volume 61, No. 03 206-324-3330
USPS 485-660 Periodicals postage paid
May / June 2014
Hermes Trismegistus pg 12 Stained Glass
Gnosticism
London Auction
pg 5
pg 8
pg 14
Page 2
Scottish Rite Communicator Valley of Seattle
www.seattle-scottishrite.org
SCOTTISH RITE OFFICERS Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33° Sovereign Grand Commander
Ill. Alvin W. Jorgensen, 33° S:.G:.I:.G:., Orient of Washington Ill. Sat Tashiro, 33° Personal Rep. of S:.G:.I:.G:. stashiro@comcast.net Ill. Greg Goodrich, 33° General Secretary Communicator Editor secretary@seattle-scottishrite.org Ill. Norman Miller, 33° Treasurer Ill. George A. Lofthus, 33° Almoner
Leave a legacy that will make a difference!
M
embers can leave gifts and bequests to deserving activities within your Valley, i.e. - Almoner’s Fund, RiteCare Seattle Clinic, or the Valley of Seattle activities in general. You can specify where you want your legacy to make the most difference. All legacy and bequest gifts – large or small– will make a significant difference to ensure the future of the Valley of Seattle and its ongoing support for our charities.
P
lease contact the Valley office for further information and to include your Planned Giving with the Seattle Scottish Rite.
PRESIDING OFFICERS Jeff Craig, 32° K:.C:.C:.H:. Venerable Master, Lodge of Perfection Brian Thomas, 32° K:.C:.C:.H:. Wise Master, Chapter of Rose Croix Gale Kenney, 32° K:.C:.C:.H:. Commander, of Kadosh Jack Stewart, 32° Master, Seattle Consistory
Scottish Rite Masonic Center 1207 N 152nd St Seattle, WA 98133-6213 206 324-3330 voice 206 324-3332 fax Brian Lorton Building Manager brian@seattle-scottishrite.org Lorna Schack Administrative Assistant lorna@seattle-scottishrite.org The Communicator (USPS 485-660) is published by the Seattle Valley of Scottish Rite, 1207 N 152nd St., Seattle, WA 98133-6213, for the benefit of its members, bi-monthly and is mailed as a non-profit publication to all members of the Seattle Valley and to specified other interested parties. $2.00 per member is assessed for the publication of The Communicator. Periodicals postage paid at Seattle, Washington and at additional mailing offices. The material contained within this publication is intended for the education and enjoyment of the members of the Masonic Fraternity and all material published becomes the property of Seattle Valley of Scottish Rite. Permission to reproduce material from this publication for Masonic publications is hereby granted. Postmaster: Send address changes to — The Communicator at 1207 N 152nd St., Seattle, WA 98133-6213.
Valley of Seattle Est.
1872
News from the Personal Representative
Page 3
S
ince our last Communicator, we have truly entered the weather for which other parts of the country would envy. Spring is finally here, the rainy days are diminishing and the sun has appeared with warmer temperatures. During the past weeks the class of 2014 passed through the 4° and 14° of the Lodge of Perfection, and will soon be given the lessons of the 18°, Knights Rose Croix, on May 3rd. The cast, composed of leaders of the Lodge of Perfection and other bodies, as well as new cast members did an outstanding degree, and all who attended were impressed with the performance.
O
ur General Secretary, Ill. Greg Goodrich, 33°, and Brian have been upgrading the interior of the building, and many thanks for their hours of labor in this effort as we strive to make our facility one to be proud of. Please drop by and look at the improvements, and talk with them regarding future plans.
One particular effort is the procurement of a stained glass window, with the Scottish Rite double eagle as the central figure on the window. Donations are being accepted, with names on a plaque for those contributing >$100. The plaque will be mounted by the entrance to the building. As we distribute this issue of the Communicator, our April stated meeting will be history. The weeks and days before the meeting have been gratifying with many reservations to hear the speaker of the evening, Ill. Robert Davis, 33° GC. He is a prolific author and speaker.
Y
ancey C. Blalock Lodge No. 265, will soon start meeting at our building. They sold their building in Lake City and we are glad to see many old friends and to greet many members of our Valley who are also members of the lodge. We look forward to many years of cooperation, as well as the opportunity to make new friends. Population growth is impacting our many sister lodge buildings with parking, rising costs of maintenance and travel difficulties. The Double Eagle program has been an unqualified success with many new recipients of the medallion, which will be awarded at a special ceremony after the stated meeting. The highlight of the May meeting will be an exemplification of the Rose Croix Memorial Ceremony by our brothers from Everett. June will be busy, starting with attendance at Grand Lodge for many of us, followed by the presentation of the 27° and 29° on Saturday, June 21. We will also continue to provide information to each of you through the Communicator for July-August of upcoming events, such as the second SOTAR (School of the Ancient Rite) in July with a noted speaker from Maine. Details are contained in this issue with the article by Brother Dantes LaHens, 32° who is the Director for these events.
T
he Supreme Council and the House of the Temple will be hosting Celebration of the Craft on a nationwide internet broadcast to garner support and funds for upgrading the House of the Temple. Your Valley, through the talents of our General Secretary, has created a two minute spot highlighting the efforts of the Valley of Seattle. We will keep you appraised through email correspondence of the time and date of this celebration. We are honored to have been asked by the SGIG to prepare this presentation on behalf of the Orient. Please also reserve the date for the ExCo in July and the picnic on Saturday July 12th at noon. Details will be in the next issue of the Communicator. We appreciate your support of our Valley and its many activities. It is our ardent desire to provide to each of you further education with unmatched fellowship, and to ask each of you to help provide such education to those who are joining our Valley.
Fraternally, Sat Tashiro, 33° Personal Representative of the S:.G:.I:.G:.
Page 4
B
rethren, as many of you know we had a very successful visit from Illustrious Robert G. Davis, 33째 Grand Cross and General Secretary for the Valley of Guthrie, Oklahoma. With over 80 brethren in attendance the book signing and fellowship afterwards were very enjoyable and we were glad to see so many new and old faces in our Temple.
K
eep an eye out for future events as we plan for speakers at our stated meetings and School of the Ancient Rite in the future. Now more than ever, we are truly living up to our promise to be the University of Freemasonry for the Puget Sound area.
O
n the next page you will see an announcement for our Stained Glass window project. I hope that as many of you as possible will be able to contribute to this project for our Temple. It will be an lasting addition that will surely turn heads as you walk in the door. For a small $100.00 donation, you will have your name engraved on a plaque that will be prominently displayed in our entry.
L
astly, Yancey C. Blalock Lodge No. 265 has sold their building on Lake City Way and have decided to move to the Seattle Scottish Rite Center. They have already started moving their lodge paraphernalia over and will hold their first stated lodge meeting on May 13th. Their stated meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month and they always welcome visiting brethren. Please join us in welcoming their lodge to the Seattle Scottish Rite Center and be sure to welcome any of the members you might run into at our stated meetings or otherwise. We are glad to have them with us and look forward to their meetings. Fraternally, Greg Goodrich, 33째 General Secretary
Stained Glass Window
Page 5
We have finally secured a company that will produce our Stained Glass Window. The stained glass will go above the entry way to the Temple. The company has been in business for many years and has an excellent portfolio and clientele. Now is your chance to assist in this project. Similar to the Hall of Honour project, we will be accepting donations of $100.00 or more and will have your name engraved on a plaque that will be prominently displayed in the entrance of our building. This project is underway and the window is already being manufactured. Please use the form below to make a contribution or visit our web page for further info. http://www.seattle-scottishrite.org/tickets-etc.html
Seattle Scottish Rite
Stained Glass Window Donation (Please print legibly)
Name ________________________________ Amount $_____________
(to be engraved on plaque)
($100 minimum)
Page 6
T H E
M A S O N I C P H I L O S O P H Y
“Hast any philosophy in thee, Shepherd?” This was the question of Touchstone in the Shakespeare play; and that is the question we must always ask ourselves. Long ago Kant said that it is the mission of philosophy, not to discover truth, but to set it in order, to seek out the rhythm of things and their reason for being. Beginning in wonder, it sees the familiar as if it were strange, and its mind is full of the air that plays round every subject. Spacious, humane, eloquent, it is “a blend of science, poetry, religion and logic” 1—a softening, enlarging, ennobling influence, giving us a wider and clearer outlook, more air, more room, more light, and more background. When we look at Masonry in this large and mellow light, it is like a stately old cathedral, gray with age, rich in associations, its steps worn by innumerable feet of the living and the dead—not piteous, but strong and enduring. Entering its doors, we wonder at its lofty spaces, its windows with the dimness and glory of the Infinite behind them, the spring of its pillars, the leap of its arches, and its roof inlaid with stars. Inevitably we ask, whence came this temple of faith and friendship, and what does it mean—rising lightly as a lyric, uplifted by the hunger for truth and the love for beauty, and exempt from the shock of years and the ravages of decay? What faith builded this home of the soul, what philosophy underlies and upholds it? Truly did Longfellow sing of The Builders: In the elder years of art, Builders wrought with greatest care Each minute and hidden part, For the gods see everywhere. If we examine the foundations of Masonry, we find that it rests upon the most fundamental of all truths, the first truth and the last, the sovereign and supreme Reality. Upon the threshold of its Lodges every man, whether prince or peasant, is asked to confess his faith in God the Father Almighty, the Architect and Master-Builder of the Universe. 1 That is not a mere form of words, but the deepest and most solemn affirmation that human lips can make. To be indifferent to God is to be indifferent to the greatest of all realities, that upon which the aspiration of humanity rests for its uprising passion of desire. No institution that is dumb concerning the meaning of life and the character of the universe, can last. It is a house built upon the sand, doomed to fall when the winds blow and floods beat upon it, lacking a sure foundation. No human fraternity that has not its inspiration in the Fatherhood of God, confessed or unconfessed, can long endure; it is a rope of sand, weak as water, and its fine sentiment quickly evaporates. Life leads, if we follow its meanings and think in the drift of its deeper conclusions, to one God as the ground of the world, and upon that ground Masonry lays her corner-stone. Therefore, it endures and grows, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it! While Masonry is theocratic in its faith and philosophy, 1 it does not limit its conception of the Divine, much less insist upon any one name for “the Nameless One of a hundred names.” Indeed, no feature of Masonry is more fascinating that its age-long quest of the Lost Word, the Ineffable Name; a quest that never tires, never tarries, knowing the while that every name is inadequate, and all words are but symbols of a Truth too great for words—every letter of the alphabet, in fact, having been evolved from some primeval sign or signal of the faith and hope of humanity. Thus Masonry, so far from limiting the thought of God, is evermore in search of a more satisfying and revealing vision of the meaning of the universe, now luminous and lovely, now dark and terrible; and it invites all men to unite in the quest—
One in the freedom of the Truth, One in the joy of paths untrod, One in the soul’s perennial Youth, One in the larger thought of God.
Page 7
Truly the human consciousness of fellowship with the Eternal, under whatever name, may well hush all words, still more hush argument and anathema. Possession, not recognition, is the only thing important; and if it is not recognized, the fault must surely be, in large part, our own. Given the one great experience, and before long kindred spirits will join in the Universal Prayer of Alexander Pope, himself a Mason: Father of all! in every age, In every clime adored, By Saint, by Savage, and by Sage, Jehovah, Jove, or Lord! With eloquent unanimity our Masonic thinkers proclaim the unity and love of God—whence their vision of the ultimate unity and love of mankind—to be the great truth of the Masonic philosophy; the unity of God and the immortality of the soul. Amidst polytheisms, dualisms, and endless confusions, they hold it to have been the great mission of Masonry to preserve these precious truths, beside which, in the long result of thought and faith, all else fades and grows dim. Of this there is no doubt; and science has come at last to vindicate this wise insight, by unveiling the unity of the universe with overwhelming emphasis. Unquestionably the universe is an inexhaustible wonder. Still, it is a wonder, not a contradiction, and we can never find its rhythm save in the truth of the unity of all things in God. Other clue there is none. Down to this deep foundation Masonry digs for a basis of its temple, and builds securely. If this be false or unstable, then is The pillar’d firmament rottenness, And earth’s base built on stubble. Upon the altar of Masonry lies the open Bible which, despite the changes and advances of the ages, remains the greatest Modern Book—the moral manual of civilization. All through its pages, through the smoke of Sinai, through “the forest of the Psalms,” through proverbs and parables, along the dreamy ways of prophecy, in gospels and epistles is heard the everlasting truth of one God who is love, and who requires of men that they love one another, do justly, be merciful, keep themselves unspotted by evil, and walk humbly before Him in whose great hand they stand. There we read of the Man of Galilee who taught that, in the far distances of the divine Fatherhood, all men were conceived in love, and so are akin—united in origin, duty, and destiny. Therefore we are to relieve the distressed, put the wanderer into his way, and divide our bread with the hungry, which is but the way of doing good to ourselves; for we are all members of one great family, and the hurt of one means the injury of all. This profound and reverent faith from which, as from a never-failing spring, flow heroic devotedness, moral selfrespect, authentic sentiments of fraternity, inflexible fidelity in life and effectual consolation in death, Masonry has at all times religiously taught. Perseveringly it has propagated it through the centuries, and never more zealously than in our age. Scarcely a Masonic discourse is pronounced, or a Masonic lesson read, by the highest officer or the humblest lecturer, that does not earnestly teach this one true religion which is the very soul of Masonry, its basis and apex, its light and power. Upon that faith it rests; in that faith it lives and labors; and by that faith it will conquer at last, when the noises and confusions of today have followed the tangled feet that made them.
Page 8
GNOSTICISM IN ITS BEGINNING
o begin with the received account of the RISE AND PROGRESS of the Gnostic philosophy, for that is its T proper appellation, heresy being properly restricted to differences of opinion between members of one regularly established community, we find that as early as the year A.D. 35, the Samaritans were regarding Simon Magus, as “the Great Power of God,” and he and his disciple Cerinthus, are represented by the Christian Fathers as the actual founders of Gnosticism, under that accepted name.
f the former, Hippolytus gives a history which there is no reason for not accepting as correct in the main parO ticulars. He was a native of Gitteh, in the province of Samaria, and commenced his career, and soon acquired great influence amongst his countrymen, by practising magic after the “Thrasymedian method” (i.e. jugglery,
as previously described by Hippolytus), nay more, by working miracles “through the agency of devils.” Having fallen in love with a beautiful courtezan at Tyre, he bought her from her owner, and always carried her about with him, declaring that she was the “Intelligence” (Ἔννοια) that of old was imprisoned in the body of the Grecian Helen, then of the Lost Sheep, but now was restored to him for the salvation of the world. Even before the preaching of Christianity he had set up for a teacher of a new religion, plagiarised from Moses and Heraclitus the “Obscure,” based upon the axiom that Fire was the First Principle of all things, subordinate to which were the “Six Radicals”: a curiously compounded mixture of Judaism and Magism, of which Hippolytus gives a full though not very intelligible summary. “This Simon, after he had ransomed Helen, granted salvation unto men by means of his own knowledge. For inasmuch as the angels had governed the world ill by reason of their own ambitiousness, he pretended that he was come to set all things right; and having changed his form and made himself like to the Principalities, the Powers, and the Angels, wherefore it was that he showed himself in the form of man although not a man at all, and had suffered the Passion in Judæa, although he had not really suffered it; moreover, that he had manifested himself to the Jews as the Son, in Samaria as the Father, and amongst the Gentiles in other parts as the Holy Ghost; but he submitted to be called by whatsoever name they pleased, The Prophets were inspired by the Angels, creators of the world, when they delivered their prophecies; on which account they that believe in Simon and Helen pay no regard to them (the Prophets) even in our times: and they do whatever they please, pretending that they are redeemed through his grace.” . . . “Now this same Simon, when he was by his magic arts deceiving many in Samaria, was confuted by the Apostles, and having been cursed by them, he afterwards fell from his reputation and invented these fables. At last, having travelled to Rome, he again ran against the Apostles, and Peter had many encounters with him when he was seducing multitudes through his magical practices. Finally, having gone into the land of Persia, he took up his abode under a plane-tree, and there preached his doctrine. But at last, when he was on the point of being convicted for an impostor, in consequence of his making too long a stay in the same place, he gave out that, if he were buried alive, he would rise again on the third day. And in truth, having caused a pit to be dug by his disciples, he commanded himself to be covered over with earth. They therefore did what he commanded them, but he never came back unto this day, inasmuch as he was not a Christ. Now this is the story told concerning Simon, from whom Valentinus borrowed his first ideas, but called them by different names. For ‘Mind,’ and ‘Truth,’ and ‘the Word,’ and ‘Life,’ and ‘the Church,’ and ‘Man,’ the Æons of Valentinus, are confessedly the Six Radicals of Simon, namely, ‘Mind, Intelligence, Voice, Name, Reason, and Thought.’” ut to go on with the series of teachers--this counter-apostolical succession--Simon was followed by Menander, B he by Basilides at Alexandria, who, dying about A.D. 138, was replaced by Valentinus, born of Jewish parentage in the same city. This last is styled by Irenæus “Chief of the Gnostics,” on account of the importance and wide
diffusion of his doctrines even during his own lifetime. In Syria other sects were being founded contemporaneously with these, taking their names from Marcion and Bardesanes, both of whom tradition represents as Persians by origin, and consequently Magian by religious training. The latter is by some called a native of Pontus, a cir-
Page 9 cumstance, however, making no difference as to the source of his opinions, that region being confessedly the seat of Mithraicism, and ruled over by a line claiming descent from the first Darius, or a satrap of his. It is needless to enumerate here the founders of less important sects, until we come to the uprising of Manes, author of the most daring and most permanent theosophy of them all, which fought twice over so long and obstinate a battle with the Catholic faith. This sect, its origin, and tenets, on account of the curiosity of its doctrines, and the immense influence that they exerted over the ancient and mediæval world, will be considered at length in another chapter; as will also the Ophites whose name figures so conspicuously in the history of the primitive Church. hat has been mentioned above with respect to the countries producing the founders of all these sects-W Egypt, Syria, or Persia--leads us to expect to find one common principle pervading the systems of all, and such is most probably the case. The fundamental doctrine held in common by all the chiefs of the Gnosis was, that the whole creation was not the work of the Supreme Deity, but of the Demiurgus, a simple Emanation, and several degrees removed from the highest power. To the latter, indeed, styled by them the “Unknown Father” (or as Simon first designated him “The Boundless Power,” and “The Root of all Things”), they attributed the creation of the intellectual world-that is, the Intelligences, the Æons, and the Angels--whilst, to the Demiurgus they referred the creation or the World of Matter, subject to imperfection from its very nature. But in order clearly to understand the grand principles underlying these doctrines, it is absolutely necessary to possess the main features of the older systems from which these same doctrines were principally borrowed; these systems being that of the Zendavesta, of the Kabbala (which is little more than a translation of the same), and of the reformed Brahminical religion as taught by the Buddhist missionaries in the dominions of the Syro-Macedonians, or picked up in India by Alexandrian merchants visiting the emporia of Guzerat for the sake of trade.
A
lthough to express their ideas visibly upon their monuments (the elucidation of which is the special object of this treatise) the Gnostics largely borrowed the images and symbols of the ancient Egyptian mythology (especially those connected with the Agathodaemon, the Solar god Iao, and the guide of souls, the jackal-headed Anubis), yet these figures were employed in a new sense, unless indeed we suppose (what is probable enough) that their esoteric meaning had been from the very beginning similar to that published by the teachers of the new faith. This last explanation was in fact the perpetual boast of Valentinus, and runs through every article of his theosophy as we read it in the interesting summary given by Hippolytus; and again, it must never be forgotten, for it is the key to many of the seeming contradictions in the different systems about to be passed in review, that Greek and Jew carried with them their ancient quarrel into the new field of the Gnosis. The former exalts the Bacchic Serpent, whilst he makes Sabaoth little better than a demon; the latter continues to abominate the Serpent as the impersonation of Satan, but his Sabaoth is the “Great and Good” (as Pistis-Sophia perpetually entitles him), the defender of the believer’s soul against the malignant “Æons of the Sphere,” and the influence of Judaism radiating from its second focus, the school of Alexandria, was so much more powerful than ordinary readers of history have ever suspected, that a few remarks upon this very curious subject will form a useful introduction to our consideration of its later philosophy.
Page 10
Painting Restoration Complete
A
fter a two month visit to an Art Restorer, our 100 + year old oil painting of James R. Hayden, 33째 is back on the walls in the Scottish Rite Temple. As you can see from the pictures below, over 100 years of dirt, smoke, and who knows what else really took their toll on the painting.
T
he restorer cleaned the entire painting inch by inch and repaired the antique frame. We also had UV glass installed to further protect the painting and keep it looking great for another 100 years.
Before cleaning
After cleaning
Painting completed
James R. Hayden, 33째 S:.G:.I:.G:. for Washington (1880)
Page 11
I
School of the Ancient Rite
nspired by the profound Scottish Rite Degrees, the School of the Ancient Rite or SOTAR is an open forum designed specifically for seekers of more light by providing an environment to explore the depths of esoteric thoughts and philosophies of antiquity as well as contemporary periods. In ancient times, mystery schools were established for a select few to protect the secret teachings from likely misinterpretations and prevent the ultimate deterioration of the deeper meanings. SOTAR has been designed to bring that ancient wisdom into current practice. Our quest for more light continues with our next exciting installment of SOTAR. On Saturday, July 12 at 10:00 am, the Seattle Scottish Rite will be hosting Freddy Silva who is one of the world’s leading researchers of sacred sites, ancient systems of knowledge and the interaction between temples and consciousness. He is best-selling author of ‘First Templar Nation’ and ‘The Divine Blueprint’.
M
r. Silva will lead us to gaze through a window into antiquity where we will scan across the globe to witness how sacred sites are connected. Placed upon geomagnetic hotspots, ancient temples and stone circles form a vast network whose purpose is focus and channel the earth’s subtle energy. Traverse through the portals of these temples and you become entranced by this energy as it courses through your being. For thousands of years countless seekers sought to understand the mystery of ancient sacred sites. Through painstaking research, Freddy Silva reveals that the placement of these holy temples was not by random chance. All of them are aligned across a global grid as calculated by sacred geometry. It seems the architects of these locales had intended for the transfiguration of all human souls through self realization. For more information on Freddy Silva, visit his website at www.invisibletemple.com. To register or for more information, contact Dantes LaHens at dlahens@outlook.com. Please note that we will commence at 9:30 with social and continental breakfast. SOTAR. Thousands of years of wisdom at your reach…
Page 12
The Thrice Great Hermes H
ermes Trismegistus (Ancient Greek: Ἑρμῆς ὁ Τρισμέγιστος, “thrice-greatest Hermes”; Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus) is the purported author of the Hermetic Corpus, a series of sacred texts that are the basis of Hermeticism.
H
e may be a representation of the syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. Both Thoth and Hermes were gods of writing and of magic in their respective cultures. Thus, the Greek god of interpretive communication was combined with the Egyptian god of wisdom as a patron of astrology and alchemy. In addition, both gods were psychopomps; guiding souls to the afterlife.
T
he Egyptian Priest and Polymath Imhotep had been deified long after his death and therefore assimilated to Thoth in the classical and Hellenistic period. The renowned scribe Amenhotep and a wise man named Teôs were equally deified as gods of wisdom, science and medicine and thus placed alongside Imhotep in shrines dedicated to Thoth-Hermes during the Ptolemaic period. These associations to Thoth-Hermes could partially explain why some later Greek scholars linked Hermes Trismegistus to a hypothetical historical figure, given the numerous deifications.
I
amblichus averred that Hermes was the author of twenty thousand books; Manetho increased the number to more than thirty-six thousand (see James Gardner)--figures which make it evident that a solitary individual, even though he be overshadowed by divine prerogative, could scarcely have accomplished such a monumental labor. Among the arts and sciences which it is affirmed Hermes revealed to mankind were medicine, chemistry, law, arc, astrology, music, rhetoric, Magic, philosophy, geography, mathematics (especially geometry), anatomy, and oratory. Orpheus was similarly acclaimed by the Greeks.
I
n his Biographia Antiqua, Francis Barrett says of Hermes: “* * * if God ever appeared in man, he appeared in him, as is evident both from his books and his Pymander; in which works he has communicated the sum of the Abyss, and the divine knowledge to all posterity; by which he has demonstrated himself to have been not only an inspired divine, but also a deep philosopher, obtaining his wisdom from God and heavenly things, and not from man.”
H
is transcendent learning caused Hermes to be identified with many of the early sages and prophets. In his Ancient Mythology, Bryant writes: “I have mentioned that Cadmus was the same as the Egyptian Thoth; and it is manifest from his being Hermes, and from the invention of letters being attributed to him. “ (In the chapter on the theory of Pythagorean Mathematics will be found the table of the original Cadmean letters.) Investigators believe that it was Hermes who was known to the Jews as “Enoch,” called by Kenealy the “Second Messenger of God.” Hermes was accepted into the mythology of the Greeks, later becoming the Mercury of the Latins. He was revered through the form of the planet Mercury because this body is nearest to the sun: Hermes of all creatures was nearest to God, and became known as the Messenger of the Gods.
I
n the Egyptian drawings of him, Thoth carries a waxen writing tablet and serves as the recorder during the weighing of the souls of the dead in the judgment Hall of Osiris--a ritual of great significance. Hermes is of first importance to Masonic scholars, because he was the author of the Masonic initiatory rituals, which were borrowed from the Mysteries established by Hermes. Nearly all of the Masonic symbols are Hermetic in character. Pythagoras studied mathematics with the Egyptians and from them gained his knowledge of the symbolic geometric solids. Hermes is also revered for his reformation of the calendar system. He increased the year from
360 to 365 days, thus establishing a precedent which still prevails. The appellation “Thrice Greatest” was given to Hermes because he was considered the greatest of all philosophers, the greatest of all priests, and the greatest of all kings. It is worthy of note that the last poem of America’s beloved poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was a lyric ode to Hermes. (See Chambers’ Encyclopædia.)
Page 13
A
mong the fragmentary writings believed to have come from the stylus of Hermes are two famous works. The first is the Emerald Table, and the second is the Divine Pymander, or, as it is more commonly called, The Shepherd of Men, a discussion of which follows. One outstanding point in connection with Hermes is that he was one of the few philosopher-priests of pagandom upon whom the early Christians did not vent their spleen. Some Church Fathers went so far as to declare that Hermes exhibited many symptoms of intelligence, and that if he had only been born in a more enlightened age so that he might have benefited by their instructions he would have been a really great man! In his Stromata, Clement of Alexandria, one of the few chroniclers of pagan lore whose writings have been preserved to this age, gives practically all the information that is known concerning the original forty-two books of Hermes and the importance with which these books were regarded by both the temporal and spiritual powers of Egypt.
W
hile Hermes still walked the earth with men, he entrusted to his chosen successors the sacred Book of Thoth. This work contained the secret processes by which the regeneration of humanity was to be accomplished and also served as the key to his other writings. Nothing definite is known concerning the contents of the Book of Thoth other than that its pages were covered with strange hieroglyphic figures and symbols, which gave to those acquainted with their use unlimited power over the spirits of the air and the subterranean divinities. When certain areas of the brain are stimulated by the secret processes of the Mysteries, the consciousness of man is extended and he is permitted to behold the Immortals and enter into the presence of the superior gods. The Book of Thoth described the method whereby this stimulation was accomplished. In truth, therefore, it was the “Key to Immortality.”
A
ccording to legend, the Book of Thoth was kept in a golden box in the inner sanctuary of the temple. There was but one key and this was in the possession of the “Master of the Mysteries,” the highest initiate of the Hermetic Arcanum. He alone knew what was written in the secret book. The Book of Thoth was lost to the ancient world with the decay of the Mysteries, but its faithful initiates carried it sealed in the sacred casket into another land. The book is still in existence and continues to lead the disciples of this age into the presence of the Immortals. No other information can be given to the world concerning it now, but the apostolic succession from the first hierophant initiated by Hermes himself remains unbroken to this day, and those who are peculiarly fitted to serve the Immortals may discover this priceless document if they will search sincerely and tirelessly for it.
I
t has been asserted that the Book of Thoth is, in reality, the mysterious Tarot of the Bohemians--a strange emblematic book of seventy-eight leaves which has been in possession of the gypsies since the time when they were driven from their ancient temple, the Serapeum. (According to the Secret Histories the gypsies were originally Egyptian priests.) There are now in the world several secret schools privileged to initiate candidates into the Mysteries, but in nearly every instance they lighted their altar fires from the flaming torch of Herm. Hermes in his Book of Thoth revealed to all mankind the “One Way,” and for ages the wise of every nation and every faith have reached immortality by the “Way” established by Hermes in the midst of the darkness for the redemption of humankind.
Page 14
I
Historic Masonic Collection goes under the gavel in London!
n an unprecedented auction result, almost every one of the 560 lots belonging to the late Albert Nice offered for sale was sold. Albert Nice (1898-1969) was a chemist and dental surgeon as well as a passionate Freemason and supporter of Masonic charities. He joined Globe Lodge Number 23, United Grand Lodge of England, in 1925, became Grand Steward in 1935, rising to the position of Past Grand Deacon in 1964. He was also a member of other lodges including Quatuour Coronati Lodge No. 2076, a lodge dedicated to Masonic research. This seems fitting as he was a devoted collector of Masonic items from jewels to books, engravings to ceramics and glass. His research interests extended to documenting the history of earlier lodges and his notes on this comprise a tome of several hundred pages which is included in the auction with an estimate of £100-£200 ($167-$335). He was an active member for a number of the higher orders in masonry including the Knights Templar Priests, The Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters and The Order of the Secret Monitor. The vendor was completely taken aback when Roseberys valued the collection at £100,000 ($167,729). He was delighted when the total ended up being more than double that figure. Roseberys’ Peter Greenway said, ‘We knew this was a very significant collection and this was borne out by conversations with Masonic collectors who rated it the best to come onto the market in living memory. Twitter has been buzzing with positive comments about the lots on offer and it is thought the auction catalogue will become a collectors’ item in its own right.’
M
asonic jewels proved to be the most popular lots with a 100% sold rate. The most expensive (Lot 88, pictured to right) sold for a hammer price of £3,000 ($5,030). It was of an unusually large size and set with multi-colour paste, making is one of the most attractive in the auction. It also had Scottish interest due to the inscription which made it as rare as it was aesthetically pleasing. The auction also included not one but 35 jewels by the pre-eminent 18th century designer and maker, Thomas Harper. Roseberys had been concerned about flooding the market but demand was such that they all made more than twice their high estimate and some very much more. The Thomas Harper jewel which made the most money was Lot 75 which sold for a hammer price of £1,500 ($2,515). The book section of the auction was also highly competitive with several museums from around the world bidding. The highest hammer price was £5,500 ($9,222) for Lot 496, a Scottish Rite Album, with exquisite watercolor drawings of the regalia of the 33° degrees of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite. Other Masonic items in the auction included ceramics, glass, snuff boxes and regalia. One of the most popular was a large cowrie shell and silver Masonic snuff box, the base of which was engraved with Masonic symbols. It achieved a hammer price of £1,150 ($1,928). - UGLE
Page 15
Valley Messages Lodge of Sorrow Our brethren lie before us, overtaken by that relentless fate which, sooner or later, is to overtake us all.. Virtus Junxit Mors Non Separabit
Gust Doces 2/19/2014 Jack Rowe 2/14/2014 John Martin 2/24/2014 Kevin Cushing 3/06/2014 Ian Morrison 3/19/2014
Happy Birthday! Congratulations from all your Scottish Rite brethren to our members who have reached a very important birthday! May Forrest Towne 5/01/1916 Jerome Wachsmuth 5/25/1921 Douglas Crosby 5/01/1923 James Stansell 5/19/1923 Martin Grossmann 5/24/1923 Harry Reynolds 5/28/1923 Robert Lowe 5/15/1924 June Raymond Barclay 6/23/1915 Roger Miller 6/07/1918 Abe Ashcanase 6/24/1919 Donald Manion 6/08/1920 Richard Margerum 6/17/1920 Kenneth Thompson 6/09/1921 Joe Peha 6/10/1921 William Donley 6/22/1921 Ronald Griffiths 6/24/1921 Roland Hoefer 6/07/1922 George Harruff 6/04/1923 Douglas Edlich 6/18/1923 Roland Scott 6/27/1923 Donald Chilson 6/02/1924 John Swafford 6/17/1924 Alfred Bartol 6/19/1924
Page 16 Scottish Rite of Freemasonry 1207 N 152nd Street Seattle, WA 98133
Periodicals Postage Paid USPS 485-660
Schedule of Events
May 2014
Saturday May 3rd 1:00 pm Tuesday May 20th 6:30 pm
www.seattlescottishrite.org 18째 - Rose Croix - (Candidates here at 11:00 am) Executive Council at 9:00 am, Practice at 10:00 am Stated Meeting (KDEA ceremony after meeting)
June 2014 Saturday June 7th
9:00 am
Executive Council
No stated meeting in June Saturday June 21st
1:00 pm
27째 & 29째 (Candidates here at 11:00 am)
Scottish Rite Members Lounge (Great friends. Great Chats. Great Drinks.)
After all stated meetings please stop in the membership lounge for further fellowship. Have a glass of wine or a pint of fresh poured draught on our rotating tap. Currently we have a nice Pale Ale from Georgetown brewery in Seattle. This is a great place to catch up with members after meetings, discuss ritual and enjoy the fellowship and all that the Seattle Scottish Rite has to offer.