This coming Sunday, March 2nd, TSS will be kicking off a Tarot 101 class in the Entered Apprentice restricted forum. The class will be proctored by Bro. Dave Mavity.
This class will be a basic introduction to Tarot, its symbolism, and correlations with the craft.
If you are an Entered Apprentice or higher and have not registered with the admins to gain access to the restricted forums, please do not wait!
TSS
www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com
Friday, February 29, 2008
TSS: Tarot 101 with Bro. Dave Mavity at www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Hourglass, the Scythe and the Sprig of Acacia, by "The Hammer"
As always in life, the unexpected happened: instead of bringing a new brother to light we gathered to say goodbye to a brother, a Past Master who sat in the East for the first time at the age of 86 and passed to the Celestial Lodge at the age of 97. Cliff, in your passing you caused me to pause and reflect on our Craft.
Three of the most meaningful symbols in Freemasonry—the Hourglass, the Scythe, and the Sprig of Acacia—are often the least thought about, except at times of sorrow.
“The Hourglass is an emblem of human life. Behold how swiftly the sand runs and how rapidly our lives are drawing to a close! We cannot, without astonishment, behold the little particles in the device, how they pass almost imperceptibly, and yet, to our surprise, in the short span of an hour, they are all exhausted. Time wastes man. Today he puts forth tender leaves of hope. Tomorrow blossoms and bears his honors; the next day comes a frost which nips the shoot; and when he thinks his greatness is still aspiring, he falls like autumn leaves to enrich our mother earth.”
Our time on earth is short. We establish ourselves; we strive for success, and when we think we have everything where we want them, we fall like autumn leaves. Think of it! We enrich the earth by dying. When the Craft chooses, it can be brutally direct as it enlightens us with the honesty of its Logic.
“The Scythe is an emblem of time, which cuts the brittle thread of life and launches us into eternity.”
Our lives—our deaths, a difficult subject for us to confront, but as Freemasons, we are prepared for we know that we live our lives according to the tenets of the Craft, immortality
awaits us.
Deaths frees us towards that “clouded canopy or starry-bedecked Heaven where all good Masons hope at last to arrive” knowing that if we “have erected our spiritual building in accordance with the designs of the Supreme Architect of the Universe in that great Book of Revelation which is our Masonic trestle board,” if we have lived our lives as “true” men, a glorious immortality will be ours.
As we reflect upon the scythe we find the words very direct.
“Behold what havoc, the scythe of time makes upon the human race! If, by chance, we should escape the numerous ills incident to childhood and youth and with health and vigor attain years of manhood, yet, withal, we must soon be cut down by the all-devouring scythe of time and be gathered into the land where our fathers have gone before us.”
Reality presented in Masonic terms; words we do not enjoy hearing, but words we must reflect upon and understand if we are to complete our lives as Master Masons.
In the description of the hourglass, we fall like autumn leaves to enrich our mother earth from our graves. In the description of the scythe, we are gathered into the land into our graves. While it presents an uncomfortable reflection, the grave is a most important symbol in Freemasonry. Let’s pause for a moment and recall GMHA lying in his. Reflect upon the meaning paying special attention “to the lessons of integrity, fidelity and immortality” that are portrayed.
In the light of this, should we fear death? Absolutely not, for we know the earth is a comforting place, if we have lived our lives according to the teachings of the Craft.
“There is nothing more zealous than clay, our mother earth, for it alone of all the elements has never proved unfriendly to man and when at last we are called upon to pass through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, she once more receives us, and tenderly enfolds our remains within her bosom, thus admonishing us that, as from the earth we came, so to the earth we must surely return.”
Our mother earth has never proved unfriendly to man. She tenderly enfolds our remains within her bosom. These words are there to comfort, not scare us.
The hourglass admonishes us to make the most of our lives, not to waste a tiny particle or minute, the scythe is the symbol for the end of life, but it is the Sprig of Acacia that is the most important symbol in all Freemasonry because it is the symbol for what awaits us at the end of the successful life’s journey—immortality. The sprig of acacia reminds each of us that we have a soul which lives beyond the grave, but only if we conduct ourselves as “true” men.
The sprig of acacia is the reminder of those things we must accomplish as Masons to achieve eternal life.
“These emblems of the operative Mason’s art indicate the labors he is to perform, the dangers he is to encounter, and the preparations he is to make in the up rearing of that spiritual fabric wherein his soul shall find rest forever and forevermore.”
Everywhere we look in the Standard Work, we come upon those tenets, emblems and symbols we must fully reflect upon and understand if we are to achieve immortality.
The Logic of Freemasonry is obvious. If we perform all the duties set forth in our degrees to God, our neighbor and ourselves, if we make the most of the best in ourselves, if we divest our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life, we will then fit our minds “as living stones, for that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.”
That’s it my brothers...the perfect definition of immortality— “that spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” And immortality and what we must do to achieve it is one of the basic tenets of Freemasonry. Never, ever forget: “the true man is the human image of the Mason’s God” and the Mason’s God is immortal and so are you if you become the “true” man.
Monday, February 11, 2008
TSS: www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com
What is www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com (TSS)?
TSS is a resource for Masonic education and networking established by Freemasons to educate the Craft and the general public on what Freemasonry is all about.
It is designed to put into electronic practice the three principal tenets of Freemasonry--Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
It is a window into which the world of Freemasonry may look and see the true reflection of Freemasonry around the world.
Why is there a need for www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com?
The internet is rife with inaccurate information about Freemasonry.
TSS was created as a public forum where people with a genuine interest in the ancient Craft may come to ask sincere questions and get replies from experienced Freemasons.
TSS is an online masonic community, where Freemasons from around the globe can learn from each other.
I am a member of Co-masonry. May I join the forum?
TSS has a policy prohibiting anyone claiming to be a Freemason who is not a member of a Grand Lodge or Orient that is not recognised by at least one regular Grand Lodge, as defined by the various regular Grand Lodges of North America.
Is this just “another” forum about masonry? What is different about www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com?
TSS is firmly committed to providing quality educational discourse about Freemasonry on the web.
Some of the very best minds in Freemasonry have gathered at TSS to assist the developing Freemason get the most out of his Craft, and to assist the public to understand Freemasonry.
At TSS we are constantly developing projects and programs to meet our goal of providing quality interactive and educational experiences about Freemasonry.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Form Your Own Blue Lodge, by WB William A. Isabelle
Brethren, there seems to be a number of very intelligent brothers who, by their contributions, seem to be saying a lot of the same things.
"How can I improve the Craft in my area?"
"How can I give back to the Craft, what it has given to me?"
"How can I enact positive and progressive changes in the Craft?"
"How can I create a Masonic environment, that will attract new Masons?"
"Where do I go to find Masons my age, who share my perspectives and my interests?"
These kinds of questions seem to be coming up more and more frequently in discussions amongst brothers everywhere, and there is no easy answer.
However, there does exist an opportunity to perhaps explore these kinds of questions in a new light.
If you know other Masons like yourself, who are as motivated as you are, who are seeking more light in Masonry, and are dedicated and dependable brothers, then I have a suggestion for you...
Form a new Blue Lodge in your jurisdiction.
Create your own Lodge. Build a Masonic Temple around the shared interests and pursuits that you and brothers like you, share and enjoy as Masons and as friends.
Most of us have never even considered the prospect of forming our own Blue Lodge, but I am here to tell you brothers, that it is not really that difficult a task to accomplish.
Where do you think all the Lodges in your area came from in the first place? Brothers just like you, thats where.
If you feel like you're "banging your head against the wall" in your Lodge and there doesn't seem to be an opportunity for you to make a contribution of your own unique talents and abilities to the established practices and Landmarks of your Lodge, then start your own.
Every Grand Jurisdiction has it's own individual requirements for forming new Lodges, but there are a few things that are necessary which are the same everywhere, and here is a shopping list:
1) A like-minded group of twenty or so Master Masons
2) A progressive Grand Lodge, willing to support growth and change in their own backyard.
3) A "Petition for Dispensation" available from the respective Grand Lodge administration office.
4) Money. Starting your own Lodge requires resources and money, you will have expenses, foreseeable and unforeseen.
5) Brothers who are proficient and can confer the 3 Degrees of Masonry.
6) Brothers who can chair the elected and appointed offices of the Lodge.
7) An appropriate place to meet as a Masonic Lodge.
8) Lodge furniture and regalia, most of which can be collected as donations of surplus items from supportive and established Lodges in your area.
9) A meeting schedule that all of the members of your effort can abide by and commit to.
10) The gumption and dedication to see your project through to conclusion and constitution of your very own Blue Lodge.
There you have it, brothers. For those of you who feel like you are being held back in your current Lodge, and would like to do more than the average bear to strengthen and improve Freemasonry in your neighborhood, round up the brothers who you already know feel as you do and start your own Blue Lodge.
You will never regret it, because it is easier to build a new Lodge from the ground up, than it is to try and fix an old broken Lodge that doesn't want to help itself.
Freemasonry is an individual journey, brethren. Don't ever stop looking for new and undiscovered roads to take in your travels.
Friday, February 8, 2008
What Young Freemasons Want, by WB William A. Isabelle
Why do young men go out of their way to become Freemasons in the first place?
Why did you become a Freemason?
A generation or so ago, there was something called “anti-establishmentarianism”. As an attitude, this notion changed the world we live in today.
Today, we have “political-correctness”: no one is a winner or a loser; everyone is now a participant with no set standard to follow, or to be held to.
Parents no longer discipline their children; “they talk about their issues”; children no longer fear consequences because they don’t have any.
Men no longer have a definable role in society.
The term “man’s work” is sexist and discriminatory; Using such phraseology is considered to be harassment.
Most of Generation X came from broken homes, from parents who got divorced because they could, unlike many of our grandparents who really believed it was “’till death do us part”.
Most young men of today who are becoming the young Freemasons of today, do so because they perceive our fraternity as a bastion, an island of social constants where your word is your bond and the prerequisite is that you must be a man, good and true.
Most young Freemasons today are starved for adequate role-models because the society of today seeks to produce an androgynous homogeny, where the consideration of one’s Manhood is a misnomer, because today we seek to achieve “Actualized Persondom”.
What most young Freemasons want is a place where they can go and be around MEN. Men who have contributed in their way to the greatness and growth of the modern world. Men who have wisdom, and are not Dr. Phil.
What young Freemasons want is to make their mark on the world, because we believe it is our right and our responsibility to do so.
What young Freemasons want is to be a part of something greater than ourselves, something that will last longer than the popularity of the latest and greatest video gaming console.
What young Freemasons want is to be good Freemasons; the problem is that we don't have enough good examples to follow, because for most of us, we’re a generation too late.
I'm a young Freemason, and I want to leave the world, my Craft and Fraternity better than I found it.
Thank you.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
TSS: Interactive Alchemy 101 with WB Timothy W. Hogan
Available only in the restricted Master Mason forum.
Date and time the course begins will be announced this weekend on TSS.
Bro. Hogan has written The Alchemical Keys to Masonic Ritual, and Revelation of the Holy Grail.
www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Order not Chaos, by "The Hammer"
The following is a presentation I give to newly passed Fellowcrafts, explaining what we as Freemasons expect of them as Masons and as members of society.
ORDER NOT CHAOS
I am going to reference a particular paragraph from the Second Degree Charge, and show how relevant it is to the manner in which the human family is governed or ordered. The inspiration for this topic is the wisdom of our Founders. I hope to show just how perceptive they were with the ideas they put forth to impress upon our minds wise and serious truths. The Second Degree Charge gives a blueprint for how a well-ordered human family can function effectively. The passage I am talking about begins “In the providence of God, with the breath of life, each of us became a member of the human family.” The most significant aspect of this sentence is that it begins with the words “in the providence of God.” Everything in life happens “in the providence of God;” everything in Freemasonry happens “in the providence of God.” This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
What is it that happens in the providence of God? With the breath of life, we go from being one, to being one of many. Further, we understand that as we grow we face the needs and responsibilities of life and if as adults, we are fortunate enough to join the Masonic Fraternity, then as Fellowcrafts we understand that we face a duty to our neighbor. In these few words we are reminded that as Masons, we have a duty to that human family we joined when we took our first breath of life. What is the nature of this duty? “God never brought us into being to live in the narrow groove of a selfish individualism, but as brethren, one of another, in mutual dependence and support.” The nature of this duty is that we are to live as brethren, as a Masonic Fraternity, in mutual dependence and support, not “in the groove of a selfish individualism.” The “groove of a selfish individualism” is the place where those live who have not seen the Light. Brothers mutually depend upon each other. Brothers mutually support each other. Reflect. This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
Is there more order for the human family? “No household can fashion the home where dissension and selfishness knell the death of unity and peace.” The foundation of the human family is the home, not the household, the home. What is the difference? The home is a place where dissension and selfishness have been banned forever. Dissension and selfishness live in the household; unity and peace live in the home. Masons live in homes because we live in mutual dependence and support, others live in households. This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
Is there a further order for the human family? “No community can protect character where petty strife is born of mischievous tongues.” Why must character be protected? We understand this answer too. “Your manhood does not depend upon your position, but upon your character. The establishment as well as the acknowledgement of true manhood is in your own hands. Do not have two characters; one for your fellows and another for privacy. Be a true man in your own home as well as out in life.” Here is reference to that most profound of all Masonic concepts - the true man. To Masons, the texture of our characters is absolute. It is protected in a community - a community composed of homes whose inhabitants are true men, living in mutual dependence and support, as brothers. This is order. This is a wise and serious truth.
True men live in homes, communities and cities. “No city can become a place of prosperous growth whose citizens care little and do less for its advancement.” True men live in homes, communities, cities and states. “No State can derive the benefit of its own resources whose people obey but the one law of individual inclination and greed.” True men are the real resources of the State and true men could never obey but the one law of individual inclination and greed. Finally, true men are ordered by a government. “No government can stand firm whose adherents are blind to the unalterable law, in union is strength, in harmony is peace.” True men understand the importance of this order. True men live as brethren in mutual dependence and support. This is a wise and serious truth.
On the surface in this passage our Founders suggest an order for the human family as it could work today. There is the individual, the home, the community, the city, the state and finally the government. Masonically, each entity should be inhabited by true men living in mutual dependence and support - the more true men the better the human family; the more successful the established order.
However, just below the surface I believe that what we have is another brilliant example of Masonic double meaning. This passage not only presents a blueprint for order in the human family, but it presents a blueprint for order in the Masonic Family as well. Reflect! “No household can become a home where dissention and selfishness knell the death of unity and peace.” It is no stretch to say that no group of men can become a successful Masonic Lodge where dissention and selfishness knell the death of unity and peace. Be a true man in your own home and your Masonic Lodge where we all should live as brethren in mutual dependence and support.
To carry this further: no Masonic Lodge can protect character, in other words, function as ordered by our tenets, where petty strife is born of mischievous tongues. No Masonic Lodge can become a place of prosperous growth where brothers care little and do less for its advancement. No Masonic Lodge can derive the benefit of its own resources, its true men, when its brothers obey but the one law of individual inclination and greed. No Masonic Lodge can stand firm whose brothers are blind to the unalterable law in union is strength, in harmony is peace. No Masonic Lodge can function properly where men do not exhibit mutual dependence and support; where brothers do not show each other the full respect implicit in these words. Your Masonic Lodge is a home. This is a most wise and serious truth.
It makes no difference whether we are talking about citizens, people, adherents, or brothers. To make the human family work, to make our Lodges work, we must adhere to the few basic principles of order stated so eloquently in the Second Degree Charge. We must banish dissention, selfishness and petty strife born of mischievous tongues to achieve unity and peace. We must care and do everything in our power to advance the cause of Freemasonry. We must banish individual inclination and greed and live as true men understanding that in union there is strength, in harmony there is peace and in brotherhood there is mutual dependence and support.
Why? Because as Masons, we are told that although we are but one man among many, we cannot escape or shirk our share in this great responsibility. No matter what we may think; no matter how insignificant we may feel, ours is the responsibility of helping maintain order in the human family of which the Masonic family is an integral part. So my brothers, there are really two responsibilities implied in the admonition “you cannot escape or shirk your share in this great responsibility;” one as a member of the human family, and the other as a member of the Masonic family. No matter what you do, you should not escape or shirk either. You might have been able to as just another member of the human family, but as a member of the Masonic human family, as a true man, never.
In the Providence of God, our great responsibility is to our neighbor who lives in a home, a community, a city, a state, and who is ordered by a government. In the Providence of God, our great responsibility is to our Masonic Family which is ordered by the tenets of the Craft. Both responsibilities are fulfilled as the true man strives to order his existence by living in His Providence, mutually dependent upon and supportive of his brethren, never forgetting that he is the human image of the Mason's God and that this is THE most wise and serious truth of all.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Thoughts From a Young Mason, by G. Cliff Porter, 32°
I do not mean this to be a commentary on the division of young and old, but rather to be a proclamation of a young Mason concerning what I believe we want. This is so we might all improve our understanding of one another and progress our fraternity.
It occurred to me that some may not know what young Masons really want. Worse, I think it is often misunderstood or misstated. We “young Masons” or new Masons bear some of the responsibility for this. We are often uncomfortable declaring our desires, our disappointments, and our frustrations. And what do we do? We quietly stop appearing at meetings and simply slip off the rolls. We return to our communities outside the lodge disheartened with Masonry, and—unfortunately for the fraternity—we will often share our disappointments with our friends. Sadly, we then join a group of Masons as diverse as the lodge itself: unfulfilled Masons.
Well, Brethren, I don’t intend to become an unfulfilled Mason. So here I stand. It is vital for the members of the Craft to understand one another so that we can create an environment that is beneficial for all.
Initially, we must discuss Blue Lodge, the birth place of the Master Mason, for without it, Scottish Rite Masonry does not exist. The young man approaching the Craft today does so to supplement and add to what his church and family have already given him. A certain tugging at his soul speaks to him to seek a deeper meaning in life, in family, and in God. He researches and desires an initiation into the esoteric and ancient quest for Truth. He requests a petition with these hopes in mind. Why shouldn’t he? The eloquent writings of Masonic scholars, including the Scottish Rite’s Albert Pike, have hinted at the existence of such knowledge, and Masonic writings abound with hints of this very thing.
What does this man find once he joins? For too many, it’s membership drives, one-day classes, poor and hastily planned ritual, late nights, and a push to become an officer before he is even proficient as a Master Mason. If that man has made it through the three degrees hoping that at the end of his journey some of the promises might be fulfilled, he only learns phrases like “progressive science” and “self-improvement.”
Excitedly, he stands up in lodge one day or approaches a small group of brethren in the parking lot and explains some ideas that he has for lodge and changes he might like to see. He is immediately told, “It has never been done that way, they won’t allow it, and anyway it’s against the rules.”
He swiftly learns that they won’t allow much of anything, and worse, no one will claim to be a member of them. They are the most elusive, but most powerful members of Masonry. They are responsible for every poor, hasty, or frustrating decision ever made, and more importantly, they rigidly enforce their number one rule: NO CHANGES.
I bring up them as it leads into discussing what they have decided the young Mason or unfulfilled Mason is looking for. I will attempt to list some of the most common things I’ve heard. Make no mistake, I am listing these because they are misconceptions, and we do not want them.
X 1. Young Masons want everything easier and faster, which leads to one-day raisings, watered down ritual, and little or no memory work.
This simply is not true. Once I arrive at the West Gate and am permitted entry, I want a fulfilling and life-changing experience on which I can build a better understanding of my relationship to my brethren and my God. I don’t mind hard work. To the contrary, and this is a big one, I want to feel like I have achieved something. I don’t want to be handed a pin, given a handshake, and told thank you for your small fee, and by the way, here is your membership card. I want my path to be challenging and enlightening.
X 2. Young Masons want or need low dues.
I am very willing to pay higher dues. I do, however, want a quality experience—educational, social, and community—for my money. I don’t need low dues. If the fraternity does not value itself, why should I value it? Can something that comes so cheaply have real value? These are questions I asked myself when I saw Masonry’s low dues schedules.
X 3. Young Masons want it to be easy to get in.
I don’t want to believe that just any man could or should get in. I wish that every investigations committee treated their assignment with the importance it should have—if we did not worship at the altar of bigness. I already belong to the community at large, and that costs me nothing in time or money. I would like the Fraternity to be guarded and to care greatly about the men who enter it. If I am going to call a man my brother, I want to be able to trust him. I don’t trust everybody who shows up with some money in one hand, and a petition in the other. I have seen brothers sign both lines of a petition, as if increasing our numbers is the only thing that counts. Let us care about our fraternity enough to guard it against those who do not deserve the title of Master Mason and brother.
These observations would prove of little value, if I did not offer some solutions and provide an explanation of how they might be applied to the Scottish Rite.
It begins with ensuring a quality Blue Lodge experience. We as Master Masons should return Masonry from a primarily social institution to one that studies ancient symbolism and the truths so revealed. Encourage and allow the candidate to have a meaningful experience in the initiatic phase of his degree work. Follow up with quality education and instruction in regards to the symbolism and, more importantly, how to apply it to his life.
The concepts I provide above are succinct, but no less complete. Let us address how they might apply directly to Scottish Rite Masonry and tie it all together.
Scottish Rite Freemasonry is the graduate faculty, the pinnacle of Masonic thought and study, the “University of Masonry.” This implies a higher learning and higher level of understanding, research, and study for its members.
Outside of reunions, I cannot remember any Masonic instruction on the Scottish Rite degrees ever being presented—even once—in the years of my involvement. The cure is simple really: treat Scottish Rite Masonry as the university it purports to be.
Do not thrust an application at men the night they are raised Master Masons as if the only thing of importance is a signature and $250. It debases the man’s night, for one, and it says that the man—without further evaluation—is ready for the degrees of the Scottish Rite, which debases our membership.
Do not rush through a reunion like it must be done in three hurried days or it doesn’t count. Many of us “Young Masons” work 50 or 60 hours a week and earn about a week of vacation a year. Our wives don’t want us to burn two of those precious days on another Masonic event. No candidate can take in what the degrees have to offer in three days. To pretend they can says that all Scottish Rite has to offer can be learned in 72 hours. Let’s back off the tight three-day schedules. Offer the degrees throughout the year. Offer some degrees at the stated communications and have a few Saturdays thrown in.
And if it takes a man a couple of years to reach the 32nd Degree, so what? If the man understands what has been presented, if the degrees were done with brothers that knew and understood the work, and if each degree was treated as a special event, then the brother is not going to mind the time. Remember, it is not the speed of the education, but the quality of it that young and unfulfilled Masons are interested in.
Bring education and discussion to the forefront of the meetings.
Period.
You are not going to retain young Masons without real change. It is not about a gimmick or a slogan. It is about improving men within the fraternity who seek a higher understanding and deeper meaning of the Craft.
Let the Scottish Rite take its rightful place as the University of Masonry. Let’s improve our men and make them better. Let every aspect of Scottish Rite Masonry radiate perfection in ritual and education.
It is not going to be easy because we are asking you to imagine a Masonry many have never seen in their lifetime. I am asking you to see beyond your own personal experiences and allow progress in this beautiful philosophy and science of ours.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
The Initiatic Experience, by W.B. Robert Herd
The Initiatic Experience
W.B. Robert Herd
Oct. 2006
I’ll begin with a simple definition of “initiation” from the Columbia Encyclopedia as it would relate to our subject:
Coming from the Latin, initiation implies a beginning. The related verb initiates means to begin or start a particular action, event, circumstance, or happening.
The initiatic process is often compared to a simultaneous death and rebirth, because as well as being a beginning, it also implies an ending of existence as one level drops away leading to ascension of the next.
From time immemorial, initiations have been performed by many--maybe even most--cultures, races, religions and philosophical orders. The purpose may be as simple as initiating a boy into manhood, or as complex as initiating priests into priesthood. Mankind has carried out this practice throughout all of time to assist in answering those eternal questions.
Where does it all come from, this quest, this need to solve life’s mysteries, where the simplest of questions can never be answered? Why are we here? What is the soul?Many different initiatic orders have been formed to assist in the quest to search for more light. They are too numerous to name all; however, I would like to list a few that are of great importance in understanding the origins of Freemasonry and its philosophies toward the initiatic process. It is not possible or practical for me to elaborate on them to any depth in this paper, but hopefully this will challenge the reader to take it upon themselves to further their knowledge by studying these concepts in depth, and finding their own ties to our fraternity.
Egyptian Priesthoods: There were many different orders of priesthoods in ancient Egypt, teaching practical sciences as well as religious, spiritual and philosophical ones.
Hermeticism: Hermeticism is a magical and religious movement stemming from the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus. It consists of some of the most ancient and most widely adopted philosophies.
Alchemy: Alchemy is a system of esoterica, initiation, and spiritual development. It is one of the few initiatic systems that put equal emphasis on the outer, physical work of the world as well as the inner, spiritual work of the soul.
Rosicrucianism: The Rosicrucian Order, devoted to the study of ancient mystical, philosophical, and religious doctrines, was concerned with the application of these doctrines to modern life.
Pythagoreanism: This order held that reality, at its deepest level, is mathematical; that philosophy can be used for spiritual purification; that the soul can rise to union with the divine; and that certain symbols have mystical significance.
Gnosticism: The doctrines of certain pre-Christian, Jewish, and early Christian sects that valued the revealed knowledge of God and of the origin and end of the human race as a means of attaining spiritual redemption.
These are but a few examples of other initiatic orders with ties to Freemasonry via a system of initiatic processes and a passing down and mixing of philosophies. This brings us to the very important question…
What is or what should be the Initiatic Experience in the context of Freemasonry?
I emphasize that the following are my personal opinions and beliefs. I firmly believe that no one man can speak for all of Freemasonry. I offer this to you as the product of only my own thoughts and study and will keep this general so as not to violate the basic principals of my obligations or expose any of our work to anyone who may not be a Freemason.
The brethren conducting the initiation, who are in possession of a certain knowledge and state of being in respect to each of the degrees, transfer this knowledge or state to the candidate being initiated.The energy of this transmission, it is important to note, is as important as the knowledge itself.
Think of it in terms of how solemn our degrees are to the initiate when they are done by brethren who truly know and understand the work, and are not just transmitting words, but feelings or “energy” to the candidate as well. This is a portion of the initiatic energy I’m speaking of. The transfer of this “energy”, via the initiatic experience, is intended to cause a fundamental process of change within the candidate, be that physical, mental, spiritual or a combination thereof.
Modern Freemasonry deals with this tripartite nature of man (physical, mental, spiritual) in that order by means of the three degrees.
We first teach the initiate about the physical portions of his environment in the lodge and of the necessary control of his physical outward actions in the first degree. Then we touch on the mental state and encourage him to study and improve his mind and further his knowledge by educating him with a base knowledge of the sciences to gain intellect in the second degree. Lastly, in the third degree, we expound on the spiritual side of man and convey to the candidate those contemplations of the eternal cycle of man’s spirit.
Birth, life, death, rebirth.
Recognizing the tripartite nature of man is essential to understanding what I will call the Mystery, because the Mystery is that which cannot be distinguished by the physical being through the senses, or by the mental being through the intellect, but rather is perceived directly by the spirit…that element of man’s being that is one with what some call the Grand Architect of the Universe, Universal Truth or simply stated our unconscious connection to the Divine. My definition of Mystery rests upon the premise that there is a reality beyond the material plane.
Freemasonry consists of many men with many diverse beliefs, but with one common understanding and belief in a greater Creator.
However, it would be unreasonable to expect a reader who does not view himself as sharing that belief in a non-physical reality to accept this premise without question.
Instead, I ask any reader not a brother to consider what this message refers to as the “spiritual” or “non-material” existence, as that which he himself believes is incomprehensible to the senses, but nevertheless a reality that transcends his mere self.
To one man, this may be a Deity; to another, the vital essence that animates all living creatures; and to yet another, this may be a simple mysterious force of electricity, which is present throughout the universe.
My belief is that it is a form of connection between us and Deity.
Yet, how do we explain what is not physical, or mental; how do we explain, much less communicate to an initiate this concept? For this I will ask you to remember back to the “energy” I wrote of earlier--energy that we as Initiators are trying to convey or transfer to the candidate in our Initiatic Order, carrying out our goal of providing a complete Initiatic Experience for the candidate.
Any number of experiences may cause man to consider the existence of an unseen reality. It may be that he is suddenly controlled by the mysterious and powerful emotion of Love; he may be moved by an overwhelming spirit of Brotherhood; he may feel the penetrating presence of the All Seeing Eye while searching his soul in a chamber of reflection; or perhaps he feels his spirit affected by an inspiring work of music. Whatever the circumstance, such exalted experiences result in an awakening of consciousness. This is the goal of the Initiatic Experience within Freemasonry, my brethren, this awakening of an individual to his connection to the spiritual plane. The individual is no longer blissfully ignorant of a non-material existence and begins to thirst for direct communion with the spiritual reality that he senses. In essence, a part of him has stopped existing, and a new part has started a journey, fulfilling the basic definition of initiation given previously.
To quench his desire to explore this higher consciousness, he may now delve into music, poetry, philosophy, and other intangible arts that inspire this feeling beyond the limitations of the body and the mind.
The Greek figure Orpheus, a poet and musician, represented this idea that the transcendent Mystery can be expressed through the arts.
Since ancient times, art and music have been the two primary means through which man achieved this Mysterious illumination. The second degree, I believe, is what best lays this out for the initiate. He has been through his first initiation and learned to control his vices, the better to open his mind to the teachings of the liberal arts and sciences, music of course being one of them that I will use as an example.
Entrapped in his “tomb of flesh,” man still struggles to express himself through this spiritual language, and he attempts to communicate it to others. Inspired by music, he sings or plays with such passion that he may awaken his own spirit and the spirit of others to a form of recognition of the Mystery. Thus, music and the other arts and sciences, as modes of human expression, are not merely incidental to human civilization, but are intrinsic and essential to it. Plato taught that through music, a definite purification takes place within the soul, and man’s regeneration is thereby advanced.
Love and Brotherhood are other examples of this intangible force.
When the Initiate is awakened to the mysterious power of these “energies”, the whole ethical and moral tone of his life is advanced. Because he now understands that there is a universal Mystery of which he and every other human being is a part, he no longer perceives himself as an individual, but rather as an element of one great consciousness. He no longer identifies himself with the body or mind, which emphasizes his individuality, but instead with the spirit, which affirms his universality. With this heightened consciousness comes the understanding that “Fraternity” refers not only to Freemasonry, but to the brotherhood of Man. It is experienced in the informal social gatherings as well as felt in the lodge room. It is encountered in the degree work and taught in the lectures.
A powerful example of the Mystery of brotherhood and fraternity makes itself known through the grip, one of the secrets of the order. Our veins have tingled as the handshake of a stranger has become a brother's grip.
There is, in truth, mysticism in fraternity.
We cannot comprehend or explain it in entirety; it cannot be counted, weighed, or shown. We can only feel it in our spirit. These words impart the message that the Mystery is no less real than that which we perceive through the physical senses or through the intellect. It is a clear lesson on faith, and the acceptance as reality of that which one cannot see, leading us to that sublime degree which exemplifies the virtues and benefits of faith.
These are the energies I believe we seek to transfer during the Initiatic Experience of our candidates.
Without proper attention to details, study, practice and a solemn regard for the rituals, this transferal cannot be obtained or yet worse an opposite energy can be transferred. Think of the times in our lodges where uneducated brethren have given poor lectures or sloppy work. Not only were there not a strong positive energies communicated to that candidate, but likely a strong negative one. Instilling disinterest in him for the craft or for the work, a pity for the brother who gave the poor work, a distraction from what was to be communicated by him resulting in an incomplete presentation sending the candidate down a path possibly not desired. In using the analogy of music again, it’s as if a musician were playing him a beautifully written piece of music on a piano out of tune…the discord and disharmony felt by his spirit could be almost physically painful.
In closing let me say I am excited about the Enlightenment Club concept and its goal of bringing Freemasonry back to a plane of practicing and conferring knowledge regarding man’s spiritual transcendence. Practicing this new concept gives me the feeling of being initiated into a new order, in that we are in effect beginning a new path, a new quest. I know that through continued education and attention to conferring a complete, positive and sublime Initiatic Experience, we can transfer positive, inspiring energy and allow ourselves and our candidates that communion with the Divine by opening them up to the Mystery within them…which I believe has always truly been the purpose of the Initiatic Experience of Freemasonry.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Freemasonry and Pop Culture, by WB William A. Isabelle
Consumer culture has been defined by disposable luxury. Just as we grew up watching our parents enjoy the fruits of the golden age of Americana, we are also increasingly burdening ourselves with bobbles and trinkets that are material and totally unfulfilling.
Our inner nature--our spirit, really--is starting to reject the accumulation of misspent energies, having earned to buy and bought, and gained no satisfaction for the effort, just a desire for more and better.
We are looking for more because our collective subconscious is waking up to the cultural vacuum that has been created by 40 years of folks being glued to their TVs and not talking to their neighbors.
Masonry, in some cases, has trouble speaking for itself because we don't know what to say anymore, and those who are entrusted with providing such rebuttal, response or statement, don't really know themselves.
There are currently four generations of men in this fraternity. Currently, the majority of decision-making offices are filled with folks who have an inherently different perspective than you or I, and perhaps just can't--or don't--want to see things differently. If you were in your twenties or teens in the forties, you’d see things differently, too.
Masonry doesn't recognize itself anymore. It's like Bro. Porter mentioned in his essay on his Lodge-building experience: most of the senior Masons are looking back at how things were the way their fathers described, who likely heard them from their fathers, and so on. It's been that long since things were really like that in Masonry.
Those who could speak for Masonry prefer not to, because the face of the Masonry of today is changing very quickly; and perhaps, in some cases, by the time you have formulated an all-encompassing statement, your response is no longer current.
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