated audiences worldwide, earning him the title of "The Handcuff King" and "The World's Greatest Escape Artist."
His repertoire of tricks included the infamous Chinese Water Torture Cell, where he would be suspended upside-down in a locked glass tank filled with water, and the Milk Can Escape, where he would escape from a milk can filled with water while shackled.
Houdini's ability to defy death and escape from seemingly inescapable situations made him a sensation. Houdini was not without controversy, however. He was known for his vigorous debunking of fraudulent spiritualists and mediums who claimed to communicate with the dead.
Houdini, a staunch skeptic, dedicated a significant portion of his career to exposing these charlatans, often attending their séances in disguise and revealing their trickery to the public. His crusade against spiritualism brought him into conflict with notable figures of the time, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Doyle was the creator of Sherlock Holmes, who was a fervent believer in spiritualism. Despite their friendship, Houdini's relentless skepticism strained their relationship.
Tragically, Houdini's life was cut short. While performing at the Princess Theater in Montreal Canada, Houdini was struck in the abdomen by a student who delivered multiple unexpected blows, purportedly as a test of Houdini's legendary abdominal muscles. He was severely injured.
Rather than listen to the physician, Houdini continued his tour, performing for the last time on October 24th 1926, at the Garrick Theater in Detroit, Michigan. He refused medical treatment until completing his scheduled performances, believing the show must go on.
When he took the stage, he had a fever of 104 and passed out during the show. He was revived, finished the performance, and then was admitted to Detroit’s Grace Hospital.
Harry Houdini died there on Halloween 1926, at 52. While it can’t be confirmed, there is speculation his attacker was a spiritualist angry at Houdini’s long standing campaign to debunk the movement.
Throughout his life, Houdini was an active member of the Freemasons, a fraternal organization steeped in tradition and symbolism. Houdini was initiated into St. Cecile Lodge in New York in 1923.
He enthusiastically engaged the Masonic community in New York, holding a performance for the Scottish Rite Valley, which saw 4,000 people attend at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Brother Houdini used the money he raised to support fellow Freemasons in need. After becoming a Master Mason, Houdini became a member of Mecca Shrine Temple in New York City. Houdini's involvement in Freemasonry was significant to him, and he took his Masonic duties seriously. He saw parallels between the secrecy and symbolism of Freemasonry and his own profession as an illusionist.
Houdini valued the fraternity's principles of brotherhood, charity, and self-improvement, finding kinship among his fellow Masons. Harry Houdini's life was a remarkable journey of magic, mystery, and mastery over the impossible.
From his humble beginnings as the son of Hungarian immigrants to his rise as one of the greatest entertainers of all time, Houdini's legacy endures as a testament to the power of human ingenuity and determination. His contributions to the world of magic and his dedication to truth and skepticism continue to inspire generations of performers and skeptics alike. Do you believe that Houdini was a good representative of Freemasonry and the Masonic core values?
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⚠️ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Old Fashion Masonic Podcast, any Grand Lodge or Shrine Center, and we encourage viewers to conduct their research and form their conclusions based on reliable sources and personal beliefs.
We get these questions often: What does the mysterious secret society of Freemasons actually do? Does this episode expose freemasonry and masonry? What about The New Order and The Illuminati? Is there a whole Secret world of Freemasons? We think not.
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