W. Bro. Douglas has written and presented the following Masonic papers.
(Webmaster's Note: Bill has no objections to free use of these papers, however, would appreciate acknowledgement and an email as to where they were used and how they were received) These Papers represent Bills own opinions and may not be representative of the opinions of Kenilworth Lodge.
Written by W. Bro. Bill
Douglas
Kenilworth #129, GRA
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
The
JW lecture makes mention of the usage’s and customs of “ANCIENT”
freemasonry, and goes on to say that it is not only the most “ANCIENT” but
the most moral institution that ever existed.
Which I do not for a minute doubt.
But
how ancient is freemasonry?
In
the London Telegraph in 1871 there was this quote “Freemasonry dates from
before the flood”.
Modern
research has traced freemasonry back
to 15th century Western Europe, and in particular, France and Scotland. The date
1717 has been bandied about to some extent as being the source date of
freemasonry, but this in fact is the founding date of the Grand Lodge of London,
which was created when the London masons decided to separate themselves from
Scottish Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge of England didn’t come into being until
almost a hundred years later, in 1813. Freemasonry was introduced to England by
King James V1 of Scots and 1st of England after the union of the crowns in 1603.
So obviously freemasonry was in vogue before that date.
The
oldest records of rituals that have been found in the UK
belong to the Ancient and Accepted Scottish
Rite of Freemasonry, so even way back then freemasonry was considered
“ancient”. Some of these old degrees were devoted to the biblical character
Enoch and the flood. Enoch was warned of the coming of a second great flood by
the angel Uriel and he was a very prominent figure in Freemasonry, and he should
still be, yet we hear very little of him, if in fact we hear anything at all.
In
the 19th centuries, in order to conform to the politics and thinking of the
times, the Grand Lodge of England censored the
higher rituals of the craft, and some of
the not so high rituals. They did this by removing, changing and generally
tampering with the rituals so that they are practically unrecognizable from the
original.
This
has created a very sad state of affairs inasmuch as the original meaning and
intent of Freemasonry is virtually obliterated, and we are left to figure out
what the craft means to us as individuals instead of what it should mean to us
as a brotherhood. Noah, that well known biblical ark builder, was a direct
descendent of Lamech who was the father of four children.
They were Jabal, Jubal, Tubal cain and
Naamab, three sons and one daughter. Jabal is reputed to be the inventor of
geometry, Jubal built the first house of
stone and wood, Tubal cain was an artificer in brass and iron and Naamab
invented weaving. In the
sure knowledge from
their ancestors
that the great flood was imminent, they carved the knowledge of their arts on
two stone pillars. One was of marble, which could not be destroyed by any fire;
the other was of laternus, which could not be destroyed by water.
After
the flood had subsided, and the human race was getting back to normal, the stone
pillars were discovered by a man called Hermerius Trismagistus. Trismagistus in
translation means thrice great, because he was a minor king in his own right, a
priest and a prophet. Hermerius Trismagistus is better known nowadays as Hermes.
He was a scribe to Thoth, second God King of Egypt and he proceeded to teach the
people the arts that he had discovered. He was indeed, the founder of practical
masonry in the great Egyptian dynasty. Is it possible I wonder, that the
statement in the London Daily Telegraph was correct?
After all, the symbolism of freemasonry is based on operative masonry.
That, according to one version, is how the shaping and building of
stone was introduced to mankind. The introduction of speculative Freemasonry
came much later.
The
Masonic ritual is derived from the old testament and it is possible that it is
based on the ancient Egyptian pilgrimages of spiritual initiation. There were,
and possibly still are, two ancient pilgrimage routes on that side of the
planet, one in Europe and the other in Egypt. The European pilgrimage route was
Druidic in origin and as in Egypt there were seven sacred places, which were
visited in turn as the initiates passed from one level to the next as they
attempted to attain spiritual perfection. It took many years to complete the
seven levels or degrees and the classification of the pilgrims depended on which
level or degree they had attained. They could be classified as a priest, or a
magi/wise man, or ultimately a prophet. Every prophet in the old or New
Testament must have completed the seven degrees of initiation to qualify as
such. Hermerius Trismegistus was a
prophet and therefore must have completed the seven levels, so the pilgrimage
route must surely have been in existance at that time.
The
Egyptian pilgrimage of initiation is the one that is of interest here tonight,
because the similarities between the first four levels or degrees and the
Masonic ritual are very striking. The
pilgrimage of initiation started at the Temple of Philae where the initiate was
prepared by purification, control of physical
appetites, he was tested on emotional responses, intelligence, willpower and
obedience. His eyes
were bandaged (hoodwinked)
and he was led to what was known as the Gate of
Man and
asked for
the password, which of course he didn’t know, but I’m sure his guide gave it
for him. He was obliged then to swear an oath with a sword at his throat. The
bandages were removed and he was made to ascend a ladder with seven steps, which
was an allegory to the seven stages of alchemical transformation or spiritual
achievement.
Then
he was awarded the first degree, taught the handclasp and the password, which
was AMOUN, which means ‘BE DISCREET’. He was also taught or given the
knowledge of the natural sciences, anatomy, healing and symbolic and
hieroglyphic writing.
After
a minimum of one year apprenticeship he traveled to the Temple of Thebes where
he was tested as to his efficiency in the first degree. On proof of his
efficiency he was admitted to the second degree, and given the sign and word of
that degree. He was then set to study in depth architecture, geometry,
mathematics, geographical and other sciences.
The
third level/degree was taken at the Temple of Abydos where the initiate entered
by the Gate of Death where he was questioned as to whether he had taken part in
the murder of the God/King Osiris. In the Masonic ritual Osiris can be equated
with Hiram Abiff. He was offered a crown of gold, which, as a true aspirant he
refused as a sign of his disdain for material wealth. He was then symbolically
killed by a blow to the head after which he was taken to the hall of judgment.
Here he received the sign of the degree, which was a form of embrace, and the
password of the degree.
The
knowledge associated with this degree was drawing, painting, hierogrammatical
alphabet, the history of Egypt, astronomy and rhetoric.
The
higher spiritual degrees or mysteries started with the fourth level which was
enacted at the Temple of Hermopolis. The initiate was again hoodwinked and a
rope in the form of a noose was placed around his neck, he was raised from his
symbolic death and introduced to the masters and to the reigning pharaoh who
presided over the assembly and his name was inscribed in the book of adepts.
Those
first four levels or degrees of spiritual initiation in ancient Egypt are so
close to the three degrees of freemasonry as to be unmistakably connected. But
as their secrets were passed on orally records are almost non-existent, and up
to the present very few clues have been found. So until further discoveries can
be made
to prove otherwise we will have to be content with a six hundred year old
institution, which isn’t really all that “ANCIENT”. Unless ancient
freemasonry is in fact a modified version of the ancient Egyptian pilgrimage of
spiritual knowledge, in which case it would be really “ANCIENT”
How
it came to be modified into what is now modern freemasonry is the possible
subject for another R & E paper.
Bill Douglas PM, Kenilworth Lodge #29 GRA, 2001
We
square the lodge as a matter of course, but why do we do it, and is it a
necessary part of freemasonry.
Freemasonry
has a basis in geometry. Pythagerus is esteemed to be the father of geometry and
was responsible for the introduction of many geometric calculations. The
Pythagorean calculation which appears repeatedly in the masonic ritual is the
90* right angled square. It’s a very simple calculation and consists of the
use of three numbers, vis. 3 - 4 - 5.
This
is a 90* right angled square. This side measures 3’ exactly, this side
measures 4’ exactly, and to make these two sides into a right angled square
the measurement between these two points must be 5’ exactly
It
is used in the building industry on a continuous basis and has been for several
hundred years. No self respecting builder would be without it, and every self
respecting operative mason knows how to use it. It is used for the setting out
of every building and this, in simple terms, is how it is used.
The
builder will mark where a corner of the building is going to be. If it is an
important building that is to have a foundation stone, he will start at that
corner. He lays the square down at the mark and strings two lines along the
sides of the square to the extent of the proposed building. He will then move
his square to the next corner and string another line along the side of the
square. Then he will move his square to a third corner and string his last line
thereby completing the outline of the proposed building. And he will build his
foundation to those lines in the sure knowledge that his building is perfectly
square.
As
speculative masons we use the 90* right angled square symbolically, and we use
it all the time. We make squares with our arms when we make the signs of the
degrees. The due guard consists of two squares, the sign of fidelity, the sign
of supplication and so on. In the 2nd degree the J.W. is asked “What is a
square” - “An angle of 90* etc.” As masons we are known to be on the
square, we meet on the square, we act on the square, we part on the square. So
quite obviously the square is an important and integral part of freemasonry. But
there is a deeper meaning to squaring the lodge and it becomes apparent in the
perambulation of the lodge.
Every
candidate, and that brethren includes you and I, symbolically squares the lodge
using the three important numbers, 3 - 4 - 5 , by the time we are raised to the
sublime degree of a master mason. Of course we don’t realize that we’re
doing it at the time.
In
the 1st degree the J.D. will conduct the candidate round the north east corner
three times. In the 2nd degree the S.D. will conduct the candidate round the
north east corner four times. In the 3rd degree the candidate will be conducted
round the same corner five times thereby symbolically squaring the lodge.
We
can’t string lines out like the operative mason but we do ensure that the
foundation of our spiritual temple is properly set out by making our candidate
square each corner as we perambulate around the lodge.
If
the foundation of any building is out of square then the superstructure that
sits on that foundation will also be out of square. building spiritually is no
different. We must therefore, ensure that our symbolic foundation is perfectly
squared so that when we build that spiritual temple within ourselves, it will be
perfect in all it’s parts and honourable to us , the builders.
And that brethren, is why we square the lodge.
Bill Douglas PM, Kenilworth Lodge #29 GRA, 2001
THE
GENUINE SECRETS
Question - what is that which was lost
Answer
- the genuine secrets of a master mason
As,
according to the ritual, those secrets were lost during the building of K. S.
Temple it would seem natural to assume that they were the secrets of the
operative master mason. We have replaced them with casual signs, tokens and
words until such times as the genuine secrets are recovered, which of course
they never will be. Because the genuine secrets referred to in the ritual are
purely symbolic, and have nothing to do with operative masonry. They are, like
the rest of the ritual, referring to symbolic or spiritual masonry. That
spiritual temple that we are to build within ourselves, and all the masonic
references contained within the ritual are designed to assist us to that end.The
masonic ritual is based on the old testament story of the building of K.S.T.Can
we assume that the basis for this story is accepted historical fact, or is it a
conglomeration of myths and legends and is there some hidden truth here that is
not immediately discernible.
Looking
at it from an operative point of view, our GM Hiram Abif could not divulge the
secrets without the assistance of the other two GMs, S.K. of I. and H.K. of T.
So, either he wasn’t the only one who knew the secrets, or he only knew one
third of them. Further to that, Jerusalem was not the only city where buildings
were being erected so other people elsewhere must have had knowledge of the
genuine secrets. So the loss of the secrets being due to the death of Hiram Abif
seems to be stretching it a bit.
There
are a couple of things that stand out that deserve further scrutiny and like
most of the ritual, we tend to take them for granted without any real thought,
but they might just provide a clue.
At
the building of K.S.T. as well as at the temple of Zerubabel and Herod’s
temple, no metal tools were used, nor was there any used at the building of the
Pyramids.
A
passage from Deuteronomy 27-5 states “And there shalt thou build an altar unto
the Lord thy God, an altar of stones, thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon
them”.
So
even although they must have known of the existence of iron tools, for some
reason they were not allowed to use them. I want you to keep that in mind
because it will be mentioned again later on.
In
the 1850s there was a great storm at sea around the west coast of the Orkney
Islands. The huge waves removed the turf from a part of the shoreline on the
main island revealing the top of some circular buildings. The archeologists
naturally pounced on this and got to work with their buckets and spades and
uncovered 12 or 13 dwellings all connected by a passageway and all of similar
design.Just like government rental properties, you know, all made out of ticky
tacky, and they all look the same. Except that these dwellings weren’t made
out of ticky tacky, they were built of stone. They are 10’ high, the outer
walls are built of random stone, what is referred to as dry stone walling. Each
dwelling contains a central fireplace, two beds, a chair a sideboard with
shelves built into the outer wall and a door frame all made from stone which had
to be cut and shaped.
Also
on the main island is the remains of a standing stone circle. This is only one
of over a thousand stone circles or the remains of stone circles that have been
found in the U.K. There are others in Europe and the Middle East. All of the
stones for these circles have had to be cut and shaped to suit the requirements.
The curious thing about the Orkney circle is that it is built on bedrock, and it
has a henge or ditch all the way around it which is 6’ deep, 10’ across and
is 130’ in diameter, and it has been carved out of solid bedrock.
The
dwellings and the stone circle have been carbon dated
at over 5500 years old, which is about 2000 years before the bronze age
or the iron age.
So
there were no metal tools used in the building of the dwellings, the standing
stones or the henge around the stone circle. There are other ancient buildings
of the same period that have been uncovered in the Boyne Valley in Ireland and
in Anglesey in North Wales.
If
we group these ancient buildings with K.S.T. and the altar referred to in
Deuteronomy 27-5, , one is inclined to wonder is it possible that the ability to
cut and shape stone without the aid of iron tools the real lost genuine secrets
of a master mason.
Isn’t
that food for thought.
Bill Douglas PM, Kenilworth Lodge #29 GRA, 2001
Well,
we know that they use them to form an arch over a visiting dignitary when
escorting him into lodge, but what other uses are there.
It
was suggested at one practice that the wands be left behind when conducting a
candidate as they just get in the way, and I as D. of C. ,very foolishly, was
inclined to agree. But everything in the masonic ritual has a reason or a hidden
meaning that we have to root out so that we understand why we do what we do.
On
the south coast of England, in the county of Sussex, near the town of
Wilmington, there is carved into a hillside, the figure of a man with arms
outstretched and in each hand he holds an asherah or staff. The figure is 70
metres high which is approx. 125 feet. Nobody knows who carved it there, but it
is known to be several thousand years old.
The
word asherah is the name given to the wooden staff, approx. 6’ in length which
was carried by the attendants to the high priests in ancient times and was the
insignia of their office. The wooden staffs were named for the Goddess Asherah
who was the mother of twins Shachar and Shalem who were respectively the God of
Dawn and the God of dusk. That is significant as will become apparent later.
The
word deacon is a derivation from a Greek word which in translation means
attendant. So two deacons with wands are the equivalent of two attendants with
asherahs.
In
the J.W. lecture it states that a masonic lodge is situated due east and west
for three reasons.
1st
- The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Remember Shachar and Shalem
the Gods of dawn and dusk, sunrise/sunset, there is a connection there.2nd -
We’ll put that one aside as it has no significance here. 3rd - The tabernacle
of Moses and the temple of Solomon were so situated. We’ll take the tabernacle
of Moses because he and his followers were always on the move, and it provides a
great example of the use of the Asherah.
All
holy or sacred buildings at that time were situated due east and west and the
tabernacle of Moses was no different except that Moses and his followers were on
the move for 40 years. So the tabernacle, which was of course a tent, had to be
dismantled and re-erected every time they moved, and at the rebuilding it had to
be situated due east and west..
So
Moses and his two attendants, complete with asherahs, would go to the chosen
site where the tabernacle was to be erected just before dawn, accompanied by the
heavy gang who were going to do the erecting. Moses would then choose the spot
where the altar was to be and instruct one of the attendants to place his
asherah on that spot. When the sun rose above the horizon, the rays from the sun
would strike the asherah and send a long thin
shadow towards the west. The other attendant would then place his asherah on the
other end of the shadow and that would designate the centre line of the proposed
tabernacle. The heavy gang would then move in and erect the tabernacle with the
altar at the east end and the entrance at the west end.
Just
as an aside, that is the way that all lodges were set out, with the altar in the
east directly in front of the W.M.. The idea of having the altar in the centre
of the lodge is a fairly recent one and I think is peculiar to North America.
However, that’s by the way and is of no importance here.
Obviously,
the magnetic compass had not been invented at that time so all holy and sacred
buildings had to be set out with the aid of two asherahs and K.S. temple was no
different.
And
so, the asherah, being the very first tool or implement to be made use of at the
building of the temple makes them of extreme importance from a masonic
historical point of view, and as such should be carried at all times as the
insignia of the office of the deacons and in particular when conducting a
candidate.
And
that brethren is why the deacons carry wands.
Bill Douglas PM, Kenilworth Lodge #29 GRA, 2001
Answer
- By signs, a token and the P.P. of E.
Well,
that’s all right if you’re visiting a lodge and being questioned before
being admitted. But what about out in the real world when you’re in the
company of strangers and are looking for a kindred spirit, a brother mason. And
would you recognize a brother mason from his conversation.
The
grip of course is always the first clue, assuming that the opportunity is there
to shake hands. But if it’s not then there’s always the masonic ring, if you
have one and you flash it around, and it gets noticed.
in
any event, it’s not necessary to have the square and compasses tattooed on
your forehead to make yourself known to other masons. There are other ways.
You
can make yourself known to other masons by using well known or easily recognized
words and phrases from the ritual and fitting them into the conversation. Of
course it does help if you know your ritual.
There
are certain words and phrases that every mason should immediately recognize,
phrases like working tools, I was always taught to be cautious, who comes here,
whence come you, the first regular step, so mote it be, and so on, and words
like square, Tyler, cabletow to name a few.which can be easily slipped into any
conversation.
It
does take some practice however, but if you have some of these words and phrases
stored in your memory and try to include them at every opportunity, it soon
becomes quite natural for them to become part of your every day dialogue. In
this way not only will you make the acquaintance of other masons but you’ll
pick up other words and phrases and different ways of using them, thereby adding
to your vocabulary.
You can’t tell that a man is a mason just by his appearance, but you can offer him the opportunity to make himself known to you by making yourself known to him unobtrusively, and using the ritual is a great way of doing it.
Bill Douglas PM, Kenilworth Lodge #29 GRA, 2001
THE
NEED FOR GOOD RHETORIC
I
have chosen Rhetoric for this paper because it is something that affects us now
in our everyday lives and particularly in lodge.
After
listening to various brethren talking in lodge and down stairs after lodge, I
thought I’d try an experiment. So I recorded my voice while I read a passage
from a book, then I played it back. I was a little bit more than surprised at
the sound of my own voice. For one thing I thought that my Scottish accent was
almost nonexistent, wasn’t I surprised. Then I wondered how difficult must it
be for some people to understand me when I talk.
Whether
we are taking an active part in the ritual, giving a lecture or presenting an R
& E paper, it is equivalent to public speaking. Public speaking is only
useful and productive if the audience can hear and understand what is being
said.
It
is a common error when we assume that because we are all Canadians, that we all
talk the same. Or because we all live in Alberta that we all speak the same
dialect.
Every
member in lodge must hear and understand what is being said. Some of us are
quiet talkers so that everyone is straining to hear. Some of us talk quickly so
that to the listener the words are jumbled and don’t make any sense.
When
we talk we hear exactly what we are saying and every word is crystal clear to
ourselves, but it probably sounds quite different to the listener
Rhetoric
is an art, and the art of rhetoric is to communicate with other human beings by
word of mouth, in such a manner as to be heard and understood.
One
of the great and useful benefits of going through the chairs in a Masonic lodge
is that by the time one reaches the master’s chair, a person feels fairly
comfortable talking to a group of people or an audience.
It only remains to be sure that the audience knows what a person is talking
about.
And that Brethren is when the study of rhetoric is worth the effort.
Bill Douglas PM, Kenilworth Lodge #29 GRA, 2001
I
compiled this paper from a subject I read in the latest book by Christopher
Knight and Robert Lomas, The Book of Hiram. It’s a light hearted look at a
subject that I considered to be of passing interest which took a small amount of
research with perhaps
a little bit of education thrown in. I have entitled it “Faded memories”.
We
mustn’t discuss religion in lodge and this paper may sound religious in
content, but
that is not its purpose. Its purpose is to awaken our memories to those
forgotten events in history that remain part of our lives and culture.
When
Christianity spread from Palestine northwards across Europe, over several
hundred years it pushed pagan religions out
of existence, or almost.
Like
everything else we humans try to exterminate,
there’s always something remaining. The symbolism of paganism remains with us
and is part of our every day lives, even although we don’t notice it.
When
Constantine the Great declared that Christ’s Mass Day was to be on the 25th
December, he made it on the same day as the pagan festival of the winter
solstice, because Constantine was a Sun Worshipper at that time and hadn’t yet
accepted the new Christianity.
The idea being that all of his subjects, pagan and Christian, would celebrate on
the same Holy Day.
And
in time all the major Christian Holy Days were timed to correspond to pagan
festivals with the result that they got intertwined with each other and the
symbolism of both Christian and pagan
religions became included in the festivities
The
two most important Christian Holy Days are Christmas and Easter.
Christmas
Day is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, in Judea.
At
Christmas time we decorate our homes with fir trees, holly, mistletoe and we eat
plum pudding fruit cake and mince pies, all of which are symbols of pagan
religion, Druidism in particular, as was practiced in
Scandinavia and the British Isles in the
northern hemisphere where fir trees, holly and mistletoe can be found. The plum
pudding, fruitcake and mince pies were
prepared and eaten to celebrate a successful harvest and have nothing
whatever to do with the birth of Jesus
Christ. The chance
of finding any of
these things
in Judea where Jesus Christ was born is a bit remote.
At
Easter we celebrate Christ’s resurrection and included in these celebrations
are Easter eggs and Easter bunnies. Corresponding to Easter is the pagan spring
festival and the arrival on the scene of Eostre the pagan Goddess of Fertility
whose symbols were the egg for fertility and the rabbit for it’s
reproductive abundance. Over time, Eostre
became Easter and her symbols became the Easter egg and the Easter bunny.
The
days of the week from Sunday through Saturday slip off our tongues daily without
a thought, yet most if not all of them are named
for a pagan God or a pagan symbol. Sunday is self evident as the day of the Sun,
important to Pagan Sun Worshiping religions; Monday is the day of the Moon,
Tuesday? Wednesday
is named for the Scandinavian Sun God Woden representing the Sun and Woden’s
day became Wednesday.
We are all acquainted with Thor the Norse God of War, sometimes called the God
of Thunder. Thor’s day became Thursday. Woden’s consort was Freyja, Goddess
of love and fertility, representing the planet Venus. Freyja’s day became
Friday. Saturday is named for the planet Saturn. When you know where the days of
the week got their names, it becomes fairly obvious,
doesn’t it.
In
ancient history and even as far back as prehistory, kings, pharaohs and other
great historical leaders such as Kubla Khan, Alexander the Great and
Constantine, all employed astrologers to foretell their
immediate future and the probable ultimate
result of imminent battles and wars. At that time, astrology and astronomy were
jointly considered to be a science and the signs of
the zodiac were in use at that time. The
twelve tribes of Israel each had a sign of the zodiac attached to them.
Nowadays, in the western
world, astrology is looked upon as so much hocus pocus, but there are still
areas throughout the world where it is still fervently believed in. In western
society however, very few people believe in the power of astrology, but, a
person can open any newspaper or magazine and find their
horoscope under a
sign of the zodiac. So astrology is still with us, hocus-pocus or not.
Does
Freemasonry carry any of the residues of paganism?
Well, one would certainly hope not, but let’s have a look anyway.
When
Solomon was ready to build his Temple to the Hebrew God Yahweh, none of his
people had any knowledge of building construction. Before settling in Canaan
they had
been a nomadic tribe, and the biggest thing they had ever built was a
tent. So Solomon had to turn to
his neighbour
Hiram King of Tyre, in Phoenicia, who
contracted to do the work.
The
Tyrians had been constructing buildings for hundreds of years and had an
extensive knowledge of the art. Hiram, King of Tyre not only supplied the
materials, but also the architect who designed the Temple, Hiram Abif, and all
the craftsman including stonemasons, carpenters, metal workers and all other
crafts necessary to complete the project.
The Hebrews obviously played a part in the construction doing whatever they were
qualified to do.
The
Tyrians of Phoenicia didn’t have a monotheistic religion like the Hebrews, but
were a pagan people, just like most of the nations in North Africa at that time,
who worshipped many Gods. The three principal Gods were El Elyon the Sun God
representing the Sun, his consort was Baal
at Gebal, the Goddess of love and fertility representing the planet Venus, and
their supposed offspring Baal, the storm God and God of nature, he was the God
of all things that grow. I suppose he was
a kind of primitive farmers insurance, who very obligingly died at the end of
the growing season after the harvest had been gathered in, then was reborn again
the following year, just in time for the spring sowing, a handy God to have
around.
So
you see, Solomon’s Temple was actually built by sun worshipping pagans.
Not
that it matters who built it, it’s what it was used for that’s important.
The
ritual of the first five degrees in Freemasonry, the EA, FC, MM, Mark and
Excellent Master degrees, are based on the building of King Solomon’s Temple,
which, as
we have seen, was designed by a sun-worshipping architect, Hiram Abif. The
ritual of course, doesn’t explain that. There are bits and pieces in the
ritual that are reminiscent
of Hiram Abif’s handiwork. For instance, Our WM is placed in the east to mark
the rising Sun, the JW is placed in the south to mark the Sun at it’s meridian
and the SW is placed in the west to mark the setting Sun.
On
the day that our Grand Master Hiram Abif was slain he went to the temple at
midday to offer his prayers to the Most High. As he was a sun worshipper we can
safely assume that his prayers were for El Elyon
the Sun God and not for the Hebrew God Yahweh. The sun is at its meridian at
midday, it’s highest point in the sky, and therefore at it’s “Most
High”.
Looking
again towards the WM we see a five-pointed star above his head. The five-pointed
star represents the planet Venus because of the five positions of the Planet
Venus around the Sun during its forty-year cycle. During the JW lecture in the
first degree, the candidate’s attention is drawn to that star ”that gleams
in the centre”, the Planet Venus. After being raised in the third degree the
candidate’s attention is again directed to that “bright morning star”
which is the planet Venus.
In
the historical lecture of the third degree the ornaments of the lodge are
described as the porch, the dormer and the square pavement. If we leave aside
the porch and the square pavement and direct our attention to the Dormer, we
find that the dormer is a window that admits light to the SS. As the dormer is
situated on the east-facing wall of the temple above the entrance, then the
light that is admitted to the SS must be from the sun as it rises at dawn, or
from the planet Venus on the occasions when it rises before the sun.
The
ancient Hebrews believed that their God Yahweh lived in the SS with the Ark of
the Covenant, so the light must have been for the benefit of Yahweh as no one
was allowed to enter the SS except the High Priest once a year. These are a few
indications of Pagan Symbolism that can be found if you have the proper mind
set, and look hard enough.
And
finally, one of our concordant bodies is called The Order of the Eastern star,
which is the Planet Venus, and its Chapter is called the Venus Chapter.
So
you can see brethren, that pagan symbolism is an integral part of our lives and
our culture and even our Masonic institution, and will no doubt remain so in the
foreseeable future and beyond, albeit as faded memories.
Before
I began to lose my eyesight I was what the book stores refer to as an avid
reader. When I found or got word of
an interesting book, I’d go and buy it and read it from cover to cover,
including the preface, the introduction, the list of illustrations, everything,
and if it was really interesting, I’d read it a second time just to make sure
I hadn’t missed anything.
After all what is the point of buying a book if you don’t read it. I’m sure nobody would buy a book if they didn’t intend to read it. And yet, when we become MM, almost the first thing we need is the book of the ritual, so we buy one , and then we don’t read it. Oh we use it, but we don’t read it. We use it by picking out all the bits of dialogue we need to memorize for the particular chair that we happen to occupy at the time, or for a particular section of the ritual that we are to present at the next meeting, but we don’t read the book.
This book of the ritual is jam packed full of information, almost everything you need to know about all the ceremonies that we perform. All the openings and closings, the three degrees, labour to refreshment and back to work again, the charges, grand honours, the ceremony of escorting a Grand Lodge dignitary into the lodge in form, the floor work with diagrams, even a few things that we must not do.
But
when we attend the practice, if we attend the practice, we have to depend on the
D of C to tell us what to do, how to do it, and where to be when we do it,
whereas, if we had read the instructions in the book, we would know what to do
as well as what to say.
So there are two basic things that we, as officers of the lodge, or potential officers have to do. We have to read the book from cover to cover so that we know what we have to do as well as what we have to say, we have to attend the practices so that the D of C and the WM can ensure that everything is in order, and that we, the officers, are aware of the order of things. We will become more knowledgeable and more efficient, then the practices will be easier and quicker, and the meetings will run smoothly and efficiently,
which will be appreciated and enjoyed by all, members and visitors alike.The lodge works from the latest edition of the ritual book because there have been some changes made over the past few years. if the book you have now is out of date, the secretary will be happy to supply a new one at a very reasonable price. And when you’ve purchased the book, take an hour out of your busy schedule, and read it. You may be surprised at what you don’t know.
The
Masonic ritual is interspersed with words that are derived from “Old
English” and “Old Scottish” dialects, which makes the Masonic Language
somewhat unique and different from that of other organizations. That is why it
is referred to as that peculiar Masonic language. Most of those words are
self-explanatory or easily understood, while others can be a little confusing,
or even misleading.
The
word “Worshipful” is “Old English” and was used extensively historically
to refer to people of title, wealth or high position. At the time that the
Masonic ritual was developed, around four hundred years ago, it would be quite
normal for what was referred to as the peasant or working class to address the
local squire or their employer as Worshipful Sir. The Lord Mayor of a city or a
high court judge are still referred to as his or her Worship, even in these
modern times. Worshipful in the context that we use it, is just another word for
honourable, and when we say worshipful master or worshipful brother, we’re
really saying honourable master or honourable brother.
What
we refer to as a fellowcraft mason, originally signified that the mason was now
a “fellow of the craft”, which meant that he had completed his
apprenticeship, had a registered mark and was now a fully fledged journeyman who
was free to travel the country and work on any project for any employer. As an
apprentice he was tied or bound to one master mason who was his employer. Under
our ritual in freemasonry, a Fellowcraft mason does not receive his mark, but is
obliged to join a Royal Arch Chapter to do so after he becomes a master mason.
“Parallelepipedon”
from the junior wardens lecture, describes the shape of the lodge room that is
based on the shape of K.S.T. The word is a geometric term that signifies a cube
or double cube. The height and width of the room should be the same measurement
and the length twice that of the width or two cubes joined together. We refer to
this room as the lodge room, which it is, but it is also our version of a
replica of the interior of K.S.T.
The
word “Lewis”, which is “Old Scottish” is not mentioned in the Canadian
rite ritual but we are all aware of it. It forms a part of the ritual of the
Ancient Scottish Rite of freemasonry and is included in the junior wardens
lecture. A “Lewis” is described in the Scottish ritual as follows.
Lewis
likewise denotes the son of a mason. His duty is to bear the burden and heat of
the day from which his parents by reason of their age ought to be exempt. To
assist them in time of need so as to render the close of their days happy and
comfortable. His privilege for so doing is to be made a mason before any other
person, however dignified”. Take notice that it does not say that he can be
made a mason at the age of eighteen instead of having to wait till he’s twenty
one as is the popular belief, just that he has preference over any other
applicant for initiation.
The
word that has intrigued me most is the word “Cowan.
To
keep off all Cowans and intruders, something we hear on a regular basis, but
what is a Cowan.
There
have been suggestions in the past from various quarters that the word Cowan
translates to some kind of undercover agent or spy apparently bent on finding
out the secrets and mysteries in a clandestine manner.
The
twelve or thirteen circular dwellings that were uncovered at Skara Brae on the
island of Orkney are of dry stone construction, and have been carbon dated at
5500 years old. So dry stone wall building has been around for a long time.
.The reason for the
inclusion of Cowans in the Masonic ritual begins to become apparent if not
entirely obvious. Both masons and cowans worked in stone, and although they are
entirely different methods of building the same materials, they are both art
forms with similarities. So the Cowan, like the stonemason, was an artist in his
own right.
However,
he was lacking in too many qualifications. For instance, he didn’t serve a
recognized apprenticeship. He had never learned to cut and shape stone according
to a prepared plan or drawing. He didn’t have a registered journeyman’s
mark. But above all he didn’t know the mason’s word. So the chance of
obtaining employment at any of these places was slim at best, but obviously, it
didn’t stop him from trying.
Previous
to that time mason’s lodges were all temporary structures on the construction
sites. Schaw’s intention was, that each town or district would have a
permanent lodge for the exclusive use of traveling and local stone masons. By
the time of Schaw’s death a
couple of years later, several permanent lodges had already been founded,
including St. Mary’s lodge in Edinburgh. But his master plan was changed by
the circumstances of the times. It was that period in history called the
renaiscence, when the inteligencia were experimenting with new ideas and were
attracted to the esoteric. The secrecy and mystery of the stone masons intrigued
them and they were drawn towards the mason’s lodges. They were eventually
admitted but as they were not stone masons by trade they became known as
speculative members. The term “freemason” did not appear till many years
later, some time in the eighteenth century, and was in fact first used in
England.
One
of the regulations contained within the statute stated that no mason shall work
with a Cowan. Hence no Cowan was allowed on a work site where stone masons were
employed.
In
today’s world, with the demise of the stone mason’s trade in Scotland, as
well as the dry stone building work of the Cowan's, in practical terms the rule
doesn’t apply any more. However, as a part of that unique teaching tool that
we refer to as the ritual, it remains an essential ingredient.
And
so brethren, although we have nothing to fear from the Cowan, we are still going
to keep them out.
We have also
associated the three great pillars with three of the five noble orders in
architecture which are the Doric, the Ionic and the Corinthian.
The reason for
associating them with these three particular orders, is because they were the
types of architecture used by our ancient brethren when they built the
magnificent cathedrals, palaces and other stately buildings in
The Doric is
the oldest of the three and denotes Wisdom. The Ionic is the second oldest and
denotes Strength. The Corinthian, being the youngest, denotes Beauty.
If we look
around us here or when we go downstairs after lodge, we wont see any great
pillars supporting the lodge, because, like the rest of the Masonic ritual, they
are of a symbolic or allegorical nature, and refer to something other than the
obvious that we read in the ritual.
The three
great pillars refer to you and me, the members of the lodge, because it is us,
the members, who support a Masonic Lodge.
We support it
firstly by our Wisdom, that human intelligence that prompted us to become
members of this honourable fraternity in the first place. By our regular
attendance. By our active participation in the work of the lodge. By our
interest in studying and researching the hidden mysteries and symbolism of the
craft. And by paying our annual dues regularly and on time.
Secondly, by
our strength, that is our strength of character, being just, upright, honourable
men of honesty and integrity. By being bound together by that mystic Masonic tie
into a solid monolithic column of friendship, unity and togetherness that lends
strength to the whole structure.
And thirdly,
the formation of these two great pillars will result in a third great pillar of
Beauty. Beauty in the ritual and in its presentation. In the harmony and
serenity within the lodge room. In mutual respect and brotherly love, one
brother for another that completes that support that makes for a successful
Masonic Lodge.
If any one of
these three pillars is missing, the lodge will surely begin to crumble and
disintegrate a fact that is amply portrayed in the demise of so many lodges
during the past number of years. You and I are the three great pillars that
support a Masonic Lodge, and we must never fail in our duty to maintain that
support.
This short
paper is designed to highlight several basic points
1.
To give me the opportunity to present my own interpretation
of the symbolism of the three great pillars. There are undoubtedly other
interpretations out there.
2.
To extol the virtue of active and enthusiastic
participation by all the brethren in the work and the business of the lodge.
3.
To emphasize the need for continued research and education,
and the sharing of knowledge with our brethren for the benefit of all.
4.
To remind ourselves that the financial aspects of the lodge
also form a fourth pillar of support that is every bit as important as the other
three.
5.
And finally, to donate our annual dues to that fourth great
pillar without attending lodge and contributing our time and effort to the other
three, is but a half hearted attempt at supporting a Masonic Lodge.
This is not my
interpretation, but an abbreviated version of someone else’s
interpretation.
It should be
borne in mind that when Ecclesiastes was written there were no
dentures, eye glasses, spare body parts, nor was there a plethora of
medication to counteract almost any conceivable ailment as there is
today, and no national health service. Therefore it is quite
conceivable that people grew older sooner and aged quicker than in
these modern times.
Just before we
were raised from that symbolic death when we represented HAB, a
brother recited that passage from Ecclesiastes. In all probability,
just like me, you wondered what he was talking about. Because it
sounds like a series of meaningless, disjointed statements.
In fact it is a
wonderful allegory, and refers to the physical body of a man
suffering from the disabilities and infirmities of old age and of
course eventual death.
Now I want you
all to get your ritual books out and turn to page 148
“Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain.”
This is an injunction to man to remember and to practice the duties he owes to the creator, which duties are taught in the first two degrees, while there is still time. It describes the approach to old age when man loses the faculty to enjoy the material pleasures of life, and the strength to give effect to the many lessons of life, as his body, described metaphorically as his house, becomes useless.
“In the days when the keepers of the house shall tremble”
The keepers of the house represent the shoulders, arms and hands, which are to the body what the guards and keepers are to a palace. In extreme old age his hands have a tendency to tremble as the ability to control them is lost, and he becomes unable to defend himself.
“The strong men shall bow themselves”
This is a reference to the legs which become weak and bent as old age advances, and the man walks with difficulty. Also his back becomes hunched so that he walks with a stoop.
“The grinders shall cease because they are few”
The teeth are the grinders which previously ground the food have fallen out, making the chewing of food extremely difficult.. Remember that dentures hadn’t been invented when this was written.
“Those that look out of the windows be darkened”
Obviously referring to the eyes which grow dimmer with advancing age till eventually the faculty of sight is gone.
“And the doors shall be shut in the street when the sound of the grinding is low"
The doors are the lips, and the street is the mouth, being the avenue along which food noisily passes to the stomach, usually with a mumbling sound, with the lips closed to prevent food particles from falling out.
“And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird”
Noise does not disturb the young but even the slightest sound can disturb the aged, as steady nerves are absent. Wakefullness is so prevalent in the old and infirm that even the twittering of a bird will disturb sleep.
“And all the daughters of music shall be brought low”
The daughters of music are the ears. Hearing becomes difficult and the ability to hear the upper vibrations of sound decreases until it is lost altogether.
“They shall be afraid of that which is high”
Youth gets enjoyment from scaling or climbing heights whereas the aged dread attempting such dangerous activities and regard heights with alarm.
“And Fear Shall Be In The Way”
The old are filled with apprehension of imaginary danger which they have neither the sight to avoid nor the strength to overcome
“The Almond Tree Shall Flourish”
The almond tree
commences to bloom in the autumn and becomes a mass of white in
winter.
Similarly the hair of the old whitens.
“The Grasshopper Shall Be A Burden”
To feeble old age the slightest thing can be an oppressive burden.
“And Desire Shall Fail”
When youth has completely departed, all appetites and desires cease. In ancient times it was considered the greatest of misfortunes to be unable to increase and multiply.
‘Man Goeth to His Long Home”
The grave is of course the last house, shelter, resting place for the material body.
“The mourners go about the street”
This alludes to the rattles in the throat, the mouth and throat being the street or way of the food. The rattles are called mourners because they are regarded as certain precursors of death.
“The silver cord be loosed”
This probably refers to the spinal cord which passes down the entire length of the backbone, and which in old age is liable to become relaxed and weakened.
“The golden bowl be broken”
By reason of it’s yellow colour, the brain is termed the golden bowl. In old age the brain is liable to stop functioning properly, as in alzeimers, and be considered broken.
“The pitcher be broken at the fountain”
The pitcher is the great vein that carries blood to the right auricle of the heart, depicted here as the fountain.
“The wheel broken at the cistern”
The wheel refers to the aorta or great artery that receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart, or cistern, and distributes it throughout the body. These last two expressions breaking the pitcher and the wheel, allude to the stoppage of circulation, the last step in the aging process, which is immediately followed by death. After death….
“Then shall the spirit return to God who gave it”
I think that
gives a clearer picture of what is being said, so the next time you
hear it, you’ll understand what the brother is talking about.
Bill Douglas PM, Kenilworth Lodge #29 GRA, 2004
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