This past Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of visiting Philo Lodge No. 243 in South River, NJ to see a Fellowcraft Degree be put on.  It was also my first time traveling to another Lodge so it was quite an interesting experience.  The Brethren of Philo Lodge did an excellent job with the degree and it was a prime opportunity for me to soak in the details I had missed by virtue of the hoodwink during my own Fellowcraft degree.  I also had much to learn about floorwork, signing in and out of the lodge and various other ritual movements that I was previously unaware of. 

Afterwards we had a humble meal, satisfying in it's simplicity, and flavored by fellowship.  All in all, it was a great evening with some great people and I look forward to February 5th when I will be travelling to Milltown Lodge No. 294 to see an Entered Apprentice degree.

Congratulations are in order to the two Brothers from Philo Lodge on their advancement to Fellowcraft and I wish them the best in learning their next proficiency.

Lately I have been buried in the Fellowcraft Proficiency in my efforts to learn it word perfect.  It has been quite a challenge and there are still some sections that I am working on but the material is quite interesting.  I really hope I'm ready as I prove proficiency this coming Monday.

I have also found out that February 4th will be the big night when I will be raised to the Sublime Degree.  I'll be sure to write about all my experiences soon.

Greetings Brethren,

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

Just wanted to drop a quick line and let you know why I have been a bit absent on here... My lodge has asked me to write a paper on the Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft degrees to be presented to the Brethren; on top of that I have been trying to study my Fellowcraft proficiency so I've been a bit stretched for free time.  I hope to be posting again soon and I will certainly post my paper once it has been completed.

Take care.

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.

Well, after a month of studying the EA proficiency exam materials, I proved myself and received the degree of Fellowcraft last night.  I definitely enjoyed the content of this ceremony a lot more than the one for the Entered Apprentice degree; it seemed much more informative and the inherent beauty in how the Craft uses its metaphors and allegories really blew me away - this was especially so during the journey to collect my wages.  I look forward to learning all I can about the substance of this degree in the next few months.