grand masonic day 29

7/30/2019 Grand Masonic Day 29

1/20

29th

GrandMasonicDaySa t u r d a y , 5 Ma r c h 2 01 1


2/20


3/20

My brothers, how was your lunch to-day? Did the meal satisfy your

body? How were the presentations this morning? Did they make you think?

Did they stimulat e the min d, create discussion?

Today, these two items work together. For one feeds the body and

sustains l i fe, w hile the ot her, feeds, nourishes and stimulates the m ind.

These are not just snacks for a short period of t ime, but f ood fo r the

mind to sustain you through a l i fet ime; they al low you to expand your

hor izon w el l in to the future and to contemplate what could be.

Snack foods are not fulfil l ing for the body or the mind. They may

plant seeds or thoughts but i f we fai l to use the nourishment of our mind

for the betterment of mankind and society i t is a waste.

For today, you brethren have figuratively moved from the comfort of

your lodge and distr ict into a new zone of knowledge, by attending th is

Grand Masonic Day. Location is i r re levant, for you have met and heardb r e th r e n f r o m a r o u n d o u r j u r i sd i c t i o n , c r e ate d n e w f r i e n d sh ip s , a n d

enjoyed each others fel lowship.

And how about the fe l l owsh ip? There i s no th ing be t te r than to

shake a b ro ther s hand in g ree t ing , meet new bro thers and renew o ld

acquaintance from lodges and districts you have not attended in a while.

For this is, truly a place of fel low ship.

For th is is a Saturday not l ike any others. For today you are not

running errands, or taking your chi ldren to soccer or hockey, for example.

No to-do l ist here. Today at this moment you are immersed in the shared

fel lowship of thoughts, points of view, discussions, things that make you

say hmm and cause you to p ause and refl ect. As George Bernard Shaw

once said, Some men see th ings as they are and say w hy I dream

things that never were and say why not.When you are in your lodge room, within your district, that is your

quiet place in l i fe, away from the outside the world.; where you can sit and

reflect upon the previous events of the past hours, days, weeks or months

contemplat ing what you could have done, would have done or w i l l do.

This is your place to relax and reflect without any external influences. This

is your place of sol i tude and comfort, knowing that the world is outside of

those four wal ls and wi l l not d isturb you for the next l i t t le w hi le. You are

wi th l ike-minded brethren who love a good discussion. Where thoughts

and opinion s are valued and accepted.

Discussion wi thout att i tudes, wi thout cheapening of the Craft or

craftsman. One does it one way while another does it another. It does not

matter that i t is r ight or wrong, i t is the resul ts that count. For example

making tea for the lodge fest ive board or working w i th M S Windows, there

are many w ays or paths, and the results are same.

We have to assist our new brother in the Craft . How? By being

examples, showing them better ways to be freemasons. We need to make

adjustments in the way we say th ings. I have some pet peeves, s imple

thing I cal l masonic viruses. These may just be words to some, but in t he

ears of the learned an d the uninitiated they cause problems. Listen to the

differences:

Do in g o r p ut t in g o n vsconferring th e degrees;

Brot her Bob vsBrother Brown;

Em ergent vs regular business

Listen t o the dif ference, and und erstand the diff erence.

My brothers, we are being watched, and others believe that when

we say these th ings we know what we are ta lk ing about. Therefore we

must be correct. If we are able to amend our ways we wil l assist others. Its

l ike fine tuning a stereo.

R e m e m b e r o u r t h o u g h t s a n d a c t i o n s , f o r w e a r e m e a s u r e d

constantly by others and how they interpret our actions. Let us continue toprosper and deliver messages that wil l continue to stimulate their minds as

well as our own in a positive manner.

When were hollering at the game on television, what does it ge

us? As our s ign i f i can t o thers w i l l l e t us know, we a re no t the coach .

Remember, as passionate as we can be, nothing changes if we are only

spectato rs. Let us put that passion inside our fraternity, to keep the fires

burning in the intel lect of our body.

I would l ike to leave you wi th a quote from H. A. N. Puddicombe

from his book Masonic Foundation:

As we look at the Perfect A shlar, suspended from the

derr ick, we remember that the stone, when perfected, is only

about to enter upon another career of boundless possibi l i ties. Ithas only attained its present form after long and tedious toi l . But

al l that is past, and i t now awai ts the pleasure of the master

builder to be low ered into i ts resting place.

When we have arr ived at that awful mom ent when w e,

too, are about to take flight to that boundless and unexplored

expanse above, we wil l be suspend awaiting the pleasure of the

Great Architect. To him we cannot dictate, but merely await the

application of His attesting square and compasses. Thus do we

learn to bend with humil i ty and resignment to His wil l , content

in the one certa inty that He, in His wisdom, has assigned to

every approved stone its place in His Everlasting Temple, and

that nothing we have accompl ished towards the atta inment of

perfection but wil l meet i ts reward in His approbation.

I f you can conceive it , And believe it , You can achieve it !-Napoleon Hil l (1883-1970) author of Think and Grow Rich.

3

Food for the Body and the MindPr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masonic Day, 5 Mar ch 2011

by R.W. Br o. Donal d E. St ut t , Junior Gr and War den


4/20

4

Overview: Leverage management pract ices to improve Freemasonry; Descr ibe impacts of individual Capabi l ity and Engagement;

Categor izing brethren by Capabi l i ty and Engagement;

C.E.M.E.N.T. the Capabi l i ty of our brethren;

A.D.O.R.N. the Engagement o f our b reth ren ;

Benefits o f improving Capabi l ity and Engagement .

Leverage M anagement PracticesThe author Eric Thompson described Capabil i ty and Engagement as

the key to success and product ivity.

Capability Ab i l i ty to de l i ve r on commi tments . The individual

must be capable of doing the job. The individuals capabil i ty wil l depend on

their history. Capabil i ty is accumulated along the way. It depends on the

education, training and experience that the individual has had.

Engagement Wil l ingness and desi re to perform. The second

criterion is engagement. This is the greater challenge for the organisation,

because the issues that cause each individual to engage are different and

change w i th t ime

Existing SolutionsThe current Five Pil lar Plan from GLBCY aspires to address both

elements.Capability Ability to deliver on comm itments

C a p a b i l it y c a n b e i n c r e a se d t h r o u g h t r a i n i n g , d e v e l o p m e n t ,

coaching and mentorship. The employee needs to be developed both for

the short term and for the long term.

Engageme nt Wil lingness and desire to perform.I n p a r a l l e l w i t h a d d r e ss i n g t h e i n d i v i d u a l ' s c a p a b i l i t y , t h e

organizat ion needs to work on engagement (e,g. , Fellowship, Fraternal

Bond)

Implications of Capability-EngagementB r et h r e n w h o a r e h i g h l y e n g a g e d w i t h h i g h c a p a b i li t i e s i n

Freemasonry are our STARS as they should readily embrace the challenges

and oppor tun i t i es to l ead our Cra f t and lodges, and be mentors and

positive examples to our brethren.

A highly capable brother wi th low engagement could be termed a

DIVA, in that the participation and involvement may involve animosity or

hesitation, and the leadership challenge is to find common areas to rebuild

the engagement and restore the connections.A highly engaged brother wi th low capabi l i ty could be termed a

STRUGGLER in that the effort and energy is applied, but the outcomes are

not a lways up to an acceptable standard. Like the rough ashlar, brethren

in this category need mentorship and guidance, while ensuring that their

engagement is not diminished through discouragement.

The area of highest risk are the brethren who are neither engaged

nor capab le . Th is ca tegory does no t serve the f ra tern i ty , and the best

approach is to take an up or out mental i ty by provid ing the opportuni t ies

to im prove capabil i ties and enhance engagement.

If these efforts are not successful, i t may be in everyones highes

good to a l low the BUDS to b loom wi t h a group or past ime which more

closely al igns w ith t heir preferences and talent s.

Categories of masonic brethrenB a s e d o n a n e v a l u a t i o n o f r e l a t i v e l e v e l s o f C a p a b i l i t y a n d

E n g a g e m e n t , w e c a n c a t e g o r i z e o u r b r e t h r e n a n d a d a p t o u

communications to them accordingly.

High Capability High-Low High-High" DIVAS" " STARS"

Low Capability Low-Low Low-High" BUDS" " STRUGGLERS"

Low Engagement High Engagement

C.E.M.E.N.T. CapabilityC- Ceremony Di spl ay pr op er Free m aso nr y for excel lence

E- Education Cover the la nd m ar ks a nd ke y com po ne nt s

M- Mentorship Di rect gu id an ce on al l m aso ni c a spe ct s

E- Enforcement Va li da te l esso ns, li ve by m aso ni c e xa mpl e

N- Nomination W he n read y, ad va nce b ro the r t o hi gh er r le

T- Transition Tra nsi t io n f ro m Learn er to Leade r, co nt in uo us ly

A.D.O.R.N. EngagementA- Acceptance For m al ize a nd confi rm M aso ni c a ccept an ce

D-Development Conn ect t o br ot he r w it h com m on in terest s

O-Orientation Exp ose br ot he r to ot he r M aso ni c i ni t ia t iv es

R- Recognition Const ru ct seq ue nt ia l gr ow th an d re w ar ds

N-Naturalization Estab li sh a New Nor m al pa t t ern

Quick Wins: Capabil ity and Engagem entExamples of small gestures to turn brethren int o STARS!

Include b ro ther i n long- term p lann ing d i scuss ions

Arrange calls and vis i ts dur ing il lness or d istress

Recognize personal masonic mi lestones at a l l levels (even baby

steps ) to create a positive momentum o f achievement.

Promote brethren with a particular competency or talent who can assist

other brethren or lo dges.Risks of inadequate a ttention

Compare the re lat ive value wi th the attr i t ion of a brother and the

subsequent loss.

Benefits of a successful programmeA h i g h l y ca p a b l e b r o th e r i s ve r sa t i l e a n d a d a p ta b l e . A h i g h l y

engaged brother provides support which is necessary for overal l success

Both Capabil i ty and Engagement are essential for the sustainabil i ty of ou

craft , part icular ly to reta in posi t ive involvement brethren in the face o

demographic declines

Fulfi l ls ri tual promise to Shine As The STARS .

Comments and questions:

[email protected]

Cement and adorn:Bui l ding capabi l i t y and engagement among br et hr en in Fr eemasonr y

Pr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masoni c Day, 5 Mar ch 2011by W. Br o. Dan iel Zr ymia k, St . James Lodge No. 80


5/20

P A S S I N G T H R O U GH a n y t h i n g a s

m o n u m e n ta l a s t h e se tw o g r e a t p i l l a r s ,

should not be taken l ight ly. Because just

l i ke pass ing th rough a t ime in one s l i fe ,

there i s as much to be learned when we

reflect as there was when we were there. In

fact there is often more. And now it is much

e a s i e r i n m a n y w a y s t o f o c u s , w i t h o u t

distract ion, on what we saw and what we

learned. Today I would l ike to share how

useful and fun that I bel ieve it is, to uti l ize

t h e r i c h s y m b o l i s m o f t h e C r a f t f o r

ref lect ion, and for sel f-explorat ion. I invi te

you to focus in on those moments we vespent wi th these pi l lars, and jo in me as I

abstract some ideas from them and reflect

on the.

Boaz and JachinBo a z ( st r e n g th ) d e r i ve d f r o m b

(beth) and oaz (vau and zayin): left hand

pi ll ar faci ng no rt he ast .

A paper could be presented on the

li fe and rle of Boaz the man him self, but I l l

keep it short and say that he was a man of

great charity, selflessness and compassion,

a man who did the r ight th ing in h is t ime.

Together , he and Ruth had a son , Obed,

father of Jesse and grandfather of David,

who of course was the father of Solomon. 1

Jachin (Establishment) deriving f rom

the Hebrew Ja (Yah) meaning God,2 a shortened version of the sacred

Hebrew YHVH ) and i ach in (w i l l es tab l i sh ) : r i gh t hand p i l l a r fac ing

southeast, (often cal led the pi l lar of establishment).

Where were these pi l lars cast? On the banks of the Jordan between

Succoth and Zeradatha. Being a geographer Im incl ined to question the

i m p o r ta n ce o f t h e se l o ca t i o n s . I s so m e th i n g e l se l o ca te d h e r e ? D i d

s o m e t h i n g i m p o r t a n t h a p p e n h e r e ? Tu r n s o u t t h a t y es, s o m e t h i n g

important did happen here, aside from someone discovering that this place

had the best clay in the middle-east.Both of these places directly relate wit h th e crossing of t he Jews out

of Egypt.3 When the Israeli tes embarked on their exodus from captivity in

Egypt they passed through or between these places of Zeradatha and

Succoth, where later the pi l lars of the temple were f igurat ively cast by

Hiram Abi f f , these same pi l lars that we pass through from captiv i ty in

ignorance to our jo urney through Freemasonry; our journey of self mastery,

and the discovery of our own t ime and place. These ancient Israel i tes

brought with them the mysterious ideas of the Egyptians. Moses himself

was tra ined as an Egyptian pr iest, 4 receiving a provocative dist inct ion

courtesy of Sigmund Freud, who on pondering the mnemohistory of Moses

person, suggested that the patriarch was a

re-animation or reiteration of the Pharaoh

Akenhaten, the first pharoah to chal lenge

t h e t r a d i t i o n a l l y p o l y t h e i s t i c E g yp t i a n

r e l i g i o n s b y p r a ct i c i n g a m o n o t h e i s t i c

w o r sh i p o f A t e n , o r R a, t h e s u n g o d .5

Freuds posi t ion on th is has been largely

discredi ted by the academy, but i t stands

as an impor tan t i nqu i ry i n to deeper t i es

between the Judeo-Christian tradition and

a n c i en t Eg yp t f r o m a m o r e m a i n s t r ea m

source than some modern masonic writers

may choose . J .S.M. Ward a l so d raws a

comparison between these pi l lars and thepil lars Tat and Tattu in the Egyptian Book

o f t h e D e a d . ( W a r d , N o . 2 T h e F. C .

Handbook, Lew is Masonic, 1974, p. 26)

W h a t i s f a r l e ss d e b a te d i s t h a

these same Jewish thinkers brought out o

E g y p t b y M o s e s a l s o b r o u g h t u s t h e

w e s te r n h e m i sp h e r e s f i r s t n o t i o n o f a

m o n o th e i s t i c r e l i g i o n a n d o f a s i n g u l a

metaphysical and omnipresent God, i f we

discount Zoroastr ianism, which had been

practiced in Iran and elsewhere since the

four teen th cen tu ry BCE.6 The conceptual

ization or discovery of this deity which wasnot tied to a specific geography, l ike many

nature-based or fixed tribal deities, creates

t h e u n d e r p i n n i n g s a n d f o u n d a t i o n o

western theology, contributes powerful ly to our laws and values, and many

of our notions of divinity, virtue, judgment and afterl i fe. It is intrinsical ly

woven into our col lective psyche and our cultural discourse. So it seems

very fitting that these pi l lars would be cast in the place where the mystica

and philosophical ideas of ancient Egypt were carried out by the ancien

Jews, on the i r way to such a reve la t i on and con t r i bu t ion . I t was the

reve la t i on no t o f a new god , bu t The God; the source o f c rea t ion and

energy of the l iving universe. And it opened the minds of men to question

all kinds of p hilosophical, metaphysical and other com plex ideas; ideas tha

to t h i s ve r y d a y w e a r e s t i l l ch a l l e n g e d b y w h e th e r w e r e q u a n tu m

physicists or just curious souls.

We pass through these pi l lars on the way to our discovery of ou

self, which by nature of us being a creature of this universe and the force

which created i t , the discovery too of our personal re lat ionship wi th the

divine. In Freemasonry this is left open t o personal interpretation of course

but I bel ieve that the western traditions of mysticism and theology have an

indel ib le imprint in our r i tuals, as do other pre-Christ ian tradi t ions too

Other scholars like J.S.M. Ward 7 or modern writers l ike Knight and Lomas

have thei r own interpretat ions which fa l l one w ay or the other on a simi la

pi le as mine, Knight and Lomas invoking t he Celtic or Druidic traditio ns and

5

Masonry as meditation:A paper on t he pil l ar s

Pr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masoni c Day, 5 Mar ch 2011by Br o. Wesl ey S. Regan, Mount Her mon Lodge No. 7

The enlightened being.


6/20

J.S.M. Ward a whole host of eastern and

near eas te rn t rad i t i ons in wh ich he f i nds

common t i es to mason ic symbo l i sm and

practice. I bel ieve that these pi l lars tel l us

more about the human psyche, myth, belief

and mnemohistory than most of us may at

first realize.

So what are some of the particulars

that the western tradi t ions of phi losophy,

mysticism, spiri tual i ty and theology owe to

the Jewish scho la rs o f o ld? What do we

owe David and Solomon whom these pi l lars

are both associated with? Well, we owe a

lot, we being the western civ i l izat ion that

Fr e e m a so n r y f l o u r i s h e d i n d u r i n g t h e

en l igh tenment and herea f te r . And in my

opinion the Kingdom of David and his son

Solomon may be more about the mystical

and monotheistic traditions of the west and

th e i n f l u e n ce i t h a s h a d o n a ca d e m i cs ,

s c i e n t i s t s , p h i l o s o p h e r s a n d s p i r i t u a l

think ers, as i t is the men and their tim e.

Estab l i sh h i s k ingdom in s t reng th ,t h i s l i n e f r o m th e An c i e n t W o r k l e c tu r e

always resonated in my head. The Kingdom

of David didnt last much longer than the man himself, but yet thousands

of years later in our ri t ual there is reference made t o i t sti l l . In fact i t p lays a

very important part in our ri tual. I see the kingdom that was established in

s t r e n g th b e i n g , i n m y o p i n i o n , m o r e o f a m e ta p h ys i ca l , i n te l l e c tu a l

kingdom than a physical one. Because as we al l know, eventually the flesh

cleaves from the bone as our corporeal efforts on this planet come to an

end. But inte l lectual ly, phi losophical ly, metaphysical ly, the Kingdom of

David and the Temple of Solomon l ive on in the work of the civi l izations

that have fol lowed, not to mention in the ri tuals of our degrees.

David defeated the giant Gol iath, which has been interpreted by

some Jewish th inkers as a metaphorical representat ion of the victory ofmonotheism over paganism and by Christian thinkers as representative of

the Churchs struggle against Satan, or evi l . 8 This g iant vs young l ing

episode is paral leled in other faiths or mythologies as well, perhaps most

s im i la r l y i n Homer s I l i ad .9 In the case o f Dav id and Go l ia th i t i s the

metaphorical al lusion to the defeat of paganism and establishment of the

monotheist ic theological and phi losophical western tradi t ion that I am

most concerned w i th i n th i s paper , a long w i th the re la ted geometr ies ,

geographies, and esoteric ideas that accompany it .

T o d a y w e s e e t h e s y m b o l s

named the Star of David or the Star of

Solomon, important symbols or images

not only to the Jewish but to alchemists

and magicians of the middle ages who

gave way to the chemis ts and o ther

s c i e n t i s t s o f t h e r e n a i s s a n c e a n d

e n l i g h t e n m e n t , i n c l u d i n g I s a a c

N e w t o n ,1 0 p u r p o r t ed t h o u g h n o t

proven to be a freemason himself and

co u n te d a m o n g th e f o u n d e r s o f t h e

Royal Society, the preminent col lege of scientific and social theorists sti l l

held in acclaim today. Though dating back thousands of years and found in

o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e w o r l d , 1 1 t h i s t a l i s m a n i c sy m b o l i s k n o w n m o s t

commonly now as the Star of David. Its number of points and the idea of a

s e v e n t h i n i t s c e n t r e c o n f o r m w i t h t h e

s a cr e d n u m b e r s 6 a n d 7 o f w h i c h t h e

creation myth and eschatology explore. It i

held that this symbol was the famed Seal o

So l o m o n , f e a tu r e d i n h i s s i g n e t . I t w a s

claimed to have given him mystical powers

domination over demons, and the abil i ty to

speak w i th animals among other t h ings.12

I t i s a l s o p e r c e i v e d t o b e a t a l i s m a n

denoting creation and redemption, l i fe and

death and the most commonly accep ted

symbol ic statement of the dual nature o

G o d , h i s d i v i n e n a t u r e a n d h i s h u m a n

n a t u r e .1 3 In a l ch e m y , t h e p r e cu r so r t o

m o d e r n c h e m i s t r y a n d o t h e r s c i e n c e

practiced by the Hermetic philosophers, this

s h a p e c o m b i n e s t h e s y m b o l s f o r f i r e

(equa ted w i th mascu l ine energy) and o

water (equated with feminine energy), they

be ing an upward and downward t r i ang le

respectively.14 The symbol can t herefore be

equated w i th ba lance , un i ty , who leness

similar to th e concept of yin and yang. JohnSebast ian Mar low Ward emphas izes the

masculine-feminine overtones coming from

t h e E n t e r e d A p p r e n t i c e d e g r e e t o Fe l l o w c r a f t d e g r e e, t h e E n t e r ed

Apprentice degree being representative of the creative feminine side, the

w eaker side as represented by t he left k nee, and the stronger m asculine o

preservat ive side of the Fel lowcraft degree as represented by i ts own

particulars.15

Aside from the mystical connections of David and Solomon and the

geometr ies associated wi th thei r names, the western phi losophical and

theological tradition also carries with i t a prominent focus on death, the

after l i fe, resurrect ion and a per iod of salvat ion or

p e r f e ct i o n t o o n e d a y a r r i v e . K i n g D a v i d p l a y s

p r o m i n e n t l y i n t h i s p r o m i se o f r e w a r d f o r o u rsuffer ing. Therefore the l ine of David and thus the

inte l lectual and metaphysical Kingdom of David in

th is context are important not just in Jewish cul ture but in the western

t rad i t i on i tse l f , one wh ich inc ludes Chr i s t i an i ty , Is lam, ep is temo logy

natural phi losophy and a host of other schools of

thought which stem from our most pr imi t ive sacred

n o t i o n s , o r g a n i z e d i n t o t h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e

dominant spiri tual or intel lectual paradigm of which

weve existed in for mil lennia.

Is th is the kingdom of ideas, the western (or human) tradi t ion of

theology and mysticism, mans search for his connection with the divine

the close examination and mastery of the physical realm were born into

that these pi l lars are representative of? Because after al l , the Fellowcraf

degree encourages us to fami l iar ize ourselves wi th the l iberal ar ts and

sciences that have matured from our ancient ideas into the inte l lectua

tapestry that supports modern society today. I bel ieve this is one aspect of

these p i l l a rs and the impor tance o f the f i ve p i l l a rs i n genera l i n the

Fel lowcraft degree a sort of acknowledgement of the bi r th of w estern

thinking as a blend of Greek and proto-Judeo-Christian traditions that have

colesced wi th informed and subsumed many other bel ief systems and

cultures scattered throughout vast geographies. The birth of writing afte

all , began the ferti le-crescent, arcing from Mesopotamia to Egypt, and the

Greeks too o f fe red us fu r ther i ns igh t i n to the human cond i t i on upon

6

David and Goliath.

GustavDor,

1866


7/20

pondering through language and debate,

reali ty, shapes, sounds, m orals and virtues,

gods and god desses correlating t o previous

ancients. And through the expansion and

d i s s o l u t i o n o f t h e R o m a n E m p i r e w a s

bi r thed the European Kingdoms fo l lowed

by thei r nat ion-states and modern union.

And so in this ri tual istic sense I see these

pi l lars as a spi r i tual and inte l lectual b i r th

c a n a l f o r b o t h t h e w e s t e r n t r a d i t i o n s ,

including the mystery traditions and for the

candidate himself. In fact there are ferti l i ty

i m a g e s r i g h t o n t h e m . L i l i e s a n d

p o m e g r a n a t e s b e i n g r e p r e s en t a t i v e o f

fert i l i ty, spi r i tual pur i ty, b i r th and rebi r th.

The l i ly is also a symbol of motherhood.16

(Lehner, p. 119) This is fi tting, being that

we re fe r to these p laces where we pass

through the pi l lars for the first time as our

Mot her Lodge.

W h e r e e l s e h a v e l i l i e s f i g u r e d

prominently? To the ancient Egyptians, the

trumpet-shaped l i ly was a symbol of Upper Egypt and has been associatedwi t h Ishtar (ak aAstarte) who was herself a goddess of creation and ferti l i ty

as well as a virgin.17 The Greeks and Romans l inked t he l i ly w ith t he queen

of the gods, cal led Hera by the Greeks and Juno by the Romans. And

l i kewise the pomegrana te was a l so l i nked to Hera and Juno (Lehrer,

p . 123) . The l i l y was a l so one o f the symbo ls o f the Roman goddess

Venus.18 In Western art the angel Gabriel is seen giving Mary a branch of

pure white l i l ies, proclaiming that she is to be the mother of the Christ.

Featured in the Song of Solomon the l i l ly has been historical ly associated

wi th the Hebra ic F lower o f So lomon, o r Sta r o f Dav id , wh ich we jus t

examined earl ier.19 Thus the l i ly denotes spiri tual i ty, ferti l i ty, purity and

rebirth in this and other contexts much older than Christianity and even

Judaism. In fact one form of l i ly, the lotus is featured prominently in the

very birth of the physical universe itself. In the Hindu creation myth, thegod Brahma is birthed in a water l i ly or lotus that grows from the navel of

lord Vishnu upon the great expanse of endless ocean that is the cosmic

nothin gness. The wat er l i ly enjoys pride of place in bot any as the earl iest o f

the blooming f lo ra to come forth from the angiosperm classi f ied as

basal-angiosperm. Li l ies are important; they are the genetic missing l ink in

the p lan t wor ld , so to speak, tha t a l l owed the s tap le foods o f human

societies such as corn, wheat, and rice, to

emerge.20 Notice the bed of cobras Vishnu

is resting upon. The serpent in both India

a n d Eg yp t sym b o l i ze s so m e th i n g m u ch

d i f f e r e n t t h a n m o d e r n w e s te r n e r s h a ve

come to equate i t wi th t oday.21 Something

I contemplate nearly every time I clasp my

a p r o n o n , t h a t i s i f h a v e n t f r a n t i c a l l y

rushed to lodge after w ork.

The lo tus o f course i s a l so a very

important f lower in Buddhism. As Joseph

Campbel l beauti fu l ly puts i t , The jewel of

eternity is in the lotus of birth and death

(Campbell, p. 130)22 And as you can see in

the image a t the beg inn ing o f th i s paper

the enlightened being is quite androgynous.

T h i s c o m m e n t i s n t m a d e i n j e s t . T h e

Kabbalists of the medival period and the

C h r i s t i a n g n o s t i c s a l so b e l i e ve t h a t t h e

original man was quite androgynous before

o u r m a l e a n d f e m a l e e n e r g i e s w e r e

separated as represented by the creation o

Eve. (Campbell p. 131) But put th is way i

sounds almost mean and misogynistic! Ou

dual i ty of sexes, or rather, our dual i ty o

male and female essence, are paral le l to

and representative of our duali ty apart from

the divine. We seek union with each other

we seek union with our creator, we search

for soul mates to make us complete and we

ourselves do the very work of creat ion as

w e fo r e ve r c l a m o r t o r e co n n e c t a n d r e

p e r f e ct o u r u n i o n w i t h t h e d i v i n e a n d

ourselves. From the two, man and woman

c o m e s t h r e e t h e c h i l d , b i r t h a n d

c r ea t i o n . T h i n k o n c e a g a in o f t h e t w o

triangles connected as in the Star of David

or Seal of Solomon. The perfected human

being, unity with the divine, ful l capacity o

b o th t h e f e m i n i n e a n d m a scu li n e , o f f i r e a n d w a te r , d e st r u c t i o n a n dcreation. A representat ion of the perfect ion of our uni ty as a potent ia l ly

divine creature, so in need of salvation, and of answers, so imperfect ye

with such potential, and able to see beyond the veil of the mystery- but

perhaps never able to ful ly comprehend it in this our present form and in

th i s l i f e . T h r o u g h th e l i b e r a l a r t s a n d sc i e n ce s w e se e i t s b e a u t i f u

geometry, and hear i ts beauti fu l harmony, but l ike animals we humans

claw and def i le the physical wor ld and each other despi te these ever

present glimpses of the divine. Those glimpses can become gazes here in

the Lodge, and in the symbols that aggregate the accoutrements of our

Furniture and ri tual. These Lodge rooms are ful l of symbolism, these pi l lar

alone can tel l us the story of the creation of man and the physical universe

he inhabits, the purity of our divine nature and the oneness we seek with i

as to ld by many d i f fe ren t cu l tu res . They speak to the r i chness o f thesymbolism of the Craft, that the few symbols and concepts meditated on

here a lone , i n a r i ch co l l age o f o thers , con ta in so much mean ing and

mystery. That they can inspi re an inte l lectual and spi r i tual journey tha

takes us right to the core of our being and deep into the collective psyche

of Western civi l ization and human civi l ization at large, and the mysticism

t h a t f o r m s t h e s p i r i t u a l a n d i n t e l l e c t u a l s o i l f r o m w h i c h i t g r o w s

Freemasonry is a gymnasium for the mind

and a puzzle for th e soul.

To conclude, in contemplat ing jus

o n e a s p e ct o f o u r r i t u a l , o n e f l e e t i n g

moment in a career of revelations we find

that we can go much deeper in explor ing

thei r meaning to us, in ways that become

as intensely introspective or as broad as we

choose. When w and t ips meet, when m eta

touches your chest, when your naked fee

to u ch th e g r o u n d a n d w a l k t h r o u g h th i s

m ys te r y- w e a r e b e i n g i n t r o d u ce d to so

much more than one can imagine at f i rst

glance. And so if you l ike to exercise you

mind, i f you enjoy asking big questions and

fam i l i a r i z ing yourse l f w i th exo t i c p laces

and times, travell ing even to the beginning

7

The Annunciation

PaolodeMatteis,

1712

Lord Vishnu and the goddess , Lakshmi.


8/20

8

of the universe and deep into the psyche of human civ i l izat ion, then I

encourage you to take a moment and enjoy the rich symbolism and ri tual

found within Freemasonry. And if you dont, just bear with me ti l l Festive

Board and we can be a l i t t le more la id back! But I firmly bel ieve that we

shou ldn t j us t pass th rough F reemasonry , par t i cu la r l y the Cra f t Lodge

experience, l ike we pass through these pi l lars, without taking time to really

ponder and adm ire them, because as I hope Ive just demon strated there is

so much more beauty and w isdom to appreciate when w e take the t ime to

honor and examine these exper iences tha t have been so thought fu l l y

compiled and governed for our benefit.Notes1 Ruth R. to ii. 14; Shab. 113b2. http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/Esoteric/esoteric.html3. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Zeredatha (on Zeretan or

Zeredetha) and http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/succoth, bothassociate the exodus from Egypt with these locations.

4. Acts 7:22 "Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians"5. Freud, S. Der Mann Moses und die monotheistische Religion(Moses and

Monotheism), (1937), (1939 English)6. its reach or influence has been limited in the western tradition compared

to J udaism but nonetheless deserves mention7. In J SM Wards EA, FC and MM Handbooks he liberally draws

comparisons to other traditions and faiths, including Hinduism,prehistoric Solar Cults and Pythagorean Mystery School teachings. J SM

Ward, The E.A., F.C and M. M Handbooks, Lewis Masonic, Middlesex,Seventh Impression, 1974

8. The metaphorical interpretations of David and other J ewish scripturesare scattered through the early Christian writers (Augustine mostnotably). see Raymond-J ean Frontain and J an Wojcik (eds.), The DavidMyth in Western Literature (1979). See J STOR.

9. Homer, Iliad Book 7 ll.13216010. Moonlighting as a Conjurer of Chemicals, Natalie Angier, New York

Times, October 11, 2010. accessed 20 January, 2011.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/science/12newton.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

11. Of all talismans, there is none, except, perhaps, the cross, which was sogenerally prevalent among the ancients as this Seal of Solomon or Shieldof David. It has been found in the cave of Elephanta, in India,

accompanying the image of the Deity, and many other places celebratedin the Brahmanical and the Buddhist religions. Hay, in an exploration intoWestern Barbary, found it in the harem of a Moor, and in a Jewishsynagogue, where it was suspended in front of the recess in which thesacred rolls were deposited. In fact, the interlaced triangles or Seal ofSolomon may be considered aspa r ex cel lenc e, by merit, the GreatOriental talisman Mackeys Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, accessedfrom masonicdictionary.com/sealsolomon.html

12.Drury, N and Tillett, G. (1997), The Occult: A Sourcebook of EsotericWisdom, Saraband, Connecticut (p. 53)

13. But at length the ecclesiologists seem to have settled on the idea tha

the figure should be considered as representing the two natures of ourLord-His Divine and His human nature. Mackeys Encyclopedia ofFreemasonryaccessed from masonicdictionary.com/sealsolomon.html

14. scs.illinois.edu/~mainzv/HIST/Logo/logo.php American Association ofChemistry

15. J SM Ward, The F.C.s Handbook, Lewis Masonic, Middlesex, SeventhImpression, 1974, p19

16.Lehner, J ohanna and Ernst, (1960) Folklore and Symbolism of FlowersPlants and Trees, Tudor Publishing, New York,

17. mythencyclopedia.com/Fi-Go/Flowers-in-Mythology.html18. mythencyclopedia.com/Fi-Go/Flowers-in-Mythology.html19. In Egyptian empires they have been an emblem of the sovereignty of

kings and a symbol of virginal innocence and the bridal state (SolomonsSong of Songs, 2, 12). This citation has also been taken as anassociation of this lily with the Hebrew Flower of Solomon, J udaismsStar of David Riklef Kandeler and Wolfram R. Ullrich, Symbolism ofplants: examples from European-Mediterranean culture presented withbiology and history of art. Oxford University Press [on behalf of theSociety for Experimental Biology]. accessed December 2010 fromjxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/60/7/1893.full

20. Water Lily is Missing-Link of PlantsCBC News, Monday 4 February2002 Accessed 30 J anuary 2011 atcbc.ca/health/story/2002/01/30/waterlily020130.html

21. Ward touches on this aspect of the regenerative qualities of snakes, whoshed their skin and are reborn anew, being representative of rebirth

22.Campbell, Joseph, Hero With a Thousand Faces, 3rd edition (2008)Pantheon Books, New York.


9/20

9

This paper is intended as a gu ide for experienced and inexperienced

f r e e m a s o n s a li k e b e c a u se I b e l i e v e t h a t w e c a n a l l i m p r o v e o u r

performance in Lodge. It is a w ork in pro gress. As I get addit ional ideas and

comments from brethren I wil l update and improve the paper.

Contents1 . I nt ro du ct io n

2 . Plann ing and a ll oca t ing r itua l

3 . Memor i zing and learn ing the r itua l

4 . Stage f r i gh t and nerves

5. Performance and del ivery

6 . Co n cl usi on

Introduction

In one survey public speaking was ranked as the number one fearamong men above the fear of death so you are not a lone i f the very

t h o u g h t o f g i v i n g a l e c t u r e i n l o d g e f i l l s y o u w i t h d r e a d , y e t m o s t

freemasons, to varying degrees, have conquered their fears by performing

r i tual in lodge. What I w ant to ta lk about t h is evening are the methods by

wh ich I and o thers a re ab le to l ea rn the r i tua l , overcome our pub l i c

speaking fears, and perhaps most important ly, perform the r i tual to the

best of our abil i ty. That last point is very important because it represents

the most we can expect out of any brother to do his best and in my

view this makes comparisons of one brothers ri tual to another a non-issue.

But I a lso strongly bel ieve that we can a ll improve our i nd i v idua l and

collective performan ce of the ri tual.

Planning and allocating the ritualLodges can greatly assist by planning t heir degrees early givingtwo weeks, or even less, not ice to even an exper ienced r i tual ist is only

acceptable in an emergency and last minute planning doesn't quali fy! In

most lodges the Worshipful Master and Director of Ceremonies would be

responsible for al locating al l the lectures and parts in a degree. Doing so

with three or more months notice gives the brethren ample time to study. It

a l so a l l o w s a n o p p o r tu n i t y f o r o th e r t h an t h e g o o d o l d s ta n d bys a

chance to be part of the degree. Those that already know the lectures can

then be kept in reserve for last minute replacements i f necessary. Always

call the practice a week before the degree and insist on a ful l rehearsal of

a l l pa r ts as tha t w i l l he lp those do ing par ts fo r the f i rs t t ime. Th is i s

important as those part ic ipat ing then know that they have to have thei r

parts ready for the practice. The week between the practice and degreeshould be used for polishing the performance not learning the l ines for the

first t ime.

Memorizing and learning the ritualThere are four main stages to learning ri tual;

1. M emorize al l the words soon after you are al located a part;

2 . Repeat i t aloud o f ten;

3 . Repeat i t aloud o f ten;

4 . Repeat i t aloud o f ten.

When accepting a part in a degree too many brethren procrastinate

and don't start learning their parts unti l i t is too late to do them justice.

S o m e m e n c a n m e m o r i z e t h e w o r k q u i c k l y , a n d f o r o t h e r s i t i s a

considerable time commitment. In my experience the more memorizing you

do the quicker the brain wil l learn.

Before attempting to memorize any words, read your part two o

three t imes over. Our r i tual was mostly wr i t ten over 150 years ago and

although the English is exquisite there are many words not in common use

today so look them up in a dictionary or Google them online. By reading it

aloud you wil l get a prel iminary idea of how to communicate the lecture.

In our busy l i ves we o f ten f i nd i t d i f f i cu l t to se t as ide t ime to

memorize ri tual but w e have to make t ime otherwise we w i l l end up doing

it when we have no choice and that is always way too late. Consider wha

time of t he day you are most a lert for some th is wi l l be early in the

morning, some later in the day, but i t is rarely late at n ight. Try to ge

somewhere away from interrupt ions and on no account t ry to learn whenthe hockey playoffs are on!

There are many di f ferent ways of approaching memorizat ion. Fo

some making a voice recording of the whole lecture and repeating i t a

home or in t he car works wel l . Others wi l l w r i te out the w hole lecture by

hand as this not only reinforces the memory but i t also al lows time to think

about the meaning of the words. I general ly use the old fashioned way of

cover ing up the r i tua l w i th an o ld enve lope and learn ing sen tence by

sentence and eventually paragraph by paragraph. For me it d epends on the

length of the lecture or the part but the pr incipal aim is the same to

memorize al l the w ords as soon as I am able.

1. For a relatively short piece, say less than half a page, I simply learn the

w ords sentence by sentence unti l I can repeat the w hole piece. If i t 's in

a couple of paragraphs then I wil l do i t paragraph by paragraph.2. For a one to multiple page single lecture I wil l learn i t paragraph by

paragraph imagining t hem as a series of smaller lectures. I w il l

spend exactly the t ime I need to repeat each paragraph roughly right

and then move on to the next paragraph and repeat the procedure unti l

I have gone through the whole lecture. Note: I know that I w i l l have

forgotten most of the first paragraph by the end of this process. But

that doesn't m atter because I am going to repeat t he process al l the

way through the lecture and for a third or fourth time if necessary

the brain is a wonderful computer that recognizes that I've been over

these words before and each time I go through the whole piece more

sticks in my memory unti l I have it al l down roughly right.

The a im here i s to spend as much t ime on the las t th i rd o f thelecture as the first third. Too often you hear a lecture in lodge where the

first third sounds l ike Laurence, Lord Olivier or Sir Anthony Hopkins, the

second third is good with the odd prompt and the final third requires a lo

of prompting. Usual ly th is is because the brother has repeated the f i rst

paragraphs learned every t ime he learned a new paragraph thereby

giving far more attent ion and repeti t ion to the fi rst t h i rd of the lecture.

3. For a major part in a degree, such as that p erformed by a Worshipful

M aster, I start w i th w hat I consider to be the most important sect ion of

my part in the case of the WM that w ould be the obl igat ion and

learn that first, applying the principles outl ined in 1. and 2. As the

obligation wil l be repeated by the candidate i t is useful to practice the

Learning and performing ritualPr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masonic Day, 5 Mar ch 2011

by RW Br o. Phi l ip Dur el l , Mapl e Leaf Par k Lodge No. 63


10/20

10

obligation by repeating both the Worshipful Masters part and the

candidates responses. When you have it dow n have someone else act

the candidates part. After learning the obligation I wil l memorize the

next largest pieces, unti l finally I go through al l of my part from

beginning to end. Remember that al l I 'm trying to do at this stage is get

the words memorized roughly right.

Some people find it easier to memorize the whole degree so that

they know their cues particularly in what I cal l the Q&A sections (l ike

open ing a l odge) . What I do a t th i s s tage i s have my w i fe o r ano ther

brother test me on the memorization by giving me the previous l ine to my

part. I intersperse this testing by repeating the whole part out aloud unti l I

know my l ines and my cues. Some brethren are good at improvising, but

Im not , so I try and be close to w ord perfect never quite achieved but

close. There is a reason for this w hich I l l get t o w hen under perform ance.

For a l ong lec tu re i t i s impor tan t to remember the sequence o f

paragraphs. Many bret hren use cue cards which I thin k is great for practice

but Id p refer not to see used in lodge unless they are unobtrusive say

on a pedestal but not held in the hand when on the floor of the lodge. Far

better to be prompt ed. For me I can see the sequence of paragraphs on the

page in my min d so please dont g ive me the lecture in a different fon t!

Stage fright and nervesMost people get very anxious when they are about to perform even

i f they ve done i t 100 t imes be fo re . How o f ten have you been per fec treciting ri tual in the shower or in the car only to go blank in lodge due to

anxiety. There are some po inters to overcoming nerves;

Lay off caffe ine part icular ly coffee and colas. I t may make you feel

more alert but i t wil l increase heart rate and heighten any anxious

feelings. Maintain normal eating habits and dont skip meals before a

big part as the body and brain need energy.

Remember to breathe. I f you feel a panic coming on before your part

take several deep and slow breat hs. You can also imagine how youl l

feel after your performance i.e. relaxed. This wil l help calm you

down.

M ake sure you learned your l ines days before and show up ear ly on the

night. A combination of last minute revising and late arrival can be

deadly!

Last ly, remember that a l l those Past M asters out there are just people

and your performance is not a m atter of l i fe and death even i f i t

feels like i t at t he time!

Performance and deliveryNo m atter how good your memory, a lw ays have a prompter. There

should only be one prompter at a time who has no other responsibi l i ty

preferably not the Secretary or even the Director of Ceremonies. It is okay

to have different prompters for major lectures in the degree provided that

t h i s i s p l a n n e d b e fo r e h a n d a n d th e W o r sh i p fu l M a s te r , D i r e c to r o f

Ceremonies and other prompter/s are informed. The prompter should be

close to the brother performing the r i tual not at t he other end of the

lodge! It is important that the prompter have a clear and distinct voice andthat you agree on the signals to be made when you need a word.

Always speak in a clear and distinct voice loud enough to be heard

in al l corners of the lodge. You may be addressing a candidate but al l the

brethren w ant to hear you.

There is one difference between a good piece of ri tual and a great

piece of ri tual and that is the performance and delivery of the brother. The

f i r s t i s o f t e n c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y g o o d m e m o r i z a t i o n b u t t o b e t r u l y

memorable the delivery has to match the standard of memorizat ion in

fact Id say i t is even more impo rtant. This is why I try t o mem orize as close

to w ord perfect as I can because you cannot achieve a great delivery i f

your brain is using i ts capaci ty try ing to remember the next sentence

Thats why it is essential to m emorize the w ords early and repeat the w hole

piece as often as possible. The more repetitions the more automatic wil

become the recall of t he sentences and as the repetitio ns progress you w il

find yourself beginning to interpret their meaning. This is really important

as i t is your interpretation of their meaning that you wil l be communicating

in lodge.

T o t r u l y co m m u n i ca te a l e c tu r e w e h a ve se ve r a l t o o l s a t o u

disposal. First is our voice which has a range of optio ns to help us:

t one

volum e

speed

pauses

pit ch

If w e are close to a candidate w e can also use facial expressions and

body language. If we are performing a drama portion as in the second hal

of the Ancient work MM degree or in the Scott ish Ri te degrees, p lease

enroll in one of W Bro. M ark Brandons acting classes!

The ri tual gives us plenty of clues as to what we should emphasize

Take the Address to the Brethren which is performed at the end of each

instal lation. Consider this passage; the first part is a narrative but there are

key phrases that n eed emphasis by my interpretat ion the ones I ve

highlight ed phrases l ike fundament al principles of our order and thechief point o f Freemasonry beg for emphasis.

The object, however, of meeting in the lodge is of a two-

fo ld nature, namely moral instruct ion and socia l intercourse.

Our meetings are intended to cultivate and enlighten the mind,

to induce a habi t of v i r tue, and to strengthen the fundamental

principles of our Order: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. And if

these meet ings a re b lended w i th soc ia l m i r th and a mutua l

i n te rchange o f f ra te rna l fee l i ngs , then F reemasonry w i l l be

shown in i ts t rue l i gh t , as an ins t i tu t i on wh ich fos te rs and

improves the best affect ions of our nature, and carr ies into

a c t i ve o p e r a t i o n t h e p r a c t i ce o f t h e f o u r ca r d i n a l v i r t u e s :

Temperance, Fort i tude, Prudence and Just ice, combin ed w i th

the theological v ir tues Fai th, Hope and Chari ty therebydemonstrating to the world at large that in Freemasonry there

is found the true import of the three great socia l treasures:

Fraternity, Liberty and Equality. Therefore the utmost extension

of fraternal feel ing and affect ion which can subsist between

man and man is expected to be displayed among the Brethren

of our Order in a lodge of freemasons, and then wil l be attained

the ch ie f po in t o f F reemasonry , namely , to endeavor to be

happy ourselves, and to com municate th at happin ess to ot hers.

ConclusionMost brethren are capable of performing r i tual and al l of us are

capable of improving o ur performance. Remember:

1. Lodges to p lan the degree early and set the pract ice a week before thedegree;

2. Learn the words as soon as you can;

3 . Repeat out l oud o f ten ;

4. Endeavour to interpret the meaning of your part;

5. Be ready to perform your part by the pract ice date;

6 . Cont ro l your anx ie ty;

7. Have one prompter near the performer;

8. Speak clearly and dist inct ly and loud enough for a l l to hear.

QuestionsPlease forward suggestions to p durel [email protected]


11/20

11

Parking karma, part IIPr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masonic Day, 5 Mar ch 2011by R.W. Br o. St ephen MacKenzi e, Mount Her mon L odge No. 7

At last year's Grand Masonic Day I endeavored to presentsome ideas on life and how one's attitude to life gets

reflected back to each of us in some way or another. In thecourse of a trip to Centre Lodge's Installation last summer I

had the opportunity to converse with W Bro. Raphael Ching

on many topics, some of them related to Freemasonry. Atone stage he declared that he would send me a presentation

that would change my life. It is a seven minute slide show

by the author Steven Covey and simply encapsulates inthose seven minutes what I could not so effectively do in

twenty.

The 90/10 Principleby Stephen Covey

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It wil l change your l i fe, or at least, the

way you react to situations. What is this Principle? 10% of l i fe is made up

of w hat happens to you, 90% of l i fe is decided by how you react.

What does this mean?

We real ly have no con t ro l over 10% o f what happens to us . We

cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane wil l be late arriving,

which throw s our whole schedule off . A dr iver may cut us off in the traffic.

We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You

determine the other 90%.

How ? By your reaction.

You cannot con t ro l a red l i gh t , however , you can con t ro l your

reaction. Do not let people fool you. Yo u can control how you react. Let us

use an example

You are having breakfast wi th your fami ly. Your daughter knocksover a cup of coffee onto your business shi r t .You have no contro l over

what has just happened. What happens next wi l l be determined by how

you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daught er for knocking the cup

over. She breaks dow n in tears.

After scold ing her, you turn to your wi fe and you cr i t ic ize her for

placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle

fo l lows.

You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back dow nstairs, you fi nd

your daughter has been too busy crying to finish her breakfast and getting

ready to g o to school. She misses the bus.

Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car

and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive forty

miles per hour in a thirty miles per hour speed l imit zone. After a fifteen-minute delay and throwing a $60 traffic fine away, you arr ive at school .

Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.

Af te r a r r i v ing a t the o f f i ce twenty m inu tes la te , you rea l i ze you

forgot your br iefcase. Your day has started terr ib le. As i t cont inues, i t

seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home. When

you arr ive home, you fi nd a smal l w edge in your re lat ionship w i th your w i fe

and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day? Did the coffee cause i t? Did your

daughter cause i t? Did the pol iceman cause i t? Did you cause i t? The

answer is you.

You had no contro l over what happened w i th the coffee. How you

reacted in those fi ve seconds is what caused your bad day.

Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffe splashes

over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say: Its okay, honey

you just need to be more careful next t im e. Grabbing a tow el you go

upstai rs and change your shi r t . You grab your br iefcase, and you come

back down in t ime to look t hrough the w indow and see your chi ld gett ing

on t he bus. She turns and w aves. You arrive fi ve minut es early a cheerful ly

greet the staff.

Notice the di f ference? Two di f ferent scenar ios. Both started thesame. Both ended different. Why? Because of how you reacted.

You really have no control over 10% of what happens in your l i fe

The other 90% was determined by your reaction. Here are some ways to

apply the 90 /10 Principle.

If someone says something negative about you, do not be a sponge

Let the a t tack ro l l o f f l i ke wate r on g lass . You do no t have to l e t the

negative comments affect you.React properly and it wil l not ruin your day

A wrong react ion could resul t in losing a fr iend, being f i red, or gett ing

stressed out .

How do you react i f someone cuts you off in the traffic? Do you lose

your temper? Pound on the steer ing wheel? (A fr iend of mine had the

steering w heel fal l off ). Do you curse? Does your blood p ressure skyrocket?

Who cares i f you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruinyour drive? Remember the 90/10 Principle and dont worry about i t.

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irri tated? It

wi l l w ork out. Use your worrying energy and t ime to find a new job.

The plane is late. It is going to mangle your schedule for the day.

Why take out your frustrat ion on the fl ight att endant? She has no contro

over what i s go ing on . Use your t ime to s tudy , ge t to know the o the

passenger, why stress out? It w il l just make thin gs worse.

Now you know the 90/10 Pr incip le.

Apply i t and you wil l be amazed at the results. You wil l lose nothing

if you t ry i t. The 90/10 Principle is incredible. Very few know and apply t his

Principle. The result? You w il l see it by yourself!

M i l l i ons o f peop le a re su f fe r ing f rom undeserved s t ress , t r i a l s

problems and headaches. We al l must understand and apply the 90/10

Principle. It can change your l i fe!

Enjoy i t . . . i t only takes wi l lpower to g ive ourselves permission to

make t he experience.Dr. Stephen R. covey is author of The Seven Habits of Highly

Effective People. The text above is taken f rom a PowerPoint

presentation currently available on over 40 ,000 web sites.


12/20

12

The political situation in SerbiaOn 25 March 1941 the K ingdom o f Yugos lav ia j o ined the Ax isPowers by signing the Triparti te Pact in Vienna. This immediately lead to a

coup in the n igh t be tween 26 -27 March , and the fo rmat ion o f a new

g o v e r n m e n t h e a d e d b y G e n e r a l D u s a n S i m o v i c . T h e r e w e r e n i n e

freemasons as ministers.

Wi thout a declarat ion of w ar, on 6 Apr i l 1941, Germany, wi th the

help of i ts al l ies Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania, attacked Yugoslavia.

After eleven days, the Yugoslavian resistance was broken and Yugoslavia

sur rendered . German occupat ion fo rces estab l i shed a Serb ian pupp et

government led by a Council of Commissioners under the direct command

of German occupatio n forces.

The anti-masonic exhibit in Belgrade, 1941With the approval of Ribbentrop, German mi l i tary commander for

Serbia, Harold Tuner issued orders in mid-May 1941 to establish a special

commission to determine responsibi l i ty for the coup of 27 March 2 and

assign guil t for the outbreak of the war. This commission was under the

direct supervision of German SS officer, Hans Richter.

The coup was determined to be the responsibi l i ty of England, the

Freemasons and the Yugoslav government in exi le. A special committee

was fo rmed to p resen t these resu l ts to the Serb ian na t ion fo r wh ich

purpose they prepared the ant i -m asonic exhib i t io n. This ant i -m asonic

exhibi t ion was organized to a lso contain ant i -communist and ant isemi t ic

materials.

T h e e x h i b i t i o n w a s s c h e d u l e d f o r 2 3 J u n e 2 3 1 9 4 1 a n d w a s

schedu led to be he ld on the p rem ises o f the fo rmer Grand Lodge o f

Yugos lav ia .The open ing had to be postponed, as a l a rge quant i ty o f

explosives was found in the basement. Someone had wanted to blow up

th e b u i l d i n g a t t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e e xh i b i t i o n . An i n ve s t i g a t i o n w a s

conducted, but the perpetrator was never found.

The exhibition was finally opened on 22 October 1941.

T h e o p e n i n g c e r e m o n y w a s a t t e n d e d b y h i g h - r a n k i n g

representatives of t he German occupation f orces and representat ives of the

Serbian auth orities. The exhibition w as closed on 2 9 January 1942.

Four anti-masonic stamps were printed to note this exhibition.

Symbolism of anti-masonic stampsOn the left edge of the f i rst stamp, in Cyr i l l ic letters, is wr i t ten

Serb ia. In the le f t bo t tom corner the p r i ce, 0 :50 + 0 :50 in d inars, i

written in Cyri l l ic font

A t t h e b o t t o m i s w r i t t e n , i n C y r il l i c l et t e r s , t h e An t i - m a so n i

Exh i b i t i o n a n d i n t h e t o p r i g h t co r n e r i s t h e d a te o f o p e n i n g o f t h eexhibi t ion. In the top left corner is a round shie ld wi th a cross and four

Cyr i l lic letters S , from which l ight penetrates a cowering, hooded figure.

The shield symbolizes the strength of the Serbian people, the sun

above Serbia., the l ight that destroys al l enemies of Serbia. The hooded

figure wearing a Star of David on his chest which represent the Jewish

people and the masonic apron of Freemasonry. The sword is dropped as a

sign of surrender

The stamp symbolizes the victory of the Serbian nation, led by the

Serbian puppet government. The stamp also symbolizes an internationa

conspiracy of freemasons and Jews against Serbia.

The f igure representing the freemasons and the Jews is h idden

u n d e r a h o o d , a m a sk sym b o l i z i n g h o e f r e e m a so n s a n d Je w s h a ve

infiltrated intro every facet of society. The stamps symbolized the power ofthe Serbian nation t o defeat every enemy.

During the time of the exhibition many freemasons were arrested

wi t h many fi red from thei r jobs and some ki l led.

On the left edge of the second stamp, in Cyri l l ic letters, is written

Serbia. In the left bottom corner is pr inted the pr ice, 1 + 1, in d inars

written in Cyri l l ic letters. At the bottom of the stamp is written, in Cyri l l ic

letters, the Anti -masonic Exhibi t ion and pr inted above that is the date o

the opening of the exhibition. In the upper right corner is a round shield

w ith a cross and four Cyri l l ic letters S.

Here,a hand comes out of the l ight and grasps the snake by the

Serbian anti-masonic postage stampsPr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masoni c Day, 5 Mar ch 2011

by Br o. Gor an Ivank ovic, Capil ano Lodge No. 164


13/20

13

neck. The snake is placed on the masonic

square and compasses wh ich lay over a

world g lobe.

The light here represents the Serbian

nation, wi th just ice and fa i th in God. The

hand symbolizing the strength that springs

from the l ight as Gods wi l l and defeat ing

t h e s n a k e , a b i b l i c a l s y m b o l o f e v i l , a

venomous snake that t ried to poison Serbia.

A p a t t e r n o f S ta r o f D a v i d o n t h e

viper re inforces the image of the Jews as

the m ain enemies of Serbia.

T h e v i p e r h e a d i s p r e sse d o n t h e

sym b o l o f Fr e e m a so n r y , t h e sq u a r e a n d

compasses, showing that the Jews are the

ones who control Freemasonry.

T h e g l o b e s y m b o l i z e s t h e

international nature of Freemasonry and the

J e w i s h c o n s p i r a c y . T h e w h o l e i m a g e

s y m b o l i z e s t h e f a i l e d i n t e r n a t i o n a l

conspiracy of freemasons and Jews against

the Serbian people and the strength of the

S e r b i a n n a t i o n o f t h a t S e r b i a n p u p p e tgovernment

The third stamp is red and dedicated

to anti-communist propaganda. On the upper edge is written, in Cyri l l ic,

Anti -masonic Exhibi t ion. Again, in the low er left corner, is a pr ice w ri t ten

in dinars. On the bottom edge is w ritten Serbia , using Cyril l ic alphabet,

and in the right lower corner is the date of opening of the exhibition.

A cross wi th four f i resteels dominates the picture wi th i ts centra l

posi t ion. On them is t ied a sheaf of wheat. The bottom of the cross is

sword point, breaking a five-pointed star wi th hammer and sickle. Here,

the five-pointed star l ies on the world globe.

The cross with four fi resteels symbolizes Serbian nation ali ty and t he

sheaf of wheat the Serbian people. At that

t ime 90% o f the popu la t i on in Serb ia wasliving in rural areas while only 10% l ived in

cities. The five-pointed star with sickle and

h a m m e r s y m b o l i z e d t h e c o m m u n i s t

part isans who led the upr is ing against the

Germans in Serbia.

The star rests on a globe, symbolizing

earth, depict ing the internat ional characte

o f c o m m u n i s m a n d t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a

conspiracy against Serbia. The cross breaks

the five-pointed star in two and symbolical ly

announce v i c to ry o f Serb ia over par t i san

and, even better, over communism.

O n t h e u p p e r e d g e o f t h e f o u r t h

s t a m p i s w r i t t e n i n C yr i l l ic A n t i - m a s o n

Exh ib i t i on . In the low er r i gh t co rner i s a

pr ice w ri t ten in d inar. On the bottom edge i

w r i t ten Serbia , in Cyri l l ic. In the upper lef

corner is the emblem with a cross and fou

firesteels. In the top right corner is the date

of opening of the exhib i t ion. At the bottom

of the picture is a globe with a Star of David

and th e tw o pi l lars, Jachin and Boaz.

In the background is the shining sun

In the middle is a figure wearing Serbian folk

c o s t u m e , i n a p o s t u r e l i k e t h e b i b l i c a

Samson breaking the pi l lars. He stands onthe Star of David. Again t he Star of David on

a g l o b e s y m b o l i z e s t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a

character of the Jews and their desire for world domination.

The two pi l lars of Jachin and Boaz represent Freemasonry, which is

closely related in th e service of Jewish conspiracy for w orld dom ination.

The message contained in the four stamps is that the real enemies

of the Serbian people are the jews, freemasons and commu nists. Bu

neither Jews nor Freemasonry can resist the force of the Serbian nation

whose power comes directly from God, symbolized in the l ight from which

the Serbian Samson draw s his strength .

The intent of the images found on these four stamps is to evoke the

successful struggle of the Serbian nation

led by a puppet government , aga ins t aninternatio nal conspiracy against Serbia, led

b y , a n d o r g a n i z e d b y , J e w s a n d

freemasons.


14/20

Ancient Free and Accepted M eteorologistsAs I start I would acknowledge the inspiration for this talk was ourlate brother RW Bro. Chuck Oxley who gave a similar talk using a different

p ro fess ion as the under l y ing sub jec t . I t i s g i ven , as was the p rev ious

presentat ion, in a spiri t of l igh t-heartedness and I trust i t w il l be received in

the same spiri t.

What i f our ancient brethren had been men of science looking not at

the bui ld ing of bui ld ings but at t he natural wor ld about them, part icular ly

the wind and w eather how di f ferent would our Craft be today?

I present you w i th a d i f ferent set of working tools the working

tools of the Antient Free and Accepted Meteorologists. In th is Craft the

degrees would be classified as the Climatological Degree (Past Weather),

the Observat ional Degree (Present Weather) and the Predict ive Degree

(Future Weather) wi th working tools used in each degree. Al low me toexplain both t heir operative use and their speculative meanings.

The Climatological DegreeThe instruments or working tools of this degree are used at nearly

1 , 0 0 0 s t a t i o n s a c r o s s C a n a d a r u n m a i n l y b y v o l u n t e e r s w h o t a k e

observations twice a day, recording maximum and minimum temperatures,

a m o u n t o f p r e c i p i t a t i o n a n d i t s ch a r a c te r a n d d e p th o f sn o w o n th e

ground. Let me show you how these instrum ents are used.

Snow Ruler it is di vi de d in to in crem en ts of 0. 2 cm (2 m m ). It is

operated by gett ing several readings over an area of about 25 square

metres (250 sq. ft.) and averaging the amount to get a representative value

for the stat ion.

Maximum thermometer Th is i n st r u m en t u se t h e sa m e

principle used by nurses and moms fo r many years.

A constr ict ion in the thermometer a l lows mercury to expand out of

the bulb as the temperature increases but does not al low the mercury to

r e tu r n a s t h e t e m p e r a tu r e d e c r e a se s, t h u s r e m a i n i n g a t t h e h i g h e s t

temperature.

Minimum thermometer A sm al l in de x st ay s in t he al co ho l

column being pushed down the column as the temperature decreases but i t

is left behind as the temperature increases and the column m oves upward.

The observer needs to record the position of the index to record the

lowest temperature since the thermometer was reset.

Rain Gauge Wit h a cat ch m en t ar ea of kn ow n size a gr ad ua ted

cylinder can be devised to measure rainfal l to the nearest 0.1 mm. At the

top of the graduate is a hole to al low excess water (more than 25.0 mm) to

use the outer cyl inder to col lect the overflow, a feature required for those

of us l iving in a temperate rainforest. My personal record for most rainfal

measured in a six hour period w as 134.0 mm or 5 1 /4 inches.

However we are not Operative Meteorologists but rather Free and

Accepted, or Speculative Meteorologists and we apply these instrument

figuratively to our morals. In this sense the snow ruler teaches us the true

measure of a man is not recorded once but over the course of time so an

accura te account can be p resen ted to the Grea t Meteoro log is t o f theUniverse.

The Maximum and Minimum thermometers teach us that a l l you

li fe is contained between the highest and lowest point of your existence

and it is here where your day to day l i fe takes place.

The Standard Rain Gauge teaches us that blessings, like rainfall, can

be in short supply for long stretches and then in abundance. One must

learn to keep the overflow to be used when they are in short supply.

The Observational DegreeThe instruments or working tools of this degree are used at more

than 200 stat ions nat ional ly. These stat ions provided aviat ion weathe

reports including air temperature, visibi l i ty, current weather, wind and ai

pressure readings vital to the safe operation of aircraft. Let me show you

three such instruments:

The Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge (TBRG) Th is lo w t ech

device has been used since the late 1930s and is used to measure the

intensity of rainfal l . It acts l ike a teeter-totter. When one side fil ls with 0.2

mm of rain, i t tips over and empties, exposing the other side to the rain. As

it tips, a mercury switch causes an electrical circuit to be completed and

triggers a step on a recorder inside the office. By measuring the number o

s teps in a g i ven t ime the observer can de te rm ine the in tens i ty o f the

rainfa ll , more accurately than I t s ra in ing cats and dogs or I t sure is a

gully-washer out there.

The Stevenson Screen An in st ru m en t in ve nt ed by Thom as

Stevenson, a civi l engineer and the father of Robert Louis Stevenson. Its

purpose i s to a l l ow a i r f l ow across the thermometers w i thou t expos ingthose thermo meters directly to rain or snow , sunshine or wind. The screen

have here this evening is a small version used aboard thousands of ships

Its small size is better suited for on board use.

The Anemometer The w in d speed an d di rect io n ha s co m e in

many forms over the years with the traditional cups and vane design being

replaced wi th th is RM Young propel ler on the vane configurat ion. This

part icular device is completely d ig i ta l and can produce wind speed and

direction in any unit required (e.g. knot s, metres per second, ki lom etres pe

hour, etc.).

However we are not Operative Meteorologists but rather Free and

14

Working tools of A.F. & A.M.Pr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masonic Day, 5 Mar ch 2011

by R.W. Br o. R. Al an Webst er , Al l ian ce Lodge No. 193


15/20

15

A c c e p t e d , o r S p e c u l a t i v e

Meteorologists and we apply these

i n s t r u m e n t s f i g u r a t i v e l y t o o u r

morals. In th is sense the T ipping

Bucket Rain Gauge teaches us that

t h e i n t e n s i t y o f e m o t i o n s , b o t h

good and bad, are measured and

recorded so when one accounts for

o n e s l i f e a n a ccu r a te r e co r d i s

available for al l t o see.

T h e S te ve n so n Sc r e e n

t e a c h e s u s a s i m p l e d e s i g n t o

p r o t e c t c r i t i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n i s

a lways the best . Over p ro tec t ion

can lead to inaccurate results and

bad decision making.

T h e An e m o m e te r t e a ch es

u s o n e m u s t a c c e p t t h e r e a r e

things bigger than man and you cannot change them anymore than you can

stop the wind from blowing.

The Predictive Degree

The instruments or working tools of this degree have evolved over theyears from pencil , eraser and paper to the w orlds larger supercompu ters.

Numerical Weather Prediction A supe rco m pu ter is fed w it h

weather data from thousands of locat ions from around the world at every

level of the atmosphere from the surface up to 100,000 feet.

Equations related to the thermodynamic principles of the atmosphere

need to be p rocessed on a g loba l sca le bu t w i th enough de ta i l to have

meaning to small geographic regions and their weather influencing patterns.

Ev e n w i t h s o m e o f t h e f a s t e st

computers ava i l ab le the leve l o f

resolut ion is st i l l a gr id 10 km by

10 km.

A t e a ch i n t e r s e ct i o n t h e

co m p u te r m o d e l w i l l r u n a l l t h eequat ions based on in te rpo la ted

d a ta f r o m e a ch o b se r v i n g p o i n t ,

represented above by the dots in

the grid. A s you can see a 10 by 1 0

km g r i d a l l o w s fo r a l o t o f g a p s

b e t w e e n f o r e c a s t i n g a n d d a t a

points. Lets not forget to put in a

v e r t i c a l d i m e n s i o n w i t h d a t a

co l l e c te d a t 1 0 sp e c i f i c h e i g h t s

using the same surface grid but the

u p p e r a i r d a ta i s m u ch sp a r se r

E l e v a t i o n c h a n g e s a r e n o

accounted for in the model, being

simply too complex to handle. The

Greater Vancouver forecast region

c o u l d b e d i v i d e d i n t o s i x t e e n

separate forecast zones depending

on conditions.

Good news and bad newsG o o d N e w s : U B C h a s

deve loped a mode l tha t i s much

more ref ined, using a gr id of 2.5

km by 2.5 km and i ts accuracy in

p r e d i c t i n g D a y T w o ( t o m o r r o w

conditions for th e Pacific North w est and SW BC is outstandin g.

Bad News: The forecast for Day Two (in our case Sunday) wil l not be

ready unti l Tuesday morning because the computing power to produce the

forecast is not suffi ciently fast (ye t).

However we are not Operat ive Meteorologists but rather Free andAccepted, or Speculat ive Meteorologists and we apply these instruments

figuratively to our morals. In this sense we are taught while we are getting

better at forecast ing further into the future there wi l l a lways been missed

events and surpr ises. This is but one example of where God's p lan wi l

manifest i tself.

I have enjoyed the opportunity of sharing with you some of the tools

of my trade from the very basic snow ruler to the fastest supercomputers yet

i n v e n t e d . W e h a v e m a d e g r e a

str ides in the advancement of the

science of meteorology but for the

fo r e se e a b l e f u tu r e h u m a n i n p u

a n d i n tu i t i o n w i l l b e r e q ui r e d t o

m a k e a l l t h e m e a s u r e m e n t scalculat ions and outputs useable

t o m a n k i n d . I n c o n c l u si o n

b e l i e v e I h a v e p r e s e n t e d a n

a l te rna t i ve course we cou ld we l

have taken and I am sure you are

glad my profession was not l iquid

waste engineering.


16/20

16

In the footsteps of PythagorasPr esent ed at t he G.V.R.D. Gr an d Masoni c Day, 5 Mar ch 2011by Br o. Tr oy M. Spr eeuw, Duke of Connau ght Lodge No. 64

IntroductionSo how does the first phi losopher ,this giant of history dead nearly 2500 years

affect us in the here and now?

The core text this talk is based on is

f r o m T h o m a s St a n l e y s T h e H i s t o r y o f

P h i l o s o p h y . T h i s s w e e p i n g t e x t w a s

published by Stanley in 1687 at the age of

29. This work, which referenced al l known

m a te r i a l o n Py th a g o r a s a t t h e t i m e , h a s

been repr in ted w i th the ass is tance o f Mr .

James Wasserman and M r. Daniel Gunther. I

am in the i r deb t and th i s p resen ta t ion i s

dedicated to them.My intent ion wi th th is ta lk is not to

de l i ve r an exhaust i ve l y researched paper

detai l ing the direct influences of this great

m a n to t h e w e s te r n e so te r i c t r a d i t i o n i n

general and Freemasonry in particular. I wil l

not stand here and relate a l ist of facts. That

w ould be a fruit less exercise. We are so far removed from t he time and place

that provable facts are nearly impo ssible. Suspend your disbelief for the next

tw enty minutes. What we w i l l ta lk about are the simi lari t ies, w hat I bel ieve

are remnants of t he Pythagorean philosophy sti l l found in Freemasonry.

His Life

Pythagoras was born on the Greek island of Samos around 570 BCE.He travelled the world as a young man and it is believed he studied as far

east as India. His studies included Persian, Chaldean, Egyptian, Hebrew, and

Greek mystery schools. In al l his travels he w as recognized as a learned man

and i t was said that he was welcomed wherever he went. Students of h is

school recount m any of t hese tales; of particular interest, they recount stories

of initiation or the sharing of secret or privi leged knowledge.

When he settled in Croton, a Greek colony in southern Italy, he was

immediately recognized as a wise and learned man. He set up a school to

teach the w isdom he accumulated in his travels and attracted man y disciples.

Teachers at th is t ime w ere typically hai led as sophos meaning l i teral ly

w isdom or w ise one. Py thagoras w ou ld come to be known as ph i l i o

sophos mean ing a l over o f w isdom. The ex istence o f the Pythagorean

school ushered in a golden age of Greek philosophy. Counted among thosemost influenced by him are Epedocles, Euclid and Plato. It is primari ly from

Plato that t he ideas and principles of Pythagoras come to t he rest of w estern

society thro ugh th e vast influence of Platonic philosophy.

Students in his school were required to l ive an austere l i fe. In joining

the Pythagorean school fol lowers were required l ive in si lence five years,

dur ing which they attended lectures by Pythagoras where he spoke from

behind a screen. All fol lowers l ived with al l property in common and l ived an

essen t ia l l y asce t i c l i fe . No t a l l were admi t ted to the g roup , wh ich was

primari ly male, only t hose deemed of exceptional character. Some recounted

this group as a col lege , others a system , st i l l o thers a fami ly .

P y t h a g o r a s n e v e r c o m m i t t e d h i

thoughts to paper or tablet. He believed tha

doing so might make his secrets known by

those who were unworthy. This is said to be

common pract ice of mystery schools of the

t i m e . L i t t l e , i f a n y , o f t h e t r u e m y s t e r y

t rad i t i ons o f the anc ien t wor ld surv i ve in

w r i t i n g , a t l e a s t i n a n y u n d e r s t a n d a b l e

sense. What w e do know of h im survived in

t h e o r a l a n d w r i t t e n t r a d i t i o n s o f h i

admi re rs and fo l l owers , no tab ly Iamb l i cus

and many o f the o ther no tab les o f Greek

philosophy.

There are four concepts that relate tom a n y w e s t e r n m y s t e r y t r a d i t i o n s i n

p a r t i c u l a r b o t h F r e e m a s o n r y a n d t h e

Py th a g o r e a n Sch o o l . Am o n g m a n y o th e

important ideas, these four i tems point out a

clear relationship between the Pythagorean

Sch o o l a n d a l m o s t e ve r y m ys te r y sch o o

s i n c e . O n e m i g h t e v e n s a y t h a t w h a t w a s s t a r t e d a n d e x p a n d e d b y

Pythagoras and h i s s tuden ts has been d i s t i l l ed th rough 2500 years o

experience down to modern Freemasonry. These four ideas that I al lude to

ar e

1 . Numero logica l symbo l i sm;

2. The use of mnemonic axioms;

3. The proper integration of the rel igious impulse];4 . A s tudy and con templa t ion o f ones own dea th .

Numerological SymbolismTo begin, the numerological system values numbers as the highest

and pures t fo rm o f the rea lm o f i deas. The sys tem o f numero logy tha

Pythagoras seems to have worked with was similar to Greek and Hebrew

qabalah.

Stanley talks about the value of numerology, in the way that one can

assign al l th ings a numerological value and create re lat ionships between

things according to that value. These interrelationships al low one to draw

connections and l ike properties from idea to idea, sentence to sentence, e

cetera. In Thomas Stanleys wo rds:

For a l l th ings which are ordered in the world by nature[ ] appear to be dist inguished and adorned by Providence

and the All-creating M ind according to numb er. (Stanley 143)

The first t en numbers are grouped in general quali ties l ike even and

odd and male and female and then have a very specific meaning for each

number. The te tractys, a triangular symbol consisting of ten dots used fo

contemplation of these mysteries, was considered by Pythagorass students

his greatest achievement. The tetractyswould compare to a modern tree o

l i fe in the hermetic qabalah. Three was considered the greatest number of

a l l , even more important than t he unified M onad, or one. Amongst the mos

interesting studies for freemasons is their adoration of the number three as

The tetractys.


17/20

the balance, the first truly odd number. Stanley writes that,

The Tr iad i s the f i rs t numb er ac tua l l y Odd: the f i rs t

perfect number. I t is middle and proport ion. I t causes the

p o w e r o f t h e M o n a d t o p r o c e e d t o a c t a n d a c h i e v e

e x te n s i o n . I t i s t h e f i r s t a n d p r o p e r j o i n i n g t o g e th e r o f

unities. (Stanley 153)

And further he also points out:

Prudence, Wisdom, [ ] Piety, Temperance. All Virtues

depend upon th is numb er, and proceed from i t . (Stanley

153)These principles can then act as a mnemotic tool, but they can also

serve as a way to access the sacred in all that you see. The true essence of

a thing can be related to numbers. This is why Pythagoras, known to non-

e so te r i c s a s p r i m a r i l y a m a th e m a t i c i a n , i s so f o n d

grand masonic day 29

Documents