The Journal
Of The Masonic Society
SUMMER 2013
Issue 21
Summer 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE
MASONIC SOCIETY WWW.THEMASONICSOCIETY.COM
ISSN 2155-4145
Executive Editor Michael Halleran editor@themasonicsociety.com
1427 W. 86th Street, Suite 248 Indianapolis IN 46260-2103 Editorial Committee Kenneth W. Davis - Reviews Editor Queries concerning prospective articles should be sent to: Articles@themasonicsociety.com Design & layout John A. Bridegroom, FMS - Art Director Officers John R. Cline, President James R. Dillman, 1st Vice President John Palmer - 2nd Vice president Nathan C. Brindle, Secretary/Treasurer Christopher L. Hodapp, Editor Emeritus Directors Ronald Blaisdell Kenneth W. Davis Andrew Hammer James W. Hogg Mark Tabbert 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).
Issue 21
FEATURES 10
Vitriol and Initiation in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite by Leon Zeldis, FMS
14
Freemasons Today: Thematic Claims of Life Changes since Becoming a Mason by J. Scott Kenney
22
The Jebusite’s Jobsite: Ornan the Jebusite and His Threshing Floor by Michael Halleran, MMS
26
The Mysterious Triple Dot: Meanings for Math, Myth and Masonry by Joi Grieg
30
Traditionally Speaking by Cliff Porter, FMS
SECTIONS 4 President’s Message 5 News of the Society 7 Conferences, Speeches, 36 Symposia & Gatherings 8 From the Editor 32 Masonic Treasures 33 Book Reviews
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Journal of The Masonic Society, 1427 W. 86th Street, Suite 248, Indianapolis IN 46260-2103 © 2013 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.
THE COVER: This beautiful Masonic Apron was hand painted in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1825 for Thomas Worth Wilson, by his niece Laura Wilson. She was married to Marshall T. Polk, the brother of the President of the United States James K. Polk. It is currently in the collection of the Indiana Masonic Library and Museum on the 5th floor of Freemasons Hall. SUMMER 2013• 3
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
2013 ICHF
by John R. “Bo” Cline, FMS
F
rom May 24 to 26, Beth and I had the wonderful opportunity TMS Founding Fellow) paper about the to attend the 4th International Conference on the History of George Washington Masonic Memorial Freemasonry (ICHF), in Edinburgh. At that time of year, was presented by Shawn Eyer. the weather in Scotland was unseasonably cool, and even the lower hills around Ben Nevis (highest peak in the United Kingdom at For me, one of the highlights of this 4,409 ft.) received a dusting of snow. The coolness of the weather did year’s conference was the discussion on not dampen our spirits though, and it was “Freemasonry and Academia; A Symbionic replaced by the warmth and friendship of <sic> Relationship”. This presentation Adam Kendall presenting “Writing History our Scottish hosts. featured Andrew Hammer’s con as a with Lightning: The Ku Klux Klan and the counterpoint to Jim Daniel’s pro on a debate Fraternal Press in the 1920’s”, (2013) ICHF The ICHF has been held biennially since over how much access should be given to 2007, with the first, second, and fourth non-Masons of our Masonic secrets and being held in Edinburgh, Scotland. In records and whether we have already gone 2011, the third ICHF was held at the too far. I count myself among the consumers George Washington Masonic Memorial, of Masonic history, and I very much rely in Alexandria, Virginia. The purpose of on the academic community to bring their ICHF, as described in the 2013 Programme particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to Book, is: bear on a study of our ancient craft. On the other hand, I am fully aware of the argument “. . . to illustrate and exemplify the wide that: range of study being undertaken on the history of freemasonry and will seek to “Freemasonry can never be fully understood advance further scholarly work in this area by someone who has not himself knelt where by providing an overview of recent work by Hiram knelt. An outsider, however diligent those studying the subject. It is hoped that his or her work is, without the benefit of the conference will reinforce the advances actually undergoing the various degrees already made in establishing the history that take us on our own individual path of of freemasonry as a distinctive field of inner reflection that is the Craft, only sees historical research in its own right.” ICHF the shadow cast by Freemasonry and not The Masonic Society had a significant presence at this year’s conference with a number of our members in attendance, both as presenters and spectators. Chief among the presenters was John Belton (TMS Founding Fellow) who, as a featured plenary speaker, lectured on “No England is an Island: A ‘Four Nation History’ of the 1813 Union”. Additional TMS presenters included Adam Kendall (Collections Manager of the Henry Wilson Coil Library and Museum of Freemasonry and TMS Founding Fellow) and Andrew Hammer (Author of “Observing the Craft” and member of the TMS board of directors). Past TMS members who presented papers included Shawn Eyer (Editor of the Journal of the Philalethes Society and TMS Founding Fellow), Grant Macleod (TMS Founding Fellow), and Paul Rich. Although not able to attend, Mark Tabbert’s (Director of Museum and Library Collections at the George Washington Masonic Memorial and
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Freemasonry itself.”
Chris McClintock (author, The Craft and the Cross) However, as Andrew Hammer phrased it, within his argument, “The genie is already out of the bottle and cannot be stuffed back in.” Freemasonry has formed an alliance with those who can contribute much knowledge to the study of our history, and those to whom we must provide access to our archives to further that study. But there is a line of propriety that we should not cross, when providing that access. I’m sure that future ICHFs will continue this debate, and I look forward to being there when they do.
Andrew Hammer in a debate with Jim Daniels on “Freemasonry and Academia: A Symbionic <sic> Relationship”, (2013) ICHF
In 2015 the ICHF will again be held in North America, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I look forward to this coming event and the part that The Masonic Society will play in it.
THE JOURNAL OF THE MASONIC SOCIETY
News of the Society
Vesin Credit: pascal-vesin.com
FRENCH PRIEST SUSPENDED FOR MASONIC MEMBERSHIP WALKS TO VATICAN TO APPEAL Pascal Vesin, a 43-year-old former parish priest in the town of Megeve, France, has appealed a ruling by his local diocese that relieved him of his pastoral duties because of his membership in the Masonic order.
Agence France-Presse reports “Vesin, who set off from Megeve on July 14, said he had been ‘wounded by the injustice’ and had written to Pope Francis asking for his punishment to be lifted. ‘I hope I am received by Pope Francis or one of his secretaries,’ he said, adding that he would stay in Rome until September 6 hoping for a papal audience.” Vesin walked for thirty-nine days to hand-carry the appeal to the Vatican. According to the report, Vesin’s diocese has stated it would consider reinstatement, but only if Vesin renounced Freemasonry. “DRUG-FUELED ORGY” AT MASONIC LODGE DRAWS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION P.S. LODGE NOT ACTUALLY INVOLVED In September, news outlets in the United States and Great Britain focused their attention on the Masonic Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, following reports of a “drug-fueled orgy” and police intervention at the building which is the home of Battle Creek Lodge No. 12. According to the British newspaper, The Daily Mail, “Police in Michigan have broken up a shocking ‘drug-fueled orgy’ being hosted at a secretive Masonic Lodge - and this wasn’t the first time it’s happened, authorities warn. Officers were called to the prominent building in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan which sits across a park from police headquarters. They found five women dancing on stage naked.”
According to a report Battle Creek Masonic Center online at Michigan Live Credit: Battle Creek Lodge 12/Facebook (mlive.com), other news outlets quickly picked up the story, including The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, The Atlantic, breitbart.com, rawstory. com, and a host of lesser online sites, about the Aug. 25 police raid at the Masonic lodge. Although the lodge was not involved in planning, hosting or participating in ill-conceived event – renters paid the lodge $900 to host “a dance party” -- readers had to wade through a slew of lurid headlines to learn that information. Bloggers also quickly picked up the news item and ran with it. The headline of one blog proclaimed the event an “Illuminati Orgy” and the story was equally sensational. Complex.com wrote, “According to ‘Charlie,’ a Freemason who’s responsible for booking events at the temple, the man who paid $900 to rent the space explained that he planned to have a dance party. The Freemasons claim they checked on the party around 1 a.m. and found no dirty dancing taking place. However, he said that the temple had suspended future private events. Police in Battle Creek say this is not the first orgy the Temple has hosted; Charlie says otherwise. Charlie booked this most recent festivus, so his credibility might be a little shaky right now.” A request for comment from the Grand Lodge of Michigan was not answered by press time. ARIZONA LODGE DONATES BIKES TO LOCAL SCHOOLS Marion McDaniel Lodge No. 56 of Tucson, AZ, will donate bicycles to the local school district as part of a reading incentive program. According to the Arizona Daily Star, there are 13 schools in the district and the lodge will donate two bikes to each of the elementary schools. The bikes are being donated as part of the Grand Lodge of Arizona’s Books for Bikes program. According to the Arizona Grand Lodge website: “The program’s sole purpose is to create an immediate interest for students to do additional work to improve their reading and writing skills and basic knowledge,” states Henry Spomer, State Chairman of the Masonic Public Schools Programs. SUMMER 2013 • 5
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News of the Society ith great pride and appreciation, The Masonic Society welcomes the following brethren as our esteemed new members. Mr. Richard C Abell Dr. Joel Thomas Bundy Dr. Eric M Childress D.D. Mr. Arthur J Craig III Mr. Jason G Crowder Mr. Juan Carlos de la Cruz Mr. Matthew William Dyches Mr. Harry B Evers Mr. Jeffrey S French Mr. David M Gizzo Mr. Robert Himber Mr. Seth Adam Howard
Mr. James Ignacio Mr. Michael C. Jachimczyk Mr. John E Kimball Mr. James Curt La Bella Mr. Dean Larson Mr. Ryan A. Leaver Mr. John B Livingston Mr. Lionel D Lusardi Mr. Donald Mac Cormick Mr. Charles Edward Maddox Mr. Paul James Malagrifa Mr. Carlo M. Merhi
Masonic Lodges throughout the state have donated over 1,000 bicycles to schools to start the program and continue to do so each year. Several hundred bikes donated by the 10 Tucson Masonic Lodges have gone to Tucson schools. The Grand Lodge also reports that In addition to these programs, the Masons of Arizona sponsor an annual Essay and T- Shirt Logo Design contest along with Outstanding Teacher of the Year and small classroom grants as part of its efforts to support and promote public education. 2013 TRUMAN LECTURE This year’s Truman Lecturer for the Missouri Lodge of Research will be Robert L. D. Cooper, Curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland Museum and Library. His presentation will be “Scottish Freemasonry’s contribution to the formation of the United States.” The lecture will be on September 24, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri. Tickets are $20 and include breakfast and the lecture. Master Masons, ladies and guests are welcome. Tickets are available at http://www.MOLOR.org/This year’s Truman Lecturer for the Missouri Lodge of Research will be Robert L. D. Cooper,
Renew your membership now online at www.themasonicsociety.com
6 • SUMMER 2013
Mr. Herbert F. Merrick Mr. Arthur D. Morey Mr. Marc Newman Mr. Joseph Merlin Nichter Mr. Marcos Antonio Rodrigues Oliveira Mr. Fred Palmer Mr. Dale James Parlor Mr. Adolf H Parsons Mr. Neil R. Paulsen Mr. Michael Pettigrew Mr. B. Cole Presley
Mr. Floyd Sendmeyer Dr. Eric Sergeant Mr. John A. Shabazz Mr. Donald Edward Steeves Mr. Peter Eugene Tucker Mr. Arthur Arnold E Valdez Jr. Mr. Eureka Vaughn Jr. Mr. Craig Anthony Wiggins Mr. Brian Keith Work
Curator of the Grad Lodge of Scotland Museum and Library. His presentation will be “Scottish Freemasonry’s contribution to the formation of the United States.” The lecture will be on September 24, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri. Tickets are $20 and include breakfast and the lecture. Master Masons, ladies and guests are welcome. Tickets are available at www.molor.org/ TrumanLectureFall2013
IN MEMORIAM
B
rother Rob Barbour, age 60, of Appleton WI, passed away on Tuesday, June 11, 2013. He was born on October 31, 1952, in Seattle, Washington, the son of the late James and Mary (Cleary) Barbour, Sr. Rob attended Queen Ann High School in Seattle and Nyberg’s Locksmith Co. as an apprentice. He was a certified master locksmith with Lappen Security Products in Little Chute.
R
ob was a 32 Degree F & AM with the Waverly Lodge No. 0051
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Conferences, Speeches, Symposia & Gatherings October 19, 2013 Englewood Lodge No. 715 Masonic Seminar, 6170 E. Southern Ave., Indianapolis, IN W.B. Cliff Porter, keynote presenter, info at http://englewoodmasoniclodge715 October 25-27, 2013 New Jersey Masonic Leadership Conference, Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Patton Campus, 244 Bainbridge Rd., Elizabethtown, PA., http://www.newjerseygrandlodge.org/ November 2, 2013 American Lodge of Research, 2013 Upstate Festive Board of Research, Speaker: TBA, Liverpool-Syracuse Masonic Hall, Owego, NY, http://www.americanlodgeofresearch.org/ November 2, 2013 Grand Lodge of Kansas, 2013 Leadership Academy, Speaker: W. Andrew Hammer Capital Plaza Hotel, Topeka, KS http://www.kansasmason.org/?p=2650
November 16, 2013 Boynton Lodge Esoteric Research Group Seminar, Keynote speaker: W. Chris McClintock, Grand Lodge of Ireland. Boynton Lodge No. 236, 2701 Quantum Bl., Boynton Beach, FL http://www.boyntonlodge236.com/ February 13-16, 2014 Masonic Week 2014, Hyatt Regency Reston, Reston, VA. Details TBA http://www.yorkrite.com/MasonicWeek/ index.html February 14, 2014 The Masonic Society Annual Meeting and Banquet, Masonic Week 2014, Hyatt Regency Reston, Reston, VA, Speaker:TBA http://themasonicsociety.com/
April 11, 2014 National Heritage Museum, Lexington, MA, Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism, http://www.nationalheritagemuseum.org April 25-27, 2014 Masonic Spring Workshop, Delta Lodge, Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada Keynote speaker: John Belton, United Grand Lodge of England, http://www.masonicspringworkshop.ab.ca August 28-31, 2014 Australian and New Zealand Masonic Research Council Biennial Conference, WHJ Mayers Lodge of Research, Cairns, Far North Queensland http://www.anzmrc2014.com/
February 16-18, 2014 Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America, Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore, MD. Details: TBA http://www.cgmna.org/
BROADCAST YOUR EVENT TO THE WORLD! To include your event in our listing, please submit the following information Event Name Event Location Event Date Speaker(s) Short Description Web Address or Contact Info Send these details to: ARTICLES@THEMASONICSOCIETY.COM with “EVENT” in the subject line. SUMMER 2013 • 7
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FROM THE EDITOR
Reconsidering the Carousel by Michael Halleran, Editor
Technology is a glittering lure, but there is the rare occasion when the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash, if they have a sentimental bond with the product. The most important idea in advertising is new. It creates an itch. You simply put your product in there as a kind of calamine lotion. [But there is] a deeper bond with the product: nostalgia. It’s delicate, but potent….
machine metaphor full circle. But in these cases, the machine only travels back to 1967. Whatever the advantages the Masonic slide show brings with its bright images, the disadvantages are readily apparent. The slides can be a double edged sword. Some of them are beautiful and timeless renderings of Masonic themes, but others are oddly styled for the twenty-first century. One slide in large circulation depicts Relief, but to me it looks more like a mugging in progress.
Masons signed up for this technology upgrade to ritual instruction because it was new. Just as the Masons in nineteenth century stopped using tracing boards, opting instead for the technical wizardry of Sciopticon. And while some lodges have made the logical leap to upgrade yet again to Power Point (featuring the same slides), others retain the wheezing carousels with their deafening fans and cumbersome remotes, bringing the time
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Hand-painted Magic Lantern slides c. 1890 Credit: Iowa Masonic Library http://www. iowamasoniclibrary.org
In addition, the slide show format acts like an anchor, and the lecturer and new brother are tethered to it. The presenter is connected to the projector by its remote umbilical and cannot stray -- this forces him to -- Don Draper, Mad Men (2007). lecture rather than engage. Added to this are the restrictions placed on lecturers by many jurisdictions that do not permit movement in any case. Too often this is a stale presentation, in some cases delivered in a In many jurisdictions, ritual instruction is augmented by a slide mind-numbing monotone, where the slides become the only welcome presentation. These visuals aids often employ a vintage Kodak Carousel break. Both parties are only focused on the arrival of the next slide, slide projector, the introduction of which is portrayed in the HBO the lecture merely an afterthought. television drama Mad Men. There, the main character, advertising go-to Don Draper, sells Kodak on the idea that the new wheel-like The initiate’s perspective is equally limited. Fortunately, he is facing projector should be marketed as a futuristic device -- a time machine -the screen, so that he cannot observe the members nodding off. So projecting images on a screen that can transport viewers to any time or he takes it all in: the dated images, the 1960s tech, the disconnected place. In terms of screen writing, Draper’s monologue is brilliant, but lecture. Even in lodges that have upgraded to the latest Power Points, it also contains a grain of two of relevance to the Masonic experience. the pictures remain the focal point, not the interaction between old brother and new. Are these those first instructions we wish to convey? Although my lodge’s carousel projector was invented in the 1960s, the Masonic slides it displays are considerably older, many of them A nostalgic alternative is gaining popularity – the return to the tracing converted to 35mm format from hand-painted nineteenth century board. An increasing number of lodges are now conducting their glass plates. Framed in wooden frames, these slides were developed lectures face to face, referring to a tracing board (or a mural illustrating for the prototype of the slide projector, the magic lantern, sometimes the same symbols) only when visualization is required. Given the referred to generically under the trade name Sciopticon. freedom to walk about the lodge with the newly admitted brother, the lecturer spends his time retracing the steps of the initiate, or pointing Lantern slides were popular with churches, civic, fraternal, and patriotic out significant objects, directly and personally groups, and were sold to Masonic lodges engaging him. by the hundreds from the 1870s on. But the projectors were cumbersome, Done properly, it is both very effective and and they often become dangerously hot. quite moving, or as Don Draper might say, By the late twentieth century, someone, delicate, but very potent. somewhere, adapted these old slides to the new carousel technology, the result of which many of us have seen in our local lodges.
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Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, S. Brent Morris’ article “Thoughts on Masonic Research” is like many of our Fraternity’s secrets – well presented, and an inspiration to start researching. And like our secrets, it points the way to more secrets than it answers. Brother Morris’ thoughts get us started with a goal and a vision – the first steps in researching, and points out many of the pitfalls. As a historian I found there are several processes that can guide the writer to that selected goal, but they are not well documented or presented. There are local groups who face the same problems – historical and genealogical societies! Often these groups sponsor forums and classes that will help you with your writing efforts. As with any study there must be a flow and rigor supporting the research beyond opinion. Fraternally, Dan Anderson Executive Director, Midwest Historic Masonic Lodge Association, Inc (www.masonicmasonry.org)
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SUMMER 2013 • 9
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COMMENT
VITRIOL and Initiation in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite By Leon Zeldis, FMS
C
liff Porter’s paper “Traditionally Speaking” (Journal of the Masonic Society, Issue 20, 2013) focused on the use of the Chamber of Reflection (COR) as part of the initiation ceremony, particularly in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite rituals for the Craft Degrees. It is not surprising that the numerous symbols present in the COR have direct links to alchemical lore. In fact, the entire initiation process in the AASR is full of alchemical symbolism, and the initiation ceremony is truly a complex process of purification in several stages, the candidate passing through consecutive symbolic purifications by the four elements of antiquity: Earth, Air, Water and Fire. This corresponds roughly to the stages of Alchemy’s Magnum Opus: Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas and Rubredo (Black, White, Blue/Green and Red).
The COR is symbolically the purification by the Earth. One of the most important symbols that the candidate sees in the chamber is the legend V.I.T.R.I.O.L. This stands for the Latin sentence: Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Ocultum Lapidem which, freely translated, means: Visit the Interior of the Earth and by Purification you will find the Hidden Stone. This symbol is rarely analyzed for all its worth and this is the purpose of this paper. The usual explanation for displaying this legend in the COR is that by introspection, purifying the mind, that is, by eliminating “impure” thoughts (which can be equated with the vices), man comes to discover his true inner personality, the core of being that holds a spark of the
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divine hidden inside, and this discovery, this knowledge, as if making use of the philosopher’s stone, will enable transmutation of the candidate into a better, more spiritual human being. Inviting the candidate to contemplate VITRIOL as a first step towards his initiation makes it part of the gradual process of purification, a necessary prerequisite for a successful initiation, much like the divestment of metals. But, what really is this introspection? Literally, the word means to look inside. That is, to reflect on our own thoughts, desires, aspirations, fears, and affections. In some Masonic rituals, this concept is stressed in another way. At a certain point of the initiation ceremony, a mirror is disclosed in front of the candidate, who sees reflected his own image. In other rituals, the mirror is placed in the COR. In both cases, the intention is clear: to point out to the candidate that he must look within himself in order for the initiatory transformation of the Masonic ceremony to reach its fruition. It is important to pay attention to the use of the verb “to visit.” It signals that the introspection demanded must be a round-trip journey. Clearly, a prolonged stay in the profound and tenebrous region of the psyche (the “interior of the earth”) is dangerous and may result in madness. This is the perilous mystic experience described by the Cabbalists as “entering the Pardes” (the Garden). According to the famous Cabbalistic parable, four entered the Pardes, but only Rabbi Akiva “ascended in peace and descended in peace,”that is, he returned unharmed. 1
T
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he “occult stone” of VITRIOL is covered, veiled, for that is the meaning of occult; to find it, one must unveil it, which stresses the fact that the physical procedure of unveiling the candidate to see the light must be duplicated in the spiritual realm in order for initiation to fulfill its mission.
The “interior of the earth” also refers to the well-known parallel between the earth and the maternal uterus. The candidate, who spends some time in the underground cave symbolized by the COR, is being prepared for his symbolic rebirth, when he sees the light. Masons are known as “sons of the light.” The stone mentioned in the VITRIOL has a wealth of esoteric symbolism.2 The relation between stone and father (Petra-Pater) is well known, but what is less recognized is that a similar connection exists in Hebrew, the language spoken by God in the Bible. In Hebrew, stone is “even” (aleph-beth-noon), father is “av” (aleph-beth) and son is “ben” (beth-noon), so the stone combines father and son. The stone as surrogate for man appears in numerous mythological stories, such as the tale of Cadmus, the tale of Deucalion and Pyrrhus, or the stone Abadir devoured by Saturn, mistaking it for Jupiter .3 In his Alchemical Studies, Jung quotes an alchemist stating that “As man is composed of the four elements, so also is the stone.” 4 In another book, Man and his Symbols, Jung quotes the Arabian alchemist Morienus, who wrote “This (the philosophers’ stone) is extracted from you, you are its mineral, and one can find it in you.” 5 Some authors
consider that the VITRIOL stone represents the philosopher’s stone (Lapis Philosophorum), that product of the alchemical work which enabled transmuting base metals into gold and acted as the panacea, the universal remedy to cure all sickness. Paracelsus wrote that the stone of the philosophers is the symbol of Christ. 6 Being hard and imperishable, stone is the strongest building material, representing as well the immutability and permanence of the human soul, not subject to the vicissitudes of time. There are many kinds of stones, each with its particular symbolism. Precious stones, for example, among other things, refer to the Ephod of the High Priest in Jerusalem’s Temple, who wore it over his breast when addressing the Lord. The keystone, that strangely-shaped stone that holds together the entire arch, features in a separate Masonic degree: Mark Master. Another special stone is the cornerstone, which determines the position of the building, also known as the foundation stone. The neophyte, the newly initiated Mason, is placed in the North-East corner of the lodge, the traditional location of the cornerstone. This also hints at the role that will be played by the Fellow Craft in the Third-Degree ceremony: “the ancient and widely prevalent practice of ‘Foundation Sacrifice,’ first of actually living human beings… to ensure the stability of the edifice that was to be executed.” 7 The “occult stone” of VITRIOL is covered, veiled, for that is the meaning of occult; to find it, one must unveil it, which stresses the fact that the physical procedure of unveiling the candidate to see the light must be duplicated in the spiritual realm in order for initiation to fulfill its mission. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Leon Zeldis was initiated in 1959 in Santiago, Chile; after moving to Israel in 1962, he founded Lodge La Fraternidad No. 62 under the Grand Lodge of Israel. Editor of The Israeli Freemason, he was appointed Honorary Assistant Grand Master in 1995 and is currently the Worshipful Master of Lodge of Research Gvill No. 82. Zeldis has authored hundreds of Masonic papers and 15 books in English and Spanish. (Endnotes) 1 Gershom Sholem. Kabbalah, Jerusalem: Keter, 1988, 13. 2 See, for instance, my paper “The Symbolism of Stone,” Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, London, 106 (1993). 3 J.E. Cirlot. A Dictionary of Symbols, New York: Dorset Press, 1991, 314. 4 Carl G. Jung. Alchemical Studies, New York: Pantheon, 1967, 93. 5 Carl G. Jung, Marie-Luise von Franz., eds., Man and His Symbols, London: Aldus Books, 1964, 225. 6 Jung, Alchemical Studies, 127. 7 Alex Horne. Sources of Masonic Symbolism, Missouri Lodge of Research, 1981, 38.
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RETROSPECTIVE
Voices from the past - 1864 Edition
T
he extraordinary and ruinously rapid growth which Freemasonry has experienced during the past few years has only become possible in consequence of a neglect properly to exercise the privilege of the ballot. Hundreds, nay, we confine ourselves within limit of truth when we say thousands , of improper persons have been permitted to receive the degrees, who, under a proper exercise of the ballot, would never have been allowed to cross the threshold of our institution. The almost indiscriminate admission of applicants for initiation into our mysteries and rites, has so long obtained in many of our lodges, that a rejection is calculated to strike with surprise and raise questions in many minds – what does this mean? ... A select Committee of the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin, in a report presented to that body on the 15th of last June…remarked: “One cause of the great accession to our numbers, and the frequent admission of unworthy men undoubtedly is the reluctance with which the black ball if often used. The friends of the petitioner assume to be his champions, insist upon his admission, and threaten retaliation, as they call it, upon the supposed objector, and vengeance generally upon the Lodge; and in some instances, to such an extent is this carried, that it becomes exceedingly unpleasant to exercise the sacred right that from time immemorial has been guaranteed to each individual Mason.” With a view to the redirection of the Fraternity into the old and well-trodden paths of wisdom and safety we call their serious attention to a brief review of the law of the ballot…. The first thought on the opening of a lodge of Masons, is whether it be securely tyled, whether provision is made for the exclusion of the profane. Every arrangement of a
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lodge, all our grips and tests, are intended to shut out from association with us as Masons everyone except such as have been regularly and duly admitted to the privileges of the institution. ... Freemasonry is founded on concord and unanimity, and the admission of any element which tends to discord and division tends to destroy the institution. The admission of destructive elements can only be prevented by making it the duty of every member to vote on the application of candidates for degrees or membership, and every single member of a lodge should feel that the responsibility of rejecting the unworthy rests upon himself. The ballot is resorted to more to give an opportunity to reject unworthy material, than to admit the worthy. We are ready with open arms to admit “the worthy and well-qualified” to our Fraternity, but we ballot in order to have the opportunity to reject the unworthy applicant. To do this effectually every member must partake, in what is clearly the duty of each member. Balloting therefore becomes the expression of the Masonic conscience in this regard, and none should be excused from performing what in this matter is an act so sacred. It is decidedly improper by abstaining from voting, to throw others the responsibility of admitting or rejecting a candidate. ... Let the ballot be maintained in all its purity, with all its secrecy. Exercise the privilege conscientiously, faithfully, freely and fearlessly. Never hesitate to reject, where there is any doubt. Let the lodge and not the applicant have the benefit of such doubt where any exists. -- “The Ballot,” The Masonic Monthly, 2:1 (November 1864).
T
he scene amidst which C
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SOCIAL SCIENCES
Freemasons Today:
Thematic Claims of Life Changes since Becoming a Mason By J. Scott Kenney
D
espite increased attention to Freemasonry in popular culture and academia, the former tends to play to stereotypes; the latter emphasizes historical and philological matters.1 Indeed, to the extent a sociological focus exists, it stresses the Craft in social history. 2 Largely missing has been study of the contemporary meaning of participation for members themselves. This paper addresses this theoretical and empirical neglect by outlining typical claims about life changes, if any, that Freemasons feel have resulted from their Masonic activities.
Types of Claims5 Respondents’ claims fell into three broad categories: (1) their social lives; (2) “brotherhood”; and (3) various changes in their character and abilities. Each contained a number of sub-dimensions, which are discussed in turn. Expanded Social Contacts: Freemasonry as Social Engagement Perhaps the most common claim, articulated by forty-one respondents, was that “I met a wide group of friends that I otherwise never would have met.” Indeed, eight claimed to have met their “best friend” at lodge, four more that “a lot of the people I’m friends with now are Masons.” Similarly, eight noted how their network of acquaintances has “grown beyond imagination.” Such claims testify to the continuation of Freemasonry’s historic role in promoting sociability6 There were two mutually reinforcing aspects to this. On one hand, twenty-one emphasized how the Craft served as a way for them to meet “like-minded” others with “common interests” and moral outlooks (e.g. history or religion), corroborating historical work suggesting Freemasonry’s select appeal to certain segments of the population.7 Simultaneously, and as historically,8 sixteen respondents claimed Freemasonry served as both a ritual forum and catalyst for smoothing out social boundaries. Examples: “Now I have a common reason to associate with a diverse group;” “There’s more diversity in this lodge than there is on the streets of this town.” In this latter respect, eleven variously claimed that Masonic topics “opened the door for communication,” served as an “icebreaker,” gave them 14 • SUMMER 2013
Photo by Scott Kenney and Robert Young.
Approach Materials for this study came from three sources: (1) Interviews with one hundred and twenty-one Masons reportedly discover new friends and acquaintances they claim they Freemasons in two Canadian provinces in 3 never would have met. 2006-2007 ; (2) Video footage shot for a 2004 feature film on contemporary Freemasonry4 (fifty-eight tapes/ twenty-seven individuals); and (3) Notes representing observations and experiences during the author’s fourteen years as a Freemason.
“something to talk about,” and provided “an opportunity to discuss things with people of that background.” Whether they “spot the ring and introduce myself,” use this as a “starting point,” or simply get to know local members in lodge, respondents often claimed that Freemasonry provides a vehicle to converse freely with men with whom they otherwise would have had little in common. As one stated: “it’s just great having all of these people to talk to.” Indeed, respondents occasionally contrasted this with their existing social milieus, such as the workplace, where they had “little in common” with others, or, for one man with small kids, providing “an opportunity to be out and converse with adults for a change.” Whatever aspect is highlighted, all lead to the same destination: claims of a broader friendship network and a more meaningful social life through the social outlet provided by Freemasonry. “Brotherhood” The second primary set of claims revolves around “brotherhood” – a multifaceted concept that may be broken down into five interrelated components: bonding, feeling supported, trust, traveling, and status associations. First, respondents spoke of the “bond ” they experienced with other Freemasons. Thus, twenty-one laid emphasis on “the whole brotherhood, fellowship, handshaking when you meet kind of bonding that’s there,”
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while another fourteen simply stated that “socially, there’s a bond with your brothers.” Some spoke of a sense of “belonging,” of “family” that they had found in the Craft, while others simply claimed that they felt “embraced” by a “larger community.” Interestingly, some also related this to other people and events in their lives, such as bonds formed in the military, or subsequently developing closer ties to fathers. This updates historical studies indicating that Freemasonry provides one of the ultimate opportunities for male bonding in society,9 a place where gender and emotional dynamics extend bonds of loyalty and obligation beyond the family. 10
Photo by Scott Kenney and Robert Young.
Respondents reportedly increased pride in altruistic endeavours, such as the in the team entered by the author’s lodge that raised $10,000.00 for cancer research in the annual “Relay for Life.”
Second, respondents spoke of feeling supported in various ways by their “brothers” in the Craft. Beyond seventeen who simply claimed a vague sense of “support” from fellow Masons, and seven who claimed to feel “encouraged” by others, there were a series of more specific variations. Thus, twelve specifically expressed thankfulness for the support and encouragement they received in relation to their activities in the Craft itself, including those who felt supported “even if you make a mistake,” who felt encouragement “to do better,” men who noted how brethren “helped steer you in the right direction if you have questions,” and several who indicated how others helped them “learn.” Indeed, two gave heart-warming stories of how shy, uneducated, elderly men were encouraged, over time, to become master, and then supported by the entire lodge during their tenure in office. Yet, beyond such internally-focused support, many also spoke of receiving meaningful support from the Craft when facing stressful, difficult situations in their lives. Thus, twenty-seven respondents reported support when facing a difficult personal crisis or problem. Thus there were five who claimed their involvement in Freemasonry helped them in their struggle with alcoholism, two who felt involvement
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place to share,” and “a place where people will hear your story and allow it to be expressed.” Second, fifteen respondents claimed their Masonic activities provided an “outlet” or “focus,” that they could concentrate on to help them stop dwelling on their problems: “being busy and studying helps take your mind off other things.” Indeed, one referred to this method of focusing his mental energies as “ritual therapy,” while five others claimed the common ritual in various lodges enabled them to “feel at home,” “distance myself,” “get a break from everyday life, reflect, and recharge” - suggesting not only the continuing ability of liminal rituals to cathartically address members’ anxieties,11 but a means of facilitating a “controlled decontrolling of emotions.”12 Third, there was the actual, organized support brethren provided to respondents when they needed it. Beyond the emotional and, sometimes, financial assistance received, fifteen spoke of how brethren “cared and took an interest in me and my well-being like an extended family.” Indeed, two referred to “unsolicited support” received, three of how “support comes together in lodge when you need it”(e.g. “at a low point in my life”), and five to a “life line” that, in the words of one man, is “always open whenever you need it.” The upshot of such supports, when engaged and experienced by Masons, was found in eleven respondents claims that they were “less
n other words, an alternative status hierarchy may be a meaningful symbolic realm for some, but it shouldn’t be too vulgar or obvious today or it undercuts the sense of brotherhood respondents found so important about the Craft.
in the Craft helped them cope with a disabling illness, along with a series of individuals who recounted the support they received during a wife’s illness, after a divorce, during a bereavement, or when very ill in hospital. One man summed it up: “You don’t seem to appreciate these things until you go through a lot of grief and crap.” There appear to be three aspects to this: (1) providing an outlet or venue for one’s concerns; (2) ongoing, organized activity to keep one focused; and (3) organized responses by the brethren. Thus, in the first respect, sixteen respondents variously spoke of the lodge and its brethren as a “comfort zone,” a “safety blanket,” “a safe environment,” “a sanctuary,” “a
stressed, more calm,” even experienced a greater sense of “peace” in their lives. Interestingly, four more claimed to have overheard Masons’ wives state their husbands were “less stressed” after meetings. This testifies to the continuing ability of Freemasonry in the twenty-first century to provide solace and social support during stressful periods of change.13 Considering the social inputs above, insofar as these claimed supportive strategies and responses are valid, they may not only be interactive methods for respondents to reconstruct themselves in a more coping form, but contemporary reflections of the adage that “you get out of it what you put into it.” SUMMER 2013 • 15
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Photo by Scott Kenney and Robert Young.
Third, respondents spoke of trust. Eighteen claimed that knowing someone was a Mason “reverses the onus of trust” upon meeting and/ or dealing with others, four adding that this is because they, in the words of one man, “realize that the person has traveled the same path you have, and you can identify with that.” Thus, respondents spoke
Thus, this symbolic equality, encapsulated in “brotherhood,” may have different emphases for different people: for relative equals -- diversity; for relative unequals -- status. When the tension between these is meaningfully balanced between people of varying internal and external statuses, this can serve more as a means to symbolically bring subordinates up than others down - a means to gain status by association. When not, the data reveals that, in today’s relatively egalitarian social ethos, when there is too much emphasis on social status or rank, this can be counterproductive to the sense of brotherhood – as evidenced by respondents recriminations about who gets ahead, the Grand Lodge hierarchy, or: “Guys who are aching, just aching to have someone drop a Right Worshipful title on them, or Right Excellent, or Right Illustrious. Ah what they wouldn’t give for that.”
Respondents claimed that their involvement in the lodge, whether ritual work or serving on committees, helped them overcome shyness, become more confident, and learn transferable skills. One notable example was public speaking.
of other Masons being “vouched for beforehand,” “feeling differently about them,” even of experiencing an “instant connection” with them quite unlike when dealing with the general public. One even recounted how, when preparing for a degree in costume, he left his billfold on the table of the dressing room, followed by others. He went on to say, before a group of other respondents: “I wouldn’t be scared to leave my wallet here either, unlike anywhere outside.” Three more respondents added they had become “more trusting generally,” even “less cynical about people.” This reconfirms lodges’ historical role in creating a space of trustworthiness.14
Finally, brotherhood revolves around issues of equality and status . Thirteen respondents articulated how important it was for brothers to interact as equals. While there are many complexities here, symbolic equality was very meaningful. On one hand, it opened doors and enabled one to interact socially with a diverse group where “your background doesn’t matter, everyone is met on the level.” On the other, it served to facilitate a greater sense of status where respondents “got to meet the elders of my community” or were “able to associate with the movers and shakers.”
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Claimed Changes in Character and Abilities Respondents claimed various interrelated changes in their character and abilities due to Freemasonry. The former were primarily moral; the latter also emphasize the acquisition of transferable abilities and skills. I will outline these claimed changes in respondent’s character and abilities as follows: (1) morality; (2) tolerance; (3) altruism; (4) confidence; (5) memory; and (6) inquisitiveness. First, respondents claimed Freemasonry to be a means of moral development and action (i.e. something that helped improve and regulate one’s ethical actions and moral character, giving them a core or standard to live up to). Thus thirty-six claimed that the moral obligations they swore to uphold helped to improve their “character,” “outlook,” or “moral actions” over time. They spoke variously of “learning a lot about myself,” of “changing,” becoming “less volatile,” “less materialistic,” “more selfless,” “more considerate,” and, that, as “historically lodges were about fair dealing,” “now my word is my bond.” Indeed, twenty-two explicitly referenced the common phrase that “Freemasonry takes a good man and makes him better,” some elaborating that the Craft is about “selfimprovement,” “personal development,” and a “character builder.” Thus, ten claimed that it gave them a good moral “framework” or “basis” for life and raising a family, three to have experienced “personal growth over time,” and two “a Due to the nature of learning, practicing, and performing different outlook on life.” Masonic ritual, respondents claimed that this helped their Interestingly, such comments memory. were often linked to the current
Photo by Scott Kenney and Robert Young.
Fourth, brotherhood was claimed important for brethren when they were traveling, visiting , or even moving to another location. Thus, twenty-four respondents pointed to how helpful being a Mason was when they were away from home: “You now have friends all over.” Indeed, the ready trust above, along with the vouching provided by the symbol or the setting, was said to encourage social interaction: “People spotted my ring and that provided me with contacts and buddies in various places.” This was key when respondents moved to a new area: twelve respondents spoke of the help they received from brethren informed they were coming, whether showing up to help with moving, greeting them on the street, introducing them around, and getting to know the area.
In other words, an alternative status hierarchy may be a meaningful symbolic realm for some, but it shouldn’t be too vulgar or obvious today or it undercuts the sense of brotherhood respondents found so important about the Craft.
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social order. Eighteen respondents contrasted the morality taught in Masonry with the anomic state of contemporary society,15 asserting that it “provides a firm foundation to live by in today’s crazy world.” Indeed, they saw Freemasonry as a source of authentic, meaningful “balance” for “negative social forces” in a “disposable” world filled with “uncertainties” and “watered down morality.” Hence it was not surprising to find respondents drawing upon Masonic symbolism when discussing moral incidents or dilemmas (e.g. not acting “on the level,” or engaging in “square dealing”). Eight claimed that the tenets of the Craft and their obligation “make me catch myself once in a while,” four that they try to “practice the tenets of Freemasonry out of the lodge,” and four others indicated how these interact with specific observations of social life: “that’s not something that we would accept.” Respondents often contrasted this image, in broad ways, with their prior and present character, candidly claiming varying degrees of progress along the way. Nevertheless, there were several dramatic stories of moral improvement, such as situations where former enemies had been able to make peace, even become friends, through their mutual involvement in Masonry. Beyond those claiming to be dealing with their problems (e.g. with alcohol) in part through their involvement in the Craft, there were even three accounts of brethren who claimed to have refrained from prior “immoral behaviors” (e.g. extramarital affairs with relatives of brethren) as a result of their obligation and fear of losing the respect of their brothers. Regardless of veracity, such claims serve to dramatically underscore the ideal of “moral improvement” associated with Masonic activities. Respondents provided three interrelated rationales for their moral claims. First, ten claimed a moral socialization process that operates “like multiplication” where “goodness rubs off” and “just keeps growing.” Second, twenty suggested Freemasonry served to meaningfully build upon their existing moral foundations, claiming it “consolidated my beliefs and principles,” “provided a forum and expression of prior principles,” and “confirmed that I was at least internally on the right track.” Finally, twenty-seven claimed merely to “identify” with the moral tenets and traditions of Freemasonry. Rather than get into a useless debate over the priority of these claims or attempt to evaluate their veracity - which the data do not answer in any event – one may merely conclude that there appears to be some sort of interactive relationship claimed between one’s prior moral state, the socialization one experiences during one’s activities in the Craft, and one’s moral claims at a later time. In some cases, the Masonic socialization element may be stronger; in others one’s prior socialization. Regardless of which is predominant in any given case, however, respondents clearly claimed involvement in Freemasonry provided both a valued moral “identity” and a “way of life.” Such claims – in the twenty-first century - update and reaffirm historical studies variously framing the Craft as: (1) a forum for moral improvement;16 (2) a space for performing moral stability in a society where the normative order was in a state of flux;17 (3) a realm of expressive idealism, for teaching civility and morality;18 (4) a kind of perpetual morality play;19 and (5) a living civil religion for some that fosters, among this group, a common set of moral understandings.20 Next, the most common thematic variation on respondent’s claims to have become more moral involved claims to increased tolerance ,
a theme that has been noted historically. 21Twenty-seven claimed to have generally become “more tolerant” as a result of involvement in the Craft. Beyond such general claims, however, there were several significant additional dimensions. First in this respect, there were thirty additional respondents claiming that they had become more “appreciative of others’ differences.” Second, there were an additional fifteen who asserted that they now attempt to focus on what they have “in common” with others. Third, there were forty who claimed to be less “judgmental” or “critical” of others. Variations include those who claimed to have become more “patient” and less “volatile,” “aggressive,” and “manipulative” when dealing with problematic people. Fourth, there were thirty whose claims to increased tolerance were expressed in terms of being more “considerate,” “understanding,” even “forgiving.” Finally in this respect, there were two interesting corroborative comments articulated by spouses, one that she has seen “more forgiveness” in her husband since becoming a Mason; another that “you’re always so much more loving when you come home from lodge.” These various ways in which tolerance is claimed to translate into Masons’ character and actions today help update and flesh out historical work in this respect.22 Third, seventeen respondents claimed to have broadly become more “altruistic” as a result of their involvement in the Craft. In addition, there were nine who said that they had become “more charitable,” seven that they “felt encouraged to contribute” to their community, culture, or society in contrast to “the way things are in society today,” and seven that they had become “more genuinely concerned for others.” Whether in response to a key lesson in the First Degree, to the general injunction “to practice out of the lodge those great moral duties inculcated in it,” to reciprocity for assistance previously provided, or simply to socialization with other Masons over time, respondents claimed an impressive list of specific altruistic actions, having the ability to do more collectively than they would be able to alone. Beyond the work of the Shriners with burned and disabled children noted by many, plus a variety of other organized charities associated with other concordant bodies (e.g. the Scottish Rite’s support of Alzheimer’s research), respondents mentioned, among other things, volunteering with youth or the abilities foundation, raising money for cancer research, assisting widows, the elderly and orphaned, visiting the sick in hospital, buying glasses for a woman who couldn’t afford them, buying heating oil for individuals on fixed incomes, and befriending/ assisting local women who have been harassed/abused. Such claimed altruistic changes in character and actions were undoubtedly, along with tolerance, significant underpinnings of the positive moral identity that many nurtured in relation to the Craft. Thus far, claimed changes in respondents’ character and abilities have tended to predominantly emphasize the former. At this point, however, the emphasis begins to shift to abilities and skills. This becomes evident with claims surrounding confidence . Thirty-three claimed that they had become “more confident” since becoming Freemasons. Another twenty-nine credited the Craft with overcoming their previous shyness. When asked about the mechanism behind these changes, responses focused squarely on interactive involvement and support. Thus, fourteen attributed confidence to the various administrative and ritual offices that they had held in the lodge, to developing and exercising increasingly complex skills as they advanced with the support of others. Similarly, ten respondents attributed this to memorizing and performing part of the ritual before the lodge, while five recent initiates put emphasis on “proving up” in open lodge prior to taking their SUMMER 2013 • 17
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Masons often claimed to either develop, or to deepen, their interests in subjects like history, religion, spirituality, and so on as a result of their experiences and work in the Craft. The Seven Liberal Arts by Giovanni di Ser Giovanni Guidi,"Lo Scheggia," (1406 - 1486).
next degree. The similarities between all of these mechanisms involve responsibility, memorization, practice, support, a safe environment, successful completion, and emerging knowledge that one can handle, even repeat it if necessary. In perhaps the most notable example, twenty-three respondents claimed involvement in Freemasonry had helped them to overcome fear and learn to speak in public. Given their claim to feel “supported if I make a mistake,” there seemed to be a progressive improvement over time from “stammering and stuttering” at first, through “becoming a better communicator,” to developing “confidence eventually to take on Masonic leadership roles.” Yet these practices did more than simply help respondents within the Craft. As with public speaking, it provided them useful, transferable skills that they could use in business, even to advance in their career. Moreover, many claimed the confidence they had developed in the Craft enabled them to better deal with their personal situation, including making important career decisions and “taking control” of their path in life. But perhaps the most significant impact was on men from modest backgrounds. Among nine general comments in this regard, one man, who previously saw himself as a lowly “grease monkey,” felt “moved” when his work resulted in his being elevated to master of the lodge. Indeed, it was primarily among such men that were found claims to “increased self-esteem,” ”self-respect,” “recognition,” and “status.” Thus, in several respects, such claims frame Freemasonry as administrative practice . For the man seeking transferable administrative skills, it may provide a private, supportive environment to overcome shyness, learn to speak publicly, increase confidence, participate in offices/committees, develop organizational, and leadership abilities, and facilitate decision making. It may also be that, when practiced by those from modest social backgrounds, they are given a “charge,” even a “boost” of recognition on an alternate status hierarchy - providing a meaningful, perceived alternate source of social power that they do not have outside. Fourth, and closely intertwined with the above, are respondent’s claims of improved memory. Given the requirement in most lodges to perform the ritual from memory, such claims are hardly more surprising than assertions from those who exercise that they gain
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strength and muscle tone. Thus seventeen claimed their mnemonic abilities had grown as a result of their involvement in Masonic activities. These are first exercised as they “prove up” while taking their degrees, then there are numerous opportunities for them to be further practiced over time as they are asked to do small parts, take an office, maybe even eventually become master or get involved in the activities of Grand Lodge. Insofar as respondents did these things in a safe and supportive environment they were interrelated with claims of increased confidence and represent another valuable and transferable skill of use in other contexts. The last group of claimed changes involves aspects of both character and ability: increased inquisitiveness. Thus thirteen respondents claimed to have found an increased impetus to learn, to have become, in the words of one man, “more inquisitive,” such that “Masonry provided a catalyst for reading up on stuff that I wouldn’t have” or “stimulated an interest that wasn’t there.” Twenty-nine respondents also broadly claimed that their involvement in Masonry, in the words of one man, “helped me to educate myself.” Beyond such broad claims, respondents spoke of specific changes in their interests as a result of their involvement in the Craft. Thus, twenty-four respondents claimed that they had become “more philosophical,” particularly in their newfound willingness to “consider big questions” in life and “fascination” with dissecting the “system of allegory.” Relatedly, twenty claimed to have become more interested in “spiritual” or “religious” matters. Within this group, ten claimed a deeper “spirituality” in relation to Masonic imagery, while another ten claimed that Masonry deepened their existing religious faith. Finally in this respect, six respondents claimed to have either developed or deepened an interest in history. Yet such results were not obtained without effort, time, and the exercise of the emerging abilities claimed earlier as respondents progressed in their Masonic careers. Thus thirteen respondents claimed that the meaning comes “from working at it,” nine that “the meaning comes in time,” and nine more related the emergence of meaningful understandings to their circumstances in life (i.e. “the meaning comes when you’re ready, when you need it.”) Ultimately, claims of increased inquisitiveness illustrate the fecundity of the interaction between Masonic socialization and involvement. For
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Nevertheless, due to the historic shift from a fraternity primarily emphasizing self-improvement to a highly organized, even bureaucratic group focused on supporting various Masonic philanthropies,23 except for brethren who make the effort, take active parts, or have had the benefit of a strong mentor program of Masonic education, an increased responsibility for deriving these meaningful insights now falls on individual Masons. Thus five respondents complained that such meaningful discussion was largely absent and “you have to do the work yourself.” Moreover, observations of meetings held by two separate, informal groups of Masons who meet regularly to have a drink, to discuss Masonic themes, and to challenge each other revealed most credited their Masonic knowledge more to their informal group than their encounters in lodge. The data revealed that such things are quite rare today, often crowded out by formalities, “boring business meetings” and bureaucratic concerns. In the absence of meaningful venues for such encounters, understandings either remain basic or motivation and responsibility for learning fall back much more heavily on the individual. Conclusion: Unlike historical studies, this paper outlines various thematic claims made by contemporary Canadian Freemasons about life changes since joining the Craft. Clearly, one cannot test these claims for veracity given the nature of the data set. Yet, even taking impression management and a highly committed sample into account, there remain strong thematic patterns present that shed light on neglected areas of both Masonic and sociological research. Indeed, to the extent that these reveal what respondents find meaningful about the Craft they provide numerous continuities with - and extensions of - historical studies (e.g. claims of Masonry as a place of refuge and morality in a rapidly changing society for the former; administrative, mnemonic, and inquisitive claims for the latter). Second, to the extent that these claims are valid, they may be reflections of a transformative practice in relation to self,24of ritualized social interactions where older, less desired aspects of the social self (e.g. those that were variously isolated, administratively unskilled, coping poorly, spiritually uncertain, or felt in need of moral work) are sacrificed in ritual social interaction, at a pace, and to an extent, largely chosen by each. Meanwhile, at the same time, new selves, new identities, indeed new men are continually rebuilt from within and
without. Among other things, these are selves that are claimed to be more socially and morally engaged, tolerant, charitable, administratively skilled, spiritually aware, and capable of coping with a greater variety of difficulties. Ultimately, however these aspects develop - and what their relative weighting is in an individual case – such claims bear further
Photo by Scott Kenney and Robert Young.
those willing to do the work, Freemasonry may serve as a vehicle for exploration, providing symbolic tools for a spiritual/ philosophical/ historical journey (e.g. “You can get an initial meaning, but spend the rest of your life expanding on it”). The multifaceted, interconnected strands of the ritual can be taken far deeper than the basic moral lessons apparent on the surface. Indeed, for those who want to privately move beyond the “how to” aspect, to delve beneath the surface moral meanings, the ritual provides an interesting and almost endless set of possibilities for free spiritual and philosophical investigation. This is because the extensive memory work inevitably involves more than repetition. To a greater or lesser extent, consciously or unconsciously, it involves digestion as well. As such, it is not so much what men do to make sense of the Masonic ritual. Rather, Masonry is the method . Such freedom, despite the practice of apparent rote learning, is, of course, one of the great ironies of the Craft.
investigation by sociological researchers in relation to the rapidly changing social landscape today. Third, the social changes and developments in personal character and abilities claimed here are inextricably tied to involvement , to matters that respondents claim deepen or deter their active participation in the Craft. Further research on those factors that are both conducive to, and corrosive of, involvement would clearly be in order to balance out the often positive claims articulated by respondents in this heavily committed and involved group. Fourth, researchers would do well to examine whether these thematic patterns hold or differ in important respects across jurisdictions, in lodges that meet in different cultural settings, in areas where Masonry represents the social elite vs. a neglected or persecuted group, and in coMasonic or women’s lodges, to name but a few. Ultimately, there is much more work to be done, and the above merely scratches the surface of a potentially fruitful research agenda. Nevertheless, it is hoped that the patterned themes reported herein serve as both a foundation and a springboard for further sociological investigation of contemporary - not just historical - Freemasonry in the twenty-first century. ABOUT THE AUTHOR J. Scott Kenney is Associate Professor of Sociology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. After briefly practising law, he earned his M.A (1993) and Ph.D (1999) at McMaster University. He was SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Dalhousie University (1999-2000), and taught at St. Mary’s University (2001-2004) before taking up his SUMMER 2013 • 19
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current appointment. He was raised in Burns Lodge No. 10, Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, in 2000. Active in the Scottish and York Rites, he affiliated with Whiteway Lodge No. 8 and is both a founding member and P.M. of University Lodge No. 34, G.L.N.L. and P.H.P. of Shannon Chapter No. 1, Royal Arch Masons of Newfoundland and Labrador. He currently serves as chair of the Education and Membership Committee for the Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador A.F. & A.M. NOTES 1 John Wade, “The Centre for Research into Freemasonry: University of Sheffield” (lecture given at Lodge Chimera No 160 on the rolls of the Regular Grand Lodge of Italy, Arezzo, Italy, November 21, 2002); Pietre Stones Review of Freemasonry, accessed June 26, 2013, www.Freemasons-Freemasonry.com. 2 Margaret C. Jacob, “The Enlightenment Redefined: The Formation of Modern Civil Society,” Social Research 58:2 (Summer 1991): 475—495; Mark C. Carnes, Secret Ritual and Manhood in Victorian America. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1989; Mary Ann Clawson, Constructing Brotherhood: Class, Gender and Fraternalism. Princeton, H.J: Princeton University Press, 1989; See also, Theda Skocpol, Diminished Democracy: From Membership to Management in American Civic Life. University of Oklahoma Press, 2003; Matthew D.J. Scanlan, M.D.J. (ed.), The Canonbury Papers, Volume 1: The Social Impact of Freemasonry on the Modern Western World. London: Canonbury Masonic Research Centre, 2002; Kevin Hetherington, The Badlands of Modernity: Heterotopia and Social Order. London: Routledge, 1997; Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000. 3 These included 72 Masons in Nova Scotia and 49 in Newfoundland. Aside from eleven immigrants (including three ethnic minority members), and 28 men under the age of 50, this was a relatively homogenous group: largely white, middle class, Christian men in their 60s and 70s with diverse occupational backgrounds, but more of an emphasis on the white-collar than blue-collar. They had a wide range of Masonic experience, including 9 men taking their degrees, 16 master masons with no office, 23 serving as lodge officers, 11 reigning masters, 41 past masters, 36 who have served in grand lodge, and 6 past grand masters from 6 different jurisdictions. 4 Inside Freemasonry, Halifax, N.S: Arcadia Entertainment/Vision TV, 2004. 5 A few qualified their comments beforehand, either suggesting that there were “no major changes,” or that Freemasonry had “reaffirmed” their prior morality. All went on to make one or more of the thematic claims below. 6 Stefan-Ludwig Hoffman, “Civility, Male Friendship and Masonic Sociability in Nineteenth-Century Germany,” Gender and History 13:2 (Aug 2001): 224248; Marcel Bolle de Bal, “At the Centre of the Temple: An Experience of Reliance, or the Tribe Rediscovered,” Societies 24 (July 1989): 11-13. 7 R. Stephen Doan, “Origins of Masonry,” Education 114:1 (Fall 1993): 2426; Andre Combes, “Notes on a Sociology of the Grand Orient of France,” Societies 24 (July 1989) 23-24. 8 Jacob, 1981; 9 Hoffman, 2001; Jacob, 1991; Carnes, 1989; Clawson, 1989. 10 Clawson, 1989: 15 11 Carnes, 1989. 12 Norbert Elias, The Civilizing Process. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994. 13 Carnes, 1989; Clawson, 1989; Hoffman, 2001, Hetherington, 1997. 14 Hetherington, 1997:103. 15 Stjepan G. Mestrovic, Postemotional Society. London, UK: Sage, 1997: 101122. 16 Hoffman, 2001. 17 Hetherington, 1997. 18 Jacob, 1991 19 John Wilson, “Voluntary Associations and Civil Religion: The Case of Freemasonry.” Review of Religious Research 22(2) December 1980: 125-136. 20 Pamela M. Joliocoeur, and Louis L. Knowles, “Fraternal Associations and Civil Religion: Scottish Rite Freemasonry.” Review of Religious Research 20:1 (Fall 1978): 3-22. 21 Hetherington, 1997. 22 Hetherington, 1997. 23 Mark A. Tabbert, “The Development of Twentieth Century American Masonic Philanthropies,”(Paper presented at the International Conference on the History of Freemasonry, Edinburgh, UK, May 25, 2007). 24 John P. Hewitt, Self and Society: A Symbolic Interactionist Social Psychology (Ninth Edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2003.
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HISTORY
The jebusite’s Jobsite:
Ornan the Jebusite & his Threshing Floor* By Michael A. Halleran, MMS
T
he column of dust would have been visible for miles. So too, the tramp of hundreds of stoutly shod feet would have echoed through the valley, punctuated by a rustling, jangling din of an army on the move. Commanding the army was David, King of Israel and their objective was the fortress city of Jebus. And when at last they reached the gates of the city, they came for a reckoning.
THE CITY OF JEBUS
Jebus, the home of the Jebusites, is none other than Jerusalem, a fact which is well known to Bible scholars, but which may not be evident to the Craft as a whole. Clearly an ancient city, this settlement appears in nearly forty of the sixty-six books of the Bible under one name or another. The original name of the townt was Uru-Salim, a Babylonian name meaning “the city of Salim,” and this Oxen circumambulating a Hebrew threshing floor from Hebrew Life name was later shortened to and Times by Harold B. Hunting (1921). “Salem” as reported in the At his ascension as King of book of Genesis. Prior to its Israel, representatives of the capture by David, the city was various tribes came to David at Hebron and offered him fealty and 4 tribute.1 He was thirty years old, and his road to the throne had called Jebus. Then, as now, the town was situated on the southern been circuitous and by no means certain. Saul, Israel’s first king, had slope of two ridges of land which terminated to the south by the intersection of two valleys, Hinnom and Jehoshaphat. The western been killed in battle at Mount Gilboa.2 Saul’s fourth son, Ishbaal had ridge is Zion and the highest section of the eastern ridge is Moriah, survived and inherited Saul’s kingdom only to have been murdered 5 thereafter. Following the subsequent assassination of Abner, David and the southern part of Moriah is the Ophel spoken of in the Bible. found the way to power spread before him. He ascended the throne sometime around 1000 B.C. and began consolidation of his kingdom. Yet there remained, despite popular acclaim, one people who refused him homage: the Jebusites.3
J
ebus, the home of the Jebusites, is none other than Jerusalem, a fact which is well known to Bible scholars.
In some jurisdictions, Masonic ritual expressly mentions the Jebusites and new Master Masons are introduced to these people chiefly through the mention of one man – Ornan the Jebusite, who owned a threshing floor that was later purchased by the victorious David. But even in those lectures that include mention of Ornan, the acquaintance is brief, and he appears nowhere else in the Masonic catechism. However, his inclusion in the ritual begs the question, who was Ornan? And for that matter, who were the Jebusites and why are they part, albeit a minor one, of Masonic instruction? The key to understanding who Ornan was, and why he remains important to the Craft lies with an understanding of the city of Jebus.
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Although we don’t know the exact size of the town, or the number of inhabitants, it was clearly an important location, and it was substantial enough to be fortified. The earliest historical mention of Jerusalem is found in the letter which its king, Abd-Khiba, wrote to Amenophis IV6, king of Egypt about 1400 B.C. It is clear from these letters that Jerusalem was at that time an important city, the head of a considerable territory, although its ruler was a vassal of the Egyptian king. At that period its influence roughly extended through the territory which afterward comprised the kingdom of Judah. which perhaps explains David’s determination to invest the town. But it was not an easy nut to crack, in part because of its fortifications. A passage in one of AbdKhiba’s letters shows that the city of that day had a wall. “We will open Jerusalem to the guards whom thou shalt send us by the hand of Khaja.” If Jerusalem could be “opened,” it was a walled city.7 This correspondence, known as historians as the Amarna tablets8, and the use of the name Uru-Salim has led to speculation about the origin of the Jebusites who are variously described in the Bible and in subsequent scholarship as Canaanites, Hittites or Amorites. In the book of Numbers, and in Joshua, we are told that the Jebusites dwell in the mountains with, or as, the Hittites. 9 In support of this theory, some scholars assert that Abd-Khiba is a Hittite name, which is suggestive of the fact that the Jebusites are of Hittite origin.
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Biblical references to a later king of Jerusalem, Adoni-zedek, are also used to reinforce the theory of the Jebusite’s Hittite origin. After Joshua’s initial victories, it was AdoniZedek, king of Jerusalem, who united the kings of the south against Joshua. He and the others were killed after a battle that took place west of Jerusalem. However, the book of Joshua does not tell us what happened to his city after the battle. The city was apparently occupied by another people, the Jebusites, who spoke a language related to Hittite. The Hittites were a people that lived in Asia Minor and parts of Canaan and spoke an Indo-European language. The book of Joshua tells that Jerusalem was inhabited by the Jebusites: “As for the Jebusites settled in Jerusalem, the tribe of Judah could not drive them out; the Jebusites lived beside the tribe of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.” Who were the Jebusites? The prophet Ezekiel described the origin of Jerusalem in the following way: “Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: your origin and your nativity is of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother was a Hittite.” The Amorites were western Semites. In the Bible the word Amorite is often used as a general term for the people in Canaan or those that lived in the Judean Hills. The origin of the Jebusites is not clear, but they lived among the Hittites and Amorites in the Judean Hills. 10 This supposition is disputed by some scholars, however. Recent scholarship suggests that the Jebusites were an Amorite tribe, and evidence collected in Syria appears to bear this theory out.11 The truth concerning the Jebusites, however, is still far from certain, but it is likely that the Jebusites were the occupants of the town site of what is now Jerusalem from the first half of the third millennium B.C. 12, and that it was continuously occupied since that time, or nearly so, until David beset the city sometime around 1005 B.C. 13 There is no dispute, however, that during the period of Judges, Jerusalem was certainly a Jebusite city.14 This fortress, and that Hebrew stronghold which was afterward called the “city of David,” were situated on the southern end of the eastern hill of Moriah in the place referred to as Ophel. 15 It is equally clear that the town was a fortress, strongly constructed, sitting astride the plateau of Ophel in command of the north-south artery of the country. By some accounts it was the strongest citadel in Judah at that time, analogous to a medieval European stone-keep or castle. Before the arrival of David it is thought
that Jebus functioned only as a military stronghold and administrative center, without any market or commercial activities.16 Not much is known about David’s assault on Jebus, but the Bible relates that the people of the town apparently scoffed at David’s demand for its surrender – no doubt reassured by their fortified position -- with haughty defiance. “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you.” 17 Never one to refuse a challenge, David took the city, but he spared the lives and property of the inhabitants, and they continued to live there on the Ophel while David and his followers settled on Mt. Zion. This event marks the beginning of Israelite Jerusalem. 18 THE LAST KING OF THE JEBUSITES Of Ornan himself, there exists only the biblical accounts; he had no biographer. Almost certainly, though, he the last king of the Jebusites, SUMMER 2013 • 23
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which can be surmised based on the Hebrew texts that concern him. There are four different versions of his name in the Hebrew bible. The chronicler refers to him as Ornan in chapter 21 of Chronicles, but three different versions of his name occur in Chapter 24 of the second book of Samuel where the Hebrew text names him Ha’awarna, then Arania and finally Arwana. These appellations are claimed by some scholars to be not a name, but a rank. [T]he proper version is probably “Arwana,” and should be connected [linguistically] with the Khurrite “Ewerina,” which means “the King,” “the Ruler,” “the Head Man.” This is not a proper name, but probably a title. We have two hints that help this suggestion…The first time the man is called ha’awarna hayyebhusi, “The Jebusite Arwana.” It is a bit strange, if we consider “Arwana” as a proper name to have the definite article [ha’] before it. A later reference says: “Everything was given by Arwana (Arawna), the King, to the King”; “the King” means to David. It is reasonable to suggest that ha’awarna, the King, was the last Jebusite king of Jerusalem, and it was not his proper name, but his title, the King. It is in Khurrite. The Jebusites were not Israelites and did not speak Canaanite or Hebrew. 19 King David purchasing the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite by William Brassey Hole (1846-1917).
Despite this linguistic confusion, it is likely that Ornan, as we have come to know him, was a person of some consequence because of his ownership of a threshing floor – a facility which may have been used by other members of the town similar to that of a mill or to the grain elevators of the present day. We know he had at least four sons, but beyond this, he remains an elusive figure. But with history as with commercial real estate, location is everything. Ornan the Jebusite is remembered because he owned the ground on which King Solomon’s Temple was built. THE THRESHING FLOOR The chronicler relates that David saw a destroying angel over the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. A threshing floor is a level piece of ground, probably without a roof, in which chaff is separated from grain by means of winnowing or flailing. And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued. Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad 24 24 • •SPRING SUMMER 2013 2013
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to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves.20 Following the instructions from on high, David negotiated the purchase of the threshing floor with Ornan who initially offered David the property at no cost. David refused, not wishing to sacrifice to God something given as a gift, and finally bartered with Ornan for a suitable price.21 The account in Samuel recites a sum of fifty shekels of silver for the threshing floor and some oxen, while the passage in Chronicles states that six hundred shekels of gold were paid. 22
NOTES 1
“ Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.” 2 Samuel, 5: 1.
2
s told in 1 Samuel, Saul, whose fate was foretold by the Witch of Endor, fell on A his own sword following his defeat at the Battle of Mount Gilboa by the Philistines in 1013 BC. During the battle Saul’s heir, Jonathon, was killed outright. R. Earnest Dupuy et al., The Encyclopedia Of Military History From 3500 B.C. To The Present, , 2nd Ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1986, 10.
3
Michael Grant. The History of Ancient Israel, Chas. Scribner’s Sons, New York (1984), 77-8.
4
J ames Orr, ed. “Entry for ‘JEBUS; JEBUSI; JEBUSITE’”. “International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,” 1915; <http://www.studylight.org/enc/isb/view. cgi?number=T4888>.(Accessed April 4, 2007). See also; Genesis 14:18.
5
eorge A. Barton, “The Jerusalem of David and Solomon,” The Biblical World, Vol. G 22, No.1 (July 1903) 8-10.
6
menophis IV is also known as Amenhotep IV, and still better known as Pharaoh A Akhenaten of the Eighteenth dynasty who was notable as the architect of the restructuring of the pantheistic Egyptian religion to a monotheistic worship the god Aten. Clyde E. Fant, Mitchell G. Reddish. Lost Treasures of the Bible: Understanding the Bible Through Archaeological Artifacts in World Museums, Cambridge: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2008, 43.
7
Ibid.. 10-11.
According to the second book of Chronicles, the threshing floor was on Mt. Moriah.23 Contemporary scholarship bears this out. Where was this threshing floor of Arwana? Certainly the threshing-floor must have been outside the limits of the city at the time. There is only one place where the topography allows for such a floor, where people can gather in masses, to the north of the south-eastern hill, which represents the remains of the Canaanite, Jebusite, and later David’s city. And this is exactly the place known as har habbayit, “The Mount of the Temple.” 24 Har habbayit, then, is without question the future site of the Temple of Solomon, and Ornan is the conveyor of that property to David. FULL CIRCLE Why Ornan the Jebusite is mentioned in some Masonic rituals and omitted from others cannot be satisfactorily answered. In those rituals in which he does appear, however, his importance may only be guessed at by the newly-raised. But, his distinction to the Craft is two-fold. In his capacity as the King of the Jebusites, he represents the last obstacle overcome by David. The taking of Jebus and the creation of Israelite Jerusalem is central to the story of David as well as a significant event for Freemasons – without David, and without Jerusalem, there can be no Temple of Solomon. But Ornan is critical for another reason, as well -- his threshing floor constitutes the very bedrock the Temple itself, situated on Mt. Moriah which in ages past was the landmark associated with the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. So it is that through Ornan, David comes full circle, and Ornan the Jebusite is remembered because of his role as an instrument in the creation of that edifice, a bit part to be sure, but nonetheless a crucial one.
8 The Amarna Letters -- are an archeological find of some 350 clay tablets found in 1887 in the ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Amarna which is located between Memphis and Thebes in Upper Egypt. They contain a record of correspondence between Egyptian officials and their imperial representatives in Canaan. William L. Moran. The Amarna Letters, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992, xxvi. See also William M. Flinders Petrie. Syria And Egypt: From The Tell El Amarna Letters, New York: Scribner’s, 1898. 9
Numbers 13:29; Joshua 11:3.
10
israel Shalem. “History of Jerusalem from Its Beginning to David,” Jerusalem: Y Life Throughout the Ages in a Holy City. Bar-Ilan University, Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies, (August 26, 2002), <http://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/ history_2.html> (Accessed April 4, 2007).
11
S ee Edward Lipinski. Itineraria Phoenicia, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 127 (Leuven: Peeters, 2004), 502.
12
.F. Albright. “The Jordan Valley in the Bronze Age,” The Annual of the American W Schools of Oriental Research, Vol. 6 (1924-1925) 63, n. 170.
13
Wilfred G. E. Watson. “David Ousts the City Ruler of Jebus.” Vetus Testamentum, 20: 4 (October 1970) 501, n.1.
14
Barton, 12.
15
Ibid. 13-4.
16
Ibid. 17.
17
2 Samuel 5; 6.
18
Orr, James, Ibid.
19
S . Yeivin. “The Threshing Floor of Araunah,” Journal of Educational Sociology, 36:8 (April 1963), 398. See also 2 Samuel 24:23; Gary A. Rendsburg, “Reading David in Genesis,” Biblical Archaeology Review, (Winter 2005) http://www.bib-arch.org/ bswb_BR/brf01reading_david.html, (Accessed April 5, 2007), Nicolas Wyatt. “David’s Census and the Tripartite Theory,” Vetus Testamentum, 40: 3, (July 1990).
20
1 Chronicles 21: 15-20.
21
lthough not apropos in this research, it is nonetheless interesting to note the A parallels between David’s negotiation for the threshing floor with Abraham’s bartering for the purchase of Sarah’s grave. See Sean M. McDonough. “And David Was Old, Advanced in Years: 2 Samuel XXIV 18-25, 1 Kings I 1, and Genesis XXIII-XXIV,” Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 49, Fasc. 1 (Jan., 1999), 128-131.
22
See 1 Samuel 24:24; 1 Chronicles 21:25.
23
2 Chronicles 3: 1. See also, Moses Wolcott Redding. Masonic Antiquities of the Orient Unveiled (1894); Kessinger Publishing Company, 1997, 399.
24
S . Yeivin. “The Threshing Floor of Araunah,” Journal of Educational Sociology, Vol 36, No. 8 (April 1963), 400.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael Halleran, the editor of the Journal of the Masonic Society is currently the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. *Originally published as “The Jebusite’s Jobsite: The Masonic Significance of Ornan the Jebusite & his Threshing Floor,” in The Plumbline, 17: 2 (Summer 2010). Reprinted by permission.
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SYMBOLISM
The Mysterious Triple Dot:
Meanings for Math, Myth and Masonry by Joi Grieg
For many, the triangular constellation of three dots on Masonic documents has been accepted as the equivalent of a period used for abbreviations. Some reference materials provide a short description but relatively few provide any history. A deeper investigation of this symbolic mark, which has many names, shows an interesting history and broad usage in and out of Freemasonry.
art may be the three triangular points tattooed on Ötzi, popularly known as the Ice Man, a natural Bronze Age mummy discovered in Italy in 1991. Although the significance of the tattoo on Ötzi is not known, the markings have produced some scholarly comment.7 This mummy was dated scientifically to have lived between 3350 and 3100 B.C.8 Elsewhere on the Internet, one may find many examples of the triple dot symbol THE ORIGINS in tattoos:9 “(1) In France, usage by criminals as, ‘mort aux vaches’ or The triple dot predates 1717 when ‘death to cops,’ (2) by the Mexican the first Grand Lodge in the U.K. Mafia, as ‘Tres Puntos’ (Three Dots) or was established, the date many call The triple dot symbol in ‘X3’ with linkage to the Aztec number the beginning of Freemasonry as Freemasonry has many ‘13,’ (3) in the southeast region of Turkey we know it. In mathematics, the nonnames. as ‘Gormem, Duymam, Soylemem’ meaning, ‘I inverted triangle shape (∴ ) symbol is used in hear nothing, I see nothing and I tell nothing,’ (4) in mathematical proofs as the therefore sign. This dates back Vietnam, teenage use as ‘toi khong can gi ca’ or ‘I care about nothing,’ to a Swiss mathematician, Johann Rahn, in his book, Teutsche Algebra, (5) in Sweden, as ‘luffarprickar’ or ‘hobo dots’ in use by sailors and published in 1659.1 prisoners, and (6) in Greece, as an indication of affiliation with anarchist In mathematics, the ∴ is placed before a logical consequence, which is beliefs/ideals related to the end points of the letter ‘A,’ a symbol some 10 the relationship between statements that holds true when one logically anarchists around the world use. The Burmese use it as a love tattoo. follows from one or more others. A form of this is a syllogism, originally Usage in the U.S. by Latino gangs, as noted by a police publication, is 11 a Greek term for a kind of logical argument in which one proposition shorthand for ‘mi vida loca’ or ’my crazy life.’ (the conclusion) is inferred from two or more others (the premises) of IN FREEMASONRY a specific form. The upside-down triangle shape (∵ ), the because sign, was first seen in the nineteenth century in the Gentleman’s Mathematical For usage of the triple dot in Freemasonry, Mackey states: Companion (1805). 2 Frequently among English and always among French Albert Mackey3 stated that it is futile to trace the triple dot back to authors, a Masonic abbreviation is distinguished by the Hebrew three yods, the Tetragrammaton or other ancient symbols. three points, ∴ , in a triangular form following the Despite that, there are other claims. At least one modern commentator letter, which peculiar mark was first used, according to suggests that the three supernals used in the Kabbalah are linked4, and Ragon, on the twelfth of August, 1774, by the Grand another states how similar to the ten sephiroth which are represented Orient of France, in an address to its subordinates. No by a dot pyramid consisting of four authoritative explanation of layers, or the Mysteries of Osiris, the meaning of these points Isis, and Serapis.5 In the blog, The “mi vida loca” tattoo and the 13 indicating gang association. has been given, but they may Copyright Police Magazine/PoliceMag.com. All rights reserved. Freemasonry - Its Historic Role, the Used with permission. be supposed to refer to the symbol is purely numerological and three lights around the altar, may come from Pythagoras.6 The or perhaps more generally proponents of these claims, however, to the number three, and to offer no substantiation suggesting the triangle, both important that Mackey’s comment on the symbols in the Masonic futility of further inquiry is likely system.12 accurate. Ragon himself13 stated that the first IN POPULAR CULTURE usage of the triple point abbreviation (l’abréviation triponcture) was in a As a tattoo, there has been significant circular of the date cited where the usage of the triple dot symbol. The Grand Orient of France is shown as earliest use of the three dots as body 26 • SUMMER 2013
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The triple dot embossed on the portrait of Orrin Welch, Past Grand Commander of the State of New York Commandery . Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog
NOT CONFINED TO EUROPE The use of the three dots is not confined to Europe. The Green Mountain Freemason, a publication of the Grand Lodge of Vermont, states the three dot abbreviation: ...is now constantly used in French documents, and, although not accepted by the English Freemasons, has been very generally adopted in other countries. In the United States, the use of this abbreviation is gradually extending.17 Similarly, in the Scottish Rite’s Northern Masonic jurisdiction Manual For Officers of Subordinate Bodies, the triple dot is described as, “shaped like a Delta, a symbol of the Scottish Rite (the explanation of which is found in the ritual), and is used after abbreviations which belong to the Rite.”18 In an Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O) Lodge publication from 1993, we find the following assertion, “the three dots (∴) that are often found with abbreviated names like A∴ A∴ and G∴ D∴ were originally intended to represent ‘Masonic Honor Points.’ In Masonry, a freemason who has received the first three craft degrees of initiation may put these three dots after his name.” 19 It is added that organizations such as Golden Dawn used G∴ D∴ instead of G.D. as they were made up of or included Craft-initiated Freemasons while the O.T.O did not use the, “three dot triangle in abbreviations of their names even though they are derived from Masonry.” 20 In addition to the term triple dot, it was called “the three dots,” the “triangular period,” “the tripod,” and the “triple period” in English.
The earliest usage of this symbol in mathematics by Johann Rahn in Teutsche Algebra in 1659. Credit: Johann H Rahn, Teutsche Algebra (Zurich: J.J. Bodmer, 1659), 53.
the “G.·.L.·. de France” and announced their new premises and annual budget. A French Internet source speaks of usage ten years prior in a register dated December 3, 1764, of the Sincerity Lodge (Sincérité à l’Orient) in East Besançon.14 Another source confirms this and indicates that the register used multiple different formats including “:.,” “.:,” “...,” and “ ∴ “ in reference to the elections held in that Lodge on that date.15 In a history of that Lodge16, there is the use of this symbol related to this election; however, copies of the register itself were unavailable as of the date of publication.
USAGE From a usage standpoint, the triple dot is placed after letters in a Masonic document, especially formal ones or those using abbreviated Latin, or on a coin, to indicate that such letters are the initials of a Masonic title or of a technical word in Freemasonry, as G∴M∴ for Grand Master, G∴L∴ for Grand Lodge, W∴M ∴ for Worshipful Master, and E∴A∴ for Entered Apprentice. Incidentally, plurals are formed by doubling the letters as in EE∴AA∴ for Entered Apprentices. On e-mail, you may see a colon followed by a period (:.) or, as noted particularly with European Freemasons, a period followed by a colon (.: ). This is far easier on a PC or smart phone than other methods such as changing to a symbols font or, with the use of a numeric pad, adding in 2234, the code for this symbol, on the numeric pad and then pressing Alt+x. CONCLUSION
The Scottish Rite Let There be Light Coin of 1969 using the triple dot. Credit: The Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum and Library
Thus we find that the triple dot, so common in Masonic writing and publishing is, like much of Freemasonry, of obscure origins. Although its provenance certainly lies in Enlightenment mathematics, it remains possible that its origins are SUMMER 2013 • 27
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far older. And, we find that its use, particularly in popular culture, transcends Freemasonry, but not necessarily the fascination with secret mottos, myth, and abbreviations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joi Grieg is a Past President and the current Chaplain of the Maryland Masonic Research Society. An active writer and researcher of Masonic history, symbolism and customs, she resides in Maryland.
(Endnotes) 1 Florian Cajori, A History of Mathematical Notations (New York: Dover, 1993), 52. 2 Ibid., 282-283. 3 Albert G. Mackey, Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences (Philadelphia, PA: McClure, 1917), 1802, 929. 4 DavodH, ““Three Dots”: .’.”. The Temple of Thelema Blog, June 15, 2006, http://www.heruraha.net/viewtopic. php?f=2&t=425&start=0. 5 Redd Fezz, ““Three Dots”: .’.”. The Temple of Thelema Blog, June 27, 2006, http://www.heruraha.net/viewtopic. php?f=2&t=425&start=0.
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6 Red Marriott, “The Three Points,” Freemasonry - its Historic Role, May 7, 2007, http://libcom.org/library/freemasonry-its-historic-role. 7 Lars Krutak, “Tattoos of the early hunter-gatherers of the Arctic,” The Vanishing Tattoo, n.d., http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/ arctic_tattoos.htm; Sharon Rose, “Tattoos and Piercings,” Rose City Acupuncture, last updated September 26, 2012, http:// rosecityacupuncture.com/blog/?tag=tattoos; “The Tattoos,” The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, n.d., http://www.iceman.it/ en/node/262. 8 “ The Tattoos,” The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, n.d., http://www.iceman.it/en/node/262. 9 “ File:3 dots tattoo.GIF,” Wikipedia Commons, last updated June 20, 2007, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3_dots_tattoo. GIF. 10 “The History of Tattoos”, The Tattoo Collection, n.d., http://www. thetattoocollection.com/history_of_tattoos.htm. 11 Jim McDonnell, “Two Effective Gang Enforcement Strategies “, Police: The Law Enforcement Network, August 15, 2012, http:// www.policemag.com/blog/gangs/story/2012/08/two-effectivegang-enforcement-strategies.aspx. 12 Mackey, 2. 13 Jean Marie Ragon, Orthodoxie Maçonnique Suivie de la Maçonnerie Occulte et de L’initiation Hermétique (France: 1854), 71. 14 “Les Frères 3 points…”, Union Franc-Maçonnique de Étrange Obseravance Initiatique (U.M.S.O.I), n.d., http://www.umsoi. com/francais/?p=428. 15 “Symbolisme sur les 3 Points Maçonniques”, L’edifice: La bibliothèque Maçonnique du Net, n.d., http://www.ledifice. net/3092-3.html. 16 “Historique de la Franc-Maçonnerie à l’Orient de Besançon depuis 1764” (Paris: Lebon, 1859), 5. 17 Christopher B. Murphy, editor, “What Does “∴” Mean and Why is it in My Green Mountain Free-Mason?”, The Green Mountain Freemason, 32:2 ( Summer/Autumn 2011), 11. 18 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Supreme Council, 33, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, 1955; See laso, “Three Dots,” Mastermason.com Forums, last updated on June 27, 2010, http://forum.mastermason.com/forum_posts. asp?TID=3604. 19 Bill Heidrick, editor, “From the Outbasket,” Thelema Lodge Calendar, June, 1993, http://www.billheidrick.com/tlc1993/ tlc0693.htm. 20 Ibid.
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Reflections from the Chamber by Cliff Porter, FMS
L
odge concluded, and with stomachs empty, men file into a room in the downstairs of the lodge, supermarket-style linoleum flooring giving the room the appeal of an abandoned hospital. Folding tables and folding chairs litter the room; not all match. If there are tablecloths, they are vinyl, or worse, disposable. Remnants of an Eastern Star meeting serve to set the ambiance of child’s birthday party that was quickly executed and fled even faster with pieces of streamer gracing the random corner and wall. Napkins left from the Rainbow Girls and plates from some randomly held function serve as place settings. Pizza, sandwiches and various fast food or picnic foods serve as the average meal. Men line up, spoon food onto their paper plates, before sidling up to the table to wolf down some food. Available beverages include soda, tea, instant coffee, or water. Although most of these men drink responsibly in all other aspects of their life, they are not trusted with so much as a glass of wine or beer by their fraternity. Somehow, it is believed, that although we chose only the best men, good and true men who have a deep and abiding faith in God for the Craft; we can’t trust these guys with a drink. The men sit with their predetermined cliques while the various smells of too much perfume from the same Eastern Star function, combined with mildew from a spill long ago, yet still unnoticed, provide a tangible smell to the lack of celebration, evoking the sadness of this rushed meal not even worthy of being likened to the shadow of a true feast. I use the word feast purposely. It was the feast day of St. John the Baptist in 1717 that the first grand lodge declared its formation. Various Masonic writers have held that “the Freemasons of the eighteenth century practiced the general custom of convivial society at dinners and banquets of toasting or drinking to the health of various people, things, or ideals.” Even the Grand Lodge of Texas provides an article which states, “the early Masonic Feast was also an elaborate event.” The same article declares that, “the lodges that founded the Mother Grand Lodge of England in 1717 outlined only two purposes in their constitution. One was to establish a center of union and harmony. The second was to revive the Quarterly Feast.”1
If we can agree that Masonry is valuable in the lives of its members, we too should be able to agree that such a wonderful thing should be Articles/General/craft_files/masonic_feasts_gltx.htm SPRING 2013 30 ••SUMMER
cause for celebration. I have heard many a Mason and read several passages declaring the life changing effects of our great and laudable Craft upon the lives of those men who have been privileged to call themselves Brother. This deserves more than a bologna sandwich and fruit punch. It deserves a feast, a festive board, or as the Traditional Observance lodges refer to their celebration; an Agape. For this reason, the Masonic Restoration Foundation, the organization that promotes lodge fulfillment and the various “traditions” of the Traditional Observance movement declares in their Statement of Purpose, “It is a tradition of Freemasonry that Lodges should make regular time for feasting, communal dining, and embracing the social enjoyment of their members. Holding an Agape or Festive Board after meetings has long been a traditional element of Masonic evenings. Table Lodges and Feasts of St. John offer opportunities to observe this important Masonic
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Harmonie Lodge No. 699
tradition with the larger Masonic community. The fellowship of men is best embraced in the convivial environs of sociability.” The Traditional Observance lodges hold what is generally referred to as an Agape. After lodge, the men seat themselves at a U-shaped table arrangement dressed in cloth tablecloths, and partake of formally plated, gourmet food and fine spirits. Some lodges, such as Enlightenment Lodge 198, pass a hat with both plus and minus signs on small pieces of paper. Each member of the lodge draws from the hat and the plus means for and the minus sign is con. A designated Brother arises and provides an easily arguable topic for discussion and calls upon a randomly chosen brother after stating his case. The Brother called upon stares at his paper, arises and makes is pro or con case depending upon his plus or minus. He must use rhetoric and remain patient and disinterested as Masonic argument would dictate. When he completes his argument, he calls upon the next and the conviviality continues. The night is filled with laughter, oohs and aahs, and good natured discussion. Men learn the art of truly subduing their passions in an atmosphere of wonderful food, good drink and great discussion. Men generally pay separately for the meals and attendance is expected. As with many of the things in life, items are often worth what you paid for them. Men would be upset if they paid more than a small donation for the current Masonic food fare, but are often happy to pay the necessary fees of $20 to $50 dollars a meal when the flavor and presentation of the food complimented by the company and atmosphere make it worth every penny. Brethren, if Masonry can inspire our founding fathers, help build empires, ease hostilities during war, and in every way improve the lives of its members when practiced to its potential; then it deserves a feast. It deserves to be celebrated, toasted and adored. And we, as Masons, should allow ourselves the time and energy to do so.
1. You may find the full article at http://www.themasonictrowel.com/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cliff Porter is the Chairman of Masonic Education for the Grand Lodge of Colorado, Hon. Past Grand Lecturer of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, Past Master of Enlightenment Lodge 198, and an associate member of the Lodge of Living Stones 4957 in Leeds, England. He is a veteran law enforcement officer and is recognized internationally for his work in the field of subconscious communications. Bro. Porter is the author of The Secret Psychology of Freemasonry (2011). His upcoming book, A Traditional Observance, will be available wherever fine books are sold.
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THE JOURNAL JOURNAL OF OF THE THE MASONIC MASONIC SOCIETY SOCIETY THE
Esoteric Treasures The Papus Bust Papus, born Gerard Encausse on July 13, 1865, was the Spanish-born French physician, hypnotist, and popularizer of occultism, who founded the modern Martinist Order. Although Papusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with Freemasonry was never regular, his influence in the Esoteric world is significant. This bust celebrates one of the most prolific esotericists of all time in stunning detail. It is available from the Esoteric Supply Company at http:// esotericsupplycompany. bigcartel.com/product/thepapus-bust.
32 â&#x20AC;˘ SUMMER 2013
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IN PRINT
Book Reviews: Current
Ornaments, Furniture and Jewels, by Julian Rees Julian Rees’s Ornaments, Furniture and Jewels is a lavishly illustrated and elegantly written discussion of the symbolic objects and images that populate the space of the Masonic lodge, and which act as illuminating points along the unfolding journey of the degrees. He places each element along an allegorical path, using the narratives of the degrees and lectures as a textual tracing board, across which the reader can wander.
The book is based on the Emulation ritual, the ritual that was formulated by the United Grand Lodge of England just after its formation, and which continues to be the most common ritual used in that grand lodge today. As such, there are assumptions and assertions that will seem quite foreign to many American Freemasons. From my vantage as a Mason in New Mexico, there are concepts that are exactly backward from what we hold here (for instance, the classing of the movable and immovable, or to whom the square and compasses are, respectively, dedicated). This has two effects upon my response to the book. First, I would hesitate to recommend it to a particularly new Mason in my own lodge. To navigate the concepts and explore, rather than be confounded by, the possible incongruities which might arise could prove problematic for the recently raised. Second, I would enthusiastically recommend it to the knowledgeable Mason who relishes the chance to expand his own symbolic interpretations. It is rare to encounter such a clear discussion of the symbols of Masonry as used in a foreign jurisdiction. A chance to see how another ritual or jurisdiction differently utilizes the same emblems will afford American readers an array of new perspectives, offering them new vantages that would be unlikely without encountering these varying usages. While primarily suspended from the work of the Emulation ritual, Rees’s text also makes somewhat regular reference to some French ritual and usages, as well as those of Le Droit Humain, the international co-Masonic order to which the author belongs. Similarly, the rich illustrations are drawn from various American, English, French, German, and other jurisdictions, reproducing objects and illustrations dating from the early sixteenth century to the present day. The only persistent fault I find in the book is that it is completely devoid of footnotes, and as it is a short rather than an exhaustive work, there are many passing references and glosses which would be highly worthy of further examination. The author, however, does not afford us the tools necessary to do so, much at the expense of the reader. Reviewed by: Tyler Anderson Lewis Masonic (2013), 112 pages Paperback £15.99
The English Masonic Union of 1813: A Tale Antient and Modern, by John Belton, with foreword by Prof. Andrew Prescott “If one wants to understand the history of English masonry within Britain there is simply no escape from getting to grips with the story of Irish freemasonry.” —Belton On St. John the Evangelist’s Day, December 1813, the two grand lodges of England, the “antients” and the “moderns,” joined together to become the United Grand Lodge of England. On the eve of the two hundredth anniversary of this historic event, TMS Fellow John Belton has published a book that sheds light on the actions surrounding this union. The English Masonic Union of 1813 tells a tale from a global perspective, not solely from an English perspective. Belton describes how events which contributed to the development of Freemasonry in Ireland and Scotland, and elsewhere about the British Empire, also had an impact on, and influenced the formation of, the United Grand Lodge of England. Before union could be accomplished, one of the major issues that had to be resolved between the two rival English grand lodges was how to include Royal Arch Masonry in the body of English Freemasonry. As Belton explains, “It seems that freemasons have always had an appetite to experience more degrees and the early nineteenth century was no exception from this tendency.” The concept of “pure ancient Masonry,” which consists of “only three degrees,” was being assailed by a craft that was hungry for more degrees. Belton handles this issue without difficulty, and further describes the impact of the union on the development of other “higher degrees.” The English Masonic Union of 1813 is a compact text and easily read in a few evenings. Although it covers the topic well, given the limited source material available, it left this reader eager to read more about various protagonists in the story (the Duke of Athol, the Earl of Moira, William Preston, the Duke of Sussex, and Alexander Seaton and the Grand East of Ulster). With much pleasure, I recommend The English Masonic Union of 1813. Reviewed by: Bo Cline Arima publishing (2012), 137 pages Paperback US$16.00, £9.99 Meet the Reviewers:
Tyler Anderson is master of Sandia Mountain Lodge No. 72 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received his BAFA in art history from the University of New Mexico, where he worked at the University Art Museum for nearly a decade. He is an avid collector of fraternal regalia and photography and a writer on the subjects of travel in New Mexico and American fraternalism. John R. “Bo” Cline, president of The Masonic Society, is a past grand master, twice past master of Matanuska Lodge No. 7 in Palmer, Alaska, and a member of various Masonic research groups. He is very interested in the study of Masonic history and symbology.
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IN PRINT
Book Reviews: Classic
The Worshipful Master’s Assistant by Robert Macoy Born in Armagh, Ulster County, Ireland, in 1815 — the same year Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo — Robert Macoy grew up in the United States. Apprenticed to a printer in his youth, he spent his professional life in the printing business, and in partnership with another famous Mason and author, John W. Simons, Macoy founded a Masonic publishing house in 1849 — before joining the fraternity. By the 1880s, Macoy Publishing was a going concern, but rather than rest on his commercial laurels, Macoy embarked on making his publishing house a bully pulpit for the improvement of the fraternity.
Although Macoy insisted that “to become master of a Lodge, ‘worthy and well qualified,’ should be the legitimate object of ambition to every brother interested in the prosperity of the society,” he shuddered visibly at the prospect of ill-prepared wardens advancing to the Oriental Chair, and the resulting havoc they would unleash. Macoy had clearly observed milksop Masters, tyrannical treasurers, and ill-governed lodges and this book was conceived as an instruction manual. First published in 1885, Macoy’s magnum opus, while a useful starting point, is not the anodyne for Masonry’s ills. Although he devotes two chapters to the duties of the master
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and the subordinate officers, this material covers a bare forty-one pages, and is written in stilted nineteenth-century parlance that is troublesome for many readers. The “revised edition” issued in 1980 by Allen E. Roberts could have addressed this language barrier by modernizing the text and updating the contents, but alas, the revision merely added a new preface, and some ancillary material at the back of the book, leaving the reader to stumble along in this fashion, “The particular subjects for which the W.M. is likely to call his Lodge in the interval between the regular communications, are funerals; invitations from neighboring Lodges; emergencies produced by conflagrations, inundations, defalcations, etc.; proposed visits from Grand Officers; lectures and addresses proposed for the benefit of the members; conferring degrees upon candidates duly elected by the Lodge, etc., etc.” The bulk of the book contains speeches and orations, some of which might be useful on formal occasions, but the remainder are of value chiefly as curiosities of a bygone age. This is not to say that The Worshipful Master’s Assistant is of no value to contemporary American Freemasons, only that it is of limited utility as a practical guide, and prospective buyers in search of a good how-to for their year in the East should realize its limitations. Reviewed by: Michael Halleran Available in multiple free or low-cost editions
Discover the history behind Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol”
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Masonic Treasures
Masonic Apron from Robert Burns Initiated 1781 Masonic Lodge This unique and beatuful Apron is worn by members of Robert Burns Initiated 1781 Lodge located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was chosen, along with the Lodge name, to commemorate the date Robert Burns was initiated into Freemasonry, 1781. Robert Burns was initiated an Entered Apprentice in Lodge St David Tarbolton on the 4th July 1781 at the age of 23. His initiation fee was 12s 6d (62.5 pence new money) and paid on the same day. Burns was passed to the degree of fellowcraft, and raised to the degree of Master Mason in 1st October 1781. Freemasonry’s influence on Burns’s poetry is quite visible. Poems such as “Libel Summons,” “ A Man’s a Mans for all That” illustrate this clearly. “Auld Lang Syne” is a concrete expression of his love of mankind and his ideal of international brotherhood.