dly Apathy Michael R. Poll
The Journal
have ently I ank while d that it enough ged when ounted next day, the floor severed at the n to the hospital the doctors gave grene had set into that if he had not he would have d that if he had ove the arm, it The poison would y and nothing then man’s life was took action, but
all read or heard stories of individuals who have taken drastic steps to save their own lives read of a man who was doing some repair work on his water heater. He needed to reach fa lying on his back. While working in that position, his arm became wedged in the tank and was impossible to remove it. He screamed for help, but was alone in the house and no one outside to hear his cries. The man had spent several days trapped with his arm hopelessly he noticed a disturbing smell coming from inside the tank and around his arm. The man la that instinct must have taken over. He managed to reach a saw and began to cut off his arm several family members – concerned at not being able to reach him – found him unconsci in a pool of blood, elbow. The man w where he recovered him a sobering rep his arm, and he wa removed it when h died. The doctors a waited any longer t would have been to have spread throug would have saved h saved not just beca when he took actio
ined Masonry in number of my Masons, I knew osophy or history ew was that it was ok my joining to nt. Such ignorance masonry prior e of the exception y of the young dy know much read the popular, Freemasonry. of the Lodge derful, mysterious, p of seekers. They part of such an is not exactly what join.
the mid-’70s. Whil family members ha next to nothing of t of Freemasonry. Al a “good” organizat find out what “goo of the philosophy o to joining is becom than the rule today. men who join Mas of its philosophy. T new and exciting b They arrive at the with an awareness moral and enlighte want to share in an organization. But, s they always find w
Of The Masonic Society
numbers of demits, NPD, and participation are growing at an alarm The new reports paint a dismal pictu new members are coming fast, and sometimes in very good numbers, but we seem to be having trouble keeping them. So, why i ening and what do we do? 2011 Spring Issue 12
t seems to be happening is the young men come to Freemasonry with an idea of what it should be and find that it is something v rent. Many come with the hopes of finding enlightening discussions, intellectual programs designed to lift us to new heights and arn more of ourselves and our world. Yet, sometimes all they find is “good ole boys” seeking to add another title, gain a bit more
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Spring 2011
12
OF THE
MASONIC SOCIETY
2011 Masonic Week Notebook
WWW.THEMASONICSOCIETY.COM
by Christopher L. Hodapp and Jay Hochberg, fms
ISSN 2155-4145
Editor in Chief Christopher L. Hodapp Phone: 317-842-1103 editor@themasonicsociety.com
15
Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry By Christopher L. Hodapp, FMS
1427 W. 86th Street, Suite 248 Indianapolis IN 46260-2103
16
Editorial Committee Jay Hochberg - Submissions Editor Randy Williams - Assistant Editor
The Broach’d Thurnal Revisited by William S. Burkle, mms
Submit articles by email to: articles@themasonicsociety.com
23
Officers Michael R. Poll, President John R. Cline, 1st Vice President James R. Dillman, 2nd Vice President Nathan C. Brindle, Secretary/Treasurer Christopher L. Hodapp, Editor-in-Chief
These guidelines apply to the reuse of articles, figures, charts and photos in the Journal of The Masonic Society. Authors need NOT contact the Journal to obtain rights to reuse their own material. They are automatically granted permission to do the following: Reuse the article in print collections of their own writing; Present a work orally in its entirety; Use an article in a thesis and/or dissertation; Reuse a figure, photo and/or table in future commercial and noncommercial works; Post a copy of the article electronically. Please note that Authors must include the following citation when using material that appeared in the Journal: “This article was originally published in The Journal of The Masonic Society. Author(s). Title. Journal Name. Year; Issue:pp-pp. © the Journal of The Masonic Society.” Apart from Author’s use, no material appearing in the Journal of The Masonic Society may be reprinted or electronically distributed without the written permission of the Editor. Published quarterly by The Masonic Society Inc. 1427 W. 86th Street, Suite 248, Indianapolis IN 46260-2103. Full membership for Master Masons in good standing of a lodge chartered by a grand lodge that is a member of the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons of North America (CGMMNA), or recognized by a CGMMNA member grand lodge. (includes Prince Hall Grand Lodges recognized by their counterpart CGMMNA state Grand Lodge): $39/ yr., ($49 outside US/Canada). Subscription for nonmembers: $39/yr., ($49 outside US/Canada). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Journal of The Masonic Society, 1427 W. 86th Street, Suite 248, Indianapolis IN 46260-2103 © 2011 by The Masonic Society, Inc. All rights reserved. The MS circle and quill logo, and the name “The Masonic Society” are trademarks of The Masonic Society, Inc. and all rights are reserved.
Issue 12
FEATURES
THE JOURNAL
Directors Ronald Blaisdell Kenneth W. Davis Andrew Hammer Jay Hochberg James W. Hogg Mark Tabbert Randy Williams
A Short Lesson on the Origins and Evolution of Freemasonry by Peter G. Knatt, MMS
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The Operatives
By Michael A. Lampadarios, MMS
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Climbing Up Jacob’s Ladder by J. Winfield Cline, mms
POETRY 12
Silent Temple
by Kevin Noel Olson, mms SECTIONS 4 President’s Message 5 News of the Society 7 Conferences, Speeches,
36 Symposia & Gatherings
MASONIC TREASURES 14 Denver Masonic temple 36 Gettysburg’s Brother to Brother Monument
8 Masonic News 31 Books, Arts, Styles & Manners 35 From the Editor COVER: This issue’s cover features St. Bruno orders the construction of the monastery by Eustache Le Sueur (16161655). It is one of a series of twenty-two paintings depicting the life of Saint Bruno created between 1645 and 1648 for the cloister of a Carthusian charterhouse in Paris, which was near today’s Jardin du Luxembourg. It was dissolved 1792, and the panels are now in the Louvre.
SPRING 2011 • 3
THE JOURNAL OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The Dwellers on the Threshold by Michael R. Poll, FMS
good number of years ago I was walking through the French Quarter of New Orleans engaged in one of my favorite pastimes – exploring used book shops. In one old shop, I stumbled upon a treasure. It was three large boxes filled with old The New Age magazines (today, it’s called, The Scottish Rite Journal) from around 1907 through the 1970’s. It was an almost completely intact collection. They were selling the lot for $40.00! I tried to hide my excitement out of fear that they would quadruple the price, paid the man and loaded up my car. When I returned home, I began to wade through my acquisition. What a haul! I laughed at the very early editions with piano, shotgun, and even insurance company ads. What great period pieces! Over the next few weeks I studied and examined all aspects of the publications. In my collection of old The New Age magazines, I could see something of a snap shot of the times and changes that took place. The publication itself changed over time from colorful cover images with each issue having a unique cover to standard covers of one design for each issue. The size of the publication changed as well from large format to a smaller, almost pocket format. What was also interesting was to see the changes in the types of articles published. The WWI and WWII issues, of course, reflected news of the terrible war years and contained a number of patriotic articles. But, it was the years from around 1915 to the early 1920’s that really caught my attention. These were the true esoteric years of The New Age. These editions stand out from all of the other years (even to the present) by the nature of the articles published. The Rosicrucian, alchemical, and metaphysical aspects were all represented in force in these editions. For those interested in the deeper Mystic Arts of Freemasonry, it was a dream comes true. And, like many who are workers in these Arts, a number of the authors employed pseudonyms. One such author was “Mysticus.” His papers were of a nature that deeply impressed me. I began to search through each edition to discover and drink in his words. This was an enlightened Brother. In the June, 1920 edition of The New Age, I came upon an article by “Mysticus” that especially caught my attention. It was not exactly the main subject of the article that caught me, but by what seemed to be more of “side” information. The article was part of a series that “Mysticus” had written entitled “A Corner of the Library.” This segment was, “Collectors of Occult and Magical Books.” In his article, “Mysticus” tells of a little group that existed in Washington, D.C. He writes:: “Washington city is a well-known center of scientific and philosophical inquiry. Some twenty-one years ago there existed in the capital a little band of independent thinkers of which I was a member. We were students of philosophy, folk-lore, symbolism, occultism and psychic research, and we called ourselves, jokingly, “Dwellers on the Threshold,” a title borrowed from Bulwer-Lytton’s strange Rosicrucian story, “Zanoni.” Some of us were professed idealists, followers of Plato and his school, while others bordered on materialism, and offered up their devotions at the shrines of Spencer, Comte, and Haeckel. But, all of us, I think, were earnest seekers after truth and open to conviction on any question. The leader of this group was Dr. [Leroy M.] Taylor, a man of wealth and a prodigious collector of occult literature. We met at his house every Saturday night to discuss problems in philosophy and religion, particularly those bordering on the mystical, for which the doctor had a decided penchant.” Other members of this little group included, Dr. Saram R. Ellison, 33º, Frank H. Cushing, Judge Thomas H. Caswell, 33º, Sovereign 4 • SPRING 2011
Grand Commander of the Supreme Council, SJUSA and even Harry Houdini. What I would personally give to have been able to sit in on one of these meetings! But, who was this “Mysticus”? I had to find out. I sent letters to the then editor of “The Scottish Rite Journal,” Bro. John Boettjer, as well as others at the House of the Temple who I had the pleasure of knowing the Grand Historian, Bill Fox, Sr., the Grand Archivist, Dick Matthews and the extremely helpful and knowledgeable Librarian, Mrs. Inge Baum. All searched their records and compared notes on the possible identity of this prolific and mysterious writer. No one could turn up anything. Mrs. Baum was particularly taken with this mystery and we exchanged a number of mails on the subject. She had located all of his writings published in The New Age, but had no clue who might have been the man behind the name. Then, all at once, the mystery seemed to be solved … in a mysterious way. One evening, I was reading a copy of Manly Hall’s, The Phoenix. In a section he had written on Albert Pike there was a quote that hit me right between the eyes. I knew I had read those words before. I knew it was from one of the pieces written by “Mysticus” and published in The New Age. To be sure, I pulled out the edition with the story and compared the two. It was the exact quote. But, credit for the quote was not given to “Mysticus;” it was given to “Henry R. Evans.” BINGO! Was this the real name of “Mysticus”? I began looking through my copies of The New Age and found the name “Henry R. Evans” on quite a few pieces, in fact (and to my great surprise!), Henry R. Evans was the Editor of The New Age. I sent all this information to Mrs. Baum and in no time she answered me with even more information. She sent me the whole file on Bro. Evans from the House of the Temple archives and included a letter Evans wrote to the then Sovereign Grand Commander admitting that he was “Mysticus.” Mystery solved. Or, did it only lead to more mysteries? How did Manly P. Hall know that “Mysticus” was Henry R. Evans? In looking through my collection of books by Manly P. Hall (I had quite a collection of them) I saw credit given to Evans a number of times, including in the Hall classic, The Secret Teachings of All Ages. But, I was able to find no information at all as to how they knew each other. It could not have been a case of Hall simply reading something he liked written by Evans in some publication and using it. He had to have known that Evans was “Mysticus” (apparently, not everyone did) in order to give credit to Evans and not “Mysticus.” Could Hall have been a very young member of “The Dwellers on the Threshold”? Who knows? How long did this group exist and meet? Who knows? We can guess all day. There is an old thought that water seeks its own level. Enlightened spirits bump into each other because they are going in the same direction. Little groups of Masons meet in private “clubs” like the “Dwellers on the Threshold” because their interests draw them together. If we look around we might see such groups meeting today in many more areas than we realize - maybe not all discussing the same thing, but matters of interest to them. And, I’m sure we will find at the core of each group a Masonic spark that feeds the perpetual search for knowledge and Light. I’m glad that I found those old boxes of The New Age magazines. I’m glad that I was able to learn of “Mysticus” and explore his thoughts, ideas and his mystery. I’m also very glad to continually discover the cord connecting Masons in their journey to enlightenment.
THE JOURNAL OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
News of the Society
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new feature has been added to the Masonic Society web page. An updated calendar of Masonic Conferences, Speeches, Symposia & Gatherings is now a new part of our main website. Go to www. themasonicsociety.com , wave your mouse over “News”, and click on the link. Help us keep the listings up to date by sending dates, locations and details of your Masonic gatherings, speeches, education programs, etc. to articles@themasonicsociety.com •
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apers will be presented by several of our members at the International Conference on the History of Freemasonry at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, May 27-29. Plenary speakers include Steven Bullock, Robert Cooper, Arturo de Hoyos, Andreas Onnerfors, and Chernoh Sesay, Jr.
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ake your reservations now for the The Masonic Society SemiAnnual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah! TMS will be complementing the already outstanding program put together by the Rocky Mountain Masonic Conference. Our events will take place Saturday afternoon, July 16 after the conferral of the Mark Master Degree in the magnificent Salt Lake Masonic Temple. All Master Masons are welcome. Membership in TMS is not required. Presenters will include: • Pierre “Pete” Normand, FMS, former editor of American Masonic Review, and of The Plumbline, the newsletter of the Scottish Rite Research Society and noted Masonic writer and speaker. (Topic to be announced) • Glen Cook, FMS, Past Grand Master, Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Utah (Topic to be announced) • Dr. Jay Williams, TMS Member, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Williams has a Ph.D. in linguistics, and speaks the Navajo Indian language fluently. His presentation will be: Át’é jiní ‘It Was Said’: The Transmission of Architectural Esoteric Knowledge in Navajo and Freemasonry • Dr. Kenneth Davis, author, Past Master of Lodge Vitruvian No. 767 in Indianapolis, and member of TMS board of directors, Rio Rancho, New Mexico will speak on “Freemasonry and The Tarot” Our banquet will be at the Alta Club located approximately midway between the Embassy Suites Hotel and the Salt Lake Masonic Temple. After dinner remarks will be made by Most Worshipful Brother John C. Liley, Jr., Grand Master of Masons, Grand Lodge of Utah Registration Fee (including banquet) $75.00 per person. Reserve online at www.themasonicsociety.com To obtain the discounted room rate of $109 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Salt Lake City, be sure to mention the RMMC. This applies even if you are only attending the TMS portion of the weekend. There will be no room discount available under the name of The Masonic Society. The number for the Embassy Suites is 801-3597800.
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he history of Freemasonry in Louisiana is as colorful and rich as everything else about that incredible region, with influences from France, Spain, England and the Caribbean. In celebration of the bicentennial of the creation of the Grand Consistory of Louisiana, the New Orleans Scottish Rite History & Research Symposium will be held in New Orleans June 1-4, 2011. Some of the world’s leading scholars and historians will present papers on the history and development of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, as well as high grade Scottish Rite Masonry in New Orleans. The Masonic Society is a proud sponsor of this event. Registration can be made online, along with hotel reservations, at http://www.neworleansaasr.info •
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he UK-Ireland Circle of the Masonic Society will host its 2nd Annual Symposium on Saturday, July 2nd in Edinburgh, Scotland. We are fortunate to have three excellent speakers this year: W.Bro. Patrick McCann will be speaking about the Shriner movement in Europe; W.Bro. Eddie Alicoon will be taking a lighthearted and informative look at some of the most famous Freemasons; and W.Bro. Andrew Hammer presents his paper on Observing the Craft - a manifesto for the observant Mason. Saturday wraps up with a panel discussion and tour of Hill Street Masonic Centre, followed by an informal dinner in the evening (please note dinner is not included in the ticket price). On Sunday there is a private tour of Rosslyn Chapel. Tickets for the Symposium are £25 including lunch on Saturday and complementary entry to Rosslyn Chapel on Sunday. More info and flyer: http://englishlodges.org.uk/tms/ •
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he New Jersey Second Circle of the Masonic Society will host a Saint John’s Day Feast on Friday, June 24 at Sir John’s Restaurant, 230 Washington Pl., North Brunswick, NJ. In honor of St. John’s Day, the featured speaker will be Dr. Charles Haberl, the Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University. His topic will be the Mandaean faith, a tiny Abrahamic religion that upholds John the Baptist as its ultimate teacher. This religion exists in and around Iraq, but is almost on the verge of extinction. The plight they suffer today makes Dr. Haberl’s presentation even more compelling, and what he has to say about the Baptist in particular should intrigue every Freemason. Dr. Haberl also is an Assistant Professor at the Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures at Rutgers. He has served as an Undergraduate Fulbright Faculty Advisor and as a member of the Advisory Committee for Study Abroad Programs in the Middle East at Rutgers, as well as a juror and panelist for the United States Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes. All are welcome. $50 per person. Seating is limited, so no walkins can be accommodated. Reservations are required and can be made ONLY by sending your payment, via PayPal. Transmit payment to masonicrsvp@gmail.com no later than June 16. Please include entrée choice as a message with your payment. •
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SPRING 2011 • 5
THE JOURNAL OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
News of the Society ith great pride and appreciation, The Masonic Society welcomes the following brethren as our esteemed new members from January 1st through March 30th, 2011. Wayne T. Adams Franz Aigner Tyler Anderson James Austin Jr. Juan Baez, Jr. Joseph Barcikai Michael S Bayrak Marlin Leroy Beard Jr. Troy Glen Bell Joshua W Berry Joseph L. Beverly William Bianco Matthew James Binkley Donald A. C. Black Jr. Jeffrey D Blaisdell Leonard Bollhardt Jr. Robert Angelo Brenes M.D. Charles S Brust Derek WM Burger Ed Burridge Ladislao Sison Carlos Jr. Charles L. Carmichael Timothy V. Cavanaugh Mohamad B. Chenawi Christopher Lee Cole Barry Eugene Constant
Sean Cotter Groom Mitchell L Coulthard Timothy B Grube Michael F Coyle James A Gulalo Daniel T Cummings Gerald L. Hancock Matthew Cunningham Rex C Hasty Corey Francis Curtiss Dr. Jeffrey D Heimensen D.C. Timothy A. Dahlman Thomas E. Hendrickson Dr. Leonard Thomas Demoranville Donald W. Hensiak Peter J. Derrick Benjamin F. Hill Randy A. Dickey Kevin G. Hill Scott Doniger Michael James Hills Jr. Andrew William Douris Malcolm R. Holley Ian M. Dow Matthew Paul Humphrey Micah I Evans Rev. Matthew Glenn Hunter Kyle James Ferguson Michael S Ifland Dr. Paul Travis Friedman Benjamin A. Isaacson James E. Frock Dontae Johnson Carlos D Frost Thomas E. Julian Mark David Gall George E Kaiser Jr. Paul Garavel Philip W Kurze Josiah Jacob Goodwin George C. Ladd Brett A. Gordon, Ph.D. Rich Landsberg Larry Alan Goulet Douglas G. M. Lauder Dr. Miguel A Grajeda Ray Lemons Lyndell D Griffin Jr. Timothy P. Lephew Douglas Kenneth Christopher Allyn Kyttin Long Llyr
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he 2011 California Masonic Symposium, “Morgan Affair: The kidnapping that changed American Masonry,” will be held June 25 at the Pasadena Scottish Rite Masonic Center. Founding Fellow Mark A. Tabbert, director of collections at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, will discuss the impact on American lodges. His keynote presentation will detail how Freemasonry changed following the Morgan Affair, including new lodge practices designed to regain public trust and guard against infiltration. Registration is free. For questions, contact Kim Hegg, program coordinator, at 415/292-9111 or khegg@ freemason.org. Following the Annual California Masonic Symposium on the Morgan Affair, please join the California Second Circle of the Masonic Society for a wonderful meal and fascinating presentation at the Barkley Restaurant, 1400 Huntington Drive in South Pasadena. Founding Fellow Adam Kendall of the Henry W. Coil Library and Museum of Freemasonry at the Grand Lodge of F. & A.M. of California will present his paper: “Klad in White Hoods and Aprons: Freemasonry, Fraternalism and the Ku Klux Klan in California, 1921-1928.”. Price of $25 includes meal and gratuity with a choice of five entrees, including beef, chicken, fish, pork and vegetarian options. Seating is limited to 35, so make your reservation early, as this event will sell out. Contact Simon McIlroy for reservations at simon.mcilroy@gmail.com.
Renew your membership now online at www.themasonicsociety.com
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on’t forget that there’s always lively conversation on our private online Forum. And be sure to sign up for our two pages on Facebook: The Masonic Society and the Journal of the Masonic Society. Interested in advertising in the Journal? Act now while our rates are still low! Send inquiries to ads@themasonicsociety.com
6 • SPRING 2011
John A MacDonald Joseph W. MacIntyre John D May Michael T. McIntyre William E Meyers John Keith Morgan Steven Mueller Isa Muhammad Barry Edwin Newell Floyd R Orr Kevin William Palmer Ralph J. Palmer Christopher Anthony Patti William P. Paxton III Steven L Peterson Matthew Picard Dr. Rajaram Rao Bill Roberts Chance M. Robinson Michael Paul Ross Eric A. Rubli Dr. Peter A Schad Ph.D. Dana R Scofield Harold E. Scott Bil Segui John Robert Segursky Jr.
Dennis A. Sheridan Bruce Edward Smith Paul C. Smith Alan Bradford Solem Horace Spencer Stewart Michael Robert Strampe Jason C. Sturtz P.E. Robert Sutherland Guy D Swain Todd P Taylor Mark A. Thie Roger B. Thorin Gary Stephen Turner Frank G Van Sant Mark E Vesco Bryan W Vincent Louis Martin Weiss Dean S Williams Thomas L. Winter Michael F. Yannetti Gregory A Young Jerry A. Zelinka
IN MEMORIAM
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rother Robert Eugene Price, MMS of Connersville, Indiana, passed to the Celestial Lodge on November 13, 2010, at the age of 81. He became a member of Brownsville Lodge No. 70 in 1951 and served as Worshipful Master in 1957 and was an active member of his lodge throughout his life. Bob was also a dual member of Warren Lodge No. 15. He served the Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM in many positions. He was a board member of the Indiana Masonic Home from 1990-1995 and served on the board of the Indiana Masonic Home Foundation for over 15 years, and served as a board member of the Indiana Grand Lodge Library and Museum. In 2002 in recognition of his service to his Masonry, his church, civic and philanthropic activities, the Grand Lodge of Indiana presented him with their highest award, the Caleb B. Smith Medal of Honor.
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Bro. William N. Wine, FMS, passed to the Celestial Lodge on March 25th in his home in Concord, California, at the age of 61. Bill was raised in June 1971 in Diablo Valley Lodge No. 448, and served as Master in 1978-79, and again in 1986-87. He was a founding member of Academia Lodge No. 847. He was also a member of Concord Star No. 384 of the Order of the Eastern Star. Among his many accomplishments and honors, Bill was a Past Grand High Priest of Royal Arch Masons in California, a Founding Fellow of the Masonic Society, a Fellow of the Philalethes Society, and served as president of the Philalethes’ Cornerstone Computer Chapter and the CompuServe Masonry Forum, the first popular online community for Freemasons in the 1990s. He was involved with Masonic education programs in California, including the formative years of the California Masonic Symposium. He was a Past Master of the Northern California Research Lodge, and a Past Master Councilor of the Northern California DeMolay Association. R.I.P., Brothers.
THE JOURNAL OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
Conferences, Speeches, Symposia & Gatherings May 2, 2011 Allied Lodge No. 1170, New York City Lecture on “The Sprig of Acacia and Walk about the Lodge.” Grand Lodge of New York, tenth floor, 7:30 p.m. May 16, 2011 Allied Lodge No. 1170, New York City Lecture on “The Kabbalah.” Grand Lodge of New York, tenth floor, 7:30 p.m. May 26-30, 2011 Third International Conference on the History of Freemasonry George Washington Masonic Memorial, Alexandria, Virginia. Speakers include Steven Bullock, Robert Cooper, Arturo de Hoyos, Andreas Onnerfors, and Chernoh Sesay, Jr. June 1-4, 2011 New Orleans Scottish Rite History and Research Symposium Royal Sonesta Hotel. Sponsored by the A&ASR Southern Jurisdiction, the Valley of New Orleans, and co-hosted with The Masonic Society. June 2-5, 2011 Atlantic Brotherhood Summit, Minneapolis, MN Joint event between Minnesota’s Sir Winston Churchill Lodge No. 351 and the United Grand Lodge of England’s Internet lodge No. 9659. BBQ, cruise on the St. Croix River, British Emulation MM Degree and discussion at the Minneapolis Scottish Rite Temple, and a formal dinner and English Festive Board at the Minneapolis Club. See www.churchilllodge.org for information. June 4, 2011 The Maine Masonic College “Moses Greenleaf and His Maps” - Walter M. Macdougall, PGM - Osher Map Library, University of Southern Maine, South Portland. 10am to 12:30pm. Luncheon and Library Tour to follow. Registration required. www.MaineMasonicCollege.com/ June 4, 2011 Scottish Rite Research Guild, Valley of South Bend, Indiana. Founding Fellow S. Brent Morris to speak on “Trends Affecting American Masonry.” 12:30 p.m. June 11, 2011 New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786. Meets at Trenton Masonic Temple. 100 Barrack St., Trenton. 10 a.m. June 11, 2011 Raleigh Lodge No. 500, Raleigh, NC W. Brother Michael A. Halleran will be presenting “The Better Angels of Our Nature - Freemasonry in the American Civil War” immediately following the program, there will be a low country banquet held at the North Raleigh Hilton for members and guests and evening entertainment provided by world-renowned pianist, composer and educator, Brother Elmer Gibson. June 21, 2011 Utah Masonic Research Society The Utah Masonic Research Society meets regularly at 7:00 PM on the third Tuesday of each month in the Library at the Salt lake Masonic Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. See http://research-society.utahgrandlodge.org or email George F. Winters, Secretary pro-tem, at george@ stonejungle.com June 25, 2011 California Masonic Symposium, Pasadena Scottish Rite Masonic Center “Morgan Affair: The kidnapping that changed American Masonry.” Keynote: Founding Fellow Mark Tabbert For questions, please contact Kim Hegg, program manager, at 415/292-9111 or khegg@freemason.org. June 25, 2011 Masonic Society California Second Circle Dinner. Follows the California Masonic Symposium at The Barkley Restaurant, 1400 Huntington Drive, South Pasadena. Speaker: Founding Fellow Adam Kendall, “Klad in White Hoods and Aprons: Freemasonry, Fraternalism and the Ku Klux Klan in California, 19211928.” Contact Simon McIlroy for reservations at simon. mcilroy@gmail.com
July 1-3, 2011 Masonic Society UK-Ireland Second Circle Symposium, Edinburgh, Scotland Hill Street Masonic Centre. £25 fee includes Lunch Saturday and complimentary admission to Rosslyn Chapel on Sunday. Contact Michael Davey at md84419@ gmail.com July 8, 2011 Anniversary Lodge of Research No. 175 in New Hampshire Annual Meeting and Installation of Officers, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. July 9, 2011 Harold V.B. Voorhis Ingathering, Allied Masonic Degrees, New Jersey 9 a.m. at Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 in Westfield. Degree to be conferred; papers to be presented. July 9, 2011 Civil War Lodge of Research No. 1865, Winchester, Virginia Location and time TBA. July 9, 2011 Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research. The Lodge of Research will meet at Jackson Lodge No. 146 in Seymour, Indiana, at 12:00 Noon. www. indianalodgeofresearch.com. July 9, 2011 NY’s Livingston Library Dinner and Dance The Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library Dinner and Dance honoring M.W. Edward R. Trosin, Past Grand Master of Masons will be held at Classics V, 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, NY 14228. Cost for the Dinner will be $40.00. http://arsmasonica.blogspot.com/2011/05/livingstonlibrary-fundraiser-july-9th.html July 11-13, 2011 74th Great Smokies York Rite Summer Assembly of York Rite Masons, Maggie Valley, NC July 14, 2011 Scottish Rite Research Guild, Valley of South Bend, Indiana. Kevin Townley will speak on “Restoration of Masonic Geometry and Symbolry,” the recently reprinted classic text authored by Henry P.H. Bromwell. 8 p.m. July 14-16, 2011 Rocky Mountain Masonic Conference Speakers: David Heathcote, Brent Morris, Cliff Porter. Salt Lake City, UT See website for details: http://www. utahgrandlodge.org/RMMC2011/ July 14-15, 2011 The Masonic Society Semi-Annual Meeting Salt Lake Masonic Temple, 650 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah. Speakers include Pete Normand, Glen Cook, Dr. Jay Williams, Dr. Kenneth Davis, and GM John Liley Jr. $75, includes banquet and conference events. Both members of the Society and non-members are welcome to register and attend. July 17-18, 2011 Maine Masonic College Second Annual Convocation, Hollywood Slots, Bangor. “Our Quest For Vision: A Dialog with Ritual” Featuring Bro. John Nagy, Life Coach and author of Building Hiram, Building Boaz, Building Athens, and Building Janus. With Bro. Richard Curtis, Retired Editor, The Northern Light and many more! August 11, 2011 Maine Masonic College. “Vitruvius” - Walter M. Macdougall, PGM - Bangor Masonic Center. 6:30pm to 9:30pm. http://www.MaineMasonicCollege.com/ August 19-21, 2011 Masonic Restoration Foundation Symposium The 2nd Annual Symposium of the Masonic Restoration Foundation will be held in Alexandria, Virginia, under the auspices of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, located at the George Washington Masonic Memorial. Keynote: Julian Rees, UGLE. Speakers: Robert G. Davis, Shawn Eyer, Andrew Hammer, Pierre G. Normand, Cliff Porter, Paul Jacob Roberts, Mark Tabbert, Douglas Wood. Info: http://aw22.org/mrf
August 20, 2011 The 40th Eblin’s Cave Degree, Kingston, TN. A California MM Degree will be conferred by Pleasanton Lodge No. 321. http://www.union38.org August 27, 2011 Philalethes Society/Phylaxis Society Joint Symposium, San Francisco, CA “The Initiatic Experience in Freemasonry Today” San Francisco Scottish Rite Center. August 28-30, 2011 Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction Supreme Council Annual Session, Chicago, IL September 8, 2011 Scottish Rite Research Guild, Valley of South Bend, Indiana Founding Fellow Mark Tabbert to speak on “Why did John, George, Paul, and Ben join the Craft?” Open to the public. www.southbendscottishrite.org/events.php September 10, 2011 New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786. Meets at Trenton Masonic Temple. 100 Barrack St., Trenton. 10 a.m. October 1, 2011 Civil War Lodge of Research No. 1865, Saltville, VA. Location and time TBA. October 1, 2011 Boynton Lodge #236, Boynton Beach, FL, and the Boynton Lodge Esoteric Research Group are pleased to announce the “Building Builders” Masonic Seminar featuring guest speaker Dr. John S. Nagy. This is a Master Mason Only Event -- dues card and ID will be required for entry. Info: www.nagy.eventbrite.com/ October 8, 2011 Scottish Rite Research Guild, Valley of South Bend, Indiana. Bro. Michael Halleran will speak on “Freemasonry in the Civil War”. Lunch will follow lecture then the exemplification of the 26th degree will commence. Degree can only be witnessed by current or petitioned Scottish Rite Masons. www.southbendscottishrite.org/ events.php October 14-16, 2011 Grand Lodge of Arizona Masonic Education Academy, Esplendor Resort, Rio Rico, Arizona. Speakers: WB Shawn Eyer, editor of The Philalethes Magazine and Ahiman journal; WB Thomas D. Worrel, Past Master of Mill Valley Lodge in California; and John Nichols. October 15, 2011 Valley of the Hudson, AASR-NMJ, Poughkeepsie, NY Lodge of Perfection Reunion, with all 11 degrees to be conferred with the assistance of other Valleys in the area. October 29, 2011 Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge Freemason Cultural Center, Elizabethtown, PA December 10, 2011 New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education No. 1786. Meets at Trenton Masonic Temple. 100 Barrack St., Trenton. 10 a.m. February 19-21, 2012 2012 Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America. Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia http://www.cgmna.org/Conference.htm April 27-29, 2012 Midwest Conference for Masonic Education Toledo, Ohio February 17-19, 2013 2013 Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America. Hyatt Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, MO
Please send notices of your event to Jay Hochberg at articles@themasonicsociety.com SPRING 2011 • 7
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Masonic News •
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he Grand Master of Texas, T. E. “Gene” Carnes has issued an edict reaffirming the Grand Lodge of Texas AF&AM’s prohibition of membership in the Widow’s Sons Masonic motorcycle group. •
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new Traditional Observance Lodge has formed in Louisiana. O. K. Allen Lodge U.D. in Winnfield, Louisiana has been granted dispensation to work. Oscar Kelly Allen was a Freemason and a member of Eastern Star Lodge No. 151 F&AM in Winnfield, Louisiana. Allen served as the 42nd Governor of the State of Louisiana from 1932-36. At the time of his death, he was the Democratic nominee for Huey Long’s vacated Senate seat. •
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ew York City’s historic Fraunces Tavern has reopened, with new decor. The Fraunces Tavern was built in 1719 for Mr. Stephan Delancey and his family. In 1762, the home was purchased by Samuel Fraunces, who converted it and made it very popular and famous as the Queen’s Head Tavern. In 1783, General George Washington gave his farewell address to the officers of the Continental Army in the tavern. After the war, when New York was the nation’s first capital, the tavern was rented to the new government to house the offices of the Departments of War, Treasury and Foreign Affairs.
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t. John’s Lodge No. 3 of New Bern, North Carolina has made its historic archival material dating back to 1772 available to researchers and historians. The collection will be stored at Tyron Palace in New Bern, part of the Office of Archives and History, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. St. John’s Lodge, No. 3, AF& AM has one of the oldest Masonic lodge halls still in use in the US, and was chartered January 10, 1772. Its theatre is believed to be the oldest operating in the United States, and was opened in 1804. •
Brother Fraunces joined Holland Lodge No. 8, in New York City in 1789. When Washington became President in April that year, he picked Samuel Fraunces to be the steward of his executive mansion in New York. When the U.S. capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790, Fraunces headed Washington’s presidential household there until 1794. •
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n January 6th, 2011, St. Claudius Lodge No. 21 was reconstituted by the Grande Loge Nationale Française. Originally founded on October 31, 1925, St. Claudius Lodge was the first Masonic research lodge chartered by the GLNF. It is named after one of the “four crowned martyrs,” and patterned after Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, England’s premiere lodge of research. Its purpose was to study the history of Freemasonry, especially in France, but its mission was cut short in 1939 as war spread across Europe, and the Nazi occupation made Masonic activity a dangerous pastime. The lodge briefly reopened in 1956, but closed just two years later.
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Regular monthly meetings are planned, along with four annual conferences on historical topics, under the guidance of GLNF Grand Archivist Francis Delon, who has overseen the regular publication of research papers in Les Cahiers Villard de Honnecourt for the last ten
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he Central London Masonic Centre is up for sale, and its resident Masonic bodies may be moving as early as this summer to new locations. (This is the second largest Masonic lodge venue in the city of London, and is NOT Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street.) The Centre has been a Masonic facility since the 1970s, but was originally built in 1782 as the Middlesex Sessions Court House in the area of London known as Clerkenwell. Until 1900, the Sessions House was the largest courthouse in England, and grim justice was dished out severely. Nearby Cold Bath Fields prison and Clerkenwell’s 1614 House of Detention were infamous for their brutality, and other convicted criminals
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Masonic News were sent off to Australia and America from its courtrooms. (Alice and I got to tour the subterranean Victorian-era vaults of the House of Detention several years ago. It was a suitably horrible place to rot out one’s sentence in its heyday.) The Sessions House ceased its grim business in the 1920s. In the 1970s, a corporation of Masonic lodges purchased the historic Sessions House and remodeled it extensively to create seven lodge rooms, plus offices, conference rooms, bars and dining facilities. It is home to 179 lodges, 56 Royal Arch Chapters, 3 Mark Masters’ lodges, and 2 Knight Templar Preceptories. In recent years, the costs of maintaining the historic property have skyrocketed, and numerous complaints have been raised over catering restrictions and costs of a staff of nearly 60. It now appears that the building is being sold to the Church of Scientology as a new London Celebrity Centre. No official word on the new location for the existing Masonic bodies, apart from the rumor that it is a “new development.” •
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rethren in New York have formed the Masonic Cigar Club of New York City, and meet monthly at various cigar stores and other locations in the city. It is open to all Freemasons and their friends. The only requirement is that attendees bring something for the collation, and purchase a cigar from the hosting establishment. Contact Brother Mark Martinez at cigars@onthelevelent.com. Brethren across the state line also have their own Masonic Cigar Club of New Jersey. They normally meet at JR Cigars (the “world’s largest cigar store!”) located at 301 Route 10 East in Whippany, NJ. •
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he new Grande Loge Nationale Régulière de la Principauté de Monaco was constituted on Saturday, February 19, 2011. The new Grand Master of Monaco is Jean Pierre Pastor, Consul of Monaco in Cuba. The grand lodge was formed from lodges already at work in the country of the United Grand Lodge of England and the United Grand Lodges of Germany. MWBro. Glen Cook, Past Grand Master of Utah F&AM, reports that the event was conducted on the 1st degree and in English, by MW Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes of the United Grand Lodge of England, with the immediate Past Grand Master of Grande Loge Nationale Française, Jean-Charles Foellner, and a Grand Master from Germany sitting as the installing Grand Wardens. Brethren from 35 foreign delegations across Europe and Africa were invited to the ceremony. More than 700 attended the evening gala. The new grand lodge is believed to have approximately 200 members, in a nation of about 30,000 people.
been all but lost; the wonder of buildings and Temples that have been raised by Brothers and for Brothers; and the remembrance of those at rest in the cemeteries and mausoleums.” •
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hen William Morgan was carried off from a Batavia, New York jail cell in 1826, allegedly at the hands of overzealous Batavia Masons, the incident set off the most prolonged and virulent antiMasonic period in U.S. history. Now, the Freemasons are vanishing from Batavia once more. The brethren of Batavia Lodge No. 475 are leaving town when the lease on their 1908 temple runs out in August. The building was sold 15 years ago to a local businessman, and the lodge has leased the lodge room area ever since. They will now merge with Olive Branch Lodge No. 40 in nearby Le Roy. Batavia Lodge No. 475 was chartered April 9, 1859. It seems the monument to Morgan in the local cemetery will be the lasting image of Freemasonry left in Batavia after all. •
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he Masonic Virtual Tours website at www.masonicvirtualtours. com was developed as a result of the W.M. Fred Kirby Bauer Masonic Leadership Institute of Massachusetts, and it currently only displays Massachusetts lodges, but it is not limited to just lodges from that state. Any lodge from any jurisdiction in the world can be added to the site. Be sure to explore the existing lodges already featured to see the photos and information required. Then contact Brother Joshua Hetzler at joshuahetzler@yahoo.com for details on how to get your lodge added. •
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he Atlantic Brotherhood Summit, a joint event between Minnesota’s Sir Winston Churchill Lodge No. 351 and the United Grand Lodge of England’s Internet lodge No. 9659, will take place in Minneapolis, MN June 2-5, 2011. The program will include an Americanstyle Barbecue, a boat cruise on the St. Croix River, a British Emulation Master Mason Degree and discussion at the Minneapolis Scottish Rite Temple, and a formal dinner and English Festive Board at the Minneapolis Club. Sir Winston Churchill Lodge No. 351 was chartered in 2009 by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota AF&AM as an affinity lodge, in part, to perform UGLE-styled Emulation Ritual (as opposed to the Preston/Webb ritual in use in most U.S. mainstream jurisdictions). Internet Lodge No. 9659 was consecrated in 1998 in Manchester, England, and has members from all over the world.
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rom the website of St Louis Missouri Lodge No. 1: “The Brethren of Saint Louis Missouri Lodge #1 invite you to join them on June 11, 2011, in their journey of discovery to find “The Lost Symbols of Saint Louis”, a digital scavenger hunt through the events and places linked to Freemasonry in Saint Louis. You will have the opportunity to explore Saint Louis to find the names of places and streets whose meanings have
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yFy (formerly the SciFi Channel) is developing a new series, Culture Shock With Tommy Lee, in which the former Motley Crue band member will attempt to uncover various rituals, symbols, and other mysteries of secret societies, beginning with the Freemasons. According to press releases, Lee’s interest in the Masons SPRING 2011 • 9
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Masonic News comes from his father’s own membership and reticence to talk about the fraternity with his son.
local lodge level. Congratulations to the 2010 winners: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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he Grand Lodge of Ontario offers an education program for Master Masons called the “Masonic Arts & Sciences For Master Masons” through their College of Freemasonry. It is divided into four modules: Masonry at Work; History and Origin of Masonry; Administration and Organization; and Preparing for Leadership. Each module costs $40.00, and you may take them in any order. After successful completion of each program, a certificate will be awarded. •
Helion Lodge #1, Huntsville, Alabama Oasis Lodge #52, Tucson, Arizona Henri Lodge #190, Tonganoxie, Kansas Bay View Lodge #196, E. Boothbay, Maine John T. Heard Lodge, Ipswich, Massachusetts Helios Lodge #273, Cambridge, Minnesota Boulder City Lodge #37, Boulder City, Nevada Benevolent Lodge #7, Milford, New Hampshire Atlas Pythagoras Lodge #10, Westfield, New Jersey Temple Lodge #6, Albuquerque, New Mexico Sandia Mountain Lodge #72, Albuquerque, New Mexico Harmonie Lodge #699, Amherst, New York Statesville Lodge #27, Statesville, North Carolina Tippecanoe Lodge #174, Tipp City, Ohio Sand Springs Lodge #475, Sand Springs, Oklahoma South McAlester Lodge #96, McAlester, Oklahoma Daylight Lodge #232, Seattle, Washington •
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n September 17th, 2010, the Grand Lodge of Iowa AF&AM voted to enter into fraternal relations with “any and all Prince Hall Grand Lodges which are (1) recognized by the M. W. Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Iowa and Jurisdiction, Inc.; and (2) have concluded an agreement, treaty, or compact of mutual recognition with the sister Grand Lodge with who they share territorial jurisdiction that is in comity with the Grand Lodge of Iowa.”
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he Belgian Museum of Freemasonry officially inaugurated its new home on March 23rd, 2011, and will open to the public on April 1st. The Museum is the result of an association of the many different Masonic obediences at work in Belgium, including the Grand Orient of Belgium, the Grande Loge Féminine de Belgique, the co-masonic Belgian Federation of Droit Humain, the co-masonic Grand Lodge of Belgium, the Regular Grand Lodge of Belgium, and the Scottish Rite Sovereign College of Belgium. Its new space is in a beautifully renovated facility, the Hotel Dewez, located at 73 rue de Laeken in Brussels, near the Brouckère or the St. Catherine Underground stations. The Museum has been partially supported by Belgium’s National Lottery. •
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our years ago, the Masonic Information Center created the Mark Twain Award, to “recognize Lodge leadership for asserting a uniquely Masonic identity both within the Lodge and throughout the community that is consistent with the Fraternity’s historic focus on education, self-improvement, good works, and fellowship.” It’s the only national Masonic award of its kind, and it represents achievement at the 10 • SPRING 2011
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he 2010 edition of Collecteana, published by the Grand College of Rites of the USA was distributed at Masonic Week in February. It contains the Craft degrees of the Rite of Strict Observance, plus two high degree rituals from the 18th century. These Craft degrees are especially fascinating for their differences from the Anglo-American work we know so well. In introducing the text, Grand Archivist Art de Hoyos explained it is similar to that he’d published a few years ago in Heredom, but with some ambiguities and inaccuracies stemming from their translations corrected. Strict Observance, he added, was the rite promoted by Baron von Hund. The Rite of Strict Observance is the forerunner of today’s Chevaliers Bienfaisants de la Cité-Sainte (CBCS), as well as the Swedish Rite. In addition to the RSO degrees, there are also two 18th century French high degrees in the book, with Rosicrucian similarities. They were translated from the original French into German, and then into English. According to Art de Hoyos, these particular rituals were saved from being confiscated by the Nazis in their campaign to destroy German and occupied Masonic lodges. For more about the GCofR, see their website www.grandcollegeofrites.org
2nd Annual Masonic Society U.K.-Ireland Symposium
Featuring Pete Normand, Glen Cook, Dr. Jay Williams, Dr. Kenneth Davis, & M:.W:. John C. Liley, Jr., Grand Master of Utah
Hill Street Masonic Centre Edinburgh, Scotland
July 1-3, 2011 Featuring Patrick McCann, Eddie Alicoon & Andrew Hammer
Reserve at http://englishlodges.org.uk/tms/
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THE JOURNAL OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
EVENTS
2011 Masonic Week Notebook by Christopher L. Hodapp and Jay Hochberg, fms
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ince 1938, the Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees of the United States of America has met annually in the Washington, D.C. area to transact business and elect its officers. Since that time, the event has expanded into what is now most commonly referred to as Masonic Week. Over the years, it has become a massive event for annual meetings or presentations of numerous, and generally little-known appendant bodies and honorary groups. They include: Allied Masonic Degrees (AMD), Masonic Order of Athelstan, the Operatives, St. Thomas of Acon, the Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (SRICF), Knight Masons, Sovereign Order of Knights Preceptor, Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, Chevaliers Bienfaisants de la Cité-Sainte (CBCS), and the Grand College of Rites of the USA. In addition, Masonic research and literary groups are well represented, with banquets or other presentations: the Masonic Society, the Philalethes Society, the Scottish Rite Research Society, and the Society of Blue Friars. And there are even fun degree groups like Royal Society of Knights Occidental, the Masonic Order of the Bath, and Ye Antiente Order of Corks. On top of these, there are also unofficial groups that meet informally, taking advantage of the opportunity of having so many brethren from around the world in one place at one time. Last year’s event was bedeviled by an apocalyptic snowstorm, dumping 4 feet of global warming on the area around Washington DC and much of the East Coast. Not this year. And there was much rejoicing.
Toye, Kenning & Spencer regalia in England as our speaker. His talk was both entertaining and informative, and an outstanding time was had by all. We had just around 70 in attendance at our dinner. For those keeping track over the years, this is similar in size to our previous banquets, and encouraging this year especially, as there were many, many Nathan Brindle & Chris Hodapp man the people shy about purchasTMS table. Photo: Roger VanGorden. ing a pocket full of expensive meal tickets after 2010’s 4-foot snow drifts kept them away. Also, our banquet has always taken place at the same time as the Royal Society of Knights Occidental dinner, which features somewhat different entertainment than ours. We think we provide a good counterbalance to that event, and Billy Koon must agree, as he jokingly complains that we’re robbing his potential “new members” every year. The Masonic Society booth in the dealer’s area was a popular place to hang out during the day, and we had a steady stream of new signups and renewals, even after Secretary Brindle’s laptop computer was destroyed by an unforeseeable catastrophe involving a Pepsi. The Philalethes Society held their annual meeting Friday, and TMS Member Terry Tilton will be staying on another year as their President. Brother Shawn Eyre’s labors at remaking that society’s magazine into a well-designed and respected journal are to be commended. Their breakfast was well attended, and the guest speaker was Brother Michael Halleran from Emporia. Kansas, who spoke about Masonry during the American Civil War. They are planning their 2010 SemiAnnual meeting in San Francisco as a joint meeting with the Phylaxis Society, a first for those two organizations. Founding Fellow S. Brent Morris was the speaker at the Scottish Rite Research Society luncheon Saturday, after getting snowed in to his home last year. He spoke about how to create and organize a wellwritten Masonic research paper.
The Masonic Society hospitality suite was open all week, and was the place to be!
The Masonic Society hospitality suite was the place to be all week—at one point on Thursday, Authors Pete Normand, Brent Morris, Art DeHoyos, Mike Halleran, Rex Hutchens, Andrew Hammer, John Palmer (editor of the Knight Templar Magazine), along and another 25 brethren were jammed into its cozy confines, and we weren’t able to close the doors of the suite before 3AM all week. Thanks to Jim Dillman for again being our unofficial bartender. The Masonic Society banquet featured WBro. Bryan Toye of 12 • SPRING 2011
There were 37 brethren initiated into the newly formed Grand Masters’ Prefecture of the Grand Priory of the Reformed and Rectified Rite of the US (CBCS). In spite of the controversy over the formation of the Priory under the auspices of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the USA, this has the potential of being a positive development in bringing the degrees of this very old system, which has been long-moribund in the U.S., to light in this country at last. These Martinist-influenced degrees are almost unknown in this country, and the hope is that will now change. The Grand College of Rites of the United States held its 8oth annual communication, and named Martin P. Starr as Most Illustrious Grand Chancellor for 2011-12. The current issue of Collectanea that was handed out this year to members presents the ritual of the Craft degrees for the Rite of Strict Observance. Among the necrology for the year is the loss of the Grand Seneschal, R.I. Sid Dorris of Tennessee,
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Alton Roundtree, fms Named 100th Blue Friar
The Grand Staff of the Grand Council of Knight Masons of the USA gather for their swearing-in. Photo: Jay Hochberg
who passed away last fall. There now are more than 400 councils of Allied Masonic Degrees in the United States, and they all are special, but there is one in particular that is constitutionally capped at nine members, all of whom are elected for life, and “who have made outstanding contributions to the field of Masonic Literature Research,” according to said constitution. It is called Council of Nine Muses No. 13, and it also meets only once annually, at Masonic Week during AMD’s various events. Paul Newhall was honored with the Marvin E. Fowler Award from the Grand Council of AMD of the USA. Congratulations, Paul! If you don’t know him, Brother Newhall does the tedious, mind-numbing heavy lifting of actually organizing Masonic week, dealing with the hotel, Masons, vendors, big egos, hurt feelings, and answering angry 4AM security phone calls about happy, lost revelers running through the halls. Masonic Society Member John Bridegroom (photo at right) designed the new official logo for Masonic Week, that sold very well as a pin design during the week, as well as our 3rd annual Masonic Society commemorative pin given to attendees of our banquet Friday night. John continues to produce excellent artwork professionally, and the Masonic world is discovering his talents. Congratulations are in order to other members of the Masonic Society: Founding Fellow Aaron Shoemaker for his appointment to the officer line of the Grand College of Rites, and to Mohamad Yatim upon his appointment as Grand Superintendent for New Jersey in the Allied Masonic Degrees. Founding Member Reed Fanning and Fellow Glen Cook are the Deacons of Grand Master’s Council, AMD. The convention contract with the hotel ends next year, and the sense of the membership was that the Washington, D.C. area remains the popular location for Masonic Week, just not at the Hilton Mark Center. Too far from restaurants and services, and/or sightseeing attractions in the District have long been the complaints ever since the program moved out of the Hotel Washington, when that venerable hotel near the White House, and longtime home of the event, was sold and remodeled.
Blue Friars Richard Curtis, Tom Jackson, Alton Roundtree, S. Brent Morris, Rex Hutchens, Art de Hoyos, Pete Normand, Mark Tabbert
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he Society of Blue Friars was established in 1932 to honor and recognize Masonic authors. The Friars meet annually in Alexandria, Virginia as a part of the Masonic Week festivities. Each year, a new Friar is named by the Grand Abbot, and the announcement is always a pleasant surprise. Following the announcement, the new Friar is generally expected to present a paper at the meeting. On Friday, February 11th, Grand Abbott S. Brent Morris announced Brother Alton G. Roundtree has been named the 100th Blue Friar. Brother Roundtree is the co-author with Paul M. Bessel of Out Of The Shadows: The Emergence of Prince Hall Freemasonry in America, published in 2006. He is a Past Master, a 33rd Degree Mason, a fellow of both the Phylaxis Society and the Masonic Society, and has served as editor of the Masonic Globe Magazine, and the Prince Hall Masonic Digest. His newest book is the most heavily documented work ever produced on the subject of the “National Compact” period of Prince Hall Freemasonry, and the struggles between what are generally referred to as Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) and Prince Hall Origin (PHO) grand lodges. The National Grand Lodge and Prince Hall Freemasonry: The Untold Truth is an exhaustive study of this subject, filled with documentation that has never been collected together in one volume before. Brother Roundtree’s paper was a recounting of events that led to the split between the two groups. Grand Abbott S. Brent Morris closed the meeting on a humorous note when, in thanking Roundtree for his presentation, he said “I am shocked – shocked – to find out there were feuds in Prince Hall Masonry, because in our Freemasonry....”
Masonic Week 2011 had the highest attendance ever in its history. Thanks to everyone who came. Come join the fun next year!
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Masonic Treasures
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he Masonic Temple Building in downtown Denver, Colorado is a Romanesque style building, designed by in 1889 by architect Frank E. Edbrooke. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, but on March 3, 1984, an arson fire completely gutted the Temple Building. The only remnant of the fire that survived was a single Warden’s chair that crashed through five stories into the basement, and is now preserved in the building’s lobby. Ultimately, the blaze was discovered to have been set by a florist who had a shop in the building, and it was the costliest fire in Denver history. Amazingly, while the interior was a total loss, the stone structure remained. After several years of reconstruction, the result was a new building on the inside, with several modern Masonic lodge rooms, blending the old with the new. CLH
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EDUCATION
POETRY
Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry
Silent Temple
by Kevin Noel Olson
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he Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry 2011 Lecture Series is an unprecedented lineup of online video Masonic presentations, beginning January 1, 2011 and running through December 31, 2011. Academic historians and Masonic scholars will present the story of the fraternity from 287 AD to the present. The program is the brainchild of Brother Al McClelland of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who has assembled a stellar selection of speakers from around the world. The series is endorsed by the Grand Lodge of Indiana and monitored by Indiana’s Dwight L Smith Lodge of Research, U.D. for content, information and suitability. New lectures debut at 8PM EST Saturdays, but will remain available on the website. The programs vary in length, from 30 minutes to an hour. At the conclusion of each presentation there will usually be an opportunity to join with the speakers in a live conversation on Facebook at the “Worldwide Exemplification of Freemasonry 2011 Lecture Series” page. 01-01-11 In the Beginning by Kenneth E. Willis Jr., GM 01-01-11 Four Crowned Ones by Dr. John S. Wade, PM 01-08-11 The Gift of Irish Freemasonry by Bob Bashford, PM 01-15-11 The Evolution of Scottish Freemasonry by Robert L. D. Cooper 01-22-11 The Foundation of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717 by Christopher Powell 01-29-11 The Old Charges Revisited - Prof. Andrew Prescott 02-12-11 Origins and Development of Royal Arch Masonry in England by Yasha Beresiner, PM 02-26-11 The Grand Lodges in British Colonies, 1850-1900 by Dr. Jim Daniel, PJGW, UGLE
03-05-11 Freemasonry in India: Masonic Vedanta by Dr. Guy Beck 03-12-11 A Vast Chain Extending Round the Whole Globe: Freemasonry and Empire by Prof. Jessica L. Harland Jacobs 03-26-11 The Revival of a Patriotic Order: Knights Templar in England & New York by Dr. Susan Sommers 04-09-11 The Evolution of Scandinavian Freemasonry by Dr. Andreas Onnerfors 04-16-11 The Royal Secret in the U.S. before 1801 by Dr. S. Brent Morris, PM 04-23-11 The Coaches Coach by Dr. John S. Nagy 04-30-11 The Grand Orient of France by Michel L. Brodsky, PM 05-07-11 Freemasons & the Greek War of Independence by Andreas C. Rizopoulos 05-21-11 Veiled in Allegory and Illustrated by Symbols by Chris McClintock 06-04-11 Why Ancients & Moderns? by Aubrey Newman, PM For the complete schedule, see the WEOFM website at www.weofm.org
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he gavel frays in hand, Its wood starting to splinter. I push the stones into place, They are not straight as I hoped they would be.
Not that alone tries the marrow in my bones, I tire, for the stones are unfinished. The roof it leaks from disuse, The wind blows through the cracks. Examining the structure, tilted and unsound, I listen to the injuring silence of frustration. What is missing? Why is no block flush with another? The rain spills on the floor threatening another deluge. I throw down the gavel in anger. The handle dislocates from head. I look across the plain to see another’s temple. Only to build one so fine and magnificent! The tools are useless without instruction. Elements threaten early destruction. In the silence, I consider deeply my trial. Knowing nothing else to do, I pray. A ragged traveler knocks at the Escherian doorway, I look up at the interruption, firstly annoyed. I breath deeply and continue my prayer in silence. I approach the traveler to offer sustenance. The man accepts my meager offering; An ear of corn, a glass of wine, and a flask of oil-I have none other. I smile as I join him and he offers me, His hand in friendship, and wise words of instruction. The sound of his voice fills the hall with wonder. Not the lack of structured design missed my purpose. The meal finished we began to build, the two of us. Another came by and wanted to try. We tried the third and the fourth that followed, Found them worthy to be called Fellow. Over the next days we righted the structure. The corners became square, the stones lost blemish. The roof allowed no rain, the walls no wind. Others joined us and we labored in joy. My knowledge was weak, it is true, Instruction had I none before I found others. The Temple stood beautiful when we were done, The walls ringing with laughter and pride, It was there that boast, envy and anger all died. Every useful thing put to work to build the altar.
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SYMBOLISM
The Broach’d Thurnal Revisited by William S. Burkle, mms
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ccording to records dating from the early 18th century1, the English Entered Apprentice ritual made reference to an object known as a “Broach’d Thurnal” as one of the three moveable jewels, along with the Perfect Ashlar and the “Tarsal Board.” The term “Broach’d Thurnal” never appeared on the list of moveable jewels in American Masonry but was replaced by the symbol of “The Rough Ashlar,” as it was in England2 following the 1813 Union. As time passed, an exact understanding of what a Broach’d Thurnal may have been was apparently lost.
Many authors have attempted to definitively solve the mystery of the Broach’d Thurnal. Arthur Edward Waite3 wrote about the Thurnal and investigated it from many standpoints, including the etymology of its composite words. Waite finally resolved to consider the Broach’d Thurnal4 as the rough-cut stone after removal from the quarry. Other investigators5 have reported that the Broach’d Thurnal is a type of chisel used for quarrying stone. A French publication circa 1745 included an illustration in which the Broach’d Thurnal appears as a cube with its top face formed into a pyramid (also called a “Pierre Cubique a Pointe”). A Masonic booklet6 prepared by Brother Alec Hall, entitled The Broached Thurnel and other Lost Symbols, illustrates the Broach’d Thurnel in an identical manner. A similar illustration can still be found on French Tracing Boards as the “Pierre Cubique.” Founding Fellow Leon Zeldis confirms this form, noting:7 “In old Masonic engravings, the cubic stone is represented as a cube with a square pyramid on top. The pyramid ends in a single point, representing the unity of the universe, or of God. Altogether, this body has sixteen edges (4 × 4) and nine sides (4 + 4 + 1). Sixteen has root seven, four is the square of two, and nine is the square of 3. This body, then represents all the symbolic numbers of Esotericism: 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 9.” Brother Albert Pike provides a very interesting discussion of the esoteric meaning of the Broach’d Thurnal in his Lecture on Masonic Symbolism8 with two detailed illustrations; while Pike never uses the term, there is no doubt that by Pike’s account, the Broach’d Thurnal is a cube topped by a pyramid as shown by Figure 1. Regarding the Broach’d Thurnal, Pike indicates the figure was originally a twodimensional construct consisting of a square topped by an equilateral triangle. He writes: “The Base of the Equilateral Triangle represents God as intellect. When the square is surmounted by this figure this base and the upper line of the square are one and the same, and this symbolizes the unity of the Divine and all human intellect. The Triangle symbolizes God; the square, Humanity.” He then proceeds to consider the figure rendered in three dimensions, adding that: “The Cube symbolizes Nature, it is said, and Perfection. The Pyramid erected on the square surface of a Cube, represented, it is said, Flame, the Sun, and the Deity.” In conclusion, he adds “And this is ‘The Cubical Stone’ of Freemasonry….” It is the description given by Pike, Zeldis, et al. of the form (design) of the Broach’d Thurnal (as a cube topped with a pyramid) that I have adopted for the purposes of this paper. If the Broach’d Thurnal is indeed the “Pierre Cubique” there may have been a very good esoteric 16 • SPRING 2011
Figure 1 - A Representation of the “Broach’d Thurnal” as the “Pierre Cubique à Pointe,” or “Pointed Cube.” Note that the four triangular faces of the Pyramid are Equilateral Triangles.
reason that it was chosen as a Masonic symbol, other than or in addition to that given by Pike. There also may be an equally good esoteric reason that the Pierre Cubique was replaced by the symbol of the Rough Ashlar. This reason relates to the ancient Kabalistic document known as the Sefer Yetzirah, and to the cosmological concept of the “Cube of Space.” This concept is what I intend to explore. I will begin this exploration by briefly discussing the Hebrew Aleph-Beth. The Hebrew Aleph-Beth
It is the nature of the chosen topic to be heavily dependent upon the use of the characters of the Hebrew alphabet because most of what is to be discussed has been extracted from the ancient Hebrew text known as the Sefer Yetzirah. It is not my expectation that readers will be familiar with either the Aleph-Beth or the characters which comprise it, so an introduction is provided here. The characters of the AlephBeth are believed by Kabalists9 to have been emanated by God at the time of the Creation. This understanding is based upon the Sepher Yetzirah, of which we will soon learn more. There are a total of twenty-two Hebrew characters, which, like certain Roman numerals (I, V, X, L, etc.) have alphabetic meaning and numerical value (Table 1). The numerical value of Hebrew characters is the basis for the three Kabalistic sciences of numerology: Gematria, Notaricon, and Temura. The Hebrew characters may be divided into one of three groupings: the “Mother Letters” (Table 2), having only one sound and from which other letters are created; the double letters , so-called because they can have two different sounds (Table 3); and the simple letters or elementals, which have only one sound and which do not create other letters (Table 4). As will soon be discussed, these characters are crucial to the Kabalistic understanding of Creation.
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Table 1 - The Twenty-Two Hebrew Characters and Their Numerical Values
Table 2 - The Three “Mother” Letters
Table 3 - The Seven “Double” Letters
Table 4 - The Twelve “Simple” or “Elemental” Letters
The Kabala
The Kabala, which is the Hebrew word for “The Tradition,” is an ancient system of mystical Hebrew wisdom that allegedly existed as an oral tradition prior to being set into written form in the 12th century CE. This oral tradition is said to have been transmitted to the Angels prior to the Creation. Mankind subsequently received it on three separate occasions. The first recipient11 was Adam who received the Kabala from the Archangel Raziel at the time of the Fall. Abraham was the second (circa 1700 BCE)12, receiving it from Melchizedek. The knowledge of the Kabala was lost following each of these transmissions. (Note that according to another tradition, Abraham transmitted the Sacred Wisdom of the Kabala to his son Isaac, whereas to his other son Ishmael he transmitted the sacred mysteries of Alchemy.) Moses was the third recipient, and was given the Kabala on his second assent (the second encounter) of Mt. Sinai, following his receipt of the Ten Commandments. Kabalists refer to Moses’ receipt of the Ten Commandments as the Outer Teaching, and the receipt of the Kabala as the Inner Teaching13. Moses passed the Kabala to Joshua, who perpetuated the mystical tradition. 10
primarily in length and organization of the material. Unless otherwise stated, the translation of the Sepher Yetzirah that I have used during the preparation of this paper is that version produced by Brother Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1854-1920). Brother Mathers was introduced to Freemasonry by his neighbor, alchemist Frederick Holland, and was a founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Cube of Space
The Cube of Space (Figure 2) is one of two glyphs most often used to represent Kabalistic Creation – the other being the Tree of Life or Sephiroth (Figure 3). Both are based on passages in the Sepher Yetzirah (and in the case of the Sephiroth, also the Bahir). Although there are resemblances between the Sephiroth and the Cube of Space, the two are not identical. The Sephiroth (and the circular Zodiac) is believed to be a two-dimensional mapping of the three-dimensional Cube of Space. This two-dimensional rendering of the cube resulted to a large degree in the loss of full correlation between the two glyphs, and scholars today continue to argue the correct correspondences.
The written Kabala consists of several scrolls, including the Sepher Yetzirah, or Book of Formation, purportedly placed into writing by Rabbi Akiva; the Sefer Bahir or the Book of Illumination, attributed14 to Rabbi Nehunia ben haKana; and the Pirkei Heichalot Rabati, or Greater Palaces, by Rabbi Ishmael15. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (the Rashibi) subsequently added to the literature of the Kabala when – after receiving divine inspiration from the Prophet Elijah – he composed the sacred Zohar,16 or Book of Splendor. It was later published by Rabbi Moshe de Leon17 (Moshe ben Shem-Tov) of Spain circa the late 13th and early 14th Centuries CE. The Kabala is comprised primarily (though not exclusively) of the material contained in these texts. The Sepher Yetzirah The Sepher Yetzirah is considered to be the most ancient of the texts forming the basis for the Kabala, and it is considered the oldest known speculative treatise written in Hebrew18. It presents a cosmology and cosmogony which includes elements of an earlier Merkavah mysticism19 as well as aspects of Gnosticism, neo-Pythagoreanism and Stoicism. There are three primary recensions of the Sefer Yetzirah20 that differ
Figure 2 - The Cube of Space SPRING 2011 • 17
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dimensions) are located – spirit, breath from spirit, water from breath, and fire from water (corresponding to three of the four elements). The point of intersection of the three axes in the Cube of Space represents the fourth element, Earth. This is in accord with the belief that earth is the combination of air, fire and water. It should be noted that in other traditions, the element Earth is represented by the cube itself. The spatial directions are sealed within the cube with the root letters of God’s name using various permutations of the Hebrew Characters Yod, Heh, Vav , י ו, ח. Note that the Sepher Yetzirah states that the seals are affixed as God faces in the Eastern direction. Section 1:13 of the Sepher Yetzirah reads: “He sealed ‘south’ and faced to the right and sealed it with Vav, Yod, Heh. He sealed ‘north’ and faced to the left and sealed it with Vav Heh Yod.” The seals affixed for each direction are: Up – ;ו ח יDown – ; ח ו יEast – ;ו י חWest – ;י ו חSouth – ;ח י וNorth – י ח ו. Figure 3 - The Tree of Life or Sephiroth (postlapsarian version)
According to the Sepher Yetzirah, God created the cosmos in a manner similar to writing a book. In Section 1:2 of the Sepher Yetzirah, these writings include the ten Sephirot, the three Mother letters, the seven Double letters and the twelve Simple letters of the Hebrew Aleph-Beth. Section 1.5 of the Sepher Yetzirah specifies that each of the created Sephirot were created with its opposite (yielding five pairs of opposites): “Ten Sefirot of Nothingness: Their measure is ten which have no end; a depth of beginning; a depth of end; a depth of good; a depth of evil; a depth of above; a depth of below; a depth of east; a depth of west; a depth of north; a depth of south.” The five sets of opposites were themselves divided into three groupings: beginning-end, good-evil, and the six directions of up-down, east-west, and north-south. This threefold division is considered21 a division between temporal, moral, and spatial dimensions. The six “depths of direction” are, of course, suggestive of the six directions of three-dimensional space. Kabbalists in the 12th and 13th centuries attributed “beginning” with the Sephira Chokmah and “end” with the Sephira Binah. The remaining Sephira are attributed as follows: Good – Kether; Evil – Malkhuth; Up – Netzach; Down – Hod; East – Tipheret; West – Yesod; North – Gevura; South –Chesed.
Figure 4 - The Ten Sephiroth, Oriented Within Three-Dimensional Space
Figure 4 illustrates the ten Sephiroth oriented in space relative to the cube. It is just outside the space of the six “depths of direction” (inner space) that the spiritual elements (temporal and moral 18 • SPRING 2011
Figure 5 - The Six Seals Affixed to the Axis of The Cube of Space
Figure 5 illustrates the seals affixed to the Axis of the Cube of Space, although it will later be argued that the seals may be otherwise affixed to the Cube. As noted, these three letters are the root of the name Yahweh and signify “ יexistence,” ח “life” (in existence) and ו “experience,” an active agent connecting, or engendering both life and existence. The first letter of each seal is used to determine the axis with which it is associated. The up-down axis is specified by the letter Yod, the east-west axis is specified by the letter Heh and the south-north axis is specified by the letter Vav. The last two letters of the seal specify direction on the axis; Yod is “super positive,” Heh is “positive” and Vav is “negative” in direction. Bear in mind that Hebrew text is read from right to left. In Section 3 of the Sepher Yetzirah we are introduced to the groupings of letters that are associated with the elements of air, fire, and water22 represented by the three “Mother Letters” (Immoth) of Hebrew, which are Aleph ()א, Mem ()מ, and Shin ()ש. The fourth element (Earth) is often considered to be the cube itself23 (Pythagorean symbolism associated the cube with Earth). Other accounts indicate that the point of intersection of the three axes represents Earth; this is also the viewpoint which is held by this author. The three “Mother Letters” are the foundation of Creation, and they act as a prism which transforms the divine light into seven more letters which are the double letters or Kaphouloth. The “Mother Letters” also correspond to the three pillars of the Tree of Life24, and the three horizontal paths of the Tree of Life are labeled using the “Mother Letters.” The “Mothers” also represent the three instances in which Genesis 1 states “God Made.”
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The remaining twelve Hebrew letters are called the “Elemental Letters” or, alternately, “Simple Letters” (Phashoutoth) because they have only one sound, and whereas the “Mother Letters” produce other letters, the Simple Letters do not. These twelve letters are explained in the Fifth Section of the Sepher Yetzirah. The “Simple Letters” are: Heh ()ה, Vav ()ו, Zayin ()ז, Chet ()ח, Teth ()ט, Yod ()י, Lamed ()ל, Nun ()נ, Sameck ()ס, Ayin ()ע, Tzadi ( )צand Koph ()ק.
The twelve “Simple Letters” are associated with the twelve signs of the Zodiac as follows: – הAries; – וTaurus; – זGemini; – חCancer; – ט Leo; – יVirgo; – לLibra; – נScorpio; – סSagittarius; – עCapricorn; – צAquarius; – קPisces.
Figure 6 - The “Double Letters” and their opposite meanings
The fourth section of the Sepher Yetzirah presents the “Double Letters” that are associated with the planets of classical Astrology. They include the letters Beth ()ב/()בּ, Gimel ()ג/()גּ, Daleth ()ד/()דּ, Kaph ()כ/ ()כּ, Pe ()פ/( )פּ, Resh ()ר/( )רּand Tav ()ת/()תּ. These letters are termed “doubles” because they have both a hard and a soft pronunciation – depending upon whether or not a Dagesh Lene (diacritical mark) is present – and because they have two literal meanings, each in opposition to the other. The “Doubles” represent the seven times in which Genesis 1 states “God saw.” Figure 6 presents the doubles along with their opposing meanings. The seven “Double Letters” are used to label the Vertical Pathways of the Tree of Life and in both the Cube of Space and the Tree of Life are associated with the Planets of classical Astrology. The planetary attributions of the “Double Letters” is as follows: – בSaturn; – ג Jupiter; – דMars; – כSol; – פVenus; – רMercury; – תLuna. The Location of the letters on the axis of the Cube of Space is based upon the Chaldean system of Astrology. Figure 7 illustrates the axis, with the “Mother Letters” and the Chaldean Planetary correspondences of the Double Letters added as described by the text of the Sepher Yetzirah. Note that the Chaldean system placed Earth at the center of the universe (at the location where the three axes cross one another). Earth, however is not included in the Cube of Space glyph.
Section 5.2 of the Sepher Yetzirah describes a cube of “twelve diagonals” and fixes the position of the “Twelve Simples” relative to these diagonals; the result is that each edge of the cube is associated with one of the Simple Letters. In the glyph of the Tree of Life, the twelve Elementals are used to label the diagonal pathways. Placement of the diagonal paths to create the actual Cube of Space as per Section 5.2 is as follows: ה- the east upper boundary; – וthe east northern boundary; – זthe east lower boundary; – חthe south upper boundary; ט – the south eastern boundary; – יthe south lower boundary; – לthe west upper boundary; – נthe west southern boundary; – סthe west lower boundary; – עthe north upper boundary; – צthe north western boundary; – קthe north lower boundary. This cube extends to the “boundaries of the Universe.” The correspondences of the Zodiac to the twelve “Simple Letters” to the “Mother Letters” and planetary associations of the “Double Letters” all taken together define the Cube of Space (Figure 8). The axes, cube faces and diagonals described in the Sepher Yetzirah constitute the thirty-two paths of wisdom described in the Torah25. Collectively these thirtytwo letters placed upon geometric paths are referred to as the “Otiot,” meaning “Letters.” The geometric form of the Cube of Space is also interesting from a simple mathematical viewpoint26, in that the three (3) cube axes multiplied by two (2) equals six (6) the number of cube faces. The number of cube faces (6) multiplied by two (2) equals the number of cube edges (12).
Figure 8 – The “Cube of Space” with the Twelve” Elemental Letters” represented by their corresponding signs of the Zodiac, together with the “Mother Letters” and “Double Letters” (Shown as Their Corresponding Planetary Signs). Figure 7 - The Double Letters, Represented by Their Planetary Correspondences, Assigned to Their Respective Position Within the Cube of Space.
Because we are also including discussion the Tree of Life somewhat in periphery with the Cube of Space, Figure 9 provides a diagram of the Tree displayed as described by the Sepher Yetzirah showing the various pathways and labeled as discussed. I have juxtaposed this diagram with SPRING 2011 • 19
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that presented earlier in this discussion. The differences will be obvious to even the most casual observer.
the Doubles is bi-directional. This is the nature of the Doubles which “direct themselves with two tongues” (Sepher Yetzirah Section 4:1). This energy simultaneously flows out into the Singles, finally turning in upon itself to create internal resistance or opposition. The energy in the cube then flows from top to bottom, from front to back, and from left to right. This movement corresponds metaphorically to a flow from spirit to matter, from future to past, and from sensation to perception. Figure 10 illustrates the flow of energies within the Cube of Space.
Figure 9 - The “Tree of Life”. On the Left is the Prelapsarian Version; The Postlapsarian Version is on the Right. The Postlapsarian Verson was Popularized by Luria (The Ari).
The postlapsarian version of the Tree of Life used by students of western Hermetic tradition is based on more modern interpretations of the Kabala, heavily influenced by Lurianic concepts and interpretations, and by postlapsarian concepts. It is this writer’s opinion that the version of the Tree of Life based on the Gra recension of the Sefer Yetzirah is easier to correlate to its fraternal twin, The Cube of Space. Each World or Dimension of the Sephiroth includes a number of Intelligences. There are three in the Spiritual World, seven in the Intellectual World, ten in the Emotional World, and twelve in the Physical World, for a total of thirty-two. Table 5 provides a summary of the Worlds and their attributes, including the types of pathways found in each.
Table 5 - The 32 Intelligences in the Four Dimensions according to the Book of Creation (after Lousky27).
According to Paul Foster Case28 “These directions are given in The Book of Formation, and have to do with a very important esoteric teaching, in which the manifested universe is presented as a cube, shown in occult diagrams with its western and southern faces visible to the observer....The six faces of this cube and its interior center are assigned to the seven double letters of the [Hebrew] alphabet. The three interior coordinates correspond to the three mother letters [A = aleph, M = mim and SH = shin]. The twelve boundary lines represent the twelve simple letters.” The concept of the Cube of Space, however, is incomplete without an understanding that the Otiot are considered to flow, or act (move) in specific directions. The Mother Letters flow towards the center of the cube, but not away from it. In the center is the first of the Doubles, Beth. This energy flows into Beth and then out again to the other Doubles. This is possible because the flow of energy within 20 • SPRING 2011
Figure 10 - The Direction of the Forces Acting Within the “Cube of Space”
Thus is the structure of the Cube of Space. The Cube of Space is more than a complex geometry however; it describes human reality, as it is manifest in Adam Kadmon. In Section 3:6 of the Sepher Yetzirah it is written29: “The head is created from fire, The belly is created from water, And the chest, from breath, Decides between them.” In this text, the Sepher Yetzirah is describing Adam Kadmon, the Primordial Human. The same characteristics attributed to Adam Kadmon are present in human (earthly) man. Human reality is visualized as being composed of an “inner life” (sometimes called the “inner court”) formed in the first four Sephirot (spheres of consciousness/ energy), the axes and center of the Cube, and an “outer life” formed by the last six Sephirot and the opposing faces of the Cube. The “inner life” is timeless, and the “outer life” is experiential and developmental. The three axes of the Cube represent the categories of existence, life, and experience, and the union of the three. The six faces of the Cube define man’s experience of life: the vertical axis runs through him and defines his existence which is equidistant between the axes of “self ” and “other.” One horizontal axis represents man’s psychological past and future. His unconscious experience of bodily sensuous reality enters him through the passive left hand of desire (second horizontal axis); it is met by the active right hand of thought and action along the axis of “union” or “interpenetration.” The Cube of Space appealed especially to psychoanalyst Carl Jung, who recognized the cube to be an extensive map of the human psyche. Jung expounded upon the axis at the center of the Cube of Space, which in the Kabala represent Life, Experience, and Existence. Jung’s model, formulated at the end of the 19th century, resulted from his work with dreams, jokes, slips of the tongue, and hysterical female patients30. Jung initially divided psychological reality into three parts: an unconscious,
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a pre-conscious, and a conscious area, all of which were associated with perception.
in American Freemasonry is not a symbol that is original to Masonry. During the ritual work of the Entered Apprentice Degree, the initiate is presented with the Rough Ashlar and the Perfect Ashlar, and he is told that constant work upon the rough ashlar is needed to render it perfect. Through this lecture31, he is introduced to the concept of the Ashlar as it alludes to his own character, soul or being. The exhortation to polish and square the Ashlar is no less than an exhortation to undertake perpetual work upon one’s own character. It might also be pointed out that the position adopted by the candidate while kneeling at the altar during his obligations (especially during the EA Degree) may be seen to have direct allusion to the six directions of space and the cube. Quoting from a description of the Rough and Perfect Ashlar provided by Simon Pierce’s Lodge of Masonic Education32:
Figure 11 - Carl Jung’s Model of the Human Psyche Based Upon the “Cube of Space”
Jung visualized the cube to represent the formulation of a person’s psychological state and consciousness-of-being as based upon internal perceptions, as well as external realities and experiences. Jung’s second model of the human psyche (Figure 11), published twenty years later, was also a three-part construct, consisted of Id (unconscious, instinctuallybased and driven), Ego (conflict-ridden and compromised) and Superego (punitive, mostly unconscious, society-surrogate). The third dimension suggested in Freud’s map is related to the dynamic concepts of drive and defense, and transference and resistance. Over time, numerous models of the Pysche based upon Jung’s insights into the Cube of Space have been developed (Figure 12), some of which are extremely complex. Thus, the polarities present in the axis and the faces of the cube affect our balance and form our perceptions. It may be inferred that man has opportunity to consciously or unconsciously affect the position of his being within the cube of space. Hardship, trials and experiences encountered during life – and our own reaction to these events – affect our character. The work we do in positively addressing these events on a conscious level through prayer, meditation, or contemplation produces reactions within the cube to maintain balance and enlightenment, moving us towards perfection.
“In the Fellowcraft Degree, we see the use of the Rough and Perfect Ashlars. The lesson to be learned is that by means of education and the acquirement of knowledge, a man improves the state of his spiritual and moral being.” A detailed representation of man’s spiritual and moral being, as referenced in this description, is provided by the Kabalistic Cube of Space. We could conclude that the Cube of Space adds many more dimensions to the map of spirituality and morality than just education and knowledge. While a detailed understanding of the Cube of Space could consume a lifetime in study, it is clear that the Kabalists were possessed of an unusually deep and accurate understanding of the soul and the psychological makeup of man. That the authors of Masonic ritual should seize upon allusions to the Cube of Space in the form of the perfected Ashlar is testimony to the degree with which Kabalistic concepts were known to them, and the understanding which they had of these concepts. Parallels
The parallel meanings between The Cube of Space and the Ashlar are quite readily seen both in terms of similarity of Geometry (both are cubes), and Allusion (of moral and temporal significance). Allusions to the Broach’d Thurnal are identical, but not as readily apparent. Figure 13 provides a somewhat altered view of the Cube of Space using the outline of the Broach’d Thurnal in lieu of that of the simple cube.
Figure 12 - The Development of the Attributions Which Jung Applied to the Cube of Space.
Figure 13 - The Attributes of the “Cube of Space” Applied to the Broach’d Thurnal. It is the Author’s Contention That These Attributes Are a Fit.
The Ashlar
The greatest difference between the two depictions is, of course, the Extension of the Vertical Axis (Above-Below) upwards in the direction of the Ain Soph Aur, or “Limitless Light” which signifies the origin of
As stated in the introduction, the Perfect Ashlar as we know it
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the universe, the Creator. Because all existence emanates from the Ain Soph Aur, it seems fitting that the corners of the cube, which signify the outmost edges of the universe would converge at the origin of that universe. This being the case, it follows that the central axis (above) should do the same. Note also that the seals of the cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West), originally confined to the axis (a somewhat limited concept of three-dimensional space), have been placed instead upon the faces of the equilateral triangles comprising the pyramid at the top of the cube. This placement alludes to the true nature of direction, being of limitless depth and having intermediate positions between the four cardinals. This also extends the threedimensional volume of the cube, as the edge of each triangle would constitute an exact cardinal midpoint (the true “four corners of the world”). The use of the pyramid in this context also coincides with Pike’s description of the Broach’d Thurnal as previously quoted. During research for this paper33 I happened upon a quote from an author (using a pseudonym) who offered a clear statement of the alluded relationship between the cube, the Broach’d Thurnal, and the Ashlar. The author, “Minister Israel,” stated that: “The cube in Islam is the Kaaba (Arabic for cube) in the Holy City of Makkah, which houses the Black Stone. The cube in Judaism is the Tephillin. In Christianity, the cube is the cornerstone of the Temple that the builders rejected… Esoterically, the cube represents the soul quarried from God – the Universal Spirit – refined, polished, and perfected through experience, trials, and hardships.” Brother William “Steve” Burkle is a Master Mason in Scioto Lodge No. 6, in Ohio, and of Alpha Lodge No. 116 and Philo Lodge No. 243 in New Jersey. He also is a member in the Scottish and York rites, and is a Founding Member of the Masonic Society.
Endnotes
13 - Greg Killian, The Oral Law (Torah Shebaal Peh), accessed November 16, 2009, http://www.betemunah.org/orallaw.html. 14 - Aryeh Kaplan, trans., Sepher Ha-Bahir: Or the Book of Illumination, accessed November 9, 2009, http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/sacred/bahir.pdf. 15 - Rachel Elior, Yudirth Nave and Arthur Millman, Jewish Mysticism: The Infinite Expression of Freedom (Portland, OR: Litman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2007). 16 - Nissan Dovid Dubov, The Key to Kabbalah, accessed November 9, 2009, http://www.chabad.org/libray/article_cdo/aid/361876/jewish/The-Zohar. htm. 17 - David S. Ariel, Kabbalah: The Mystic Quest in Judaism (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005). 18 - Don Karr, Notes on Editions of Sefer Yetzirah in English, accessed May 6, 2010, http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/karr/syie.pdf. 19 - Gershom Scholem, On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead (New York: Schocken Books, 1991). 20 - Robert Zucker, Sefer Yetsirah and Jewish Mysticism Time Line, accessed May 6, 2010, http://emol.org/kabbalah/seferyetzirah/timeline/10to15thcentury. html. 21 - Aryeh Kaplan, Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1997). 22 - Aaron Leitch, Introduction to the Hebrew Alphabet, accessed May 7, 2010, http://kheph777.tripod.com/art_alephbeth.html. 23 - Alison P. Deadman, “Letter, Musical Pitch, and Color in the Work of Paul Foster Case,” The Esoteric Quarterly 2 (Spring 2006). 24 - Dirk Gillabel, The Hebrew Alphabet, accessed May 9, 2010, http://www. soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/treeoflifeletters.htm. 25 - Ron Clark, “The Thirty-two Paths of Wisdom,” Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition 3 (2002). 26 - David Allen Hulse, New Dimensions for the Cube of Space: The Path of Initiation Revealed by the Tarot upon the Qabalistic Cube (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 2006).
1 - Albert G. Mackey and William J. Hughan, An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences: Comprising the Whole Range of Arts, Sciences & Literature as Connected with the Institution (Philadelphia: Moss & Company, 1874).
27 - Lousky, Dany, The Book of Creation as a Source of the 32 Intelligences, Lousky College website, accessed May 10, 2009, http://lousky-college.com/ Articles_TheSourseofIntelligences.htm.
2 - Charles Merz, Guild Masonry in the Making (Louisville, KY: Light Publishing, 1918).
29 - Ibid.
3 - Arthur Edward Waite, New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry (ars magna latomorum) and of Cognate Instituted Mysteries: Their Rites, Literature and History, Volume 1 (London: W. Rider and Son, 1921). 4 - Kent Henderson, “Understanding Freemasonry – Part 3,” from R.A. Wells, Understanding Freemasonry, accessed July 12, 2010, http://www.freemasonsfreemasonry.com/under3.html. 5 - G.W. Speth, “Leicestershire Masonry, Part I, 1103-1327,” Ars Quatuor Coronatorum 12 (1899), 205. 6 - Alec Hall, The Broached Thurnel and other Lost Symbols, accessed July 12, 2010, http://www.philbrick2255.org.uk/books/broached_thurnell.pdf. 7 - Leon Zeldis, Freemasonry in Israel: The Iconography of the Tracing Boards, accessed November 27, 2010, http://www.mastermason.com/fmisrael/tb.html. 8 - Albert Pike, Lecture on Masonic Symbolism and A Second Lecture on Symbolism: The Omkara and Other Ineffable Words, transcribed and annotated by Rex R. Hutchens (Washington DC: The Scottish Rite Research Society, 2006). 9 - Aaron Leitch, Introduction to the Hebrew Alphabet, accessed May 7, 2010, http://kheph777.tripod.com/art_alephbeth.html. 10 - Glyn Williams, The History of Kabbalah, accessed November 9, 2009, http://sinfin.net/kabballah/kabhist.html. 11 - Lorena Leet, The Secret Doctrine of the Kabbalah: Recovering the Key to Hebraic Sacred Science (Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 1999). 12 - C.J.M. Hopking, The Practical Kabbalah Guidebook (New York: Sterling Publishing, 2001). 22 • SPRING 2011
28 - Paul Foster Case, The Tarot (Richmond, VA: Macoy, 1947). 30 - Rene Daalder and Folkert Gorter, Cube of Space, accessed May 9, 2010, http://spacecollective.org/nagash/4529/Cube-of-Space. 31 - Kevin Townley, The Cube of Space: Container of Creation (Boulder, CO: Archive Press, 1993), 17. 32 - Rough and Perfect Ashlar, Masonic Lodge of Education website, accessed May 9, 2010, http://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/rough-andperfect-ashlar.html. 33 - Minister Israel (pseudo.), The Sacred Cube, accessed May 8, 2010, http:// hubpages.com/hub/thesacredcube.
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ORIGINS
A Short Lesson on the Origins and Evolution of Freemasonry by Peter G. Knatt, MMS
A
lthough the origins of Freemasonry are hidden in the mists of time, we know Elias Ashmole, one of the Royal Society’s first Fellows, was made a Mason at his father in-law’s house in Warrington in 1646. We know of this event only what Ashmole recorded in his diary, but obviously lodges existed at that time and for some time before. Over the years there have been a number of suggestions as to the origins of Freemasonry, ranging from the Ancient Mysteries of Egypt and elsewhere, to the Knights Templar, to simply the clubs and societies that appeared during the 18th century in England. The theory with which most academics concur today is that operative stonemasons accepted non-operative, or speculative masons into their lodges. Here we are speaking of architects and designers rather than the simple rough workmen. That is, men of intellect who would have welcomed into their company other thinkers and philosophers of the day. The division between what we know today as arts and science was much less clearly defined in the 17th and 18th centuries, when a man graduating from university would almost certainly hold a degree in divinity and take a post as a priest (while having the freedom to follow his interests, which may lie well outside his pastoral duties). For example, the Rev. Gilbert White of Selbourne, Dorset, who is regarded by many as the father of ecology and who meticulously recorded the effects of the weather and the seasons on his garden over a period of years, was an Enlightenment parson.
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system in 1725, but we can only be certain that a distinction between Fellow Crafts and Masters was being established gradually in English Lodges about the year 1730.1 Some suggest it did not become a common feature of Lodge ritual until 1731. The third degree was introduced to complete the triptych, and in its earliest form it was reserved to those who went on to higher office or who sought greater Masonic knowledge by taking further degrees. Many brethren never bothered to proceed beyond the first degree; Regulation XIII of the Book of Constitutions, which was repealed November 27, 1725, provided that “Apprentices must be admitted Masters and Fellow Craft only here, unless by Dispensation” – meaning only in Grand Lodge, in London. The term Master in this context refers to Master of the Lodge, and it is for this reason that the Master-elect is still obligated in the second degree to this day. He is, after all, an experienced Craftsman. For many years, the ritual was unwritten; knowledge and meanings of the degrees was handed down by word of mouth. No doubt discussions, discourses or even lectures about the meanings and the symbolism of the degrees took place, probably at the meal table or after the work in Lodge. We do know such lectures became formalized and shaped today’s Craft ritual. Early Masonic meetings sometimes also included lectures and demonstrations of scientific and artistic topics that enabled brethren to gain insight into the hidden mysteries
aken at its most basic level, Freemasonry does not teach anything. Its function is to remind and recommend; to remind the candidate of the lessons of morality and the need to help one another which are simple human traits, but also to recommend a course of action to be taken if one is to achieve the goal of presenting oneself at the Seat of Judgement in as perfect a form as possible.
To support the stonemason theory, there are in existence a series of Ancient Charges that seem to have formed the basis for those “acceptances.” The London Company of Masons, for example, made masons at special meetings. These men would be regarded as owing loyalty to the company and being bound by any rules it imposed. Hence the obligations you take today to keep the secrets of the order to yourself. Freemasonry first came to the attention of the public on the St. John the Baptist’s Day – June 24, 1717 – when four London Lodges came together for the Assembly and Feast of the Free and Accepted Masons at the Goose and Gridiron Alehouse in St. Paul’s Churchyard. This Assembly they called the “Premier Grand Lodge”; the group later became more commonly known as the “Moderns.” It is suggested that members of those Lodges believed that the London Company of Masons was not demonstrating the kind of leadership that the new speculative Masons deemed necessary, and that they felt the need for a level of independence that would allow them to develop and control the Craft. Only two degrees were recognized by the Grand Lodge of England in its Book of Constitutions, published by Dr. James Anderson in 1723. Subsequently there were three, but the precise date of that change is not known. It is probable that a third degree, which we know was conferred in private Lodges in 1724, was added to the Grand Lodge
of nature and science. This latter point is important, as Freemasonry was developed into the form we now recognize during the Age of Enlightenment, shaped by the free-thinkers of the day, many of whom were members of the Royal Society. They were men who found the influence of the established Church stifling, who sought to offer alternatives to that religious orthodoxy using the discoveries of the age. To put its importance into perspective, we need to examine this period of tremendous upheaval, great discovery and political unrest. There were very definitely two classes of people – those who had it all, and those who had nothing. The established Church and the politicians (because religion and politics were so inextricably linked) held absolute power over the rest. For example, at the wedding of Catherine the Great in Moscow in 1745, the cathedral bells were inscribed with the imperial monogram to emphasize the sacralization of the monarchy. This was not an unexceptional attitude in Europe at the time. In France, Cardinal Richelieu played a significant role in the affairs of state. Indeed, opposition to the Catholic Church’s close ties to the state in that country was one cause of the French Revolution. The English attitude was becoming more liberal, but despite the Civil War and the Reformation of the previous century, the English monarch remained as Defender of the Faith. To this day, the monarch still appoints the head of the established Church, and coronations are held in a cathedral or abbey. However, it was this more liberal attitude that attracted SPRING 2011 • 23
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Continental philosophes to English Freemasonry. The accepted system of education in the 17th century had been developed in medieval times by Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus (735-804 CE), a teacher and scholar who founded St. Peter’s School in York, and who went on to become Charlemagne’s leading advisor on ecclesiastical and educational affairs. His system divided the seven classical liberal arts and sciences into two groups. The first three – Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic – were known historically as the Trivium; Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy and Music comprised the Quadrivium. Thus, the Church controlled the education system, but while every educated man read the Bible regularly and attended church at least on Sundays, religious considerations had been an important factor in the Civil War in England and debates on the subject had been protracted and fierce. Vicious and often bloody religious schisms had divided Europe since the Reformation; indeed no wars are more savage than those fought over religion. As a result, the basic acceptances of orthodox religion were increasingly being questioned. For both the Protestant and Catholic churches, Christian belief was in a God that was both transcendental and immanent or personal. He existed apart from His creation, was benevolent and just, and was concerned with the daily affairs of His people. The Bible was the revealed word of God, and it taught that God had communicated directly with the Jewish prophets from time to time, giving them the Laws and intervening in human history. Importantly, He had sent Jesus Christ into the world to save mankind, and later both Christ and the apostles had performed miracles. In contrast, Deistic thinkers of the previous century – while retaining a belief that a good, wise and benign God had created the universe – drew attention to the idea of natural religion rather than one that had been revealed. That is, they accepted the transcendental nature of God but not His immanence. They felt that the answer to the bloody religious schisms was to find a common ground that required no special revelation and which could be agreed upon through the use of reason alone. The publication of Newton’s laws of motion and theories of gravitation brought the apparent chaos of the universe into measured order. Therefore, ran their argument, if nature was bound by definable, immutable laws framed by an omnipotent God, then the creator never needed to intervene in its running again. If that were so, then the orthodox belief that God permitted the suspension of the laws of nature could not be true – and thus God could not have communicated with the Prophets, inspired the authors of the Bible, miracles could never have happened, and the authority of churches and priests was based on a false premise. This was a dangerous view that put Deists on a collision course with the established Church. However, by the early part of the 18th century, Deism had largely run its course. In its place, a form of Protestantism known as Pietism developed. It first appeared in the German Lutheran Church in about 1670 with the aim of the revival of devotion and practical Christianity. The name of Philipp Jakob Spener is closely linked with the movement. One of his suggestions was that the knowledge of Christianity was to be closely joined with the exercise of charity and the spirit of forgiveness; that is a living, practical Christianity. This view struck a chord with Freemasons of the time. Thus, when the first issue of Dr Anderson’s Constitutions appeared in 1723, the General Charge concerning God and Religion, read: “A Mason is obliged by his Tenure to obey the moral Law; and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine. But though in ancient times Masons were charged in every country to be of the Religion of that country or Nation, whatever it was, yet ’tis now thought more expedient only to oblige them to that Religion in which all men agree, leaving their particular opinions to themselves; that is, to be good Men and true or Men of Honour and Honesty, by whatever Denominations or Persuasions they may be distinguished….” 24 • SPRING 2011
This “new dispensation” permitted Deists, Pietist and even nonChristians to become members of the Craft along with Christian men. Pietism never took off in England, it being a largely Prussian concept,2 but the Protestant church in England broke into numerous factions. Dr. Anderson, for example, was a Scottish Presbyterian minister who took the degree of MA at Marischal College, Edinburgh, before coming to London about 1710, where he took up duties as a preacher in the French Protestant chapel in Swallow Street. This “new dispensation” is the reason the candidate for the degrees of Freemasonry is asked simply if he has a belief in a Supreme Being and not a belief in a Christian God. While most Masonic historians agree that the basic ethos of Freemasonry remained essentially Christian – there is evidence of this in all the Craft degrees, as well as the Holy Royal Arch – the fact remains that Freemasonry is open to men of many religions, and this is in large measure due to this General Charge and the contemporary feeling that there was need for a wider population to be embraced. While Newton and others were making remarkable discoveries in the field we now call material science, advances were also being made in what we might term philosophical concepts. For example, Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, attacking hereditary government and advocating the colonies’ independence from Britain, can without exaggeration be said to have inspired the American Revolution. Freemasonry has flourished in the United States from its earliest days of independence; many of the colonists had come to the New World specifically to escape the domination of state-imposed religion. Thus Benjamin Franklin and many other Founding Fathers were Freemasons. Paine’s great tracts that followed, Rights of Man and The Age of Reason, can strike us as being far ahead of their time in advocating real democracy, attacking slavery and proposing a kind of welfare state. While the emphasis of the Enlightenment in England was on scientific discoveries, its thrust in Europe was on improvements to social conditions. Thus the works of the French philosophes like Montesquieu, Diderot and Voltaire set in motion the call for liberalization of French politics with a slogan – “Liberté, Egalité et Fraternité” or Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood – that was the very essence of Enlightenment thinking, and which led to the overthrow of the monarchy in that country. Interestingly, Voltaire corresponded with Catherine the Great from 1763 until his death some 15 years later. Catherine, having been brought up in the Pietist religion in Prussia initially, encouraged Enlightenment thinking in Russia and was happy to tolerate Freemasonry, although perhaps she was more interested in the Platonic concept of a benevolent, philosophical dictator. Certainly she accepted the Platonic ideal that education was the primary means for bringing about the foundation of a perfect society. With this goal in mind, she established the Smolny Institute, a boarding school for noble girls, and the Corps de Pages for boys. In 1755, Moscow University was founded by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna’s favorite, Ivan Shuvalov, who was a Freemason. Following on from the establishment of centers of learning, another area of importance to Russian Freemasons was the dissemination of information. A number of private publishers and booksellers were set up by Russian members of the Craft. Just one example is N.I. Novikov. He was a Freemason, a Rosicrucian, a book publisher, and the author of On the Education and Tuition of Children, a treatise influenced by John Locke’s Some Thoughts Concerning Education (which was published in Moscow in 1788). With Johann-Georg Schwarz he established the Friendly Learned Society to help fathers educate their children. Catherine’s legal “Instruction,” written for the Legislative Commission of 1767, demonstrates the influence of the philosophes of the age, though ultimately she felt unable to trust the Enlightenment’s fundamental belief in self-development. While she initially supported the theoretical philosophy of Freemasonry, or her view of it, after the beginning of the French Revolution she began to see how ideas
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could inspire revolutionary political action.3 Thus she ordered that all Freemasonry should be disbanded. Further, there were a vast number of serfs in Russia whose very existence was alien to Enlightenment thinkers, but to rule a country entirely composed of free men was unthinkable to Catherine. In a recent lecture on Russian Freemasonry, Dr. Natalie Bayer said: “Freemasonry, with its insistence on the leadership of intellectually gifted moral and socially active individuals, inadvertently nurtured representatives of the early Russian intelligentsia, and by so doing opposed the power of the absolute monarchy, Church officials and the traditional nobility. This was a growing power that could not be ignored by the authorities and the Empress.”4 Nevertheless, these were the ideas being discussed in the coffee houses of the time, and Freemasonry was to be the vehicle that carried those ideas forward to change society for the better. I will underline that phrase, for to improve the lot of all mankind was perceived to be the central purpose of Freemasonry. It placed itself outside public society and thus was independent from, and indeed indifferent to, government policies. Considering that stance, it is a wonder that Freemasonry survived. Certainly it was necessary to hide its true message in allegory so that only those who were prepared to accept that message could be admitted. With its liberal attitude to religion, politics and the general rights of man, Freemasonry was seen as the vehicle to take forward the Enlightenment ideas of the time. Dr. Anderson’s General Charge referring to politics subtly reveals this attitude: “A Mason is a peaceable Subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or works, and is never to be concern’d in Plots and Conspiracies against the Peace and Welfare of the Nation. ... if a Brother should be a Rebel against the state, he is not to be countenanc’d in his Rebellion, however he may be pitied as unhappy Man; and, if convicted of no other Crime, though the loyal Brotherhood must and ought to disown his Rebellion, and give no Umbrage or Ground of political Jealousy to the Government for the time being; they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and his Relation to it remains indefeasible.” While that Charge might seem in theory to indicate that a Freemason could plot against the state without risk of being expelled from the Craft, Freemasons generally wanted to avoid conflict with government even when they did not necessarily support government policy. In Britain, many politicians still feared Freemasonry, with its utopian ideals and rules, could become the focus for revolt against them. As well, the secrecy cloaking Freemasonry’s message created misunderstandings (some provoked maliciously) and led to the passing of Acts of Parliament that dealt severely with secret societies. Returning to the strands of Enlightenment thinking, we find that a study of mathematics, in particular geometry, was important. We must consider geometry from the point of view of the time; it was not regarded in the narrow sense of the term today, but as an inquiry into the source of all things and knowledge of the secrets of nature, science and the whole of God’s creation, including the innermost essence of man himself. Thus there was an interest in Classical architecture fostered by the Grand Tours made by the intellectual gentlemen of the time. This was followed by an interest in the architecture of nature as evidenced J.M.W. Turner’s Devil’s Bridge, St. Gothard paintings. Importantly, our Masonic predecessors were careful not to discard all previous learning, but to build upon it using the new discoveries of the age. Because Freemasonry developed into something close to its current form during the 18th century, it draws on knowledge available at that time. Its main influence comes from Renaissance philosophy that
incorporated both Greek and Jewish mystical ideas within its orthodox Christian thought. The Greek influence came from a body of writing known as the Hermetica, which originated in Alexandria sometime near the start of the Christian era. It seems to be a form of early Egyptian philosophy with a heavy overlay of Hellenized Judaism and Christian thought. The second of these influences came from Kabbalah, the mystical tradition of Judaism, which was dispersed throughout the Mediterranean basin by the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. Rosicrucian thought, which also played a part in speculative Freemasonry of the time, concentrated on spiritual alchemy and the idea of improving the soul by learning – but also as a means of finding reintegration with the “God within oneself ” (“within this perishable frame resides a vital immortal spark,” as the third degree of English Masonry puts it). The operative alchemist, of course, had but one aim in view – the transmutation of base metals into gold. By this time, few believed that such a physical change was possible, but the philosophical ideas behind alchemical theories were still important. As a metaphor for a way of life, it provided a powerful and useful lesson. Because the Rosicrucian manifestos were among the most influential of the idealistic writings of the early 17th century, it is not surprising to find that Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry share a common ideal – that not only is God transcendental (everywhere) but also immanent (within oneself ). Thus, both groups were seeking harmony with God as well as harmony under God.
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ow that we have an understanding of Freemasonry’s origins and sources, the next question to be asked is, “What is it precisely that Freemasonry has become?” In the catechism of the first degree, we learn that it is “a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” That description may seem rather puzzling, as men do not need to enter Freemasonry to learn morals and study ethics. Elementary morals can be, and are, learned in the outside world; indeed they must be if one is to be a decent member of society. In fact the possession of strict morals is a prerequisite for entering our order, a man cannot be said to enter the Craft to acquire them. Freemasonry must therefore offer something else. That said, Freemasonry is not a religion, even though its references are taken from the Hebrew Bible. It is true that, so far as English Freemasonry is concerned, the Volume of the Sacred Law is at the heart of all our ceremonies – but it is the Volume of the Sacred Law of a candidate’s own faith, because his relationship with his God is a matter of personal religious practice that is best addressed by that particular VSL. Freemasonry is not a religion for the simple reason that religions are mankind’s attempt to establish a personal relationship with God. Freemasonry does not dictate the nature of that relationship, but it is consistent with practically any religion. All the order requires of its members is belief in a Supreme Being. Every brother is free to follow whatever form of religion and mode of worship he chooses. It is because we all share a belief in a Great Architect of the Universe, by whatever name we know Him, that we can all sit down together comfortably in our Lodges. But if Freemasonry does not teach a set of morals and is not a religion, what is it? Over time you must discover the answer for yourselves; all I can do here is offer my point of view. Freemasonry certainly presents a system of morality that requires a belief in God. From an 18th-century Enlightenment point of view, it was not just a personal morality but rather a universal one. Here I refer you to the Charge After Initiation and its instructions for interacting with your neighbor “by acting with him upon the Square, by rendering him every kind office which justice or mercy may require; by relieving his distresses, and soothing his afflictions.” These were exactly the ideals of our Enlightenment predecessors, whose objective was to produce a kind of utopia that would create “a new species of people” governed by “ideal SPRING 2011 • 25
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persons” with an “ideal ruler.”5 Freemasonry, with its emphasis on selfimprovement, was intended to be the vehicle to carry Enlightenment principles into practical application. This view accords with the idea of a transcendental God. As John Donne said in his Devotions: “No man is an island, entire of itself...any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”6 But, there must necessarily be a second strand because personal perfection is also an important part of a Freemason’s life and work. There are many texts about “natural man,” “true man” or a “new Adam,” and calls to perfect the rough stone. In other words, each Freemason must prepare himself to fit as perfectly as possible in the grand temple that is God’s design for creation. That is, each man is just a small part of the whole. But if society is to be made perfect, so must he be. Here is an immanent God, a God within. Masonic writer W.L. Wilmshurst puts it this way: “If Masonry, with its solemn prayers, assurances and pledges, means anything, its true purpose is to promote the spiritual life and development of its members... Real initiation means an expansion of consciousness from the human to the divine level.”7 The influence of Renaissance philosophy is clear, as a fundamental idea expressed in the Hermetica was the concept of a Macrocosm (i.e., the universe as a whole) and a corresponding Microcosm (i.e., man), with the same set of laws operating in both spheres. Therefore, the universe and man are both structured using the same principles, each being made “in the image of God,” and there is always a correspondence between activity in the greater and lesser worlds. The Hermetica sums up this idea in the famous epigram “as above, so below.” To illustrate its ritual, Masonry uses stories from the Bible, one of the main sources of education in Europe at the time of the Enlightenment. In particular, Craft Freemasonry uses the story about the building of King Solomon’s Temple from 1 Kings: 5-7 and 2 Chronicles: 2-5. Later the story of Hiram Abiff is used, although our versions of the stories are not historical. King Solomon was not a Freemason, and Hiram Abiff is only mentioned in the Bible on two occasions – and in neither case is he called an architect, nor is his death reported. Freemasonry is perhaps best described as a dramatized method of moral discipline and philosophic instruction based on ancient usage and established custom, similar to the mystery plays staged by trade guilds during the medieval period. Certainly, I believe that any sincere candidate for Freemasonry is seeking something vital from our method of moral discipline and philosophic instruction. Maybe he finds the charitable aspects of Round Table or Lions satisfying to some extent, or perhaps the comradeship of the local rugby club is stimulating, but none of this completely fills the void he feels. And so he tries Freemasonry and begins his long journey from darkness into light. It is the start of a journey which can, and indeed should, change a man by instilling morality. It is very easy to consider the journey simply as an intellectual exercise to become competent at the rituals, to serve all the Lodge offices, and so on. It is, though, an individual journey, a very personal spiritual unfolding in which every man must discover and learn the deeper meaning of Freemasonry for himself. The journey, the building of the temple, and the working tools he acquires along the way are, of course, all allegories. Taken at its most basic level, Freemasonry does not teach anything. Its function is to remind and recommend; to remind the candidate of the lessons of morality and the need to help one another which are simple human traits, but also to recommend a course of action to be taken if one is to achieve the goal of presenting oneself at the Seat of Judgement in as perfect a form as possible. 26 • SPRING 2011
Here a further strand of Renaissance philosophy offers itself for consideration. There was a third important influence of the Kabbalah on the prevailing thought of the time – the concept of a “mystical ascent” or return to one’s maker. This ascent was seen as a devotional exercise, conducted in accordance with the religious belief of each individual, during which the individual rises through the worlds of the soul and the spirit and at last finds himself in the presence of deity.8 From this point of view, death is just a resting place before returning to this earth to continue one’s work in a reincarnated form. The Christian Freemason may have difficulty with this point, but it should be borne in mind that our early rituals were influenced by the view of Deism, which taught that God created the world but did not interfere thereafter. From this perspective, the candidate’s entry into Freemasonry might be considered as the first transmigration of his soul; by entering upon his initiation, he puts aside his old life and dies figuratively. When the blindfold is removed, he enters upon a new life and is reincarnated for the first time. Death and resurrection are the obvious themes of the third degree and only make sense if one considers them symbolically – as a second death and reincarnation. As in the previous instance, it is a reincarnation into this same world, but with the greater knowledge of himself that he has discovered through Craft Freemasonry. This then is the second transmigration of his soul. The third occurs after his symbolic death and reincarnation in the Holy Royal Arch, at which point he acquires all the knowledge required to enable him to seek admission to the fourth – or Divine – world. Freemasonry then might be considered as an aide-memoire to the map of his journey through life. It reminds him of the Four Cardinal Virtues of Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude and Justice, but it also and perhaps more importantly calls to his attention the Three Spiritual Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity that are essential if he is to reach his ultimate goal. Brother Peter G. Knatt was initiated into Freemasonry in a London Lodge under the Constitution of the United Grand Lodge of England nearly 40 years ago. He holds Essex Provincial Rank in the Craft, Holy Royal Arch and the Mark degrees. He is a holder of the 30° in the Ancient and Accepted Rite, and holds Great Rank in the Great Priory of the United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple. His main interest is 18th-century military Freemasonry. He is retired from a career with one of England’s leading joint stock banks.
Endnotes 1 - Robert Freke Gould, “English Freemasonry Before the Era of Grand Lodge,” Ars Quatuor Coronatorum 1, (1886-1888): 114. 2 - Spener’s call to Berlin was of great significance for Pietism, as he here enjoyed the full confidence of Prince Frederick III (later King Frederick I of Prussia) and wielded a decisive influence in the selection of professors for the theological faculty of the recently founded University of Halle. 3 - Natalie Bayer, “The ‘Société Antiabsurde’ Catherine the Great and Freemasonry,” in Sheffield Lectures on the History of Freemasonry and Fraternalism Vol. 2, ed. Andreas Önnerfors and Robert Collins (Sheffield: University of Sheffield, 2009), 109. 4 - Ibid, 132. 5 - Tatiana Artemyeva, “Utopian Spaces of Russian Masons in the Enlightenment,” in Sheffield Lectures on the History of Freemasonry and Fraternalism Vol. 2, ed. Andreas Önnerfors and Robert Collins (Sheffield: University of Sheffield, 2009), 63. 6 - John Donne, “Meditation XVII,” Devotions upon Emergent Occasions (Oxford: Oxford University, 1624). 7 = Walter Leslie Wilmshurst, The Masonic Initiation (London: Rider & Son, 1924), 18-19. 8 - The Kabbalah considered that there were no more than three transmigrations of a soul. “Sinners do not come more than three times” [Zohar 3:216a]; “It is said of sinners who do not repent in three gilgulim, ‘That soul will I destroy’” (Leviticus 23:30). The concept of reincarnation in Hebrew is called gilgul, gilgul neshamot or gilgulei ha neshamot. Gilgul means “cycle” whilst Neshamot is the plural for “souls.”
THE JOURNAL OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
APPENDANT BODIES
The Operatives
By Michael A. Lampadarios, MMS “Masonic origins have been the subject of disputes And fame awaits the Brother who all other claims refutes; But when for his achievement the brazen trumpets sound Their fanfare in his honour is likely to be drowned By laments from those researchers whose very, very best Occasion for disputing has at last been laid to rest.” Richard Sandbach, ‘Postscriptum’, Ars Quatuor Coronatorum he clever little poem describes the futility of debating the origins of Freemasonry, given the enormous gaps in the historical record. Theories range from ascribing Masonic Origins to Nimrod and the Tower of Babel to the spontaneous birth of Masonry in 1717 with the formation of the Grand Lodge of England. Due to the lack of hard rather than implied or coincidental evidence, the tracing of the history of the Craft from its legends, including the Ancient Mysteries of Egypt to the building of the Temple of Solomon to Phoenician Artificers, Greek Mathematicians, Roman Collegia, the Comacines, the Templars, the Steinmetzen, the Rosicrucian’s, the Jacobites, and the Medieval Guilds is tortuous and requires imaginative speculation. For those who are less inclined to such speculation, a more probable origin may be of interest. The Worshipful Society of Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plaisterers and Bricklayers (usually known as The Operatives) is a Masonic Society which was constituted in Channel Row, with the revival of ‘the London Section of the Westminster Division’ of “Operative Masons” in 1913, to perpetuate a memorial of the practices of Operative Free Masons prior to Speculative Freemasonry. At the turn of the twentieth century, there was one group of experienced speculative freemasons, who were all members of Guild Lodges (notably Mount Bardon Lodge No. 110), and apart from one, were corresponding members of the Leicester Lodge of Research No. 2429. By that time operative masonry was made obsolete by the use of new materials in building construction, modern technology and the rise of the Trade Unions after the passage of the Trade Unions Act of 1871. This group was totally convinced that the ceremonies and practices of operative masonry formed the beginnings of speculative freemasonry. They were especially attracted by what was later termed the ‘transition’ theory, which theorized that speculative freemasonry gradually evolved from operative free masons. Claims along those lines had been made for about ten years previously by a group of enthusiastic (Speculative) freemasons, mostly based in Leicestershire, who also happened to be members of the fast-disappearing Guild of Operative Free Masons. While this view was not universal, there was a sufficient number of these freemasons who decided to found a Society that would research the claims. First and foremost of the founding fathers of this Society was a Leicester railway engineer by the name of Clement Edwin Stretton. Born on October 3rd 1850 he joined speculative freemasonry in 1871.He was twice Master of St. John Lodge No. 279, ultimately attaining the rank of Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden. He was also a member of Mark Lodge (Fowke Lodge No. 19), Royal Arch (Chapter of Fortitude No. 279) and the Red Cross of Constantine (Byzantine Conclave No.44). Among his Masonic resume, he joined and revived - almost single-handedly Leicester Guild lodge No. 91 and Mount Bardon (Guild) Lodge No. 110. He was a prolific writer and corresponded with eminent Masonic scholars and authors of his day. Stretton, was apprenticed for seven years at Tor Lodge No. 70 which used to meet at The Free Masons’ Arms, Cromford at the age of sixteen. In May 1874, He and three of the Apprentices re-
turned to the Cromford Quarry where, after completing the necessary application forms and proving their ability in the traditional way, each was made Free of his Bond and promoted to the grade of Fellow of the Craft. According to his own account, Stretton indicated that other five Operative degrees were conferred upon him in the next thirty four years, rising to the position of Third Grand Master Mason of the York Division in 1908. Then there was John Yarker who was born in on April 17th 1833. He was initiated into freemasonry in Lodge of Integrity No. 189 in February 1854. He, too, became a member of Mount Bardon Lodge No. 110. In his most significant publication, The Arcane Schools published in 1909, he states that the old Operative Guilds of Free Masons, have continued their work without changing the secrecy of their proceedings and indicates that they have their lodges, specifically, in London, Norfolk, Derbyshire, Holyhead, Leicester, York, Durham and Berwick. He was an able scholar and published many articles and reviews of the writings of others. In April 1910, he wrote in the Co-Mason magazine that he had known of the Operative Rites in 1856 and he had known a Bro. Eaton of St. Ninian’s Lodge, who informed him that he and his forefathers had been operative and speculative Masons for seven generations. It is believed that he was responsible for the drafting of most of the rituals, which were adopted by the Operatives after his death in 1913. Another member of Mount Bardon Guild Lodge No. 110 and of the Correspondence Circle of the Leicester Lodge of Research was Dr. Thomas Carr, a doctor from Blackpool., He was a Past Master of Fylde Lodge No. 2758. In 1911 he published ‘The ritual of the Operative Free Masons’ in the Transactions of the Manchester Association of Masonic Research and later produced it in a book of the same name published in the USA. The book contained a significant declaration, signed by the three Masters and the Secretary, that at a meeting of Mount Bardon Lodge No. 110 (Established in 1831) of the Worshipful Society of Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plaisterer’s and Bricklayers on May 6, 1911, stating that, “the paper written by Thomas Carr of 9 Carlton Terrace, Blackpool, M.D., on ‘The Ritual of the Operative Free Masons’ is a true and accurate account of the ceremonies practiced by this Lodge, and that the tradition which has been handed down to us is that these ceremonies have been so practiced from time immemorial.” The declaration goes on to state that Thomas Carr is a corresponding member of the Lodge in full standing and of good repute. In addition it indicates that he has received the Lodge’s permission to publish the paper which was based on information furnished by the Lodge and that while the information in the paper is accurate, it does not include ALL [my emphasis] of the ritual and ceremonies that have been practiced by the Lodge. Major A. Gorham and Robert Bennett Grant round out this group. Robert Bennett Grant VIIo, was at one time Scribe of Mount Bardon Lodge No. 110 and was later elevated to 1st Master Mason. In 1910 published in the ‘Co-Mason’ magazine an article on ‘The Arms of the Worshipful Society of Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plaisterers and Bricklayers’ which ultimately led to the adoption of those arms as the escutcheon of the Society today. In his History of Freemasonry, H.L. Haywood discusses the Operative Masons, emphasizes the importance of the Regius Poem, pointing out that (1) before 1400 A.D.,” probably for a considerable period before it, operative Masonic guilds were in existence in England and that they had a substantial literary tradition and customs established by immemorial usage; (2) that they continued to exist for another 300 years with relatively little change in either customs or traditions; and (3) that surviving units or “lodges” of them participated in the eighteenth-century SPRING 2011 • 27
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movement which cantered on the formation of the first Grand Lodge, from which Speculative Freemasonry dates its present form of existence.” Haywood also points out that on a roll of the 48 representative guilds in the Common Council of London in 1370, two “Companies of Masons were listed, The Company of Freemasons, No. 17” and “The Company of Masons, No 34”, which were ultimately, “merged taking a coat of arms which displayed three white castles with black doors and windows on a black field, together with a silver or scalloped chevron and on it a pair of black compasses..” Heywood’s description of Operative Masonry discloses an aristocratic institution of workmen, boasting an ancestry incredible age, nobility and dignity, which has maintained and preserved its secrets and esoteric philosophy. Haywood admits that the paucity of “dependable records” prevents the historian from making am accurate tracing of Masonic history; however there is evidence that itinerant cathedral building guilds of masons, who had superior knowledge and experience, came into frequent contact with local guilds with which they became amalgamated. For this reason he asserts that the writers of the Twentieth Century are of the opinion that most of the legends, symbolism and practices have evidently descended from remote antiquity. “The importance of the records of Operative Lodges anterior to the formation of Grand Lodges cannot be overestimated, seeing that from such minutes we learn the nature and objects of the fraternity from which the present Free and Accepted Masonic Body is derived.” William James Hughan, 1911 In 1918, five years after the modern “Operatives” were constituted at Channel Row, Charles H. Merz VIIo, one of the early “Modern Operatives, and an American Mason, asserted that it is indisputable that Speculative Freemasonry is based on the ancient ritual, practices and charges of the old Operative Stonemason Guilds. Merz was also the 1st Master of the Operative Mason’s Guild and Special Representative and Secretary of the Society in America. In his book, “Guild Masonry in the Making” he points out that the ritual and charges of the old Operative Masons was more comprehensive and thus offered a better explanation of the symbolism that was later adopted by Doctor Anderson in the Constitutions he prepared in 1723 and 1728. If Speculative Masonry, which attracts hundreds of thousands of members worldwide, freely acknowledges its Operative origins by including the Ancient Charges in its book of Constitutions and numerous references to Operative free masons in its rituals; one may ask why a new Masonic organization such as this Society should ever be necessary. Especially, since the United Grand Lodge of England, in 1911, circulated a letter, which has been proven to be authentic, which acknowledges that ‘The ritual of freemasonry, as far as the first and second degrees are concerned, is in part no doubt derived from the ceremonies of the early operative Guilds’. Although The Worshipful Society of Free Masons has many things in common with speculative freemasonry, it also has sufficient differences which more than justify its right and need to exist. The Worshipful Society does not merely acknowledge its origins from the old Guilds, it actually replicates, or recalls, their ceremonies, and utilizes their language and whatever procedures it has been able to find. As an example, members of the Society are known as Free Masons (and not ‘freemasons’) because they are ‘free’ of their indentures as apprentices. Each lodge is ruled by a Deputy Master Mason because he is acting as the Deputy for the three Master Masons who used to govern the former Guild lodges; and not by a Worshipful Master, Although the Society attempts to recall and wishes to perpetuate the ceremonies and, to a limited extent, the language and spelling of the Guild, it makes no claims to be the actual linear successor. It is said that, “Speculative Masons are happy to trace their origins to the practices of the ancient stone masons, but then many tend to forget all about them. THE OPERATIVES DO NOT FORGET.” [My emphasis] “The ceremonies and practices of the Society have a certain cohesion and a strong logical connection between them. They are interesting and edifying and their moral sentiments are as high as those in any other branches of Freemasonry.” from An Introduction to the Society by D. R. Stuckey 28 • SPRING 2011
The current structure of the Society has Three Grand Master Masons at the head of the Society. There are seven Grades: Progression through these grades is based upon performance in the various offices held, as well as, the percentage attendance in each office during one’s membership in the Society. In other words promotion is based on at least 70% attendance, as well as, .how the member performs as an officer. To qualify for acceptance into the Society one has to be a Craft Mason, a Royal Arch Mason and a Mark Mason in good standing. In addition to the attendance requirement, to progress to the VIo one must have served as the presiding officer in a Craft Lodge and in a Mark lodge (or in the case of the United States, a Royal Arch Chapter.) Assemblages consist of Lodges IVo to Io. This is a Society of Masons that might be of interest to curious speculative Freemasons who find the language and symbolism of their own ceremonies inadequate, difficult to understand, or might just be endeavoring to make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge, as Freemasons are generally expected to do. For example, the modern “Operatives” offer explanations of the square, as defined by Euclid’s 47th Problem and its utilization as a: 1. Jewel worn by Past Masters. 2. Determinant of the size and shape of a building. 3. The Master’s Square and the Master’s Diamond. 4. The Master’s Square Talisman and its relation to the movement of Ursa Major about the Pole Star. 5. The significance of the Pole Star in Ancient Geometry. 6. The significant properties of a right triangle and its utilization in forming polygons. In addition, there is a further explanation of the: 1. The real meaning of the “five points of fellowship.” 2. The reason some Lodges insist on “squaring the Lodge” 3. Meaning of a point within a circle from which every part of the circumference is equidistant. 4. The reason it is customary for a candidate to be placed at the Northeast Corner of the Lodge. 5. The origin of the Blazing Star and tessellated pavement. 6. The true orientation of King Solomon’s Temple. Are you interested in the answers? Michael A. Lampadarios, KCT, KYGCH, is a past Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery, Knights Templar of the State of New York. He is a VI° member of the Worshipful Society of Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plasterers and Bricklayers and is a charter and founding member of The St. Lawrence Seaway Assemblage, the first Assemblage in North America. Currently, he is the Deputy Master Mason of Trinity Church Assemblage in New York State and the Deputy Master Mason V. of the Region of the United States of America. Email: mikelampadarios@verizon.net
Bibliography H.L. Haywood and James E. Craig, History of Freemasonry. (New York: John E. Day Co., 1927) Charles H. Merz, “Guild Masonry in the Making” (Private Subscription, Ed. J.W. Norwood, P.M., Secretary, International Magian Society, Louisville, KY: Light Publishing Co., , 1918.)
D. R. Stuckey, Introduction to the Society. (Worshipful Society of Free Masons, Rough Masons, Wallers, Slaters, Paviors, Plasterers and Bricklayers, 2004) John Yarker, Arcane Schools. (Belfast: R. Carswell & Son LTD.,1909.)
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SYMBOLISM
Climbing Up Jacob’s Ladder by J. Winfield Cline, mms
O
ne of the more interesting symbols of the First Degree, yet one that doesn’t get much attention, is Jacob’s Ladder. The ritual in the state of Washington says that “the covering of a Lodge is no less than the starry-decked Heaven, where all good Masons hope at last to arrive by the aid of that theological ladder which Jacob in his vision saw extending from earth to heaven, the three principal rounds of which are denominated Faith, Hope and Charity, and admonish us to have Faith in God, Hope in immortality, and Charity for all mankind.”1 That’s it. No more mention is made of Jacob’s Ladder. Yet, for the inquiring mind, this symbol is rich with meaning and has a striking Masonic interpretation.
we need to keep in mind. First, Albert Pike, in his essay “The Compasses and the Square”2, points out that the Square can be interpreted as a symbol of worldly and material matters. The Compasses, on the other hand, symbolize spiritual or heavenly matters. Thus, both this life and the next are represented in the pairing of these two Great Lights. Second, we’re told in the ritual that the three degrees of Freemasonry are emblematic of the three stages of life—youth, manhood, and old age—and that a man’s progression through the degrees is emblematic of his progression through life. The candidate, then, represents a man making his way through the world. Remember, the Lodge represents the world, extending “from East to West and from North to South.”3
The story of Jacob’s Ladder is found in Genesis 28. But the story of Jacob himself begins a couple chapters earlier, when he and his twin brother, Esau, are born to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was Isaac’s favorite; Jacob was Rebekah’s favorite. Esau was born first, and so should have enjoyed the privileges of a first-born son. One day, however, when Esau was returning from the fields he came across Jacob, who was making some lentil soup. Aching with hunger, Esau asked his brother if he could have some, to which Jacob replied that he could if he was willing to give up his birthright. His judgment clouded by hunger, Esau agreed, which made Jacob the first-born in the eyes of the law.
Combining these two concepts we see that in the First Degree youth’s preoccupation with the world—learning about the world, focusing on material things, and so on—is reflected in the position of the Square and Compasses on the altar, with the symbol of the material world clearly dominant. However, as a man moves into manhood, symbolized by the Second Degree, he understands the world more than he did as a child and he’s already taken steps to provide for the material needs of himself and his family, so his thoughts begin to turn to the next life as the first inklings of his own mortality enter his mind. This station of life is again mirrored in the Great Lights on the altar, as more spiritual concerns begin to assert themselves and come to the fore. The progression is complete in the Third Degree, where the symbol of heavenly matters is clearly dominant, just as a man in his old age turns his thoughts toward the next life and his preparations for it.
Years later, when Isaac was nearing the end of his life and going blind, he told Esau that if he killed some wild animals, made a savory meal of them, and brought them before him, he (Isaac) would give Esau his blessing, even though he was no longer the firstborn son. Overhearing this, Rebekah and Jacob conspired to get the blessing for Jacob. While Esau was out hunting Jacob was to kill some sheep, then Rebekah would make the savory meal, and Jacob would take it to his blind father, pretending to be Esau. The plan worked, and Jacob received his father’s deathbed blessing. Esau, having fulfilled the tasks as they were intended, got nothing. That was the last straw for Esau. Having been cheated out of his birthright and his father’s blessing, he was determined to kill his brother. Forced to flee to his uncle’s house in a town a few days’ journey away, Jacob left his home. One night as he was sleeping on the ground, with a stone for his pillow, he saw in his dream a vision of a ladder, whose foot rested on earth and whose top reached up to heaven. Angels were continually ascending and descending the ladder, and the voice of God promised Jacob the surrounding land and said that he would multiply and establish a great nation. When Jacob awoke, he consecrated the spot as the house of God. Any critical reader or man of good morals should have a question at this point. Why, since Jacob was, by all accounts, a deceitful and untrustworthy brother and son, does God reward him with the promise of a wealthy posterity? It seems that if anyone should have gotten a vision of a ladder, it should have been Esau, who was wronged by his younger brother. So what’s going on here? Before going further, there are two concepts about Masonry that
Freemasonry, of course, offers no plan of salvation. That is for a man’s religion to address. But the Craft does offer a man guidelines on living a moral life—a life that will enable him to be of service to his fellow creatures and prepare him for the “next step.” Hence, the three degrees of Masonry are a metaphor for the journey from this plane of existence to the next, however a man defines that for himself. Naturally, at the time of his initiation, the candidate doesn’t know this, but he is given a hint in one of the symbols presented in the lecture of the Entered Apprentice degree: Jacob’s Ladder. Before answering the question posed above about Jacob, let’s first take a look at the symbolic meanings of the ladder itself. The ladder is a symbol used in many ancient initiation rites, representing moral and intellectual progress. Sometimes it takes the form of a series of steps (think of the Middle Chamber lecture of the 2nd Degree), gates, doors, or degrees. Most often the progress one makes as he moves from one step to another is not merely forward, but upward. That is, as we advance in knowledge and morality we move closer to God. Masonic tradition tells us that the three principal rungs of the ladder are Faith, Hope, and Charity. But does that mean that there are only three rungs? Not at all. Of course, asking how many rungs a symbolic ladder has is akin to asking how many feathers a winged horse has, but it does spark an interesting line of inquiry. The number SPRING 2011 • 29
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of steps or rungs varies, but the favorite number in ancient rites, as well as among Masonic scholars, appears to be seven, in reference to the mystical character almost always given to that number. For example, the Persian Mysteries of Mithras contain a ladder with seven rungs, the passage through them being symbolic of the soul’s approach to perfection. The seven steps were emblematic of the seven worlds which constituted the Indian Universe4: First World (earth) World of Pre-Existence Heaven Middle World (intermediate region between upper and lower realms) World of Births (where souls are re-born) Mansion of the Blessed Sphere of Truth It is interesting to note that, while the Judeo-Christian tradition regards heaven as the ultimate goal, in the Persian Mysteries heaven is only step three. (The Masonic implications of heaven being step three cannot be overlooked.) Looking again at the Masonic ladder, as presented in the First Degree, we are given the three principal rungs: Faith, Hope, and Charity. What, then, are the other four? The answer to this question is also given in the lecture of the First Degree. Namely, the four cardinal virtues. So the Masonic ladder presented in the First Degree may look like this: Charity (top rung)
know you’ve done some pretty bad things, things that have put you to flight and separated you even from your family. You may feel like an outcast at this point. But if you can ascend this ladder, applying the lessons contained in it to your own life, then you can move onward and upward and achieve great things.” Likewise, for every member of the Craft, there was a time when a symbolic ladder—the three degrees of Freemasonry—was placed before us, and we had to decide whether we were going to take that first step or not. When we did we found that it was a series of “rungs” that taught us lessons on how to be better men. Of course, when we first received Light as Entered Apprentices, we didn’t know what was before us and perhaps didn’t even know the purpose of what we were doing. But we were given a hint in the symbol of Jacob’s Ladder, which tells the Apprentice that the degrees of Masonry are themselves a kind of ladder, or series of steps, in our quest for perfection and harmony. Note that the First Degree takes place on the “Ground Floor” of the Temple, and the candidate moves “upward” from there. As a Masonic symbol, then, the ladder represents our striving for intellectual and moral progress— from earth to heaven, death to life, mortality to immortality, darkness to light. J. Winfield Cline is a Past Master of Spokane Lodge No. 34 in Washington.
Endnotes 1 - The Grand Lodge of Washington, Washington Monitor and Freemason’s Guide to the Symbolic Degrees (Seventeenth Edition, Revised 1983) 27.
Faith
2 - Albert Pike, Esoterika: Symbolism of the Blue Degrees of Freemasonry, ed. Arturo de Hoyos (Washington, D.C.: The Scottish Rite Research Society, 2005) 95-96.
Justice
3 - The Grand Lodge of Washington, 25.
Prudence
4 - Albert G. Mackey, Masonry Defined: A Liberal Masonic Education (Memphis: Masonic Supply Company, 1928) 115-117.
Hope
Fortitude Temperance (bottom rung) The lesson here is that as we contemplate and master each of these virtues, applying them to our lives and making our way up the ladder, we move closer to God. The first, or bottom, rungs concern ourselves. For example, Temperance is “that due restraint upon the affections and passions which renders the body tame and governable.”5 Fortitude and Prudence also relate to how we conduct ourselves. Then, as we near the middle of the ladder, Justice begins to look outward to our sense of right and wrong, not only for ourselves, but for others. Moving higher up the ladder we turn our focus from this world to the next world, with a Faith in God that gives us Hope in immortality. And finally, we come to Charity, which “does of course speak to us of our responsibility towards those less fortunate … but it also transcends the material, and is the catalyst enabling us to know and to love the world at large: a religion of harmony, harmony in ourselves and through that, harmony with others.”6 Thus, the progression up the ladder moves from the self, to others, to God. Now let us turn back to the question of why Jacob, who had deceived his brother and father, deserved to have a vision of the ladder. In this case, I believe, Jacob represents Everyman. Who among us hasn’t done things that are dishonest, deceitful, unkind—things that we wish we could do over or undo altogether, things we are ashamed of and don’t want to admit to ourselves, much less to others? And so we flee. But if we constantly flee, and are never able to move beyond our shame and guilt, then we let our past misdeeds define us and we can never move forward. Thus, metaphorically speaking, God is saying to Jacob, “Look, I 30 • SPRING 2011
5 - The Grand Lodge of Washington, 35. 6 - Julian Rees, Making Light: A Handbook for Freemasons (Surrey: Lewis Masonic, 2006) 30.
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THE GENTLEMAN MASON
Books, Arts, Styles & Manners The National Grand Lodge and Prince Hall Freemasonry: The Untold Truth By Alton G. Roundtree Paperback: 961 pages Publisher: KLR Publishing ISBN: ISBN 0-9772385-0-5 Order direct: http://klr.kofu33.org/
issues. The documents included make it well worthwhile, and the author brings the strands cohesively together for his readers. It is the wish of many that we come together in Brotherhood with all true Freemasons. This book is a step in that direction. VIDEO The Pillars of the Earth Director: Sergio Mimica-Gezzan Writer: John Pielmeier, adapted from the novel by Ken Follett Starring: : Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Matthew MacFayden, Donald Sutherland Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 3-DVD set, approximately 428 minutes List Price $69.95
Reviewed by Kevin Noel Olson, MMS
I
n 1847, The National Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons (Colored) for the United States of America was constituted. Sixteen years later, schisms caused a breakup of the national organization, and what became commonly referred to as Prince Hall Freemasonry would travel down two different paths: one with a national leadership, the other with state-wide grand lodges. Worshipful Brother Alton G. Roundtree is Past Master of Redemption Lodge #24 in Washington, D.C., and editor of the award-winning Prince Hall Masonic Digest. With this massive project, Brother Roundtree has created what will likely be a definitive history of the National Grand Lodge and its relation to Prince Hall Freemasonry. While a prodigious volume, it reads quite well and offers extensive documentation to support solidly the intriguing claims it offers. It may be well to quote from the book as to the objectives: “The objectives of this book are to concentrate on the documents and facts and present the true story of the National Grand Lodge. This research will review the arguments for and against National Grand Lodge legitimacy.” And: “Prince Hall Freemasonry is considered ‘regular’ today (starting in 1989) by many ‘mainstream’ (predominantly white) Grand Lodges in the United States…” The nearly one thousand pages here provide a thorough examination of the recognition of Prince Hall Affiliated (P.H.A. Lodges) – and more specifically the exclusion of National Grand Lodge (N.G.L.) lodges by P.H.A., and thusly by the “mainstream” lodges who recognize P.H.A. The book suggests that this practice should be carefully examined as to the justifications of excluding N.G.L., and the author supports the possibility of their inclusion by both P.H.A. and “mainstream” Lodges. There is found in these pages a grouping of Masons desirous of living up to the tenets of Freemasonry, though sometimes with different opinions on how to do so. The divides are beginning to heal and seal the brotherly love taught in our Lodges. The history of African-American Freemasonry is a deep and complex series of chapters in the story of the Craft. Unfortunately, this history has been largely ignored to the detriment of both African-American and “mainstream” Freemasons. Brother Roundtree lays out an intriguing history and solid discussion for the healing of all bodies involved. Before reading this work, I had little (read as: “practically no”) knowledge of this rich history. Brother Roundtree’s volume is indispensable to anyone hoping to understand complex recognition
Reviewed by Randy Williams, FMS
K
en Follet’s 1989 novel The Pillars of the Earth is one of my favorite books. It is a highly readable, wildly entertaining tale set in 12th-century England. The building of a magnificent Gothic cathedral serves as backdrop to an examination of the relationship between the sacred and the profane, between ambition and destiny – as well as the intricate interplay between king and peasant, church and state. At nearly a thousand pages, the novel gives Follett, best known as the author of spy thrillers, plenty of room to spin his customary subplots of intrigue and suspense. It also allows the writer to make full use of his extensive research and pack in a wealth of detail on everyday life in the Middle Ages. The insight into the work of master builders and operative masons is obviously of particular interest to speculative Freemasons. Reading the book definitely gave me an enhanced understanding of the world of the cathedral builders – both their great work and the many obstacles they circumnavigated in order to survive and ply their trade. I was therefore thrilled to learn that a big-budget miniseries of the novel had been filmed. For various reasons, I was unable to see Pillars when it first aired. On the plus side, waiting for the DVD release meant that I had instant access to bonus features, and the ability to glut on several episodes in a single sitting. That was a luxury I enjoyed fully, devouring the whole series over a long holiday weekend. At more than seven hours, the filmed Pillars still feels like a heavily truncated version of the novel, but screenwriter John Pielmeier has done an excellent job of condensing the major events and themes from Follett’s book. The movie could have been a multicultural mishmash; it is, after all, a Canadian/German co-production, taking place in 12th-century England but filmed in Budapest and Austria. Happily, the production values are first-rate, as you would expect from a project overseen by executive producers Ridley and Tony Scott. A seamless blend of physical sets and computer effects creates a convincing and immersive experience of village life in the Middle Ages. Instead of using multiple directors for the eight episodes, as is most often the case for a miniseries of this length, the entire seven-plus hours were helmed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. He achieves a remarkable consistency of tone throughout the sprawling narrative and does a highly effective job of conveying the passion and sense of wonder that drives these characters. And what marvelous characters they are! Rufus Sewell shines SPRING 2011 • 31
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as Tom Builder, the Master Mason who dreams of building a glorious cathedral “bathed in light,” and Ian McShane has a grand time munching on the scenery as the scheming Bishop Waleran, who opposes the cathedral for political reasons. (As a side note, someone should cast these two terrific actors as father and son – they have remarkably similar features, particularly around the eyes.) Donald Sutherland and Gordon Pinsett are great in small but pivotal parts. Matthew MacFayden, perhaps best known for his role as intelligence officer Tom Quinn on the British series MI-5 (a.k.a. Spooks) is perfect as Prior Philip, the moral center of the Village of Kingsbridge – and of the story itself. Philip’s soft-spoken nature cloaks an iron will, and he is largely responsible for ensuring the cathedral’s completion despite decades of fierce opposition from both Waleran and the loathsome family of Percy Hamleigh, Earl of neighbouring Shiring. Perhaps the biggest revelations are Eddie Redmayne as Jack Jackson (Tom’s protégé and a visionary builder in his own right) and Hayley Atwell as his enterprising love interest, Aliena. All of these performances are first-rate. Be sure to watch for a brief cameo role by author Follett during the section of the film that chronicles Jack’s years as an apprentice builder in France. If there is one serious quibble I had with Pillars as a film, it’s that events which are spread over a much longer period of time in the book take place relatively quickly on film. Quite simply, some of the progress on the construction of the massive cathedral happens far too quickly to be realistic. Even more noticeably, Tom Builder’s young daughter, Martha, seems to remain a teenager or very young adult for several decades (only in the eighth and final episode is
the character played by an older actor). As well, some later sections of the book, particularly those concerning the assassination of the Archbishop of Canterbury, are simplified or changed significantly, but that did not detract from my over-all enjoyment of the story. Parents should note that Pillars of the Earth is not suitable for the kiddies. The story is jam packed with sex, violence and a cornucopia of nasty behavior; in particular, the Hamleigh clan’s take on “family values” is not something you’d want your children to emulate. That said, a major theme of the story is the joy of work well done, which should impart a worthwhile lesson to Mason and non-Mason alike. Along those lines, it must be said that the film does not provide nearly as much detail about the work of cathedral builders and operative masons as was found in Follett’s book. Still, there are many fascinating glimpses of both the creative process and the staggering amounts of labor necessary to raise such an edifice. The working tools are very much in evidence, as are the theories of Euclid, and there are some wonderful sections of dialogue that should resonate with speculative Masons – not least the final speech on the builder’s work as a “continuum of creation,” which certainly echoes themes from the ritual work of our Lodges. Both for those important themes and because it’s a ripping good yarn, the Pillars of the Earth DVD is highly recommended.
Letters to the Editor Dear Brother Editor: I am writing regarding the item of Masonic News about the Detroit Masonic Temple, which appeared on page 9, Issue 11, of The Journal of the Masonic Society.’ I was dismayed and somewhat offended when I read the sentence; “Unfortunately, the Scottish Rite and the Shrine both abandoned the 1,000 room building several years ago, leaving the remaining lodges and York Rite bodies on their own to struggle to maintain it, pay the utilities and taxes”. The tenor of that sentence would leave the reader to suggest that the Scottish Rite, Valley of Detroit (I won’t address the Shrine) relocating to another facility, is responsible for the demise of the Detroit Masonic Temple. That is simply not the case. During the heyday of Masonry, our forefathers built grandiose buildings to house the large numbers of men attracted to the Craft. Since 1962 our beloved Fraternity has experienced roughly a 3.5% membership decline each year. Recently, some Grand Lodges are beginning to experience a net gain. But the point remains, that many of our Masonic lodges and appendant bodies are saddled with very expensive pieces of Masonic real estate that the membership simply can no longer support. Utilities, taxes, new roofs, boilers and maintenance costs continue to escalate. Add that to the fact that many of our buildings were/ are being managed by well meaning Masons, who lack the skills necessary in running a building and you have a recipe for disaster. With a declining membership, the Valley of Detroit Board of Trustees, recognized that the Valley could no longer afford to continue to pay the annual rent assessments being charged by the Detroit Masonic Temple Association (MTA). In November 2004, the President of the Valley of Detroit Board of Trustees sent a letter to the MTA requesting assessment relief. Three face-to-face meetings occurred with 32 • SPRING 2011
the President, immediate past President, and Marketing Director of the MTA, and the President and vice President of the Board of Trustees, Valley of Detroit. It was expressed that the Valley did not want to leave the Detroit Masonic Temple, which had been home for the past 78 years, but the Valley could no longer afford to stay there at the current assessment level. The first two meetings were unproductive and no real offering of relief was presented. On February 22, 2005, a letter from the President of the MTA arrived with a couple of scenarios. The first still put the annual assessment at an unacceptable amount for the Valley to sustain. The second had the Valley giving the MTA upwards of two million dollars up front, followed by a reduced annual assessment, along with the Valley relinquishing all of their current rights as a member of the Association. Both scenarios were rejected. A third meeting was called, and it was related to the MTA that we had to move this issue along and come to some sort of conclusion. During that meeting, the MTA Marketing Director said; “We really don’t care if the Valley of Detroit stays or goes, it makes no difference to us”. The Valley of Detroit Board of Trustees has a fiduciary responsibility to the membership of the Valley, and the Board, and no choice but to relocate to a less expensive facility. The Valley of Detroit wishes the MTA well as they strive to operate the Detroit Masonic Temple. Sincerely and fraternally, David R. Bedwell, PGM Deputy for Michigan, AASR
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FROM THE EDITOR
Traveling
by Christopher L. Hodapp, fms “But that the craft of stonemasonry should be allowed to vanish from this world is just not negotiable for me. Somewhere there is someone who wants to know. Nor will I have to seek him out. He’ll find me.” — Cormac McCarthy, The Stonemason
duty as a solid, cohesive, dedicated corps of officers, acting as a team for the first time. And when all of them were installed, the first act of the Worshipful Master was to give each of the officers’ wives a flower, and to beg their indulgence in advance for the time the lodge would take up. In return, the lodge’s ladies have become close friends, and they work and socialize together. This lodge truly knows how to keep its Masonic family happy. By contrast, I visited another lodge on that same trip. It was in a small but noteworthy town, and the lodge was chartered in 1821. Its past members were great achievers, both in society and the fraternity. Today, they have no website, no Facebook page. There was no meal served. Members trickled in just before lodge opened, with little socializing. A guest speaker had traveled from another state to give a presentation on Masonry and the Civil War, but no more than a dozen of their more than 200 members showed up.
I
am the luckiest guy in Freemasonry, and I say that for a whole host of reasons. Chief among them is that I get to travel the world and see how other lodges and jurisdictions practice Masonry, individually and collectively. Every lodge and grand lodge jurisdiction does things a little differently, and that’s why traveling is one of the most enjoyable activities a Mason can do. I learn something, in one form or another, from every single lodge I visit, and every Freemason I meet.
In Massachusetts, a Brother was brought into the lodge room in his wheelchair. It seems that a month before, he had sold his house, and just before moving day, he suffered a paralyzing stroke. The buyers were already en route from out of state, with no way to delay them. So, twenty-seven Masons arrived at the Brother’s home, packed his belongings, and moved it all to his new house. At a special dinner one evening, another lodge took extra care to invite their deceased members’ widows, and arrange for their transportation to and from the lodge. In what I was told was a regular occurrence, one of the ladies addressed the brethren in a tearful recollection of her husband’s love for his lodge and its members. She then gave the Worshipful Master her husband’s Masonic ring, with the hope that he would pass it along to a new worthy Brother. I was told that many of the lodge officers wore rings of their deceased members. I had the honor of visiting Harmony Lodge No. 9 in Rhode Island, and got to see their officers’ installation. When I first came into the lodge room, the place was packed, so I staked out an empty couple of seats near the Tyler’s door. No sooner had I sat down, three brethren leapt out of their chairs, came over, introduced themselves, and sat all around me. ”No one ever sits alone in Harmony lodge, Brother,” they explained. “It’s the first rule we learn here.” They always have a meal before lodge, and they always retire to a local purveyor of adult beverages afterwards. Their building is always open at least one day a week, for mentoring classes, card nights, organized visitations, social activities, and more. They encourage activities in their well maintained building. And they can’t wait to be together next week. Their officers’ installation was enlightening, as well. They gathered as a group around the altar to collectively take the obligation of office. The men all crowded around and placed their hands on the Bible, together. To me, it was a perfect symbolic moment, representing their first
Most disappointing was that the lodge had sent twelve new candidates to a state-sponsored One Day Class the weekend before this particular meeting, yet not one of those new Brothers attended the stated meeting. No one had asked them to come. No letter was sent, no phone call, no e-mail, and no attempt was made to see to it that these new brethren were welcomed into their lodge. No one told them their presence was expected, or even welcome. And when lodge closed, the visitors asked if there were plans after the meeting to eat or socialize at one of the many local taverns or restaurants that surrounded the historic town square. The answer was “no.” The members arrived, opened and closed lodge, and fled. Visitors sat in lodge alone, and left alone. Men become Masons for a thousand reasons, but they come back to lodge for just one: they enjoy it. They enjoy the ritual, or the lessons, or the friendships, or the combination of it all. In his play The Stonemason, Cormac McCarthy writes, “Anything excellent is always rare.” It’s every Mason’s job to make our lodges excellent. Every lodge has its own personality, customs, strengths and weaknesses, and excellence can be influenced by all of these traits. Truly excellent lodges are perhaps rare, but we are all Builders, and our job is never complete. • rother Nathan Brindle has pointed out an error in my most recent editorial in Issue No. 11 of the Journal of the Masonic Society (“Lessons From My Watch”), in which I depicted the Hebrew word “hod” as הֹוד. It turns out I failed to remember to typeset it properly (or “backwards” as I prefer to think of it), which would be more correctly, דֹוה. This of course means that instead of spelling “hod,” it did, to quote Homer Simpson, spell, “DOH!” I will gratefully remember to wish Nathan many happy returns of the Chaka Khan season next winter.
B F
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inally, my personal apologies for the delay in the arrival of this issue. Spring has brought a harmonic convergence of calamities, especially to the editorial staff. President Michael Poll was laid low by heart problems in February; Jay Hochberg was flooded out of both house and office in New Jersey in March; Randy Williams and his family have been beset with a series of serious health issues; and I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. We all thank you for the many prayers and good wishes sent our way. Many brethren have offered their assistance. The very best help you can give us is to submit your articles, photos, original art, poems and events to the Journal. As for your prayers and good wishes, we feel them all, and are ever thankful to you. SPRING 2011 • 35
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Masonic Treasures
T
he U.S. Civil War began on June 1st, 1861, and the 150th anniversary of the war will be commemorated in a variety of events across the country this year.
On November 19th, 1863, 20,000 people gathered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to dedicate the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, and Abraham Lincoln delivered what came to be known as the Gettysburg Address. One hundred thirty years later, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania dedicated the “Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial” in the Cemetery Annex at Gettysburg. It depicts a legendary incident between Confederate Brigadier General Lewis Addison Armistead and Union Captain Henry Harrison Bingham. Bingham was an aide to Union Major General Winfield Scott Hancock during the battle on Cemetery Ridge. When Armistead was mortally wounded during “Picket’s Charge” on July 3 1863, it has long been told that he passed his watch and other items to Bingham to be given to his old friend Hancock. Unknown to them both, Hancock was also seriously wounded in the battle—all three men were Freemasons. At the end of the battle, the combined casualties of both sides at Gettysburg were more than 57,000, with more than 7,800 killed. The sculpture was created by artist Ron Tunison, dramatising a moment of kindness and brotherly love between two Masons in the midst of war. Its installation was the first of its kind to be jointly undertaken between a private organization and the National Parks Service. CLH