Raymond Ortiz, II began his philosophical journey from an early age, building interest and advanced knowledge in numerous topics such as ancient philosophy, religion, and western esotericism. As a serial fraternalist, he is deeply embedded within the subculture of secret initiation and ancient ritual, as well as the spiritually alchemical practice of deep introspection.
Recognizable within the world of Freemasonry, he has been an active member of the Masonic Fraternity for over 10 years, presiding over more than 15 separate Masonic Organizations within his jurisdiction and recognized nationally for his commitment to advancing philosophical and esoteric masonic education. He is a member of over 40 distinct Masonic bodies and invitational orders.
Among his Masonic fraternal accomplishments, he is the current Worshipful Master of Inspiratus Lodge No.357, the Traditional Observance Lodge of NJ. He is a Past Master of Mt Zion Lodge No.135, a member of the NJ Grand Lodge Education Committee, and a Fellow in the Society of King Solomon. He is a Past Presiding Officer of three bodies within the Valley of Northern NJ, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite and the Chartering Knight Chieftain of the NJ Order of the Knights of St Andrew. In 2018, he became a recipient of the Scottish Rite Meritorious Service Award (MSA) and in 2021 was elected to receive the 33rd Degree. He has also served the York Rite extensively and is a Past Presiding Officer for Royal Arch, Royal & Select Masters, and Knights Templar. He is a Past Sovereign Master of DaVinci Council No. 47, Allied Masonic Degrees; Excellent Chief for Northern Council No.10, Knight Masons; and is the chartering Deputy Master Mason of Serpentine Barrens Quarry Assemblage, Worshipful Society of Operatives. He is a past Grand Chaplain for the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and supports many Grand level committees across the Masonic Fraternity. He is also a member of various Masonic Research Bodies.
His exposure to non-masonic fraternities and societies includes Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Incorporated, Order of Omega, Knights of Columbus, the Theosophical Society, and various religious, Rosicrucian, and Martinist Orders. He lectures frequently on topics of interest and expertise such as history, philosophy, esotericism, spiritualism, religion, leadership, social theory, and fraternalism.
Raymond earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from Cornell University. He also holds an Executive MBA from Rutgers University and is a Doctoral Student in the Rutgers School of Public Affairs & Administration.
Professionally, he is an experienced financial services executive leader. Relying on his many years of experience as a financial advisor and portfolio manager on Wall Street, Raymond transitioned to a career in management consulting where he specializes in process improvement, large scale transformations, target operating model design, product strategy & implementation, and project management for wealth management, asset management, commercial banking, and investment banking firms. He is well known in the industry for his expertise in advisor and client experience, as well as being an enthusiastic team leader with an ability to evaluate, organize, and execute change quickly.
Additionally, he is the sole proprietor of le maçon éclairé (French: The Enlightened Mason), a creative outlet for sharing research and publications, blogging, podcasting, and encouraging discussions via the Philosophia Esoterica (TM) portal.
To encourage his passion for writing, he established knOWLedge Books, an independent medium for the publication of new works of writing across various disciplines and topics of special interest.
To further his interest in art and music, Raymond also created Arte Esoterica as a forum for artistic expression in the audio and visual arts including painting, drawing, photography, and music.
Dedicated to philanthropic and civic service, Raymond created LME Strategy Advisors, a management consulting services firm dedicated to partnering with non-profits, academic institutions, fraternal & civic organizations, government agencies, and companies across various industries by specializing in corporate strategy, current state assessment, target operating model design, market research, process improvement, and project management.
Raymond is a cigar aficionado who enjoys international travel, great scotch, book-collecting, boxing and outdoor sports, art and painting, photography, and listening to music. He is of Puerto Rican descent and currently resides in New Jersey, USA.
le maçon éclairé 