The level was used by operative masons to lay their work surfaces perfectly horizontal thereby providing not only a solid foundation on which to build but a framework true to their designs.  The level worked by virtue of gravity and under principles established in a number of our seven liberal arts and sciences; the simplicity in its construction belies the complex underpinnings of its operation.  Such is the beauty of this simple tool... and of life.

Speculatively, it is a reminder that all men progress alike towards eternity - equally as vulnerable to the same passions, fears and temptations regardless of our socio-economic status, race or creed.  By it, we are taught to be charitable to those who are less fortunate and not to be envious of those who have amassed power and wealth beyond our own situation.  After all, death's hand knows nothing of our earthly possessions or positions.

I view the weight swinging rhythmically on the end of the string as a sensor perceptible only to our actions; its movements mysteriously synchronized, as if by magnetic force, to the lives we lead; the precision of its measurements, unrivaled.  The string I see as an allusion to our cable tow and a reminder that our actions should be governed by our bond to both brother Masons and mankind alike.  All of this, however, would be useless without some constant force to keep it in check; the weight would float around haphazardly, twisting and knotting the string by which it is held... perhaps even breaking away from it.  The tool would be rendered useless by virtue of its inaccuracy.

Gravity is a force to which none of us are exempt.  Its universality implies immense strength and is haunted by the specter of destruction; without a sound structure, it can cause roofs to collapse around us.  It can render short falls deadly.  Yet at the same time we depend on it for in its absence, earth would be flung from its orbit and the universe would descend into the depths of chaos.  It is, in essence, a great mythological force much like Inanna, the Sumerian Goddess of love and war, who's duty was as follows:

To pester, insult, deride, desecrate - and to venerate - is your domain, Inanna.
Downheartedness, calamity, heartache - and joy and good cheer - is your domain, Inanna.
Trembling, affright, terror - dazzling and glory - is your domain, Inanna.

On the other hand, Freemasonry, if given the chance, can also be that universal force which bind us all.  It gives us wisdom, strength and beauty; it constructs the pillars of strength and establishment in a world of weakness and disenfranchisement; it is our personal lighthouse while we are cast away on the seas of darkness.  While we as mortals must subject to gravity, we as Freemasons should strive to calibrate our levels by something more tangible, something pure.

Those who care not how much the weight moves nor how the string sways will surely live under the rules of gravity.  They may amount to nothing in their lives or they may rule the world - but they will always be limited in some fashion by the rules to which they have subscribed.

No... not me...

I'd rather let Freemasonry be my gravity.

On my last article, The Allegories, Symbolism and Metaphors of the Entered Apprentice Degree, Brother Carter left a comment asking where I've gained my insight into Masonry thus far.  His question is as follows:

Bro, you are no ordinary [FC]. Where did you gain your insight? Looks like you did lots of studying prior to taking the journey. Do tell.

I believe that is a valid question for anyone who reads my blog to have so I will do my best to try and answer it.

The long and short of it is that I am lucky enough to have an excellent instructor who is very thoughtful and well versed in the more esoteric aspects of Masonry.  Not only do we have our regular weekly instructional sessions for the proficiency, but we also set some time aside to expand upon the teachings of the degree (for instance referring to passages in the bible which relate to the degree work).  I also do a lot of reading on my own; I read every blog I can get my hands on, I browse through the various Masonic forums daily and I've read a lot of books on Masonry. My Lodge, for instance, gives out a copy of the Claudy book corresponding to the degree being conferred that evening.  Truth be told, I read Bro. Hodapp's "Freemasons for Dummies", Bro. S. Brent Morris' "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry", Bro. Robert's "The Craft and its Symbols" and Bro. MacNulty's "Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance" (which, despite its title, does not reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry) before I was even initiated as an Entered Apprentice. I'm also a musician so I tend to look for a deeper meaning within words and I contemplate very deeply on what I read.

That being said, I've been very careful not to expose myself to any of the materials which claim to expose the secrets of Freemasonry or the degree rituals (which is easier said than done with all the garbage posted on the Internet!) - I have no desire to ruin those for myself.  Every single one of those books I listed above, in addition to the others I have in my "to read" pile, are written by active Masons who honor their obligations not to reveal any of the fraternity's secrets.  I couldn't tell you a thing about the 3rd degree yet (grips, words, signs, ritual, etc) and I have made it a point not to watch the TV special which reportedly shows a Master Mason ritual being performed.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the role my recommenders and those who signed my petition play in my Masonic pursuits.  I feel indebted to those people who went out on a limb to recommend me, signed my petition, dropped the white ball on me, participated in my degrees and who spend their time teaching me what I need to know to find light.  I don't want to let them down in any way and, in the case of my Cousin who made his final journey to the Lodge on High shortly after recommending me, I feel a duty to honor his memory by not only being a Mason in name, but by living as one too.

Greetings Brethren!

I found a great article over at aedifico42's MasonicMinute.com while cruising the Masonic blogosphere.  In it, aedifico42 brings up some excellent points regarding the divisiveness of our present-day society and suggests Masonry as a cure for an ailing nation.   Take a look when you have a few minutes to read it over; it's well worth the time.

With the first leg of my journey into the world of Masonry now complete and after some serious contemplation of my travels thus far, I feel compelled to write about my experiences.  Since there are so many aspects to cover (esoterical, emotional, evaluative), I have decided to break this article up into its constituent pieces so each can be given due consideration.  Today I will be focusing on the Allegorical, Symbolic and Metaphorical teachings that I have learned during the EA degree from initiation through proficiency.

To an intelligent and thoughtful man, the degree of Entered Apprentice serves a much more important function that that of providing a means to an end whereby a man can be labeled a Freemason; it serves as the tool (I've come to learn that Masons love tools) through which a candidate is introduced to the mysterious and beautiful world of Freemasonry.  It is a world steeped in traditions and full of allegories, symbols and metaphors through which a man can be transformed into a Mason.  I say "can" because it is only after a deep, philosophical discussion with one's inner conscious that the teachings of the degree will be revealed - that it's not being called a Freemason which is important - it's the act of being one... It seems to me that those not willing to think long and hard about its implications are doing themselves, and Freemasonry as a whole, a disservice.

Click to read more ...

While I was searching though the internet, I came across a site called The 3D Bible Project where they have an interactive model of King Solomon's Temple.  While it appears to be a bit dated, graphics wise, it's still pretty neat to wander around and check things out.  Have a look here.

If you're pressed for time and just want to see the points of interest, try right clicking on the window and selecting "viewpoints".

During my interview with the investigations committee, they asked me a question that I wasn't able to fully answer without giving it much more serious thought.  They asked me, quite simply (to them!), what I expected from Freemasonry.  I told them that I was, like many other people, looking for answers to the unanswered questions in my head; that numerous events in my life had lead me to question my faith.  I also told them that I had no interest in dealing with people that were only out for themselves and that the tenants of Masonry provided an environment in which those types of people couldn't hack it.  But, after much thought and contemplation (and a post on Masonic Minute) , I've come to the realization that my expectations for Masonry run much deeper than that. 

I don't want it easy...
I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the tendency of today's society to demand immediate gratification.  I do not want to waltz in to my Lodge and be risen to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in a matter of weeks; that is the antithesis of 'sublime' to me.  To be completely honest, I was absolutely shocked to find out that Masonry had apparently, at least for a period of time, become more worried about the number of people wearing an apron rather than the quality of those wearing an apron. 

I asked myself how an organization that has been around for hundreds of years - and which has its roots in antiquity - would see fit to hold one day classes, churning out McMasons to seemingly bolster their membership numbers.  After reading so much about the traditions and teachings of Masonry, many of which are delivered through the degree rituals themselves, I was disheartened to think that the Craft might have been moving away from that which distinguished itself.  The esoteric traditions of Masonry is precisely what's different about it when compared to other fraternal organizations such as the Rotary and the Elks - and it's that very difference which I think made it so successful.  Now, this isn't to say that some good Masons didn't come out of those one day events - I'm sure they have produced quite a few upstanding brothers - but I am of the belief that those types would have preferred to go through the normal degree process, if not then, then now... at least I do.

Lately,  however,  it seems the desire for change is becoming more and more palpable by the day.  I have read about Grand Lodges discontinuing one day classes and Blue Lodges prohibiting their new blood from attending them; I have seen more and more posts in the blogosphere calling for a return to esotericism; I have heard Brothers declare that it is not enough anymore to just know the rituals - instead, one should be taught their meanings and made to understand them.  I have heard all these things and I'm not even a Mason yet!  Although I have been told in the past that one only gets out of Masonry what they put in, I am excited to see an atmosphere redeveloping where one is encouraged to give it their all instead of just showing up to put a warm body in a chair.  I am of the belief that this commitment to excellence will prove popular because...

Click to read more ...

Somewhere, amongst the list of man's most ancient of questions (and, I would imagine the most oft asked), lies 4 little words.  These 4 words, comprised of only 12 letters, forms a sentence so short that it almost beguiles the immense magnitude of its meaning:

Why are we here?

For each person who has ever reflected upon this question with at least a modicum of seriousness, the answer is surely as varied as the individual doing the asking.   The answers may perhaps be similar in form, but they are undoubtedly unique in their nuances; one man's conclusion is sure to have found itself in the proverbial dustbin of another's thoughts.  It has recently become clear to me that we will never truly know the answer to this question - not in this life at least.

It's almost like a painting or a tapestry in a way.  Some of us are standing so close - so wrapped up in our lives - that we cant help but only see each individual color as it catches our eye, immediately forgetting the last no matter how vivid it may have been.  "Living for the now" has the unfortunate side affect of preventing us from living for the future, or even, living for the past. 

But for each of us that are standing so close, there is another who stands out in the periphery.  So far out, in fact, that they can see the whole picture only by its most basic of elements.  While they may be able to discern what the painting looks like, they can never figure out just what the painting is; the lack of detail makes it so that they might as well be blind. 

Planning every aspect of our lives in advance, by nature, ignores the little things that pop up during our respective travels.  Perhaps calling these life events  "little things" might seem like a misnomer for they can - and do - have a great affect on us.  However, one must be cognizant that, in the grand scheme of things, these events are but a moment in history contending for significance against billions of others...  indeed, such is the ruthless nature of time! 

More abstractly, though, while there are thousands of paintings in an art exhibit, each one remains beautiful in its own right because of its details; without them there would be nothing upon which to shine a spotlight, much less to feature, in the first place.  And while each individual detail remains relatively meaningless on its own, putting them together with a little foresight and a lot of passion produces something worth framing.  There is simply no denying that these details are the spice of life... they are what gives living a complexion all its own.

The trick in life is to figure out where to stand.

And while we're trying to get the best vantage point, perhaps pondering the question of "why", and in turn asking "why not?", will give us a measuring stick with which we can gauge our distance.

Why not love much and love often
Even though it may be unrequited?

Why not laugh
Not just with others, but at ourselves?

Why not help another person who deeply needs it
And say thank you when we're that person?

Why not take responsibility for our actions
instead of blaming someone else no matter what the repercussions?

Why not shoot for the stars and aim for our dreams
while never forgetting our roots and where we came from?

Why not take pride in the quality of our work
instead of the number of figures in our paycheck?

Why not speak out against the wrongs of the world
though we live in relative comfort?

Why not be a patriot
even if it means personally sacrificing much in the interest of liberty?

Why not care about our fellow man
and not just about ourselves?

In truth and knowledge,
-Scott

Just a little poem I came across today...   Though the message is quite obvious, it's still a poignant reminder.

Emblems of the Craft

 Dr. Robert Morris

You wear the Square! but have you got
That thing the Square denotes?
Is there within your inmost soul
That principle which should control
Your actions, words and thoughts?
The Square of virtue,--is it there,
Oh, you who wear the Mason's Square?

You wear the Compass! Do you keep
With that circle due
That's circumscribed by law divine
Excluding hatred, envy, sin,--
Including all that's true?
The Moral Compass draws the line,
And lets no evil passion in!

You wear the Trowel! have you got
That mortar, old and pure,
Made on the recipe of God
Divulged within His ancient Word,
Indissoluble, sure?
And do you spread, `twixt man and man,
That precious mixture as you can?

You wear the oriental G!
Ah, Brother, have a care!
He whose All-seeing Eye surveys
Your inmost heart, with open gaze,
Knows well what thoughts are there!
Let no profane, irreverent word
Go up t' insult th' avenging God!

Dear Brother! if you will display
These emblems of our Art,
Let the great morals that they teach
Be deeply graven, each for each,
Upon an honest heart!
Then they will tell, to God and man,
Freemasonry's all perfect plan!

Published in 1914, The Builders by Brother Joseph Fort Newton contains one of the most eloquent and thoughtful answers to the question which has, no doubt, existed since the birth of speculative Freemasonry, "What is a mason?".  Because of the oratory skill and passion with which he wrote and ministered, one doesn't have to do much searching to find this passage from the end of section III, chapter 3 - The Spirit of Masonry quoted heavily throughout the Internet: 

When is a man a Mason? When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and courage--which is the root of every virtue. When he knows that down in his heart every man is as noble, as vile, as divine, as diabolic, and as lonely as himself, and seeks to know, to forgive, and to love his fellow man. When he knows how to sympathize with men in their sorrows, yea, even in their sins - knowing that each man fights a hard fight against many odds. When he has learned how to make friends and to keep them, and above all how to keep friends with himself. When he loves flowers, can hunt the birds without a gun, and feels the thrill of an old forgotten joy when he hears the laugh of a little child. When he can be happy and high-minded amid the meaner drudgeries of life. When star-crowned trees, and the glint of sunlight on flowing waters, subdue him like the thought of one much loved and long dead. When no voice of distress reaches his ears in vain, and no hand seeks his aid without response. When he finds good in every faith that helps any man to lay hold of divine things and sees majestic meanings in life, whatever the name of that faith may be. When he can look into a wayside puddle and see something beyond mud, and into the face of the most forlorn fellow mortal and see something beyond sin. When he knows how to pray, how to love, how to hope. When he has kept faith with himself, with his fellow man, with his God; in his hand a sword for evil, in his heart a bit of a song - glad to live, but not afraid to die! Such a man has found the only real secret of Masonry, and the one which it is trying to give to all the world.

It is obvious that Brother Newton had great skill with his pen and a way with words that few possess.  It is for this reason that I offer you the rest of the chapter from which this quote is taken;  I promise you, it is equally as profound and reading it would be time well spent.

OUTSIDE of the home and the house of God there is nothing in this world more beautiful than the Spirit of Masonry. Gentle, gracious, and wise, its mission is to form mankind into a great redemptive Brotherhood; a league of noble and free men enlisted in the radiant enterprise of working out in time the love and will of the Eternal. Who is sufficient to describe a spirit so benign? With what words may one ever hope to capture and detain that which belongs of right to the genius of poetry and song, by whose magic those elusive and impalpable realities find embodiment and voice?

With picture, parable, and stately drama, Masonry appeals to lovers of beauty, bringing poetry and symbol to the aid of philosophy, and art to the service of character. Broad and tolerant in its teaching, it appeals to men of intellect, equally by the depth of its faith and its plea for liberty of thought--helping them to think things through to a more satisfying and hopeful vision of the meaning of life and the mystery of the world. But its profoundest appeal, more eloquent than all others, is to the deep heart of man, out of which are the issues of life and destiny. When all is said, it is as a man thinketh in his heart whether life be worth while or not, and whether he is a help or a curse to his race.

Here lies the tragedy of our race:
Not that men are poor;
All men know something of poverty.
Not that men are wicked;
Who can claim to be good?
Not that men are ignorant;
Who can boast that he is wise?
But that men are strangers!

Click to read more ...