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.

What makes a man a Mason, O brother of mine?
It isn’t the due guard, nor is it the sign,
It isn’t the jewel which hangs on your breast
It isn’t the apron in which you are dressed

It isn’t the step, nor the token, nor the grip,
Nor lectures that fluently flow from the lip,
Nor yet the possession of that mystic word
On five points of fellowship duly conferred.

Though these are essential, desirable, fine,
They don’t make a Mason, O brother of mine.
That you to your sworn obligation are true
'Tis that, brother mine, makes a Mason of you.

Secure in your heart you must safeguard and trust,
With lodge and with brother be honest and just,
Assist the deserving who cry in their need,
Be chaste in your thought, in your word and your deed.

Support he who falters, with hope banish fear,
And whisper advice in an erring one’s ear.
Then will the Great Lights on your path brightly shine,
And you’ll be a Mason, O brother of mine.

Your use of life’s hours by the gauge you must try,
The gavel of vices with courage apply;
Your walk must be upright, as shown by the plumb,
On the level, to bourn whence no travelers come,

The Book of your faith be the rule and the guide,
The compass your passions shut safely inside;
The stone which the Architect placed in your care
Must pass the strict test of His unerring square.

And then you will meet
with approval divine,
And you’ll be a Mason,
O brother of mine.

Fraternal Greetings Brothers!

I started this website with the goal of making it more than just a blog.  Aye, the blog was (and still is) important to me but I also wanted a place to collect all the files, links and other miscellaneous tidbits I came across during my travels.  I envision this site differently now - I see it as resource for both those who are interested in becoming a Mason and for Master Masons alike.  To this end, though I already had loose implementations of the following, I have recently expanded the materials being offered.  The site now includes a photo gallery, link database to all sorts of Masonic sites and Masonic E-Library which boasts a fairly sizable number of down-loadable e-books and papers.  You will also notice a Frequently Asked Questions section in the navigation bar to the left - over time, I will endeavor to make this one of the most comprehensive and useful Freemason FAQs on the Internet.  If I may be so bold, I would like to highlight some of these features and encourage you to visit them as your time permits.

The Inner Sanctum
This is the portion of my site you are probably all familiar with - the blog.  In it, I will be keeping track of my progress through Masonry as well as posting various essays on esoteric masonry.  I encourage all readers to post comments on my posts as their fancy dictates - you can do so by clicking the "Post a Comment" link below the title for every journal entry; registration is not required.  You can also email or create a printer friendly version of the post by pressing the aptly named "Email" and "Print" links above, respectively.  All of my writings are licensed under a Creative Commons License.

The Other Side
The Other Side is also a blog but with the caveat that no Masonic subjects will be discussed there.  It's sole purpose is to provide a place to write about some of the other things I enjoy such as playing guitar, songwriting, baseball, shooting sports, motorcycles, comedy and anything else I feel the urge to write about.

Recommended Reading
On the recommended reading page you will find amazon links to some of my favorite books on Masonry.  I have personally read all of these cover to cover and have found them to be quite useful in my studies.  While the links do contain a referral code in them - my only hope is to cover the cost of hosting this site.  All proceeds after that will be put towards the charity functions endorsed by my Lodge.  This goes for the Google ads on the side bar as well.

Educational Materials
Even as a newcomer to the Craft, believe that it is not an undertaking which should be treated without due regard.  Since one cannot truly be a Mason without first learning what those words mean - both in the figurative and philosophical sense - I believe we would do ourselves a great disservice by remaining ignorant to the underlying teachings of Masonry.  In becoming scholars, we learn that all things are possible.  There are two separate portions to this area:

1. The Masonic E-Library
   This is the bread and butter of the Educational section of my site.  Here you will find all sorts of Masonic essays, papers and books which deal with the Craft.  Files have been categorized for easy browsing and an excerpt of each is displayed along with an icon identifying the file type.  All materials in this section are downloadable.
2. Links to Masonic Materials
   Here you can find links to  more Masonic essays, papers and books which are not freely distributed for download but which have been posted to the internet.

Frequently Asked Questions
In this area of the site I will be posting answers to frequently asked questions about Masonry, many of which I've had myself.  This is just the beginning though... I am in the process of preparing something that I hope will prove most beneficial to the Fraternity - it will take a lot of work to get off the ground, though.  More to come at a later date.

Picture Gallery
This area is admittedly lacking right now but there are still some useful S&C graphics up there.  I eventually hope to post pictures from lodge functions and any other Masonic events I participate in.

Guestbook
Guestbooks are so early 90's... but I like 'em anyway.  I find it pretty cool when people from all across the globe take the time out of their day to sign my guestbook.

Links
Here you can find links to just about every lodge in New Jersey, the New Jersey Grand Lodge, the NJ Masonic Home, various internet forums for e-masonry, etc.

Which brings us to the Contact Me form.  If you should have any comments, suggestions or recommendations on papers, essays and/or books please drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you.  Travel well Brethren!

-Scott

I just got back from my Lodge's open installation where I had the honor of meeting Brethren from all over the state including the Right Worshipful John M. Colligas, Deputy Grand Master of New Jersey and several of the District officers.  It was a very touching ceremony, especially the Worshipful Master's address to the open lodge which undoubtedly had more than a few of us choking up. 

 I would like to take a moment to congratulate my Brothers on their respective appointments and wish them a fruitful year in their chairs; I have full confidence that they will serve in their positions with honor, dignity and respect.

So mote it be!

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.

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