THE QUESTIONS

A parallel has already been drawn between the three degrees of Blue Masonry and the three stages of progress recognized by the early Christian Church. Just as the conquest of passions and emotions is prescribed for the first degree, thus corresponding with the idea of purification, so in the second degree the idea of illumination is put before us in the reminder that its special object is to develop the intellectual, artistic and psychic faculties. As is stated in our ritual, the candidate for this degree must first give proof of his proficiency in the First Degree. I mentioned in an earlier chapter that in ancient days the E.A. remained at that stage for a period of seven years; and indeed in some cases the period was even longer, since the candidate was carefully watched in the conduct of his daily life by his superiors, and it was only when they were fully satisfied that he had fairly developed the necessary qualities within himself that he was permitted to pass on. In these days no time limit seems to be set, although in the Co-Masonic constitution it is understood that he shall have attended a certain definite number of Lodge meetings and also a special class held at regular intervals for the instruction of E. A.s. He is also expected to be able to repeat by heart the O. of the First Degree and to answer in open Lodge a few prescribed questions.

To the first of these we have already referred; it is of importance because it strikes the keynote of the whole, for when the candidate is asked where he was first prepared to be made a Freemason, he is instructed to reply: "In my heart", thus showing that the inner preparation is regarded as of even greater importance than the outer. He has then to describe the physical-plane preparation and to explain that he was initiated in the body of a Lodge just, perfect, and regular.* (*See p. 88.)

Then comes the quaintly expressed idea that the sun is always at its meridian with respect to Freemasonry, which may be interpreted that the Logos is always pouring forth His full power through each Masonic Lodge, wherever it may be situated. There seems to have been a stage in Masonic history in which it was the custom to divide the Lodge into three, or to hold it in three rooms, the outermost being that of the E. A.s, with the W.J.W. in the chair, while in the second room the W.S.W. presided over the F. C.s, and it was only in the third room that the R.W.M. sat in charge of the M. M.s. That has been given as a reason why the S.D., having conveyed the commands of the R.W.M. to the W.S.W., has to await the return of the J.D. from the outer room. According to that theory, as the W.J.W. presides over the Lodge of the E. A.s, and as he represents the sun at its meridian, it is fitting that the ceremony of initiation should be said figuratively to take place at midday.

Then comes Freemasonry's curious description of itself as "a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols". This reply has always seemed to me somewhat misleading. It is not the Masonic morality which is peculiar, for that is the same which is proclaimed by every religion in the world; what is perhaps rightly to be claimed by Freemasonry is that its statement of the system is peculiarly felicitous, and that the method of its illustration is unique and forceful. Freemasonry is certainly one of the most interesting and influential of the secret societies of the world, numbering in its ranks some five millions of men pledged to observe the ties of brotherhood; and in its wonderful pageants of ceremonial - in the rituals of its many degrees, orders, chivalries and rites are enshrined splendid ideals and deep spiritual teaching of the most absorbing interest to the student of the hidden side of life.

Although today Masons do not call their Craft a religion, it has nevertheless a religious origin, as we have already seen, and it does religious work in helping its initiates and through them the rest of the world. To many of the Brethren it is the only real religion they have ever had, and certainly many of them put its principles nobly into practice: for masculine Masonry is a stupendous charitable organization as well as a "system of morality", and it offers a splendid training in practical kindliness and fraternity. In England and its colonies and in the United States of America Masonic charities are on a magnificent scale, and there are many exceedingly well-managed Masonic schools and orphanages. On this account, and because of the excellent character of its members, Masonry is highly respected, although in France and Italy it has lost caste to some extent because it has there allowed itself to become identified with anti-clerical political parties. Unfortunately Modern Masons have altogether lost sight of what might be called the inner charity - their power on higher planes. They would scarcely understand if one should say to them: "You ought to be sending out streams of thought-power; that should be one of your forms of charity." It is a pity that that inner work should be so much overlooked, for it is a tremendous agency for good, and one in which every Bro. can take part. External charity depends upon the private wealth of the few; but any Mason, however poor, can give his thought.

Naturally, Masonic Lodges are not all at the same intellectual level, and some spend far too much time in banquets and too little in study; but one has only to read the literature on the subject to see that, in English-speaking countries at least, the aims of the Craft have always been noble and uplifting. Note, for example, the following statements:

The real object of Freemasonry may be summed up in these words: to efface from among men the prejudices of caste, the conventional distinctions of color, origin, opinion, nationality; to annihilate fanaticism and superstition, extirpate national discord, and with it extinguish the fire-brand of war; in a word - to arrive, by free and pacific progress, at one formula and model of eternal and universal right, according to which each individual human being shall be free to develop every faculty with which he may be endowed, and to concur heartily and with the fullness of his strength in the bestowment of happiness upon all, and thus to make of the whole human race one family of brothers, united by affection, wisdom and labor.* (*History of Masonry, Rebold, p. 62.)

The whole world is but one Republic, of which each nation is a family, and every individual a child. Masonry, not in any way derogating from the different duties which the diversity of States requires, tends to create a new people, which, composed of men of many nations and tongues, shall all be bound together by the bonds of Science, Morality, Virtue.* (*Morals and Dogma, by Albert Pike, p. 220.)

That the sentiments expressed above have not remained mere theories is shown by the following extract from Dr. Churchward's Arcana of Freemasonry:

Only a few years ago we in this country went through great and acute tension - that danger which threatened war between us and the United States of America. That has passed, and will never return in an acute form again. Why? Because the Brotherhood sent their great representative, the Grand Master of Illinois, to this country, and I had the great pleasure to meet him at the Q. C. Lodge, when he gave the message of peace and brotherhood: "There shall be no war between the United States of America and England; we are of one Brotherhood, and the Freemasons of the United States have decided that there shall be no war, now or ever, between the two countries, and I am delegated to come here and tell you this, representing over a million of Brothers, and ask you in return to say there shall be no war."* (*Op. cit.., p. 75.)

This is a splendid testimony to the power of the Masonic tie. It is unfortunate that an attempt made later to prevent the great European war should have failed; for the Prussian Grand Lodges, when a similar appeal was made to them, refused to support the movement for peace.

The next question asked is as to the principles on which our Order is founded, which are usually given as brotherly love, relief and truth. Great prominence is rightly given to these three virtues in the ritual of the masculine Craft, and in the lectures officially prepared to be used in its Lodges they are described as follows:

By the exercise of Brotherly Love we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, rich and poor, created by One Almighty Being, and sent into the world for the aid, support, and protection of each other. On this principle Masonry unites men of every country, sect, and opinion, and by its dictates cultivates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance.

To relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all men, particularly among Masons, who are linked together by one indissoluble bond of sincere affection; hence, to soothe the unhappy, sympathize in their misfortunes, compassionate their miseries, and restore peace to their troubled minds, is the grand aim we have in view; on this basis we establish our friendship and form our connections.

Truth is a Divine attribute, and the foundation of every Masonic virtue; to be good men and true is a lesson we are taught at our Initiation; on this grand theme we contemplate, and by its unerring dictates endeavour to regulate our lives and actions. Hence hypocrisy and deceit are or ought to be unknown to us, sincerity and plain dealing our distinguishing characteristics, while the heart and tongue join in promoting each other's welfare, and in rejoicing in the prosperity of the Craft.

The rest of the questions, though quaint, seem self-explanatory, and the various points which they raise have been already considered.

The p … g . . . and the p … w … are then given to the candidate. In connection with these it is interesting to note that a sheaf of corn is often carved on the chair of the W.S.W. as his emblem; and this is probably connected with the fact that an ear of corn was shown to the aspirant as symbolical of the supreme mystery at Eleusis, indicating to him at the same time the universality of evolution and the indestructibility of life. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."* (*John, xii, 24.) It is perhaps worth noting that the p … g … between the First and the Second Degree indicates the necessity for the conquest of that peculiar entanglement of the lower mind in the meshes of desire which in Theosophical literature is spoken of as kama-manas. Bro Wilmshurst remarks:

This [the p … w …] is meant to be descriptive of the candidate himself, and of his own spiritual condition. It is he who is an ear of corn planted near and nourished by a fall of water. His own spiritual growth, as achieved in the Apprentice stage, is typified by the ripening corn; the fertilizing cause of its growth being the down pouring upon his inner nature of the vivifying dew of heaven as the result of his aspiration towards the light.* (*The Meaning of Masonry, p. 119.)

THE PREPARATION

It will be noticed that in the preparation of the candidate the same principle is followed as that which governed the corresponding ceremony in the first degree. The l … a … is made b … because it is through that that the power is to be poured down, and also because during the ceremony of Passing the 1 … e … is to be supported by the s … In the same way the r … b … is treated in a similar manner because the I.G. will touch it with the s … on admitting the candidate to the lodge. As before, the r … k … is uncovered and the l … h … s … p - s … d, because these are the points in contact with the highly-magnetized floor or altar-cushion, during the taking of the O. and the actual conferring of the degree.

THE INNER PREPARATION

The inner preparation in this degree is in part the same as that in the first, for the C. hopes to obtain the privilege of being passed to the Second Degree by the help of G …, the assistance of the s …, and the virtue of a p … g … and p … w … The square here mentioned is the quadrilateral of the personality. Two things must happen with reference to that: it has been brought into subjection, as is implied in his treading upon it on entering the Lodge, but it has not lost its strength and activity thereby; it is as active as ever, but now all its energy is turned to the service of the real man, the higher self. That higher self incarnated in a personality for the sake of acquiring definiteness; the ego on his own plane is magnificent, but vague in his magnificence, except in the case of men far advanced on the road of evolution. Now, in the symbolism of this degree, the personality has seen with all clearness that the purpose of life is to serve the higher; he throws himself into the task with vigour and so gives some of his definiteness to make the purpose of the ego clear to himself; he makes a call to the Warrior within, to use the symbology of Light on the Path.

THE OPENING

While the preparation of the C. is taking place the R.W.M. once more calls upon the Brethren to assist him in opening the Lodge, but this time in the Second Degree; and yet again he begins with the universal question, but very slightly varied: "What is the first care of every F.C.F.?" And he receives the invariable answer: "To prove the Lodge close tyled." In the same form as in the First Degree he directs that that duty shall be done, and the inquiries and answers come just as before. Yet this tyling is not quite the same as the former. In each case the building of the enclosing wall takes place on all the planes; but in the First Degree attention is principally focused upon the astral world, and the defense set up at that level is incomparably stronger than the others, because that is most needed when a determined effort at astral purification and development is being made. It is as though in that purification the density of the candidate's astral body is reduced, and therefore the pressure on it from without becomes greater than usual, so that a special defense is required. In the effort made in the ceremony of the Second Degree it is upon the mental body that a similar pressure is exercised, and therefore the effort at strengthening the defenses is centered in the mental plane. Thus the tyling of the Lodge in the opening of the Second Degree is not by any means a repetition of the previous ceremony, but gives rather an added security at a higher level.

Nevertheless it is eminently necessary that on the lower level also there should be no possibility of disturbance; consequently the next step is to reinforce the astral defenses by calling upon the Brethren to stand to order as E. A.s, that action being as before a definite assertion of the power of the Brethren at that level and a calling together of its forces. When that is done the R.W.M, calls upon the W.J.W. asking whether he is a F.C.F. Although he is in essence the leader, the teacher and the mouthpiece of the E. A.s., he is also the representative of the higher mental; and consequently he answers immediately that he is a F.C.F., and asks that that fact shall be proved. The R.W.M. inquires by what instrument he will be proved, and he at once replies: "By the s …"

The next question and answer as to the character of the square shows us that what is meant here is the tool of the working mason, the tool which symbolizes the spiritual will, not the quadrilateral. On the other hand, as the candidate enters the Lodge in this degree the other form of the s … is also brought into requisition, for that upon which he treads as representing the lower nature, the personality, is certainly the geometrical figure. The Brethren are then asked to prove themselves as F. C.s, and when they have done so first the W.J.W. and then the R.W.M. repeat with emphasis the proof which has been given, thereby striking the keynote and expressing the peculiar quality of this degree. For just as the conquest of the passions and emotions is the prominent object of the E.A., so is the conquest and control of the lower mind the especial purpose of the Second Degree.

This is for most people a far more difficult conquest than the other; and in the case of many candidates the mental faculty has first of all to be aroused. We all believe ourselves to be at least capable of thinking; and yet the truth is that comparatively few people can think effectively. A person possessing a slight degree of clairvoyance can speedily convince himself of this if he will take the trouble to examine closely the thought-forms of those whom he meets in daily life. The vast majority of these are of vague and uncertain outline; it is among the rarest of phenomena to see clear and definite forms among the thousands that float about us. Thus before real progress can be made in the control of thought it is necessary for the average candidate to acquire the power of clear thought. As Ruskin remarks in The Ethics of the Dust:

The great difficulty is always to open people's eyes to touch their feelings and break their hearts is easy; the difficult thing is to break their heads. What does it matter, as long as they remain stupid, whether you change their feelings or not? You cannot be always at their elbow to tell them what is right; and they may do just as wrong as before or worse; and their best intentions merely make the road smooth for them - you know where. For it is not the place itself that is paved with them, as people say so often. You cannot pave the bottomless pit, but you may the road to it.

So the first necessity for our candidate of the Second Degree is to control his mind, if he has anything worth calling a mind to control; and if he has not, to develop it. And this is the whole trend of the Degree and of its ceremonies; to that end he must study; to that end he must strive to open various centers in his higher bodies. He is told that it is his duty to make a daily advance in Masonic knowledge.

It will be remembered that the S.D. is the especial representative of the mental body, so naturally it is he who takes charge of the candidate, and bears the principal part in the work of this degree. It is interesting to note the change of color that comes over the Lodge when it is opened in this degree - not that the distinctive hues of the light-globes of the various officers are lost, but that they are all modified by the admixture of a dominant tint which blends itself with them all. That master-color was crimson in the E.A. degree, while in the F.C. it is yellow.

The chakra which we seek to awaken in this degree is a center within the astral body which gives the power to sympathize with the emotional vibrations of others, so that the man instinctively knows their feelings; and when the corresponding etheric chakra is also stimulated it brings those experiences into the physical body, so that he becomes aware even on this plane of the joys and sorrows of his fellow-men. Forces from the spleen center, such as have been described in Chapter V, are playing through this chakra also, but this time it is the yellow ray which goes to the heart, and after doing its work there passes to the brain and permeates it, directing it principally to the twelve-petalled flower in the midst of the highest force center at the crown of the head. The connection of this especial center with the Second Degree is obvious when we remember its characteristics of companionship and service, its association with T.G.G.O.T.U., the second member of the Trinity, and the buddhic principle in man.

The prayer which is offered just before the Lodge is declared open is that the Craftsmen may be enlightened in the paths of virtue and of science, and the Lodge is declared to be opened on the s … for the instruction and improvement of F.C.F.s.

It is of deep significance that in the invocation of this degree the R.W.M. uses for the Logos the title of the Grand Geometrician. Long ago Plato said that God geometrizes, and a study of crystallography will show vividly how true that is with regard to the building up of beautiful mineral forms. In the higher kingdoms also the student finds the same wonderful evidence of order and regularity. Indeed, the more deeply we study the processes of nature the greater in every direction becomes our admiration for the wonderful work of Him who made it all.

THE E.A.'S LAST WORK

The candidate having once more proved himself as an E.A. has to perform his last work in that capacity. On this occasion it is the S.D. who leads him, as he is now especially concerned with the lower mind, which must be controlled and developed by the F.C. He brings him first to the pedestal of the W.J.W., gives him a mallet and chisel, and instructs him to k … on his l … k … and give three blows with the mallet, striking the chisel on the rough ashlar. The stone taken from the quarry has all its sides irregular. Strictly speaking, it is not an ashlar until the A. has made it regular in form, and at this point he puts the finishing touches to that work; but still the stone will have to be smoothed and polished before it is ready for lifting into the edifice, and that is part of the work of the Second Degree. Looking over with the inner sight a number of people gathered together, such as the audience at a lecture or theatre, or the congregation at a church, one sees that most of them are astrally and mentally very much out of shape, like rough stones, or even like twisted, stunted trees, that have grown in an unfavorable clime. Such are not yet apprentices in any kind of Lodge.

THE FIVE STAGES

The five stages are journeys round the Lodge, at the end of each of which the candidate is given certain instructions, from a printed card and by word of mouth, while he carries the tools appropriate for their practical realization. The journeys are outward signs of the raising of the candidate's consciousness through the planes.

In the first stage he carries the mallet and chisel, and learns about the five senses-touch, hearing, sight, taste and smell. This is the physical stage, for the physical body is not valuable in itself, but only as the vehicle of the senses, through which a man gains knowledge of the physical world with which to direct his work. It is these senses in his body which must now receive his attention, that they may serve him well.

On the journey of the second stage the A. carries a rule and compasses, and learns something of the Arts. These are classified as architecture, sculpture, painting, music and poetry - all forms of beauty - a sufficient indication that all true work produces what is beautiful. The rule and compasses are to remind him to apply the principle of geometry to his feelings, guiding and controlling his astral body, so that his work will express high emotion and arouse it in others.

In the third stage the A. is supplied with a rule and level, and he reads and hears about natural science - mathematics, geometry, philosophy, biology and sociology. He is now dealing with the mental plane and his bodies thereon, and the rule and level tell him of the order, balance and common sense that are necessary in this work.

At the next stage the candidate finds himself no longer dealing with the things of his personal nature, but looking upwards to that higher part of himself which will come to flower in the later part of his path. He sees such matters first of all in the lives of great men and women who have adorned the pages of history. He carries a pencil and book, and learns of the benefactors of humanity - sages, artists, scientists, inventors and legislators. All of these exemplify the unity of mankind, since they live not for themselves alone, but with a clear consciousness of the happiness and sorrows of mankind, and a great desire to help and to give. Here is expressed that quality of human nature which springs from the principle of buddhi on the plane beyond the mental, where there is direct intuitional vision of the unity of life.

Beyond this is the last and fifth stage, which the candidate treads with his hands free, ready to take up any instrument that is required at any moment. In this he learns of service - that the highest ideal of life is to serve. Well do the brethren sing:

Thou shalt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is the fullness of joy; and at Thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore.

I will behold Thy presence in righteousness: and when I awake up after Thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it.

For this is the path of the spirit, the One behind the many, the first cause. Of that first cause the Christ said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work," and Shri Krishna, speaking as the Deity, explained in the Bhagavad Gita that were He to abstain even for a moment from His activity, His service of the world, everything would fall into ruin. The rule that service is the highest ideal in life was thus initiated by the Most High, and it is the plain duty of those who would be His faithful servants to follow in His steps.

THE FIVE S … S

The candidate must now advance to the east by the proper s … s. These are five, and are taken as though ascending a winding staircase, which in the t … b … brings the F.C. to the door of the middle chamber of the temple. With regard to the middle chamber Major Meredith Sanderson writes as follows:

This term is a misreading of the original Hebrew, and is admitted as such by all authorities. The correct reading of I. Kings vi., 8, is as follows: "The door for the lowest row of chambers (not 'for the middle chamber') was in the right side of the house, and they went up with winding stairs into the middle row, and out of the middle into the third." That is to say there was a row of chambers on each storey and the winding stairs reached from the ground floor to the top storey (cf. v. 6, where the word chamber should read storey, and Ezek. xli, 7.)* (*An Examination of the Masonic Ritual, p. 31.)

The F. C.s pass into that chamber, says the explanation of the t … b …, to receive their wages, which they do without scruple and without diffidence. The F. C.s have no scruple about taking that which they have earned, and have no doubt that they will be paid exactly what they deserve. This refers not only to the perfect fairness and absolute justice of the Masters of the Great White Lodge (one of whom once said, "Ingratitude is not one of our vices"), but also to the great law of karma. That is a divine law relating living beings to their environment in this world, so that a man shall be given that for which he has worked, neither more nor less. It is therefore God's will that every man shall have what is his due; he need not fear to take what comes to him (which embodies an opportunity for greater service) and he need not imagine that anything which he deserves can be stolen from him or mislaid. "Be not deceived," said St. Paul, "God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."* (*Gal. vi, 7.)

Not only will he receive in the future the exact result of what he does now, but it also follows that what he is receiving now is the exact result of what he has done in the past, either in other lives or in the earlier part of this life. Therefore if suffering comes he knows that he has deserved it, for otherwise it simply could not happen.

Another interesting point is that we are told, in the explanation of the t … b … that the F. C.s were paid in specie, which symbolizes the reward of toil not directly remunerated by its results, but that the E. A.s received their wages in corn, wine and oil.

Corn and wine at once call to mind the sacred elements in the Christian Eucharist, and also the myth of the sun-god, who rises into mid-heaven to ripen the corn and the grape, and thus gives of his life for the benefit of others. These are types of the things most valuable to man; and to say that anyone is paid in corn and wine thus means that the richest of earth's treasures are the reward of his work, and that at the same time they carry with them the blessing of God.

The oil typifies the great gift of wisdom. As oil is expressed from the olive, so is wisdom culled by the soul of man from all his experiences on earth. When all the material results of work have perished, as in the case of the dead and gone civilizations of antiquity, still the wisdom resulting from all the efforts made and the experiences suffered remains in the heart of man. The reward of work in the world is not only outward, in the things that are gained, but also inward, in the heart and mind of man himself.

All these rewards came to the E.A. as the natural result of his work, according to karmic law, he feeling and enjoying them all, and learning without special intention; but the F.C. is more wide awake to what is happening. He uses discrimination, and should have completely controlled his feelings, so that he is in a position to decide for himself what he will have as the result of his labor, what shall be his eating and drinking, his giving and taking, his reading and companionship. He takes his pay in specie, and buys what he will - no longer a child, but a responsible man. He seeks experience and wisdom; it need not be thrust upon him or given from the outside.

But in all that use of his wealth and power and opportunity, the C … n's ideal should be service. He has to be as an ear of corn by a fall of water for others, so that his presence shall always be a blessing to them, a source of their spiritual nourishment, their happiness and true prosperity.

The winding form of the staircase may be thought to indicate that evolution is always in the form of a spiral, not of a straight line. We are constantly coming round again to the kind of work and knowledge and duty that we have done before, but always at a higher level. So in successive incarnations on his human pilgrimage each man will go again through childhood, youth, maturity, ripening and fruitful age, but as he evolves each of these stages will be more perfect than it was before.

The spirals of evolution are still more far-reaching, so that the successive divisions of human life give us an epitome of the kingdoms of nature. The human embryo in the course of its growth takes on the appearance of each of the earlier kingdoms in succession; and besides that, in the development of the human body the gestation period reflects the downward course of the elemental kingdoms mentioned in Theosophical literature; from birth to about the age of seven we have a time in which the wisest educationists consider that the child's physical nature should receive more attention than the emotional and mental; next up to the age of about fourteen there is an epoch in which the right development of the emotions should have chief consideration; then follows another term to the age of about twenty-one when the teacher should appeal especially to the unfolding powers of the mind.

The last three ages may be taken to correspond to a certain extent to the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms; in the first of them consciousness is in the physical plane, in the second it is developing in the emotional plane, and in the third the lower mind gradually gains ground, and leads on to the stage when man becomes the true thinker. There is then a long period of middle life - the real human career. That is followed in turn by the epoch of old age, which ought to bring wisdom; this is as yet often imperfect in most people, being but an adumbration of the superhuman heights of future attainment.

When the Lord Buddha walked the earth He was once asked by a disciple to sum up the whole of His teaching in one verse. After a moment's thought He replied:

Cease to do evil;
Learn to do well;
Cleanse your own heart;
This is the religion of the Buddhas.

We may surely trace here some correspondence to the teaching of the three degrees in Masonry. The teaching of the First Degree is that of purification, of the purging from the nature of all that might lead the man to selfish and ill-considered action. That of the Second Degree instructs the man to seek knowledge - to acquire the mental development which will not only preserve him from evil-doing, but will clearly prescribe for him a definite course of altruistic action. The first makes the man negatively good, while the second is positive; but both refer to actions upon the physical plane. The third instructs the man to rise to a higher level and to consider not merely outward action but the inner condition of which all outer manifestation should be an expression.

THE O.

This brings us to the O. of the candidate, which however contains singularly little that can be thought of as applicable to the special study and development of the Degree. He pledges himself to act as a true and faithful C … n, to acknowledge s …, obey s … s, and maintain the principles inculcated in the First Degree.

The R.W.M. then proceeds to create, receive and constitute precisely as in the First Degree; but anyone who possesses the inner vision will notice a more decided widening of the link between the ego and the personality, so that it is opened up as a definite channel for the down pouring of force - a channel which the candidate can utilize with marked effect if he sets himself to work upon it and through it. Unfortunately most candidates receive no instruction as to the inner side of the ceremony, and are consequently unable to avail themselves of the really wonderful privilege. In this respect also, as in the former degree, there is a certain parallel between the passing of a F.C. and the ecclesiastical ordination to the diaconate; and at the same time a link is made between the C … n and the H.O.A.T.F. in those Lodges where He is acknowledged.

As in the case of the widening of consciousness which we have just mentioned, this wonderful link with the great M.O.T.W. is for the candidate exactly what he likes to make of it. It may be of the very greatest benefit to him; it may change the whole of his life and enable him to make rapid progress along the path of initiation; or on the other hand, if he entirely neglects it, it may make but very little difference to him. When such a link is made with the Lord Christ for the deacon at his ordination, the very work which the deacon has to take up keeps the possibilities of his destiny before him; but with the uninstructed Freemason this is usually not so, and he often continues to live his ordinary life all unaware of the magnificent opportunity which has opened before him. We see therefore how heavy is the responsibility of the Master of the Lodge when the duty is laid upon him to employ and instruct his Brethren in Freemasonry.

Bro. Ward, in his F. C.'s Handbook, strongly emphasizes the idea that in this degree we are dealing especially with the preservative Aspect of the Deity. He writes:

The s … of f … implies not merely fidelity to his O …, but obedience to the rules of T.G.G.O.T.U. We can hope to be preserved only if we conform to those rules laid down by Him for our preservation … The h … s … is said in our rituals to be the sign of p … y … r or p … r s … e, but in its essence it is the sign of preservation, the sign associated with God the Preserver, under whatsoever name He is called, throughout the world.* (*Op. cit., p. 31.)

He goes on to explain that it is found in this association in Egypt, in India and in Mexico, and that it was so used by the Roman Collegia and the Comacini. He also draws attention to the fact that the distinguishing badge of this degree has on it two blue rosettes, symbolizing the rose. Blue was the color of Isis, and is that of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose emblem is the rose. The triangular flap, which in the First Degree was worn with the point upward, to indicate that the spiritual had not yet entered into control of the material, is now turned down to show that the higher is supposed definitely to be taking charge of the lower. We shall see this same symbolism carried further still when we consider the sublime degree of the M.M.

Just as the g … of the First Degree showed the necessity of the conquest of the desire nature, so does that of the Second Degree show the need at this stage of full control of the lower mind. We may compare the instruction implied here with that given in Light on the Path on the killing out of various kinds of desire, and that in The Voice of the Silence: "The mind is the slayer of the real; let the disciple slay the slayer."

In the Co-Masonic ritual the R.W.M. tells the neophyte twice over in almost the same words that he is now expected to make the hidden mysteries of our science his future study; but

Bro. Ward remarks that in the masculine ritual the second statement is that he is now permitted to do so. He attaches great importance to this, as showing that the compilers of the ritual were well aware of the danger, both for themselves and for others, which exists for men who attempt to develop and use higher powers without having first given proof of exalted moral character in the previous degree.

THE WORKING TOOLS

The working tools of this degree are the same as the movable jewels, and we have already dealt fully with them under that heading.

The new F.C. is now promoted from his seat in the N. E. to another in the S.E. of the Lodge. He is following the path of the sun which (in the northern hemisphere), rises in summer north of east and proceeds through the east to the south, giving more and more service to the world as he advances, until he rises to his highest point in the south, and then goes towards his setting in the west, and his resurrection to a new day, of which we shall hear more in due course.

CLOSING THE LODGE

In the closing of the Lodge in the Second Degree there is only one matter that calls for special mention. The R.W.M. asks the J.W. what he has discovered, where it is situated, and to what it alludes, and he receives the reply: "A s … d S … l, in the c … of the building, alluding to T.G.G.O.T.U." There seems to be considerable diversity of opinion as to what this sacred symbol should be. All are agreed that it is set underneath the Blazing Star, and is in some sense a reflection of it. Since the letter G appears within the star, the same letter is sometimes inlaid in the floor. This is thought by Major Sanderson to be merely a modern substitute for the all-seeing eye, to which in the masculine ritual the R.W.M. makes reference in explaining the symbol. Bro. Ward, however, prescribes that the point within a circle limited by two straight lines should be inlaid in the floor in brass. Both these arrangements seem open to the objection that the symbol would be always present, and could therefore hardly be described as discovered in the working of the Second Degree only. It has been our practice in a certain Lodge to use the movable seven-pointed star as the symbol, and to lay it on the floor only during the working of the F.C. Degree. In the Co-Masonic ritual the comment that the R.W.M. makes is as follows:

Brethren, let us remember that, as He is the c … of His Universe, so is His reproduction of Himself the c … of ourselves, the Inner Ruler, immortal, and that our whole nature must be conformed to That whereby it lives.

Back to The Hidden Life in Freemasonry [ Next ] [ Previous ]