Coffee break corner
A daily masonic topic to mull over at coffee time
22nd June 2021
As the date of this post and its predecessor show I haven't posted anything here for too long.
Today I came across some thoughts on the secrets of Freemasonry written in the 18th century, by the self-confessed lothario, Giacomo Casanova. Published posthumously following his death in 1798 in his "Memoires".
"Men who become Freemasons aiming to discover the secrets of society run the risk of growing old under the trowel, before reaching their target. A secret exists, nevertheless, but it is so inviolable that it is never communicated nor entrusted to anyone. He who remains on the surface thinks that the secret consists of words, signs and touching and that it will eventually be communicated upon reaching the highest degree. This is an error. He, who guesses what the secret of Freemasonry is, because it always remains a guess, only reaches this knowledge by visiting lodges, reflecting, judging, comparing and making assumptions. He does not communicate his findings to his fellow Freemason, not even to his best friend fellow Mason, as he knows that if his friend has not guessed correctly for himself, it is useless to communicate it to him. He, therefore, keeps silent and the secret remains a secret".
17th March 2021
Today an excerpt from a paper I read a while back, I cannot attribute it to the author as I don't know who wrote it.
What is a Freemason promising when he takes his obligation?
Trust is at the heart of the obligation. The candidate promises to keep certain secrets, but this is simply a formal and ritualised way of saying ‘Are you trustworthy? Would you keep a confidence?’ If we gave you a secret, would you keep it?’
Having made such a promise, the candidate is, later in the ceremony, asked to keep secret a word. The word itself is not really of any importance. It could be ‘semolina’ or ‘gasket’. But what is important is that the candidate’s honour and integrity is immediately put to the test.
The obligation has another purpose. It is regarded as solemn and binding. Taking such an obligation impresses on the candidate the serious and profound nature of the rest of the ceremony.
The Grand Secretary talks Solomon!
2nd March It occured to me that it would be better for the reader if I post new snippets at the top of the page rather than appending them. So after a short break here's another item received from Norm VW Bro. Norm McEvoy.
Author Unknown;
Pendant to the four corners of the Lodge Room are four tassels. These four tassels are described as referring to the four principal points;
the guttural, pectoral, manual, and pedal,
and through them to the four cardinal virtues, namely:
Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice,
the practices of which are inculcated in the first degree.
North West== GUTTERAL, From the Latin guttur, the throat.
The throat is that avenue of the body which is most employed in the sins of intemperance, and hence it suggests to the Mason certain symbolic instructions in relation to the virtue of Temperance.
Temperance refers to the entrance upon the penal responsibilities and suggests to the Mason who properly appreciates the secrets which he has solemnly promised never to reveal, by yielding to the unrestrained call of appetite, permit reason and judgment to lose their seats, and subject himself, by the indulgence in habits of excess, to discover that which should be concealed and thus merit and receive the scorn and detestation of his brethren. And lest any brother should forget the danger to which he is exposed in the unguarded hours of dissipation, the virtue of temperance is wisely impressed upon his memory by its reference to one of the most solemn portions of the ceremony of initiation.
North East== PECTORAL, from the Latin precuts, the breast.
The heart has always been considered the seat of fortitude and courage, and hence by this word is suggested to the Mason certain symbolic instructions in relation to the virtue of
Fortitude, whose excellencies are dilated in the first degree.
It not only instructs the worthy Mason to bear the ills of life with becoming resignation, but by its intimate connection with a portion of our ceremonies, it teaches him to let no danger shake, no pains dissolve the inviolable fidelity he owes to the trusts reposed in him.
Or, in the words of the old Prestonian lecture it is:
“a fence or security against the attack that might be made upon him, by force or otherwise to extort from him any of our Royal Secrets”
South East: ===MANUAL, relating to the hand from the Latin Manus, a hand.
Masons are, in a peculiar manner reminded, by the hand, of the necessity of a prudent and
Prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues, the practice of which is inculcated upon the Entered Apprentice. careful observance of all their pledges and duties, and hence this organ suggests certain symbolic instructions in relation to the virtue of Prudence.
Prudence is the true guide to human understanding, and consists in judging and determining with propriety what is to be said or done upon all our occasions, what dangers we should endeavour to avoid, and how to act in all our difficulties.
South West=== PEDAL, belonging to the feet, from the Latin pedes, the feet.
The just man is he who, firmly planting his feet on the principles of right, is as immovable as a rock, and can be thrust from his upright position neither by the allurements of flattery nor the frowns of arbitrary power.
Hence this word is suggested to the Mason certain symbolic instructions in relation to one of the cardinal virtues,
Justice, which is inculcated in the First Degree.
The Mason who remembers how emphatically he has been charged to preserve an upright position in all his dealings with mankind, should never fail to act justly to himself, to his brethren and to the world.
This is the corner-stone on which alone he can expect
“to erect a superstructure alike honourable to himself and to the Fraternity”.
Therefore, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice, designate the Perfect Points of Entrance, and are so called because they refer to the four important points of initiation.
The Gutteral refers to the entrance upon the penal responsibilities;
the Pectoral to the entrance into the Lodge;
the Manual to the entrance on the covenant;
and the Pedal, to the entrance on the instructions in the north-east.
1st January What does immemorial mean? As in "from time immemorial" in the Charge to the Initiate.
A dictionary suggests this definition: "extending beyond the reach of memory, record or tradition", however, English law defines it as: "a time before legal history and beyond legal memory".
It seems that the length of memory is pretty elastic. In the twelfth century, memory was deemed to extend back no further than the beginning of the reign of Richard I (1189). The College of Heralds takes it back to 1066, but from 1832 common law set 60 years instead of time immemorial with regard to land rights. So whenever you hear or give the Charge to the Initiate what does it mean?
2nd January The snippet today is a trivia item from the USA.
The tale of the 2½º Mason.
It happened like this: midway through the raising ceremony of Bro. David A Smalley of Standard Lodge No. 873 in Chicago, on 30th December 1903, the lodge was called off for refreshment. But, before it was called on again the Fire Department closed all public buildings because a fire in the Iroquois theatre had tragically claimed more than 600 lives. The masons were not allowed to return to the building for 2 weeks, at which time the lodge was called on, Bro. Smalley’s ceremony finished and he was duly raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason, the 3º.
For the period between the lodge being called off and then on again, Bro. Smalley was known as the 2½º mason.
3rd January Today the topic is "The perfect points of my entrance".
The meaning of that statement was something which puzzled me early in my Masonic life. My mentor explained that it referred to how an initiate first enters the lodge "of ** *** **** ****, at *** **** ** *** ***** and on *** ***** ** * ***** ********* ********* ** ** ***** **** ******".
I leave you to fill in the missing words, for a clue, take a look at the 1º Lecture.
4th January Today a little Russian Masonic history.
The first record of a lodge meeting in Russia was at St Petersburg in 1732. By 1785 all freemasonry had been banned by Catherine The Great, as she believed that the freemasons were turning her son against her.
When Paul succeeded her in 1796 freemasonry was restored, but then had to be practised covertly as Paul too grew suspicious of the movement, and secret societies were suppressed. Following Paul’s death, freemasonry flourished once more. However, it was again banned in 1822, followed by a short comeback after the 1905 revolution, only to be banned yet again, after the 1917 revolution. Lodges were formed again from 1992 with the sanction National Grand Lodge of France. The Grand Lodge of Russia was finally established in 1993, and recognised by the UGLE. But it doesn’t end there because in 2001 a breakaway group of freemasons lead to the formation of the Russian Grand Regular Lodge then, in 2007, that became the Grand Lodge of Russia.
Are you as confused as I am?
5th January: Today an eclectic list of some famous Freemasons
Kings Edward VII and VIII, George IV and VI, William IV
Edward Jenner, Joseph Banks, Alexander Fleming.
Arnold Palmer, Joe Frazier, Len Hutton, Jackie Milburn.
Peter Sellers, Richard Todd,Richard Pryor.
Walter Scott, Robbie Burns, Arthur Conan Doyle, Rudyard Kipling.
Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Rick Wakeman, Cab Calloway.
William Cody (Buffalo Bill), Audie Murphy, Harry Houdini, Oliver Hardy and Bud Abbott.
Dr Barnardo, Billy Butlin.
George Washington and 13 other US Presidents.
6th January: The topic for today concerns clothing.
What do you wear in the lodge? Probably in England and Wales, the most likely answers are dark suit, dinner jacket or morning suit. According to a book, I'm dipping into, back in 1730 Masters and lodge officers sometimes wore yellow jackets and blue breeches. The yellow represented the brass of the compasses and the blue to their steel tips. So what do you think, should we campaign for a return that style?
7th January: The Warden's Columns
Have you ever wondered why the warden's columns are raised and lowered during lodge meetings? I found this one in one of Bro. Harry Carr's books. He explains that in the 18th century both wardens sat or stood in the west, by 1760 the JW had migrated to the south, as in this exchange, Q. "Who doth the Pillar of Beauty represent" and. "The JW in the south". The earliest description of "Calling off" goes as follows:-
The WM whispers in the ear of his SD "tis my will and pleasure that this lodge is called off from work to refreshment...", the SD then whispers the same message to the JD, who in turn relays it to the JW who loudly announces the same to the lodge. The JW then sets his column upright and the SW lays his down. The wardens each have a column in their hand, about 20 inches long, representing the columns either side of the porch at KS Temple.
8th January: Today a snippet based on a paper on the First Degree Questions from Solomon.
Divested of all metal. Why?
An explanation is contained in the dialogue in the NE corner when, after being asked to make a charitable donation, the candidate cannot. This will remind him how it feels to be poor and without cash if a Brother in need asks for his help. It is also symbolic of the candidate commencing his Masonic journey of moral improvement, without the distractions of money and worldly goods. For this reason, the EA and FC aprons do not have either a metallic fastening or decoration. However, on being raised to the sublime degree of a MM, his apron will have a metal clasp in the form of a serpent, implying wisdom; there will also be some ornamentation including seven metallic balls emblematic of the seven liberal arts and sciences.
10th January: Ok, so I missed the 9th January, mea culpa!
Today the Working Tools of an E-Mason.
11th January: Today we go to Ancient Greece
In 2018 I was fortunate to visit the Berkshire Lodge of Enlightenment No. 9946 when the Prestonian Lecturer for that year, Brother Christopher Noon, presented his fascinating lecture, "A good workman praises his tools: Masonic metaphors in Ancient Greece". In one section he mentions that many of the "Delphic Maxims" resonate with Masonic ceremonies, sadly my one visit to Delphi half a century ago, was before I became a Freemason and, didn't know of this.
I will list a few of these "Delphic Maxims" but leave you to correlate them with the appropriate ceremonies.
"fear God", "obey the law", "be overcome with justice", "help your friends", "control yourself", "exercise prudence", "know thyself", "keep secret which must not be said", "seek wisdom", "honour good men".
12th January: The Act of Union between the Antients and Moderns in 1813
This is a link to a new paper on Solomon "Two Royal Brothers and the Union of 1813
14th January: Today a tiny piece from the 1º lecture.
Most of us have probably never heard the 1º lecture as it is rarely presented; it is in the form of a series of questions and answers. Towards the end of the first of its seven sections, the master asks the apprentice how he expects to learn the mysteries etc of freemasonry? The apprentice's reply "By the assistance of a key"; Q: "What is the position of that key?":A: "It hangs"; Q: Why is the preference given to hanging?", A: "It should always hang in a brother's defence, and never lie to his prejudice; Q: What does it hang by?", A: "The thread of life, in the passage of utterance, between gutteral and pectoral"; Q: Why so nearly connected with the heart?", A: "That being the index of the mind, it should utter nothing but what the heart truly dictates"; Q: "It is a curious key, of what metal is it composed?", A: "No metal, it is the tongue of good report"
So there's an explanation of the answer to the WM first question at the beginning of the Initiation ceremony.
19th January: Today, who sits where?
Yes, I have been missing for a few days and, following a chat with our Mentor, I am not aiming to post a nugget every single day.
Today, I include a few explanations about seat allocation at the Festive Board. I hope we may be able to start enjoying them again before the end of 2021.
Have you ever wondered why seats are allocated at the Festive Board, particularly the top table?
By tradition, the top tables always reserved for the Rulers of the Craft, “Supreme and Subordinate.” It’s fairly obvious that Grand Officers, Provincial Grand Officers as well as some Senior Officers of the Lodge will be included, however, the Master’s Wardens are not!
The Ruling Master is placed centre-stage and the most honoured visitor will be to his right, usually the Provincial Grand Master or his representative and, space permitting, the righthand side will be occupied by Grand or Provincial Grand Officers. The Master’s left side will be flanked by the Immediate Past Master, even though he is no longer an Officer and the Chaplain and Director of Ceremonies.
The Senior Warden is usually at the further end of the table on the sprig in the West and his Junior counterpart likewise in the South both to maintain order in those parts of the room. The geometry of most dining rooms will require a very loose interpretation of the relative bearings of the sprigs.
It is, of course, the usual practice, after an Initiation for the Initiate to be seated at the top table. An honour he will not have again until he has been Installed as Worshipful Master.
The Liberal Arts and Sciences
During a freemason's first meeting in the lodge, he is encouraged to study "the liberal arts and sciences". Later he will hear these defined as "Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy".
However, most things evolve over time and the meaning of some words in the twenty-first century may be different from that in the early 18th century when our ceremonies were being developed. Professor Charles C Lawrence addresses this in his book "The Key To Modern Freemasonry" and illustrates this with a detailed study of the scientific and technological knowledge an educated man would have had three centuries ago.
Here are some examples from Professor Lawrence's book:-
Grammar
Today, we understand it to mean the structure, punctuation and correct usage of verbs, nouns, adverbs etc. whereas at the time the ritual was developed it referred to the study of the classical languages and literature.
Rhetoric
Nowadays this word is generally taken to mean the art propounding a persuasive argument, whether the speaker actually believes what he is arguing for or not. At the earlier date, it was understood to mean the study of law, morality and fairness all tinged with a touch of theology.
LOGIC
Apparently, the best synonym for the 18th-century definition of logic is philosophy, ie exploring and understanding the origin, structure and purpose of everything. Or as Douglas Adams put it "the meaning of life, the universe and everything".
Geometry
Professor Lawrence suggests that English science in the early days of freemasonry was dominated by Newton's use geometric methods to explain the laws of motion, gravitational attraction, sea tides and so on.
A modern dictionary definition is "a branch of mathematics that studies the sizes, shapes, positions angles and dimensions of things".
Arithmetic
Was taken as all mathematics apart from geometry including the insidious use of mathematical modelling to explain philosophic and theoretic hypotheses. Today I think it's fair to say that most of us, mathematicians apart, consider arithmetic to be the branch of mathematics dealing with the properties and manipulation of numbers. Leaving calculus, algebra, statistics, geometry, trigonometry and all the other arcane notions as separate subjects.
My brain hurts just thinking about what the founding freemasons expected us to study and I haven't mentioned Music or Astronomy!
The Jewels of the Lodge
Today a reminder about Lodge Jewels.
Just in case you have forgotten, there are six of them, three termed "movable" and the others as "immovable" So, what are the three movable ones? In pride of place is the Square, next comes the Level and finally the Plumb-rule. Why are they considered movable? Because they represent the WM, the SW and the JW and are transferred to the new WM and Wardens at each Installation ceremony. Those emblems appear on their respective collars of office and their pedestals.
That leaves the immovable jewels to consider, they are the Rough Ashlar, the Perfect Ashlar and the Tracing Board. They are called immovable because they are usually located in the same position in the lodge. However, there is actually no regulation which ordains that this has to be the case.
Finally, why are they all called Jewels? A paper on UGLE's Solomon suggests that this is as a result of an 18th-century Masonic writer said that as they have moral teaching "they Jewels of inestimable value"
2nd February 2021. Today an item on Masonic Principles adapted by VW Bro. Norman McEvoy from a paper by Bro. J McKay with minor grammatical changes from yours truly.
No man can draw a free breath who does not share with other men a common and worthwhile ideal.
Life has taught us that love does not consist of gazing at each other, But, in looking outward together, in the same direction.
There is no comradeship except through union in the same high effort.
One of the first necessities to bring about this union is leadership, and contrary to the old saying that leaders are born, the art of leading can be taught and developed.
The qualities or characteristics necessary are, first of all, confidence in one’s self. If a leader, does not believe in himself, it is quite probable that no one else will. There must be teaching, experience, and skill in his development.
The next requirement is energy, a leader must be willing to do everything he asks of his followers, and even more.
Following these he must have a firm, unshakeable, faith in the principles, he stands for, and in the Masonic ideals, we have in place.
Those principles are beyond any doubt, worthy of that faith.
One of the first principles in Masonry is faith in one Supreme being, faith in the teachings of the V.O.S.L. from which, are derived the tenets and precepts of our Order.
Following faith, we have love, love of our fellowman regardless of race, colour, creed, or station.
I am sure all will agree that this principle is not practised to the extent that it could and should be in the world today, but, where it is practised to its fullest, all the bickering, squalor and misery will soon disappear.
In a lodge, a man needs no longer be a stranger, he finds that there are other men, who, like himself, are eager to establish friendships, engage in social intercourse, and pool the resources of all for the needs of each.
The fraternal tie redeems a man from loneliness and a sense of helplessness. In the fraternal circle is the warmth and security which every man needs. Brotherly love is the substitution of a friend for a previous stranger, it is a spirit that circles around a man and adds the comforts and securities of love.
When a worthy Brother in distress is aided, it is not as a pauper, but the kindly assistance which one neighbour/brother is always glad to extend to another.
Masonic charity is strong, kind, and tender, and not charity as seen to be in some narrow grudging sense of the word.
Friendship, Fraternity, Fellowship, this is the soul of Freemasonry. The man who understands that brotherhood is one form of wisdom and that it is necessary in the world today, will not be troubled by sentimentalism.
Neither will he permit a few accidental private experiences to sour him of all brotherly love, striving and assistance.
It may be that my neighbour and I, have personal natures that are entirely different, and what I may admire he detests and, what I love he hates and, my vocation is one that is opposed to his interests. We cannot hold social intercourse because we have too many differences. Such a matter has nothing to do with brotherhood.
Brotherhood does not demand that we privately like people who are obnoxious to us, or that others should like us, even though they find our company distasteful.
Such things are of one’s intimate likes or dislikes and speak to private friendship, rather than brotherhood.
If I cannot like, this neighbour of mine, I can still be a brother to him.
I can give him exact justice in all my dealings with him.
I can refuse to do evil to him, or speak evil of him, I can always maintain an attitude of goodwill to him,
I can wish him good fortune and happiness.
I can stand ready to help him to the fullness of life so far as circumstances make that possible, and I can always refuse to place any obstacles in his way.
I can differ as one man to another, honestly and openly, without argument.
Such an attitude is the brotherly spirit, and it can flourish when private friendship is not possible.
Bro. Norman's comment:
It is quite common to find Masonic papers which speak to the fellowship of one brother to another, and so, when I discovered this paper which deals with everyone, I felt that it could act as an educational paper for each of us to open, absorb, and apply as and where we see the need.
What about the Trowel?
There's an interesting nugget on Solomon about the trowel not being mentioned as a working tool in Craft Masonry. It seems that it has featured as such in earlier times. It seems that there are a few lodges that still refer to it in various ways. Authors' Lodge No. 3456 perform "The Trowel Observance" at their Festive Boards, it goes like this:
WM: "Bro JW, is our Bro, the SW without his Gavel?"
JW: "He is WM. The labours of the evening being ended, my worthy colleague has exchanged the Gavel for the Trowel"
WM: "Bro SW, why have you made that exchange?"
SW: "The better to spread the cement of Brotherly Love, because as the Trowel is used by Operative Masons to lay on that substance which binds together Ashlars of Stone, so is the Trowel used by Speculatives to unite friendships among the Brethren"
As well as the other examples in that Solomon nugget more will be heard about the Trowel in Royal Arch Masonry; yet another reason to join that Supreme Degree, the completion of "Antient Freemasonry"!