Freemasonry: The Gateway Drug to the Occult? — with Joel Thomas (Free The Rabbits) Show: Courageous Clarity Podcast Host: Darren Stott — pastor, author, founder of Supernaturalist Ministries and Portals University Guest: Joel Thomas — host of Free The Rabbits, researcher, musician, and professional rabbit-hole explorer who always reminds listeners to “touch grass.” Episode Snapshot Is Freemasonry a harmless fraternity or an on-ramp to deeper occult systems? Joel Thomas shares his story of entering and leaving Freemasonry, the seduction of “hidden knowledge,” and how to pursue real discernment in Jesus without living in fear. We also preview his deep dive on Elementals (earth, water, wind, fire) for members of my 10:10 Group. What We Cover Joel’s testimony: musician to Freemasonry to research to Jesus Why Freemasonry functions like a gateway drug to wider occult networks (degrees, houses, rites) Research vs. practice: engaging dark source material without crossing spiritual lines (and the prayer boundaries Joel uses) Gnosticism and church history: how “hidden wisdom” narratives keep resurfacing Embodied practices: why posture and method (for example, yoga) can matter spiritually—and how to lead with grace, not outrage Elementals preview: sirens and mermaids, Paracelsus, homunculus lore, and the four “portals” Hope over hysteria: stop doom-scrolling and start discipling—also known as “go outside and touch grass” The Tony Merkel connection and why this space reaches the unreached Time-Stamped Guide (approximate) 00:00 Why Courageous Clarity exists; quick welcome 02:00 Meet Joel Thomas and the Free The Rabbits origin story 08:45 Music, 2020–21 turbulence, and the road into research 12:30 Starting a podcast as a non-podcast guy 17:00 Studying occult material safely (prayer, boundaries) 22:30 Gnosticism, mystery schools, and church drift 29:30 Grace over outrage: navigating gray areas 32:30 Elementals primer (members-only deep dive) 33:50 Freemasonry: degrees, houses, and why seekers get hooked 44:00 Where to find Joel and resources Links and Resources Connect with Darren / 10:10 Group Website (details on the 10:10 Group): https://www.darrenstott.com Joel Thomas & Free The Rabbits Free The Rabbits on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Joel’s Link Hub (music, socials, video): https://linktr.ee/joelthomasmedia Joel’s YouTube channel: / @joelthomasmedia Related Shows Mentioned The Confessionals (official site): https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/ The Confessionals on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Optional Darren Resource Mentioned Portals University overview: https://thedarrenstott.mykajabi.com/p... Join the 10:10 Group (Members-Only Elementals Session) Joel’s full Elementals teaching—four elements as “portals” and the beings associated with them—is inside the 10:10 Group, my private community for prophetic equipping and supernatural discernment. Learn more and apply: https://www.darrenstott.com (click 10:10 Group) Enjoyed This Episode? Like and Subscribe to the show. Rate and Review (5 stars on Apple or Spotify—one sentence on what helped you most). Share this episode with a friend who’s curious about Freemasonry, occult gateways, or pursuing Jesus with clarity and courage.