The Square magazine recently asked a question online about what might prevent someone from joining Freemasonry, and in the comments, another person posited the reasons why so many people have been leaving Freemasonry. Why indeed?

There can be several reasons why a person might hesitate to join a Fraternity, and other reasons why a Mason may choose to leave the Craft after joining; naturally we are very interested in exploring these reasons. From our researches into the matter, here are the problems we have gathered so far, and the solutions that the EMO UK offers ...

EXPENSE can sometimes discourage a person from joining a Masonic Lodge. In the EMO UK, our Annual Dues cover more than just Membership - we provide a Curriculum and Tuition, as well as the physical Meetings. There is always a cost when joining any Club or Institution; the important thing is that you have a wonderful experience that proves your investment worthwhile.

COMMITMENT is a concern, especially for younger people who have to work such long hours or feel overburdened by their everyday routines. The EMO UK never pushes our Members to study or progress any faster than they are comfortable; but the Egyptian Rite should excite and intrigue you. If it doesn't, it isn't the right choice. Our Lodges meet no more than eight times a year, and much of our Curriculum is taught online and can be studied at home, and at your own pace, to fit in with your individual lifestyle and schedule.

BAD PRESS has been the scourge of Freemasonry for centuries, not only in the recent decades. The Rite itself as a Mystery Tradition deserves more respect, but it is also true that some Masonic Lodges and Observances in the past have done little to foster trust, transparency or openness towards a curious public. The EMO UK is very open about who we are, what we do, and why we do it. This is why our website is so extensive. We are also Egyptian Masonry, which is progressive, mixed-gender, esoteric and liberal - very different to classical or dogmatic Masonry.

RELEVANCE is an issue for some contemporary people, who imagine that Freemasonry is stuck in the Victorian past and is rigidly authoritarian and conservative. The EMO UK is highly progressive, and embraces many aspects of the Esoteric Traditions, ancient and metamodern, within its Sanctuary. We have wonderful Members, from diverse backgrounds, some in their early twenties - they can tell you all about us themselves!

RELIGIOUS CONCERNS can discourage people from joining, either because they feel their religion will not be accepted, or that an agnostic position will not be welcome. The EMO UK is an esoteric order, so Members must have some conception of Spirituality and Divinity (however abstract), but you are welcome whether you are religious, or spiritual-philosophical in your outlook.

FEAR AND DISTRUST relates to the consequences of bad press and negative propaganda, which classical and dogmatic Freemasonry has struggled to allay. There is a risk of social ostracisation in some communities. Some close family members may protest at the decision or the expense. The EMO UK are very open, and we share a great deal about our viewpoints and practices. Even our Grand Master is accessible and happy to speak to every Member of the Order, whether a new Apprentice or a Senior Mason. Only openness and authenticity can dissolve fear, and build trust between people, which is why we describe ourselves as a Spiritual Community.

The aforementioned reasons are the most frequent concerns about joining that we have discovered. Conversely, the reasons we have been told for Brethren leaving Freemasonry are just as varied, and we can assert the following causes for dwindling Membership...

INCREASING COSTS from Appendent Lodges "beyond the Craft" such as Mark and Royal Arch, as the Mason must purchase more regalia and pay for more Dues. In the EMO UK, some moderate increase in payment is unavoidable if a Mason wishes to explore the Inner Orders (they all require funding and maintenance), but we try to keep all costs to a reasonable rate, and we keep all our Inner Orders and Appendent Orders under one umbrella in the EMO UK.

TIME MANAGEMENT is important for every Mason, as the work requires regular attendance and punctuality; any Lodge relies on everyone being there to run and support it, especially Officers, so you are making a commitment to your Lodge family. The EMO UK Lodge of Egypt is no different. However, the EMO UK will always work with our Egyptian Masons to ensure they feel supported, and never overworked or neglected.

OVERCOMMITMENT can happen if a Mason takes on too much responsibility and has too little support or delegation. A well-run Lodge will make sure this doesn't happen, and forming bonds of trust and companionship with the other Members ensures mutual care and support will occur naturally. The EMO UK is also committed to the training and support of all our Lodges of Egypt, so everyone will manage only what is comfortable for them.

LIMITED PROGRESS is a problem is some Masonic Orders, especially if selection is inconsistent, or there is poor communication about what else the Masonic Obedience has to offer its Members. In the EMO UK, we have a vast array of Rites, Orders, rituals and transmissions to explore, and Higher Degrees to achieve. Whether you love Egyptian history, kemetic practice, neo-platonism, hermeticism, gnosticism, Qabalah, astrology, theurgy, magick, herbalism, alchemy, ascension techniques, sacred geometry, Tarot, Geomancy, mystery traditions, druidic traditions, earth mysteries, the grimoire tradition, psychic development, or more, there is a branch of the Sanctuary, or an EMO Research Lodge, which offers study and initiation in these areas.

POOR ENGAGEMENT tends to happen when Lodges become excessively large, stuffy or moribund in culture, excessively cliquey, or when the Membership has become too advanced in age to engage with a younger generation in the necessary ways. Problems such as cliques, rivalries, internal dramas and interpersonal conflicts should be dealt with immediately, of course, and with delicacy and precision. Equally, when Masons are not being supported, appreciated, or stimulated, or taught the true Mysteries of the Lodge and Sanctuary, they become bored, disengaged, alienated, and will drift away. Who can blame them? Lodges can be great, and some not so great - variation occurs everywhere. However, if nothing else, the EMO UK has too much content within it for our Members to ever suffer from boredom!

LACK OF RELEVANCE will always be a factor as long as responsible Senior Masons fail to appeal to our young men and women, and explain not only what Masonry is, but what it can do for them. It's also high time to explore progressive, esoteric and mixed-gender forms of Masonry, such as the Egyptian Rite of Memphis-Mizraim. The Egyptian Rite has always been a powerful cultural and esoteric influence, and there are few contemporary practices that do not owe their origin and development to the Egyptian Rite and its Members, old and new. The LIGHT is always powerful, always transformative, always elucidating - and always relevant.

NARROW DEMOGRAPHIC is a problem in some areas, as Lodges tend to draw from the people of the local and immediate vicinity. The EMO UK is a progressive and international Order which attracts a diverse group, and encourages sharing and bonding between all of its Members, regardless of origin or status. The EMO UK Sanctuary brings all Members together from the various Lodges to work in the Higher Degrees; we love mutual visitation between Lodges, and our community online, so there is always a sense of unity among us.

MINIMAL TUTORIAL SUPPORT is a problem for almost every other Masonic Order, where Masons are expected to direct their own studies with very little tuition, guidance, training, or study supervision. This is not a problem in the EMO UK. We offer a complete Masonic and Esoteric Curriculum for the Egyptian Rite and our Inner Orders, arranged according to every Degree, full of a vast amount of practical, useful and effective studies. We have monthly Lessons and Tutorials online held by our Senior Masons, and we are in constant communication on our special internal websites and private chat, so everyone can have their most burning questions answered.

LACK OF ESOTERIC CONTENT is another complaint we have heard frequently from ex-Masons, who enter Freemasonry looking for the Arcane Mysteries, and discover that they were misinformed, or mistaken. This is certainly not an issue in the EMO UK! We are highly esoteric and hermetic, and there is a phenomenal depth and breadth to our Symbolic, Lesser, Greater and Supreme Mysteries. Our website demonstrates this clearly.

So, in conclusion, why join the Egyptian Masonic Order?
Cost-efficiency. Flexibility. Openness. Diversity. Authentic Spirituality. Proper Community.

And why stay with the Egyptian Masonic Order?
Affordable progress. Good Benefit-to-Commitment Ratio. Infinite Progression. Interactivity. Inspiration. Universality. Steadfast Support. Studies of Fathomless Depth and Immeasurable Height.