Theosophical Society,
Charles
Webster Leadbeater
The Hidden Life in Freemasonry
by
C. W. Leadbeater 33°
First Published 1926
FOREWORD
IT is once more my privilege to usher into the world, for the
helping of the
thoughtful, another
volume of the series on the hidden side of things written by
Bishop Charles W. Leadbeater. True Mason that he is, he is ever
trying to spread the Light which he has received, so that it may chase away the
darkness of Chaos. To look for the Light, to see the Light, to follow the
Light, were duties familiar to all Egyptian Masons, though the darkness in that
This book will be welcomed by all Freemasons who feel the beauty of
their
ancient Rite, and
desire to add knowledge to their zeal. The inner History of
Masonry is left aside for the present, and the apprentice is led by
a
trustworthy guide
through the labyrinth which protects the central Shrine from
careless and idle
inquirers. Places that were obscure become illuminated; dark
allusions are changed to
crystal clarity; walls which seem solid melt away;
confidence replaces
doubt; glimpses of the goal are caught through rifts in the
clouds; and the
earth-born mists vanish before the rays of the rising sun.
Instead of fragments of half-understood traditions, confused and
uninterpreted,
we find in our
hands a splendid science and a reservoir of power which we can
use for the
uplifting of the world. We no longer ask: “What is the Great Work?
We see “that it is nothing less than a concerted effort to carry
out the duty
that is laid upon
us, as those who possess the Light, to spread that Light
abroad through the
World, and actually to become fellow-labourers with
T.G.A.O.T.U. in His great Plan for
the evolution of our Brn”.
The detailed explanations of the ceremonies are profoundly
interesting and
illuminative, and I
commend them very heartily to all true Freemasons. Our V
.·.·. I .·.·. Brother has added a heavy
debt of gratitude by this book to the
many we already
owe him. Let us be honest debtors.
Adyar
ANNIE BESANT
AUTHOR’S PREFACE
THE Masonic fellowship differs from all other societies in that
candidates for
membership have to join it blindfold, and cannot receive much
information about it until they actually enter its ranks. Even then the
majority of Masons usually obtain only the most general idea of the meaning of
its ceremonies, and seldom penetrate further than an elementary moral
interpretation of its principal
symbols. In this book it is my object, while preserving due secrecy
upon those
matters which must be kept secret, to explain something of the
deeper meaning
and purpose of Freemasonry, in the hope of arousing among the Brn.
a more
profound reverence for that of which they are the custodians and a
fuller
understanding of the mysteries of the Craft.
Although the book is primarily intended for the instruction of
members of the
Co-Masonic Order, whose desire, as is expressed in their ritual, is
to pour the
waters of esoteric knowledge into the Masonic vessels, I hope
nevertheless that
it may appeal to a wider circle, and may perhaps be of use to some
of those many Brn. in the masculine Craft who are seeking for a deeper
interpretation of
Masonic symbolism than is given in the majority of their Lodges,
showing them
that in the ritual which they know and love so well are enshrined
splendid
ideals and deep spiritual teachings which are of the most absorbing
interest to
the student of the inner side of life.
Before we can gain this fuller understanding we must have at least
some slight
acquaintance with certain facts concerning the world in which we
live - a world
only half of which we see or understand. Indeed, undignified as the
statement
sounds, it is quite true that our position resembles very closely
that of a
caterpillar feeding upon a leaf, whose vision and perception extend but very
little beyond the leaf upon
which he crawls. How difficult it would be for such
a caterpillar to transcend his limitations, to take a wider view,
to understand
that his leaf is part of a huge tree with millions of such leaves,
a tree with a
life of its own - a life outlasting a thousand generations of lives
such as his;
and that tree in turn only a unit in a vast forest of dimensions
incalculable to
his tiny brain! And if by some unusual development one caterpillar
did catch a
glimpse of the great world around him and tried to explain his
vision to his
fellows, how those other caterpillars would disbelieve and ridicule
him, how
they would adjure him to waste no time on such unprofitable
imaginings, but to
realize that the one purpose of life is to find a good position on
succulent
leaf, and to assimilate as much of it as he can!
When later on he becomes a butterfly, his view widens, and he comes
into touch
with a beauty, a glory and a poetry in life of which he had no
conception
before. It is the same world, and yet so different, merely because
he can see
more of it, and move about in it in a new way. Every caterpillar is
a potential
butterfly; and we have the advantage over these creatures in that
we can
anticipate the butterfly stage, and so learn much more about
our world, come
much nearer to the truth, enjoy life much more, and do much more
good. We should study the hidden side of every-day life, for in that way we
shall get so much more out of it. The same truth applies to higher things - to
religion, for
example. Religion has always spoken to mankind of unseen things
above - not only far away in the future, but close around us here and now. Our
life and what we can make of it largely depend upon how real these unseen
things are to us.
Whatever we do, we should think always of the unseen consequences
of our action. Some of us know how useful that knowledge has been to us in our
Church Services; and it is just the same in freemasonry.Though this vast inner
world is unseen by most of us, it is not therefore invisible. As I wrote in The
Science of the Sacraments:
There are within man faculties of the soul which, if developed, will
enable him
to perceive this inner world, so that it will become possible for
him to explore
and to study it precisely as man has explored and studied that part
of the world
which is within the reach of all. These faculties are the heritage
of the whole
human race; they will unfold within every one of us as our
evolution progresses;
but men who are willing to devote themselves to the effort map gain
them in
advance of the rest, just as a blacksmith’s apprentice,
specializing in the use
of certain muscles, may attain (so far as they are concerned) a
development much greater than that of other youths of his age. There are men
who have these
powers in working order, and are able by their use to obtain a vast
amount of
most interesting information about the world which most of us as
yet cannot see.
… Let it be clearly understood that there is nothing fanciful or
unnatural about
such sight. It is simply an extension of faculties with which we
are all
familiar, and to develop it is to make oneself sensitive to
vibrations more
rapid than those to which our physical senses are normally trained
to respond.*
(*Op. cit., pp. 9, 10.)
It is by the use of those perfectly natural but super-normal
faculties that much
of the information given in this book has been obtained. Anyone
who, having
developed such sight, watches a Masonic ceremony, will see that a
very great
deal more is being done than is expressed in the mere words of the
ritual,
beautiful and dignified as they often are. Of course, I fully understand
that
all this may well seem fantastically impossible to those who have
not studied
the subject at first-hand; I can but affirm that this is a clear
and definite
reality to me, and that by long and careful research, extending
over more than
forty years, I am absolutely certain of the existence and
reliability of this
method of investigation.
It is no new discovery, for it was known to the wise men of old;
but, like so
much else of the ancient
wisdom, it has been forgotten during the darkness of
the early Middle Ages, and its value is only gradually being rediscovered; so
to many it appears unfamiliar and incredible. We have only to
remember how
utterly inconceivable the wireless telegraph, the telephone, the
aeroplane or
even the automobile would have seemed to our great-grandfathers, in
order to
realize that we should be foolish to reject an idea merely because
we have never
heard of it before. Only a few years ago the powers of research put
at our
disposal by the invention and development of the spectroscope were
as far beyond popular thought as those of clairvoyance are now. That by it we
could discover the chemical constitution and measure the movements of stars
thousands of millions of miles away might well have been regarded as the
baseless fabric of a dream. May not other discoveries be impending?
Men of high scientific attainments, such as Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir
William
Crookes, Professor Lombroso,
M. Camille Flammarion and the late Professor
Myers, who have taken the trouble to inquire into this matter of
inner sight,
have convinced themselves that this faculty exists; so if there be
those among
the Brn. to whom this claim seems ridiculous, I would ask them
notwithstanding
to read on and see whether the knowledge obtained by a means which
is strange to them does not nevertheless supply for obscure or incomprehensible
points in our ritual an explanation which commends itself to their reason and
common sense.
That which gives them a better grasp of the meaning underlying the
mysteries of
our Craft, and thereby increases their veneration and love for it,
cannot be
unworthy or absurd. Any student who wishes to know more of this
fascinating
subject may be referred to a little book entitled Clairvoyance,
which I wrote
some years ago.
I should like strongly to recommend for the perusal of my Brn. Of
the Craft two
books by Wor. Bro. W. L. Wilmhurst - The Meaning of Masonry and The
Masonic Initiation; I have myself read them with great delight and profit, and have
gathered many gems from their pages.
[Note: While this paragraph is missing in First Edition, in Second
Edition it is
indicated as part of First Edition.]
I desire to offer my heartiest thanks to the Rev. Herbrand
Williams, M.C., B.A.,
for his kindness in placing at my disposal his vast stores of
Masonic erudition,
and for many arduous months of patient and painstaking research;
also to the
Rev. E. Warner and Mrs. M. R. St. John for the careful drawing of
the
illustrations, and to Professor Ernest Wood for his untiring
assistance and
cooperation in every department of the work, without which the
production of the book would not have been possible.
C. W. L.
Second Edition
In this second edition a few trifling corrections have been made,
and some
additional information has been given with regard to certain higher
degrees.
C. W. L.
CONTENTS
Foreword
Author's Preface
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
Personal Experience. Egyptian Evidences. Preservation of Rituals
and Symbols.
The Egyptian Outlook. The Hidden Work. The Egyptian Race. The Grand Lodges. The Ordinary Lodges.
The History of Masonry.
CHAPTER II
THE LODGE
Form and Extension. Orientation. The Celestial Canopy. The Altar. Pedestals
and Columns. Orders of Architecture. Meaning of the Three Columns. The Pillars
of the Porchway.
CHAPTER III
THE FITTINGS OF THE LODGE
The Ornaments. The Mosaic Pavement. The Indented Border. The
Blazing Star. The Furniture. The Movable Jewels. The Immovable Jewels.
CHAPTER IV
PRELIMINARY CEREMONIES
The Co-Masonic Ritual. The Procession. The Apron. The Ceremony of
Censing. Lighting the Candles.
CHAPTER V
THE OPENING OF THE LODGE
The Brethren Assist. Tyling the Lodge. The E.A. S ... n. The
Officers. The
Duties. The Opening. The E.A. K … s.
CHAPTER VI
INITIATION
The Candidate. Divisions of the Ceremony. Preparation of the
Candidate. The
Inner Preparation. The Three Symbolical Journeys. The O …. The E ….
I L … s. The S … and P … Examination and Investiture. The Working Tools.
Egyptian Interpretation of the Working Tools.
(Second Edition: The Working Tools, and the Egyptian Interpretation
of Them.
CHAPTER VII
THE SECOND DEGREE
The Questions. The Preparation. The Inner Preparation. The Opening.
The E.A.'s Last Work. The Five Stages. The Five Steps. The O. The Working
Tools. Closing the Lodge.
CHAPTER VIII
THE THIRD DEGREE
The Opening of the Lodge. The C … The Preparation. The Internal
Preparation. Entering the Lodge. The Seven Steps. The O … The Etheric Forces.
Hiram Abiff. Death and Resurrection. The Star. The Raising of Humanity. Fire,
Sun and Moon. The Villains.The Inscription.
(Second Edition: Our Master H. A. instead of Hiram Abiff.)
CHAPTER IX
THE HIGHER DEGREES
The Masonic Plane. The Ceremony of Installation. The Mark Degree.
The Holy Royal Arch. Still Higher. The Rose Croix. Black Masonry. White
Masonry. How to Use the Powers. Our Relation with Angels.
CHAPTER X - (CHAPTER IX in
First Edition)
TWO WONDERFUL RITUALS
The Workings in Egypt. The Form of the Temple of Amen-Ra. The
Building of the Temple of Amen-Ra. The Unveiling of the Hidden Light. The
Offerings. The Descent of Osiris. The Distribution of the Sacrament. The
Re-union of Osiris. The Shining of the Light. The Pledge and the Blessing. The
Ceremony of the Holy Angels. The Lodge and Officers. The Triangle of Adepts.
The Arrival of the Angels. The Building of the Temple of the Angels. The
Ceremony in the Temple. The Effect of the Festival.
CHAPTER XI - (CHAPTER X in First Edition)
CLOSING THE LODGE
The Greetings. Preparation for Closing. The Closing.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
THE origins of Freemasonry are lost in the mists of antiquity. Last
century there were many who thought that it could be traced no further back
than the mediaeval guilds of operative masons, though some regarded these in
turn as relics of the Roman Collegia. There may still be some who know no
better than that, but all students of the Ancient Mysteries who are also
Freemasons are aware that it is along that line that we find our true
philosophical ancestry; for there is much in our ceremonies and teachings which
could have had no significance for the mere operative mason, though when examined
by the light of the knowledge received in the Mysteries it is seen to be
pregnant with meaning.
Many Masonic writers claim various degrees of antiquity for the
Craft, some assigning its foundation to King Solomon, and one at least boldly
stating that its wisdom is all that now remains of the divine knowledge which
Adam possessed before his fall. There is, however, plenty of evidence less
mythical than that, and to that evidence I happen to be able to contribute a
fragment of personal experience of a rather unusual kind.
By devoting some years to the effort and many more years to
practice, I have been able to develop certain psychic faculties of the kind
mentioned in the Foreword, which, among other things, enable me to remember the
previous existences through which I have passed. The idea of pre-existence may
be new to some of my readers.* (*Those who wish to learn more about this most
fascinating subject should read Reincarnation, by the V .·.·. Ills .·.·. Bro
.·. A. Besant, and the chapter on Reincarnation in my Textbook of Theosophy.) I
do not propose now to advance arguments in its favour, though they exist in
abundance, but simply to state that for me, as for many others, it is a fact of
personal experience. The only one of those previous lives of mine with
which we are here concerned was lived some four thousand years
before Christ inthe country which we now call Egypt.
When I was initiated into Freemasonry in this life, my first sight
of the Lodge was a great and pleasant surprise, for I found that I was
perfectly familiar with all its arrangements, and that they were identical with
those which I had known six thousand years ago in the Mysteries of Egypt. I am
quite aware that this is a startling statement; I can only say that it is
literally true. No mistake is possible; coincidence will not serve as an
explanation. The placing of the three chief officers is unusual; the symbols
are significant and distinctive, and their combination is peculiar; yet they
all belonged to ancient Egypt, and I knew them well there. Almost all the
ceremonies are unchanged; there are only a few differences in minor points. The
s … ps taken, the k … s given - all have a symbolical meaning which I
distinctly remember.
EGYPTIAN EVIDENCES
Knowing these facts to be so from my own experience, I set to work
to collect ordinary physical-plane corroborative evidence for them from such
books as were within my reach, and found even more than I had hoped. The
explanation of the First Degree t … b …
begins by remarking that the usages and customs among Freemasons have ever
borne a near affinity to those of the ancient Egyptians, but does not furnish
us with any illustrations of the points of similarity. These are to be found in
Bro. Churchward’s most illuminative books, Signs and Symbols of Primordial Man
and The Arcana of Freemasonry, also in The Arcane Schools, by Bro. John Yarker,
and Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods, by Bro. J. S. M. Ward. I will proceed to
summarize, with grateful acknowledgment, the information derived from these
volumes. Masons of various degrees will be able to select from it the features
which remind them of their own ceremonies.
Some interesting illustrations have been collected from the
wall-pictures of ancient Egypt, and from vignettes on various papyri, chiefly
from The Book of the Dead, of which there are many recensions. It is clear from
these sources that the formation of the temple in Egypt was a double square,
and in the centre were three cubes standing one upon another, forming an altar*
(*Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry, p. .) upon which were laid their Volumes of the
Sacred Lore - not the same as our own, of course, for ours had not yet been
written. Those cubes represented the three Aspects or Persons of the Trinity -
Osiris, Isis and Horus - as may be seen from the signs engraved on them (see
Fig. 1) which, however, is copied not from an Egyptian altar, but from an
illustration in Mr. Evans’ book on Crete; but at a later period we find only a
double cube.
There were two pillars at the entrance to the temple, and on them
were squares representing earth and heaven.* (*Ibid., p. .) One of them bore a
name which signified “in strength” while the name of the other signified “to
establish”.* (*Ibid., p. .) This gateway was regarded as leading to the higher
world of Amenti, the world where the soul was blended with immortal spirit, and
thereafter established for ever; so this was the figure of stability. At the
entrance of the Lodge there were always two guards armed with knives; the outer
was called the Watcher, the inner was known as the Herald.* (*Ibid., p. .) The
candidate was divested of most of his clothing, and entered with a c … t … and
h … w … He was led to the door of the temple, and there asked who he was. He
replied that he was Shu, the “suppliant” or “kneeler,” coming in a state of
darkness to seek for Light. The door was an equilateral triangle of stone,
which turned on a pivot on its own centre.
As the candidate entered he trod on the square, and, in so doing,
it was supposed that he was treading on, and leaving, the lower quaternary or
personality of man, in order to develop the higher triad, the ego or soul. (In
modern Masonry the same idea is expressed in the First Lecture, where it is
stated that a Mason comes to the Lodge “to learn to rule and subdue his
passions, and to make further progress in Masonry”.) He was conducted through
long passages, and led round the Lodge seven times; and, after
having replied to many questions, he was eventually brought to the
centre of the
Lodge, and there asked what he required. He was told to answer:
“Light”. In all
his perambulations, he had to begin with the left foot. If the
candidate
violated his O., so it is stated in The Book of the Dead, his
throat was cut and
his heart torn out. Another degree is mentioned in the papyrus of
Nesi-Amsu,
where it is said that the body was cut to pieces and burnt to
ashes, and these
were spread over the face of the waters to the four winds of
heaven.
There is in the temple of Khnumu in the island of Elephantine, just
off Assouan, a bas-relief which shows us two figures, one of the Pharaoh and
the other of a priest wearing the ibis head-dress of Thoth, standing in an
attitude strongly suggestive of the f … p … of f …, though not exactly agreeing
with our present practice. (See Plate II a.) It is intended to represent an
initiation, and the word given is “Maat-heru,” which means “true of voice” or
“one whose voice must be obeyed”.* (*Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry, p.
.) I have also seen a painting in which
four attendants are depicted saluting a Pharaoh with the p … s … of an I.M.,
and the s … of s … is often to be found on the monuments, and is characteristic
of Horus. The gavel was then made of stone, and was a model of the
double-headed axe.
In those days the aprons were made of leather, and were triangular.
That of the First Degree was pure white, as it is now; but the M.M.’s apron was
brilliantly coloured and heavily jewelled, with tassels of gold. (See Plate I.)
Our t … f … i … g … was represented by a cubit of twenty-five inches. The
Blazing Star in the centre of the Lodge existed, but it had eight points
instead of six or five. It was called “The Star of Dawn” or “The Morning Star,”
and represented Horus of the Resurrection, who is pictured as bearing it upon
his head and as having given it to his followers.
The Masonic square was well-known, and was called neka. It is to be
found in many temples, and also appears in the great pyramid. It is said that
it was used for squaring stones, and also symbolically for squaring conduct,
which once more resembles the modern interpretation. To build on the square was
to build for ever, according to the teachings of ancient Egypt; and in the
Egyptian Hall of Judgment Osiris is seen seated on the square while judging the
dead. (See Plate II b.) Thus the square came to symbolize the foundation of
eternal law.* (*Churchward, The Arcana of Freemasonry, p. .)
The Egyptians used the rough and the smooth ashlars with much the
same meaning that Masons attach to them today.* (*Ibid., p. 60.) A wand
surmounted by a dove is represented, not only in ancient Egypt, but also in
some of the monuments in Central America, and those who bore it were called
“conductors”. It is a curious fact, also, that the descendants of
the Nubians, who emigrated long ago from Egypt to Central Africa, when called
to
take an oath in a court of law, still do so with a gesture which,
still do so
with a gesture, were I at liberty to describe it in writing, would
be
universally recognized by the Craft.
Another point that struck me much on looking at engravings of
vignettes in The Book of the Dead is that the h … s … of the F.C. is depicted perfectly
clearly; a group of people is shown as worshipping the setting sun, or paying
respect to it, in that attitude.
This Book of the Dead, as it has been somewhat unfortunately
called, is part of a manual which in its entirety was intended as a kind of
guide to the astral plane, containing a number of instructions for the conduct
both of the departed and the initiate in the lower regions of that other world.
The chapters which have been collected from the various tombs do not give us
the whole of that work, but only one section of it, and even that is much
corrupted. The mind of the Egyptian seems to have worked along exceedingly
formal and orderly lines; he tabulated every conceivable description of entity
which a dead man could by any possibility meet, and arranged carefully the
special charm or word of power which he considered most certain to vanquish the
creature if he should prove hostile, never apparently realizing that it was his
own will which did the work, but attributing his success to some kind of magic.
The Book of the Dead was originally intended to be kept secret,
although in
later days certain chapters were written on papyrus and buried with
the dead
man. As is said in one of the texts: “This Book is the greatest of
mysteries. Do
not let the eye of anyone look upon it - that were abomination. The
Book of the
Master of the Secret House is its name.”* (*W. Marsham Adams, The
Book of the Master, p. .)
In ancient
Mysteries.
When Osiris died, Isis and Nepthys - in turn tried to raise him,
but it proved a failure; then Anubis attempted it and succeeded, and Osiris
returned to the world with the secrets of Amenti - a significant statement
which seems to suggest that the secrets which we possess are closely connected
with the underworld and the life after death.
These are some of the most striking of the evidences which I have
been able to collect; and there are others which may not be written. I feel
that many more can probably be found, but even these, when taken together, make
any theory of coincidence impossible. There is no doubt that this to which we have
the honour to belong today is the same fraternity which I knew six thousand
years ago, and it can indeed be carried back to a far greater antiquity still.
Bro. Churchward claims that some of the signs are six hundred thousand years
old; that is quite likely to be true, for the world is very ancient, and
assuredly Freemasonry has one of the very oldest rituals existing. We must of
course admit that the mere appearance of one of our symbols does not
necessarily involve the existence of a Lodge, but at least it shows that, even so long ago as that, men were thinking
along somewhat the same lines, and trying to express their thoughts in the same
language of symbol that we employ today.
PRESERVATION OF RITUALS AND SYMBOLS
That the rituals and symbols should have been preserved to us with
so wonderfully little alteration is surely a marvellous thing; it would be
inexplicable but for the fact that the Great Powers behind evolution have taken
an interest in the matter, and gradually brought people back to the true lines
when they had swerved somewhat away from them. This business was always in the
hands of the Chohan of the Seventh Ray, for that is the ray most especially
connected with ceremonial of all kinds, and its Head was always the supreme
Hierophant of the Mysteries of ancient Egypt. The present holder of that office
is that Master of the Wisdom of whom we often speak as the Comte de S. Germain,
because He appeared under that title in the eighteenth century. He is also
sometimes called Prince Rakoczi, as He is the last survivor
of that royal house. Exactly when He was appointed to the Headship
of the Ceremonial Ray I do not know, but He took a keen interest in Freemasonry
as early as the third century A.D.
We find him at that period as Albanus, a man of noble Roman family,
born at the town of Verulam in England. As a young man he went to Rome, joined
the army there, and achieved considerable distinction in it. He served in Rome
for some seven years at any rate, perhaps longer than that. It was there that
he was initiated into Freemasonry, and also became a proficient in the Mithraic
Mysteries, which were so closely associated with it.
After this time in Rome he returned to his birthplace in England,
and was appointed governor of the fortress there. He also held the position of
“the Master of the Works”, whatever that may have meant; he certainly
superintended the repairs and the general work in the fortress at Verulam, and
he was at the same time the Imperial Paymaster. The story goes that the workmen
were treated as slaves and wretchedly paid, but that S. Alban (as he was
afterwards called) introduced Freemasonry and changed all that, securing for
them better wages and greatly improved conditions generally.
Many of our Brn. must have heard of the Watson MS of . In that a
good deal
is said about S. Albans work for the Craft, and it is specially
mentioned that
he brought from France certain ancient charges which are
practically identical
with those in use at the present time. He was beheaded in the persecution
by
the Emperor Diocletian in the year 303, and the great abbey of S.
Alban was
built over his remains some five hundred years later.
In the year 411 he was born in Constantinople and received the name
of Proclus - a name which in after life he was destined to make famous. He was
one of the last great exponents of Neo-Platonism, and his influence
overshadowed to a great extent the medieval Christian Church. After that there
is a gap in his list of incarnations, as to which at present we know nothing.
We find him reborn in the year 1211, and in that life he was Roger Bacon, a
Franciscan friar, who was a reformer both of the theology and the science of
his day. In 1375 came his birth as Christian Rosenkreutz. That also was an
incarnation of considerable importance, for in it he founded the secret society
of the Rosicrucians. He seems some fifty years later, or a little more than
that, to have used the body of Hunyadi Janos, an eminent Hungarian soldier and
leader. Also we are told that about 1500 he had a life as the monk Robertus,
somewhere in middle Europe. We know practically nothing about that, as to what
he did or in what way he distinguished himself.
After that comes one of the greatest of his births, for in the year
1561 he was born as Francis Bacon. Of that great man we hear in history little
that is true and a great deal that is false. The real facts of his life are
gradually becoming known, largely by means of a cipher story which he wrote
secretly in the many works which he published. That story is of entrancing
interest, but it does not concern us here. A sketch of it may be found in my
book The Hidden Side of Christian Festivals, from which I am epitomizing this
account.* (*Op. cit.., p. 30.)
A century later we are told that he took birth as Jozsef Rakoczi, a
prince of Transylvania. We find him mentioned in the encyclopedias, but not
much information is given. After that considerable mystery surrounds his
movements.
He seems to have travelled about Europe, and he turns up at
intervals, but we have little definite knowledge about him. He was the Comte de
S. Germain at the time of the French Revolution, and worked much with Madame Blavatsky, who was at
that period in incarnation under the name of Père Joseph. He also appears to
have disguised himself as Baron Hompesch, who was the last of the Knights of
St. John of Malta, the man who arranged the transfer of the island of Malta to
the English. This great saint and teacher still lives, and His present body has
no appearance of great age. I myself met Him physically in Rome in 1901, and
had a long conversation with Him.
In Co-Masonry we refer to Him as the Head of all True Freemasons
throughout the world (abbreviated as the H.O.A.T.F.) and in some of our Lodges
His portrait is placed in the east, above the chair of the R.W.M., and just
beneath the Star of Initiation; others place it in the north, above an empty
chair. Upon His recognition and assent as Head of the Seventh Ray the validity
of all rites and degrees depends. He often selects pupils from among the Brn.
of the Masonic Order, and prepares those who have fitted themselves in the
lower mysteries of Masonry for the true Mysteries of the Great White Lodge, of
which our Masonic initiations, splendid though they be, are but faint reflections,
for Masonry has ever been one of the gates through which that White Lodge might
be reached. Today but few of His Masons acknowledge Him as their Sovereign
Grand Master, yet the possibility of such discipleship has ever been recognized
in the traditions of the Order. It is said in an ancient catechism of masculine
Masonry:
Q. As a
Mason whence come you?
A. From the W … t.
Q. Whither
directing your course?
A. To the E … t.
Q. What
inducement have you to leave the W … t and go to the E … t?
A. To seek a Master, and from Him to gain
instruction.
Fortunately our ancestors have recognized the importance of handing
down the working unchanged. Some few points have been dropped during that vast
lapse of time; a few others have been slightly modified; but they are
marvellously few. The charges have become longer, and the non-officials take
less part in the work than they used to do; in the old days they constantly
chanted short versicles of praise or exhortation, and each one of them
understood himself to be filling a definite position, to be a necessary wheel
in the great machine.
From this knowledge several points emerge. It is noteworthy that
the Masonic ceremonies, which have so long been supposed to be rather in
opposition to the received religion of the country, are seen to be themselves a
relic of the most sacred part of a great ancient religion. Like every product
of these ancient and elaborately perfected systems, these rites are full of
meaning, or rather of meanings; for in Egypt we attributed to them a fourfold
signification. Since every detail is thus full of import, it is obvious that
nothing should ever be changed without the greatest care, and only then by
those who know its full intent, so that the symbology of the whole may not be
spoiled.
THE EGYPTIAN OUTLOOK
It is exceedingly difficult to explain to twentieth
century readers all that this work meant to us in the sunny land of
Khem; but I
will try to describe the four layers of interpretation as they were
taught when
I myself lived there.
The first idea of its meaning was that it conveyed to us and
symbolized in action the way in which
the Great Architect had constructed the universe - that in the movements made
and in the plan of the Lodge were enshrined some of the great principles on
which that universe had been built. The vortical movement in the censing, the
raising and lowering of the columns, the cross, the anchor and the cup upon the
ladder of evolution - all these things and many more we interpreted in that way.
The different degrees penetrated further and further into the knowledge of His
methods and of the principles upon which He works. For we not only held that He
worked in the past, but that He is working now, that His universe is an active
expression of Him. In those days, books filled a far less prominent place in
our lives than they do now, and it was considered that to record knowledge in a
series of appropriate and suggestive actions made a more powerful appeal to a
man’s mind, and established that knowledge better in memory, than to read it
from a book. We are, therefore, preserving by our unvarying actions the memory
of certain facts and laws in nature.
Because that is so, and because the laws of the universe must be
universal in their application and must act down here as well as above, we held
that the Great Architect expected from us a life in accordance with the law
which He had made. The square was to be applied literally to stones and
buildings, but symbolically to man’s conduct, and man must arrange his life in
agreement with what obviously followed from these considerations; therefore the
strictest probity was demanded, and a high level of purity, physical, emotional
and mental. Perfect rectitude and justice were required, and yet at the same time
loving-kindness and gentleness, and in all cases “doing unto others what ye
would that they should do unto you.” So Masonry is indeed “a system of morality
veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols,” but it is a system based not on
an alleged commandment, “Thus saith the Lord,” but on definite facts and laws
in nature which cannot be doubted.
The work is a preparation for death, and for what follows it. The
two pillars B. and J. were supposed to stand at the entrance to the other
world, and the various experiences through which the candidate passed were
intended to symbolize those which would come to him when he passed out of this
physical world into the next stage. There is a vast amount of information about
the life after death to be derived from an intelligent consideration of Masonic
ceremonies, and through constantly practising them these worlds will become
really familiar to us; so that when we shall pass beyond the grave, no longer
in figurative death, we shall feel ourselves quite at home in repeating once
more what we have so often enacted in symbol within the Lodge. Above all,
it is emphasized that the same laws hold good on the other side of
the grave as on this, that in both states we are equally in the presence of
God, and that where that holy Name is invoked there can be no cause for fear.
The fourth intention is the hardest of all to explain. To make you
understand that, I must try to take you back, if I can, into the atmosphere of
old Egypt, and to the attitude that religious men held there. I do not know
whether it is possible to reconstruct that in these modern days, which are so
hopelessly, so fundamentally different.
The religion which we know best at the present day is intensely
individualistic; the great central objective put before most Christians is that
of saving their own souls. That duty is represented to be of primary
importance. Can you picture to yourselves a religion, just as much a religion
in every way, in every respect as earnest, as fervid, as real, from which that idea
was entirely absent, to which it would have been utterly inconceivable? Can you
think, as a beginning, of a condition of mind in which no one feared anything
excepting wrong, and its possible results in delaying unfoldment; in which men
looked forward with perfect certainty to their progress after death, because
they knew all about it; in which their one desire was not for salvation but for
advancement in evolution, because such advancement brought them greater power
to do effectively the hidden work which God expected of them?
I am not suggesting that every one in ancient Egypt was altruistic,
any more than are all the people in modern England. But I do say that the
country was permeated with joy and fearlessness so far as its religious ideas
were concerned, and that every one who by any stretch of courtesy could be
described as a religious man was occupied not with thoughts of his personal
salvation, but with the desire to be a useful agent of the divine Power.
The outer religion of ancient Egypt - the official religion in
which everyone took part, from the King to the slave - was one of the most
splendid that have ever been known to man. Gorgeous processions perambulating
avenues miles in length, amid pillars so stupendous that they seemed scarcely human
work, stately boats in a medley of rainbow colours sweeping majestically down
the placid Nile, music triumphant or plaintive, but always thrilling - how
shall I describe something so absolutely without parallel in our puny modern
times?
The common dress of all classes in Egypt was white; but in
contradistinction their religious processions were masses of splendid, glowing
colour, the priests wearing vestments of crimson and a gorgeous blue supposed
to represent the blue of the sky, and many other brilliant colours also. The
life of ancient Egypt, as indeed of modern Egypt, centred round the river Nile,
slow-flowing and majestic, and richly decorated barges were used for all
purposes of transit, and also for the celebration of religious festivals. On these
the priests were arranged in certain symbolical figures, standing or sitting;
and all wore the colours appropriate to the particular aspect of the Deity
which they symbolized.
Not only were solemn sacrifices offered to the gods upon these
barges at altars wonderfully adorned with flowers and precious embroideries,
sometimes built up by stages to a hundred feet or more in the air; but living
pictures or scenes were also enacted upon them, having a symbolical meaning
connected with the festival which was being celebrated. In such ways was
represented the judgment of the dead, with the weighing of the heart by Anubis
against the feather of Maat, the characters of Anubis and Thoth being played by
priests who wore the appropriate masks. I remember also a very gruesome
performance of the dismemberment of Osiris, in which His body was cut into
pieces and then put together again - not the body of a real person, of course,
but none the less very realistically enacted. These splendid processions swept
down the river between the thronging multitudes of worshippers, shedding
the benediction of the gods as they
passed by, and evoking tremendous enthusiasm and devotion in the people.
The ancient Egyptians have often been accused of polytheism, but in
reality they were no more guilty of the charge than are the Hindus. All men
knew and worshipped the One God, Amen-Ra, the “One without a Second”, the
centre of whose manifestation on the physical plane is the sun; but they
worshipped Him under different aspects and through different channels.
In one of the hymns addressed to Him it was said:
The gods
adore Thee, They greet Thee, O Thou the
One Dark
Truth, the Heart of Silence, the Hidden Mystery, the Inner God seated within the
shrine, Thou Producer of Beings, Thou the One Self. We adore the souls that are
emanated from Thee, that share Thy Being, that are Thyself. O Thou that art
hidden, yet everywhere manifest, we worship Thee in greeting each God-soul that
cometh forth from Thee and liveth in us.
The “gods” were not considered to be equal with God, but rather to
have attained union with Him at various levels, and therefore to be channels of
His infinite power to mankind.
The cult of the gods was in reality but little different from the
cult of Angels and Saints in the Catholic Church. Just as Christians look to
St. Michael and to Our Lady as real personages and hold festivals in their
honour, so in ancient Egypt adoration was offered to Isis and Osiris, and to
other deities likewise. In the ultimate these august names referred to Aspects
of the Godhead, Amen-Ra, for the Trinity in Egypt was represented by Father,
Mother, Son - Osiris, Isis and Horus instead of the Christian presentation of
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; but below that divine level there were then, as
there are now, great Beings in whom the Ideal was embodied, who acted as
representatives and as channels of God’s threefold power and grace to man.
Furthermore there are hierarchies of Angels belonging to these different lines,
just as there are hierarchies of Angels who follow the leadership of St.
Michael and of Our Lady - each of whom is a channel and representative of his
Order according to the level of his development. The celebration of the ritual
of Isis, for instance, always attracted
her attention, and invoked the presence of Angels of Her Order, who acted as
channels of the divine blessing in that wondrous aspect of the
Hidden Truth
which she represented.
THE HIDDEN
No doubt the really religious man took his part in all the outward
pomp which I have described; but what he prized far above all its amazing
magnificence was his membership in some Lodge of the sacred Mysteries - a Lodge
which devoted itself with reverent enthusiasm to the hidden work which was the
principal activity of this noble religion. It is of this hidden side of the
Egyptian cult, not of its outer glories, that Freemasonry is a relic, and the
ritual which is preserved in it is a part of that of the Mysteries. To explain
what this hidden work was, let us draw a parallel from a more modern method of
producing a somewhat similar result.
The Christian plan for spreading abroad the divine power or grace
is principally by means of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, commonly called
by our Roman brethren the Mass. We must not think of that grace as a sort of
poetical expression, or as in the least degree vague and cloudy; we are dealing
with a force as definite as electricity - a spiritual power which is spread
abroad over the people in certain ways, which leaves its own effect behind it,
and needs its own vehicles, just as electricity needs its appropriate
machinery.
It is possible by clairvoyance to watch the action of that force,
to see how the service of the Eucharist builds up a thought-form, through which
that force is distributed by the priest with the aid of the Angel invoked for
that purpose. It has been so arranged that the attitude of the priest, his
knowledge - even his character - does not in any way interfere with the due
effect of the Sacrament.* (*See No. 26 of the Thirty-nine Articles of the
Church of England in The Book of Common Prayer.) There is, in any case, an irreducible minimum
which is transmitted. So long as he performs the prescribed ceremonies the
result is achieved.* (*See The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, by
T. Waterworth, p. 55 (Session VII, Canon xii)) If he is also a devout man,
those who receive the Sacrament at his hands have the additional benefit of a
share in his love and devotion, but that in no way affects the value of the
Sacrament itself; whatever his failings, the divine strength is outpoured upon
the people.
The old Egyptian religion had the same idea of pouring out
spiritual force upon all its people, but its method was altogether different.
The Christian magic can be performed by the priest alone, and may even be done
quite mechanically; but the intelligent assistance of the laity greatly
increases its power and the amount of force which can be outpoured.
The Egyptian plan, however, positively required the earnest and
intelligent
co-operation of a considerable number of people. It was, therefore,
much more
difficult to achieve perfectly, but when thoroughly done it was far
more
powerful, and covered a much wider range of country. The Christian
scheme needs a vast number of churches dotted all over the land; the Egyptian
plan required only the action of a few Grand Lodges established in the
principal cities in order to flood the whole kingdom with the Hidden Light -
the work of the
ordinary Lodges being regarded as subsidiary to these, and rather
as a training
ground for membership in the Grand Lodges.
The central doctrine of the religion of the ancient Egyptians was
that the divine power dwelt in every man, even the lowest and most degraded,
and they called that power “The Hidden Light”. They held that through that
Light, which existed in all, men could always be reached and helped, and that
it was their business to find that Light within every one, however unpromising,
and to strengthen it. The very motto of the Pharaoh was “Look for the Light,”
implying that his supreme duty as King was to look for that Hidden Light in
every man around him, and strive to bring it forth into fuller manifestation.
The Egyptians held that this divine spark, which exists in every
one, could most effectively be fanned into flame by transmuting and bringing
down to the three lower worlds the tremendous spiritual force which is the life
of the higher planes, and then pouring it out over the country as has been
described. Knowing that spiritual force to be but another manifestation of the
manifold power of God, they gave to it also the name of the Hidden Light; and
from this double use of the term confusion sometimes arises.
They fully recognized that such a downpour of divine grace could be
evoked only by a supreme effort of devotion on their part; and the making of
such an effort, together with the provision of suitable machinery for spreading
the force when it came, was a great part of the hidden work to which the noblest of the
Egyptians devoted so much of their time and energy; and this was
the fourth of
the objects intended to be served by the sacred and secret ritual,
of which that
of Masonry is a relic.
THE EGYPTIAN RACE
The Egyptian race of the period of which I have been speaking was
of mixed blood, but dominantly Aryan. Our researches show that about 13,500
B.C. a band of men and women belonging to the highest classes of the great
South Indian empire which then existed set out on an expedition to Egypt, by
way of Ceylon, having been directed to do so by the Manu. The ruling race in
Egypt in those days was a branch of what has been called in Theosophical books
the Toltec sub-race - a branch probably identical with that Cro-Magnon race
which inhabited Europe and Africa somewhere about 25,000 B.C. In Ancient
Types of Man* (*Op. cit., p. .) Sir Arthur Keith remarks that this
race was
mentally and physically one of the finest that the world has ever
seen. Broca
has noted that the brain content of the skull of the Cro-Magnon
woman surpasses that of the average male of today. The average height of the
men of this race was six feet one and a half inches; the shoulders were
exceedingly broad and the arms short as compared with the legs; the nose was
thin but prominent, the cheek-bones high, and the chin massive.
It happened that the King or Pharaoh on the throne at the time when
the expedition from South India arrived had a daughter but no son, his wife
having died in child-birth. The newcomers were received with great cordiality
by both King and High-Priest, and intermarriage with the strangers became a
coveted honour in the Egyptian families, especially as the King had approved
the marriage of his daughter with the leader of the band, who was a Prince of
India.
In a few generations the Aryan blood had tinged the entire Egyptian
nobility, and this produced the type, well known from the monuments, which had
Aryan features, but the Toltec colouring. After many centuries there came a
ruler who was influenced by a foreign princess, whom he had espoused, to cast
aside the Aryan traditions and establish lower forms of worship; but the clan
drew together and, by strictly marrying only among themselves, preserved the
old customs and religion as well as their purity of race. Nearly four thousand
years after the arrival of the Indians, there arose in Egypt certain prophets
who foretold a great flood, so the clan in a body took ship across the Red Sea
and found a refuge among the mountains of Arabia.
In 9,564 B.C. the prophecy was fulfilled; the island of Poseidonis
sank beneath the Atlantic Ocean in the deluge mentioned in the Timaeus of
Plato; at the same time the land rose and made the Sahara Desert where a
shallow sea had been before, and a vast tidal wave swept over Egypt, so that
almost its entire population was destroyed. Even when everything settled down,
the country was a wilderness, bounded on the west no longer by a peaceful sea
but by a vast salt swamp, which as the centuries rolled on dried into an
inhospitable desert. Of all the glories of Egypt there remained only the
pyramids towering in lonely desolation - a state of things which endured for
fifteen hundred years before the clan returned from its mountain refuge, grown
into a great nation.
But long before this half-savage tribes had ventured into the land,
fighting their primitive battles on the banks of the great river which had once
borne the argosies of a mighty civilization, and was yet to witness a revival of
those ancient glories, and to mirror the stately temples of Osiris and Amen-Ra.
The first of the several races that entered the country was a Nubian people
from Central Africa; they had, however, been displaced by various others before the Aryo-Egyptians returned from
Arabia, settled near Abydos, and gradually in a peaceful manner became once
more the dominant power. Two thousand four hundred years later the Manu (under
the name of Menes) incarnated, united the whole of Egypt under one rule, and
founded at the same time the first dynasty and his great city of Memphis. This
empire had already flourished for more than a millennium and a half before the
reign of Rameses the Great, who was himself the Master of one of the principal
Lodges at the time when I had the Honour to belong to it.
THE GRAND LODGES
During the time when I was living in Egypt, the government of the
country was directed from within the organization of the Mysteries. Egypt was
divided into forty-two nomes or counties, and the nomarch or ruler of the
county was the Master of the principal Lodge of the nome. There was a Grand
Lodge - not to be confused with the three Grand Lodges of Amen to be described
later - which consisted of all the nomarchs, and of which the Grand Master was
the Pharaoh.
This Grand Lodge was convened at Memphis, and worked a different
ritual from those of the lower grades. It was to this body that the Pharaoh
announced his decrees; for although his power in the land was almost absolute,
yet before any serious decision was made he always took counsel with his
nomarchs - and, judging by their decisions, they were a very capable body of
men. Lesser matters were settled by an executive committee of this Lodge over
which the Pharaoh presided; but important steps were always discussed in Grand
Lodge itself. Thus the Mysteries entered into political as well as
into religious life in the old days; and politics were much less selfish in
consequence.
There were in Egypt in those days three Grand Lodges of Amen, each of
which was strictly limited to forty members, every one of whom was a necessary
part of the machine. Including the officers, whose business was the recitation
of the Office and the magnetization of the Lodge, each member was the
representative of a particular quality. One was called the Knight of Love,
another the Knight of Truth, another the Knight of Perseverance, and so on; and
each was supposed to become a specialist in thinking and expressing the quality
assigned to him.
The idea was that the forty qualities, thus expressed through the
Lodge as a whole, would make the character of a perfect man, a kind of heavenly
man, through whom the power behind could be poured out upon the whole country.
These three Grand Lodges worked three distinct types of Masonry, of
which only one has come down to us in the twentieth century. The Master of the
first Grand Lodge represented wisdom, and his two Wardens strength and beauty,
as in our Lodges today. The predominant power outpoured was that wisdom which
is perfect love, the quality that is indeed most needed in the world at the
present time. The Master of the second Grand Lodge represented strength, and
his Wardens wisdom and beauty, and the strength of the First Aspect of the
Trinity was the predominant quality of the Lodge. The Master of the third Grand
Lodge typified beauty, and the wisdom and the strength were made subordinate to
that third aspect of the Hidden Light.
As every one present had to bear his part in building the form,
exact co-operation and perfect harmony were absolutely necessary, and only
people who could forget themselves entirely in the great work were selected
from the ordinary Lodges to become members of these three Grand Lodges, whose
power was such that their influence covered the entire country. The slightest
flaw in the character of one of the forty members would have seriously weakened
the form through which all the work was being done. It is perhaps a relic of
this paramount necessity which dictates our present regulation that any Brn. who
are not in perfect harmony with each other should not put on their aprons until
they have settled their differences. In ancient Egypt there was an intensity of
brotherly feeling between the members of a Lodge which is probably rarely
attained now; they felt themselves bound together by the holiest of ties, not
only as parts of the same machine, but actually as fellow-workers with God
Himself.
The ritual worked by the Grand Lodges was known as The Building of
the Temple of Amen; a translation of its actual wording will be given in
another part of this book. It was indeed one of the most splendid and powerful
sacraments known to man. It was celebrated for thousands of years, during which
Egypt was a mighty land, but a time came when the egos most advanced in
evolution began to seek incarnation in new nations, in which, as in different
classes in the world-school, they might learn new lessons. Then this portion of
the Egyptian Mysteries fell into abeyance, while the Egyptian civilization grew
degenerate and formalized as it became a theatre for the activities of less
evolved men.
THE ORDINARY LODGES
There were also dotted all about the country numerous other Lodges,
which more closely resembled those of modern times. Their work was much more
varied than that of the three Grand Lodges, and they met more frequently, for
to them was entrusted the work of preparing their members for higher things,
and giving them a liberal education. Their purpose was the same as that of the
Mysteries everywhere, to provide a definite system of culture and education for
adults, a thing which is not done on a large and public scale in our present
day, when the rather curious belief is widely spread that education ends with
school or college. The Mysteries were the great public institutions, centres of
national and religious life, to which people of the better classes flocked in
thousands, and they did their work well, for one who had passed through their
degrees - a process of many years - thereby became what we should now call a
highly educated and cultured man or woman, with, in addition to his knowledge
about this world, a vivid realization of the future after death, of man’s place
in the scheme of things, and therefore
of what was really worth doing and living for.
Even in these ordinary Lodges every member took part in the work,
and the labour of those in the columns was regarded as more arduous than that
of the officers. Though the latter had special physical actions through which
they must go with great accuracy, the former had to use their thought-power all
the time.
They had all to join at certain points in the ritual in sending out
streams of thought, more in the nature of will-power than of meditation, the
object of the whole effort being to erect over and around the Lodge a
magnificent and radiant thought-form of perfect proportions, specially
constructed to receive and transmit in the most effective way the Divine Force
which was called down by their act of devotion. If any member’s thought was
ineffectual, the mighty temple-like thought-form was correspondingly defective
in one part; but the Master of the Lodge was usually a clairvoyant priest or
priestess who could see where the defect
lay, and so could keep his Lodge strictly up to the mark. Thus these Lodges also shared in the same
great work of force-distribution, though on a smaller scale than the three
Grand Lodges which were specially entrusted with that task.
Without some purpose such as this our great Masonic effort seems
unintelligible. We have in nearly all
Masonic Lodges a beautiful opening ceremony, full of deep symbolical meaning,
and when understood it is
seen to be no mere form, but a wonderfully effective formula,
calling to our aid
various entities, and preparing the way for the performance of a
very definite
service to mankind. Yet, having opened our Lodge and made all these
preparations, we proceed at once to close down, unless we have a
candidate to
initiate or pass or raise, or a lecture to deliver to our own
people. Surely
such a wonderful preparation should end in something definite, in a
real piece
of work for the benefit of mankind.
In ancient Egypt there was this splendid work, the culmination to
which all the preparations led up. Our true purpose should be the same. We meet
and go through certain ceremonies, and give them the name of work - a name that
is quite inappropriate as applied to the mere ceremonies, no matter how full of
meaning they may be. But if we are building a grand and beautiful form as a
channel for the divine energy, through which the world may be helped, then most
assuredly we are doing work, collecting, concentrating and storing up great
superhuman forces, and then, with the closing blessing, pouring all that out
upon the world. Without this, all the
preliminaries are, as it says in the Co-Masonic mystic charge, “like massive
doorways, leading nowhither”.
There is no reason why we in the present day should not do as much
with our ritual as did the ancient Egyptians. Any defects that may stand in the
way are to be found not in the outer world, but in the failure on the part of
the Brn. to realize the seriousness of the work which they have undertaken, or
to rise to the degree of unselfishness that is requisite to ensure regular
attendance for the sake of humanity. In
There are various lines along which the recollection of the way in
which the work was done in ancient Egypt may be of use to us, for those people
performed their ceremonies with full knowledge of their meaning, and so the
points upon which they laid great stress are likely to be important to us also.
Deep reverence was their strongest characteristic. They regarded
their temple much as the most earnest Christians regard their church, except
that their attitude was dictated by scientific knowledge rather than by
feeling. They understood that the temple was strongly magnetized, and that to
preserve the full strength of that magnetism great care was necessary.
To speak of ordinary matters in the temple would have been
considered as
sacrilege, as it would mean the introduction of a disturbing
influence. Vesting
and all preliminary business was always done in the anteroom, and
the Brn.
entered the Lodge in procession, singing, as Co-Masons do now.
THE HISTORY OF MASONRY
The Mystery teaching of Egypt was very closely guarded, and it was
only with great difficulty and under special conditions that anyone not an
Egyptian born could be allowed to receive it. Still, it was given to various
distinguished foreigners, and among others to Moses, of whom it is said in the
biblical story that he was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians”. He
passed on his knowledge to the Jewish priestly line, and thus it survived in a
more or less defective form till the time of David and Solomon.
When Solomon built his temple he erected it on Masonic lines, and
made it a centre of Masonic symbolism and work. He unquestionably intended his
temple to demonstrate and to preserve for his people a certain set of
measurements, in the same sort of way in which all kinds of astronomical and
geodetic facts were enshrined in the measurements of the great pyramid.* (*See
Ch. II, on the Pillars.) He did not succeed, because much of the tradition had
been lost; or it would perhaps be truer to say that while external ceremonial
and even the traditional ornamentation had been very fairly preserved, the clue
to the meaning of it all was no longer known. Until that time initiates of the
Jewish Mysteries had had their attention directed to the House of Light in
Egypt; but King Solomon resolved to keep their thoughts and feelings strictly
focused upon the building which he had himself erected, and therefore instead
of speaking to them of the symbolical death and resurrection of Osiris in Egypt
he invented the original form of our present traditional history to take its
place. In fact, he Judaized the entire ritual, substituting Hebrew words for
the original Egyptian, though in some cases at least preserving the original
meaning.
It should be remembered that in doing this he was only bringing the
practice of his people into line with that of neighbouring tribes and nations.
There were many lines of Mystery tradition, and though the Jews had brought
with them across the
It is principally along this line of Jewish descent that Masonry
has come down to us in
about 200 B.C.,
and again through the medium of the soldiers returning from the
campaigns of Vespasian and Titus. From the Collegia this mingled
tradition was
handed on through the Comacini and various other secret societies
through the
dangerous times of the Middle Ages; and when a better age dawned
and persecution became less fierce it came to the surface once more. Certain
fragments of it were gathered together in 1717 to form the Grand Lodge of
England, and so it has come down to us unto the present day.
It should be understood, however, that there is no one line of
Masonic orthodoxy. A parallel tradition, coming originally from Chaldean
sources, has given rise to Masonry as worked upon the continent of
The whole subject of Masonic history is one of exceeding interest;
but, owing to the fact that Masonry is after all a secret society, it is often
almost impossible to trace the line of its descent by means of any documents
which are now available, and consequently there is great confusion and
contradiction among the various accounts. We have ourselves devoted a good deal
of investigation and research to this matter, and I have published some of its
results in the book just mentioned, Glimpses of Masonic History.
Much of the ancient wisdom has been allowed to slip into oblivion,
and so some of the true secrets were lost to the great body of the Brn. But among
the Hierophants of the Great White Brotherhood the true secrets have ever been
preserved, and they will always reward the search of the really earnest Mason.
We, of these later sub-races, may prove ourselves just as unselfish
and capable of just as good work for our fellowmen as were the people of old.
Indeed, we ourselves may well be those men of old, come back in new bodies, and
bringing with us the old attraction to the form of faith and work which then we
knew so well. Let us try to revive under these far different conditions the
unconquerable spirit which distinguished us so long ago. It means a good deal
of hard work, for every officer must do his part quite perfectly, and that
involves much training and practice. Yet I feel sure that there are many who
will respond to the Master’s call and come forward to join in preparing the way
for those who are to come.
Let each Lodge make itself a model Lodge, thoroughly efficient in
its working, so that when anyone visits it he may be impressed by the good work
done and by the strength of its magnetic atmosphere, and may thereby be induced
to share in this vast undertaking. Our members must also be able, when they in
turn visit other Lodges, to explain our method of working, and show how, from
the occult point of view, the ceremonies should be performed. Above all, they
must carry with them everywhere the strong magnetism of a completely harmonious
centre, the potent radiation of brotherly love.
To us also, as to the ancient Egyptians, the Lodge should be holy
ground, consecrated and set apart for Masonic work, never to be used for any
secular purpose. It should have an atmosphere of its own, just as have the
great medieval cathedrals; as they are permeated by the influence of centuries
of devotion, so should the very walls of our
CHAPTER II
THE LODGE
FORM AND EXTENSION
IT is customary in speaking of the Freemasonic Lodge to which one
belongs to think of a hall or room in an ordinary building in the physical
world. Therefore, when its extension is mentioned, the ordinary ideas of its
measurements in length, breadth and height come up in the mind. It is
necessary, however, to think of much more than that, for the Lodge represents
the universe at large, as is explained in the ritual of the Craft degrees of
Universal Co-Masonry. In the description of the t … b …, we are told that the
Lodge is in length from east to west, in breadth from north to south, and in
depth from the zenith to the centre of the earth, which shows that it is a
symbol for the whole world.
The form of the Lodge-room, according to Dr. Mackey, should be that
of a parallelogram at least one-third larger from east to west than it is from
north to south. It should always, if possible, be situated due east and west,
should
be isolated, where it is practicable, from all surrounding
buildings, and should be lofty, to give dignity to the appearance of the hall,
as well as for purposes of health. The approaches to the Lodge room from
without should be angular, for, as Oliver says, “a straight entrance is
unmasonic, and cannot be tolerated.” There should be two entrances to the room,
which should be situated in the west, and on each side of the W.S.W.’s station.
That on his right hand is for the introduction of visitors and
members and,
leading from the T.’s room, is
called the T.’s or the outer door; the other, on
his left, leading from the preparation room, is known as the “inner
door” and
sometimes is called the north-west door. Plate III shows the form
of the Lodge
and the positions of the principal objects in it, as usually
arranged by
Co-Masons of the British jurisdiction.
The floor of the Lodge, technically speaking, is the mosaic
pavement, which will be described among the ornaments of the Lodge. The correct
shape for this is a double square - that is to say, a rectangle having a length
double its breadth - and the Lodge may be thought of as a double cube standing
on this floor. Considered as the entire room, the Lodge is a temple of
humanity, and as such it may be taken to symbolize a man lying upon his back.
In this position the three great supports correspond to important centres in
the human body. The column of the R.W.M. is in the place of the head or brain;
that of the W.S.W, corresponds to the generative organs, symbols of strength
and virility, and also to the solar plexus, the great ganglionic centre of the
sympathetic system; and that of the W.J.W. corresponds to the heart, anciently
regarded as the seat of the affections.
ORIENTATION
Three reasons are given in the ritual to explain why our Lodges are
set east and west. In the first place, the sun rises in the east, and the sun
is regarded in Masonry as a symbol of divinity. Secondly, all the western nations
look to the east as the source of their wisdom. Thirdly, the Masons follow the
precedent of the temple of King Solomon, which was set east and west in
imitation of the arrangement of the tabernacle which was carried by the
Israelites in their wanderings through the desert, and was always placed east
and west when put down. It is certainly not sufficient to say that the early
Masons oriented their Lodges merely because all churches and chapels ought to
be so; rather the ecclesiastical rule spectare ad orientem was also a rule
for the Masons.100As we have already said, the Egyptian origin of
Masonry has been somewhat obscured by Jewish influence. When Moses
introduced the Egyptian wisdom to the Jews they quickly gave their own
colouring to it.
They are a very remarkable race, in that they assimilate readily,
but stamp
their own decided characteristics upon whatever they take up. In
this case, the
Egyptians spoke of the great pyramid of Gizeh as the “House of
Light”, or more
commonly “The Light” but the Jews were taught to interpret it as
referring to
the
The real reason, however, for the careful orientation of the Lodge
is magnetic. There is a constant flow of force in both directions between the
equator and each of the poles of the earth, and there is also a current flowing
at right angles to that, moving round the earth in the direction of its motion.
Both of these currents are utilized in the working of the Lodge, as will be
explained when we come to deal with the ceremonies. The world at large does
not recognize the presence of these
forces, which are not of the same order as those which influence a common steel
or iron magnet, but there are some people who are sensitive to them to such an
extent that they cannot sleep comfortably if they lie across them. Some of
these people sleep best with the head to the north, others with the head to the
south. Among the Hindus it is considered that only an ascetic should sleep with
his head to the north. The householder, the man of the world, should lie with
his head to the south.
THE CELESTIAL CANOPY
The ritual tells us that the covering of a, Freemason’s Lodge is a
celestial canopy of divers colours. This may very well symbolize the star-lit
heavens which canopy the true temple of humanity, when we regard the Lodge as
universal; but the reference to divers colours
indicates another meaning, for the vault of the sky is not of various hues,
except at sunrise and sunset, but is blue.
The real celestial canopy is the aura of the man whom we have
thought of as lying on his back; it is the vividly tinted thought-form that is
made during the working of the Lodge. We see this symbolism appearing elsewhere
also, in Joseph’s coat of many colours in the V.S.L., in the Robe of Glory which
the initiate puts on, according to the Gnostic hymn; and also in the Augoeides
of the Greek philosophers, the glorified body in which the soul of man dwells
in the subtle invisible world. Bro. Wilmshurst in The Meaning of Masonry also
interprets the canopy as the aura of man, which is surely more reasonable than
to suppose with Dr. Mackey that because the early Brn. met on the highest hills
and in the lowest vales this symbol must refer to the over-arching vault of
heaven.
THE ALTAR
The altar should be in the middle of the square nearest to the R.
W. M., though this differs in different Obediences. In the Grand Lodge of
England working there is generally no altar at all, or
at the most only an appendage to the Master’s pedestal; so that when the
candidate is taking the O. he kneels before the pedestal of the R. W. M. In
some Lodges the altar is a little east of the centre of the floor, and in
others it stands in the middle of the floor.
On the altar, or close to it, or hanging above it in the middle of the
eastern square, there is in Co-Masonic Lodges a small light burning, usually
enclosed in ruby-coloured glass. This light symbolizes the reflection of Deity
in matter, and it corresponds exactly to the light in Catholic churches which
burns always before the Altar on which the Host is reserved.
Mackey, in his Lexicon of Freemasonry, speaks of the altar as:
The place where the sacred offerings
were presented to God. After the erection of the Tabernacle, altars
were of two kinds, altars of sacrifice and altars of incense. The altar of
Masonry may be considered as the representative of both these forms. From hence
the grateful incense of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, is ever rising to the
Great I Am; while on it the unruly passions and the worldly appetites of the
Brethren are laid as a fitting sacrifice to the genius of our Order. The proper
form of a masonic altar is that of a cube, about three feet high, with four
horns, one at each corner, and having spread open upon it the Holy Bible,
Square, and Compasses, while around it are placed in a triangular form and
proper position the three lesser lights.
Fig. 2 is taken from the same source. The stars represent the three
lighted candles and the black dot the vacancy in the north, where there is no light.
In our Co-Masonic Lodges we follow the English custom of having the three
candles beside the seats of the three principal officers, but they are still in
the same relative positions. In this, as in other matters, there is no
orthodoxy in Masonry.
The symbol upon the eastern side of the altar is a circle bounded
on the north and the south by two lines. In the centre there should be a point
- the point within a circle round which a M.M. cannot err. The circle, as shown
on the t … b …, is drawn the full size of the altar, so that it touches or
almost touches the V.S.L. An explanation of this which is often given in Lodge
lectures is that as the circle is bounded by two lines, which signify Moses
and Solomon, and also by the V.S.L.,
anyone who keeps himself within that circle and follows the precepts of the
V.S.L. as thoroughly as did Moses and Solomon will not err.
In ancient
Another interpretation of the symbol by the Egyptians was
particularly beautiful, and all Brn. will find it well worth remembering
whenever their eyes fall upon it. The three columns, representing wisdom,
strength and beauty, were stated to stand round God’s throne, which was the
altar itself, which they took to signify love. Thus the circle describes the
love of God, and the two lines which bound it are the lines of duty and destiny
or, to put the idea in Oriental terms, of dharma and karma. It was said that
while a M.M. kept himself within the circle of the divine love, and bounded his
actions by duty and destiny, he could not err.
The same device also signifies the first manifestation of the
Deity. It was held by the Egyptians there were three successive manifestations;
the first aspect far above our reach, the second and third successively lower, and
their conception of these three was very similar to that of the Three Persons
of the Blessed Trinity in Christianity and the Trimurti among the Hindus; in
fact, practically all philosophical religions have recognized the triple
manifestation of the Deity. In
The Book of Dzyan the same emblem, but without the two lines, was
used to denote the same reality, the first Logos or Word; while in Christian
mysticism it signifies the Christ within the bosom of the Father. It was also
considered to be a reflection of the Blazing Star which should be in the centre
of the Lodge ceiling, it being in this respect the same as the ever-burning
ruby lamp. It symbolized His light that “burns ever in our midst” and “shineth
even in our darkness”. Some students of Masonry see the same symbol once more
in many of the temples of the Druids and Scandinavians, which were formed of a
circle of stones with one, generally taller than the rest, in the centre.
PEDESTALS AND COLUMNS
“Our Lodges are supported by three great pillars - wisdom, strength
and beauty,” says the Masonic ritual, “wisdom to contrive, strength to support
and beauty to adorn; wisdom to conduct us in all our undertakings, strength to
support us under all our difficulties, and beauty to adorn the inward man. The
universe is the
His strength is omnipotent, and His beauty shines through the whole
of the creation in symmetry and order. The heavens He has stretched forth as a
canopy; the earth He has planted as His footstool; He crowns His Temple with
stars as with a diadem, and from His hands flow all
power and glory. The sun and the moon are messengers of His will, and all His law
is concord. The three great pillars supporting a Mason’s L … e are emblematical
of these divine attributes.”
Full-sized columns are rarely erected in any Lodges, but the W.S.W.
and W.J.W. have miniature columns on their pedestals, and all three of the principal
officers have usually larger columns beside them, upon which are supported
their respective candles. In Craft literature various reasons are given for the
presence of the three pedestals and for their arrangement. Some say that there
are three because King Solomon had two other important people associated with
him in the building of the temple; but the deeper fact is that the pillars on
the t … b … and the columns near the pedestals of the three principal officers
are intended to symbolize the three aspects of the divine life in
manifestation, which have been spoken of by various religions as the Holy
Trinity. In the earliest times in
In the process of the development of our universe, the third member
of the Trinity first exercised His portion of the divine power in preparing the
world of matter; then the second Person put forth His energy, and that was the
beginning of the evolution of conscious life. This is symbolized in the opening
of the Lodge. At first the W.J.W.’s miniature column, which signifies the Third
Person and the first outpouring of divine activity, is erect, but at the moment
when the
R.W.M. declares the Lodge open, that column is laid down and the
W.S.W. raises his column to the vertical position. By the authority of the
First Person, the Father, the Ruler of the world, the Second Person has now
taken charge of the proceedings, and the work of evolution of the powers of
consciousness is the order of the day in the open Lodge.
The three pillars, the columns and the pedestals, the candlesticks
and candles, all mean the same thing. The column on the desk or pedestal of
each of the principal officers of the Lodge is sculptured in a definite order
of architecture which signifies his power or quality; his candlestick also is
carved in the same design, and often it is depicted upon his candle as well.
Our columns and candlesticks are now usually made of painted wood, but in
reality they should be of three different kinds of stone; that of the R.W.M.
should be of freestone, that of the
W.S.W. of granite, and that of the W.J.W. of marble. These three kinds of stone
are typical specimens of the three great classes of rocks freestone is aqueous
or sedimentary; granite is igneous or plutonic, and marble is metamorphic. If
wooden columns are used, they should be painted to resemble these stones.
Plate IV
ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE
In looking at any column, there are two principal parts to be
considered - the column itself, and at the top of it the entablature which
helps it to support the roof. Each of these two parts is divided again into
three. The column has its base, then a long thin shaft, then the capital.
The parts of the entablature are first the architrave, that comes
out above the
capital, then the friezes which is a straight piece with ornaments,
and above
that the cornice. In almost all these points the different orders
of
architecture vary.
The three orders of architecture in ancient
Of the three Greek columns the Doric is the simplest. Its shaft has
twenty shallow flutings, and its height is eight times its diameter. It has no
base, and the capital is solid and quite plain. In the entablature, which is
not usually reproduced in the officers’ pillars, its frieze is characterized by
triglyphs, representing the ends of joists, and metopes, representing rafters,
and its cornice exhibits mutules. This column is considered to be formed after
the model of a muscular full-grown man; it shows strength and noble simplicity.
The Ionic column has twenty-four flutings and a length nine times
its diameter. Its capital is adorned with two volutes, and its cornice with
dentils. It is thought to be modelled with the grace of a beautiful woman, the
volutes being suggested by the dressing of her hair.
The Corinthian Column is by far the most beautiful. Its flutings
are not different from the Ionic, but its height is ten times its diameter,
which gives a slender and very graceful appearance. The capital is ornamented
with two rows of acanthus leaves and eight volutes, which sustain the abacus.
The following story is told with regard to the origin of the
Corinthian column. A Greek poet and architect named Calimachus once visited a
cemetery and saw there the grave of a child, on which an acanthus plant had
grown in a manner that struck the poet as so pleasing and beautiful that he had
it cut in stone, and it became the original of the form now seen on the capital
of every Corinthian pillar. On the grave there was a circular box of toys which
had been put there by the nurse of the child in order to please its spirit -
for at that time the idea was prevalent that departed spirits were in the habit
of visiting their places of burial or sepulture, and were in a position to
enjoy the objects placed there for them, or the counterparts of those objects,
which thus became their possessions on the other side of death.
On the top of the little box of toys the nurse had placed a flat
tile to keep off the rain. It happened that she had put the box upon an
acanthus root, and that the leaves had grown up and, when they reached the
tile, had turned again to form a kind of fringe round it, with most beautiful
effect. The acanthus plant grows wild all over
The Tuscan column is the plainest of all; it has a perfectly plain
base and top, the length of its shaft is only seven times its diameter, and it
has no flutings. The composite column, on the other hand, is the most ornate of
all, as it is an attempt to combine the beauties of the Ionic and the
Corinthian. It has the same number of flutings and the same proportions as the
latter, but combines with the acanthus ornament the volutes of the Ionic style.
The three columns are part of the Greek or classic style of
architecture, which has always a flat or very slightly sloping roof, no arches,
and many pillars arranged in rows, generally with a large shallow triangle, the
pylon, at the front of the building.
In the religious architecture of
They were operative masons, but they had their practical secrets,
and only they were able to do this kind of work. The Gothic was an entirely new
method, departing altogether from the classic, and there is ample evidence to
show that Freemasons were responsible for the change. The great cathedral of
MEANING OF THE THREE COLUMNS
I am indebted for the following luminous suggestions to Bro. Ernest
Wood. They are an interpretation of the three columns in the light of the
principles embodied in his book, The Seven Rays, and I commend them to the
careful study of the Brn.
In order to understand the full significance of the columns
presided over by the three principal officers, we must recall the occult
teaching of the great Divine Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, or Shiva,
Vishnu and Brahma. In Their unity They are one
Universal God in whom everything exists, whether it be animate or inanimate, for
there is nothing but That. But in Their separate appearances, the Holy Ghost is
the maker or builder of the outer world, and the Son is the life in all beings,
the “light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world”. Every material
object in the world is part of the being of God the Holy Ghost in this large
sense, and every life or consciousness is part of the consciousness of God the
Son, who is the manifested Solar Logos. Behind these, invisible and beyond all
imagining, is the ineffable glory and happiness of the Father.
Both the Holy Ghost and the Son are in turn triune; wisdom,
strength and beauty are the three qualities of God the Holy Ghost, and they
form the three supports of the objective world, as they also mark out its three
divisions.
These divisions are
(1) the visible world of material objects, founded in beauty -
God in things is seen as beauty;
(2) the invisible energy with which the world is filled, and on
which all things that are seen are built - this is the strength of God the Holy Ghost;
(3) the
universal mind, the world of ideas, the storehouse of archetypes, marking out
the possibilities of material forms and relationships, which is seen in what
the scientist calls the laws of nature - the wisdom of the Divine Architect,
His settled plans.
These are the three parts of any objective world; they constitute
the Lodge, the
building, in which life plays its part; and the three Pillars,
Ionic, Doric and
Corinthian, symbolize these three divisions of the world - the field
of
consciousness, as it has been called in the Bhagavad Gita.
All the living beings which people this world display the light of
the divine life and consciousness in their varying degrees. They are all parts
of God the Son, the Christ, the great sacrifice, the divine life crucified on
the cross of matter. He also is a trinity, and this is seen in the three powers
of consciousness appearing in man as the spiritual will, the intuitional love
and the higher intelligence, which are the root of all
human will, love and thought. Since the officers are the life in the Lodge,
they represent these qualities in consciousness, which are called in Sanskrit
philosophy Ichchha, Jnana and Kriya. The R.W.M. expresses the divine will of
the Christ, directing the work to the perfecting of man; the W.S.W. represents
the divine love of the Christ; and the W.J.W. the divine thought. These
officers are to be known by their jewels, which represent will, love and
thought respectively, not by the columns at which they preside.
Just as material energy is the strength in things, so is love the
strength in consciousness; it is what has been called in Sanskrit terminology
the buddhi in man, the wisdom that is direct knowledge of life, the energy of
consciousness. It is the faculty in man with which he contacts and deals with
life around him, while his thought is the faculty with which he deals with
objective things. So when at the opening of the Lodge the W.J.W. lays down his
pillar and the W.S.W. raises his, it symbolizes the fact that now we are
interested in life, we are working upon man, upon consciousness, not upon
material objects, as would be the case if we were building a material
structure, and not the temple of man, his inner character, his immortal soul.
The Great Architect is now building “a temple in the heavens, not made with
hands”.
Thus the columns represent the three qualities of the material
Lodge, but the three principal officers express the three qualities of
consciousness or life. Now the assistant officers must be explained. In his
inner nature every man is a spiritual consciousness, threefold, as we have seen
- but when we look at him in this world we see not the man himself but the body
in which he lives, his material house, or rather, to use a more modern simile,
his motor car in which he goes about to do the business of his life, to see
what he wants to see and to work where he wants to work. That body, trained
perhaps for a particular profession, brought up in the special culture of one
of the nations, with its manners and habits of action, feeling and thought,
constitutes his personality, the mask through which his voice can be heard in
the world of outside appearances. This personality is fourfold - there is the
physical body, then the etheric double or counterpart of that, then the
emotional nature, then the lower mind - the last two constituting his own
private storehouse and gallery of personal feelings and ideas. The S.D. stands
for the lower mind, the J.D. for the emotional or astral nature; the I.G. for
the etheric double, and the O.G. or T. for the physical body.* (*For a fuller
study of these principles from this point of view, see Professor Wood’s book,
The Seven Rays.)
According to this interpretation the columns represent the three
aspects of the outer world (the world of human tuition), but the three
principal officers, who preside at their pedestals, stand for the three aspects
of divine consciousness (the inner world of human intuition), as in the
following diagram:
THE PILLARS OF THE PORCHWAY
Referring to King Solomon’s temple, the English Craft ritual says:
“There was nothing in connection with this magnificent structure more
remarkable, or which more particularly struck the attention, than the two great
pillars which were placed at the porch or entrance.” The ritual goes on to
explain that these two pillars were set up at the entrance of the temple to
remind the children of Israel, on their way to and from divine worship, of the
pillar of fire which gave light to the Israelites during their escape from
bondage in Egypt, and the pillar of cloud which proved darkness to Pharaoh and
his followers, when they attempted to overtake them.
Their original significance, however, dates much further back than
this. It is claimed that these two columns originally represented the north and
south pole-stars. They were at first the pillars of Horus and Set, but their
names were afterwards changed to Tat or Ta-at, and Tattu, the former meaning
“in strength” and the latter “to establish”, the two together being considered
as the emblem of stability. Tattu is the entrance to the region where the
mortal soul is blended with the immortal spirit, and thereby established for
ever, as I have already explained in Chapter I. It seems strange that so many
authors should speak of the north and south pole stars, when the fact is that
there is no star of any consequence at the south pole. The southern pole of the
heavens is situated in an unusually barren tract of the sky, and the nearest
star of any consequence is that at the foot of the Southern Cross, which is no
less than twenty-seven degrees from the pole.On the tops of the two columns in
the very ancient symbolism there were at first four lines or cross sticks,
which were symbols of heaven and earth.
How the four quarters or the square, or rather the two squares,
arose may be understood from Fig. .
The first symbol shows the two eyes of north and south, with a
connecting line. The second shows the line of Shu, where he makes a division at
the equinox, and thus forms two triangles of Set and Horus; and the third
figure completes the square of the four quarters. It is said that Tattu is thus
the place established for ever, a heaven with its four quarters, as Tat
represents the earth with its four quarters.
In the hieroglyphs the form has become like Fig. 5,while in the
Papyrus of Ani it appears as in Fig. .Dr. Mackey has made a special study of
these two
pillars in their later Jewish form. He speaks of them as memorials
of God’s
repeated promises of support to His people of Israel, since Jachin
is derived
from Jah, which means “Jehovah”, and achin, “to establish”, and
signifies “God
will establish His house in Israel,” while Boaz is compounded of b,
which
means “in” and oaz, “strength”, the whole signifying “in strength
shall it be
established”. Mackey thinks that the pillars should be within the
porch (which
in reality they were not), at its very entrance; and on each side
of the gate.
It will be seen how exactly the meanings given here correspond with
those of the
Egyptian names of the same pillars.
We find various descriptions of these columns given in the
Christian Scriptures. The references are 1 Kings, vii, 15; 2 Kings, xxv, 17; 2
Chron. iii, 15 and iv, 12; Jer. lii, 21 and Ezek. xl, . A description is also
given by the Jewish historian Josephus, and another may be found in Mackey’s
Lexicon of Freemasonry.
These accounts differ in various respects, and the details given
are so confused that Masonic writers are by no means in agreement as to any but
the chief features. I therefore thought it best to take the trouble to make a
clairvoyant investigation, the result of which is given in Plates VI and VII.
The first of these is what is called a scale-drawing, showing the proportions
of the pillar exactly as it was, but as it never could have been seen by any
human being, because of its size. The second is an enlarged drawing, of the
same character, of the capital (or, as it is called in the Bible, the chapiter)
to show the detail of its somewhat complicated workmanship. There is also a
small ground-plan of the temple, to show the position of the
pillars in relation to the porch. It will be seen that they were not
within the porch, but just outside it. This ground-plan has been drawn to scale
according to the biblical measurements, but it should be noted that in it no
account is taken of any other doors than that of the porchway, or of the
curious little side-chapels which King Solomon added; nor is any attempt made
to indicate the courts which surrounded the temple.
These pillars are described in the Bible as of brass, but their
appearance is much more that of what we today call bronze. The height of the
pillar itself is given in all the accounts but one as eighteen cubits, and the
chapiter which swells out above it is said to have been five cubits in height,
but as it overlapped the top to the extent of half a cubit the total height was
22 1/2 cubits. As the cubit is usually calculated to have been eighteen inches,
this gives us the total height of the pillar and its capital as 33 feet 9
inches. Its circumference is given as twelve cubits or eighteen feet, which
would make its diameter just under six feet. The pillars were hollow, and the
thickness of the metal of which they were composed is usually supposed to have
been three inches, though it has sometimes been given as four. At the back of
each pillar, so that they were not seen at all from the front, were three small
doors, one above the other, so that part of the pillar may be thought of as
divided into safes, in which archives, books of the Law and other documents
were kept.
The chapiters which fit on to the top of the pillars like caps are
the most interesting part of these remarkable castings. The ornamentation of
these capitals will best be understood from the illustration.
The whole chapiter swells upwards in a somewhat urn-like form, with
a flat
circular disc resting upon it. The upward curve of the urn is
continued through
the disc, and makes a projection above the disc which is a segment
of a sphere,
though this was of course not visible to anyone looking up from the
foot of the
pillar. It would be more correct to say that the form suggested is
not actually
a sphere but rather an oblate spheroid, and in the original stone
pillar which
occupied a similar place in the Egyptian temple, the symbology of
which was
copied by the Tyrian artificer, this somewhat unusual form was
undoubtedly
intentional, and was adopted in order to give an idea of the true
shape of the
earth, which was perfectly well known in ancient Egypt. As will be
seen in a
later chapter, the Egyptians were quite familiar with the exact
measurements of
the earth, but in the indication of it in the spheroid of the
pillar the polar
depression is naturally greatly exaggerated, as otherwise the
difference could
hardly have been visible. It is known that these pillars were
intended to
represent the terrestrial and celestial spheres respectively; and
in some modern
attempts to reproduce them they are crowned with these two globes.
In the
originals, however, there were no such globes, as the rounded
chapiters
sufficiently represented them.
It will be seen from the illustration that the surface of the
chapiter below the disc is covered with a network, and that the lower ends of
the network coalesce into a kind of fringe, from which depend a number of
little balls. The Bible account tells us quite accurately that these balls were
intended to represent pomegranates, and that there were two hundred of these
pomegranates upon each pillar.
Superimposed upon the network is a rather curious decoration of
chains, hanging in festoons, and there are seven rows of these festoons one
below the other. Each loop of chain consists of seven links, and in each case
the central link of the chain is much the largest and heaviest, and the links
diminish in size and weight as they rise towards the ends of the loop. Along
the edge of the disc runs a line of lilies, and from this four chains of the
same flowers are represented as hanging straight down the chapiter on the
north, east, south and west respectively. These flower-chains, however, do not
hang loose in the air, but cling closely to the outline of the chapiter.
Between them two palm-leaves are crossed through the middle link of the central
chain in each space.
Entirely apart from this scheme of decoration a very beautifully executed
band of flowers is introduced to hide the junction of the chapiter with the
pillar. This consists of a triple row of lilies; the central row, which exactly
covers the edge of the chapiter, is composed of fully opened flowers facing
outwards from the pillar, with leaves between them, while there is an upper row
of tightly-closed buds standing up between the flowers of the middle row and
giving an effect not
unlike that of the points of a crown. The lilies of the third row
hang gracefully downwards from the middle row upon curved stems, and face in
various directions.
All this, we are told, was the work of H. A., a widow’s son of
Naphtali - a man described in the biblical account as a cunning worker in
brass, who was sent down to Jerusalem by H., K. of T., especially in order to
do this and other metal work for King Solomon. Undoubtedly this man was a true
artist, for he took an almost inconceivable amount of trouble to carry out his
design exactly as he wanted it. So far as the investigators were able to see,
his work was based entirely upon a traditional account of the stone Egyptian
pillars, which had been handed down from the time of Moses. It did not appear
that he had any clear idea of the meaning of all these strange decorations,
though Moses knew perfectly well the whole system of symbology which lay behind
it.
It is to be understood that all this varied ornamentation was not
arranged in basso-relievo, as would be expected in a casting; on the contrary
it stood out boldly from the face of the pillar, many of the flowers being
connected with it only by a comparatively thin stalk of considerable length.
Some indication of the patience and care which the artist exhibited may be
gathered from the fact that he carved in wood and in full size the entire
triple band of lilies to go round the
eighteen-foot circumference of the base of the chapiter, and then
made his moulds round that wooden carving.
Though the general idea of the threefold band of flowers was
preserved, the
whole thing was arranged in a very natural manner, no flower being
an exact
reproduction of its neighbour; it was not a mere repetition of a
pattern, such
as we might have in a modern wallpaper, but the whole conception
was carried out as one great unit with the most loving and painstaking care.
Many experiments were tried before this ancient artificer was
satisfied, and he adopted various ingenious methods to attain his object. He
was anxious to make the whole chapiter and all its decorations as nearly as
possible in one casting, and with the primitive appliances at his command this
gave him an immensity of trouble. His lilies may perhaps be considered as
somewhat conventional; at least they do not exactly correspond to any varieties
with which I happen to be acquainted. They were on the whole more like the
lotus than like an ordinary lily; but on the other hand the leaves were by no
means lotus leaves.
To the ordinary worshipper in the temple all this rather
complicated ornamentation was merely decorative, but to the initiate it was
full of esoteric significance. First, these two pillars were an exemplification
of the occult axiom, “As above, so below”, for though they were absolutely
alike in every particular it was always understood that they represented
respectively the terrestrial and celestial worlds. On Tat, the left-hand
pillar, each link of each chain symbolized what in our Oriental studies we call
a branch-race, and the links as they descended became larger and thicker to
indicate a deeper descent into matter, until the fourth was reached, when the
life-force begins to draw inward and upward, and so its embodiment becomes less
material.
Each loop of seven links therefore typified a sub-race, and the
seven loops which extended round the pillar, making one festoon, correspond to
one of the great root-races, such as the Lemurian, the Atlantean or the Aryan.
The whole set of seven festoons hanging one below the other denoted one
world-period, one occupation of this planet of ours.
Underneath the chain-work a beautifully executed system of fine
network will be seen, and this was employed by the priests of old to elucidate
yet another side of the marvellous mystery of evolution. When the Holy Spirit
has brooded over the face of the waters of space, and has impregnated and vivified
primordial matter, the activity of the Second Aspect of the Logos begins, and
innumerable streams of His divine life pour down into the field prepared for
them. In a thousand ways they interlace and combine, and so produce the
bewildering multiplicity of the life which we see around us.
From their interaction result the manifold fruits of evolution
which we see
exemplified in our pillars by the rows of pomegranates which depend
from the
fringe of the network, the pomegranates being chosen for this symbolism
because each fruit contains a prodigious number of separate seeds, thus
illustrating the amazing fecundity of nature and the vast variety of her types.
In Tat the lilies represented always the flower of humanity.
Arranged in line round the edge of the disc they indicated the Great White
Brotherhood the jewels in the crown of mankind, hovering above the human race
and directing its evolution. The four pendant flower-chains symbolized the Holy
Four who reside at Shamballa - the Spiritual King and His three
pupil-assistants, the sole representatives on earth of the Lords of the Flame
who came down long ago from Venus to hasten the evolution of mankind. The
crossed palm-leaves between them typified the four Devarajas, the principal
agents through whom the decrees of the Sons of the Fire-Mist are carried out.
The three bands of lilies which are arranged to hide the junction
of the chapiter with the pillar were taken to represent the initiates of the three
stages of the Egyptian Mysteries. The buds of the upper row, pointing upwards,
typified the initiates of the Mysteries of Isis, who were full of aspiration,
reaching upwards and in that way raising the general average of human thought.
The flowers of the middle row, opened and facing outwards, were the initiates
of Serapis, showing forth by their lives the glory, dignity and power of
humanity as it should be. The third row of drooping lilies represented the
initiates of the Mysteries of Osiris, reaching down into the world in order to
devote themselves to the helping and enlightenment of humanity.
These three grads of initiates seem to correspond in a general way
to three other divisions or grades of the occult life which I have described at
length in The Masters and the Path. There are first those on the probationary
path, who are aspiring to enter the Path proper, and are doing everything in
their power to purify themselves, to develop their character, and to serve
humanity with unselfish love under the guidance of the Masters. Then come those
who have been initiated into the Great White Brotherhood, and have thus entered
on the Path proper; their lives are dedicated entirely to the service of
humanity; in them the bud of human life has opened into flower, and their
consciousness has risen into the buddhic principle, which has been described as
the truly human expression of man. Thirdly come the Arhats, those who have
taken the fourth great Initiation; they are not compelled to reincarnate; if
they do so it is quite voluntary; they dip down into human life on this plane
simply in order to help.
On Tattu, the right-hand pillar, we take up the tale of evolution
where we left it on the other. A single link here betokens one world-period,
and therefore includes the whole set of seven festoons on Tat. To use once more
the technical terms of Theosophical teaching, the loop of seven links on Tattu
stands for what we call a Round, the completed festoon of seven loops is meant
to suggest one Chain-period, and the full group of seven festoons equals one
Planetary Scheme. The two pillars taken together correspond exactly to the
table of evolution and the diagram which I give in the sixth section of
The Inner Life, and almost the whole of the information contained
in that
section was taught by the Egyptian priests to their neophytes, and
illustrated
by means of this elaborate system of chapiter decoration. It would
be out of
place to repeat here the whole of the explanation included in that
book, but I
would refer to it those students who wish to pursue further this
most
interesting subject. As there are several editions of the book I am
unfortunately unable to give an exact page reference, but the
diagram will
easily be found.
In Tattu the crown of flowers round the edge of the disc seems to
have been taken to symbolize the hosts of the Dhyan Chohans, including perhaps
the Planetary Logoi. The four chains of lilies flowing down from that crown
bore to the Egyptians a signification connected with the Tetraktys, or perhaps
with a reflection or expression of that Mystery, while the triple band of
lilies round the lower edge of the chapiter was taken as signifying the action
in matter of the three Aspects of the Logos - the buds denoting the action of the Holy Spirit,
the Arm of the Lord outstretched in activity, and always pushing upward and
onward within the spirit of man, while the middle row was taken as showing the
strength of the Father ever shining forth as the sun in his glory far beyond
the clouds and mists of earth, and the lowest row betokened the action of the
Second Aspect, God the Son, bending down into incarnation and raising humanity
from within.
The crossed palm-leaves here indicate the Lipika, the Lords of
Karma, who work through the four Kings of the elements symbolized by similar
leaves on Tat. They are unconnected with the rest of the design because they
represent forces not confined to our planetary scheme, or even to our solar
system; they administer a Law which rules the whole universe, which Angels and
men alike obey.
The upper segment of the spheroid, beyond the disc, was left
entirely bare of ornament, in order to indicate that beyond all that could be
symbolized there was yet something more, out of manifestation, and therefore
entirely inexpressible.
Another reason for the placing of these two pillars at the entrance
of the temple was that the man who would enter the higher world of the Lodge
from the common world of every-day life must pass between them; and from this
point of view they typified the overcoming in his own lower nature of the
turbulence of the personal emotions and the Waywardness of the personal mind.
First, his strength for fighting the battle of life came from the emotions, the
astral nature; then that pillar of our personal nature, the pillar of Set, had
to be conquered by the power of the mind, the pillar of Horus, end conjoined
with it in order to add to the strength the stability necessary for going
forward to higher things. Only then is the man established in strength, having
the power to execute and the wisdom to direct.
The pillars also represent once more the two great laws of
progress, karma and dharma, the former providing the environment or material
world, and the latter the direction of the self within; by the union or
harmonious working of these two laws a man may attain the stability and
strength required for the occult path, and map thus reach the circle within
which a M.M. cannot err.
Also the pillars were used in the teaching of the priests to
illustrate the great doctrine of the pairs of opposites - spirit and matter,
good and evil, light and darkness, pleasure and pain, etc.It is interesting to
note that Kabbalistic writers
understood these pillars somehow to have represented involution,
the descent of
the divine Life into lower worlds, though they may not have been
familiar with
all the details. A treatise named The Gates of Light is quoted by
Bro. A. E.
Waite in this connection as follows:
He who knows the mysteries of the two Pillars, which are Jachin and
Boaz, shall understand after what manner the Neshamoth, or Minds, descend with
the
Ruachoth, or Spirits, and the Nephasoth, or Souls, through El-chai
and Adonai by the influx of the said two Pillars.
And again:
By these two Pillars and by El-chai (the living God)
the Minds and Spirits and Souls descend, as by their passages or
channels.*
(*New Encyclopaedia, II, 280.)
They form also the portal of the Mysteries by which the souls ascend
to their
divine Source; and it is only by passing through them that the
sanctuary of man’s true Godhead may be reached, that divine splendour which
when aroused in the depths of the heart indeed establishes its dwelling-place
in strength and stability.
In the French working two large pillars are placed inside the Lodge
on either side of the door, in the West, and the W.S.W. and W.J.P. sit at
triangular tables beside these. This arrangement is derived from the Chaldaean
system.
Several writers have made persistent attempts to attach a phallic
signification to these two pillars; I can only say that in the course of a
prolonged investigation by means of the inner sight we found no trace of the
attribution of any such meaning.
CHAPTER III
THE FITTINGS OF THE LODGE
THE ORNAMENTS
“THE interior fittings of a Freemason’s Lodge”, says the Co-Masonic
ritual, “comprise the ornaments, the furniture and the jewels. The ornaments
are the mosaic pavement, symbolizing spirit and matter; the blazing star, ever
reminding us of the presence of God in His universe, and the indented border,
the Guardian Wall.”
THE MOSAIC PAVEMENT
The three ornaments all belong to the middle of the Lodge. The
mosaic pavement is the beautiful floor, which is composed of squares
alternately black and white, and is explained in the Craft ritual
as the
diversity of objects which decorate and ornament creation, the
animate as well
as the inanimate parts thereof. Its alternate squares, however,
symbolize not
only the mingling of living and material things in the world, but
even more the
intermingling of spirit and matter, or life and matter, everywhere.
The double
triangles interlaced indicate the same great fact in nature.
Throughout nature there is no life without matter, and no matter
without life. Until recent years many scientific people thought that the life
side of creation extended only as far down as the vegetable kingdom, but
nowadays it is being recognized that it is not possible to draw a line anywhere
and say: “Above this things are living and conscious in various degrees, but
below it there is only dead matter.” The researches made by Professor Sir
Jagadish Chandra Bose of Calcutta (recorded in his book Response in the Living
and Non-Living) which have won him the highest scientific honours and respect,
show that such a line simply does not exist, but that there is some degree of
life in the tiniest grain of sand. Some of his conclusions have been stated in
brief and effective form in Dr. Annie Besant’s well-known work, A Study in
Consciousness, in the following words:
Professor Bose has definitely proved that so-called “inorganic
matter” is responsive to stimulus, and that the response is identical from metals,
vegetables, animals, and - so far as experiment can be made - man.
He arranged apparatus to measure the stimulus applied, and to show
in curves, traced on a revolving cylinder, the response from the body receiving
the stimulus. He then compared the curves obtained in tin and in other metals
with those obtained from muscle, and found that the curves from tin were
identical with those from muscle, and that other metals gave curves of like
nature but varied in the period of recovery.
Tetanus, both complete and incomplete, due to repeated shocks, was
caused, and similar results accrued, in mineral as in muscle.
Fatigue was shown by metals, least of all by tin. Chemical
re-agents, such as drugs, produced on metals similar results to those known to
result with animals - exciting, depressing, and deadly.
A poison will kill a metal, inducing a condition of immobility, so
that no response is obtainable. If the poisoned metal be taken in time, an
antidote may save its life.
A stimulant will increase response, and as large and small doses of
a drug have been found to kill and stimulate respectively, so have they been
found to act on metals.
“Among such phenomena,” asks
Professor Bose, “how can we draw a line of demarcation and say: ‘Here the
physical process ends, and there the physiological begins’? No such barriers
exist.”
Psychic experience and trained clairvoyance add their testimony to
this conclusion, and affirm that without a shadow of doubt the same
kind of life can be seen pulsating in the body of a tiger or an oak
tree or a
fragment of mineral substance. As The Secret Doctrine expressed it:
With every day, the identity between the animal and physical man,
between the plant and man, and even between the reptile and its nest, the rock,
and man - is more and more clearly shown. The physical and chemical
constituents of all being found to be identical, ChemicalScience may well say
that there is no difference between the matter which composes the ox, and that
which forms man. But the Occult doctrine is far more explicit. It says: Not
only the chemical compounds are the same, but the same infinitesimal invisible
Lives compose the atoms of the bodies of the mountain and the daisy, of man and
the ant, of the elephant and of the tree which shelters it from the sun. Each
particle-whether you call it organic or inorganic - is a Life.* (*The Secret
Doctrine, I, .)
In looking, then, at our chequered pavement, those of us who
understand the full significance of it are constantly reminded of the omnipresence
of life.
In ancient
The exceeding importance of squaring the Lodge accurately is
another aspect of the same idea. The currents of force are rushing along and
across that pavement in lines like the warp and woof of a piece of cloth, and
also round the edges of it, and anyone who has to cross it, or even come near
it, should be careful to move with the force and not against it. Hence the
imperative necessity of always keeping to one direction. In modern days less
care seems to be taken of the mosaic pavement; I have even seen a case in which
the attendance-book, which all have to sign, was placed on a table in the
middle of it. With us in Egypt that pavement occupied almost the whole of the floor
of the Lodge; now it is often only a small enclosure in the middle of it.
THE INDENTED BORDER
All round the mosaic pavement runs the tesselated border. In older
Masonry it is said that it was made of threads twining in and out, but now it
is a machicolated border, a sort of dog-tooth arrangement. In the early
eighteenth century, we are told, the symbols of the Order were marked out in
chalk upon the floor, and this diagram was then encircled with a wavy cord,
ornamented with tassels, and was therefore called “the indented tassel”, later
corrupted into the “tesselated border”. The French call it “la houpe dentelée”,
and describe it as “a cord forming true lover’s knots, which surrounds the
tracing board”. The tesselated border refers us, says the masculine ritual, to
the beautiful border formed round the sun by the planets in their various
revolutions. The Co-Masonic ritual makes it an emblem of the Guardian Wall
protecting humanity, composed of Adepts or men who have attained the perfection
of human evolution in past centuries and millennia. They stand around humanity
in the spiritual worlds, it is said in a Buddhist scripture, to save mankind
from further and far greater misery and sorrow.
There is a similar dual interpretation also for the four tassels
which appear in the corners of the border. In masculine Masonry they are
usually considered to mean temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice; their
significance is always interpreted as ethical. But they stand also for four
great orders of devas connected with the elements earth, water, air and fire,
and their great Rulers, the four Devarajas, agents of the law of karma, which
is always balancing and adjusting the affairs of man, and seeing that there is
no injustice between living creatures in God’s universe, just as there is no
maladjustment in the relations of material substances and bodies. At the
initiation of candidates in Co-Masonic Lodges these four Rulers of the elements
are invoked, and the consequences of that are very real and beneficial, little
as many members of the fraternity may be aware of the fact.
THE BLAZING STAR
The Blazing Star is properly six-pointed, and is made of glass, set
in the middle of the ceiling and illuminated from inside by artificial light.
Below it there should be another and movable star on the floor. The Blazing
Star is the sign of the Deity, and to make that more evident, in the middle of
it is usually inscribed the letter G, for God. In the old Jewish form of
Masonry they had instead of that letter their sacred word YHVH, standing for
Jehovah. In Co-Masonic Lodges the usual form of this figure is a serpent curled
round with its tail in its mouth, a symbol of eternity. This was the original
form, but the head of the serpent was altered so as to form the letter G. The
Sacred Fire below the star is a reflection of it; in some Lodges, as for
example at Adyar, in India, it hangs just underneath the ceiling on a pulley
arrangement, and is lowered that light may be taken from it and carried to the
candles. The Blazing Star also represents the sun, the dispenser of innumerable
blessings to mankind and the world in general; but as the sun is the symbol of
God there is no difference between these two interpretations. In many Lodges
the Blazing Star is made five-pointed, and it formerly had wavering points or
rays; this is usual in the English and American Obediences.
The spiritual verity expressed in the Blazing Star and its
reflection in the Sacred Fire indicates that God’s reflection is ever in our
midst. The statement that man was made in the image of God is familiar to all;
there is a reflection of God in man more than a reflection. The image of God in
man is an expression or continuation of God Himself, for God is the light which
carries the image, and insomuch as a man can receive that light in himself and
reflect it he is a part of it, one with the Divine. As Emerson beautifully
expressed it in his essay on the Over-Soul: “There is no bar or wall in the
soul where God the cause ceases and man the effect begins.”
Several different kinds of stars are to be seen in the Masonic
Lodge, and it is well to consider the special significance of each of them, for
there is nothing in the Lodge that is mere ornament, without meaning - on the
contrary, even the simplest thing is there for a purpose and has great
significance. The six-pointed star is, as we have seen, an emblem of the unity
of spirit and matter, of God in manifestation in His universe. The five-pointed
star is placed in the east on the wall over the head of the R.W.M. and is
called the Star in the East, and also the Star of Initiation. It is the symbol
of the perfect man, God manifesting through man, not through the universe as a
whole. Man is a five-fold being - physical, emotional, mental, intuitional and
spiritual; and when all these parts of his nature are perfectly developed as
far as that is possible in a human state of existence, he becomes the perfect
man, the Adept, master of himself and the five worlds or planes in which he has
his being. Such a man has fulfilled the instruction: “Be ye perfect, even as
your Father in heaven is perfect.”
On the t … b … there is the seven-pointed star above the ladder
reaching up into the heavens. It is a symbol of the seven great lines along
which all life is moving slowly upwards to completer union with the divine, of
the seven ways in which man may realize perfection, and the seven rays or
emanations of God through which He has filled the whole universe with the light
of His life. This star also typifies the Christian thought of the seven great
Archangels, the Seven Spirits who stand before the throne of God. It is
likewise another symbol for the perfected man or Adept, because while he is
master of the five worlds, he is also the wielder of seven powers; he has
developed his nature to human perfection on all seven rays, in all seven of the
lines of activity of the divine life.
THE FURNITURE
The furniture of the Lodge is also threefold, and consists of the
V. S. L., the square and the compasses. Without them the Lodge cannot legally
be held. The Lodge is described as just, perfect and regular: it is just
because the V. S. L. is open in it; it is perfect because it contains seven
M.M.s or more; it is regular because it holds a warrant or charter from a
Supreme Council, Grand Lodge, or other supreme body having an unbroken line of
Masonic authority. It is to be understood, of course, that the Volumes of the
Sacred Lore are not only the Bible of the Christians, but the sacred books of
other religions as well, for the members of a Lodge may and often do belong to various religions.
In a Lodge meeting on one occasion in Bombay there were among the Brn. present
Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Parsis, Jews, Sikhs, Muhammadans, and Jains. It
is the custom there to place on the altar the sacred books of all who are
likely to attend that Lodge. The Rev. J. T. Lawrence, the well-known author of
many Masonic handbooks, tells us that he himself has initiated Jews,
Muhammadans, Hindus and Parsis, and at least one Buddhist. He writes:
According to a pronouncement of Grand Lodge, the Bible need not be
in the Lodge at all. The Volume of the Sacred Law, we have been told, is that
whichcontains the sacred law of the individual concerned. That is to say, it
may be the (Quran, the Zendavesta, the Shasters, the Rig-Veda, or any other
volume.* (*Sidelights on Freemasonry, p. .)
In the Grand Lodge of all Scottish Freemasonry in India a
(Quran-bearer, a Zendavesta-bearer, and the like, are numbered among the
officers.* (*Sidelights on Freemasonry, p. 50.) Freemasonry has always been
liberal in its views. The Grand Lodge of England has declined to limit or
define the belief in God which is expected from every candidate; in the charge
concerning God and Religion in the Book of Constitutions of 1815 it is said:
“Let a man’s religion or mode of worship be what it may, he is not excluded
from the Order, provided he believes in the glorious Architect of heaven and
earth and practise the sacred duties of morality.” It will thus be seen that
the ideals of Masonry are very high, and its views extraordinarily tolerant,
and that its power for good in the world is unquestionably enormous.
In Co-Masonry the term “lore” is employed as describing all these
scriptures, since in the use of them we are in pursuit of wisdom. The term
“law” is used in many other Lodges, but even then it is explained in the ritual
that the object of the Volume of the Sacred Law is to illumine our minds. So in
the three articles of furniture we have the V.S.L. to enlighten the mind, the
square to regulate our actions, and the compasses to keep us within due bounds
in our relations with all, and especially with our Brn. in Freemasonry. Yet at
the same time all these objects have much larger meanings.
With the Egyptians the compasses were a triangle and the square was
a geometrical square - the ordinary figure with four equal sides and all its
angles right angles. In modern days we use the tool that a working Mason calls
a square, by means of which he tests the two adjacent sides of any flat stone
to find out whether they are at right angles to each other. In Freemasonry when
the candidate is now asked, “What is a square?” he replies: “It
is an angle of ninety degrees or the fourth part of a circle.” This
is obviously
not a correct description of a square, but only of one corner of a
square.
230The square which lies on the V.S.L. has quite a different
genesis, and a different reason for its existence, from the implement which is
worn by the R.W.M. It was originally a mathematical square, but it has lost its
full shape, and is now represented only by one corner of the square. It is
usually considered identical with the carpenter’s or mason’s tool of that name,
which is worn by the R.W.M. as the symbol of his office, but the two ideas are in
reality quite distinct.
In Egypt the triangle represented the triad of spiritual will,
intuitional love and higher intelligence in man; while the square typified the
lower quaternary, that is, his body with its visible and etheric divisions, his
emotional nature, and his lower mind. Thus the triangle stool for the
individuality or soul, and the square; fur the personality, the two together
constituting septenary man.
The three articles of furniture were also regarded as intended to
help men on their way; the V.S.L. drew attention to the value of tradition, the
triangle spoke of the importance of inspiration, and the square emphasized the
high use of facts, with also in the background the idea of the value of common
sense. The tradition was handed down by the forefathers, the inspiration came
from the higher self, and the facts were to be studied and used with common
sense.
THE MOVABLE JEWELS
The three movable jewels are the square, the level and the
plumb-rule. They are worn, depending from their collars, by the three principal
officers, and are then called their jewels of office. They are movable because
they are transferred by Master and Wardens to their successors on the day of
installation of new officers. The collar was also worn in ancient Egypt, but it
was much more nearly circular, like a necklace, instead of being pointed and
hanging low on the breast, as it is now worn.
The square is usually considered to represent morality, the level
equality, and the plumb-rule uprightness or justice. It will be seen that in
this case the term “square” is applied exclusively to the tool, and not to the
geometrical figure. In his Masonic Encyclopaedia, Kenning mentions that the
square was often seen in churches as an emblem of the old operative builders,
and that upon an early metal square found near Limerick, in Ireland, the
following words and the date 1517 are inscribed:
I strive
to live with love and care
Upon the
level, by the square.
This seems to show that our speculative interpretations were
already known at the early date mentioned.There is also a translation from an
ancient Persian
inscription, which runs:
square
thyself for use; a stone that may Fit in the wall is not left in the way.
The R. W. M. has as his jewel the square, which indicates the Third
Outpouring of divine force, from the First Logos, the First Person of the
Trinity, and has therefore the same significance as the gavel, his instrument
of government. The symbolism of the gavel is very profound; to explain it I
must draw attention to what is probably the oldest symbol in the world.
This long line with two crossed bars upon it has for uncounted
thousands of years been the special sign of the Supreme Being. The pygmy race
is probably the most primitive at present existing, but even they have that
symbol for their chief. Older people will remember the excitement that was
caused when the famous explorer Stanley journeyed into the centre of Africa to
find Dr. Livingstone, and came back to us with the story of the pygmies living
in the forests there. His new s way a confirmation of that which a French
explorer, Du Chaillu, had brought some quarter of a century before, but it had
not been generally accepted until Stanley’s evidence arrived.
That pygmy race is a relic of the old Lemurians, and represents
them more purely than any other people. The Lemurians were at one time a
gigantic people, but in process of dying out they diminished in size. The
African bushmen are also remnants of the same race, but with very mixed blood,
and the same thing is true of those who are usually called the Australian
aboriginals, except that in their case there is a very alight admixture of
Aryan blood.
At one time the pygmies were spread over a great deal more of
Africa than at present, and some of them were the first people to enter Egypt
when the marshes were partially drying up after the great flood that followed
the sinking of the island of Poseidonis some nine thousand five hundred years
before Christ.
They were driven out a little later by the Nubians, but that more
advanced race was finally dispossessed (and, I think, to some extent absorbed)
by the true Egyptians when they returned to their country. As I have explained
in Chapter I, the wise men of Egypt had foreseen that there would be a great
flood, and the Aryan portion of the Egyptian population had left the country
and gone over to Arabia, where it was mountainous. When the returned a long time after the flood they
found the Nubians in possession of their country, and to some slight extent
they blended with them; that is the explanation of the traces of Nubian blood
which are found in the ancient Egyptians.
These Nubians also used the same symbol, but they altered it
somewhat; instead of having the two sticks crossed (Fig. 8 a), they laid them
across the vertical rod one above the other (Fig. 8 b), thereby making the
double cross which is still used by the Greek Church, having come to it via the
Coptic Church. But in the meantime another development of this symbol had taken
place. If we draw lines joining each of the two ends (Fig. 8 c & d), we get
the double axe - the double-headed battle-axe, which appeared when hafting was
invented. That was the sign of the chief or king in many parts of the world.
Among the Chaldeans, for example, it was the token of Ramu, which was their
name for the Supreme God, and one of His titles was the God of the Age.
The same symbol was also found among the Aztecs, which shows their
connection with Egypt. They represented their chieftain by this symbol of the
age, which was their sign for God, because the chief was looked upon as God’s
representative. There are still tribes in Central Africa among
which that double
axe has a hut to itself, as a great chief would have.
Quite recently extensive archaeological researches have been made
in the island of Crete, and among other things discovered there was this symbol
of the double axe, which there also stood for the Deity.* (*Fig. 9 is
reproduced (with permission) from an illustration in The Palace of Minos in
Knossos, by Sir Arthur Evans.) In the outer courts of the temples of the great kingdom of Knossos there were many
statues, but when one penetrated to the
Holy of Holies there was no statue, but the double age was there
set up as a
symbol of the Supreme, and was called the Labrys. That is the
origin of the word labyrinth; for the first labyrinth was
constructed in order that this sacred symbol might be put in the middle of it,
and the way to it was confused in order to symbolize the difficulty of the path
which leads to the Highest. The stories of the Minotaur and Theseus and Ariadne
came much later than this. Until these recent discoveries the Greek word
“labyrinth” was markedas a foreign word of unknown derivation.
The gavel of the Master of the Lodge has descended from that, and
it is held by the Master because in his humble way, in the symbolism of the
Lodge, he is representing the Deity. It is a sign of government, and is held by
him in exactly the same way as it was long ago by the first of the Pharaohs. It
has now become modified in shape, and often takes the form of the mason’s
stone-hammer. The name gavel came from the word “gable”, so that name belongs
to an object of this later shape, rather than to the old double-axe.
In Egypt the double axe was also the sign for Aroueris, the first
name given to the risen Horus, and Horus was called the Chief of the Hammer
because this sign was sometimes drawn as a hammer. One of the old Egyptian
gavels is still in existence, and there may be others also which have not been
identified for what they are. That one is in the possession of the H.O.A.T.F.,
who uses it today in His own Lodge. It is the gavel which was used by Rameses
the Great in Egypt - a most lovely implement of green jade
inlaid with gold. With it the H.O.A.T.F. also has a cloak which was
used by
Rameses when acting as Master of his Lodge; I donot know its
material, but it somewhat resembles the feathered cloaks which used to be worn
in Hawaii.
The square of the I.M. is equally an instrument of
government, as is indicated in its use as the seat of Osiris in the
Judgment
Hall, mentioned in Chapter I.* (*Plate II (b)) From it Osiris
governs or judges
the souls of men who are brought before him, and decides as to
whether they are sufficiently perfect to pass onward. From this we have our
modern idea of acting on the square; that is to say, with perfect justice to
our neighbour.
The figure is in this case the working mason’s square, an angle of ninety
degrees, used for testing the sides of a stone to see that they are at right
angles to each other, and that therefore the wall built of them will stand
perpendicular, safe and strong. The difference between the two kinds of squares
will now be clearly seen. The quadrilateral is intended when we speak of the
compasses as dominating the square, but this right angle is signified when we
refer to the tool wherewith the Master measures and decides.
Although the R.W.M. has this symbol of the square, he is in fact
the Son
governing and judging on behalf of the Father, who remains in the
background,
since our Lodges are of the Christ or Sun-God type.
In Egypt they had a symbol of very great significance, called the
Arrow of Ra, which includes both the square of the R.W.M. and his gavel of
office. In our plate the different parts are separate, but sometimes they are
joined together, and then one gets the
effect of an arrow, whence it is named the Arrow of Ra, the Sun-God, who was
also called Horus of the Double Horizon, the Son of Osiris and Isis, and yet a
reincarnation of Osiris, God in evolution. The lower portion of the drawing
refers to His descent into matter, the inverted square signifying descent, and
the angle beneath symbolizing the cavern of matter into which He went down. The
upper square then indicates that He ascended or rose again.
The symbol in the centre - that of the double axe - is that of the
Most High God; so the complete glyph is
thus a kind of symbolic creed, which for those who drew it affirmed their faith
in the descent of the Deity into matter and His final triumphant ascension from
it: “descended He; ascended He”. If we were to interpret it along lines of
Christian symbology we might call it the emblem of the crucified and triumphant
Christ; but it is also a token of the whole method of evolution.
This device appears in many places. It is to be seen in the museum
of the Louvre in Paris, engraved upon a Chaldaean intaglio made of green
jasper. It is also to be found on the walls of some very old churches in
Devonshire and Cornwall in England, where it must have been engraved by the
wandering Freemasons who built those churches, for the orthodox Christians
could
have known nothing of it.
While we are considering the symbols of the R.W.M. we may note also
the three levels which appear upon his apron in place of the three rosettes.
These are not true levels, but figures formed of a perpendicular line standing
upon a horizontal - an inverted T, thus;. This has the same significance as the
W.S.W.’s column standing erect while the W.J.W.’s is recumbent in the open
Lodge; it indicates that the life of the Second Logos, the Christ, is flowing.
It is not that the life of the Third Logos, which is represented by the
horizontal line, or by the W.J.W.’s column, has ceased to flow (it is flowing
always while an external world exists)
but that the Second Aspect of the Divine is also outpouring His life, and
causing the evolution of living forms. Thus this emblem refers to the two
outpourings, and shows that the Master presides over all three representations.
This figure, called the Tau, has another very important meaning,
for the upright line signifies the masculine element, and the horizontal line
the feminine, in the Deity - thus slowing that God manifests as Mother as well
as Father, as we are told in The Stanzas of Dzyan.* (*The Secret Doctrine, vol.
I, p. 59 et passim.) I shall refer to this again later when writing of the
H.R.A. In ancient Egypt it took to a large extent the place of the cross and,
conjoined with the circle or oval, it became the ankh, the symbol of
everlasting life.
The jewel of the I. P. M. resembles that of the Master in that it
contains the square, but it has certain important additions. The jewel of the
I.P.M. in England was formerly a square on a quadrant, but it is now the
forty-seventh proposition of Euclid’s Book I, engraved on a silver plate
suspended within a square. In the United States it is a pair of compasses
extended to sixty degrees on the fourth part of a circle, with a sun in the
centre. The proposition is of course well known, and a practical application of
it is widely used by builders, in laying out walls at right angles to each
other and in other work, in the form of a triangle having its sides in the ratio
3 : 4 : 5, the first two sides of which are invariably
at right angles. Plutarch says that a triangle of this kind was frequently
employed by the Egyptian priests, who regarded it as a symbol of the universal
Trinity, Osiris and Isis being the two sides at right angles to each other, and
Horus their product, the hypotenuse. The extent to which this measure was used
by the Egyptians can be judged from the following extracts from the Exposition
du Systeme Metrique des Anciens Egyptiens of M. Jomard, as given in Dr.
Mackey’s Lexicon:
If we inscribe within a circle a triangle, whose perpendicular
shall be 300 parts, whose base shall be 400 parts, and whose hypotenuse shall
be 500 parts, which, of course, bear the same proportion to each other as 3, 4,
and 5; then if we let a perpendicular fall from the angle of the perpendicular
and base to the hypotenuse, and extend it through the hypotenuse to the
circumference of the circle, this chord or line will be equal to 480 parts, and
the two segments of the hypotenuse, on each side of it, will be found equal,
respectively, to 180 and 320.
From the point where this chord intersects the hypotenuse, let
another line fall perpendicularly to the shortest side of the triangle, and
this line will be equal to 144 parts, while the shorter segment, formed by its
junction with the perpendicular side of the triangle, will be equal to 108
parts. Hence, we may derive the following measures from the diagram: 500, 480,
400, 320, 180, 144, and 108; and all these without the slightest fraction.
Supposing, then, the 500 to be cubits, we have the measure of the base of the
great pyramid of Memphis. In the 400 cubits of the base of the triangle we have
the exact length of the Egyptian stadium. The 320 gives us the exact number of Egyptian
cubits contained in the Hebrew and Babylonian stadium. The stadium of Ptolemy
is represented by the 480 cubits, or length of the line falling from the right
angle to the circumference of the circle, through the hypotenuse. The number
180, which expresses the smaller segment of the hypotenuse, being doubled, will
give 360 cubits, which will be the stadium of Cleomedes. By doubling the 144,
the result will be 288 cubits, or the length of the stadium of Archimedes; and
by doubling the 108, we produce 216 cubits, or the precise value of the lesser
Egyptian stadium. In this manner, we obtain from this triangle all the measures
of length that were in use among the Egyptians.
For the demonstration of the proposition in general, that in a right-angled
triangle the sum of the squares on the two shorter sides is equal to the square
on the hypotenuse, the modern world is indebted to Pythagoras. It is
interesting that as the I. P. M. stands in the Lodge as a watcher to see that
all is in order, and test everything by his judgment, so does an architect test
the rectangularity of a structure by the triangle of ratio 3 : 4 : . It is he
who also declares that “His light is ever in our midst”, pronouncing his final
authority upon the presence of the Divine, and opening the V.S.L.
The W.S.W.’s jewel is the level, an emblem of the equality and
harmony which he must endeavour to preserve among the Brn. in the Lodge; but,
as we have seen, this is also a symbol of the second member of the Trinity, the
universal Christ-principle, the life-force in evolution. The two ideas, are
not, however, inconsistent, for in Christ all men are brothers, since all lives
are part of the one great Life in which we have our being. The most perfect
equality should exist in the Lodge, just as in the sight of God, who treats all
equally, with the same judgment and according to the same laws. An additional
interpretation of this symbol is that it indicates that only those buildings
which are erected on a good level can stand firm and strong.270The W.J.W. has
the plumb-rule as his jewel.
It is taken as an emblem of the rectitude which should mark the
conduct of the Brn. during the time of refreshment, when they are outside the
Lodge. Such conduct at all times leads to a life that is full of grace and
beauty.
The remaining officers also wear jewels of office. Those of the
Orator, Secretary, Treasurer and D.C. are respectively a book, crossed pens,
crossed keys and crossed wands, of which the meaning is obvious. In Co-Masonry,
the S.D. and J.D. have each a dove as their jewel, signifying their quality as
messengers; but in some other Lodges they have a square and compasses, with a
sun in the centre for the S.D. and a moon for the J.D. The square and compasses
are intended to indicate their qualities of circumspection
and justice, for theirs are the duties of seeing to the security of
the Lodge
and the introduction of visitors. A lyre, a purse, crossed swords,
and a single
sword, are once more obvious as the jewels of the Organist, the
Almoner, the
I.G., and the T. respectively. The jewel of the Stewards is the
cornucopia.
They take their appointment from the W.J.W., provide the necessary
refreshments, collect dues and subscriptions, and make themselves generally
useful. It is said that the horn of plenty should remind them that it is their
duty to see that the tables are properly furnished, and that every Bro. is
suitably provided for.
THE IMMOVABLE JEWELS
The t … b … and the rough and perfect ashlars are called the
immovable jewels, because they lie open and ever present in the Lodge, so that
they may reflect the divine nature, and serve at all times for the Masons to
moralize upon. In some Masonic books, however, especially those published in
America, the square, the level and the plumb-rule are called the immovable
jewels, because they are always in the same place in the Lodge, and the t … b …
and the rough and smooth ashlars are spoken of as the movable jewels, because
they can be moved about.
In the description of the t … b … which is given in some rituals we
are told that it is for the Master to lay his plans upon. It is, however,
obvious that it is not precisely suitable for that purpose, because it is
already very fully occupied with the plan or drawing of an ideal Lodge. What is
intended is simply that the R.W.M., with the assistance of the other Brn.
assembled, should bring the Lodge down here as closely as possible into harmony
and accurate relation with the ideal Lodge. It means that as T.G.A.O.T.U. has
laid His plans up above, so should we
down here make ours as nearly as may be in harmony with His and in imitation of
them. To put it in other terms, the t … b … was intended to mean the plan in
the thought of the Logos, which the Greeks called the “Intelligible World”.
They said that all things came down out of that into the world which we know,
that everything is planned out beforehand, and that the world existed in the
divine thought before it materialized. In the Lodges of two centuries ago, the
t … b … was drawn afresh on the floor with chalk for each meeting, instead of
being printed; and it was considered part of a good R.W.M.’s knowledge that he
should be able to draw it quickly and quite perfectly without having to look at
a copy.
In the diagram of the t … b … we see the altar, and on it the
V.S.L. From that a ladder goes up to the seven-pointed star, which represents
the Monad in man, in whom the seven types of life or consciousness are all to
be perfect to the limits of human possibility. That star represents also the
Logos, the supreme consciousness of our solar system, God’s consciousness,
which is already perfected in a degree altogether beyond human comprehension.
The ladder has many steps, which indicate the virtues by means of
which we may ascend to the perfection symbolized by the star. In Egypt those
steps were taken to express the initiations leading upwards; but of course
these are only two interchangeable methods of expressing the same thing.
If we take them to mean initiations, they represent definite steps
taken, but if
we regard them as indicating the virtues, they are the
qualifications for
initiation. In all cases the idea of degrees leading up to a
condition of
perfection is quite definitely recognized. Or it may be considered
in another
way, as Bro. Wilmshurst takes it in his wonderful book Masonic
Initiation, in
which he writes:
It is a symbol of the Universe, and of its succession of step-like
planes reaching from the heights to the depths. It is written elsewhere that
the Father’s house has many mansions; many levels and resting-places for His
creatures in their different conditions and degrees of progress. It is these
levels, these planes and sub-planes, that are denoted by the rungs and staves
of the ladder. And of these there are, for us in our present state of
evolutionary unfoldment, three principal ones; the physical plane, the plane of
desire and emotion, and the mental plane, or that of the abstract intelligence
which links up to the still higher planes of the spirit.
These three levels of the world are reproduced in man. The first
corresponds
with his material physique, his sense-body; the second with his
desire and
emotional nature, which is a mixed element resulting from the
interaction of
his physical senses and his ultra-physical mind; the third with his
mentality,
which is still further removed from his physical nature, and forms
the link
between the latter and his spiritual being. …
Thus the Universe and man himself are constructed ladder-wise, in
an orderly organized sequence of steps; the one universal substance composing
the differentiated parts of the Universe “descends” from a state of the utmost
ethereality by successive steps of increasing densification, until gross
materialization is reached; and thence “ascends” through a similarly ordered
gradation of planes to its original place, but enriched by the experience
gained by its activities during the process.
It was this cosmic process which was the subject of the dream or
vision of Jacob. … What was “dreamed” or beheld by him with supersensual vision
is equally perceptible today by any one whose inner eyes have been opened.
Every real Initiate is one who has attained an expansion of consciousness and
faculty enabling him to behold the ethereal worlds revealed to the Hebrew
Patriarch as easily as the uninitiated man beholds the phenomenal world with
its outer eyes.
The Initiate is able to see the angels of God ascending and
descending; that is, he can directly behold the great stairway of the Universe,
and watch the intricate but orderly mechanism of involution, differentiation,
evolution and resynthesis constituting the Life-process. He can witness the
descent of human essences or souls through planes of increasing density and
decreasing vibratory rate, gathering round them as they come veils of matter
from each, until finally this lowest level of complete materialization is
reached, where the great struggle for supremacy between the inner and the outer
man, between the spirit and the flesh, between the real self and the unreal
selves in veils built round it, has to be fought out on the chequer-work floor
of our present existence among the black and white opposites of good and evil,
light and darkness, prosperity and adversity; and he can watch the upward return
of those who conquer in the strife and, attaining their regeneration and
casting off or transmuting the “worldly possessions” acquired during their
descent, ascend to their Source, pure and unpolluted from the stains of this
imperfect world.* (*Op. cit. pp. 64-.)
On the ladder appear three emblems, a cross, an anchor, and a cup
with a hand stretched out to reach it. The explanation of the t … b … in the
ritual speaks of these as the three principal virtues, faith, hope and charity.
Strictly speaking, the standard symbol for charity is a heart, and this does
actually appear on some t … b … s instead of the cup; but the cup is the more
ancient symbol, and really means much more to us.
Another and a very beautiful interpretation of the cross upon the
ladder is given to us by Bro.
Wilmshurst, who takes it to represent all the aspirants who are engaged
in mounting that ladder. He says:
Each carries his cross, his own cruciform body, as he ascends; the
material vesture whose tendencies are ever at cross purposes with the desire of
the spirit, and militate against the ascent. Thus weighted, each must climb,
and climb alone; yet reaching out - as the secret tradition teaches, and the
arms of the tilted cross signify - one hand to invisible helpers above, and the
other to assist the ascent of feebler brethren below. For, as the sides and
separate rungs of the ladder constitute a unity, so all life and all lives are
fundamentally one, and none lives to himself alone.* (*Op. cit. p. .)
These three symbols also refer once more to the three outpourings
of the divine life, which have their correspondence in the development of the
self in man. First he has to realize the world of material things, then that of
consciousness or life, and finally he must rise to the real self. Since
Egyptian times both the cross and the anchor have been modified, but the cup
has not. The cross was originally what is now called the Greek cross, with
equal arms. That has always been the token of the first outpouring of divine
life through the Third Aspect of God, or the third member of the Trinity,
called among the Christians God the Holy Ghost, and sometimes the Life-Giver,
who brooded over the waters of space.
A further point in the symbology is that the cross contains within
itself the square, the level and the plumb-line combined; and we find in the
Epistle to the Ephesians written by St Ignatius (who according to tradition was
the little child whom Christ once took and set in the midst of His disciples as
a type of those who should inherit the kingdom of heaven), this remarkable
Masonic passage:
Ye are stones of a Temple, which were prepared beforehand for a
building of God the Father, being raised to the heights by the working-tool of
Jesus Christ, which is the cross, and using
for a rope the Holy Spirit, your faith being a windlass, and love the
way leading up to God.
Sometimes the rose is impressed upon that equal-armed cross, and
then we have the Rose Croix, the great emblem of the Rosicrucians, which figures
largely in the Eighteenth Degree. The Maltese cross is another form of it, with
the arms widening or spreading out, conveying the idea that the force that is
pouring out is constantly increasing. Again, we find it with flames shooting
out from the ends of the cross; and when it is in active revolution, with the
flames trailing at right angles to the arms of the cross, we have the
well-known form called the Jaina Cross.
In these days the cross on the ladder is usually drawn in the Latin
form, which makes it a sign of the Second Outpouring, from the Second Person of
the Trinity, and it is usually considered as the cross of Christ, though
crosses of many forms were used as symbols thousands of years before Christ
incarnated in Palestine. The First Outpouring, typified by the Greek cross,
prepares the world for the reception of life; it brings into being the material
elements, but not bodies formed by their combination. We might have oxygen and
hydrogen produced by this outpouring, but not their combination, water; for
combination of the elements into bodies of ever-increasing complexity of
organized structure and function is the work of the Second Outpouring of the
divine life or power.
The Second Outpouring is indicated by the anchor, for that was originally
in Egypt a little pendulum swinging over a scale, curved to coincide with the
arc of its motion. It is not difficult to see how that might be changed into an
anchor, especially among people who were thinking of the cross and anchor as
representing faith and hope. Such a modification may easily have come about
without deliberate intention; and when it had been determined that the third
virtue should be charity, we can understand why the cup was sometimes changed
into a heart. The cup may stand also as suggesting charity, as being the cup of
life from which the overflow is charity; but many people would feel the heart
to be an easier symbol for that virtue.
Those who have read Greek philosophy or the Gnostic systems will
remember that the krater or cup plays a prominent part in them. It was the
vessel into which the wine of the divine life was poured. In Christian thought
it is the Holy Grail filled with the precious blood of Christ; the chalice used
at the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the cup which Joseph of Arimathea is
supposed to have held to catch the sacred blood of Jesus as He hung upon the
cross. All these things are, however, an allegory. The real meaning of the
symbol is that the cup is the causal body of man, and the wine is the life from
God that flashes into it in the Third Outpouring from the First Logos, at the
moment of individualization, which makes the animal into a human being, not perfected yet, of course,
but capable of perfection.
So the three symbols represent the respective gifts of the divine
life, or three great emanations of the Logos. In Egyptian times the Greek term
Logos did not yet exist, and they spoke of Osiris and Horus, but the teaching
was the same, for there is only one fundamental truth about these things. The t
… b … thus shows that the man who intelligently comprehends the scheme of the
evolution of life in the world can deliberately co-operate with the divine
plan, until he becomes perfectly evolved as man and reaches the seven-pointed
star; and that then he is ready to pass on into still higher conditions, which
are indicated on the t … b … by the clouds, the sun, the moon and the stars
above. In fact, true philosophy discerns the plan drawn by T.G.A. on the
Tracing Board of Time for the building of the Universe.
The remaining jewels, the rough and smooth ashlars, are seen in the
t … b … near the pillars which represent the columns of the W.J.W. and W.S.W.
respectively. The smooth ashlar is generally suspended from a pulley, and held
by the lewis,* (*See fig. .) an implement consisting of wedge-shaped pieces of
steel which are fitted into a dovetailed mortise in the stone to be hoisted.
This instrument was so named, by the architect who invented it, in honour of
the French King Louis XIV. One who is the son or daughter of a Mason is called
a lewis (because he is supposed to support his parents in their old age), and
it is generally held that he may be initiated into Masonry when only eighteen
years old. Though some assert that this can be done only by special dispensation,
the custom is to regard it as a right.
The rough ashlar indicates the untrained mind of the candidate. He
is supposed to be in a state of darkness and ignorance, but gradually through
Masonic work and knowledge his mind will be polished, and it may then be tested
by the square, the plumb-rule and the level, and will be found accurate. The
smooth ashlar represents the condition which should be attained by the F.C. In
the light of evolution and reincarnation we may regard the rough ashlar as the
symbol of the young soul. Through much experience and effort life after life he
must polish his nature and develop his powers. The three degrees in Masonry
represent three stages in that process. The business of the E.A. is to take
himself in hand morally and conquer the physical body, so that its impulses
will not stand in the way of his rapid progress or evolution.
The E.A. of Egypt used to remain seven years in the First Degree,
because he had to fit himself thoroughly for the illumination which could come
only to one who had his emotions under control and sufficiently purified to
reflect and serve
the higher self. That being done, the smooth ashlar was to be
perfected until it
was ready to be used as a living stone in the temple of
T.G.A.O.T.U., fit to
form part of the heavenly Man of the future.
CHAPTER IV
PRELIMINARY CEREMONIES
THE CO-MASONIC RITUAL
IN commenting upon the ceremonies of Freemasonry I
shall take those of Co-Masonry as the basis of my disquisition,
because they
have been arranged largely with a view to their effect on planes
other than the
physical. The workings there described were prepared with the aid
of several of
the best existing rituals and in consultation with experienced Brn.
They will be
found to embody some of the best points of these rituals, in
addition to many
valuable features peculiar to our own workings. It has been found
eminently
desirable to give to the Brn. in the columns a larger share in the
working of
the Lodge, so certain verses of the V. S. L. and some well-known
Masonic hymns have been inserted for their use.
300The Supreme Council of Universal Co-Masonry has with the utmost
liberality and the widest tolerance allowed those who owe their allegiance to
it to choose between several variants of the Ritual. Some Lodges prefer the
simplest form, which is practically identical with that used by the masculine
Craft; others find a slightly more elaborate working more inspiring and
helpful, because it expresses somewhat more fully the work upon inner planes
which is to them the main object of the ceremony. It is this latter working
which I am about to try to expound; but I wish to make it perfectly clear that
the interpretation which I place upon it is my own private opinion only, and
that the Supreme Council under which I have the honour to serve must not in any
way be considered as endorsing that opinion because it permits the use of the
Ritual.
It must not be supposed that the shorter Masonic ritual of the
masculine Craft is ineffective; all that we claim is that the objects of the
various ceremonies are more fully and more expeditiously achieved when their
real intention and signification are thoroughly understood.
THE PROCESSION
Everywhere on the surface of the earth there are great magnetic
currents passing both ways between the poles of the earth and the equator, and
others coming at right angles to them round the earth. The Co-Masonic
procession of entry into the Lodge makes use of these currents, forming of the
space which we circumambulate a distinct eddy or specially magnetized portion
of space.
As the Brn. march round the floor, singing, they should be thinking
of the words of the introcessional hymn and canticle, and taking care that the
procession is well done and in good order; but in addition they should be
deliberately directing their thoughts to the magnetization of the mosaic
pavement and the space above it. In ancient Egypt it was considered to be the
duty of the R.W.M. to direct the currents and form the eddy in them, so as to
magnetize very strongly the floor round which he passed. It is for this purpose
that the officers and distinguished visitors pass clear round the Lodge, and
even go over some of the ground twice; for they do not go straight to their places
on first approaching them as do the E.A.s, the F.C.s and the M.M.s, but
continue so as to complete the circumambulation, as described in The Ritual of
Universal Co-Masonry (5th Edition).
With us also it is the Master of the Lodge who is responsible for
the magnetization of the double square, but the Brn. ought all to help in that
work. The object is to charge that space heavily with the highest possible
influence, and to erect a wall round it in order that the influence may be kept
in place. The part played by the thought-form is much like that of a condenser.
It matters not how much steam may be generated, it is useless for work unless
it is enclosed and kept under pressure. In this scheme we accumulate and use
the force which otherwise would scatter itself freely over the surrounding
neighbourhood.
As has been explained in Chapter III, when the floor has thus been
set apart and prepared, no one passes across it except the candidates who are
taken there for the purpose of initiation and are intentionally submitted to
the influence of its magnetism, the Thurifer when he is censing the altar, and
the I.P.M. when he goes down from the dais to perform the duty of opening the
V.S.L. or of altering the position of the s … and c … as we change from one
degree to another. One other exception is made when the S.D. during the
ceremony of lighting the candles comes to the altar to receive the sacred fire
from the I.P.M. The I.P.M. lights a taper at the sacred fire, and with it
kindles the small candle standing in an ornamental brass vessel, which the
S.D., as Lucifer, carries to the R.W.M. and the W.W.s.
The floor has now rushing across it magnetic currents or lines of
force like the warp and woof of a piece of cloth, and this forms the foundation
upon which we build the great thought-form which is one of the objects of our
Masonic meeting. In view of the enormous value of the thought-form made on the
floor of the Lodge, we can see how important it is that none should disturb or
confuse the currents by walking in the wrong direction, or by bringing into
the Lodge thoughts of ordinary
business-the cares and worries and conflicts of the world of daily life. We go
to the Lodge to do a definite piece of work for humanity, and we must devote
our entire attention to it during the whole time of the meeting.
The singing of the introcessional canticles is intended to help us
to harmonize our minds. The words of the
canticles tell us of the basis upon which all edifices are built, T.G.A.O.T.U.,
who is Himself the foundation and structure of all things, because there is
nothing that is not part of Him. Every member, as he goes round in the
procession, should be dedicating himself and all his thought and strength to
the great work about to be undertaken. These words that we sing have a strong
Masonic association, for this metrical version of the hundredth psalm has been
used at the opening of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning ever since its foundation in
. There is one word in that version to which I want to make special reference
in passing. In the first verse, where we sing “Him serve with mirth”, some
uncomprehending hymnologist has changed the word “mirth” to “fear”, which is
entirely inaccurate and utterly indefensible. In the Bible we are asked to
praise the Lord with gladness and come before His presence with a song, and we
must be careful to preserve the correct spirit and rendering. The other canticle: “I was glad when they
said unto me: we will go into the house of the Lord”, consists of texts taken
from the V.S.L., put together so as to form a beautiful and appropriate
invocation.
All this dedicated thought forms the basis of the splendid edifice
which the Lodge is about to build, the true temple of which the earthly one is
an outer symbol, a temple of finer matter through which perfectly real work can
be done and enormous volumes of spiritual influence can be distributed. This
temple is also an image of the vortex which T.G.A.O.T.U. made when He was about
to form His solar system. He began by limiting Himself, by marking out the
limitations of His system, within which He set up a vast etheric vortex, the
remains of which we find today in the system of revolving planets condensed
from the original nebula, as it cooled and descended into denser physical
matter.
In Co-Masonic Lodges the procession has at its head a Thurifer
swinging a censer, giving off the smoke from aromatic gums specially compounded
with other substances for the purpose. After him comes the T. with his sword,
and behind him the D.C. That little group is especially entrusted with the
business of purifying the Lodge. The D.C. is supposed to be the directing brain
in this work, and the T. with his sword is the hand used to drive out of the
mental and emotional atmosphere all thought that is not wanted there.
Behind this purifying wedge come all the ordinary members, arranged
in reversed order of precedence. At the end of the procession come the officers
and those of higher degree, and eventually the R.W.M., who has to complete the
work of all those who have gone before him, using the devotion which the other
people have supplied, and building the walls of the cella as far as possible
with the material available. The form that we are building is that of the old
Greek temple with the columns outside it, and inside the inner shrine called
the cella, which was enclosed and dark, the only opening being its entrance. In
the Lodge the members stand outside around that, like the columns of an old
temple, such as that shown in our illustration.
THE APRON
Every Mason at a Lodge meeting must wear the distinctive badge
which is called an apron, and it is only when doing so that he is, in Masonic
parlance, “properly clothed”. He may wear additional decorations, such as
collars or jewels, indicating the special office which he holds, or the degree
which he has taken, but unless he wears at least the apron he cannot be
admitted to the Lodge - the only exception being in the case of a candidate for
initiation, who, not being yet a Bro., has no right to wear that distinguishing
badge. There are certain higher degrees in which the apron is not worn, but its
place is taken by other insignia. That is only because the need for it is past.
There are some Lodges in which people put on and take off their aprons in the
temple, but that should never be countenanced.
The necessity that Masons should be properly clothed brings with it
an interesting suggestion of the ancient Mysteries, and also explains why the
essential part of the Masonic clothing, to be worn by all with the exceptions above
mentioned, is the apron. Our modern apron has departed somewhat from the form
used in ancient Egypt; no doubt it was modified at the time when it was found
necessary to merge the speculative and operative Freemasons, in the days of
persecution by the Church. The ancient Egyptian apron was triangular, with the
apex upward, and its ornamentation differed in several respects from that used
at the present time. But the most important change is in the thought that now
prevails, that the apron itself is everything, and that the band which passes
round the body exists merely to secure it and retain it in place. In old days
the belt of the apron was the most important practical feature, and it was far
more than a mere symbol. This belt was a highly magnetized circle, intended to
enclose within itself a disc of etheric matter, separating the upper part of
the body from the lower, so that the tremendous forces which it was the object
of the Masonic ceremonial to set in motion might be entirely shut off from the
lower part of the man’s body.
In The Meaning of Masonry Bro. Wilmshurst writes:
Masonry is a sacramental system, possessing, like all sacraments,
au outward and visible side consisting of its ceremonial, its doctrine and its
symbols which we can see and hear, and an inward, intellectual and spiritual
side, which is concealed behind: the ceremonial, the doctrine and the symbols,
and which is available only to the Mason who has learned to use his spiritual
imagination and who can appreciate the reality that lies behind the veil of
outward symbol.* (*The Meaning of
Masonry, p. .)
He reminds us how, in the case of the E.A., the point of the apron
is turned up, making it therefore a five-pointed figure, symbolical of the
fivefold man. The triangle made by the uplifted flap, he explains, is then
above the square, and it symbolizes the fact that the soul is hovering over the
lower body at that stage, but yet can hardly be said to be working through it. Later on that flap is turned down,
showing that the soul is within the body and acting through it. He tells us
also how the lambskin is first of all a symbol of purity, but also typifies the
blankness of the undeveloped soul, or of what in Theosophy is called the causal
body. In that, as some of us know, in the course of development a great
quantity of glorious colour shows as new vibrations are awakened in it. Some
account of that will be found, illustrated with coloured plates, in Man,
Visible and Invisible.
Bro. Wilmshurst further explains that the pale sky-blue colour of
the rosettes on the F.C. apron and the blue lining and edging and silver
tassels of the M.M.’s apron indicate that at that stage the blue of the sky
begins to break through the whiteness that innocence, however beautiful it may
be, is being replaced by knowledge to some extent, and as the higher degrees
are reached more of colour and beauty appears. He especially mentions that
there are two lines of influence, or spiritual force, which come down from
above, each ending in seven silver lines - a kind of tassel - indicating the
seven colours of the spectrum. These are really symbolical of the seven great
divisions or varieties or temperaments of life. In American Masonry, according
to Mackey’s Encyclopaedia* (*Art. Apron.) the apron is the same in all the
three degrees of Blue Masonry, being made of white lambskin with a narrow
edging of blue ribbon. Co-Masonry follows the usage prevailing in the Grand
Lodge of England, save that instead of sky-blue for the edging and rosettes, an
edging of deeper blue with a narrow border of crimson is prescribed, and the
rosettes are made of similar material. The tassels are gilded instead of
silvered, and their seven lines symbolize the seven rays of life and the seven
grades of matter. Our illustrations give an idea of the M.M. aprons as worn in
Egypt and at the present day.
THE CEREMONY OF CENSING
When all have taken their places the ceremony of censing begins.
The Thurifer advances to the pedestal of the R.W.M., who places upon the
charcoal in the censer some incense which he has previously magnetized, or
better still, he magnetizes the incense as it is melting in the censer, for
that is the condition in which it is most responsive to his power. As the
ceremony is not known in some Lodges I reprint it here from the Co-Masonic
ritual:
During the ceremony appropriate music is played, the Brn. remaining
standing. When all are in their places, the Thurifer advances to the pedestal
of the R.W.M., who places upon the charcoal in the censer some incense which he
has previously consecrated. The Thurifer steps back and bows to the R.W.M., who
returns the bow. He then censes the R.W.M., with three triple swings *** ***
*** the chains being held short and the censer extended at the level of the
eyes, but slightly lowered after the first and second sets of triple swings.
The censer is then grasped firmly by the chains in the right hand, and swung
with full chain (if space permits) in the form of a V, three long dignified
strokes to the right of the pedestal, then three to the left. Then, with the
arm extended in front, the censer is swung in seven graduated circles, each
circle above the other, so that by the time the seventh and smallest circle is
made, the arm is raised to its full height. The Thurifer bows again to the
R.W.M., and then passes directly to the altar, which he encircles, beginning at
the E., swinging the censer at short chain with a circular motion.
He then returns to the R.W.M.’s pedestal, bows and squares the
Lodge to the
W.J.W.’s pedestal, where the ceremony which took place at the
previous pedestal is repeated, save that the W.J.W. receives five swings of the
censer, one triple and two single *** * *. A pause is observed between single
swings, just as between triple swings. He next passes to the W.S.W.’s pedestal,
censing him in identical fashion, save that he receives seven swings, two
triple and one single *** *** *. The Thurifer now turns to the J.D., bows to
him, and after the bow has been returned, censes him with three single swings *
* *, after which they bow as before, and the Thurifer squares the Lodge to the
S.D., who is censed in a similar manner, but with four swings, one triple and
one single *** *.
The Thurifer now censes the distinguished visitors according to
their rank,
beginning with those of highest dignity (nine swings for 33°, seven
for 30°,
five for 18° and visiting P.M.s.-the swings to be divided as
above), bows as he
passes the R.W.M.’s pedestal and censes the P.M.s (the I.P.M.
receives seven
swings). He then takes up his position before the Master’s
pedestal, having
returned directly thereto; then, having bowed to him, he turns and
faces the
Brn., bows to them collectively, and (himself remaining stationary)
censer them
successively, beginning with those on his left hand, and ending
with those on
his right. This is accomplished by a number of short swings, aimed
down the S.,
column and up the N. in rapid succession. The Brn. stand with the
hands joined
before the breast and the palms laid together, and bow successively
as the gaze
of the Thurifer meets theirs. This ceremonial should be carefully
carried out,
each Bro. bowing a moment later than his predecessor. The
above-mentioned
position of the hands should be adopted by all officers while they
are being
censed. The Thurifer squares the Lodge and passes to the position
of the I.G.,
whom he censes with two single swings * *; then he hands the censer
to him.
The I.G. censes the T. with a single swing *, and then hands the
censer to him. The whole ceremony should be carried out as briskly as is
consistent with dignity; there should be no unnecessary delay. As the Thurifer
censes the different pedestals the Brn. should unite in thought upon the three
principles which they represent R. W.M. - Wisdom; W.S.W. - Strength; W.J.W. -
Beauty. This should also be done while the candles are being lighted at each
pedestal. When the altar is reached the thought should be on the Unity of
Brotherhood.
The censing of the pedestals in this manner produces in front of
each of them a highly magnetized cone, or beehive-shaped form, in which the
candidate stands when he comes before any of the pedestals. It is erected for
that purpose, and can be stretched when several candidates come together, but
it becomes a little tenuous if the number is large. The censing of the
officials is intended to prepare them for the work which they have to do. The
varied number of swings is given not only to honour the person, but to
strengthen him for his work, and it does so by setting up a line of
communication with the forces of the inner planes. The higher the man is in
degree, the more does he himself give in proportion to what is received. The
Master gives most of all, but the columns receive more than they give; yet each
one should try as the Thurifer turns to him to give as much as he possibly
can.This use of incense is perfectly scientific.
All occult students are aware that, as was said in the last
chapter, there is no
such thing as really dead matter, but that everything in nature
possesses and
radiates out its own vibration or combination of vibrations. Every
chemical
element has thus its own set of influences, which are useful in
certain
directions and useless or even hostile in others. It is in this way
quite
possible, for example, to mingle certain gums which, when burnt as
incense, will
strongly stimulate the purer and higher emotions; but one could
just as easily
make another mixture whose vibrations would promote the most
undesirable
feelings. This is a matter about which some people are sceptical,
because
humanity is at present passing through a stage in its evolution
during which its
development is almost exclusively that of the lower mind, which is
fiercely
intolerant of anything which it has not specially studied. We all
know how
difficult it has been until quite lately to gain any recognition
for
non-physical phenomena, such as those of telepathy or clairvoyance,
or indeed
anything outside the most materialistic science.
Now the time has come when men are beginning to see that life is
full of invisible influences, whose value can be recognized by sensitive
people. The effect of incense is an instance of this class of phenomena, as is
also the result of the use of talismans and of certain precious stones, each of
which vibrates at its own rate and has its own value. Such things are not
usually of importance so great that we need give much time to their
consideration, but they all have their effects, and are therefore not to be
entirely neglected by wise people.
The incense used in the Lodge tends to purify that part of man’s
nature which is sometimes called the astral body, as it is made of gums which
give off an intensely cleansing vibration. In this respect its effect is analogous
to the sprinkling of a disinfectant, which will spread about in the air and
destroy undesirable germs, though in this case the operation is on higher
levels and in finer matter. It has also the effect of attracting denizens of
the inner worlds whose presence is helpful to our working, and of driving away
those which are unsuitable.
Two of the most important constituents of such incense as is useful
for our work are benzoin and olibanum. The benzoin is a vigorous purifier, and
tends to drive away all coarse or sensuous feelings and thoughts. The olibanum
has nothing to do with that, but it creates a devotional and restful
atmosphere, and tends to stimulate those vibrations in the astral body which
make people responsive to higher things. Attar of roses is also useful, and
adds greatly to the effect produced.
If the incense is intelligently magnetized its strength is
increased enormously; for example, by putting into olibanum the definite force
of the will in the direction of calmness and devotion, its influence may be
increased by perhaps a hundredfold. That is why the incense in church is always
taken up to the celebrant to be blessed, and why in the Lodge it is brought to
the R.W.M. in order that he may magnetize it with whatever special quality he
thinks will be helpful for the work of the day. The sprinkling of holy water in
a church is another way of producing a similar effect, but incense has the
advantage that it rises into the air, and wherever a single particle goes the
purification and blessing is borne with it.
It is desirable on all occasions, and especially in Lodge, in the
interests of the work, that the Brn. should have in their minds but a few
definite and strong vibrations of emotion and thought; but instead of that they
sometimes have forty or fifty small vortices of emotional and mental activity
all whirling at once, each representing some small worry or care or desire. It
is difficult for a person to do good work while these are present, and almost
impossible for him to make real progress in the evolution of consciousness. If
he is trying to attain a better emotional and mental condition, the incense
will offer him a strengthening current of vibration which will help very much
in combing out the tangle and producing calm and steadiness.
We sometimes find that there is much prejudice against the use of
incense, because it is supposed to be connected exclusively with the ceremonies
of the Roman Church, for it is only there and in some of the higher Anglican
churches that Western people ever see it. Those who have travelled in the East,
or are interested in the study of other faiths, know that practically all the
religions of the world use incense in one form or another.
It appears in the temples of the Hindus, the Zoroastrians, the Jains,
and in the
Shinto of China and Japan. It was used in Greece, in Rome, in
Persia, and in the
ceremonies of Mithra. All these people, including the Roman
Catholics, avail
themselves of it because they know it to be a useful thing; why
then should not
we?
For a time in England there was a very strong puritan wave, shortly
after the Reformation, which led to the murder of King Charles, to the
Commonwealth and to Cromwell’s rule. True, there was a reaction at the time of
the Restoration, but the puritan feeling seems to have been of the most intense
kind, and traces of it still remain in England, some of them showing themselves
in the most amazing and unreasoning prejudice.
That feeling has sometimes entered Masonic circles, and efforts
have been made to induce the Grand Lodge to limit the definition of the Great
Architect, so as to exclude the possible association of Masonry with
non-Protestant beliefs. But the Grand Lodge has liberally refused to create any
such limitations. Under the Grand Lodge of England incense is prescribed for
the ceremony of consecrating a Lodge* (*See The Chaplain’s and Organist’s Work,
by the Rev, J. T. Lawrence.) and the Consecrating Officer and the Wardens are
censed, though no definite number of swings appears to be laid down. Incense is
also used in the Consecration of a Chapter of the Holy Royal Arch, under the
Supreme Grand Chapter of England, and in the ceremonial of many of the higher
degrees. Thus its introduction into Co-Masonic Lodges is in no way
an
innovation, but is in full accordance with Masonic usage.
The number of swings given to each of the non-official Brn.
indicates his particular rank in the Order, for the degrees of the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite are taken into account in Co-Masonry. Each thus receives
the influence he needs, that he may be strengthened for the work which his rank
qualifies him to do. Each Bro., as he is censed, bows out of respect, and as a
token that he dedicates all the force that he has to T.G.A.O.T.U.
LIGHTING THE CANDLES
The S.D. is the Lucifer, who bears the light to his fellow-men. The
light having been given to him from the Sacred Fire by the I.P.M., he carries
it to the R.W.M., who by means of a small taper lights from it the tall candle
standing on his right, and then puts out his taper with an extinguisher. He
must not blow it out, because that would suggest the pollution of the sacred
fire by the breath, which is unclean. It is for the same reason that the
Parsis, who are sometimes called fire-worshippers, because they regard that
element as the greatest symbol and expression of the divine, will on no account
pollute it with refuse. The R.W.M. says: “May the light of wisdom illumine our
work” (here he lights his candle); “His wisdom is infinite.” The S.D. then carries
the light to the W.S. and J.W.s, who light their candles and speak
appropriately of the strength and the beauty of T.G.A.O.T.U.
In this ceremony we are reminded once more of the three Aspects of
T.G.A.O.T.U., and here they are
symbolized as coming forth from the unconditioned into conditioned form in the
order of wisdom, strength
and beauty, in preparation for the opening of the Lodge, the
commencement of the work of the building of the temple. When the work begins,
as we shall see in the next chapter, the process is reversed, but here we have
only the preparation,
the coming forth of the wisdom to plan, the strength to execute,
and then the
beauty to adorn.
The use of fire in ecclesiastical or Masonic ceremonies is but
little understood. The lighting of a candle with religious intention is
analogous to a prayer, and always invokes a downpouring of force from on high.
Thus the three principal officers, in uttering these phrases as they light
their candles, are not only announcing in symbol that they represent certain
Aspects of the divine, but are actually opening the way to a definite link with
those Aspects, which is made in response to their request. The electric lights
which are used instead of candles in some Lodges do not produce the same effect;
they give light, but not fire, and therefore fail of their full result.
Electric light is, however, permissible for the Blazing Star and the Star of
Initiation, where the action and the symbolism are solely that of the light.
What I have said before about the assistance that should be given
to the officers by the Brn. applies here most emphatically. When the R.W.M.
says: “May His wisdom illumine our work,” all should join with him in a strong
effort to call down the divine wisdom, so that through him it may pour out upon
the Brn. So also when the W.S.W. says: “May the light of strength sustain our
work,” all should think earnestly of the divine strength, and send up an
aspiration that it may flow through him; and once more a similar effort is to
be made when the W.J.W. says: “May the light of beauty make manifest our work,”
and the I.P.M. declares: “His light dwelleth ever in our midst.”
We must not attach to these thoughts the old, and I think false,
idea of prayer - that we need to beseech the attention of T.G.A.O.T.U. We know
that He is always sending down His force; it is our business to open the
channel. His symbol down here is the sun, which is always pouring out light and
life and glory without being asked to shine. In the utterance of these words, therefore,
we are only seeking to make ourselves and the Lodge channels for His service.
During all these processes the thought of the Brn. is important,
but most of all when the altar is censed should they think of the divine love.
It falls to the R.W.M. to direct the whole work and to each of the officers to
bear his part, but the full success of the scheme depends upon the
recollectedness and unselfishness of every Bro. in the Lodge. Without that
there is no real life in the work. It is to be feared that in many Masonic
Lodges, though their work is deeply coloured by the great ideal of charity,
there is an entire failure to radiate the spiritual influence. They perform the
ritual accurately and beautifully, but they have not realized how much depends
upon the thought given to it, and the comprehension of all that it means and
implies. The blessing of the Great Architect is invoked not so much by the mere
formula of words and acts, as by the spirit that underlies the work of the
Lodge.
CHAPTER V
THE OPENING OF THE LODGE
THE BRETHREN ASSIST
WHEN the ceremony of lighting the candles is
completed, the Brn. take their seats, and the R.W.M. asks them to
spend a few
moments in aspiration to T.G.A.O.T.U., earnestly resolving that the
work to be
done that evening shall be well and thoroughly done, and that each
member shall
never forget that he is doing it in His name and to His glory.
The R.W.M. then gives a single k … k and calls upon the Brn. to assist
him in opening the Lodge. Some may ask why he needs their assistance in so
simple an act as declaring the Lodge open; but the fact is that it is by no
means so simple as this. The opening of a Masonic Lodge is in itself an
exceedingly beautiful and interesting ceremony, and the success of the
evening’s work depends upon its being properly and thoroughly done. The work
before us is no light matter, for it is nothing less than a concerted effort to
carry out the duty that is laid upon us, as those who possess the Light, to
spread that Light abroad through the world, and actually to become
fellow-labourers with T.G.A.O.T.U. in His great plan for the evolution of our
Brn.
He pours spiritual strength into the world just as the sun pours
out its light; but as there are many dark places in the world which the
sunlight cannot directly reach, so are there many souls in the world who are
unable to receive and assimilate this divine force. As man by means of mirrors
can reflect the sunlight into a cave or cellar, so also can man reflect the
spiritual light upon those darkened souls, and perchance present it to them so
that they may be able to receive it and profit by it. All light in the world is
but transmuted sunlight; if we burn coal and make gas, or if we burn oil in a
lamp, the energy is none the less converted solar energy.
The Great Architect sends forth His power at all levels, but most
of all on the higher planes. But the majority of men are not yet sufficiently
developed on those higher planes to be directly affected by this force. If,
however, those men who are already somewhat developed at those levels will lay
themselves open to receive that force, and slow down its vibrations by passing
them through their own subtle bodies, it can then be poured out upon the world
at large in an assimilable form. And this is a great part of the work that is
being done by all those who wish to co-operate with Him.
I have explained in The Masters mad the Path how one who approaches
a Master of the Wisdom with a view to becoming His pupil and
working under Him for the good of mankind, is first drawn into a
wonderfully
intimate association with that Master, so that he may become a
perfect channel
for the distribution of spiritual forces. Precisely the same thing
on a much
smaller scale is being done by every human being who wishes well to
his
fellow-man. Being developed somewhat above the average, he is able
to receive
and to profit by some at least of these forces, and he assuredly
pours them out
again on lower levels in good-will and kindly feeling. The
ceremonies of all
great religions aim at producing such results on a larger scale by
some sort of
common action. In The Science of the Sacraments I have explained
the mechanism of this common action as far as the great Christian services are
concerned; and the ceremonies of Freemasonry attain a similar object, though in
a different way.
The Christian service begins by building a great thought-form to
act as a kind of storage-battery or condenser for this force, in order that as
it is gradually generated it may be stored up for use instead of being allowed
to dissipate itself uselessly in the ambient air; and we in Freemasonry have to
take the same precaution. In both cases we invoke the aid of non-human entities
- the inhabitants of those subtler planes, who are thoroughly accustomed to
deal with and control the forces belonging to their respective levels; but
there is a certain difference between the methods adopted in the Christian
religion, and in the old Egyptian Mystery-faith from which Masonry is derived.
In Christianity we invoke great Angels who are far above us in
spiritual unfoldment, and place ourselves to a considerable extent in their
hands, supplying them with the material of love and devotion and aspiration
which the service calls forth from us, and leaving them largely to do the
form-building and the distribution.
In Freemasonry also we invoke angelic aid, but those upon whom we
call are nearer to our own level in development and intelligence, and each of
them brings with him a number of subordinates who carry out his directions. All
around us there is a vast unseen evolution, which may be thought of as parallel
to our own.* (*See plate, “The Evolution of Life” in The Hidden Side of Things,
vol. i, p. 116 (1st edition) And just as our line of progress passes
through the vegetable kingdom, the
animal kingdom and the human kingdom,
and then carries us on to the superhuman developments of Adeptship,
so does
that parallel evolution run through the various elemental kingdoms,
the kingdom
of the
nature-spirits, and then the
levels of
intelligence and holiness in this great angelic kingdom; and while it
stretches upwards to heights far above those at present attainable
by human
beings, it has also members who are hardly at a higher level than
our own.* (*In
the course of involution the Second great Outpouring of divine Life
descends
from the Second Logos into the matter already vivified by the Third
Logos. Very slowly and gradually this resistless life pours down through the
various planes, spending in each of them a period equal in duration to one
entire incarnation of a planetary chain - a period which, if measured as we
measure time, would cover many millions of years. As a whole, this life-wave is
spoken of as monadic essence when clothed only in the atomic matter of the
various planes at different stages of its descent.
When it energizes the matter of the higher mental plane, it is
known as the First Elemental Kingdom. When it descends to the lower or rupa
levels of the same plane it is the Second Elemental Kingdom, and on the astral
plane it is the Third Elemental Kingdom. Even when this
monadic essence first comes before us, in the earliest of the elemental
Kingdoms, it is already not one monad, but very many - not one great
life-stream but many parallel streams, each possessing characteristics of its
own. The monadic essence ensouls the matter of the sub-planes below it
on each plane or division of a plane, and thus forms the Elemental Kingdoms. It
is the same life that goes on into the mineral kingdom, and then begins to
ascend, and proceeds through the vegetable and animal kingdoms until, upon its
junction with rays from the life of the First Logos, human beings are formed.
See Man, Visible and Invisible, Chapter vi.)
Those, however, are only the lowest members of the angelic kingdom;
next below them in development come the highest of the nature-spirits, in the
same way as the highest members of the animal kingdom come only just below the
lowest human beings; and indeed in many cases the kingdoms overlap, for the
most intelligent of the animal kingdom are frequently superior in many respects
to the most degraded of human beings. In the Church service we invoke the great
Archangels - beings very far above ourselves - though they also have their
cohorts of assistants at a level much below their own; in Freemasonry we call
rather upon beings at our own stage or slightly above it, and they bring with
them assistants from the kingdom of the nature-spirits and even of the
elementals.
In both cases the work is initiated by someone who is specially
qualified and set apart to do it; in the Church the priest; in Freemasonry the
R.W.M. Still, the assistance of the brethren present is always a matter of
importance and significance. In ecclesiastical circles they often speak of the
priesthood of the laity. Certain things the priest is commissioned to do, and
only he can do them. But he requires the help and co-operation of the laity in
order that he may work at the highest degree of effectiveness.
It is exactly the same with the Master of a Masonic Lodge; he also
has certain work to do, and unless there are other P.M.s. present, he is the
only man who can do it; but it will be done better and more easily if the Brn.
understand and
co-operate.
I remember well that when first I was elected R.W.M. of my Mother
Lodge, I had to do all the magnetization
in the opening procession myself; I had
to march round the Lodge, making an eddy in the flowing forces, building the
preliminary thought-form and filling it with a strong current of magnetism.
Presently I explained matters to some of the older members of the Lodge and
told them how they could help in this work, and when they got into the
habit of doing so I found that it made my own labours very much
less.
But remember that what the H.O.A.T.F. wants is not a sort of bored
acquiescence, but cordial co-operation. He wants the members
really to be thinking vividly all the time and keeping their minds
on what they
are doing. If we hear the same thing over and over again, there is
a certain
tendency for it to become a matter of course, so that people give
only half of
their attention to it. That is not the way to get the best results;
we must fig
our minds strongly upon what we are saying and what we are doing.
Only the
officers have to give the responses at the opening of the Lodge,
but every
member ought to know these responses by heart. When we come to the
temple, we come for a definite purpose-not to get, but to give; and the amount
that we are able to give in the way of spiritual force and help depends largely
upon the
intentness with which we fix our thought upon what we are doing,
and the amount of definite understanding that we bring to it. It means a
considerable mental effort, no doubt; but it is very well worth while to make
it.
When the R.W.M. asks for the assistance of the Brn. he also means
that they should specially prepare themselves to co-operate in the work of the
evening, and this important preliminary is achieved by his next questions.
TYLING THE LODGE
The Brn. being upstanding, the R.W.M. begins the proceedings by
asking from the W.J.W. (carefully addressing
him by name, and not using the title of his office) the characteristic question
which is the keynote of every Masonic meeting: “What is the first care of every
Freemason?” and receives the traditional reply: “To see the Lodge close tyled.”
He continues: “Direct that that duty be done.” The W.J.W. passes on the command
to the I.G., who goes to see that the T. is at his post, and reports that he
is, this report being at once passed on to the R.W.M.
What is the symbolism here? The first requisite when we are about
to do a great piece of work is to concentrate upon it, and in order to do that
we must be free from interruption; so the fortress of Mansoul (to adopt John
Bunyan’s picturesque terminology) needs a strong wall all round outside, and
our entrance must be well guarded. Therefore the Spirit calls to the
intelligence, which is its link with the lower worlds; the intelligence asks
the etheric double, who in turn signals the dense physical body to know how
things look from the outside, and receives the satisfactory reply that all the
defences are in order, so that the Spirit is reassured on the important point
that the Lodge may labour in safety.
Each one of us has to tyle his own Lodge on various levels, and
this must be done with great care and wisdom. Through thousands of years of
past evolution each man has been learning to build a strong shell for himself,
so that within it he may grow into a powerful centre, capable of radiating
spiritual force upon his fellows. Inevitably in the earlier stages of that
growth he becomes a self-centred being, thinking and caring only for his own
interests - tyling his Lodge indeed, but shutting out from it much that is
noble and beautiful. Only by degrees does he learn that power is given to him
for use in the service of others, and that while he must so tyle his Lodge as
always to maintain the strong centre of consciousness which he has been at such
pains to create (because without that centre he would be useless in the work of
the world) he must at the same time watch ceaselessly to see that the force
generated in that centre is employed only in the helping of mankind and in the
furtherance of the designs of T.G.A.U.T.U. The man does not lose his
individuality and initiative, but he learns to use them rightly.
The man must learn to tyle the Lodge of his mental body; but this
must be done with discretion and indeed with exceeding great care. We often
find the physical world uncomfortably crowded, especially if our lot imposes
upon us the necessity of living or working in one of the great cities. But we
must remember that the astral and mental worlds are also crowded - very much
more so than the physical, although not quite in the same way. Those finer
worlds have far greater extension than the physical, and also in them bodies
freely interpenetrate one another. So the crowding is not of the same nature;
but nevertheless, we need to shield ourselves even more strictly on those
higher levels than down here.
It is not only that on the mental plane there are many millions of
people. It is also full of centres of thought on all kinds of subjects, which
have been established mostly by men like ourselves. We who are students are
earnestly trying to raise ourselves somewhat above the thought of the average
man; therefore a very large proportion of all this insurgent thought which is
so constantly pressing upon us is at a lower level than our own, and we require
constantly to guard ourselves against its influence. There is such a vast ocean
of thought upon all sorts of utterly unimportant subjects that, unless we
rigidly exclude it, we shall find ourselves unable to concentrate upon the
higher subjects about which we really wish to think.
Therefore in that respect we must tyle the Lodge of the mental body
and must
exercise great care to whom and to what we open its doors.
There are also other respects in which care is necessary on the
mental plane. For example, there are many who are cursed with an argumentative
nature. Such men throw open the doors of their mental fortress and rush eagerly
out to battle on the slightest provocation, or on none at all - quite
forgetting that they thereby leave the fortress undefended, so that any
thought-forces which may happen to be in their neighbourhood can enter in and
possess it. While they are wasting their strength in wrangling over points of
no importance, the whole tone of their mental bodies is being steadily
deteriorated by the influences which are flowing into it. Such a man should
learn to tyle his mental body, so that only those thoughts may enter it which
he as an ego really approves.
The Lodge of the astral body must be tyled also, for it is even
more difficult to resist the surging of emotions than the pressure of thoughts.
The majority of emotions in the world are ill-directed, being motived by
selfishness in some one among its many protean forms - jealousy, envy, pride,
anger, or intolerance. To keep our own feelings pure and high, to retain the
philosophical calm which is as necessary for right feeling as it is for right thinking,
we must sternly tyle the Lodge against all this vast ocean of unnecessary
excitement. Yet on the other hand we must take great care that we never fail in
true sympathy. Our ears must ever be open to the appeals of suffering, even
though we close them resolutely against the meaningless babble of those who
pursue only their own ends. In this, as in so many other ways, the middle path
of occultism is narrow as the edge of a razor, as we are told in the old Indian
books; and we must watch ceaselessly lest on the one hand we are wrecked upon
the Scylla of indifference or overwhelmed on the other in the confusion of
Charybdis.
Even as regards our physical bodies there is the same reason for
strict tyling of the Lodge. We do not despise or shun our fellow-creatures,
though we do shun some of their undesirable haunts. No one who knows anything
of the inner side of things will voluntarily approach such a centre of ghastly
influence as a prize-ring, a butcher’s shop or a drinking saloon; anyone who
has even to pass by such places in the course of his daily avocations should
make a strong shell round himself that he may not draw into himself even the
least trace of their psychic infection.
Again, there are many people who are unconscious vampires; without
being in the least aware of it, they draw out vitality from those who are near
them, so that if one sits and talks to such an one for a little while, one feels utterly
exhausted and incapable of useful work. If such a person were helped by the
strength which he draws from his healthier friends, one might at last regard it
as an act of charity to allow him to deplete one; but the fact is that these
unfortunate people are themselves incapable of retaining what they take, so
that they gain nothing from the transaction, while their hapless victims lose
health and strength. In approaching such cases, we shall do well to tyle the
Lodge of our physical bodies by making a strong etheric shell round them, even
while we radiate all love and kindly feeling upon the unfortunate vampire.
The constantly repeated charge to see that the Lodge is close tyled
should bring to our minds a succession of useful warnings; and whenever we hear
it we should remember to ask ourselves: “Is my heart full of the divine love,
and have I kept it close tyled against all evil and foolish thought since last
I heard these mystic words?”
So when this question comes now, just before the opening of the
Lodge, it serves to remind us of the instant necessity of bringing ourselves
into the right frame of mind for the wonderful piece of work which we are going
to do.
The Egyptians taught that this phrase had yet another meaning,
though one which scarcely concerns us. They understood the necessity of
tyling the world as a whole. Our earth is surrounded by a gaseous
atmosphere in
which the lightest matter tends to find its way to the top.
Hydrogen is the
lightest, and what little of it there is in a free state gradually
rises to the
top of the atmosphere, and some of it escapes and becomes lost in
space. That is one of the reasons why the older planets always have less
hydrogen than the
younger - it leaks away to a certain extent as the planet rushes
along through
space. That reduces the amount of water on the globe. Thus we find
that Mars,
which is older than the earth in proportion to its size, and is in
a later
period of its life, has slightly more land than water on its
surface, while
Jupiter and Saturn which are younger, not in actual age, but in
proportion to
their size, are almost entirely liquid. There is a great being
called the Spirit
of the Earth, who uses the earth as his physical body; he has made
his own
arrangements to prevent the too rapid escape of his hydrogen, and takes
constant care to tyle his Lodge; but we of course have nothing to
do with that.
In thinking of all these symbolical meanings, we must not forget
the actual tyling of the Lodge in which we sit. There are several reasons for
our extreme care in this matter. We want to keep the Lodge shut not merely to
preserve our mysteries from the outer gaze, but because only so may we keep its
influence pure and undisturbed. The thought-form that is about to be built is a
thing very delicately balanced and carefully graduated, and is composed not
only of the etheric substances of our material plane, but also of the still
finer matter of the emotional and mental worlds.
This thought-form is constructed for a definite purpose, and if
outsiders, whose minds are working along different lines, were present, they
would quite unintentionally cause a good deal of friction and destroy the
balance and efficacy of the form. It is not that we consider ourselves to be
superior to those other people, but that we are training ourselves to think
along certain definite lines, and they as a rule arc not.
We must also keep prominently in our minds the obligation to
preserve absolute secrecy in the outer world about our Masonic meetings and all
that takes place at them. There unquestionably is a certain danger of
inadvertence in these matters. None are likely even for a moment to contemplate
the betrayal of any Masonic secret, nor to exhibit any lack of caution with
regard to the w … s and s … s which we have solemnly sworn never to reveal, but
in other matters there is sometimes incaution; for example, on one occasion I
heard some Brn. discussing in a tramcar the excellent manner in which a certain
J.D. performed his work in the Lodge. This is, of course, no betrayal of any of
the secrets, but it contains an element of distinct danger, for it is so easily
possible when speaking of the ceremony to make some reference from which an
intelligent and inquisitive bystander might deduce more than he ought to know.
THE E.A. S … N
After it has been seen that the Lodge is close tyled, the next thing
to be done is to see that all is right within - that all present are
Freemasons. As a matter of fact we are already sure of that, for the members of
a Lodge are well known to each other, and any stranger presenting himself is
always carefully proved before he is admitted. But this is the formal proof
appointed in the ritual, to make assurance doubly sure; so the R.W.M. calls his
Lodge to order, and all adopt a certain attitude of attention with a s … p and
s … n, both of which are highly symbolical, and have remained unchanged for a
very long period. It should be distinctly understood that a man who joins
Freemasonry does thereby take a step forward in evolution, and the fact that
his identification as a Freemason begins with that s … p is a constant reminder
and acknowledgment of that.
The l … f …, because it is nearest to the heart, symbolizes the
intuition, while the r … f … is supposed to represent intellectual faculty. The
meaning of the s … p is therefore obviously that in occult matters intuition always
takes precedence over mere reasoning processes. The position adopted is
intended to show that reason must always spring from the centre of right
feeling.
Having thus indicated the method of our advancement, we proceed in
Co-Masonry to give the Dieu-garde, a contraction of the French “Dieu vous
garde,” which means “God keep you,” though in English it has been corrupted
into due-guard. In addition to the thoughts suggested by the s … p, this shows
us that we learn but to bless, for this position is that which the candidate
adopted at the moment when he took his O. It indicates that the E.A., being
himself but a beginner, has as yet neither the right nor the power to give any
blessing but that which is prescribed in the V.S.L.; he may use only the words which
are taught to him, for he is not yet in the position to be either a direct
channel or a reservoir of the higher force.
Then follows a gesture which is at the same time a salutation to
God and a declaration of power. The rest of the s … is commonly interpreted as
a reminder of the p … y attached to any violation of the E.A.O.; and it is
certain that the idea of that p … y has been associated with it from an early
period in history, as may be seen by reference to the works of Dr. Albert
Churchward. There is, however, yet another more occult meaning for that s …
than the explanation usually given. Students of the inner side of man’s
constitution and of Oriental occultism are aware that there are seven great
force-centres (called in Sanskrit chakras) in the human body, and that in the
course of occult progress all of them have to be opened, developed and made
effective.
There are many methods of psychic development, some of which
commence with the opening of one centre and some with another; but in the scheme
advocated in ancient Egypt and continued in Freemasonry the centre
indicated by that s …
is taken first. So when the Freemason makes that movement he not only
designates the opening up of that centre as the special work, from the occult
point of view, of this degree, but he also commands the aid of the powers in
nature connected with and controlled through that centre in whatever work
he is about to undertake. The gestures
and words taught in Freemasonry are not chosen at random; each has a definite meaning
and a definite power in the world of the unseen, quite apart from its
signification on the physical plane. Lodges in Europe usually know nothing
whatever of all this; perhaps there may be some in Oriental countries which are
better instructed.
The force-centres exist as points of connection at which energy
flows from one vehicle or body of a man to another. Anyone who possesses a
slight degree of clairvoyance may easily see them in the etheric double, where
they show themselves as saucer-like depressions or vortices in its surface.
When quite undeveloped they appear as small circles about two inches in
diameter, glowing dully in the ordinary man; but when awakened and vivified
they appear as blazing, coruscating saucers, much increased in size. We sometimes
speak of them as roughly corresponding to certain physical organs; in reality
they show themselves at the surface of the etheric double, which projects
slightly beyond the outline of the dense body.
If we imagine ourselves to be looking straight down into the bell
of a flower of the convolvulus type, we shall get some idea of the general
appearance of a chakra. The stalk of the flower in each case springs from a
point in the spine, so another view might show the spine as a central stem,
from which flowers shoot forth at intervals, showing the opening of their bells
at the surface of the etheric body.
The seven centres with which we are at present concerned are
indicated in the accompanying illustration. (Plate IX.) It will be seen that
they are situated at:
(1) the
base of the spine;
(2) the
spleen;
(3) the
navel or solar plexus;
(4) the
heart;
(5) the
throat;
(6) the
space between the eyebrows;
(7) the
top of the head.
I have described them fully in The Inner Life; and I have also
published a monograph on them, called The Chakras, with unique coloured
illustrations.
There are several force-centres besides these, and there are
schools of magic that use them; but the dangers connected with them are so
serious that we should consider their awakening as the greatest misfortune. It
is precisely in order to avoid the arousing of those lower centres that so much
importance was attached in Egypt to the belt or girdle of the apron, and the etheric
web which stretched across it.
When at all in action, these centres show signs of rapid rotation,
and into each of their open mouths, at right angles to the surface of the body,
there rushes a force from the higher world - one of those which T.G.A.O.T.U. is constantly pouring out
through His system. That force is sevenfold in its nature, and all its forms
operate in each of these centres, although one of them in each case greatly
predominates over the others. Without this inrush of energy the physical body
could not exist.
Therefore the centres are in operation in every one, although in
the
undeveloped person they are usually in comparatively sluggish
motion, just
forming the necessary vortex for the force, and no more. On the
other hand, they may be glowing and pulsating with living light, so that an
enormously greater amount of force passes through them, with the result that
there are additional faculties and possibilities open to the man.
This divine energy which rushes into each centre from without sets
up at right angles to itself, that is to say, in the surface of the etheric
double, secondary forces in undulatory circular motion, just as a bar magnet
thrust into an induction coil produces a current of electricity which flows
round the coil at right angles to the axis or direction of the magnet. The
primary force itself, having entered the vortex, radiates from it again at
right angles, but in straight lines, as though the centre of the vortex were
the hub of a wheel, and the radiations of the primary force its spokes. The
number of these spokes differs in the different force-centres, and determines
the number of waves or petals which each of them exhibits. Because of this
these force-centres have often been poetically described in Oriental books as
resembling flowers.
Each of the secondary forces which sweep round the saucer-like
depression has its own characteristic wave-length, just as has light of a
certain colour; but instead of moving in a straight line as light does, it
moves along relatively large undulations of various sizes, each of which is
some multiple of the smaller wave-lengths within it. The number of undulations
is determined by the number of spokes in the wheel, and the secondary force
weaves itself under and over the radiating currents of the primary force, just
as basket work might be woven round the spokes of a carriage wheel.
The wavelengths are infinitesimal, and probably thousands of them
are included
within one of the undulations. As the forces rush round in the
vortex, these
oscillations of different sizes, crossing one another in this
basketwork
fashion, produce the flower-like form to which I have referred. It
is, perhaps,
still more like the appearance of certain saucers or shallow vases
of wavy
iridescent glass, such as are made in Venice. All of these
undulations or petals
have that shimmering iridescent effect, like mother-of-pearl, yet
each of them
has usually its own predominant colour.
In the vivification of the particular centre with which this degree
of E.A. is principally concerned, three factors are important. When the centre
in the emotional body which corresponds to this is awakened, it gives to the
man the power of hearing in the subtle world at that level - that is, it causes
a development of that sense which, in what is usually called the astral world,
produces on our consciousness the effect which on the physical
plane we call hearing. So, if the etheric centre were fully
working, the E.A.
would be clairaudient as far as the etheric and astral planes. Its
slow and
partial unfoldment gradually tends to dissipate prejudice in the
man, to open
his mind to suggestions and, generally speaking, to widen and
liberalize his
thought.
Secondly, the development of the brain largely depends upon the
opening up of this centre, because it plays an important part in the division
and distribution of one of the main streams of vitality which course through
the human body. I have already explained the detail of this action in The
Chakras and The Hidden Side of Things, to which I must refer any reader who
desires further information on the subject of vital circulation.
Thirdly, another important action of this centre deserves our
notice, as the especial object of the first Degree is the conquest of the
passions of the physical body and the development of morality. Among the
various kinds of vitality is an orange-red ray, which contains also a certain
amount of dark purple. In the normal man this ray energizes the desires of the
flesh, and also seems to enter the blood and keep up the heat of the body; but
if a man persistently refuses to yield to his lower nature, this ray can by
long and determined effort be deflected upwards to the brain, where all three of
its constituents undergo a remarkable modification. The orange is raised into pure yellow, and
produces a decided intensification of the powers of the intellect; the dark red
becomes crimson and gradually increases the power of unselfish affection; while
the dark purple is transmuted into a lovely pale violet, and quickens the
spiritual part of man’s nature. The man who achieves this transmutation will
find that lower desires no longer trouble him; and it is with that consummation
in view that the development of the centre in which those modifications and
transmutations are achieved is so strongly emphasized in the preliminary stages
of Freemasonry.
The unfoldment of this centre is closely associated with the power
of paying attention, as well as with the opening of higher forms of hearing. In
all occult systems of training great importance was attached to this in the
case of the neophyte. In the school of Pythagoras the pupils were kept for
several years in the order called Akoustikoi or Hearers; in the mysteries of
Mithra the lowest order was that of the Ravens - a name which signifies that
they were allowed only to repeat that which they had heard, precisely as a
raven or a parrot does; for in all these ancient systems students were strictly
forbidden to launch out upon the perilous waters of originality until they were
thoroughly grounded in the established principles of philosophy. The s … also
evokes or calls to the assistance of the man who uses it a particular class of
non-human intelligences of the subtle world.
In view of the great influence of this s … of power, all will see
the necessity that it should be preserved with the greatest care and secrecy.
If it is made wrongly, not in exact form and at the proper place, the effect
will be lost. In these matters we are working what is commonly called magic;
and that is a dangerous thing to play with and should be taken up only with the
greatest seriousness of purpose and precision in work.
If a member should make this s … carelessly and without thinking
what ho is doing, he opens himself up to
influences of which he is unaware, for which be is unprepared; and things may
happen which should not happen. It is this idea which is at the basis of the
grossly exaggerated and misleading statement that a man who takes the Holy
Sacrament in the Church, while permitting his mind to be full of evil, really
eats and drinks damnation to himself. The man who receives the Holy Communion
becomes a very high centre of radiating force,
and is also made receptive to the highest degree; let him be sure therefore
to eliminate evil thoughts, lest such
thoughts may draw into him other influences like unto themselves. It is the
same with the Masonic s ….
He who performs it as a salutation to another opens up his heart
towards that
person, and that is good; but all should be on guard lest they
carelessly open
themselves to unpleasant influences which might otherwise have
passed them by.
When made thus at the opening of our Lodge, this s … reminds us
that we must put ourselves in a
receptive attitude, so that we may obtain the greatest possible benefit from
the influx of spiritual force which we are about to invoke.
THE OFFICERS
Having thus done our best to prepare our selves for the work of the
evening
(a) by the purifying of the Lodge-room by means of the censing,
(b) by closing our hearts and minds against all distracting
thoughts
and feelings, and
(c) by putting ourselves in a receptive attitude, we now
proceed to set in motion the marvellously arranged
Masonic machinery by which we can invoke the assistance of non-human beings in
our altruistic labours.
The method by which this is done is exceedingly ingenious and most
skilfully
concealed. Man is a complex being, and the rough division into body
and soul is
not sufficient for scientific working. For the purposes of his
evolution he
exists upon five of the seven planes of nature, and has sheaths or
bodies built
of the matter of the lower of those planes, and principles or
constituents
within himself which correspond to the higher. This will be made
clearer by
Fig. 13, and its accompanying diagram.
Therefore for our work we need forces of all these different
levels, and each officer of a Masonic Lodge has, besides his duties on the
physical plane, the function of representing one of these levels, and acting as
a focus for its special energies. The arrangement made by the Founders of
Freemasonry is that the enumeration of the officials and the recitation of
their positions and duties shall act as an evocation of the
devas or Angels belonging to and working on those respective levels. The
fact that thousands of R.W.M.s have asked the
appointed questions without the faintest idea of producing an effect in unseen
worlds has not deprived them of angelic assistance which, if they had known of
it, would have astounded them beyond expression, and probably even terrified
them.
So the spirit turns again to the intelligence, and calls on it to
formulate the great divisions; intelligence responds and names the three lines
through which the force flows, thereby attracting the attention of the Angels
of those lines. To symbolize that, the R.W.M. asks how many principal officers
there are in the Lodge, and receives the answer that there are three. These are
the R.W.M., the W.S.W., and the W.J.W., who represent the divine or spiritual
trinity which appears in the Deity, and also in man, who is made in the image
of that Deity. These three principles in man are familiar to many students of
Theosophical psychology under the names of atma, buddhi and manas, which may be
rendered into English as the spiritual will, the intuitional love and the
higher intelligence.
Then the R.W.M. asks how many assistant officers there are, and is
told that these are likewise three, not including the O.G. or. T. These
represent the personal constitution of man or his lower self-composed of the
lower mind, which the S.D. represents, the emotional nature, personified by the
J.D., and the etheric double of the physical body, for which the I.G. stands.
The T. represents the dense part of the physical body.
The porchway of the Lodge is the entrance to the inner world which
is invisible to ordinary sight. Therefore the T., who typifies the denser part
of the physical body, is the only officer of the Lodge who stands outside it,
visible to the sight of the profane. All the other six principles of the human
constitution are beyond physical sight, which deals with only one grade of the
matter of the world, and that the lowest and densest.
Those principles exist on distinct planes of nature, of ascending
degrees of
subtlety or fineness
of matter.Fig. 13 and the diagram connected with it show the seven principles
in man, the planes of nature on which they exist, and the corresponding
officers in the Masonic Lodge.
The upper triangle, containing the first, second and third
principles, represents the ego or higher self in man, commonly called the soul,
who in the course of his long pilgrimage or evolution towards human perfection,
takes many incarnations, each of which is called a personality. The lower
triangle is a reflection of that higher one in the matter of the lower planes,
and it forms with the dense physical body the lower quaternary, which
constitutes the personality, and lasts through one incarnation. The evolution
of man is really the development of the ego or higher self, but in most people
at the present stage of human progress that ego may be described as still in
his infancy; he has not yet fully awakened to the positive and purposeful life
of a man on his own planes, nor has he realized what can be learnt through
incarnation in the lower planes. In course of time and many incarnations the
three higher principles gradually unfold themselves, and the man realizes more
and more of the divinity which is truly his. Though the principal object of
Freemasonry is the collection and distribution of spiritual force for others,
it is also deeply concerned with the welfare and progress of the Brn., so its ritual and its teaching clearly indicate the
path which man should tread, and offer him the most valuable help as he passes
along it.
THE DUTIES
The list of situations and duties is then rehearsed. It is commonly
supposed that the object of this enumeration is to make sure that the facts are
thoroughly known to all the Brn., and that all the
officials are duly present. It has in reality another and far more important
function, as I have explained.
Several interesting points of symbolism are brought out in the
apparently curious answers which are given with respect to the duties attached
to the various offices. The physical body should protect the lodge of a man’s
soul from the dangers of the outer world, from temptations or evil influences.
The T. is ordered to keep out all cowans and intruders to Freemasonry, and when
we recollect that the word “cowan” is simply the Greek kuon, a dog, and that
from time immemorial the dog has been used as a symbol of violent animal
passions, we shall readily comprehend what the work and office of the T. are
intended to typify.
The etheric double, in the person of the I. G., also joins to
defend the Lodge, and is especially under the command of the higher mind or
intelligence, the W.J.W., who is concerned with testing all who seek to enter;
which shows that it is the duty of the intelligence to discriminate, and to
decide what thought or emotion shall receive lodgment within the temple of man.
The R.W.M. communicates with the T. only through the W.J.W. and the I.G., which
signifies that spirit does not act directly on dense
matter, but through his intelligence impresses himself upon etheric matter;
though when he has once sent out his enquiry, the mind may instruct the etheric
double to report directly to the R.W.M. on the particular subject. To typify
this, in many Lodges it is the custom that the W.J.W., in passing on his
command, should say, “Bro.
I.G., you will see who seeks admission, and report to the R.W.M.”
The reflection of the upper triangle in the lower takes place point
for point, and there is therefore a sympathetic relation between principles 2
and 5, as well as between 3 and 4, and between 1 and .
It is with the aid of the emotions, by their purification and development, that
the man unfolds principle 2, the intuitional love, so that it is brought into
activity in his life. And it is with the aid of the mind that he casts off the
five fetters to further progress (namely, the delusion that his personal self
is the real self, doubt about the reality of spiritual things, superstition,
and unreasoning likes and dislikes) and so enables the spiritual will to
express itself in his life. About these stages, and the great Initiations that
accompany them, I have written in full in The Masters and the Path. They are
mentioned here to show why it is that the J.D. acts between the W.S.W. and the
W.J.W. and the S.D. acts between the R.W.M. and the W.S.W. They explain also
why it is that the W.J.W. takes charge of the E.A.s, and the W.S.W. of the
F.C.s, while the M.M.s may be considered to be under the immediate charge of
the R.W.M. As the open Lodge is a place where the Brn. are symbolically
undergoing the advanced course of evolution before mentioned, the officers who
represent the principles in man must show those principles acting in relation
to one another as they do in man in the course of that evolution.
The Third Aspect of the Divine Being is typified by the W.J.W. when
he directs the passage from the labour of evolution to the refreshment of
periodic rest; while it is the Second Aspect which is symbolized by the W.S.W.
when he closes the Lodge at the R.W.M.’s command, because when the Second
Aspect of Deity withdraws from the forms that He has made, everything is
resolved into its primal elements and the universe as such ceases
to exist, and
so the Lodge of the solar system is for the time closed. This is
what is called
among the Hindus the end of the manvantara and the beginning of the
pralaya.
It is not implied that the officials who happen to hold the
positions representing the principles in man in any given Lodge are necessarily
able to function upon the planes to which they correspond; but it is to be
understood that not only the nature-spirits, but also the strange
half-conscious creatures which we have called elementals, existing on the
downward arc of evolution on each of these levels, will and do respond to the
invocation which is employed in this
closely condensed formula of opening.
The enumeration of the officials in answer to the earlier questions of the R.W.M. is in
the nature of a call to attention - a call which reverberates through
these different kingdoms of nature - and lets devas, nature-spirits
and
elementals know that an opportunity is about to be offered to them.
For that,
remember, is the way in which these creatures at all levels look
upon such a
call. It is one of the chief methods of their evolution to be used
in work such
as this, and they therefore greatly rejoice to respond.
That general enumeration by the W.s is quickly followed by the
specific questions addressed to each of the officers; and of these the first
enquiry as to their situation in the Lodge sets the machinery in motion, acts
as a call to a deva of the particular type required, who immediately presents
himself and acts as a captain of the nature-spirits and elementals who next
gather round. The second question and answer in each case, as to the special
duty of the officers in question, brings round him these myrmidons of his, and
he influences them to arrange themselves as required. For example, when the
J.D. is mentioned a thrill shoots out through the astral levels, and when he is
asked what is his situation in the Lodge, a deva, having for his lowest vehicle
a body of astral matter (what is called in Buddhism a kamadeva), at once steps
forward and takes up his position above the head of the J.D. At the same time
the attention of a number of nature-spirits wearing bodies of astral matter is
aroused, and also a great mass of the elemental essence belonging to the third
of the great elemental kingdoms is awakened into activity. Then when the
question as to the duties is asked, the deva captain draws round him those
astral myrmidons, and arranges them as he needs them, and at the same time
seizes upon the floating mass of elemental essence and welds it into
thought-forms such as he requires to carry out the work that has to be done.
In exactly the same way the S.D. is represented by a deva captain
whose lowest vehicle is built of the matter of the lower sub-planes of the
mental plane (a rupadeva), and lie employs
nature-spirits and elemental essence at his own level.
It will be noticed that in each case not only the actual situation
and duty of the official are defined, but also his relation to other officials,
his part in the work as a whole. The deva captains corresponding to the three
principal officers are all what are called in the East arupadevas, and they
possess the consciousness and wield the forces of the planes which they
respectively represent. It is not easy for us to understand the working of
forces at such levels, as they act upon the corresponding principles in man,
and those principles are only slightly developed as yet in the majority of
human beings.
By the time, therefore, that the last of the list of questions and
answers has been exchanged, the whole Lodge is pulsating with elemental life,
all of which is filled with the most intense eagerness to launch itself upon
the work in hand, whatever that may be. The elementals and nature-spirits of
the different levels vary greatly in development and intelligence, some being
fully defined and exceedingly active, whereas others are comparatively vague
and cloud-like. But a very striking appearance is presented by the Lodge when
these various groups of beings are gathered together, each group showing its
distinctive colour and floating over the head of the official who is its
physical plane representative - all this taking place
while the Lodge is still in semi-darkness, lit only by the three
candles and the
sacred fire. It is to this condition that the R.W.M. refers
(whether he knows it
or not) when he says: “Our Lodge being thus duly formed.”
In the case of the lower officers, at any rate, it requires but a
slight development of clairvoyance to see these creatures floating in their
appointed places, each group making a sort of luminous sphere or cloud. (See
Plate X.) This cloud is violet-grey in the case of the I. G., crimson for the
J.D. and yellow for the S.D. It is not so easy to define the hues of the three
principal officers, for each of them seems to carry something of all possible
colours; but it may perhaps be said that a golden hue predominates in the W.J.W.’s
sphere, and a strong electric blue in that of the W.S.W. The R.W.M’s
light-globe is the brightest of all, glowing equally with rose, gold, blue and
green, each of which flashes out into prominence at certain points of the
ceremony. It is through these deva representatives of the various officers that
the building of the thought-form and the outpouring of the force is really
done; but on the physical plane the officer of the Lodge should also
participate in the work to the extent of his power. If he reaches upward to his
deva representative, and allows the force to flow freely through him, blending
his will with it as it flows, his higher principles will become one with that
deva; and he will not only be an excellent channel for the divine force, but
will himself be greatly helped and strengthened in the doing of the work.
THE OPENING
The deva-representative of the R.W.M. is a highly developed and
very capable seventh-ray Angel, and the moment that he arrives with his cohort
of assistant-angels and elementals he takes full charge of the whole of the
proceedings. The captains of all the other little groups spring to attention,
and everything is at once made ready for the supreme moment of the opening of the Lodge. The R.W.M., having
declared that his Lodge is duly formed and that he stands there as its head and
representative, turns to express his gratitude to T.G.A.O.T.U. for this, and
then offers up an earnest wish that the work of the evening, having thus begun
in order, may be continued in harmony and closed in peace. To this his whole
Lodge replies with a ringing response, like the cheer of an army: “So mote it be.” “Mote” is an old Anglo-Saxon form of “may”, and this expression is the Masonic “Amen”. But just as
“Amen” is often interpreted “so may it be”, so is this splendid Masonic
expression often degraded to the level of a mere assent or pious wish. And
again, just as “Amen” is not a wish but an assertion - the most sacred oath of
ancient Egypt, which none would ever dare to break – “By Amen it shall be so” -
so is this Masonic exclamation to be taken as
the strongest affirmation – “so shall it be”. Not: “We pray or we hope
that it may be so”, but “We shall make it so”. This is shown by the emphatic
outstretching of the right hand at the level of the shoulder, this being a
well-known sign of power and command.
Immediately after this the R.W.M., acting in the name of
T.G.A.O.T.U., declares the Lodge duly open, and all
the lights are turned fully on. It is not only the physical light which leaps
forth at this moment, for as the R.W.M. says the opening words his
deva-representative also lifts his staff, and all the seven groups of assistant
spirits, which until now have been seen even by clairvoyant sight as merely
luminous clouds, flash out into their full brilliancy and their natural beauty
of colour. At once also each group is connected by a line of living light with
the physical official over which it hovers, and through this line its force is
poured down upon him whenever he is called upon to take part in the ceremony.
The deva representative usually remains floating above the regular situation of
the official, but as the latter moves about the Lodge in the course of his work
the line of light never leaves him for a moment, though it becomes more vivid
during his activity.
Just before the Lodge is opened, the I.P.M. is escorted by the two D.s with crossed wands to the altar, where he
kneels and awaits the exact moment of opening. As the R.W.M. utters the word
“open” the I.P.M. opens the V.S.L., and arranges upon its pages the s … and the
c … thus displaying what we esteem the three great emblematical lights in
Freemasonry simultaneously with the physical illumination. It is the I.P.M. who
thus brings the symbolical light to the Lodge, just as it was he who gave the
physical light from the sacred fire to the S. D., because he represents the
Silent Watcher, the influence which sees that everything is correctly done and
stands ready always to supply anything that is needed. He has reached the Light
in its fullest sense; he has done his work and is therefore in a position to
help others. It should be specially noted that he should open the sacred volume
at random, not searching for any particular passage; it is the whole book that
is given to us to illumine our
minds, not only this verse or that. It will be found most convenient to open it
somewhere about the middle.
To show that the sacred volume is here being used as a symbol, the
I.P.M, solemnly recites the ancient formula quoted by St John the Evangelist at
the beginning of his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.” We all know that the Greek translated in this
text as “word” is in the original “Logos”; and so the opening of the V.S.L.
typifies the manifestation of the Logos at the beginning of a solar system,
while the c … s and the s … show further that He manifests Himself as spirit
and matter; for there is nothing which is not God. To indicate that the Second
Person or Aspect of the Logos is about to descend into His universe, the column
of the W.S.W. is now erected, and that of the W.J.W. is laid down. The brooding
of the Holy Spirit over the waters of chaos is now no longer the only divine
activity; the groundwork is laid, and the active life of the system is to
begin. The tracing-board which indicates the plan of its activity is now
exposed, and the nature of that activity is indicated by the fact that we
commence it with a hymn of praise to T.G.A.O.T.U., during the singing of which
the Brn. should pour out all the love and devotion of which they are capable.
In those Lodges which use a portrait of the H.O.A.T.F. it is just
before the singing of this hymn that
that portrait is unveiled, all the Brn. turning towards it and saluting. In
instant response to this salutation the great Adept projects a thought-form
which is an exact image of Himself; just as at a
higher level the Lord Christ projects that thought-form which is called the
Angel of the Presence at every celebration of the Holy Eucharist. So fully is
this thought-form a part of the H.O.A.T.F. that the Lodge has the benefit of
His presence and His blessing just as though He stood there in physical form.
The Deva representative of the R.W.M. bows low before the Head of his Ray, and
leaves the direction of affairs in His hands.
It will be seen that those of us who know of the existence of this
great Adept, and of His keen interest in our work, have a great advantage; but
it must not be forgotten that every regularly constituted Masonic Lodge is in
charge of a Seventh Ray Angel, however little the Brn. may know about the
matter.
I have explained how at the moment of the opening of the Lodge all
the assistant angels, nature-spirits and elemental creatures and their deva
captains flash out into brilliancy, and stand round ready to spring forward at
the word of command. To say that they are ready is far from expressing the
fact; they are overflowing with eagerness, like dogs straining at a leash. And
now comes the moment for which they have been waiting, for immediately after
the return of the I.P.M. to his seat and the display of the tracing-board by
the S.D. comes the opening hymn, with the first note
of which the super-physical entities burst into tumultuous yet ordered
activity. The hymn itself, or rather the devotion and enthusiasm with which
we sing it, provides them with the
material for their building, and immediately they are all working away at its
erection, each at his own level, and with the materials belonging to that level
with which the Brn. supply him.
In the opening procession the R.W.M. and his officers have already
constructed the lower part of the cella, or interior chamber of the temple,
shutting in the whole of the mosaic pavement and charging it heavily with
magnetism. These creatures pounce upon that first of all and rapidly make its
walls both thicker and higher, the greater ones reinforcing its magnetism by
filling it with the splendid power of their respective levels. Again with
lightning-like rapidity they spread a ceiling over the whole of the Lodge, and
from that ceiling, beginning at the edges, just within the walls of the
physical Lodge, they drop supporting columns from above downwards like the
roots of a banyan-tree, one of them surrounding each of the non-official
Brn.
It will thus be seen that our thought-form is very nearly a
reproduction of a Greek temple-the rows of columns which support its
tremendously heavy roof being outside the central chamber, which is the only
part of the temple fully
enclosed. The accompanying picture may help to make this clear, and
we give at
the same time in Plate V a drawing of an existing Greek temple for
the sake of
comparison. The mere outline of the temple is always finished
during the singing
of the opening hymn, but in certain circumstances friezes and other
decorations
may be added later on under the direction of the controlling Angel.
It will thus be seen why the unofficial Brn. who sit at the sides
of the Lodge are sometimes spoken of as the columns; and some light is also
thrown on an ancient text which runs: “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar
in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out.” Incidentally, we see how
necessary it is that the Brn. should put their hearts and souls into the words
that they sing or say, for upon their efforts in this direction depends the
amount of material provided for our super-physical fellow-workers, and
consequently the massiveness and
richness of the thought-form which they build.
All through the ceremony that follows, whatever it may be, the deva
representatives of the three principal officers continue to pour
into the cella
their beneficent influence; and though its strongest force is
reserved for those
who enter upon the mosaic pavement as candidates, it also somehow
filters
through the roof and down the columns upon all who are present.
THE E.A. K … s
At the moment of opening the Lodge the R.W.M. also gives the E.A. K
… s.
K … s in Freemasonry have a double
significance and a very definite use. The latter is based on the fact that they
are a recognized method of communication with certain orders of earth-spirits
whose attention is attracted by them, whose eager service is at once at the
disposal of those who are duly qualified to summon them, though they will take
no notice of a call from one who has not been properly introduced to them by
initiation into the E.A. degree. Their main use in the ceremony is to create an
atmosphere - the atmosphere appropriate to the degree which is being worked;
and in that special work they become extraordinarily proficient, answering
instantly to the call of the k … s with military promptness and precision, so
that even when the Lodge is
being raised or lowered by the short method they are able to
produce the
required changes as quickly as the commands can be issued.
This generation of the proper atmosphere is one of the most
important special features of Freemasonry, indispensable to really efficient working.
Any one who is at all sensitive to such influences may feel the change which
takes place when we pass from one degree to another, but only those who have
opened the sight of the soul can see the variations of colour, or watch the
busy workers who are so energetic in producing them. The Deva captains of the
three principal officers take charge of this important part of the work - the
W.J.W. of the servants of the First Degree, the W.S.W. of those of the Second,
and the R.W.M. of those of the Third; but the earth-spirits themselves obey the
call of the k … s, appearing at the first round and unobtrusively returning to
their normal haunts when another battery announces that their work is done. The
k … s of the closing correspond to the “Ite, missa est”
of the Catholic Church. It may be noted that similar creatures are fond of
announcing their presence by k … s at a spiritualistic seance.
The k … s of the First Degree have also a moral significance,
indicating that the E.A. has three planes in front of him to conquer, the
physical body with its impulses coming from the
past, the astral with its strong desires and emotions, and the mental
with its curiosity and waywardness. With each of these every man in the course
of his evolution has a twofold work to do first he must conquer it, govern its
impulses and bring them into a state of obedience to the soul within, and
secondly he must develop it as a positive, well-trained, useful instrument for
his service.
The E.A. is supposed to have conquered the physical body before
entering into Masonry - without that he could not be well and worthily
recommended for admission - but he has still to develop it; and while he is
doing that be is supposed to be gaining complete control of his astral nature;
that is the special work of this degree as far as self-development is
concerned, though of course the Mason is trying to perfect himself in every way
all the time. The k … s of the Second Degree indicate
that the physical work is complete, and that the F.C. has still two planes to
conquer. He is engaged in making his astral body into a perfect instrument for
the expression of high emotion, and is at the same time learning to gain
control of his mind. In this stage a Mason should be making every day some
advances in Masonic knowledge, till presently the mind will no longer be
wayward and fickle, but controlled. At this point he will pass on to the Third
Degree, and then the k … s indicate that he has but one plane to conquer, has
but to perfect the mind as an instrument in the service of the higher self.
This work will go on for as many years as are necessary before he passes
through the Chair.
From the above it will be seen that there are four stages in Craft
Masonry - three degrees and then a further attainment when the M.M. becomes an
I.M. There is a similarity between these stages and those which have been
prescribed in the Christian Church, although one is at a much higher level than
the other. This is shown in the following diagram:
In the Church certain people are set apart as priests - but they
have to pass through the earlier stages before reaching that position. First
the man must be a subdeacon; his business then is to prepare himself for the
great surgical operation which takes place at the diaconate, when he is
definitely joined with the World-Teacher, in a way which has been fully
explained in The Science of the Sacraments.
In the stage of the subdiaconate, which corresponds somewhat to the
E.A., the man is supposed to learn to control himself perfectly. In the next
grade, during the time of the diaconate, he has to learn; he is preparing
himself for the work of the priesthood, just as the F.C. is preparing himself
for the work of the M.M.
As I have said in speaking of the due-guard, the power of blessing
of the E.A. is contained within the book from which he learns. He may use only
the words of the book, and must not go beyond them. He is not himself yet a
direct channel for the divine power, so he puts the book between his hands. But
the F.C. puts one h … on the b … and raises the other in the f … of a s … He
corresponds to the deacon, because he is a channel linked with the Christ, but
only that which comes down and pours through him may he give. He is not yet
himself filled with grace and power, but he is able to act as a channel.
His holding of the l … h … in that way corresponds, though at a
lower stage,
with the bishop’s holding his crosier in the left .hand. He is
drawing down
divine power through that highly magnetized staff, while he is
pouring it out on
the people with the other hand. It is the same gesture, though of
course in the
case of the bishop it is far more highly specialized.
Then the M.M. puts both his h … on the b … He is supposed when he
has attained that high degree to be in a position of power, to be filled with
the energy which has been poured into him in the symbolical death and rising
again. Therefore he can give that energy; he may give a blessing to other
people just as a priest does, and as the priest has authority to administer
certain sacraments, so is the M.M. qualified to accept office in the Lodge.
Still, neither the M.M. nor the priest can convey his power or
authority to anyone else. The bishop alone has power to ordain priests or to
consecrate other bishops, and only the I.M. is able to initiate, pass and raise
Masons, and to create other I.M.s. Both the bishop and the I.M. have also the
power to give a fuller blessing than the priest or the M.M. can bestow. Thus
there is a succession of I.M.s in Masonry, just as there is a succession of
bishops in the Church.
In The Science of the Sacraments I have explained something of the
inner meaning of the apostolic succession, the method designed by the Christ
for handing down the spiritual powers of the Catholic Church. It will be seen
that we have a similar succession in Masonry, extending back to the priests of
the Mysteries of ancient
There is a further analogy between the degrees of Freemasonry and
the orders of the Church, for just as the clergy of the Church are linked in
various degrees of connection with the Head of the Church, the Lord Christ
Himself, and with the reservoir of power which He has set apart for the
celebration of the sacraments, so are the initiates of the various degrees in
Freemasonry linked according to their rank with the H.O.A.T.F., and with the
reservoir of power set apart for the work of the Craft. Every Freemason has a
certain touch with Him; but the first great link directly with Him is given in
the degree of I.M. (for it is practically a separate degree, although it is not
called so), and closer links still are conferred in the higher degrees of the
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite; so that the earnest Mason becomes a
veritable outpost of His consciousness, a channel of His power and a minister
of His will. Such Brn. act as His representatives in their Lodges and Chapters,
and have the right to give His blessing according to their Masonic rank. It is
a matter of deep regret that so few of our modern Brn. realize in the least the
sacredness of their office, and the heavy responsibility laid upon them to use
their power without thought of self in the service of the world.
There are, however, considerable differences between the methods of
transmission in these two great sacramental systems. It is recognized in
Catholic theology, and confirmed by occult investigation, that the spiritual
powers given at ordination are invariably conferred, provided only that the
bishop be in the line of the apostolic succession, that he have the intention
to confer Holy Orders and that the recipient have the intention to receive
them, and that the laying on of hands take place according to the ancient
tradition. The particular beliefs of the bishop and the candidate do not affect
the validity of the sacrament in the slightest degree, nor will it be withheld
if they are out of communion with any particular branch of the Church, or even
if they are persons of questionable moral worth.* (*See notes to page .) The Lord
Christ out of His great love for His Church is willing to overlook the human
frailties of the minister, so that His flock may be fed.
But the transmission of power in Masonry seems to he by no means so
unalterably fixed, probably because of the fact that Masonry is a
secret Order and is not therefore in direct relation with the outer
world; the
whole scheme of transmittal is much more elastic than that of the
Church.
Although it would appear that the succession both of I.M.s and
Sovereign Grand Inspectors-General has been to a large extent handed down on
the physical plane, it is by no means necessary that it should be so handed
down, and the sacramental powers may be introduced or withheld as the
H.O.A.T.F. sees fit.
When a clandestine meeting is held, even though a duly qualified
I.M. be
present, the inner recognition is not given, and the powers are not
conveyed.
Two such cases of the withholding of inner recognition are within
my personal
experience. In the Church a priest can anywhere and by himself
perform a
sacrament, and a bishop can also pass on his power at his own
discretion, but in
Craft Masonry the unit is the Lodge, and the presence of a number
of Brn. is
essential to the validity of the rites, except when degrees are
conferred by
communication by one who has due authority. It is said that “three
rule a Lodge,
five hold a Lodge, and seven or more make it perfect”.
In making this comparison between Masonic degrees and Church
Orders, I am not for a moment asserting that the powers conferred upon the many
in the degrees of freemasonry are in any sense equal to those bestowed upon a
few carefully selected and prepared candidates in the Major Orders of the
Church; I wish only to draw attention to a series of curious
correspondences
between the two systems, too numerous and remarkable to be due to
mere
coincidence. Masonry does give powers commensurate with those
appertaining to the Church, but only in its very highest degrees, and to the
very few.
CHAPTER VI
INITIATION
THE CANDIDATE
WHEN any member of the general public wishes to
become a Freemason, he usually applies to some friend whom he knows
to be a
member of the Craft. This friend will probably introduce him to the
Secretary of
the Lodge, who then supplies the applicant with certain papers. The
candidate
will then find that he is expected to give some particulars with
regard to
himself - his age, his occupation in life, his reason for wishing
to join the
Craft, etc. Also, in Co-Masonry the following notice will be handed
to him:
450The Candidate should clearly understand the
obligations he takes upon himself in joining the Order. These
obligations are
of the most serious and solemn character, and he is expected to
discharge them
honourably.
A. The candidate
undertakes to try to lead a noble and upright life, and to
work at the improvement of his character.
B. He undertakes to
attend regular meetings of the Lodge, unless prevented
by cause sufficiently grave. These are usually held once or twice a
month,
except at holiday seasons. Sometimes Emergency Meetings are called
for special
work, but attendance at these is not obligatory. The true Mason,
however,
regards it not only as a solemn duty, but also as a great privilege
to attend
his Lodge, realizing that, though the Lodge exists to help its
members, it has a
far greater and wider function in shedding the spiritual influence
of Masonry
upon the world. By his regular attendance at the meetings he is
definitely
participating in that great work. His progress in the Order will
depend upon the
zeal and assiduity which he shows in this service.
C. He undertakes to remain
in the Order and in his Mother-Lodge for at least
three years. He is permitted, after Initiation, to visit other
Lodges, and after
he is a Master Mason to join other Lodges, if he so desires; but he
must not
leave the Mother-Lodge under the specified period. It is to the
Mother-Lodge
that he owes allegiance and the duty of loyal co-operation. Where
there is more
than one Lodge near his place of residence the Candidate should ask
his
introduces for information regarding the work of the several
Lodges, so that he
may be sure of entering the Lodge whose work and members are likely
to be most
congenial to him..
D. The Candidate is bound
to true Masonic secrecy and caution concerning
Freemasonry and the affairs of the Order, and this promise is to be
regarded as
binding for all time, even if he leaves the Order.
DIVISIONS OF THE CEREMONY
We now come to the consideration of the ceremony by
which the candidate is admitted to Freemasonry, a ceremony which is
commonly
called his initiation. We must recognize from the beginning that this ceremony
is no mere form; first because it produces definite inner effects,
and secondly,
because it contains a great deal of most valuable symbology, the
understanding
and application of which will be of great moment in the candidate’s
future life.
As I have stated earlier in the book, one chief
object of freemasonry is to train its members for the work which
they have to do
in the world, and therefore to cultivate within them the qualities
necessary for
that work. The various degrees in Masonry are all stages in that
training; and
in each stage not only is certain definite education given, but
also definite
powers are conferred. It is to be feared that through ignorance of
these facts
many Masons make but little real progress; for unless the
developments initiated
in each degree by the ceremony of admission are duly understood and
put into
practice by the candidate, he is in no true sense prepared to pass
on to a
higher stage, or to take advantage of the opportunities which that
in turn puts
before him.
The outer ceremony confers certain powers and opens
up certain possibilities; but it remains for the neophyte to
develop them and
make use of them. Some neophytes take the hints offered to them,
and accordingly
make progress; others understand little of the inner requirements,
and so are
only temporarily affected. The very word initiation is derived from
initium, a
beginning; and that is precisely what it is intended to be - the
beginning of a
new and higher life. But it is not enough to begin; one must also
continue.
In the Buddhist teaching it is said that in each of
the great steps which are the true Initiations there are four
stages
(1) The Way, in which the
neophyte is mastering the lessons of his new step,
casting off (as they put it) the fetters which have previously
bound him,
finding himself at his new level, and learning how to use the
powers conferred
upon him.
(2) The Fruit, when he
finds the results of his action in so doing showing
themselves more and more.
(3) The Consummation - the
period when, the results having culminated, he is
able to fulfil satisfactorily the work belonging to the step, on
which he now
firmly stands.
(4) The Readiness, meaning
the time when he is seen to be in a fit state to
receive the next Initiation.
We see, therefore, that initiation involves
something more than the mere outward ceremony - more even than the
upliftment
of the inner nature which accompanies that ceremony; all that is
but the
gateway at the entrance of a path along which we may proceed as
quickly or as
slowly as we will.
In considering this ceremony of initiation to the
stage of the E.A. it will be useful to regard it from three aspects
or points of
view. (1) As an impressive ceremony of admission. (2) As a
preparation for and
an indication of the life which the man must lead and the work
which he must do
while in the degree to which it admits him. (3) As putting in a
powerful and
effective symbolical form the teaching which it is one of the
purposes of this
degree to impress upon him. When we examine the ceremony in detail
I think we
shall find that every incident in it falls under one or other of
these three
heads.
Thinking of the ritual from the point of view of a
ceremony of admission into the Order, it seems naturally to divide
itself into
three parts. The central point of the ceremony, the climax of our
effort, is the
definite admission into the Order - the point at which a certain
centre or
chakra is opened, a certain potentiality of power given. All that
precedes that
in the ceremony is of the nature of preparation for that point; all
that follows
it is in the nature of explanation of what has been done, or of
exhortation as
to how the power can best be developed and used. All through the
ceremony
everything is arranged so that the candidate may receive the
greatest possible
benefit from the forces which are being outpoured; and that is the
principal
object of the very curious preparation upon which Masonry has
always insisted,
even before the candidate is allowed to enter the Lodge.
PREPARATION OF THE CANDIDATE
460Before his admission he is divested of all m … s and
v … s, is h … d, and has his r … a …, l … b … and l … k … b …, and
his r … h … s
… d. All Masonic bodies agree in viewing the continuance of this
conventional
form of preparation as a matter of the greatest importance, and
give as their
reason for this the practice of ancient times. It was a rule among
the Jews,
says a treatise connected with the Talmud, that “no man shall go
into the Temple
with his staff, nor with shoes on his feet, nor with his outer
garment, nor with
money tied up in his purse”.
The very specific character of the preparation, which
is different in each degree, points, however, not to a general rule
of this
kind, but to real knowledge of the occult physiology of the process
of
initiation on the part of those who originated the method which has
been so
faithfully preserved. Certain forces are sent through the
candidate’s body in a
definite manner during the ceremony, and especially at the moment
when he is
created, received and constituted an E.A.F.
Certain parts of the Lodge have been very heavily
charged with magnetic force, especially in order that the candidate
may absorb
as much as possible of this force. It will be remembered that in
the process of
censing the Lodge a beehive-shaped structure was erected in front
of the
pedestal of each of the principal officers; and the cella or enclosed
central
space, founded upon the mosaic pavement and including the altar, is
the most
highly magnetized of all. The first object of this curious method
of preparation
is to expose to this influence those various parts of the body
which are
especially used in the ceremony. Thus, the r … a … is made b …
because the
candidate must use that, as soon as he is taught to extend it in
the sign of
power which accompanies the asseveration: “S … m … i … b …” It is
also said to
be a token of sincerity, to shove that the candidate has no weapon
about him.
The l … b … is made b … because upon it is received
the touch of the point of the s … on entering the Lodge. The
masculine Craft
adds as another reason that they are hereby assured that their
candidate is not
a woman in disguise. The l … k … is that upon which he kneels when
he is
received, so it also is made b …, and the r …, h … is s … d because
that must
touch the floor when he holds the r … k … in the form of a s … The
1 … k … and
the r … h … are his supports or points of contact with the floor at
the moment
of his admission. Another reason sometimes given for the r … h …
being s … d is
that this is in accordance with the ancient Jewish custom when a
man was taking
upon himself an obligation or making an agreement.* (*See Ruth, iv,
7, .)
In ancient Egypt there was yet another reason for
these preparations, for a weak current of physical electricity was
sent through
the candidate by means of a rod or sword with which he was touched
at certain
points. It is not practical here to say more about this part of the
ceremony,
except that it is concerned with the stimulation of an etheric
current in the
spine that is known to the Hindu occultists under the name of the
ida nadi; it
will be more fully described in explaining the ceremony of raising.
It is partly on the same account that at this first
initiation the candidate is deprived of all m … s, since they may
very easily
interfere with the flow of the currents. Very great importance has
always been
attached to this part of the preparation, and the strictest
adherence to the
rule is necessary. The vigilance of Co-Masonic officials in this
respect should
be even greater than is necessary in the Masculine Craft, because
in the
intricacies of a lady’s costume it is more easily possible to
overlook some
breach of the regulation. Most kinds of hairpins must of course be
rigorously
excluded; the same caution applies to hooks and eyes and many types
of buttons
and garters. Our Indian Brn. need to exercise care with regard to
the embroidery
on dhoties and saris. We have sometimes encountered sentimental
objections on
the part of ladies to the removal of the wedding ring, and I think
that similar
difficulties sometimes exist in India with regard to bangles and
other
ornaments.
Direction on this point was asked from the
H.O.A.T.F., and he said very definitely that modification of this
rule should
not be permitted, though He also said that in several cases in the
past, where
an official was ignorant of the stringency of the rule, He had
Himself performed
an act of healing which validated the initiation. Otherwise; He
requires its
strict fulfilment, and intimates that those who feel unable to
comply with this
requirement should not join the Co-Masonic Order. We had a case in
which a man
inadvertently went through the ceremony with a gold charm or medal
sewn into the
lining of one of his garments. This was not remembered until the
conclusion of
the ceremony, which of course had to be repeated from the
beginning.
There was another instance in which by an unworthy
subterfuge a feminine candidate succeeded in retaining a wedding
ring until the
conclusion of the ceremony and, when this was discovered,
absolutely refused to
have it removed that the initiation might be repeated. The question
then arose
as to the status of this candidate, who had irregularly received
certain
secrets. The decision of the H.O.A.T.F. was clear and
uncompromising, that in
spite of the ceremony of initiation she was not a Mason, and could
not in any
way be recognized as such. There have been cases in my Mother Lodge
in which it
has been found necessary to file through a tightly-fitting ring;
but that can
easily be done by a skilful operator, who is also able to restore
the ring quite
perfectly to its previous appearance. Obviously, care must also be
taken with
regard to spectacles and eyeglasses. We are given to understand
that gold and
silver in teeth are not objectionable, as they are a permanent part
of the
person.
Another suggestion which has been made as to the
meaning of this stringent prohibition is that the wearing of m … s
would render
the candidate ceremonially unclean, therefore his initiation would
be null and
void, so that it would be necessary to remove the m … l and to
repeat the
ceremony. Some writers have supposed that this feeling that m … s
are to a
certain extent impure probably dates from the close of the stone
age. The same
idea of conservatism dictated that only a stone knife might be used
in the
offering of sacrifices or in the rite of circumcision.
This part of the preparation is also supposed to
refer to the fact that at the building of King Solomon’s Temple
there was not
heard within its precincts the sound of any axe, hammer or tool of
iron, as the
stones were fully prepared in the quarries and were laid in their
places by
means of wooden mauls.
That the candidate should enter without any v … s on
his person is symbolic of the fact that he is going into a
brotherhood in which
money, titles, and other distinctions of the outer world do not
count.
The rich
man leaves his rank and state
Outside
the Mason’s door;
The poor
man meets his true respect
Upon the
chequered floor.
The Freemason is equal to a prince, but brother to a
beggar, if he be worthy. In the Lodge this brotherhood is seen in
the entire
absence of any favouritism; everyone who becomes a M.M. may in due
course rise
to the position of Master of the Lodge.
There is also a personal side to the matter. He must
be “poor”; that is to say, he must not be dependent upon external
wealth and
possessions, for they will not avail him in the progress of the
evolution that
he is now taking in hand. On the contrary, great possessions may be
a hindrance
to him, unless he is a man of such strong character that he is
entirely their
master, and can take them up and put them down at will, and can see
them come
and go without elation or sorrow. Strictly speaking, he who enters
on the occult
path owns nothing at all; though he may have to handle great wealth
and large
interests, he cannot feel them as his personal possessions, to be
held for the
delight or benefit of his separate self. He deals with them only as
a steward on
behalf of God in the service of man. He has in that sense given all
that he had
to the poor, and has thus at the same time become one of the poor
himself.
The candidate is blindfolded for the obvious reason
that he shall not see the Lodge or any of its decorations or
arrangements till
he has taken the solemn O. on no account to reveal them to any
outsider. Until
the O. is taken the candidate is at liberty to withdraw. There have
been cases
in which the candidate objected to the form of the O. offered to
him, and
declined to proceed further. In such rare instances he may
honourably be
permitted to withdraw, and he will be conducted from the Lodge
still
blindfolded, so that no question can arise of his disclosing
anything that
should be kept secret. As soon as that solemn O. has been taken,
the very first
step is to remove the handkerchief from his eyes. If at any time
subsequent to
that the candidate should wish to withdraw he is of course
nevertheless bound by
the oath of secrecy which he has taken.
The h … g typifies the state of mental darkness of
the candidate. The man in the street thinks that he sees and knows,
but the
candidate must now realize that that is not so. He begins to
understand the
words of an ancient sage, who said that when it is day with
ordinary men it is
night to the wise, but when it is night to ordinary men it is day
to the wise.
What looks to men in the world like light and knowledge, he sees to
be ignorance
and darkness; and where all is dark to them, he sees. It seems sad
that so
little of the true knowledge vital to the well-being and progress
of the human
soul is taught in our schools at the present day. Much time and
energy are
expended in trying to make a boy a good classical or mathematical
scholar; far
less attention seems to be devoted to making him a man of noble
life, an
honourable, unselfish, loyal and upright citizen. Therefore about
many of the
most important points in life we are truly left to walk in darkness;
and it is
precisely from that particular sort of darkness that Freemasonry
delivers its
candidates. Therefore they symbolically acknowledge the existence
of the
darkness, and are willing to go forward through it in search of
Light.
Moreover, as is said in the Mystic Charge, it also
symbolizes the blank unconsciousness which follows the passage
through the
gateway of death, ere the subtler part of the physical body has
fallen away.
480The candidate wears a c … t … about his neck, with
the loose end hanging in front, and he is admitted to the Lodge
upon the p … of
a naked s … pressed to his left b … These two things typify the
fact that in
life men have responsibilities and limitations, both of which must
be taken into
account by every wise man; there can be no turning back from the
former, nor any
impetuous rushing forward regardless of the latter. Here again we
have a symbol
of the two great laws of dharma and karma. Through dharma - the use
of the
powers that we have, in the duties of life that those powers make
us fit to
perform - there is growth or evolution from within. Through karma -
the outer
environment that comes to us as the result of the actions that we
have done in
past lives - come opportunities for progress and sometimes
obstacles, which,
however, when rightly faced, increase our inward strength. As
Emerson put it,
man learns in this world through tuition and intuition - both
externally and
internally he is being taught. On the occult path it is still more
important
that the aspirant shall proceed without impetuosity or reluctance,
without
rashness or fear. Just as one wishing to walk on a line must go
neither too
slowly nor too fast, so must the candidate proceed on the path
which is narrow
as the edge of a razor. “Festina lente” might well be taken as his
motto.
It should be noted that the symbolism of the c … t …
requires that whoever conducts the
candidate in these earlier stages of the
ceremony should in all cases lead him by it, as well as grasp him
by the hand or
elbow. It also, as well as the h … k, has been described as
symbolical of the
bondage of ignorance under which the candidate remains until the
light of
Masonry shines upon him.
This emblem of the c … t … has also been considered
to typify the psychic umbilical cord - the connecting thread of
matter which
joins the etheric double to the dense physical body when the former
is
temporarily partially withdrawn from the latter - the “silver cord”
mentioned in
a well-known biblical passage as being definitely loosed at
death.*(*
Ecclesiastes, xii, .) Bro. Wilmshurst tells us that “silver is the
technical
esoteric term for psychical substance, as gold is for spiritual,
and iron or
brass for physical”.* (*The Masonic Initiation, p. .) He suggests
also that
the c … t … is intended to hint to us that all the true and higher
Initiations
take place out of the physical body.
THE INNER PREPARATION
But little is said in the ritual about the other and even more important
aspect of the necessary preparation of a candidate for initiation into
Freemasonry - the inner and spiritual part of it. At a later stage, when the
neophyte is about to pass on into a higher degree, he is asked: “Where were you first prepared to be made a Freemason?” and the
beautiful and suggestive answer which is put into his mouth is: “In my
heart." In one of the masculine rituals the R.W.M. reminds the candidate
that internally he was prepared to be made a Mason in his heart by having a preconceived
good opinion of the Order, a wish to be ranked among its members, and a desire
for knowledge.
Furthermore, in the first lecture the questioner asks: “What come you here to
do?” and the answer is: “To learn to rule and subdue my passions,
and to make
further progress in Masonry.”
Before the door is opened to his knock the candidate has to
convince the I.G. that he is rightly prepared in his mind and heart, as well as
in external form. He comes, announces the T., of his own free will and accord,
humbly soliciting to be admitted to the mysteries and privileges of ancient
Freemasonry, and hopes to obtain them by the help of God, and the t … of g … r
…, being free. No man can tread the occult path on the inspiration of another;
he must feel within himself the impulse, a lack of satisfaction with the things
that the world of ordinary life can give, an inner
hunger for the things of the spirit, which among the Hindus is called
mumukshatva. It is a path on which external things do not stand by to support
the traveller, who has nothing but his own inner strength to sustain him and
urge him on.
Though this is so, it is also happily true that when the man makes
this effort for himself he does find a response from within, and so he is
justified in saying that he hopes to obtain initiation by the help of God as
well as by the t … of g … r …
He solicits humbly because he is looking upwards to the light; his
attitude is the exact opposite of that of the man of pride, who is content to
look downwards, enjoying the comparison of his own greatness with the
littleness of inferior persons and things that come within his supercilious
vision. Humility is the possession of the man of ideals, who is never
self-satisfied, because he regards always that which is above. It is thus the
key to the gateway of the upward path. The humble man will not think that he
achieves his triumph by his own proud prowess alone, but, realizing that all
strength is the divine strength, he will recognize that, like the heroes of
old, he is but employing the powers with which he has been endowed from on high
- just as Arjuna in the battle of Kurukshetra used the celestial weapons
presented to him by Shiva during his pilgrimage in the Himalayas - just as
Perseus, in the fearful adventure which he undertook against the Gorgon, used
the helmet lent to him by Pluto, the shield or mirror of Pallas Athene and the
wings of Mercury - just as King Arthur received the mystic sword Excalibur from
the Lady of the Lake. And even Christ said: “I do nothing of myself, but as my
Father hath taught me, and he that sent me is with
me.”
The t … of g … r …, it is said, has already been heard in his
favour in the Lodge. This phrase has a double sense. It may undoubtedly be
taken as referring to the testimony to the candidate which has already been
given by his proposer and seconder. But
it has also another and more esoteric meaning, which has been beautifully
expressed by Bro. Wilmshurst in Masonic Initiation as follows:
This does not mean of good reputation. It means that on being
tested by the initiating authorities he must be found spiritually responsive to
the ideals aimed at and “ring true”, giving back a good sound or report like a
coin that is tapped to determine its genuineness. In the wonderful Egyptian
rituals in The Book of the Dead, one of the Titles always found accorded to the
Initiate was “true of voice”. This is the same thing as our reference to
possessing the “tongue of good report”. It does not mean that he was incapable
of falsity and hypocrisy, which goes without saying, but that his very voice
revealed his inherent spirituality and his own speech reflected and was
coloured by the divine Word behind it. The vocal and heart nervous centres -
the guttural and the pectoral, as we say - are intimately related
physiologically. Purity or impurity of heart modifies the tonal quality and
moral power of one’s speech. The voice of the real Initiate or saint is always
marked by a charm, a music, an impressiveness, and a sincerity absent in other
men; for he is “true of voice”; he possesses the “tongue of good report”.*
(*Op. cit., p. 31).
Every man pronounces his own true name. Just as he has his own
odour materially, by which a bloodhound can track him, so has he his sound
spiritually; and those who can hear that sound of his in the inner worlds know
where he stands on the ladder of evolution, and what he can and cannot do.
The distinctive sound which every man has is often spoken of as his
chord. Each of his vehicles contains vibrations of all sorts of different
rates, and these
blend together so as to make for each vehicle a certain complex
sound - the
average sound of the whole vehicle, somewhat analogous to the
composite
photographs which we
sometimes see, in which a number of faces are superimposed upon the same plate.
Such composite notes are produced by each of the vehicles - etheric, astral and
mental - and these taken together make up the distinctive chord of the man, by
which those who can hear it can always identify him. This is sometimes called
the occult name of the personality; the true name which is first heard at his
Initiation as an Adept is that belonging to other and far higher vehicles. Much
ancient magic took its power from the knowledge of such names. Thus it is his
own knock, his own report, made with the t …, of the inner self,
that opens for the man the way into the true Lodge.
The stipulation that the candidate must be a free man takes us back
in thought to those ancient days in which a large majority of men were not
free, in which vast hosts of people lived in the condition of serfs or slaves.
We need not think of that great class as being necessarily ill-treated or
degraded. Many of them were men of other races, whose fate it had been to be
taken prisoners in battle; they were consequently quite often of just as good
birth as their captors. In ancient
To this qualification also there is a symbolical meaning, for the
man who is aspiring towards the light ought even already at least to have begun
to free himself from the domination of circumstances, which so hopelessly
enslave the ordinary man of the world. He ought at least to have some
glimmering of the truth that these very circumstances which so limit and
oppress him may themselves be used by the strong soul as steppingstones to a
wider and more glorious life.
All these preliminaries being finished, the R.W.M. issues the
command that the candidate shall be admitted in due course. The I.G. receives
him between the two p … s and touches his 1 … b … with the p …, of the p …,
asking him whether he feels anything. Receiving an affirmative reply he then
gives the candidate the solemn warning that the remembrance of this action
should always operate as a reminder if he should ever be in danger of
forgetting his O. to guard the s … s of Freemasonry.
Just inside the door of the Lodge stand the S. and J.D.s with crossed
w … s, representing thereby the triangular door of the ancient Egyption Lodge,
and also the first of the symbolical portals through which the candidate has to
pass. As he stands within that portal the candidate is directed to bow his head
as a further token of the humility which should mark the aspirant. From the
emblematical point of view the Lodge typifies the higher world into which man
passes when he leaves this physical plane, so that this first portal represents
the gate of death, and in relation to this the bowing of the head signifies
that submission to the divine will with which the man should enter upon this
new field of life, calm, and ready to receive without agitation whatever may
come.
The I.G., having performed his office, has nothing further to do
with the candidate. This we may take as indicating the fact that the man should
withdraw entirely from his etheric double as soon as may be after entering the
portal of death. He is now taken in hand by the J.D., who signifies the astral
body in which the newly deceased has to live for a time.
The candidate now kneels at the left of the S.W. while the R.W.M.
invokes the blessing of the Ministers of T.G.A.O.T.U. and that of the Most Worthy and Venerable Master of the Wisdom, who is the
H.O.A.T.F. throughout the world. Once more a true name is sounded, and the
great Master and others stand ready to help the candidate to attain to wisdom
in himself, to display the beauty of divine humanity
in his outward form and actions, and to co-operate with the Supreme Will in
evolution, so preserving perfect harmony between the inner life and the outer
form.
By this invocation the R.W.M. acknowledges that our temple is but a
lodge at the gate, an entrance to the driveway of a greater
THE THREE SYMBOLICAL JOURNEYS
When a man joined the Lesser Mysteries in
candidate on the three
symbolical journeys.
There are three portals, or doorways, through which the candidate
must pass. They are invisible to physical eyes, but are nevertheless perfectly
real, because they are made by thought. The first one, as has already been
explained, is an emblem of death, the passing out of the physical world into
the next stage of life in the lowest part of the astral plane. The candidate
enters without sight into that world, but feels the touch of a friend, who
takes hold of his hand or arm and guides him on his journey.
This friend is the J.D. who, it will be remembered, represents the
astral or
emotional principle in the human constitution. The I.G. presides
over the first
portal on behalf of the R.W.M., of whom he is an expression on the
physical
plane.
In the first circuit of the Lodge, or the first symbolical journey,
the candidate finds himself surrounded by horrible noises, including the
clanking of chains and the clashing of swords, which are intended to tell him
of the din and confusion of the lowest sub-plane of the astral world, where are
gathered after death those who are in bondage to sensual pleasures, or filled
with fear, hatred, malice or revenge. Afterwards the W.J.W. explains that this
journey is a faint copy of the trials through which the candidate had to go in
the ancient Mysteries, when he was led through gloomy caverns, symbolizing the
underworld, amid tumultuous sounds, in
darkness, surrounded by perils which he could pot understand. It is not
probable that the average decent person who presents himself for admission to
the Masonic fraternity will have after death any consciousness at all of
passing through this lowest region, but if it should happen so, he will be
prepared to go
through the experience calmly and without fear.
As the candidate approaches the W.J.W.’s pedestal he arrives at the
second portal, and is there introduced to the elementals of earth and water,
who are related to the region through which he has just symbolically come,
which may be thought of as consisting of the solid and liquid sub-planes of the
astral world.
First he turns to the north and makes a suitable offering to the
earth-elementals, and then to the south to make his offering to the elementals
of the water. They are not the same creatures as those who were engaged in
building the temple, but they stand quite definitely under their captain, who
in turn obeys the W.J.W. as the guardian of the second portal. These
elementals, which are of the kind sometimes called nature-spirits, gather
round, and recognize thenceforth the man who has been presented to them.
After this ceremony, should the man find himself in any kind of
non-physical danger, or in the presence of a malignant influence, he can draw
round him a bodyguard of these beings, on account of the brotherhood with them
that has now been established.
Plate X is an attempt to show the appearance of this portal. The
W.J.W. is seen seated at his pedestal, which is as it were within the thickness
of the wall of the second portal. Over his head floats the sphere of his
Deva-representative, who is surrounded by his band of assistants. At the right
hand side of the portal the earth elementals are grouped, and on the left side
those of the water - tricksy sprites, ready to play with great gusto their part
of resisting intrusion upon their domain until the candidate is properly
presented to them, and demonstrates his friendly intentions by a formal
offering. For the purpose of clearness we omit from this illustration all that
is not necessary for our object; the candidate and the J.D. who is leading him
are not shown, nor are the Brn. in the columns. Only the W.S.W. appears in the
distance, seen faintly through the second portal. The third portal is of course
close to his pedestal; but as it is exactly similar in shape to the second,
though differing in colour, no attempt is made to represent it.
It is the quality of discrimination between the higher and the
lower, between the real and the unreal, which has enabled the candidate to pass
scatheless through these regions of the astral world. The J.D., seeking passage
for his charge, tells the elementals that he is a blinded child of mortality,
seeking immortality. Passing through their regions in the course of his
pilgrimage to the higher planes, the candidate is prepared to give up all that
belongs to them - all that matter which appertains to these levels, earth to
earth and water to water. In this region after death must linger all those who
cling to the low grade of emotional existence that embodies itself in this
order of matter; only when they have become purified through suffering, and are
ready to give up their low emotions, can they shake off this matter from their
astral bodies, and pass to higher parts of the astral plane. The candidate will
not linger here, for discrimination has taught him that there are better
things. He must henceforth be recognized as one of the brothers of light and
immortality, not in a state of darkness so far as this level is concerned.
The second symbolical journey is similar to the first, except that
the noise is gentle instead of harsh. The candidate is still in the astral
world, but in the middle part of it, which is much finer and subtler than that
through which he has come. This is the place of the common human emotions; the
former was rather that of blind passion. The desires that attach ordinary men
to the matter of these middle regions are by no means reprehensible, but on the
other hand they are not uplifting. All the pleasures of the body that are not
coarse or gross build their tenements
here, for the abiding of the souls of the dead until they have tired of these
things, and are ready to pass onwards. I have given an account of these regions
and the people living in them in The Astral Plane and The Other Side of Death,
and The First Lieutenant Sovereign Grand Commander of the Co-Masonic Order, the
Very Illustrious Bro. Annie Besant has also dealt with them at length in The
Ancient Wisdom.
The candidate arrives at the third portal, near the pedestal of the
W.S.W., who is its guardian. There, facing east, he is introduced to the
elementals of the air, who guard the right side of the
portal, and facing west, to the elementals of the fire, who guard its left
side.
Desirelessness is the quality which can pass him through the
allurements of this region, so that once more he gives to the elementals what
he carries that belongs to them, and passes on, their friend, to whom they will
be ever ready to lend their treasures, because they know him as a Brother of
Light who will not keep them for himself, but will use them well and return
them in due season.
Of this journey it is explained by the W.S.W. that in the ancient
Mysteries, as the candidate left the gloomy caverns behind him, he passed into
a quiet region, symbolizing the higher sub-planes of the underworld, whereinto
the rougher, harsher sounds did not penetrate, though still there was some
disharmony amid the souls.
It is not inappropriate that life in the astral plane after death
should be thought of as a journey, or a series of journeys. The “dead” person
does go through a series of well-marked changes, as his astral body becomes
more and more purified by the elimination of its denser grades of matter.
During life the man’s emotions have been acting like magnets, drawing into the
astral body coarse astral matter of the lower regions when they have been base, and fine matter of the higher levels when they have
been lofty. After death the man has to sojourn on each of these levels in turn
until he has eliminated its grade of matter from his astral body. The Mason who
knows this meaning of the symbolical journeys will be prepared after death to
use his will so as to vanquish his lower emotions, free himself
quickly of the heavier matter, and pass rapidly onward into the heaven-world.
The third symbolical journey is trodden in the perfect silence that
typifies the highest part of the astral plane, on the very borders of the
heaven-world. At the end of this the R.W.M. tells the candidate that the dead
man whose experience he has been repeating had at this stage reached the
threshold of the heavenly world, where perfect silence lulled the weary senses
and calm peace enfolded him. The lower world lay below
him; before him the joys of heaven; and in the interspace was silence. This
was, and is, his experience in the true Mysteries; it was symbolized by utter
silence in the mysteries of
At this point the journeys end. No further elementals or portals
are mentioned in the ceremony, though there are seven orders in all, and many
ancient peoples have recognized them in their worship by bowing to the devas of
the N., S., E. and W., the zenith, the nadir and the centre of all. The
candidate is not going beyond that particular region of the astral plane on this
occasion; he is merely being introduced to a world which he will have to visit
many times before he can traverse it readily, and live and work there with
perfect ease. In this stage of his career he symbolizes the pupil on the
probationary path, and must practise the three qualities of discrimination,
desirelessness and good-conduct or self-control, which will make him free of
the emotional plane, as he was free of the physical plane before he entered the
Lodge. Further information as to these requirements will be found in At the
Feet of the Master, by J. Krishnamurti,
The Path of Discipleship, by the V .·.·. Ills .·.·. Bro .·. Annie Besant, and
my own book The Masters and the Path.
Three kinds of dangers these qualities will help him to overcome - dangers
from the outside world, dangers from his own lower nature, and dangers from
within himself, that is, from his own virtues, if they be unbalanced. The s … d
at his b … typified the first of these; later on he will find the s … of his
own lower nature in place of it, and later still the c … s that typify the
triangle of his higher self, whose very virtues may be exaggerated to become
his undoing unless he is ever watchful to keep poise and calmness, and to walk
on that Middle Way which the Lord Buddha has described as the path of safety.In
course of time the candidate, through the practice of these three
qualifications, will be able to range the entire plane at will.
For this activity discrimination will give him the mental power,
desirelessness
the emotional
power, and good conduct the will-power; and in the highest part of the region
no ceremony will ever be needed in order that he may pass through
without hindrance, for everything there is instantly responsive and
obedient to
the enlightened human will. The Brothers of Light are easily
recognized there.
This portion of the ritual is mainly derived from the symbolic or
blue degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, but does not appear in
the working of the Grand Lodge of England. In the Scottish Rite ritual worked
in Lodges under the auspices of the Supreme Council of France the three
symbolical journeys exist, with noise and clashing of swords in the first, with
a “cliquetis d’armes blanches” in the second, and perfect silence in the third,
but there is no invocation of the elementals, although the journeys are
compared to the ancient trials by earth, air, fire and water.
An interesting confirmation of the use of these trials or journeys
is given in the transactions of the A.Q.C., in an account of his own initiation
by Robert Guillemand, the man who killed Lord Nelson at Trafalgar by shooting
him from a French ship. He was initiated during the siege of Strasburg, and
tile account, which is dated 1807, says:
It took place accordingly, with all the splendour circumstances
admitted, in a hut about 15 ft. in length and 6 in breadth, where there was no
room to stand up, but which served as a
In masculine Masonry in
THE O …
The candidate is now standing in the north-west corner facing the
east, and the W.S.W. presents him to the R.W.M. as one properly prepared to be
made a Freemason. At this point he is given an opportunity to withdraw if he so
chooses, but having declared his determination to go forward without fear or
rashness, he is led to the altar, the place of Light, by the p … s … s. The
first s … is taken with the l … f … pointing forward, and the r … f … is
brought up to it at right angles, h … to h … - a s … about n … i … long. The 1
… f …, is first moved because it is nearest the heart, and should remind the
candidate to let love have the primary authority in all his decisions. The
second and third s … are similar, but of t …, and f … i … respectively. Three s
… s there must be, because the qualifications are three; the quality of love is
sometimes counted as a fourth, but really it must permeate them all, and when
it is strong it will carry the disciple up into the higher path of the next
degree.
There are two reasons for the length of these
three s … s. Each one carries a man forward further than the preceding
one. That is the way of evolution. Every step that is taken adds
to a man’s strength, so that his next step will be both stronger and longer.
Always something is gained but nothing is lost, so that his speed increases on
this path by arithmetical progression, and later on he may expect geometrical
progression and even progression by squares, in his advance.
Again, nine, twelve and fifteen are in the proportions three, four
and five, which reminds us of the
Pythagorean theorem,which is of constant use to the human architect, and
presumably in some greater way in the plans of the G.A. Himself. To the P.M.
especially belongs the use of this great tool, but even now the E.A. should
learn to reverence it and aspire to use it later on.
While the candidate k … s at the a … to take his O. some Brn. from
the seats in the west of the Lodge usually stand round behind the candidate,
forming a hollow square touching the corners of the altar, with their s …
pointing towards the candidate while the Master takes from him his O. While
standing in this attitude each Bro. should fig his attention upon the
candidate, and should endeavour to pour forth upon him with all his strength
the blessing which, as a M.M., it is within his right and power to give.
Many candidates are surprised at the terrible solemnity of the O.,
which has come down to us from the Middle Ages. In
those times the Masons were teaching facts about the inner life and the nature
of man for knowing which the Church would have burnt them alive, and there was
thus great need for secrecy, to an extent that excuses the strong language used
in the O., especially when it is remembered that had one person revealed
anything, it would have placed all the rest of the Lodge in danger of being
judicially murdered.
The recitation of the O. being completed, the Brn. standing round
bring their swords to the carry, that is, upright in the hand, with the elbow
in the form of a s …, and the Brn. in their seats in the east stretch out their
r … a … horizontally in blessing, and swords and arms are both raised as all
sing, “May the vow be kept”. When these words are uttered every Bro. should
wish with all his force that the candidate may have the strength to keep the
vow which he has just taken.
The R.W.M. now creates, receives, and constitutes the candidate an
E.A.F., with k … s with the g … upon the f … s … placed
upon his s … s and h … in turn. Though the R.W.M. confers the degree, he is of
course acting on behalf of the H.O.A.T.F., and is a channel for his power.
Obviously also the three touches of the f … s … convey different aspects of
that power, corresponding to the three Aspects of the blessed Trinity, the
first conveying strength to the brain, the second love to the heart, and the
third executive ability to the right arm. The general effect of this
downpouring of force is to widen somewhat the channel of communication between
the ego and the personality of the candidate - another example of the curious
correspondence between the admission to this degree and the ordination of the
sub-deacon.* (*See The Science of the Sacraments, p. .)Now
that the solemn O. of secrecy has been taken the
h … k is removed and the blessing of light is restored to the
candidate. In
commenting upon this Bro. J. S. M. Ward says:
Notice the word restored. Mystical re-birth marks the beginning of
our journey towards the light, of our ascent towards God, but it is a
restoration - a journey back to Him from whom we came. Exactly the same
procedure is followed in the initiatory rites of the Turkish dervishes. Among
them the incident is followed by a beautiful exposition of the mystical meaning
of Light. It is the divine light, emblem of God Himself, and of divine
inspiration. It is present not only in the sacred writings, but in every true
believer’s heart. The light of the sun itself is but a faint similitude of the
divine light of God’s love through which and in which we have our being.
530THE E …1 I … s
On being restored to the blessing of light, the eye of the new A.
falls upon the t … g … e … l … s in Freemasonry. The furniture of the Lodge
here reappears under this new name, but as we have already discussed the matter
in Chapter III, we need not repeat here the explanation of the symbology
involved.
In the Co-Masonic ritual the R.W.M. now raises the newly-made
brother to his feet and turns him round so that he sees for the first time the
Brn. with their s … s at the carry. He explains to him that he must not regard
this martial display as a menace, but as a symbol of the protection with which
Freemasonry henceforth surrounds him. The Brn. then return to their seats.
The neophyte is led to the north, facing the W.J.W., and stands
there, within the cella, subject to the special force which plays in that
region, while the R.W.M. stands in front of him and instructs him. First the
Master draws the candidate’s attention to the three great columns upon which a
Lodge of Freemasonry symbolically rests - those of the R.W.M. and his two
Wardens, symbolizing respectively wisdom, strength and beauty or harmony. These
have already been explained in Chapter II. In the masculine ritual this
explanation of the three columns is put somewhat differently, as they are there
described as the three lesser lights, which are explained to be the sun, the
moon and the Master of the Lodge. This connects up modern Masonry with much old
symbology in which the moon and the sun largely figure.
THE S … AND P …
In this situation the R.W.M. also instructs the N. in the s … s of
this degree, a s …, a g … and a w … The s … in this
degree is often supposed to be related to the p … mentioned in the O., but the
s …, existed long before the p …, which was invented to fit it. Among the
Egyptians the same p … existed, and even before them among the Nubians in
The same idea appears in Hindu thought, as, for example, in the
Garuda Purana, in the story of the ghost of Sudeva, who was released by King
Babhruvahana. This neglect of ceremonial would not matter to us in modern
times, because we have not those ideas; but it is a literal fact that after
death a man’s own thought could keep him bound in that way until he knew or
believed that his body had been properly interred. So this was a very ancient p
… In reality the s … refers to a certain chakra and its working, as I have
already explained. It is, of course, not permissible to describe the g …, but
it will not be difficult for a Freemason to understand that it implies the
repression of the astral body, which is the first of the superphysical
principles of man.
EXAMINATION AND INVESTITURE
The J.D. next takes the N. to the pedestals of the W.J.W. and the
W.S.W. for examination of his knowledge of the s … g … and w …, and he stands
before each for a little while, during the series of questions and answers,
within the beehive form which has been described in Chapter IV. While he is
standing in that place, the force of the inner planes plays upon him with
concentrated intensity, and strengthens him in the qualifications which he has
to develop.
At the command of the R.W.M. the W.S.W. now invests the new Bro.
with the distinguishing badge of a Freemason, the a …,
which has already been described in Chapter IV. Having thus invested the
neophyte, the W.S.W. delivers a little homily, in which he refers to the great
antiquity and dignity of this symbol, and the R.W.M. adds to this a remark on
the importance of not entering the Lodge if one Bro. is at variance with
another. On this point Bro. J.S.M. Ward makes the following very suggestive
remarks:
At first sight this may seem a somewhat unnecessary charge.
Normally well-conducted gentlemen are not likely to start an unseemly wrangle
in Lodge, even if they are at enmity; and should two men so far forget the
common decency of life as to do so, the R.W.M. has ample power to deal with the
situation. The real significance of the injunction is that it implies that the
mere presence of two brethren who are at variance will disturb the harmonious
atmosphere of the meeting. This is a purely spiritual atmosphere, and the
belief that such disturbance would occur without any open disagreement is
correct. In short, such differences disturb the spiritual atmosphere,
preventing concentration, and can be detected by sensitive individuals. Every
Lodge has an atmosphere of its own, and any sensitive man who comes to it can
detect it. I have myself noticed the different atmospheres of various Lodges,
and also variations in that of my own. Too much regard therefore cannot be paid
to this rule, and if it is ignored the Lodge will certainly suffer.* (*The E.
A. Handbook, pp. 78, .)
After this advice has been given, the new A, is directed to his
seat in the north-east part of the Lodge, that being the point of the compass
where the Egyptians believed that the sun began his journey when he was first
created.
THE WORKING TOOLS
The interpretation given to the working tools of the E.A. in
ordinary Craft Masonry is explained to the new Bro. by the W.J.W. at his
initiation. This officer does it because he is in charge of the chamber where
the E.A.s work.
In masculine Craft Masonry the t … f … i … g … is described as
indicating a measure of time, to remind him that the hours of his day are to be
spent not in mere carelessness or selfishness, but partly in meditation and
study, and partly in labour, refreshment and sleep; in Co-Masonry we add “but
all in the service of humanity”. It is also explained that this symbol
indicates that accuracy and precision are essential for the proper conduct of
our lives.
The E.A. is further taught that the c … g …, reminds us that skill
without exertion is of little avail, and that labour is the lot of man. It also
represents the force of conscience, which should keep down all vain and
unbecoming thoughts, so that our feelings and actions may be pure and
unpolluted. Thirdly, comes the c … l, which points out that education and
perseverance are necessary to establish perfection, and that the rude material
of our natures receives its polish and refinement from repeated efforts alone.
In ancient
As the operative mason shapes the rough ashlar into the perfect
ashlar by
removing the excrescences and smoothing and measuring it, so must
the E.A. in
speculative masonry train himself perfectly in morality. In ancient
Egypt the
apprentice remained in that condition usually for seven years, until
he
satisfied those in authority that he was fit to pass on to the
second degree. In
the present day the qualifications have become little more than the
lapse of
time and the answering of certain questions.
In early Christianity there were three recognized stages through
which everyone had to pass who wished to make progress - purification,
illumination and perfection.
Nowadays, the Christian Church seems to stop at the first stage –
purification -
and to regard it as its greatest work to make people saints. That
is indeed a
very high and noble thing, but in the older days of Christianity,
to make a man
a saint was only a preliminary stage. St. Clement of Alexandria,
one of the
greatest of the Christian Fathers, says: “Purity - that is only a
negative
virtue valuable chiefly as a condition of insight.” When the man
had made
himself perfectly pure and holy in his life, he was eligible for
the second
stage, that of illumination, and only after he was fully
illuminated could he
pass on to the stage of perfection, and so become a channel for
God’s power.
EGYPTIAN INTERPRETATION OF THE WORKING TOOLS
In ancient
Many countries still retain measures of length derived from the
pyramid inch, but in
Scientific knowledge in that ancient land was in some respects
fully as advanced as our own indeed even more advanced than was ours until very
recently. The Mysteries included a thorough and liberal education, and especial
stress seems to have been laid upon chemistry, astronomy and geodesy. In the
very early ages when the great pyramid, the House of Light, was built, a vast
amount of information was already in the possession of those who erected that stupendous
monument, and they so designed its proportions as to enshrine within it in what
they hoped was an indestructible form a great deal of this invaluable
knowledge.
For example, the perimeter of the base (36,524 pyramid inches) is
to the height (5,813 pyramid inches) as is the circumference of a circle to its
radius, i.e., mathematically 2π. It is
interesting, too, that the base circuit measures in pyramid inches exactly the
number of days in a hundred years. The exact size of the earth is also indicated
there, as well as a number of other calculations connected with the solar
system. Many of these have been carefully worked out by R. A. Proctor, the
English astronomer, and Sir Gaston Maspero, the French Egyptologist, to whom I
was introduced by Madame Blavatsky. Davidson and Aldersmith, in The Great
Pyramid, present a large amount of information on this subject. They remark:
The external features, dimensions and units of the Great Pyramid,
when studied in plan, will be found to give precisely and accurately every
essential value of the earth’s orbit and its motions. This includes the values
of the sidereal and solar years, the mean sun-distance, the sun’s diameter, and
the maximum and minimum values of the eccentricity of the earth’s orbit.* (*Op.
cit., p. .)
The great pyramid was a house for initiations, and if some criminal
Muhammadan fanatics had not destroyed the outer casing of it we should still
have there, enshrined in stone, measurements of many astronomical
phenomena more accurate than any that were available to us until
the last
century. It is only recently that reliable measurements have been
obtained by
European astronomers of the average distance of the earth from the
sun. When I
was a boy we were taught that it was ninety-six million miles; then
they got it
down to ninety-three million; later, calculations were made from
very careful
measurements of the mean equatorial horizontal solar parallax,
taken at the time
of the transits of Venus in 1874 and 1882, and they estimated it at
ninety-two
and a half million miles. I remember that Mr. Gladstone announced
that in the
House of Commons, and it aroused great interest at the time. In the
eleventh
edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica it is given as 92,998,000
miles. The
ancient Egyptians made it 92,996,08 miles; who shall say that they
may not have
been nearer to the truth than we?
In ancient
In those days people - at least in
The Egyptians took the c … l to symbolize the intellect, which they
regarded as a keen-edged instrument. They considered that the man who used his
intellect would be able to remove the excrescences of superstition from the
beliefs which presented themselves to him, until he became a perfect ashlar,
when his thought would be well-defined and true. The c … g … was considered to
be the divine force behind the c …, and was interpreted as the will. This must
not, of course, be confused with the Master’s g … 1, with which it has nothing
in common, from which it differs even in shape. The distinction is also made
clear by the fact that this tool is always spoken of as the c … g …
In his work, The Magic of Freemasonry, Major A. E. Powell has made
an interesting study of the working tools of the first degree, in a chapter specially devoted to them. He takes the t … f … i … g … as a
symbol of the wisdom of the R.W.M., who has to measure and plan as he rules,
the g … as
an emblem of the strength of the W.S.W., it being the instrument
for the
transmission of force, and the c … for the beauty of the W.J.W., it
being the
tool used for shaping the material. He points out that all our
accurate or
scientific knowledge is based on measurement, symbolized by the t …
f … i … g …, that all our work in life is done by the movement of matter,
effected by our
energy which gives blows to it, for which the g … is the symbol,
and that the c
… is typical of the concentration of our purpose, as it cleaves
through matter.
Thus, he says, we know with the t … f … i … g …, we feel with the c
…, and we act with the g … Each of these tools, he adds, must be taken as
typical of a
class - the t … f … i … g … for all measuring instruments, the g …
for all
implements and machines for applying force, the c … for all tools
used for
cutting and penetrating matter.
CHAPTER VII
THE SECOND DEGREE
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. .)
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 Brn. 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
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
colour, 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 labour.* (*History of Masonry, Rebold, p. .)
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
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, .) 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 downpouring upon his inner nature of
the vivifying dew of heaven as the result of his aspiration towards the light.*
(*The Meaning of Masonry, p. .)
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 Brn. 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 defence 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
defence 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 defences is centred 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 defences by calling upon the Brn. to stand to order as
E.A.s, that action being as before a definite assertion of the power of the
Brn. 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
Brn. 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 centres 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 colour 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-colour 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 centre
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 centre, 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 centre at the
crown of the head. The connection of this especial centre with the Second
Degree is obvious when we remember its characteristics of companionship and
service, its association withT.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 unfavourable 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, .)* (*An
Examination of the Masonic Ritual, p. .)
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
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 labour, 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 downpouring
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 Brn. 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. .)
He goes on to
explain that it is found in this association in
“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:
Brn., 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.
CHAPTER VIII
THE THIRD DEGREE
THE OPENING OF THE LODGE
WHEN all is ready for the opening of the Lodge in the
Third Degree the R.W.M. once more commands the W.J.W. to see that
the Lodge is properly tyled. This time the forces with which we have to deal in
the work of the meeting will be mainly on the higher mental plane, so the
defences of the Lodge are now reinforced at that level by the invisible hosts,
and therefore a
blue tinge henceforward predominates, though the lower levels are
by no means
neglected.
The Brn. are then called to order as Craftsmen, and the R.W.M.
turns to the W.J.W. again, with the question: “Are you a M.M.?” On his replying
that he is, the Master asks him by what
instrument in architecture he will be proved, and he replies: “By the
square and compasses.”
This means that a M.M. may be tested and known by the fact that
both the higher self and the lower self are in working order, are functioning
together and in harmony. The M.M. is symbolical of the Initiate of the fourth
degree, whom the Buddhists call the Arhat; at that stage of attainment on the
occult path the battle against the lower quaternary is practically over, and
the latter has become an obedient instrument in the hands of the higher triad,
which is awake and active in all its three parts.
Next the R.W.M. puts a number of questions alternately to the
W.J.W. and the W.S.W., and they answer as acting together. A little later on it
will be seen that they act together also in the work of raising an F.C. to the
degree of M.M. On the present occasion the W.s tell the R.W.M. that they have
come from the east and are going to the west to seek the genuine s … s of a
M.M., which were lost by the untimely death of the Master H.A., and that they
hope to find them on the c …
THE C …
It will be remembered that at the closing of the F.C. Lodge it was
asked of the J.W. what the brethren had discovered while in the position of
F.C.s, and the reply was that they had found a s … s
…, in the c … of the building, which stood for God. The consummation of the
F.C. work was to discover that c …; but the M.M. has his eye upon it all the
time as the place where he hopes to find the lost truth.
It is on the c …, the officers now say, that they hope to find the
genuine s … s of a M.M. It is by finding in himself that deeper Self which is
the Monad, beyond even the higher triad, that the M.M. will at last discover
the supreme secret of life, and will then find in very truth by his own living
experience that he is and always has been one with God. There is something
almost Vedantic in this Masonic conception of lost s … s, for the Vedantins say
that in this maze of life men have lost themselves, as it were, in a great and
terrible forest, and now their entire aim in life is to escape from it and to
find that real happiness which is the very nature of their own true and
essential being.
A study of the meaning of the working tools of a M.M. throws much
light on this subject of the c …; we will therefore treat of them here, instead
of later on in the chapter.
The working tools of the third degree are the s … t, the p … and the c … The s … t is
an implement which acts on a centre pin,
whence a line is drawn to mark out the ground plan of the intended structure.
Pith the p … the skilful architect delineates the building in a plan for the
instruction and guidance of the workmen. And the c … enable him to ascertain
with accuracy and precision the limits and proportions of its several parts. So
runs the ritual.
But there is a meaning deeper than this, for
these are the tools with which the Arhat is to become an Adept. In
earlier degrees his consciousness had to be raised from the s … to the c …,
that is, from the quadrilateral to the triangle, from the lower to the higher
self; but now it has to be raised from the triangle to the point, from the
higher self to the Monad.
The Monad is now beginning to work its will in the higher self, as
before the
higher self worked its will in the lower. The s … t represents the
action of
that Monad, as it turns upon a centre pin, and sends out a line
from its own
body as it spins the web of life, just as a spider spins its web from its own
body. The p … marks that chosen path or ray of the Monad, the line
of life and
work which the Arhat must discover and on which he must specialize
in order to
make rapid progress. And the c … once more represent the triangle,
the powers of the triple spirit which he must use in his work.
The conversation between the R.W.M. and the W.s goes on to define
the c … as a p … within a c …, from which all parts of the c … ce are equidistant, and to say that it is a p … from which a
M.M. cannot err. I have already written on this subject in Chapter II, but I
could here add that there is a great distinction between the things of the
natural world and those of the inner life of consciousness. All material
objects are characterized by boundaries - they are delineated; but the inner
life always proceeds from a centre, so that it is quite impossible to set
bounds to love or thought. They take their rise in and stand upon a centre, and
radiate from that. The circumference of their circle is nowhere, but the centre
is within the man. When he has risen to the fullness of his divine nature the
circumference will still be nowhere, but the centre will be everywhere; no life
whatsoever will be excluded from his sympathies. That is what is symbolized by
the statement that all parts of the c … ce are
equidistant from the c … The M.M. who keeps his eye on that c … and acts from
that p … cannot err. It is on that c … that the R.W.M. opens the Lodge.
Still one point in the conversation remains for consideration. The
officers state that their journey is from the east to the west. This may be
taken to refer to the path of the sun, which is typical of the path of the
Initiate. Here we have the well-known solar myth again. The sun is new-born at
the beginning of the year in the darkness of winter; he struggles through the
clouds of the early spring, which seem to threaten his life; in the summer he
rises to his highest point in the sky, giving freely of his life to ripen the
corn and the grape. But now enemies close around him; autumn hems him in with
its shadows, and at last he falls stricken before the onset of winter.
Yet, passing through a figurative death in the west, he discovers
the secret of
renewed life, and rises once more in the east and ascends again
into the
mid-heaven. So in many successive lives he has to deal with the
world, and
gradually to disperse the clouds of ignorance which resist the
unfoldment of his
potentialities, before he can rise into the high noon of his glory
at the
completion of his work of temple-building, when he finally travels
onward into
the west and finds the secret of perfect immortality. Then he need
journey no
more, for he has reached the centre and is at rest; he has become a
pillar in
the temple of God, and he shall go out therefrom no more.
But in the preparation for this high consummation both East and
West take part. Although the East has always been the place of light, whence
comes all knowledge, yet when the sacred word was lost men journeyed westward
in the hope of finding it, and the chivalry of the West joined with the
philosophy of the East in that high quest. The East contributes the spiritual
teaching, but the West provides the accuracy and definiteness which make it
readily assimilable, and the practicality which enables us to apply it to the
helping of the outer world.
THE PREPARATION
In the preparation of the candidate both a … are made b … because
in the due-guard both are raised in blessing; both b … are laid open to the
double influence of the c …, which have always at the same time a positive and
a negative quality, conferring simultaneously power and sensitiveness, one
point being always at rest in the centre, while the other describes a
circumference.
However far we may travel from God, and however long and hard the
journey, the divine spark within us can never be truly separated from Him, or
err from that Centre.* (*The M.M’s Book, by Bro. J. S. M. Ward, p. .)
Both k … are b …, because both are used in the ceremony, and both h
… are s … p - s … d because in this way the fullest advantage is taken of the
very concentrated magnetization of the mosaic pavement.
THE INTERNAL PREPARATION
In this degree the candidate seeks his object by the united aid of
the s … and c …, which may be taken to signify that his development depends
upon the right use both of the body and the soul, the square and the triangle.
In the method of symbolism adopted the candidate is always required to look
forward to that which shall be, rather than to rest content with that which is.
The perfection at which the M.M. is aiming will be attained in its fullness
only when the three points of the triangle, the spiritual will, the intuition
and the intelligence shall be fully aroused and in entire control of the four
lower vehicles - the mental, astral, etheric and dense physical bodies.
As Bro. Powell has said:
In the Third Degree in Freemasonry we find an appeal quite
different and distinct from those of the two preceding degrees. The M.M. comes
within the range of a fresh influence, entering a new world, piercing through
another of the veils which separate him from a true understanding of life - and
death. Perhaps the most characteristic feature of the Degree is this atmosphere
which it creates, so real and yet so elusive in description - a sense of
mystery.* (*The Magic of Freemasonry, p. .)
ENTERING THE LODGE
As he enters the Lodge he is received upon the points of the
compasses, and through them he gains the first touch of this higher atmosphere,
this new influence of the M.M, degree. The raising of the Lodge to a higher
degree changes the dominant vibrations, not only of the Lodge as a whole, but
of every Bro. present. That is why it is necessary that a Bro. who was not
present at the opening of the Lodge in a higher degree - as for example the
candidate for passing or raising - needs a special pass-word, a word of power,
which is intended to do quickly for his vibrations what the opening ceremony
has
done more gradually for those of his Brn. In the p … g … leading
from the Second to the Third Degree is shown the necessity of extending
self-control still
further, and gaining some mastery over that strange intermediate
tract beyond
the lower mind which in a certain school of thought is denominated
the
subliminal
consciousness.
In this Degree, as in the others, he kneels under a triangle made
by the crossed wands of the deacons while the blessing of T.M.H. is invoked;
indeed, it is noteworthy that all the O.s in Craft Masonry are taken within
that same triangle, indicating that the whole of the threefold man, body, soul
and spirit, is engaged in the work that is being done. Bro. Ward draws
attention to the fact that the candidate now takes three symbolical journeys,
as in the First Degree, but with a different object:
He first satisfies the W. J.W., representing the Body, that he is
an E.A. - i.e., a man of good moral character. He next satisfies the W.S.W.,
representing the Soul, that he has benefited by the lessons of life and
acquired intellectual knowledge. Then comes the third
journey, when he is once more challenged by the Soul, who demands the P.W. …
Let us combine these meanings. He comes laden with worldly possessions, which
in themselves carry the seeds of death, unconsciously representing in his
person the worker in metals who made the twin columns and is about to be
entombed. Therefore the Soul presents him to the Spirit as one properly
prepared to carry out the part of his great predecessor.* (*The M.M.’s. Book,
by J. S. M. Ward, pp. 28, .)
THE SEVEN S …
In all the Degrees the candidate advances towards the East, the
place of Light, but in each Degree more than in the previous one. In the first
he takes three s … s - though even then they steadily increase in length - 9,
12, 15; in the second not only are there five instead of three, but they tend
definitely upwards and form a staircase. In the third there are seven, and
furthermore, the first three are symbolically over an o … g …, showing that, on
the higher plane to which the winding staircase led him, the candidate has
triumphed over death, and marches on unwaveringly along his path of progress on
the other side of it. Some writers think that in taking these s … s over the o
… g … the candidate should after the first s … face due north, after the second
due south, and after the third due east, looking thus at the three entrances to
the temple, through which H.A.B. endeavoured to escape.
THE O.
He then takes the M.M.’s O. - perhaps one of the finest and most
far-reaching that have ever been written. If only
every M.M. kept his pledge to the uttermost, in spirit as well as in letter,
this earth of ours would soon become a veritable heaven. To quote again from
Bro. Powell:
“Faithful unto death” may well be taken as the motto of the M.M.,
and if this were truly the keynote of his whole life, then indeed would
Freemasonry have performed a splendid service to all men, and its name would be
honoured above all other names from generation to generation. If every M.M,
could carry out his O … without evasion, equivocation or mental reservation of
any kind, and prefer to suffer death rather than slander a Brother’s good name
or fail to maintain at all times the honour of a Brother as his own, then
indeed would there be, right in the heart of humanity, such a brotherhood as
would bring the completion of the H.T. almost within range of our earthly
vision. Such a standard of fidelity amongst M.M.’s would in time lead humanity
to so high a level of goodwill that not only would men cease from injuring one
another, but even inaction in a deed of mercy would become action in a deadly
sin. This, and nothing else, is the true meaning of the F … P … of F …, to
uphold which the M.M. is pledged. It is no light matter to enter the First
Portal and become a Freemason; it is an even more serious undertaking to take
the O … of a M.M. and swear to be faithful unto death. Let every M.M. ponder
this well and re-affirm to himself, by all that he holds sacred, his
determination, in all cases of trial and difficulty, to follow the noble
example of the great symbolic figure who suffered death rather than be false to
his oath.* (*The Magic of Freemasonry, p. .)
The O. needs no comment, save perhaps a reference to the promise to
attend meetings when called “if within the length of my c … t …” It has
apparently been the custom to interpret this as meaning “within three miles”;
it probably was originally equivalent to “within convenient walking distance”.
Assuredly no M.M. who understands how great is the privilege
of taking part in the work of the Lodge will be likely to disregard any
such call if it is in any way possible for him to respond to it.
In this case, as so often in others, Bro. Wilmshurst gives us a
beautiful mystical interpretation, taking the c …, t … to represent the “silver
cord” which links the subtler part of the body to the denser, and suggesting
that a Bro. who for some good reason cannot obey a summons physically may yet
attend astrally and take part in the ceremony on a higher plane. If this
explanation be accepted, the length of the c … t … would be the distance to
which the M.M. finds himself able to travel astrally. It is perfectly possible
and even eminently desirable that the M.M. should attend Masonic meetings
astrally, in this way giving his strength and his blessing to many Lodges, and
doing much more work for the Craft than he can do by confining himself to his
own Lodge. A closer study of the physics of the higher life will show him that
the actual “silver cord” is observable only when etheric matter is withdrawn
from the dense body, as in the case of a medium and that the connection between
the astral and physical vehicles of the ordinary man is a wonderfully exact
sympathetic vibration; perhaps better symbolized by a chord of music than a
cord of silver; but the interpretation is nevertheless quite permissible.
THE ETHERIC FORCES
The O … being taken, the R.W.M. proceeds to the actual ceremony of
admission, the external ritual of which
is the same as in earlier degrees, except for the k … s and the name of the
degree; but the inner effect is very different.
In each of the previous Degrees I have referred to certain currents
of etheric force which flow through and around the spine of every human being.
Madame Blavatsky writes of them as follows:
The Trans-Himalayan school … locates Sushumna, the chief seat of
these three Nadis, in the central tube of the spinal cord, and Ida and Pingala
on its left and right sides. Ida and Pingala are simply the sharps and flats of
that Fa of human nature, which, when struck in a proper way, awakens the
sentries on either side, the spiritual Manas and the physical Kama, and subdues
the lower through the higher. …* (*The Secret Doctrine, vol.
iii, p. 50.)
It is the pure Akasha that passes up Sushumna; its two aspects flow
in Ida and Pingala. These are the three vital airs, and are symbolized by the
Brahmanical thread. They are ruled by the will. Pill and desire are the higher
and lower aspects of one and the same thing. Hence the
importance of the purity of the canals. … From these three a circulation
is set up, and from the central canal passes into the whole body. …* (*Ibid.,
p. .)
Ida and Pingala play along the curved
wall of the cord in which is Sushumna. They are semi-material,
positive and negative, sun and moon, and they start into action the free and
spiritual current of Sushumna. They have distinct paths of their own, otherwise
they would radiate all over the body.* (*Ibid., p. .)
It is part of the plan of Freemasonry to stimulate the activity of
these forces in the human body, in order that evolution may be quickened. This
stimulation is applied at the moment when the R.W.M. creates, receives and
constitutes; in the First Degree it affects the ida, or feminine aspect of the
force, thus making it easier for the candidate
to control passion and emotion; in the Second Degree it is the pingala
or masculine aspect which is strengthened, in order to facilitate the control
of mind; but in this Third Degree it is the central energy itself, the
Sushumna, which is aroused, thereby opening the way for the influence of the
pure spirit from on high.
It is by passing up through this channel of the sushumna that a
yogi leaves his physical body at will in such a manner that he can retain full
consciousness on higher planes, and bring back into his physical brain a clear
memory of his
experiences. The little figures
below give a rough indication of the way in
which these forces
flow through the human body; in a man the ida starts from the base of the spine
just on the left of the sushumna, and the pingala on the right
(be it understood that I mean the right and left of the man, not
the spectator);
but in a woman these positions are reversed. The lines end in the
medulla
oblongata.
The spine is called in India the brahmadanda, the stick of Brahma;
and the drawing given in Fig. 14(d) shows that it is also the original of the
caduceus of Mercury, the two snakes which symbolize the kundalini or
serpent-fire which is presently to be set in motion along those channels, while
the wings typify the power of conscious flight through higher planes which the
development of that fire confers. Fig. 14(a) shows the stimulated ida after the initiation into the First Degree; this line is
crimson in colour. To it is added at the Passing the yellow line of the
pingala, depicted in Fig. 14(b); while at the Raising the series is completed
by the deep blue stream of the sushumna, illustrated by Fig. 14(c).
The stimulation of these nerves and the forces which flow through them
is only a small part of the benefit conferred by the R.W.M. when he wields the
sword at the moment of admission. I have already referred to the widening of
the connection between the individuality and the personality, and to the
formation of a link between certain principles of the candidate and the
corresponding vehicles of the H.O.A.T.F. The changes induced are somewhat of
the same nature as those which I have described on page 319 of The Science of
the Sacraments, but of a less pronounced character.
I cannot emphasize too often or too strongly that while these
effects are absolutely real, unmistakable and universal, their result in the
spiritual life of the candidate depends entirely upon himself. The link made
with the H.O.A.T.F. and the widening of the channels of communication offer the
man an opportunity quite unparalleled in the ordinary life of the layman; but
they in no way compel him to take that opportunity. If through ignorance or
sluggishness he makes no attempt to utilize the new powers bestowed upon him,
they remain dormant; if he uses them intelligently they steadily increase in
effectiveness as he becomes more familiar with them. As Bro. Ward remarks: “The
spiritual benefit a man receives from Freemasonry is in exact proportion to his
desire and ability to comprehend its inner meaning.”* (*The M.M.’s Book, p. .)
HIRAM ABIFF
It is only after the candidate has received this wonderful
outpouring of spiritual strength that he is subjected to “the greater trial of
his fortitude and fidelity” which is involved in the symbolical part of the
Degree. A most remarkable drama now unfolds itself before him, and he finds
himself quite unexpectedly enacting the part of its hero.
The setting of the piece is well-arranged and effective; the
darkening of the Lodge, the verses which are sung, the music which is played,
the special vestments adopted both for the officers and the candidate - all the
surroundings are admirably calculated to enhance the general impression which
it is desired to create.
Under such circumstances the newly-made M.M. hears for the first
time the
traditional history which plays so important a part in the Masonic
scheme.
The name commonly given to this extraordinary narrative is perhaps
somewhat inappropriate, for a little consideration soon shows us that it cannot
seriously be considered as historical in the ordinary sense of the word; but if
we accept it as a legend, and invest it with a moral significance, we shall
find that it has much to teach us. We
need not doubt that its central figure Hiram Abiff really lived, nor that he was sent by his namesake, Hiram, King of Tyre,
to work for King Solomon in connection with the decoration of the temple. He is
described in Jewish scripture as a clever worker in metals, and those of us who
investigated the making of the pillars fully confirm that statement, though
they do not find him suffering the sanguinary death which the legend asserts.
As I mentioned in an earlier chapter, King Solomon himself appears to be
responsible for introducing into Jewish Masonry the original form of the story,
but not for the insertion of the name which we now use for its hero. Moses
brought from
Although he recast the legend, and made it wholly Jewish, it was
not he who imported into it the name
which we know so well, for we find Hiram Abiff acting as what we should now
call W.J.W. at a great private ceremony of consecration and dedication at which
Solomon’s new ritual was performed for the first time. On the same occasion
Hiram, King of Tyre, took the part of W.S.W., though for some obscure reason
his visit was kept secret, and he returned home almost immediately, his place
being taken for the public ceremonies by Adoniram. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son,
seems to have taken an intense dislike to Hiram Abiff, who had more than once reproved him for arrogance and
unworthy conduct; so when after Solomon’s death he came to the throne, he took
a curious, perverted revenge upon Hiram by decreeing that the victim of the 3°
should bear his name for ever. Exactly why this should have afforded
satisfaction to Rehoboam it is difficult to see; but perhaps we should hardly
hold him responsible for his actions, as he was obviously a decadent, a
degenerate of the worst type. His enmity may possibly have shown
itself in other
ways also, for Hiram Abiff presently found it desirable to return
to his own
country, where he died full of age and honour.
I am told that only a few years ago a Javanese prince imitated
Solomon’s procedure, for much the same reasons as actuated the Jewish monarch.
He and his people were at least nominally Muhammadans; but he said to them:
“Why should you turn towards Mecca for your devotions? I have a very fine
temple here; turn to it and not to Arabia when you recite your prayers.” They
seem to have accepted the suggestion, and in this way arose a variation - in
the cult which may well puzzle the historians a century later.
Bro. Ward, in his recent book Who was Hiram Abiff? argues that the
whole legend is nothing but an adaptation of the myth of Tammuz, that Hiram
Abiff was one of a group of Priest-Kings, and was slain by the others
as a voluntary sacrifice at the dedication of the temple, in order
to bring good
fortune upon the building. He adduces much evidence in support of
this theory,
and displays a vast amount of erudition and research, gathering
together an
amazing collection of the most interesting facts. I strongly
recommend his book
to the perusal of our Brn., even though I personally still cling to
the idea
that Masonry originally reached the Jews from Egypt, however much it
may
afterwards have been influenced, as it certainly was, by the
Tammuz-worship of
neighbouring nations. Bro. Ward cites instances of the survival of
traces of the
cult of Adonis in the most unexpected quarters; for instance, he
writes:
When the Pope has died, a high official, armed with a small ivory
hammer or gavel, goes up to the dead man and lightly taps him once on each
temple and once on the centre of the forehead. After each knock he calls on him
to arise, and only when the third summons has been made in vain does he
officially proclaim the sad news that the Pope is dead, and therefore a
successor must be elected.* (*Op. cit., p. 74)
Bro. Ward further identifies Hiram Abiff with Abibaal, the father
of Hiram, King of Tyre, and even suggests that Hiram was not a personal name at
all, but a title of the Kings of Tyre, just as Pharaoh was of those of Egypt.
From another source comes the somewhat fantastic suggestion that
Solomon also was not a personal name, but is capable of the subdivision
Sol-om-on; sol meaning the sun, om being the sacred word of the Hindus (a
substituted word, because the real word is a Name of Power, the Name of the
Logos, to pronounce which would shake the world and destroy the speaker) and
on, from the Greek to on, the absolute existence. This interpretation may be
fanciful; but it seems true that the King’s compatriots called him Solomon,
pronouncing his name as an amphibrach, not as a dactyl, as we do.
The name of Hiram Abiff is somewhat altered in higher degrees, and
even in the Bible it sometimes appears as Huram. A further modification is
Khairum or Khurum. Khur by itself means white or noble. There is a variant
Khri, which under certain circumstances becomes Khris. This would suggest some
possible connection with Krishna and Christ. There are certain passages in the
Book of Job where he speaks of the orb of the sun, and the word he uses is
Khris. It is on record that Hiram, King of Tyre, was the first man who offered
the sacrifice of fire to the Khur, who afterwards became Herakles.
Plutarch tells us that the Persians of his day called the sun
Kuros, and he
connects it with the Greek word Kurios, which means Lord, which we
find in the
Church service as “Kyrie eleison”. Khur is also connected with the
Egyptian name Horus, who was also Her-Ra and Haroeris, names of the sun-god.
The Hebrew word Aoor also means light or fire or the sun, and from that we get
Khurom, which is equal to the Greek Hermes. Bro. Wilmshurst also regards the
name Hiram as identical with Hermes, and thinks that a connection can he traced
between the form Huram and the Sanskrit word Guru, which means “spiritual
teacher”. He therefore takes Hiram Abiff to signify the Father-Teacher, or the
Teacher from the Father.* (*The Masonic Initiation, p. 100) That Hiram was a
widow’s son is also a significant fact. Horus as the child of Isis was the
reincarnation of his own Father Osiris, and so as a posthumous child might well
be described as a widow’s son. Though of the tribe of Naphtali, he was born and
resided in Tyre, and may well therefore have learned from the Dionysian
fraternity which had a centre there.
DEATH AND RESURRECTION
Whatever we may think of the traditional history as a story it is
clear that it is a myth of death and rising again. The expression of it is
perhaps somewhat clumsy, for no reference is made to the soul; it is merely the
body which is raised to its feet, but it is obviously implied that when this
was done in the proper manner life returned to it, as was said to be the case
when Anubis raised Osiris from the bier with the very same gesture.
In the exoteric religion of
In the exoteric religion of
Apart from the instruction given as to life after death, there is
in this strange story an allegorical lesson which should be taken to heart by
every M.M. Once more Bro. Wilmshurst expresses it for us, explaining that just
as: the turning away from the attractions of the outer world … the purification
and subdual of the bodily and sensual tendencies … the work of detachment and
self-purification is our Entered Apprentice’s work … [just as] the analysis,
discipline and obtaining control of one’s inner world -
of the mind, of one’s thoughts, one’s intellectual and psychic
faculties - is
the extremely difficult task of the Fellow Craft stage … [so] the
“last and
greatest trial” lies in the breaking and surrender of the personal
will, the
dying down of all sense of personality and selfhood, so that the
petty personal
will may become merged in the divine Universal Will, and the illusion of
separate independent existence give way to conscious realization of
unity with
the One Life that permeates the Universe. For so only can one be
raised from
conditions of unreality, strife and figurative death to a knowledge
of ultimate
Reality, Peace and Life Immortal. To attain this is to attain
Mastership,
involving complete domination of the lower nature, and the
development in
oneself of a higher order of life and faculty.* (*The Masonic
Initiation, pp.
19, 20.)
This realization of absolute unity is perhaps the most wonderful
experience that comes to man in the course of his evolution-a depth of bliss
which is utterly indescribable. No person, no thing is separate from any other,
and yet everything is perfectly clear; all are “partial expressions of a
single, sublying, inexpressible unity”. Lord Tennyson wrote of it thus:
All at once, out of the intensity of the consciousness of
individuality, the individuality itself seems to dissolve and fade away into
boundless being; and this is not a confused state, but the clearest of the
clearest, the surest of the surest, where death is an almost laughable
impossibility, the loss of personality (if so it were) seeming no extinction,
but the only true life. I am ashamed of my feeble description. Have
I not said the state is utterly beyond words? This is the most
emphatic
declaration that the spirit of the writer is capable of
transferring itself into
another state of existence, is not only real, clear, simple, but
that it is also
infinite in vision and eternal in duration.
Another Bro. of the Craft has written:
70You know everything and understand the stars and the hills and
the old songs. They are all within you, and you are all light. But the light is
music, and the music is violet wine in a great cup of gold, and the wine in the
golden cup is the Scent of a June night.
THE STAR
Even after the symbolic resurrection has taken place we are still
warned that any light which can penetrate to these lower planes is but darkness
visible, and that for true light and fuller information we must lift our eyes
to that bright and morning Star whose rising brings peace and salvation to the
faithful and obedient among men. There is no doubt that in the myth as taught
in ancient
The association of these ideas with the Dog Star is undoubtedly a
fragment which has come down from ancient Egypt, for the rising of Sirius
marked the beginning of the inundation of the Nile, which literally brought
salvation to the people of Egypt by irrigating the land and enabling it to
produce food.* (*The M.M.’s Book, p. 50.)
For us, however, the star is invested with a symbolical meaning,
and reminds us of the Star of Initiation which marks the assent and approval of
the Lord of the World when a new candidate has joined the mighty Brotherhood
which exists from eternity to eternity. So we endeavour to carry out the
precept of our ritual:
Let that Star be ever before your eyes, and let its light illumine
your heart; follow it, as did the Wise Men of old, until it leads you to the
gateway of Initiation, where it shines above the portal of that glorious
temple, eternal in the heavens, of which even King Solomon’s was but a symbol.*
(*The Masters and the Path, p. .)
THE RAISING OF HUMANITY
Humanity is but one stage of the mighty ladder of evolution. The
divine life which is now manifesting through us has in long past ages animated
in succession the elemental, mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdoms. Now that
particular life-wave has reached the human kingdom. It entered that kingdom by
the gate of individualization ages upon ages ago; it will leave that human
kingdom by the gateway of initiation - that Fifth Initiation which makes a man
into a superman or Adept. Humanity is slowly - very, very slowly - treading a
great broad road that winds round and round a mountain, ever rising gradually
until it reaches the summit. The process is deliberate and often irregular,
until the soul suddenly realizes the purpose of his evolution, God’s plan for
man, and resolves to use all his power to reach the goal as soon as possible.
Then he begins to climb straight up the mountain side, and each time that his
path crosses the winding road he achieves a definite stage of his progress; at
each such point there is an Initiation.
The great Initiations are five; the first marks the soul’s stepping
off the beaten path, and the last his entering the
The E.A. should as a personality be employed in organizing his
physical life for higher use; but at the same time as an ego he should be
developing active intelligence in his causal body, exactly as does the pupil of
the Masters who is preparing himself for Initiation. I do not of course suggest
that each E.A. is doing this, or even as yet can do it; but the Degree is
intended to put that development before him as a goal, and the sooner he begins
his upward climb, the better. In the same way the F.C. is organizing his
emotional life at the lower level, while he unfolds intuitional love in his
buddhic body; and the M.M., while arranging his mental life down here, should
as an ego be strengthening his spiritual will.
FIRE, SUN AND MOON
We encounter in the Indian scriptures certain tests which seem to
approach the same ideas from a different angle, and so should be of interest to
Masons. The navel, heart and throat centres in the human body are mentioned as
the places of fire, the sun and the moon respectively, and it is said that he
who meditates in those centres will find there the Devis Saraswati, Lakshmi and
Parvati or Girija, in that order. Those Devis are outward-turned powers or
shaktis of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity,
and have respectively the qualities of giving knowledge, prosperity and
self-control - in other words, of helping the man to reach his highest mental,
astral and physical aims; for the physical, astral and mental principles are a
reflection (inverted, like that of a mountain in water) of the three principles
of the higher triad.
Saraswati is the patroness of learning and practical wisdom;
Lakshmi fulfils desires and makes life rich and full, and when she is truly
worshipped she sanctifies all material prosperity; Girija or Parvati blesses
the physical body and makes its powers holy. The E.A. has to bring his physical
body to perfection, so the aid which he needs is precisely what is symbolized
by Girija’s will; the F.C, has to do the same for his astral body, with the
help of Lakshmi’s love; the M.M. repeats the process for the mental body, aided
by Saraswati’s kriyashakti or power of
thought.
To conquer and organize the physical nature for the use of the
higher self the E.A. must use his will, the power of Shiva, the First Person,
reflected by his Devi Girija. To transmute the passions of the astral body the
F.C. must use his intuitional love that comes from Vishnu, the Second Person,
through Lakshmi.
To conquer the wavering mind and make it a perfect instrument for
the higher self, the M.M. must use the power of his thought, the divine
activity of Brahma, the Third Person, reflected by Saraswati. Madame Blavatsky
said that the aspirant should make a bundle of the lower things and nail them
up to the higher self; when he has done this he will have fulfilled the destiny
which is indicated for him - he will have stepped with t … s … over his o … g …
This allusion is similar to that of the k … s in the three Degrees,
and in no way affects the fact that the E.A. is at the same time learning to
control the emotions, and the F.C. is gaining mastery of the mind.
The Mason is simultaneously doing two pieces of work - developing
and advancing on higher planes, and yet controlling and perfecting his personal
instruments.
How are these connected with fire, the sun and the moon? Remember
the three lesser lights: (1) the R.W.M., (2) the sun - the W.S.W., and (3) the
moon - the W.J.W. In their capacity of lesser lights these officers correspond
to the Devis. It is the W.J.W. who especially helps the E.A., the W.S.W. the
F.C., and the R.W.M. the M.M.
It is interesting to note that in the above explanation fire
corresponds to the mind. Another aspect of the same truth is seen in the fact
that it is the power behind modern science. Without fire chemistry, physics,
geology, astronomy and all the practical applications of these sciences could
not exist. The M.M. is symbolically a wielder of this power; he is a worker in
metals, a caster of pillars, hollow within, to contain the archives of the soul
and spirit. In his hand is kriyashakti, the creative power.
The path of the moon is said to typify the life of the ordinary man,
who clings to objects of desire and parts with them reluctantly at death. After
a period in the astral and heavenly worlds he returns to earth, to repeat the
process. It is the path of rebirth after intervals. The path of the sun is that
of the occult aspirant, the man of spiritual desires, who values life only for
what it can give to the higher self in others as well as himself. He also is
reborn, but usually without an
interval, or after a very short one. The path of fire is the path
of ascension,
from which there is no longer any rebirth under the law of
necessity, but only
at the choice of the ego - only for the helping of the world.
THE VILLAINS
Little need be said of the remainder of the traditional history. We
may note the curious similarity between the names given to the three villains,
and the fact that the three terminations when put together make the sacred word
Aum or
THE INSCRIPTION
Lastly, we may mention the mysterious inscription on the plate of
the c … n on the t … b … of this degree, written in the Masonic cipher. In its
ordinary straightforward form this cryptogram is known to almost every
schoolboy; but it is capable of a number of permutations. In this case its
letters are arranged in a somewhat unusual manner, and it must be read from
right to left. Treated in this way, it yields the initials of our Master, the
alleged date of his death, and the word and password of the degree. But none
but a Mason is likely to decipher it.
CHAPTER IX
THE HIGHER DEGREES
THE majority of masculine Freemasons hold that the Craft comprises
only the three Degrees of E.A., F.C., and M.M., though in English Masonry they
allow the Mark Degree and the Holy Royal Arch as nominally extensions of the
Second and Third Degrees respectively, and they have also a ceremony of Installation
for the Master of a Lodge which is practically an additional Degree though it
is never called so.
Among the masculine Masons only those who belong to the Ancient and
Accepted Scottish Rite work the higher Degrees, though various other small
bodies of Masons use some of them. The Rites of Memphis and Mizraim
used to have a
list of 97 degrees, but have now reduced them to.
Nevertheless though many Masons do not admit them, these higher
Degrees are
definitely part of the great scheme of Freemasonry, standing out as
landmarks
upon the upward Path which leads to conscious union with God,
enshrining in
their ritual and symbolism a series of pictures of the successive
stages of
spiritual attainment, and conferring sacramental power calculated
to quicken the
growth of man’s inner faculties at various levels and in various
ways.
Therefore in the Co-Masonic Rite we recognize both sets of Degrees,
and regard them as constituting a coherent whole, leading those who work them properly
to a very high stage of development. But they are clearly
intended to provide for two distinct types of people - for the many
and the few.
For the ordinary man of the world the three Degrees of Craft
Masonry are
all-sufficient; when he has learnt the lessons which they have to
teach, he is
no longer the ordinary man; he stands high above the average. If he
can
supplement them by the
knowledge conveyed by the Mark Degree and the Holy Royal Arch, he has a rule of
life and a philosophy which will carry him creditably through the rest of this
incarnation, and ensure for him a good opportunity of progress in the next. In
the Royal Arch he passes beyond the substituted secrets and learns the genuine
Word which has so long and so unhappily been lost. For the
true Word is the Name of God, and those who entertain an unworthy conception of
the nature and attributes of God are in ignorance of that true Nature.
THE MASONIC PLAN
The Masonic plan is obviously meant to develop the principles of
man in regular order. The work of the Blue Lodge is concerned primarily with
the transitory personality, the temporary instrument of the soul. If the tongue
of good report is heard in a man’s favour, we may assume that he has his
physical vehicle fairly under control; but in the Degree of E.A. he is
instructed to bring it completely into subjection, to smooth and polish the
rough ashlar, and at the same time to keep his emotional nature within due
bounds, repressing its lower aspects and developing its higher side. As F.C. he
learns absolutely to control those emotions, while he is working at the gradual
unfoldment of the powers of his mental body, the awakening and training of his
intellectual faculties.
As M.M. he is taught to live up to that sublime title by gaining
complete mastery over the personality, the mind as well as the emotions, to
develop a magnificent attitude of brotherhood and altruism which compels him
ever to take the standpoints of the ego, so that never again may the square be
allowed to obscure the compasses, and leads him through the Valley of the
Shadow of Death to the threshold of that heavenly world where the immortal Self
for ever dwells. For the mystic death and raising again relate not only to the
contained existence of man’s personality in the astral world after the death of
the physical body, but in a higher sense
typify a death to all that is transitory and impermanent, and the attainment of
an eternal Reality beyond the veils of space and time.
THE CEREMONY OF INSTALLATION
It has always seemed to me a matter of great regret that in the
workings of Continental Masonry the beautiful ceremony of the installation of
the Master of a Lodge should be so greatly truncated or even entirely omitted.
The position of R.W.M. is one of great difficulty and responsibility, and to
hold it successfully requires a combination of qualities not often exemplified.
Firmness and perfect justice must be conjoined with tact, adaptability and
persuasiveness. The R.W.M. should have an enthusiastic interest in Masonic
work, a strong determination to maintain its immemorial traditions and the
sanctity of its landmarks, and an earnest resolve ever to uphold the dignity of
the Craft, yet never for a moment to forget that gentleness and brotherly love
are the very essence and foundation of all its labours.
The Bro. whose duty it is to develop these characteristics within
himself manifestly needs all the help that can be given to him, and he
unquestionably receives more power from on high from the use of a stately and impressive
ceremony than from the mere fact of being elected by the Brn. and taking his
seat in the Master’s chair. Apparently the H.O.A.T.F. accepts and endorses the
custom of the maimed rite in those countries where it prevails, for the
succession is passed on, even though there is quite a different feeling about
the effect produced.
The actual conferment of the authority occurs at the moment when
the R.W.M. is solemnly placed in his Chair with a certain s … and w … of power,
but there is also a charming and appropriate symbolism hidden behind the other
s … s. The b … s … is that of a mighty and dignified monarch singling out one
upon whom he is about to bestow a favour; the p … l … and the s … of s … give
most valuable hints as to what should be the behaviour of the Master in the
Chair, and the s … of a m … of a … and sc … well expresses the courtesy and
dignity which should characterize his every action.
THE MARK DEGREE
In the Mark Degree the aspirant is encouraged to add to that
general growth which is expected of all Masons the disclosure of whatsoever
special talent or power he may happen to possess, in order that his abilities
may thus be at the disposal of his brethren and be used for the benefit of his
Lodge, so that such work as passes through his hands may bear upon it the mark
of his private characteristics, and thus be recognized from all others. Thus to
develop his talent, not for self-glorification but for the good of his Brn., is
the special duty of the Mark Mason; while the work of the Mark Master is to
find in those under his charge talents as yet unsuspected even by their
possessors, and to draw them out under his kindly and fostering care.
At the same time the neophyte is taught by the ritual the necessity
of humility and patience. He makes a k … s …, a beautiful and excellent piece
of work, but one for which the builders are not yet ready, and consequently it
has for the present to be thrown aside. The candidate in his disappointment
feels at first that his life-work has been wasted; but he is exhorted to
exhibit patience and fortitude, and in due course the time comes when his work
can be accepted and utilized. Such experience is inevitable in the life of one
who is striving to serve humanity; the student must be prepared to find that ideas,
unquestionably good in themselves, have yet to be rejected when put forward
prematurely; he must learn to subordinate his will to that of T.G.O.O.T.U., to
work at the task prescribed for him, and to play the part assigned to him in
the great plan of which he is but an infinitesimal though necessary fraction.
However
full the world
There is
room for an earnest man;
God hath
need of me, or I should not be;
I am here
to aid the plan.
We may see in the Degrees of Craft Masonry a prophecy or adumbration
of the True Initiations that lie far ahead on the Path of the neophyte, taking
the E.A. Degree as imaging the entry upon the Probationary Path, the F.C. as
representing that entering upon the Stream which is the First of the Great
Initiations, and the M.M. as typifying the Fourth Step, the Initiation of the
Arhat.
The characteristic of the F.C. Degree is Service; all its five
stages are forms of service, and they lead up to that condition in which the
candidate’s hands are perpetually free to take up whatever tools may be needed
at the moment in the work of helping others. As the Mark
Degree is recognized as having originally been part of the F.C., Ex. and Perf.
Bro. Wood takes the Mark Man and the Mark Master as respectively symbolizing
the Second and Third of the Great Initiations, thus leading up very
satisfactorily to the M.M. Degree, which is obviously a foreshadowing of the
Arhat Stage.
He also finds in the Hindu system an interesting analogy to the
teaching of the Mark Degree. The man who has entered upon the First Stage of
the Path proper is called parivrajaka, the Wanderer, and this is taken to
signify that the Initiate has no real home, no foundation or anchorage in this
physical world. As it is expressed in a hymn: “I’m but a
stranger here; heaven is my home.” He has realized the first part of
that quotation, but not quite yet the second; he feels as though he were merely
a visitor to these mundane regions where most people settle themselves and make
themselves at home, yet he is not definitely established in spiritual work.
When he has cast off the three fetters of self-centredness, doubt and
superstition, he is called kutichaka, the Hut-Builder; he is now no longer a
wanderer, unsettled in both worlds, for he has found for himself a definite
place and work on the buddhic plane.
When this is achieved a Mark is given to him, typified in Masonic and biblical
phraseology as a white stone, upon which a new name is written - the true name
of the ego.
The Hindu term for the man who takes the Third great step is hamsa,
the Swan; and this name is supposed to be founded upon an ancient fable which
endowed that bird with the apocryphal faculty of separating milk from water
after they had been mixed. He is therefore taken as a symbol of the man whose
discrimination is perfect, who can distinguish what is worth doing and do it,
and therefore “marks well”.
The Officers in a Mark Lodge represent the seven principles in man,
as they do in the ordinary Lodge, but we have in addition three Overseers, who
guard the South, West and East Gates. These also are in their right place in
the series of principles if we take them to typify the antahkarana, which in
the Initiate has becomes an active channel between the ego and the personality.
As the Lords of Karma select the portion of accumulated karma to be worked out
in one lifetime, and this is expressed in the man’s bodies and his environment,
so does the ego, says Bro. Wood, select a portion of himself to be the internal
agent (antahkarana) between himself and the personality. (This is explained in
his book The Seven Rays.) This antahkarana, which is triple, thus contains the
plan of work of the incarnation, and the Overseers, as agents of the Lords of
Karma, guard that plan.
When the man has passed the Second Initiation, having cast off
three fetters aforesaid, he begins to see and to act upon the greater plan of
the ego, which is superior to the portion incarnated. But the Overseers will
not permit him to follow his vision to the neglect of the lower work in the
inferior part of the plan which he has still to do. He must not lose sight of
his vision, but yet must humbly submit himself to the duties which remain to be
done on ordinary lines.
THE HOLY ROYAL ARCH
As the Mark Degree is an extension of the F.C., so is the Holy
Royal Arch of Jerusalem a logical continuation of the M.M. Degree. I am
intentionally putting aside all consideration of the elaborate confusion of its
history, though I have introduced a few notes about it into my second volume,
Glimpses of Masonic History. Suffice it to say here that all the higher
Degrees, to which I am referring in this book, have their roots in the Ancient
Mysteries of the remotest past. They have not been, as is often supposed,
created anew by ceremonialists of the Middle Ages, but have been revived and
re-introduced at the direct or indirect suggestion of the H.O.A.T.F. when
He thought their re-emergence desirable.
Let it never be forgotten that all through the ages He (or His predecessor in
Office) has been “The Hidden Life in Freemasonry”, and that that Life has
manifested itself in many ways and through many unexpected channels when and
where it seemed best for the carrying on of the Great Work.
To explain, to such an extent as is permissible, the wonderfully illuminative
teaching of this truly sublime Degree of the Holy Royal Arch I shall borrow
freely from the exposition given in the Mystical Lecture of the Co-Masonic
Ritual of the Degree, reserving only such points as are necessary
to guard the secrets.
Having symbolically reached in the 3° the threshold of immortality,
the aspirant finds a quest opening before him, a quest for the G … S … of a
M.M., which were lost by the untimely death of our Master H … A … It may be
noted that through the teaching given in this Degree of the H.R.A. we see for
the first time why and how the Sacred Word was lost because of that death.
It was not that it was forgotten, but that the Three Principals had
sworn to
pronounce it only when they met together. For these lost secrets
all M.M.s are
pledged to seek until they are found. These are the secrets of
man’s eternal
being, the secrets of that Divinity which he has forgotten because
of his
shrouding in the veil of matter; and it is said that they may be
found by
following the guidance of a Star, as did the Wise Men of old. That
Star is the
Star of Initiation, the Star of God’s presence in our hearts.
The Degree of the H.R.A. leads the neophyte a step further in his
quest, and is thus a fitting sequel to the Sublime Degree of M.M., being indeed
an integral part of the same Hebrew tradition. The symbolical time of the R.A.
is that of the commencement of the building of the
In the Chapter of the H.R.A., the quest for the W … is carried to a
temporary conclusion. By a seeming accident the Candidate is led to discover
the Secret Vault of Solomon the King, buried deep below the surface of the
earth; in that Vault he finds the s … and m … N … of T.M.H., and for the first
time in his Masonic work gains direct vision of the Divine Presence. The
sacramental power outpoured in this Degree is intended to quicken the growth of
the Divine Spark within him, so that a conscious realization of the
truth of
God’s immanence may be gained by those who live its teaching
rightly, and the
Candidate may be enabled thereby to recognize the presence of God
in all things, however deeply that presence may be veiled from the eyes of the
flesh.
The teaching of the H.R.A. is beautifully epitomised in the words
of the Psalmist:
Whither
shall I go then from Thy Spirit, or whither
shall I go then from Thy Presence?
If I climb
up into heaven Thou art there; If I go
down to hell, Thou art there also.
If I take
the wings of the morning, and remain in the
uttermost parts of the sea, even there also shall Thy
hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say:
Peradventure the darkness shall cover me;
then shall my night be turned to day.
Yea, the
darkness is no darkness with Thee, but the
night is as clear as the day; the darkness and the
light to Thee are both alike.
(Psalm
cxxxix, 7-12)
Certain emblems which are brought prominently before us in the
ceremony of the H.R.A. are for us full of solemn signification and valuable
suggestion. The meaning of the Divine N … which is discovered in the Secret
Vault of Solomon the King is at once simple and profound. It teaches that God
is one and the same God, by whatever Name men call Him, and that He is immanent
in the lowest as well as in the highest. Proclaiming thus the universal
Fatherhood, it maintains also the universal Brotherhood, and sets before our
Companions the noblest of ideals. The entire symbol is surrounded by the
Circle, the emblem of God Himself, the eternal Reality behind and within all
things unchanging, yet containing all the elements of change. Of this circle it
may be truly said that it has its centre everywhere and its circumference
nowhere; for it is Omnipresence made manifest in symbol. Furthermore, the
circle enshrines a profound truth of creation. It is generated by radiation
from a centre; that is to say, its circumference is determined by the limits of
the rays going out from the centre in all directions. It is this radiation
which in the deepest sense constitutes the circle itself; for centre and
circumference are but alternating moments in the process of radiation. By this
we may understand that Creation, or the radiation from
the Divine Centre of all living things, is not an action performed at some
particular moment by God, but is continuous; it is His very Being; creation is
co-eternal and co-existent with God.
All creation truly goes forth from the Divine Centre. The countless
rays move each in its own direction towards the circumference; but whereas in
the centre they are all One, on the circumference they are manifold, each ray
being distinct from all others. Thus in God both unity and multiplicity are
simultaneously contained; at the Centre all is One, on
the circumference all is manifold. In the outer world we live on the
circumference of the Everlasting Circle, and all is in separation and therefore
in pain; the Royal Art of Masonry teaches us that we must travel along our own
ray of manifestation towards that Centre from which a M.M. cannot err, in order
to re-discover the truth of the unity of Divine Life in all things. When we
move on the circumference, we move in time; yet when we behold the circle as a
whole, we see its circumference simultaneously in all its parts, and thus are
led to realize that time is but our distorted vision of Eternity.
Again, the symbol of the circle teaches us the mighty Rhythm of
Creation; all things go forth from the centre of Unity to the circumference of
Multiplicity, and then return once more to that Unity whence they sprang. This
is the Eternal Breath of God, the Breath of Creation which is manifest
throughout the entire universe, in the life of man with its cycle of existence
from childhood through manhood to old age, and in Nature with its alternations
of day and night and the rhythmic flow of seasons. In this connection it is of
interest to note how many words denoting Spirit in different languages
primarily mean Breath - spiritus in Latin, pneuma in Greek, ruach in Hebrew,
atma in Sanskrit. It is this Divine Breath, the Holy Spirit, the Creative Fire
of God, whom we especially invoke in the Degree of the H.R.A.Within the circle
the triangle is placed, teaching us that God, though One
in essence, manifests as a Trinity - Power, Wisdom and Love. The Divine Will is
the Centre of the circle resting in Itself in eternal and unchanging peace; the
Divine Wisdom is the process of radiation, the Holy Spirit who is the Source of
Divine Activity, creating the manifoldness of things as it goes forth from the
Centre; the Divine Love is shown forth in the circumference of the circle,
uniting all separated creatures in the very bond of peace. This threefold
nature of the Divine is present throughout all Creation, in every object and in
every creature. In our own consciousness it is manifest in the Spiritual Will,
the Intuitional Wisdom and the Creative Intelligence which are three aspects or
modes of the Spirit of man, made in the image and likeness of his Creator. In
the universe around us we see it as the three qualities of manifestation -
inertia, mobility and rhythm, known in Hindu philosophy as the three gunas, and
in Western philosophy as space or extension,
time or change, and rhythm or qualities which give to each thing
its distinct
and essential nature.
Another symbol of creation is the cross inscribed within the
circle, showing how the Divine in manifestation is crucified upon the cross of
limitation, willingly suffered that the world might come into being. In that
process of creation the Divine as life and the Divine as form seem a duality,
even though they are but manifestations of the one eternal God.
This interplay or apparent duality in the universe is also
symbolized by the
cross, which thus becomes the emblem of the Fourfold Name of God.
Amongst the medieval Rosicrucians the four arms of this cross were taken to
symbolize the four elements, water, fire, air and earth, called in Hebrew
Iammim, Nour, Ruach and Iabescheh, corresponding yet again to the Four
Beasts about the throne of God,
symbolized for us by the Four Great Banners of the Order.
Since thus we learn that all life is the Divine life, it follows
also that the brotherhood of that life is in truth universal, and is by no
means confined to the human species. Not only is every man our brother, of
whatsoever race, colour or creed he may be, but the animals and the trees
around us - yea, even the very rock under our feet - are all our younger
brethren, all part of the same mighty evolution. When we realize all that this
knowledge implies, when we see how great a difference it makes in our attitude
towards the world around us, and how great a change the practice of the truth
here taught should make in every Companion, we shall not wonder at the high
regard in which Masonic writers hold this Degree of the H.R.A. of Jerusalem,
which they consider as the crown and completion of Freemasonry, because of the
knowledge of God which it gives to us.
A curious but most instructive symbol characteristic of this Degree
is that called the Triple Tau, formed out of three levels, one standing upright
and two lying horizontally and joined in the centre. The Tau in ancient Egypt
was the symbolic equivalent of the cross; it signified the crucifixion of the
Divine Life in the world of manifestation. It was also emblematic of the
androgynous nature of the Deity; it typified God as Father-Mother. On the
Installed
Master’s apron we find three
Taus in separation; in the Holy Royal Arch we see them conjoined, for here the
teaching given is the unity to be found in this entire threefold universe,
conveying also the meaning that each Person in this Trinity has its male and
female aspect - precisely the same idea which is expressed in the Hindu
religion by the statement that each Person has his Shakti, commonly described
as his consort. Thus the Three-in-One becomes Six-in-One, and, with the
surrounding circle which indicates the unmanifested Totality, we have the Mystic
Seven.
The Triple Tau is also called in Royal Arch Masonry the Key. It
contains eight right angles, and is used as a measure or mnemonic whereby the
Platonic Solids can be calculated. Taken alone, it is commensurate with the
Tetrahedron, the sides of which, being four equilateral triangles, are together
equal to eight right angles, because the interior angles of any triangle are
together equal to two right angles. It is said that this solid was used by the
Platonists as a symbol of the element Fire.
Two of these Keys are equivalent to the Octahedron, which contains
sixteen right angles, and was considered to represent Air. Three Keys are
commensurate with the Cube, the sides of which contain twenty-four right
angles; this figure was supposed to typify Earth, because it is of all these
figures the firmest and most immovable upon its basis.780Five of these Keys
give us forty right angles, which are equal in amount to those contained in the
twenty equilateral sides of the Icosahedron. This solid was taken to express
the element Water.
The remaining Platonic Solid, called the Dodecahedron, has for its
sides twelve regular pentagons. It is a rule in geometry that the interior
angles of any rectilinear figure are equal to twice as many right angles as the
figure has sides less 4 right angles; thus the interior angles of a pentagon
are 10 – 4 = 6 right angles; therefore the dodecahedron is contained by seventy-two right angles, and consequently is
represented by nine Keys. So it will be seen that this Key is the greatest
common measure of all these Platonic Solids, and that is why on the scroll
round it in the Jewel of the Holy Royal
Arch Degree we find the Latin phrase: Nil nisi clavis deest, “Nothing is
wanting but the key”, teaching us on the one hand that without the inner
knowledge all these symbols are but lifeless, and on the other that, great as
is the teaching given, there is yet more to be found as we move along on the
path of Masonic progress.
There is a method by which, by sub-dividing the triangles and the
Seal of Solomon into smaller triangles and adding up the total number of
degrees formed by all their angles, we can yet again work out the number of
right angles equivalent to those of the Platonic solids. This process is
complicated, and is of little practical value, so I do not give it here;
although it is true that the Platonic Solids have a profound meaning in
connection with that process of Divine Creation, upon which the Degree of the
Holy Royal Arch contains such priceless teaching.
STILL HIGHER
In endeavouring to give such idea as may lawfully be
given of the splendour and the immense practical value of the
higher Degrees I
must briefly recapitulate something of what I have already written
in Glimpses
of Masonic History. Though the H.R.A. so satisfactorily rounds off the system
of Masonic teaching for most
men, there are still deeper wells of wisdom for
the student who is determined to win his way to the ultimate goal,
whom nothing
but the highest can satisfy. Gradually such a man comes to
understand that,
although he has indeed in the H.R.A. found the Divine Name, and
contacted for
himself at least one aspect of the Hidden Light of God, there is a
further
search still before him, in which he can penetrate even deeper into
the
consciousness and being of the Deity. Great and marvellous indeed
is the
revelation already given to him - a revelation which has changed
for him the
whole aspect of life, and made the selfish and miserably limited
existence of
the profane for ever impossible for him. Yet he now begins to see
that he is as
yet touching only one circumference of a vast circle - nay, more,
that he is
working only on the surface of an infinite sphere.
THE ROSE-CROIX
It is then that he begins his second great quest,
which leads up through a number of stages, during which different
attributes of
the All-Father are studied and to some extent realized, until it
culminates in
the magnificent illumination given in the Eighteenth Degree, that
of the
Sovereign Prince of the Rose-Croix of Heredom, through which he
finds the
divine Love reigning in his own heart and in those of his Brn. He
also learns
that God has descended and shared our lower nature with us
expressly in order
that we may ascend to share His true nature with Him.
The Name of T.G.A.O.T.U. which is revealed to the
aspirant in this most wonderful 18° was the central and innermost
secret of the
ancient Egyptian mystery-teaching. The H.O.A.T.F. in His incarnation
as
Christian Rosenkreutz translated the Word into Latin, most
ingeniously retaining
its remarkable mnemonic character, all its complicated
implications, and even a
close approximation to its original sound. Naturally it cannot be
given here,
but the general character of the instruction which it conveys in so
skilful a
manner may be indicated by a sentence quoted from one of the patron
saints of
Freemasonry: “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” It
further
teaches us that God sits enthroned in every human heart, that the
inmost Spirit
of each man is part of God Himself, a spark of the Divine; and that
therefore
all men are one in Him, and there is no height to which man may not
aspire.
From this great central fact a whole system of
philosophy may be deduced, and also a rule of life; when men are
really
convinced of it, there is brotherhood, peace and progress, but when
this Word
is lost, chaos reigns and evil stalks abroad. Each Knight should
meditate upon
it and try to realize all that it involves, for the knowledge which
it gives
should permeate the whole fibre of his being, should literally
become part of
his very essence, if he is to do the duty which is expected of him.
The deep
reverence and thankfulness which that sublime thought inspires must
be his
constant attitude; he must live in the light of that glorious
truth; it must
never be forgotten even for a moment. For the man who really knows
this, all
life is one great glad song of triumph and of gratitude. All this
he
acknowledges, in all this he rejoices every time that he remembers
that wondrous
Word of power.
It is the clear duty of every Knight of the
Rose-Croix to spread this light abroad - to preach by word when
possible, and
always by action, this true “gospel of the grace of God”. In the
Co-Masonic form
of this Degree he is instructed to offer himself as a channel for
the Divine
force and to make efforts to cooperate with T.G.A.O.T.U. By this
daily work his
buddhi or intuitional principle, the hidden wisdom which in Egypt
was called
Horus, the Christ dwelling
in man, should be aroused and greatly developed, so
that he becomes, to the limit of his capability, a living
manifestation of the
Eternal Love, a veritable priest who is its instrument for the
helping of the
world.
In this Degree also we find certain symbols of deep
significance. The flower of the Rose has the threefold connotation
of Love,
Secrecy and Fragrance, while the Cross bears also the threefold
meaning of
Self-sacrifice, Immortality and Holiness. So when these two emblems
are taken in
conjunction, as they always are in the name Rose-Croix, they
betoken the Love of
Self-sacrifice, the Secret of Immortality, and the sweet Fragrance
of a Holy
life.
The Serpent represents Eternity; the Double Triangle,
Spirit and Matter; the Pelican is another ancient symbol of
Self-sacrifice, as
the Eagle is of Victory.
It is significant that up to this point the aspirant,
having complied with certain requirements, may apply for
advancement, may demand
recognition of his progress. But now that he is coming in sight of
higher
Degrees he may no longer make demand - he must wait for invitation
from those
who have already attained. It is not for him, but for them, to
decide when he is
ready to make a further effort. At the levels which he must now
approach, the
brotherhood is so close, so perfect, that there must be no risk
that its
fullness may be marred by the introduction of a discordant element.
Not only do these higher Degrees carry on further the
same process of development which was begun in the lower, they may
be said in a
certain sense to repeat it at a higher level. The E.A. controls and
uplifts
emotion in the astral body; the Rose-Croix of Heredom develops far
higher love
in the buddhi which corresponds to it. The F.C. tries to strengthen
his
intellect to comprehend the hidden mysteries of Masonry; the Knight
K.H. unfolds
within him that grander intellectual quality which gives him always
perfect
balance and a sense of absolute justice, so that he understands the
working of
karma. The M.M. combines within himself and carries farther
qualities of the
Degrees below him; the due-guard of his Degree shows that he is
intended to be
shedding blessing and help around him wherever he goes; and of
course this is
true to a far greater extent and at a far higher level of the
Sovereign Grand
Inspector General of the 33°, for he should have love, wisdom and
power equally
manifesting in him, so that in him the true essence of governance
may be set
forth.
In Blue Masonry and in the Degree of the H.R.A. we
call in the assistance of certain Seventh-Ray Angels to assist the
officials in
conducting the work of the Lodge or Chapter; in this 18° and in
other still
higher Degrees we do that, also, but the type of Angels who respond
is
different, for each Degree has its own kind of Deva-attendant. In
these cases,
however, the support of the Angelic kingdom is much more fully extended;
not
only have we the aid of the Devas in the performance of our
ceremonies, but to
each Prince of Heredom at the time of his Perfection a special
Angel is
attached, to help him in his private and individual work for the
cause. This
will be more readily comprehensible if I mention first the
characteristic of
the other Degrees.
BLACK MASONRY
Few need anything further than the splendid
revelation of the indwelling Love of God which they receive in the
Eighteenth
Degree. But there are those who feel that there is yet more to
learn of the
nature of God, who eagerly wish to understand the meaning of evil
and suffering,
and its relation to the Divine plan; for them Black Masonry exists
- the
teaching and progress comprised in the Degrees from the nineteenth
to the
thirtieth. This section of the Mysteries is especially concerned
with the
working out of karma in its different aspects, studied as a law of
retribution,
and so from one point of view it is dark and terrible. This is the
inner kernel
lying behind the vengeance-elements in the degree of Knight K.H.
The darker
aspects of karma are largely connected with man’s ignorance of the
nature of
God, and with confusion with regard to many forms in which He
reveals Himself,
and thus the s … s of the 30° contain the heart of its philosophy.
That Degree
would not be fully and validly conferred unless these s … s were
duly
communicated, since they express its inner meaning and purpose.
In the ancient Egyptian instruction, corresponding to
this group of Degrees, it was taught that whatsoever a man sowed
that also must
he reap, and that if he sowed evil the result would be suffering to
himself. The
karma of nations and races was also studied, and the inner working
of the law
upon the different planes was investigated by the inner sight, and
shown to the
student. The whole of what we now call Black Masonry led up to an
explanation of
karma, as Divine justice, this having been preserved for us in
shadow in what is
now the 31°, that of the Grand Inspector Inquisitor Commander,
whose symbol is a
pair of scales. In Egypt this pair of scales was taken as an emblem
of the
perfect balance of Divine justice; the aspirant learnt that all the
horror
sometimes associated with the working out of karma was indeed based
on absolute
justice, although it appeared as evil to the lesser vision of the
profane.
Thus the first stage of the higher instruction, that
of the Rose-Croix or Red Masonry, is devoted to the knowledge and
assurance of
good, while to the Second stage, that of the Knight K.H., is
assigned the
knowledge of apparent evil and its explanation. Next, in the first
steps of
White Masonry, the crown of the whole glorious structure, the
aspirant learns to
see the underlying justice of the great and eternal God, called in
Egypt
Amen-Ra, who stands behind all alike, whether it seems to us evil
or good. We
are told that in older days, before the Kaliyuga, in which the
apparent evil
predominates over the good, the Knight K.H. wore regalia of yellow
instead of
black.
The 30° links the Knight K.H. to the ruling rather
than to the teaching branch of the Great Hierarchy. He should
become a radiant
centre of perennial energy, which is intended to give him strength
to overcome
evil and to make him a real power on the side of good. Though the
sash is black,
the prevailing colour of the influence is an electric blue (that of
the First
Ray, quite different from the blue of the symbolic or Blue Masonry
of the early
Degrees) edged with gold, including and yet not drowning the rose
of the 18۫º. A
higher level of the same energy is transmitted to the Chair of the
Sovereign
Commander, who has the ability to pass on the sacramental grace of
the Degree to
others.
800WHITE MASONRY
80The highest and last of the sacramental powers of the
Ancient Mysteries which have been transmitted to us is that of the
Sovereign
Grand Inspector General of the 33°. The Brn. of this high Order
should have
passed on from a conception of the Divine justice to the certainty
of knowledge
and the fullness of the Divine Glory in the Hidden Light. The 33°
links the
Sovereign Grand Inspector General with the Spiritual King of the
World Himself -
that Mightiest of Adepts who stands at the head of the Great White
Lodge, in
whose strong hands lie the destinies of the earth - and awakens the
powers of
the Triple Spirit as far as they can yet be awakened. This highest
of all
Degrees is given to but few, yet even among those few there can
have been but a
handful who had the least conception of what they had received, or
of the powers
given into their hands. Most of those to whom it comes probably
regard it as
chiefly an administrative Degree, and have no idea that it has a
spiritual side
at all. The actual conferring of the Degree is a very splendid
experience when
seen with the inner sight; for the
Hierophant of the Mysteries (the H.O.A.T.F.)
stands above or beside the physical initiator, in that extension of
His
consciousness which is called the Angel of the Presence. If the
recipient of the
Degree happens to be already an Initiate, the Star (called in Egypt
the Star of
Horus) which marks the approval of the One Initiator once more
flames out above
him in all its glory; while in any case the two great white Angels
of the rite
flash down in splendour from the heavenly places, showing
themselves as low as
the etheric level, that they may give their full blessing to the
new Ruler in
the Craft.
80The H.O.A.T.F. makes the actual links both with
Himself and with the reservoir of power set apart for the work of
the Masonic
Brotherhood, and also through Himself with that Mighty King whose
representative He is for this work, while the great white Angels of
the Order
remain as the guardians of the Sovereign Grand Inspector General
throughout
life. This stage combines the wonderful love of Horus the Son with
the ineffable
life and strength of Osiris the divine Father and Isis the eternal
Mother of the
world; and this union of love with strength is its most prominent
characteristic.
80It confers upon those who open themselves to its
influence power similar to and only a little way below that of the
First great
Initiation, and those who enter the 33° should assuredly qualify
themselves for
that Step before very long. Indeed, in the great days of the
Mysteries this
stage was accessible only to Initiates, and one feels that it ought
to be given
only to such now just as it would seem appropriate that the
marvellous gift of
the episcopate should be conferred only upon members of the Great
White
Brotherhood. The power of the Degree when in operation shows itself
in an aura
of dazzling white and gold, enfolding within it the rose and the
blue of
Rose-Croix and K.H.; and yet it is also strongly permeated with
that peculiar
shade of electric blue which is the especial sign of the presence
of the King.
The Sovereign Grand Inspector General is the “Bishop” of Masonry,
and if the
life of the Degree is really lived he should be an ever-radiating
centre of
power, a veritable sun of light and life and glory wherever he
goes.
80Such was the highest and holiest of the sacramental
powers conferred in the Mysteries of ancient Egypt, such the
highest Degree
known to us in Freemasonry today, bestowed in its fullness upon
very few. The
opportunity to draw down its sublime glory is offered to all who
receive the
Degree; how far it is taken and what use is made of the power is in
the hands of
the Bros. alone, for to use it, as it should be used, needs high
spiritual
development and a life of constant humility, watchfulness and
service. If he
calls upon it for the service of others, it will flow through him
mightily and
sweetly for the helping of the world. If he neglects the power, it
will remain
dormant and the links unused - and Those behind will turn Their
glance away from
him to others more responsive. The influence of the 33° is a
veritable ocean of
bliss and splendour, strength and sweetness, for it is the power of
the King
Himself, the Lord who reigns on earth as Viceregent of the Logos
from eternity
unto eternity.
80HOW TO USE THE POWERS
80It must of course be understood in all cases that,
though the conferring of the Higher Degrees puts certain definite
powers in the
hands of the recipient, it does not instantly endow him with the
knowledge of
how he is to employ them; he must grow into that by long and
careful practice,
and full comprehension of them is the first step.
80To gain such full understanding is no easy matter.
Those of us to whom these powers are entrusted have to wield the
forces of a new
and higher world; we have to learn to do in a small way what our
Masters are
doing all the while on a far larger scale; and that means that we
must
consciously lift our lives much nearer to Them. A definite piece of
Their work
is being turned over to us, to set Them free for other and higher
activities; we
must not fail Them, we must not disappoint Them by showing
ourselves unable to
do it.
80Clearly our task is of the same nature as one with
which we are all of us already theoretically familiar. All who have
worked in
the Liberal Catholic Church or in the earlier Degrees of Co-Masonry
know that
the chief object of those great organizations is to draw down
spiritual
influence from on high, and to radiate it out upon the surrounding
world in a
form in which that world can readily assimilate it. But in each of
those bodies
the actual work of radiation, of distribution, is done by non-human
entities -
by the great Angels or Devas whom we invoke - our part in the work
being rather
the provision of the material which they employ. Ours is the
intensity of the
devotion and of life and good will which calls down the response
from the Logos;
theirs is the labour of sorting out, of classifying and directing
the manifold
varieties of that Divine response, and applying it where it is most
needed.
80But now in this work of the higher Degrees we are
called not only to collect but to direct - not only to provide
material but to
distribute and apply it. We are to exercise the functions of the
Angels on some
of the lower planes, thus leaving them free to concentrate their
energies on
higher levels where as yet we are less effective. The great Angels
of our
respective Degrees will assuredly work with us; it is for that
purpose that they
have come to us; but we on our part must do our share of the work
so that the
machine as a whole may act at its highest efficiency.
810This is indeed a prodigious privilege which has been
conferred upon us, and it involves a correspondingly weighty
responsibility.
None of us; I am sure, would intentionally use our power wrongly;
there is no
danger of that; but there is the possibility that through ignorance
we may fail
to make sufficient use of these new talents of ours. We were told
long ago that
“inaction in a deed of mercy may become action in a deadly sin”.
Since the Great
Ones have entrusted us with powers so portentous it behoves us to
try to
understand them fully, to study their working, so that we may learn
how to use
them to the best advantage, how to do with them what our Masters
intend us to
do.
A second point is that, having received a great
accession of strength from our connection with the Angel, we must
keep a doubly
careful watch over our words and thoughts, and guard ourselves most
strictly
from even a momentary flash of irritability. With us, after our
years of
self-training, such a feeling passes so quickly that, though of
course it is
always undesirable, it may not previously have mattered very much;
but now it
becomes far more serious, for even its rapid passage may do
considerable harm to the object of our wrath.
OUR RELATION WITH THE ANGELS
We must consider heedfully the relation with the
Angelic kingdom into which these higher Degrees bring us, for it is
a matter of
the utmost importance. At the moment of his Perfecting, there is
attached to the
Sovereign Prince of the Rose-Croix a splendid crimson Angel - a
Being of beauty, dignity and power beyond the utmost stretch of our
imagination.
What is the nature of this attachment, and what will be the
practical effect of this beautiful partnership? The Angel links himself with
the higher principles of the man, most of all with the buddhi or intuitional
wisdom, and the result should presently show itself in two ways. The
indescribable vitality and versatility of the Angel’s mind will constantly
impress themselves upon the mental body of the novice, stimulating it into far
greater activity, suggesting new lines
of thought and action for the benefit of humanity, strengthening the quality of
love within him and offering it ever new channels through which to flow.
Conversely, whatever ideas may arise in the
neophyte’s own mind will at once be seized and intensified by the Angel, and
all sorts of hints will be offered as to methods of putting them
into practice.
But it cannot be too often reiterated or too strongly impressed upon
the
aspirant that all this will happen only if he makes a definite
effort to lay
himself open to the Angelic influence, only if he fills himself
with the fiery
love which is the common factor and line of communication between
the two
evolutions which otherwise differ so widely.
If we are at all to understand these wondrous
denizens of a higher world, which is yet a part of our world (and
it is clearly
our duty to try to understand them), we shall need to widen out our
entire
conception of life. Our studies in earlier Degrees should have
given us a
loftier point of view, and endowed us with a wider outlook than
that of the
uninstructed man; but we are still confined within our human rut,
and we must
learn to transcend it. As compared to the unimaginable reality, our
ideas are
at the best personal and limited - even mean and sordid. They are
good of their
kind, but they are restricted to that kind; effective in some
directions, but
utterly unaware that there are other directions of greater
importance.
The kingdoms of nature are curiously related to each
other, and mutual comprehension is extraordinarily difficult. Think
how far it
is possible for even the most intelligent of our domestic animals
to understand
our own life. He sees us sitting reading or writing for hours
together; how can
he have any real idea of what we are doing? The very large section
of our
existence which depends upon our possession of those powers is
altogether beyond
his grasp, and we can never explain it to him. Just so are there
many activities
of the Angelic kingdom which are incomprehensible to us.
Yet when one of these bright Spirits is attached to
us by a Masonic ceremony we must not think of him either as
director or as an
attendant, but simply as a co-worker and a brother. Our
self-centredness is so
ingrained that when we hear of such wonderful association we at
once think,
however unconsciously, what zee can gain by the relationship. What
can we learn
from this resplendent being? Will he guide us, advise us, protect
us? Or, on the
other hand, is he a servant whom we can send to do our will? It is
just because
we are creatures of that sort, just because we think in that way,
just because
we are at that stage of evolution, that admission to the 18° has to
be by
invitation only. A person who is still in that condition of what
might be called
latent selfishness is not yet ready to be linked with a radiant
entity who does
not know what selfishness means.
Here is a great and powerful Being, of an order quite
different from our own, but in certain ways complementary to it; if
we two can
work together in a union so perfect that there shall be but one
will, one
purpose, one thought - and that the Divine thought - between us, we
can achieve
very far more, we can be of enormously more use to the Logos, than
we could ever
be when labouring separately, no matter how strenuous might be our
endeavours.
Such a union is part of God’s intention for us; if we can attain
it, it will be
an incredible advantage to us; yet if we desire it because of that
personal
gain, we are unworthy of it and shall fail to realize our hope. We
must accept
such magnificent comradeship only because of the benefit which will
accrue to
the world; as regards ourselves we must be absolutely impersonal,
we must have
forgotten ourselves utterly, yet we must be filled with the Divine
fervency of
love for humanity.
820A man may feel: “These things are too high for me;
who shall be sufficient for them?” If karma puts the opportunity in
his way, the
achievement is within his power, even though it may mean harder
work than he has
ever yet undertaken. And the fiery love which is the very essence of
the life of
his Seraph will awaken ever more and more of the latent quality in
himself,
until what now seems impossible has been realized, has become a
part of his
daily existence.
The 30° brings its Angel also, of appropriate
character - a great blue Deva of the First Ray, who lends his
strength to the
Knight K.H., somewhat as the crimson Angel assists the Ex. and
Perf. Bro. of the
Rose-Croix. The 33 ° gives two such splendid fellow-workers -
Spirits of
gigantic size as compared to humanity, and radiantly white in
colour. Among the
Angels there is no sex as we understand the word; yet these two
Great Ones
differ in a sense which is best expressed by saying that one of
them is
predominantly masculine and the other predominantly feminine. He
who stands
usually on the right hand of the Sovereign Grand Inspector General
has an aura
of brilliant white light shot with gold, and represents Osiris, the
sun and the
life, the positive aspect of the Deity; she who stands on the left
has an aura
of similar light veined with silver, and represents Isis, the moon
and the
truth, the negative or feminine aspect of the Divine Glory. They
are splendid
beyond all words, and radiant with living love, though most of all
they convey a
sense of irresistible, though benevolent, power; and they give
strength to act
with decision, accuracy, courage and perseverance on the physical
plane.
They belong to the cosmic Order of Angels, who are
common to other solar systems besides our own, and their permanent
centres of
consciousness are on the intuitional plane; though whenever they
think fit they
draw round themselves mental and astral matter (as, for example, at
all the
greater ceremonies in Lodge) and they are always ready to give
their blessing
whenever it is invoked. They are inseparably one with the Sovereign
Grand
Inspector General, linked to his higher Self, never to desert him
unless by
unworthiness he first deserts them and casts them off. The symbols
of the sun
and moon are usually represented on the gauntlets of the holder of
this sublime
position, and they are intended to refer to these great Angelic
Powers, who bear
a close resemblance to those magnificent members of their kingdom
who attach
themselves to a Bishop at the time of his consecration, and
thereafter remain
always in connection with him.
This last phrase requires a little further
explanation, for the association is of an unusual character. This
shining
retinue of the heavenly host does not visibly accompany either the
Bishop or the
Sovereign Grand Inspector General at all times, yet the
consciousness of these
high Angelic comrades is never out of touch with his own, though
the link is not
easy to explain. The Angel keeps a line of communication always
open, and the
end of this line, which rests in the aura of his human partner,
floats there
like a star or tiny point of light. If the Bishop or the
Prince-Mason calls upon
his inner friend, the latter is instantly there; indeed, a call, is
not
necessary - the merest flash of thought is enough. The link must be
of a very
remarkable nature, for I myself have found that the intention to
perform any
episcopal act - even to give the most ordinary blessing - at once
attracts the
attention of these noble collaborators, though I have not
consciously thought
of them at all.
I have wondered whether it would be irreverent to see
in that tiny point of light in the aura which represents the Angel,
some sort of
analogy at an infinitely lower level to the Host in the Tabernacle
which is the
vehicle of the Lord Christ. How often have I seen, in some small
village church
on the Continent, the gentle glow which indicates the Holy
Presence; and when
some humble peasant-woman comes in on her way to market, puts down
her basket in
the porch, and kneels for a few moments of prayer, how often have I
seen that
glow flash out into a sun-like radiance in immediate response to
her earnest
thought of devotion! The Holy Presence is never absent, but It
certainly
exhibits Itself in greater activity in answer to an appeal. Is the
Angel’s
force-centre something like a faint reflection of that?
Perhaps another analogy may be found in the twelve
stars which, following the beautiful description in the Apocalypse,
are so often
shown in medieval paintings round the head of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. All these
represent powers; perhaps they correspond in some way to the points
of light
which the Angels leave in our aura. The Star always floating over
the head of an
Initiate betokens the Power of the King, upon which he can draw at
any moment,
while the star upon his forehead is the symbol of his own acquired
power.
CHAPTER X
TWO WONDERFUL RITUALS
THE WORKINGS IN EGYPT
IN Chapter VI we have commented upon the procedure
adopted in Lodge when there is a candidate to be initiated.
Naturally this is
not always the case, and when it is not, after disposing of any
business that
may arise it is usual for the R.W.M., or some expert Bro. called upon
by him, to
give some instruction to the Brn. along Masonic lines, or to
deliver a lecture
on some historical point of Masonic interest. Sometimes the
formulated
“Lectures” of the Masculine Craft are rehearsed - a very
interesting set of
documents arranged in the form of questions and answers, which
recapitulate and
explain the ritual, and contain a good deal of miscellaneous
Masonic
information. Sometimes the official explanation of the t … b … is
recited, with
any comment or further elucidation which occurs to the R.W.M.
830In ancient Egypt this was the point at which in the
ordinary Lodges the special teaching of the Mysteries was given. It
seems to
have consisted of somewhat informal talks by the R.W.M, on the
various sciences
which were included in their rather extensive curriculum. The Brn.
were
permitted to ask questions, but everything was done with the
greatest possible
decorum, and with a certain archaic and formal but very real
reverence that was
charming to see. What we must call examinations, though they were
very different
from ours, were held when convenient, and no Bro. could pass into a
higher
degree without satisfying the officials as to his full knowledge
and capability
with regard to the stage in which he was then working. Whenever it
was at all
possible a special point was always made of the copious
illustration of any
subject under consideration, and this was effected sometimes by
pictures and
models, sometimes by dramatic representations (as of important
scenes from
ancient history), and sometimes by actual materialization of
objects and
materials which could not otherwise be procured.
In the three Grand Lodges the procedure differed.
Their members had already acquired the necessary scientific
knowledge, so they
were able to devote themselves entirely to the great purpose for
which they
existed - the pouring forth of spiritual power over the country.
This was done
by means of a ritual perhaps as magnificent as any ever known to
man - a ritual
of which I will here give a free translation, though I feel it
entirely
impossible to reproduce in words the majesty and splendour of the
original.
As already stated, the Grand Lodges were limited to
forty members, but these Brn, were especially and essentially
picked men, and
each one had it as a duty to take up some particular quality or
activity and fit
himself to be a representative of that. One man, for example,
represented
perseverance, and was called the Knight or Lord of Perseverance;
another was the
Knight or Lord of Courage; another took up the virtue of tact, and
so on. A list
of these qualities is appended; but I am not satisfied with it, for
it is often
exceedingly difficult to find English equivalents for the Egyptian
ideas, and in
many cases a whole sentence would be needed folly to explain the
latter.
Love and Wisdom
Strength
The Power to discover
and appreciate Beauty
Discernment (Good
Judgment or Discrimination)
Eloquence
Truth and Accuracy
Industry (Diligence)
Efficiency
Sense of Unity
(Sympathy)
Courtesy
Tact
Decision (Promptitude)
Courage
Cheerfulness
Confidence
Calm
Balance
Perseverance
(Steadfastness)
Reverence
Devotion
Foresight (Calculation
or Prescience)
One-pointedness
Sense of Honour
Impartiality
(Unprejudicedness)
Justice
Desirelessness
Control of Thought
Control of Emotion
Control of Body
Judicious Speech
Control of Memory
(Knowing what to remember and what to forget)
Meditation
Purity
Patience and Gentleness
Persuasiveness
Adaptability
Tolerance
Eagerness for Service
(Humility)
Study
40. PerspicuityR.W.M.
W.S.W.
W.J.W.
I.P.M.
Orator or Mouthpiece
Secretary
(Recorder and Librarian)
Administrator (Treasurer)
Director of Ceremonies
Director of Music
S.D.
J.D.
I.G.
It was, then, the duty of each brother to fit himself to expound or
express his quality or activity - not for himself, but as a part of the whole.
A man cultivated courage, not that he might be brave, but that he might
represent courage in that group, regarded as a composite entity, which was in a
very real sense a unity. Each one of them must know his quality not only from
his own point of view, but also by an odd system of cross correspondences.
Each person was supposed to be able to deliver a sermon about his
quality from
the point of view of each of the other qualities. Courage tempered
by humility;
courage affected by love, and so on; there were many quaint and
interesting
combinations. These were first-rate men - and they needed to be to
do their work efficiently.
THE FORM OF THE TEMPLE OF AMEN-RA
The performance of the beautiful ceremony called “The Building of
the Temple of Amen” was the principal work done by these great Lodges; and, as
I have said, the Brn. regarded it as the chief reason for their existence. As
explained in Chapter I, they held that the Hidden Light of God dwelt within the
heart of every man, however unevolved he might be; and they considered it the
duty of the enlightened one, first, so to live as to let that Light shine
unobstructed through him, and secondly, to try by every means within his power
to help to arouse and unveil that Hidden Light in his fellow-men.
They found by experience that one of the most efficient modes of
giving such help to large numbers
simultaneously was to afford a channel for the outpouring of a vast flood of
spiritual force over the surrounding country, and that was what they
endeavoured to do in the ceremony which I am about to describe. They said: “All
Light comes from the Great One; but because men shut themselves away in the
caves of ignorance and misunderstanding, our earthly mirrors can reflect that
Light where otherwise it would not penetrate, and so the Great One accepts our
help, and condescends to use in the work that part of Himself which is
manifesting through us.” They looked forward to this ceremony with the utmost
eagerness and thought no pains too great to take to prepare themselves for it;
and they threw themselves into its performance with an unsurpassable
enthusiasm.
They met for this function in a subterranean hall of
vast size, resembling in appearance a great cathedral. The Lodge
was a small
area in the midst of this prodigious cave, like the cella in a
Greek temple. The
mosaic floor, the tessellated pavement and the usual Masonic
arrangements were
there, just as we have them now. For the performance of this
particular rite the
altar stood in the middle; but the usual form of the Lodge in Egypt
was the
double square - an oblong about twice as long as it is broad - and
in that case
the altar stood at the middle point of the eastern square; but for
“The Building
of the Temple of Amen” the altar was absolutely central. In all
Lodges in Egypt
they attached very great importance to the altar, saying that the
altars of
Masonry had from time immemorial been the beacon - lights of
liberty, and the
Lodge a city of refuge.
Just outside the area of the Lodge on the north side
was a row of nine subsidiary altars, somewhat like little
round-topped tables.
Each was a highly carved stone pillar, rising to a height of a
little more than
three feet and then spreading out into a round table-top, perhaps a
couple of
feet in diameter. On each of those was the name of one of the great
Archangels.
These were the altars of the Nine Orders of Angels, and that which
now we
represent under the name of the Archangel Michael was the central
point of the
nine. Below on the floor round each of these was a kind of shallow
trough in
which during the ceremony incense was burning all the time. I am
not quite sure
how the fire was kept up, for in the Egyptian Mysteries they had
means of
producing exceedingly bright light and intense heat which were
quite different
from ours - probably something we have not yet discovered. They had
thus a thin
veil of incense rising round each of these little altars.
The altar in the centre of the Lodge was peculiar,
and requires a little explanation. It was built on the same general
plan as
those of the Angels, but it was considerably more massive. Its edge
was thick,
and not strictly speaking circular; it was really a polygon with
forty sides - a
side for each person present. The altar-top was perhaps about seven
feet in
diameter, and each of the forty little facets was square. The altar
was made of
some kind of obsidian or possibly jade-glass-like, not black, but
dark blue or
green. In the centre of this thick altar-top there was hidden a
very bright
light, quite invisible when all the mechanism was closed.
840In the upper surface of this hollow altar there was a
circular opening, closed by a little door, the two halves of which
could slide
apart so that the light could shine out upwards towards the roof
through that
hole in the top of the altar. Apart from this, each of the facets
had a little
door that drew up. One could take hold of the projecting frame, and
draw up the
little door, so that a pencil of light shone out horizontally
towards the
far-distant wall through the little slit which was thereby opened.
Inside each
of these little doors was coloured glass, so that different rays
came forth from
each of these forty slits when they were opened. These colours were
chosen to
represent the various qualities, or at least to distinguish one
from another.
Some were simple colours, but most were combinations. I mean that a
pencil of
light would be divided - half yellow and half blue, let us say;
sometimes such a
division would be diagonal, and sometimes horizontal, so that the
resulting
beams were readily recognizable.
Over the altar in the centre of the roof was the
Blazing Star, which at full power was a really splendid light,
equal to several
big electric arcs put together. It was however, capable of being
dimmed down
gradually, and could be used at various degrees of power. Each of
the Brn.
brought to this ceremony a private light of his own, which was
practically a
dark lantern. It was a rather clumsy-looking bog of blue
earthenware, but it had
a tube corresponding to that of a bull’s-eye lantern, so that it
could shoot out
a powerful pencil of light which stood out clearly in the
incense-laden air.
Each person’s ray of light was different, corresponding to one of
those from
the altar in the centre. Another feature which is quite foreign to
our modern
ideas was the presence of two attendant acolytes at the ceremony -
a boy and a
girl of about twelve years of age, most beautiful children, chosen
for their
beauty out of the whole land of Egypt. They were sworn under the
most sacred
oath (the oath by Amen, which none would ever dare to break) not to
speak
outside of what took place in the Lodge. Certain vessels and other
paraphernalia
were kept under the R.W.M.’s pedestal, and solemnly fetched thence
by these
little acolytes when required.
THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE OF AMEN-RA
When the ceremony of the Building of the Temple of
Amen was to be performed the Lodge
was opened in the ordinary way, and raised
straight to the Third Degree by the shortest method in due and
ancient form. The
Blazing Star flashed out at the moment of opening, but not to its
highest
possibility. After inquiries as to business, the R.W.M. gave one k
… which was
answered as usual, and said:
“Brn., we have met to perform the greatest of our
duties - to build the Temple of the Great One, the Great Architect,
the Grand
Geometrician, the Most High.”
As he uttered the first title, all present raised the
back of the right hand to the forehead, and at each of the other
titles the
appropriate salutes were given, exactly as we know them now.
Remaining at the
salute the R.W.M. continued:
“May we be found worthy to serve Him.”
All present repeated the words, chanting solemnly in
reply:
“May we be found worthy to serve Him.”
In the same way the following sentences were
repeated:
850R.W.M. - May our work be guided by His wisdom.
All - May our work be guided by His wisdom.
W.S.W. - May our work be inspired by His strength.
All - May our work be inspired by His strength.
W.J.W. - May our work show forth His beauty.
All - May our work show forth His beauty.
R.W.M. - May our work be acceptable in His sight.
All - May our work be acceptable in His sight.
That last sentence meant more than is conveyed in the
English words, for it also included the idea that while He saw it,
and approved
it, He might also be seen in it, might shine through it and
manifest Himself.
Then the R.W.M. said:
860“Brn., let us prepare ourselves by a few minutes of
meditation.”
He made a sign with his hand, and the Blazing Star
was extinguished, leaving the Lodge in total darkness. Each brother
had his lamp
lit, but the light was perfectly concealed. At each man’s seat was
a sort of
socket or stand into which his lamp fitted, and when it was laid on
that socket
its tube was accurately aimed at the corresponding facet of the
central altar.
Each brother (or sister) retained always the same seat, and the
coloured glass
in the tube of his lantern exactly resembled that in the facet of
the altar to
which he was opposite.
THE UNVEILING OF THE HIDDEN LIGHT
After a few minutes of meditation in the darkness the
R.W.M. gave a k …, which was answered as usual, and the W.S.W,
said:
“R.W.M., is it your will that we pray the God Ra to
unveil the Hidden Light?” (The God Ra is the Solar Logos,
manifesting through
the sun).
The R.W.M. replied:
“Ra unveils His light when we unveil ours. So give
that you may receive.”
Then he left his seat in the darkness, and walked
down to the altar, with his two little attendants, and stood with
his back to
his own throne, but close to the altar. He also had a lamp like all
the rest,
and he now carried it in his hand. He drew up the slide of his lamp
and showed
his light, as he said: “I give the Light of wisdom,” and aimed that
light at the
altar in front of him, and as he did so he stretched forth his hand
and drew up
the corresponding little door. There was a little ledge on which it
hitched so
that it remained open, and so in response to the coloured ray from
his lamp a
similar coloured ray shone upon him from the altar. He then handed
his lamp to
his little acolyte, who carried it back to his chair, and set it in
its socket;
and then the R.W.M. walked round the table to the other side.
Then the W.S.W., from his place, said: “I give the
Light of strength,” and uncovered his light, which also was set in
its socket so
that the ray of light fell on the edge of the table exactly
opposite to him. The
R.W.M. slipped up that little door, and the corresponding light
shone out. Then
the W.J.W. unveiled the light of beauty, and after him each member
in turn
mentioned his own quality, saying: “I give such and such a light,”
and each time
the R.W.M. raised the little door opposite to the speaker, and the
corresponding
colour shone forth - always the double ray, that which the man gave
and the ray
from the centre which answered it.
When all the forty members had uncovered their lights
in that way, the R.W.M. said:
870“The circle is complete; let the light shine.”
With these words he opened the top of the table,
sliding back the two semi-circular doors, so that a strong
cylindrical beam of
white light flashed up to the roof. The coloured rays of the
qualities were
perhaps four inches in diameter, but this beam measured a couple of
feet through
- a great funnel of light shooting up to the ceiling, which was
very lofty - at
least seventy feet high, I should think; and then in response to
that, the
Blazing Star was unveiled at its fullest power.
The symbolism here is obvious and beautiful. Each
person first gives his quota and gets his response. When all have
done their
respective parts they have built up the perfect man. Then the white
light which
includes all shoots up, and down comes the Light of the Logos in
reply. When
the whole vast hall was flooded by this splendid light from the
Blazing Star,
the people closed their lamps, all the little doors in the sides of
the altar
were dropped down again, and those on the top of the table slid
back into place.
THE OFFERINGS
The next part of the ceremony was a hymn to Ra, the
Logos, the Sun-God, thanking Him for His response, giving glory to
Him and
saying: “Let us bathe in His Light, and pay Him due reverence.”
That was the
general effect of it, but there were many verses. When that was finished,
the
R.W.M. said: “Bring in the offerings”; and his acolytes went off to
his pedestal
and produced them.
The children brought him two golden vessels, which
bore some resemblance to those used in the Christian eucharistic
service, and
evidently to a certain extent corresponded to them. This ceremony
long antedated
Christianity, so it is by no means impossible that some of its
features may have
been absorbed by the later religion. We may clearly regard this as
the Egyptian
form of the Eucharist, for its object was identical; the Brn.
offered
themselves, body, soul and spirit, to God, He entered into them in
an especial
manner in return, and they then acted as the channels of His bounty
to the
world.
The boy returned from the Master’s pedestal bearing
in his hands a circular golden dish with a domed cover perhaps
twelve inches in
diameter; in fact, it was in shape and size by no means unlike some
that are
used to hold vegetables at a modern dinner table, but made
apparently of solid
gold, richly chased and evidently very heavy. The girl bore a cup
of similar
manufacture - not quite the Christian chalice; more like the
two-handled
loving-cup of mediaeval times. These vessels were treated with the
utmost
reverence, as of immemorial antiquity; they were scarcely in the
Egyptian style,
and may quite possibly have been Atlantean. The girl carried also a
curious
triangle of gold, in the centre of which was realistically engraved
a human eye.
A slight bowl-like depression at the apex of the triangle enabled
the officiant
to use it as a kind of spoon, as will presently be explained.
These vessels were placed on the altar before the
R.W.M., who extended his hands over them and said:
“O thou Most High, Most Strong, Most Wise, Thou
ever-shining Light, from Whom all light forever comes, we return to Thee herein
the light and life that Thou hast given us. Our life is in this
offering; we lay
it at Thy feet, we pour it forth before Thee. As it bears our life
to Thee, so
may it bear Thy Life to us. Flood Thou our offering with Thy Life,
that it may
awaken Thee in us.”
All stretched forth their hands and chanted the
Egyptian equivalent of: “So mote it be.”
880The R.W.M. then drew over himself a wonderful golden
robe, which his acolyte had brought from the pedestal, gave a k …
and, turning
slowly round, with his arms extended towards the columns, said:
“Brn., you have given yourselves to our Lord
Osiris-Ra; now Osiris-Ra will give Himself to you.”
And once more all chanted: “So mote it be.”
Then the R.W.M, removed the covers from the vessels.
In the dish there lay a curious-looking flat cake, perhaps six
inches square and
half an inch in thickness, which was scored into squares like a
chess-board -
not cut through, but half cut by six lines parallel to each of the
sides, so
that it could easily be broken into small squares. The marking was
heavier round
the nine squares in the centre. The cake was of flour, with a
slightly sweetish
taste, but the top was covered by a thin layer of whitish-grey
material, not
unlike the icing on some modern cakes. The cup contained a
colourless fluid.
THE DESCENT OF OSIRIS
As soon as the R.W.M. had uncovered the vessels, he
raised his arms towards the Blazing Star, and cried three times: “O
LORD,
descend!” When that tremendous flood of light fell upon the
offerings, a
remarkable chemical change was at once set up, presumably by the
actinic action
of the light-rays, and the greyish-white icing grew crimson. It
would appear
that the same sensitive chemical was in solution in the cup, for
the colourless
liquid also became a deep rose. The change of colour was obviously
intended to
symbolize the descent of the
Divine Life, and when it was completed, the
R.W.M. gave seven k … in a peculiar sequence (which were repeated
by the W.W.s,
the I.G., and the Tyler) and said:
“The Lord gives Himself to us; thank we the Lord.”
All the Brn. repeated these words, chanting them over
and over again in a kind of anthem with many parts, which was
evidently very
well known to all.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SACRAMENT
When this was finished the R.W.M. beckoned to the
D.C., who marshalled in order eight members from the south-east
corner of the
Lodge, and brought them to the altar with him. These nine grouped
themselves
around the R.W.M. as he stood at the altar. He then, facing the
altar, broke off
the little square at the north-east corner of the cake, and dropped
it into the
cup; taking up the strange golden triangle, he dipped the apex into
the cup,
brought out the little square in the spoon-bowl, and reverently
consumed it.
Then, as he turned from the altar to the nine Brn, standing round
him, they
bowed slightly to him, all saying together: “Thou art Osiris.”
The R.W.M. broke off another fragment of the cake, and dropped it
into the cup; then the D.C. stepped forward with the salute and handed him a
small spoon made of that beautiful blue highly glazed earthenware which we
often find in ushabtis. The R.W.M. took the spoon, picked up the fragment in
it, and administered it to the D.C. As soon as the latter had received it, the
whole group, including the R.W.M., bowed slightly to him, and said
simultaneously: “Thou art Osiris.” Each Bro. in turn produced his spoon,
received his fragment of the cake and the grave bow and salutation from his
Brn.
When the group of nine had all partaken, the D.C. conducted them to
their seats, and brought up to the altar the W.J.W. and nine others - the
south-west corner in fact - who went through precisely
the same ritual. Then the W.S.W. and nine from the north-west
corner came, and finally the Secretary and nine from the north-east.
Each Bro. brought his little spoon and, after using it for administration to
him, the R.W.M. dropped it into a large golden bowl which was held at his side
by his young attendants. An important point noticed was that they held out the
bowl in front of the R.W.M. every time he administered a fragment, lest a drop
of the liquid should fall. As the R.W.M. gave the fragment to each man, he
said: “Receive the Light; thou art Osiris; let the Light shine.” And the nine
brethren bowed gravely and repeated: “Thou art Osiris.”
It will be seen that when all the forty had received and returned
to their places, the central block of nine squares still remained. The R.W.M.
broke off one of these, dropped it into the cup, took it out in his own golden
triangle-spoon, and carried it to one of the Angel-altars in the north. He was
accompanied by his young acolytes, who walked one on each side, holding a cloth
stretched before him to catch any drop that might fall from the triangle. On
each altar was a small square of linen with a tiny blue saucer upon it, and in
this the R.W.M. laid the fragment of the cake, saying: “The gift of Osiris to
…” (mentioning the name of the Angel).
The Brn. chanted in response: “Praise to the holy …” using the same
name. The R.W.M. did this at each of the nine altars, passing back to the large
altar each time; and the last fragment, which was the central square of the
original cake, went to the altar of the
The children then brought from the pedestal a flagon containing
water, and the R.W.M. carefully washed the dish, cup and triangle, the water
being poured into the large bowl into which the blue spoons had been thrown.
The vessels were wiped with the cloth which the acolytes held in front of the
R.W.M. He then proceeded with his attendants to the nine altars of the Angels,
carefully removed from each the tiny saucer with the fragment of cake, and
threw both saucer and cake into the bowl. Then he took up the little square of
linen, wiped the top of the altar with it, and threw that also into the bowl.
It is evident that each Angel was supposed to have extracted from
the offering
whatever he wished, so that the outer symbol might now be removed.
The R.W.M. did not in this case make a separate journey for each, but began at
the west end of the line and moved straight along. When he returned to the
central altar he threw into the bowl the cloth with which the vessels were
wiped. The cover of the bowl was then placed upon it, and the R.W.M. sealed it
in two places with his seal. It was then set aside by the acolytes until the
end of the ceremony.
THE REUNION OF OSIRIS
This being done, the R.W.M. returned to his chair with his
attendants, and all were seated. Then he gave a k …, and said:
“Brn., the body of Osiris is broken and
buried within you. How shall Osiris rise again?”
And the Brn. took up the same words:
“The body of Osiris is broken and buried within us; how shall
Osiris rise again?”
They chanted them over and over again antiphonally. It was an
anthem, yet set to a strange weird minor melody which was wonderfully
impressive. This music grew gradually softer and more melancholy, and as it did
so, the light slowly faded until there was complete darkness. Then the music
died down altogether, and there was a period of silence during which the Brn.
meditated upon the death and life of Osiris.
Out of the silence there presently arose soft, faraway fairy-like
music, which swelled and drew nearer by imperceptible degrees. Though so soft
it was no longer sad, but calm and happy, with a lovely haunting refrain; and
after a while a voice emerged, but so gradually, so skillfully that it was
scarcely possible to say when it began. At first it seemed to be humming the
air; then words somehow shaped themselves little by little, and before one knew
it the voice was singing ever more and more strongly and clearly: “Osiris is
immortal, unchanging; Osiris is broken, divided into thousands of parts, yet
ever reunited; though He may be many, yet is He ever One. We are Osiris;
through us shall He rise again; through us shall He be reunited; for we be one, even as He is One.” Then the Brn. joined in and sang
the same words in gradually swelling chorus.
As their chant ceased the R.W.M. gave the k … and his voice rang
out:
“Rise, Brn., you who are Osiris; as you
have received, so give.”
He himself rose, turned to the East and uncovered his lamp,
throwing its light on the far-away eastern wall of the great hall, saying as he
did so:
“I, Osiris, give the Light
of wisdom.”
All the Brn. now faced outwards towards the walls, and the W.S.W.
uncovered his lamp and said:
“I, Osiris, give the Light
of strength.”
Then the W.J.W. in the same way sent out the Light of beauty, and
each brother in turn uncovered his light and sent out his especial quality with
all his might into the dim vastness of the cathedral, which typified the
darkness of the outer world. So flexible was the language that “the Light of
beauty” could just as well be taken to mean “the beauty of the Light”.
The scene at this point was most impressive, the pencils of light
shooting out in all directions into the dim surrounding vastness. When the last
brother had spoken, the R.W.M. added:
“As the truest wisdom is
love, I send out also the Light of love, which enfolds and includes all.”
90THE SHINING OF THE LIGHT
After a few minutes of intense silent concentration, the R.W.M.
repeated the special sevenfold k …, which was answered by the Wardens and
Guards, all the Brn. faced inwards, and immediately a chant of triumph rang
out:
“Osiris hath risen again; Osiris is One; we are all
one in Him. Rejoice, O brothers, rejoice! for Osiris hath conquered
death and
fear. There is no death, there is no fear; Osiris lives forever,
and we live in
Him.”
This was re-echoed anthem-wise, and finally culminated in a great
triumphant shout:
“Shine forth, Osiris-Ra; let the Light shine!”
And at that the R.W.M. turned on the Blazing Star so
that the whole immense hall was flooded with light once more. All
the Brn. then
extinguished their lamps, and drew round themselves beautiful
shimmering festal
robes in honour of the resurrection of Osiris; and when they were
ready the
R.W.M. gave a single k …, and said:
R.W.M. - W.S.W., is Osiris one or many?
W.S.W. - Osiris is ever One, R.W.M., yet shows Himself in many
forms.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., when does He show Himself in many forms?
W.J.W. - When He divides Himself and descends into the lower
worlds, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., why does He thus descend?
W.S.W. - For our sake, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - How for our sake, W.J.W.?
W.J.W. - Because without Him we could not be, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., are we then Osiris?
W.S.W. - We are Osiris, R.W.M., and through us His Light should
shine.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., whence comes that Light?
W.J.W. - From the Eye of Osiris, R.W.M., when He looks upon His
world.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., what if He turned away His glance?
W.S.W. - The world would cease to be, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., is His light then in all?
W.J.W. - It is, R.W.M., but in some it is hidden through ignorance.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., what then is our work?
W.S.W. - To unveil that Hidden Light, R.W.M.
R.W.M. - W.J.W., how can we do this work?
W.J.W. - R.W.M., the more clearly the Light shines in us, the more
will it call
forth the Hidden Light in others.
R.W.M. - W.S.W., why is that so?
W.S.W. - Because Osiris is one, R.W.M., and Osiris within us calls
to Osiris in
our
brethren.R.W.M. - Then, Brn., let us ever express our
gratitude for what He has done for us by makingHis Light to shine upon others,
as we have done today.R.W.M. (continuing) - And let us
now join in recognition of Him.
THE PLEDGE AND THE BLESSING
A procession was then formed, all Brn. wearing their gorgeous
festal robes, and they marched round the great hall, singing joyous hymns with tremendous
enthusiasm. Having completed their circumambulation, they divided into four
groups, one taking its position at the middle point of each of the four walls
of the hall; then at a given signal, they all moved simultaneously towards the
centre, and took up their original positions in the Lodge. When these were
reached, the R.W.M. gave the peculiar sevenfold k …, and raising his arms above
his head, said:
“Brn., we have built again the Temple of
Amen-Ra, who creates, sustains and ends the worlds. Osiris, Isis, Horus, all are One in Him. We
pledge our lives to Him from whom we receive them; let us invoke His blessing.”
In response, all the Brn. raised their arms towards the Blazing
Star, and solemnly repeated:
“We pledge our lives to Amen-Ra, to Him from whom they came.” Then,
lowering their arms, they broke out into a wonderful finale, an anthem in which
the Sacred Name was repeated many times, much as it is in the Amen Chorus in
Handel’s Messiah, though the music was more reminiscent of Bach’s fugues:
“Praise to Amen, thanks to Amen; Amen, Amen, Amen-Ra.” The happiness and
enthusiasm of the Brn. were indescribable.
When the last glad chord had died away, the R.W.M. raised his arms
again and said with deep feeling:“Blessing and Peace
and Love and Life be yours from
Amen for ever.”And all stretched forth their hands, and replied:
“So mote it be.”Then the Lodge was lowered
and closed in due and antient form.
At a convenient time after the whole ceremony was over, the R.W.M.
and some of the Officers took the golden bowl to the bank of the
THE CEREMONY OF THE HOLY ANGELS
THE H.O.A.T.F. holds a Lodge of His own in one of the
halls of His castle, and we have at various times been privileged
to see some of
His workings. One beautiful ritual that I witnessed there I am
allowed to
describe, as it is so unlike an ordinary Masonic meeting that there
can be no
infringement of any O.
It is a special ceremony performed annually on the
Church festival of St. Michael and all Angels. It is worth the
notice of the
Masonic as well as of the ecclesiastical student that a number of
these
festivals of the Christian Church are much more than mere
commemorations; they
are definitely occasions on which, for various reasons, heaven and
earth draw
nearer together, and communication between the seen and the unseen
worlds is
noticeably easier than is commonly the case. Often there is an
astronomical
basis for the phenomenon, as in the case of the festivals of the
two St. Johns
who are said to be the patron saints of Freemasonry - one occurring
on June
24th, and the other on December 27th - obviously aiming
respectively at the
summer and winter solstices, though wrong by a few days because of
the
maladjustment of the medieval calendar. Michaelmas Day is evidently
an attempt
to mark the autumnal equinox, though now it is a week behind time;
still, it is
one of the occasions which I have mentioned, and each year
advantage is taken of
that fact to make the wonderful interchange of forces which I am
about to try to
describe - though again, as in the former case, this is one of the
many
instances in which words seem hopelessly inadequate.
THE LODGE AND OFFICERS
930At the eastern end of a large hall there was a
beautifully carved throne of white marble raised upon several
steps; and upon it
sat the H.O.A.T.F., dressed in a splendid crimson robe like a cope,
fastened on
the breast by a design of brilliantly flashing jewels, diamond and
amethyst, in
the form of a seven-pointed star. Underneath the cope-like vestment
he wore a
suit of golden chain-mail, which was once the possession of a Roman
Emperor. At
each side of Him, standing upon one of the steps which led up to
His throne, was
an attendant dressed in silver chain-mail, holding his sword
upright at the
carry. At the western end, facing Him, sat the Chohan of the Third
Ray,
magnificently robed in green and gold; but the clasp of His robe
was a golden
triangle studded with diamonds and emeralds, and His throne was of
polished
porphyry. He was evidently acting as W.S.W.; and for the W.J.W. on
the southern
wall, midway between Them, was set a third throne, of rose-coloured
marble, upon
which sat another well-known Adept, dressed in a white garment not
unlike a
chasuble, heavily ornamented with blue and gold. On the front of it
was
embroidered a Corinthian column,
extending from neck to knees, and foliations
sprayed out upwards from it over the shoulders, as do the orphreys of a Gothic
chasuble. On His breast hung by a golden chain a five-pointed star
of sapphires,
and from it in turn depended a ruby cross.
The whole central part of the Lodge was left empty,
though a number of Brn. robed in brilliant colours sat in the
columns. The
lozenges of the mosaic pavement were pale rose and pale blue, and
there seemed
to be some additional design faintly indicated upon it by lines.
There were also
lines of different colours round the edge of it, as is not unusual
in Co-Masonic
Lodges.
THE TRIANGLE OF ADEPTS
The H.O.A.T.F. was clearly in charge of the
proceedings as R.W.M., and He began the ceremony by interchanging
some rapid
sentences with the other Adepts. There were also some singing and a
number of
quick simultaneous movements. Then the R.W.M. chanted some solemn
sentences that
sounded like a prayer, and came down from His throne and stood on
the floor at a
certain point a little distance in front of it. As He left the
throne, the two
attendants, facing each other, saluted Him with their swords as He
passed
between them, and then
stepped down to the floor and stood in front of the
throne awaiting His return. The W.S.W. also chanted a prayer and
came down, and
then the W.J.W. did exactly the same thing, so that They were
standing on the
floor in a right-angled triangle, all facing towards the centre.
After
exchanging ceremonious salutes They chanted together antiphonally,
and seemed to
throw flashes of fire towards one another, till the triangle was
marked out by
lines of brilliant golden light.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE ANGELS
Then the R.W.M. turned towards the W.J.W. and chanted
a sentence. The W.J.W. replied, and then They both turned Their
backs on the
centre and stood facing outwards at right angles to the line of fire
that joined
Them - facing south-east. Then simultaneously They chanted an
invocation,
throwing Their arms forward; and suddenly two great Angels appeared
facing Them,
standing so as to make a square with Them. They exchanged certain
signs as
though in greeting, and then They again chanted and threw out lines
of fire, so
that the square was marked out in lines of golden light like the
triangle. Then
the W.S.W. turned towards the W.J.W., and They chanted together,
facing outwards
at right angles to the line which joined Them - facing south-west.
They too
chanted the invocation and repeated the movements which the R.W.M.
and the
W.J.W. had made before. Again two Angels appeared facing Them and
forming a
square with Them, and again the square was traced in lines of
light. Each time
when an Angel came a cry of welcome (H … B … B … H …) was raised by
all present
and some kind of salutation was given.
Then the W.J.W. raised His arms and chanted an
invocation, and immediately there stood beside Him a great Angel
dressed at He
was. When the Angel appeared, the Adept and He clasped each the
other’s right
hand, and raised Their left hands above Their heads. They exchanged
some rapid
salutations, the assembly uttered its cry of welcome, the Angel
took the
W.J.W.’s place, and the latter returned to His throne. Next the
W.S.W. went
through the same ritual, and was also replaced by an Angel dressed
just like
Him; and finally the R.W.M. did as the others had done. As the
R.W.M. left the
floor and prepared to go to His Throne, He drew His sword and made
a certain
sign in the air, replaced it in its scabbard and then returned to
His seat. His
attendants saluted Him as before, and resumed their previous places
on the step.
All the Adepts left Their chairs by the left-hand side, and
returned to them by
the right-hand side. We had now the Angels representing the seven
Rays of our
solar system arranged in two squares meeting in a point, and
standing upon the
two sides of the triangle which were adjacent to the right angle.
THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE OF THE ANGELS
After some further singing the R.W.M. rose from His
throne and, extending His arms upwards, commenced a mighty
invocation, in
which, after He had sung the first sentence, all the Angels and the
two W.W.s
joined. Then the three officers and all the Angels turned sharply
to the north,
and joined in chanting a longer invocation, as a result of which
two other
Angels appeared, completing the third square. But these two were
cosmic Angels,
of the types which are not limited to one solar system; so that now
all the nine
Angelic Orders were represented; and when they had outlined their
square of
golden light we had before us on the floor a fiery delineation of
the
forty-seventh proposition of the first book of Euclid - with the
preparation of
which the Adept who was acting as W.J.W. was so closely associated
in His
incarnation as Pythagoras.
Figure 16
940
Again the Angels wove their lines of light, but this
time throwing them upwards into the air, so that upon each of the
three squares
they erected a pyramid, and upon the original central triangle a
tetrahedron.
They then threw their lines downward into the earth, and thus
produced a set of
inverted pyramids. The entire figure was thus a nest of four prisms
(one
hexahedron and three octahedra), the floor upon which the Angels
stood
representing the central plane. A “bird’s eye view” of this form is
attempted in
Fig. 15, and Plate XI is another effort to show it in perspective
in colour.
Plate XI
THE CEREMONY IN THE TEMPLE
Having thus built for themselves a temple of this
strange form, the Angels proceeded to perform a most interesting
ceremony inside
it. They moved in a wonderful choric dance, arranging themselves in
various
figures much as the Adepts do at the Wesak ceremony, which I have
described in
The Masters and the Path, though the figures were no the same. They
made a
seven-pointed star, a Jaina Cross, a cross, and many other figures,
but it was very
difficult to see them on account of the dazzling radiations of
coloured fire
from the points of the figure. After many such changes they all
joined in a sort
of hymn - a most marvellous outburst of music, in which the voices
pealed out
like trumpet-calls, like the chiming of mighty bells. The
multiprismatoidal
temple was transparent like crystal, and yet somehow permeated with
fire, so
that in watching it one realized the meaning of the strange
description in the
Revelation of a sea of glass mingled with fire.
As the angelic chorus swelled out the glow of this
temple grew brighter and brighter, and lines of dazzling light shot
out into the
empyrean, bearing messages and greetings to worlds far away in
space. And
unmistakably there came a response to this wondrous call - even
many responses.
Strange to us beyond all words in magnetism and in feeling were
these replies
from other worlds; but that they were replies there was no
question. Some came
from other planets of our system; others just as surely came from
worlds of
which we at present know nothing.
The end of the ceremony was dramatic. The prisms
glowed with greater and greater intensity, until the whole figure
seemed a mass
of living fire, and with a final grand outburst of triumphant song
it suddenly
swept upwards and vanished - caught up in a chariot of fire like
Elijah of old.
Then a hymn was sung, the H.O.A.T.F. solemnly blessed the assembly,
and all
filed out in procession, singing, the three Officials bringing up
the rear as
usual.
THE EFFECT OF THE FESTIVAL
The Festival of St. Michael and All Angels, on which,
as I have said, this Masonic meeting is held every year, is an
anniversary which
long antedates the Christian era, though Christianity quite rightly
adopted it,
as it did so many of the festivals of earlier religions. It is an
interchange of
joyous greetings and hearty good wishes - a kind of ‘happy new
year’ among the
Angels. The ceremony is, however, not merely a celestial greeting,
but has other
functions as well, many of which are quite impossible to
understand. It was
evident, for example, that forces were being discharged into the
interior of our
earth; we were in some way being
loaded or charged, and were in turn imparting
to other worlds something of which they had need. I am sure that we
are as yet
far from fully comprehending the significance of this magnificent
ritual. I
remember that Madame Blavatsky once spoke to us of it, and I also
once wavy
years previously heard a reference made to it by one of the Adept
Brotherhood.
950CHAPTER XI
CLOSING THE LODGE
THE GREETINGS
JUST as at the opening of the Lodge we gathered
together all our forces for the evening’s work, so now in the
closing of the
Lodge we marshal them once more for the final effort of outpouring
the Masonic
blessing. The ceremony of closing begins when the R.W.M. asks if
any Bro. has
any proposition to make, specifying that such propositions must be
for the
benefit of the Order in general or for the benefit of humanity. All
business and
all proposals connected with business should have been done at an
earlier period
in the evening, before the Lodge has commenced the special work of
the meeting.
The only matters with which we deal at this stage are the proposal
of candidates
for initiation, and the reception of greetings from other Councils,
Consistories, Chapters or Lodges.
The greetings then given are by no means formal. Each
greeting received is a very distinct contribution to the force
which is
produced during the working of the Lodge; it brings with it the
peculiar mental
atmosphere of the Lodge whose greeting is given. Every Lodge exists
on the
mental plane as a definite mental object - a real thing in the
realm of thought.
When, therefore, one of its members gives a greeting in another
Lodge, there
comes to him from his own a spear of light, bearing good influence,
which
radiates through him. When a Bro. is in his own Lodge, a certain
aspect or facet
or segment of his aura, which represents his relation to that
Lodge, is
galvanized into activity; some portion of his potential being is
vivified
because he is part of that Lodge.
The Lodge as a mental entity is made up of such
sections of all its members, welded together to form a whole, and
it is from
that whole that the spear of light comes and flashes out when the
greetings are
given. When we speak of a Lodge as a mental entity we do not mean
something
existing merely in mind or fancy; on the mental plane each Lodge is
a definite
thing, a great sphere, with a precise allocation in space, over the
place where
the Lodge meets. In the case of a hall where a number of Lodges
meet on
different evenings, the several spheres are to be seen floating
above the
building; these spheres are then not intermingled at all, but
clustered together
over the premises in such a way as to remind one of a collection of
toy
balloons.
The mental forms made by different Lodges vary very
greatly. In some cases such a form is a very fine thing indeed,
upheld by a
number of people who are intensely in earnest, whose Lodge is a
very real thing
in their lives. When the members have considerable knowledge of the
occult
meaning of the Lodge and its work, that makes a splendid form on
the higher
mental plane; but if the Lodge is composed of members of little
intellectual
ability, whose thoughts are for the most part centred upon good
fellowship and
banqueting, the astral counterpart of the Lodge will be strong, but
the mental
portion of its form deficient. It follows from this that the
greetings from some
Lodges are of far more effect than those from others.
The highest greetings of all are those from the
Supreme Council. The R.W.M. asks the question which leads to the
greetings three
times. Therefore the force which the Lodge receives through the
greetings is
divisible into three groups, each quite distinct from the others.
Sometimes
there are answers to all the three questions, but often there are
not. The first
group brings the benison of White Masonry. That greeting can be
given only by
members from the 31° to the 33° inclusive, and it has distinctly
the character
of a blessing from on high; for this reason its communications are
dated always
from the Zenith, signifying that its benediction descends
impartially upon all.
In this same section greetings may be received also
from an Encampment of the 30°. Regalia of that degree are black;
its special
teaching is concerned with the working out of karma, whether it be
good or
evil, and its special function in Masonry is the inculcation of
order, justice
and discipline. For that reason it is established in an Encampment
on the hills,
so that it can see all round any subject which is submitted to it.
The second class of force comes from Red or rather
rose-coloured Masonry. This group comprises all Masons from the 4°
to the 29°,
and includes also the Masons of the Holy Royal Arch. Its central
point is the
18° or Rose-Croix, and its special characteristic is love. Because
of its
quality of love it dates its communications from the valleys - the
fertile
valleys running down from the mountains, yet descending towards the
teeming
plains of every-day life.
960The greeting of the first group may be compared to
the blessing of a great guru or religious teacher, while the second
is more like
the affection which parents give to children, or that which the
pitris or
ancestors shower upon mankind. In the 33° each man exercises a
power of blessing
not unlike that of a Bishop in the Christian Church, for the great
white Angels
who are especially engaged in the work of the 33° have very much in
common with
those who exercise similar functions in that Church.
Then comes the third group of greetings, from Mark
Lodges and from Blue Masonry, given by members of the three
degrees. These bring
a great stream of brotherly encouragement and strength from other
Lodges, which
stand at the same level Masonically as that to which the greetings
are given.
These Lodges are all on the plains, which extend far into the blue
distance. So
we have three distinct types of greetings, giving blessing, love
and
encouragement respectively.
Sometimes a Mason is requested by a Lodge other than
his own, with which he happens to be personally connected, to
convey its
greetings to his own Lodge and other Lodges which he may
visit. In such a case
he becomes a kind of envoy for that Lodge, although he does not
belong to it,
and he is thereby empowered to carry its greeting just as
effectively as a
member of that Lodge could do it.
At this stage of the proceedings, should it happen
that no proposition is forthcoming, the W.S.W. announces: “The c …
s are silent,
R.W.M.” Here we have the use of the word c … s in another sense,
referring not
to the pillars that stand upon the pedestals, but to the members
who are not in
official position, and are sitting in the north and south. These
Brn. are
literally in the position of c … s in the building of the temple,
as will be
seen in the large coloured Plate which accompanies this book, and
it is their
work that supports the Lodge. It is not that the Brn. make up a c
…,
horizontally, being in a row, but that each one is a separate
perpendicular c …,
helping to support the roof; they stand as brothers, equal in their
work. I will
quote here an account of a very beautiful and most instructive
vision which came
many years ago to an intimate friend of mine. He writes:
One day when meditating on brotherhood there
suddenly leaped into existence before my internal vision a
magnificent temple,
apparently Egyptian or Grecian in style. It had no outer walls, but
consisted of
a large number of pillars supporting a graceful roof, and
surrounding a small
walled shrine, into which I did not see. I cannot express the
vividness with
which I felt that the building was instinct with meaning -
impregnated, as it
were, with magnetism of intelligence which made it no mere vision,
but an
object-lesson containing the very highest teaching. Simultaneously
an
explanatory sonnet unfolded itself, and described in a few terse,
compact lines
how this was a symbol of true brotherhood - how all these pillars,
all in
different places, some bathed in the glorious sunlight, some for
ever in the
half-shade of the inner
lines, some thick, some thin, some exquisitely
decorated, some equally strong yet unadorned, some always
frequented by devotees
who used to sit near them, others always deserted - how all of them
silently,
ungrudgingly, perseveringly and equally bore together the one roof,
protecting
the inner hall and its shrine-all different and yet so truly all
the same. And
the sonnet ended: “In this see brotherhood.”
I could not reproduce that sonnet now, but the
richness and the fullness of its meaning, the deep wisdom so neatly
wrapped up
in those few words made me see as if in the gleam of a searchlight
what true
brotherhood really means - the sharing of service, the bearing
one’s part
regardless of all else but the work to be done.* (*Some Occult
Experiences, by
Johan van Manen, p. 20.)
There is much to be learnt, I think, from such a
vision as that.
The greetings are concluded by the rising of all the
Brn. of the Lodge, and their exchange of hearty good wishes with
the R.W.M.,
thus bringing to a focus their feeling of love and loyalty to him
and to the
H.O.A.T.F. behind him.
PREPARATION FOR CLOSING
Then inspiring verses are read by the Orator from the
V.S.L., and the R.W.M. calls upon the Brn. to assist him in closing
the Lodge.
We have already seen what a large part the Brn. play in the opening
of the
Lodge, by the power of their thought and devotion. All through the
ceremony the
thought-form made by the visible and invisible Brn. and workers has
been
increasing in the richness and strength of its content; now all
turn their
attention to the distribution of that force to the world around.
970I may perhaps illustrate the nature of this effect by
reference to the construction of a certain type of Hindu mantras.
Some years ago
I was requested by our noble brother Sir S. Subramania Iyer of
Madras to
investigate a mantra which he had been using for many years, which
had been
given to him by Swami T. Subba Rao, a great South Indian occultist.
I looked
into the matter with considerable care, and also made use of it
afterwards, for
it was very remarkable.
This mantra is found, I am told, in the Gopalatapani
and Krishna Upanishads, and is composed of five parts, as follows:
(1) Klim,
Krishnaya, (2) Govindaya, (3) Gopijana, (4) Vallabhaya, (5) Swaha.
As one
meditates upon this with intent each syllable makes a line in such
a position
that a five-pointed star results, as in Fig. .
Figure 17
And as the mantra is repeated these stars pile up
behind one another to form a tube having this five-pointed form of
cross-section, which makes a channel for spiritual force coming
from Shri
Krishna, who is the same Being as the Lord Maitreya, the present
Bodhisattva or
World-Teacher, the Great One who entered into the body of Jesus as
the Christ.
With this force coming through it the mantra can be used for many
purposes, such
as healing, or the removal of fire and other elementals, as well as
for general
good.
I found, however, that there were three stages in the
process. With the recital of “Klim”, which it is said is called
“the seed of
attraction” by the Hindu occultists, the attention of the Source of
the force is
attracted and what may be called a kind of downward door or valve
is opened;
then, throughout the body of the mantra the force pours into the form;
and
finally, with the sound “Swaha”, that force is sent out to do its
work.
Our work in the Lodge is of the same nature as that
done by means of such ancient mantras. During our meeting we have been
enriching the form by our devotion and thought, and now we prepare
to let the
accumulated force burst forth as a blessing on the surrounding
world.
THE CLOSING
The closing, like the opening, begins with the momentous question as
to the first and constant care of every Freemason to see that the Lodge is
close t … d. With the general purpose and effect of t … g I have already dealt
in Chapter V. The special reason for putting this query again at this stage is
that we are now especially collecting and generating force which is intended to
be used not within the Lodge, but for projection along certain definite lines
outside it. We therefore see carefully to the t … g of our Lodge, just as a man
who has inserted a cartridge into a breech-loading rifle is careful to close
the chamber hermetically, so that the whole force of the explosion will be
directed only along the barrel, but of course the explosion in this case is not
of destruction, but of blessing to the world.
The next command is that the Brn. should come to order as
Freemasons - not this time in order to see that no intruders are present,
because our doors have been guarded all through the ceremony, but because this
coming to order with the s … p and s … n is the method appointed to call out
the special power of the degree, to increase to the fullest extent the activity
of the chakra concerned, so that each member may realize and express fully the
power conferred upon him as an E.A. When this is done one may see the chakra light
up and glow, flash and scintillate, and often increase in size.
Then the R.W.M. turns to the W.S.W. and asks once more what is his situation in the Lodge and why he is so placed. This
is in effect a call upon the W.S.W.’s Angel representative to do his duty, to
see that each Bro. is filled with strength, not only to take his share in the
present work, but to carry on through life until the next meeting. Again, with
the same object, having done everything possible to stimulate the Brn. and to
increase the spiritual power available - by drawing in help from the Craft, by
arousing the loyalty of the members, by the inspiration of the S.L., by the
most careful t … g, by the use of the special power of the degree in which they
are working, and by a call upon the Angel for assistance - we now turn to the Logos Himself, expressing our
heartfelt gratitude for the blessings we have received and our hope that the
Order may continue to deserve
His help by doing its duty of
expressing every moral and social virtue. Still further enthusiasm is
evoked by the beautiful words and thoughts of the closing hymn, and then the
R.W.M. sums up our Masonic duty to our neighbour in the comprehensive
injunction that we should meet upon the level, act upon the plumb, and part upon
the square, each officer raising the symbol attached to his collar as the word
is pronounced.
We meet in perfect equality and friendliness, showing no preference
or prejudice, but doing justice to all. We act always with absolute truth and
uprightness, showing ever the keenest sense of honour; and though the Lodge is
now closing, and we are about to separate on the physical plane, yet we part on
the square, never forgetting the close adjustment which it secures, so that our
brother’s interest is our own in his absence as in his presence, and there can
be no selfishness or forgetfulness, for we are all stones builded together into
one divine temple to the glory of T.G.A.O.T.U.
Then the R.W.M., raising his hands, speaks the fateful words which
release all this splendid accumulation of force, and send out a vivid pulsation
of energy to every member of every duly constituted Lodge throughout the world.
What each Bro. can receive of this stupendous outpouring depends upon himself,
his degree of advancement, his knowledge, his attitude of mind; but that the
gift is one of enormous value, that the privilege of belonging to the Order is
very great, there can be no question in the mind of any student of occultism.
The elemental hosts which have been gathered together rush outward
to all points of the compass, only their captains, the representative Angels of
the officers, still remaining in their respective places. When at the command
of the R.W.M. the W.S.W., who typifies Shiva, the destroyer of forms, utters the
formula of closing, the Angels of the assistant officers also fade away,
leaving only the three principals and the august thought-form of the H.O.A.T.F.
The R.W.I.P.M., in the solemn utterance “And the word was with God”, reminds
the Brn. that even when manifestation ceases the Christ still remains within
the bosom of the Father, ready to spring
forth again, the Alone-born, the Self-begotten, when He, the Eternal Word,
shall deign to speak once more.
The principal Officers now extinguish their candles in rotation,
each decreeing as be does so that the quality which he personifies shall
nevertheless remain enshrined within the hearts of the Brn.; and the R.W.I.P.M.
explains how this is possible by reminding them yet again that “His light
shineth even in our darkness”. As the candles are extinguished the
representative Angels disappear, each as he goes bowing profoundly to the
Presence of the M.O.T.W., who raises His hands in blessing, and vanishes only
when at the closing prayer for the preservation of the Craft all turn with
uplifted hands towards His portrait.
So ends one of the most wonderful ceremonies in the world - a
ceremony which has survived, practically unchanged in its essential parts, from
an antiquity so remote that history has forgotten it. Misunderstood, only half
appreciated, maimed in many cases of the glorious and dignified rites which are
its true expression, it is nevertheless still doing its appointed work in an
ungrateful and uncomprehending world. Founded many thousands, perhaps millions,
of years ago, by order of the Spiritual King of the World, it still remains one
of the mightiest weapons in His hands, one of the most efficient channels of
His blessing. Some of us have the wisdom to grasp this, the good karma to be
employed in this department of His service; may we never forget how great is
our privilege; may we never fail to take the fullest advantage of this
opportunity which He has given us!
Theosophical Society,
Cardiff Lodge
206 Newport Road, Cardiff,
CF24 1DL