Fellow Craft Paper to be presented Sept 2011

Transcription

1 Fellow Craft Paper to be presented Sept 2011 Worshipful Master and Brethren all, It is with great pleasure that I may, on this occasion, share with you the subsequent steps that have come to follow that inevitable first step of an Entered Apprentice. That first step began here in our beloved Templum Fidelis Lodge nearly two years ago shrouded in a soothing darkness interrupted only by the flickering shadows cast by a single candle. Appropriately, the candlelight served to flicker and play along the physical metaphors and symbols of the Chamber of Reflection and the Candidate himself establishing an intricate interplay of weaving shadows, reflective thoughts and suggestive imagery. In turn, this lively darkness may be understood to be symbolic of the rebirth of the Candidate and the beginning of a life journey, the myriad complexities and richness of which, are soon thereafter physically revealed and articulated by a resounding let there be light! suggesting birth, sunrise, and a beginning. The famous Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu stated in the oft repeated reflective quote that [a] journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. It had been the intent in my previous paper to reflect on rebirth and the beginning of this journey just as it is the intent of this particular paper to reflect upon the journey itself. Interestingly enough, a more correct Chinese translation of Lao-Tzu s quote would read A journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one s feet placing the emphasis on a continuum, for the journey must of course continue on ones feet as they traverse the miles of the material world beneath the canopy of the heavens. Insofar, it is the purpose of this paper to continue a journey begun as an Entered Apprentice by reflecting on some of the symbolism prevalent in the Fellowcraft 1

2 degree and to engage the concept of the journey as tethered and in part shaped by some fundamental landmarks. It has been generally recognized and affirmed that at its heart or centre if you will, the Fellowcraft degree is a call to learning as evidenced by our affirmation in the second degree that we seek more light in Masonry. We understand this as the time between the beginning and the end, between sunrise and sunset, one s birth and the eventual death. The first step then, of what I had previously suggested as the experience of undergoing a sacramental rite, a rebirth that has the ability to exact profound physical, mental and spiritual transformation, that is, the initial light in Masonry, the beginning or sunrise, has been taken. The foundations have been set, the edifice of the Candidate s personal temple has begun taking shape one stone, one lesson at a time securely tethered to the parademic framework of the Craft and firmly resting upon that most fundamental of foundations: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. I also suggested in my paper for the previous degree that [w]e might say that the Entered Apprentice Mason already shares with his brethren a certain quest for spirituality and is aware of the reality of transcendence (invisible reality) and a belief in The Great Architect of the Universe, that he is given the symbolic tools of the 24 inch gauge, the common gavel and the chisel upon his initiation, but we might also recognize that he must commit to learning and practicing certain sacramental rites in an effort to further develop an understanding of the Mysteries of Freemasonry. It is interesting to reflect upon this passage at this time as of course the Fellowcraft degree espouses this journey of learning, this commitment to an engagement with such sacramental rights as are physically embodied by some of the prevalent symbolism of the Fellowcraft degree as well as the password of Shibboleth; a password awarding the 2

3 ability to recognize his Brothers in an effort to share in the ritualism and reverence of his Masonic education. According to Kent Henderson and Tony Pahl, who developed the Masonic Education Course - Part Two - for the Fellowcraft Degree, the Hebrew Shibboleth means both an ear of corn as well as a flood of water and are indicative or symbolic of abundance, plenty and wealth. Indeed, we might draw some parallels between the wages received for the labour of our ancient brethren (in the form of corn, wine, and oil) and the knowledge that they acquired from the operative Master Mason s in the construction of King Solomon s Temple, to the Fellowcraft's journey through the wonders of our most ancient Craft today. To quote Henderson and Pahl: [t]o receive the Masonic equivalent of the ancient corn, wine, and oil, a brother must labour. He must give labour to his neighbour or carry stones for his brother s temple. If he stand and wait and watch and wonder, he will not be able to ascend into the Middle Chamber [i]f he works for the joy of working, does his part in his lodge work, takes his place among the labourers of Freemasonry, he will receive corn, wine, and oil in measures and know a fraternal joy as substantial in fact as it is ethereal in quality; as real in his heart as it is intangible to the profane world. Insofar, corn, wine, and oil are lasting symbols of sacrifice, of the fruits of labour, of the wages earned, and the trajectory of knowledge and skills amongst the multitude of a Brotherhood. Shibboleth then, is not only intrinsically symbolically linked to the journey of the Fellowcraft in terms of wages earned, but also in terms of the abundance, plenty and wealth of the wages themselves. In ancient days the gift of life through such valuable commodities as corn, oil and wine and the insatiable appetite of architectural knowledge demanded by the master s of their profession (imagine the 3

4 supreme skill inherent in the great feats of architecture which grace our cultures) and for today s Fellowcraft, the joyous and indispensable gift of our fraternal brotherhood and the infinite wonders which may be revealed through the brilliant light of our Craft. Of course, something must also be said of the password Shibboleth as a distinguishing practice indicative of socio-geographic or cultural origin whereby the features of a language assist in the identification of the speaker as belonging or not belonging to a particular group. Further parallels may be drawn here between the historic sentence of death afforded to the Ephraimites who lacked the ability to pronounce the sh as their dialect did not include this sound as did the dialect of the Gileadites. The Book of Judges in chapter 12 speaks to the Gilead military victory over the Ephraim where the surviving Ephraimites sought to cross back over the River Jordon to reach their home territory. The Gileadites, in turn, had set up secured fords requiring a password of the refugees. This password was Shibboleth which of course the Ephraimites lacked the ability to pronounce properly thereby irrefutably revealing any concealment which masked them as an enemy of the Gileadites. The imagery and symbolism of Shibboleth as a stream or torrent is of course further evidenced by the River Jordan itself, the secured fords preventing enemy crossings and lastly the flood of death as evidence by the fall of Forty-two thousand Ephraimites (Judges 12:5-6). As we have ascertained, the journey of the Fellowcraft as a glorification of knowledge and an advancement both in the physical and spiritual construction and maintenance of the edifice of our own lives, is of course inextricably linked to a thorough engagement with the Seven Liberal Arts (grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy). Yet an engagement with the seven Liberal Arts is itself mediated 4

5 by the application of particular tools of learning. The Entered Apprentice might be said to utilize the symbolic tools of the 24 inch gauge, the common gavel and the chisel given to him upon his initiation in an effort to articulate the myriad complexities of the Craft initially revealed by the onset of light. We might, in this instance, call upon the image of working a rough ashlar. In shedding more light on masonry (for the Fellowcraft, the sun is always at its meridian) we move to consider the working tools of the Fellowcraft which are the Plumb, the Square and the Level. While the Entered Apprentice has learned of them as the Immovable Jewels of the three principal officers fixed in the East, West, and South, in the Fellowcraft degree they are saturated by a double significance. Both as physical tools of their historic trade as well as multi-layered symbolic objects, they represent an advance in knowledge. Henderson and Pahl state that [w]ith the square [the Fellowcraft] tests the work of the Apprentice; with the Level he lays the courses of the wall he builds; with the Plumb he raises perpendicular columns. If he uses his tools aright he demonstrates that he is worthy to be a Fellow of the Craft and no Apprentice; that he can lay a wall and build a tower, which will stand. Insofar, if we consider that the Fellowcraft s skillful utilization of his tools necessitates their symbolic application in conjunction with their historic contextualization, we might understand the Plum as admonishing us to walk upright, a true vertical line as an emblem of integrity. The Square, in turn, is symbolic of squaring our actions with the Square of Virtue the conscience of which, is ever present upon the Fellowcraft s breast. Lastly, we might appreciate the Level as symbolic of building on the level of time with a true Plumb and a right Square as something which we can never unbuild but must continue to build upon. This to ensure that course-by-course each detail and wall in the edifice of our own lives 5

6 as well as the lives we touch, just as the most glorious feats of our worldly architecture, is set level and straight so that we may build upon our strong foundations: upright, just and steadfast to withstand the trials of time and hardship. Similarly, the moral cornerstones of the Fellowcraft s actions as exemplified by the working tools, are ultimately internalized and, as such, have the ability to be exemplified by his every action and, necessarily so, might therefore also mediate his engagement with those around him and the world in general. The same is true then of his study of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences. A study which is inextricably linked to and indeed irrevocably coloured by the Fellowcraft s working tools, their symbolic significance and their moral compass. As we know, in the Second Degree, the lodge is opened on the square which is especially profound if we consider the Square as one of the working tools of the Fellowcraft, the working tool by which he now measures and tests the work of the Apprentice, the working tool by which he measures his actions by the Square of Virtue as a symbol of his conscience as weighed upon his breast, the tool to which he squares his actions to be morally up-right and also as a physical and symbolic instrument of Geometry [t]he fifth science, also know as Masonry. It is the art of measuring everything on Earth and in Heaven. (Daniel Beresniak in Symbols of Freemasonry) Geometry as a science is also historically symbolic as an instrument of breaking free from irrational dogma or heavy handed authority as a manifestation of rational thought and a means by which to attempt to measure and quantify a semblance of the incredible truths and revelations of the natural, spiritual and social worlds. Indeed, as Daniel Beresniak indicates by invoking the Regius and Cooke manuscripts of 1390 and

7 that [n]o science, not even grammar or rhetoric, can operate without geometry. This implies that geometry, the art of measuring as its etymology indicates, is far more than just the art of tracing figures, and of comparing their lengths, surfaces and volumes. The art of measuring in fact entails proof, and progress in this art teaches how to demonstrate the truth of a proposition by means of its tools, the set square and compasses. As such, we might say that the Square and compasses, instruments of the fifth science of Geometry, are both a physical and symbolic manifestation of implements that facilitate a search for the truth of the matter via the application of rational and objective thought. At the same time such must be couched in a recognition and acceptance that the myriad and infinite wonders of life are beyond reduction to quantifiable formula but require intuition, imaginative leaps and a moral compass transcending the material realities of the Earth while seeking the spiritual infinity of the Heavens. Indeed we might understand this as the constant interplay of matter and spirit and the infinite balance of the two. Again I draw on Beresniak who points out that [i]n almost every tradition, the set square is associated with the geometric square, the Earth and matter; the compasses are linked to the circle, Heaven and spirit. Armed thus, secure in his newfound proficiency in the application of these working tools and the advancement in his knowledge, the Fellowcraft, like the stone masons of old, may be said to be ascending the Winding Stair in the Temple of Solomon leading to the Middle Chamber as wholly symbolic of his journey. K.G. Linton in his work A Journey through the Second Degree draws parallels to the symbolism of the Fellowcraft s journey as the time between beginnings and ends. The rebirth of the first 7

8 step begins with that most base of communicative requirements; Grammar, as the foundation of language and the basis of our communication. The structure of language, however, must be contextualized and put into practice and so, the second step is Rhetoric. Cohesion and comprehension is enabled by ascending to the third step which is Logic. At this juncture in the journey, in having climbed these three steps, the Fellowcraft may now exchange knowledge with his neighbours. This exchange of value or coinage, is further symbolic of the process of gaining knowledge via an exchange of ideas, abilities, and skills allowing us to compare, to contextualize and find meaning within the greater framework of our social fabric. The fourth step then is Arithmetic as the science of comparison enabling meaningful exchange and representing the beginnings of knowledge. Instead of the traditional payments of corn, wine and oil, the fruits of the Fellowcraft s labour reside in the intrinsic value of his Masonic conduct both as a physical or material manifestation as well as a spiritual affirmation. The fifth step is Geometry, the basis of our Craft leading us to the sixth step, music, the geometry of sound. Finally, seven is the number of completion and on this uppermost step we find ourselves closest to the heavens with Astronomy. The ascension of what we recognize as the three, five and seven steps of the Winding Stair itself is both reflective of the journey of the Fellowcraft, the distance between the beginning and the end, as well as a physical embodiment of the transition and inescapable link between the material and spiritual, between earth and heaven. The steps are a representation of life and the ongoing evolution of our spiritual and physical existence towards each Brother s sacred goal and the construction of his own bodily and spiritual temple. 8

9 It is interesting to again draw on Linton, who reflects that [w]hen our ancient Brethren were in the Middle chamber, their attention was peculiarly draw to certain Hebrew characters, here depicted by a letter G, denoting God, the Grand Geometrician of the Universe. The Hebrew character that immediately comes to mind is the letter gimmel, the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is in the form of a gallows square, as is also the letter gamma, the third letter of the Greek alphabet used to denote geometry. These insights are an excellent transition in considering the relevance of the numbers of the stairs themselves in terms of how the generally acknowledged fifteen steps are broken up. Henderson and Pahl state that [f]reemasons divide the fifteen steps into three; referring to the officers of a lodge; five, concerned with the orders of architecture and the human senses and seven, the Liberal Arts and Sciences. The number three has a particular relevance, as suggested above, and in geometric designs but also for example in considering the three degrees, the three lesser lights, the three principal officers, the reference to Deity, of which the triangle is a most ancient symbol and so forth. The number five may be said to be the predominating number of the Fellowcraft degree and is identifiable throughout the degree. The lecture in the second degree also references that five hold a lodge (alluding to the 5 noble orders of architecture) although what does hold a lodge actually mean if we require seven regularly made Masons to hold a lodge? The Fellowcraft s journey is of course mediated by the five senses as an affirmation that all learning is sense bound; as well, the five orders of architecture (the Doric, the Tuscan, the Ionic, the Corinthian and the Composite) are representative of the Winding Stair and geometry is the fifth science. Of course the significance and potency of the number 7 is also steeped in mathematical formula as the perfect and virgin number 9

10 and resides in a rich ancient religious tradition with too many references to mention. Most notably, in drawing on the multitude of parallels, inextricably linked formulae, symbolic interconnections, and spiritual and physical interrelations which colour the journey of the Fellowcraft, we recognize the beauty and infinite symmetry of a Universal Geometry. A symmetry and balance which not only articulates and defines the journey of the Fellowcraft, but the myriad complexities and ultimate harmony of which is also evidenced in the entirety of the physical and spiritual world we engage via our senses. Linton asserts this Universal Geometry tells us of a Universal Geometrician, whose divine compasses have measured all things, and so we realize that the development of the intellectual faculty is assuredly leading us even to the throne of God. In an effort to bring to a conclusion the particular journey of this paper, I would like to approach the end by briefly addressing the thematic of the meaning of Masonry as contextualized by the journey between beginnings and ends, between the sunrise and sunset, between birth and death. The core principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth must certainly be integrated into the journey of the Fellowcraft, however, we have also already established that the material and spiritual realities are inextricably linked, and that the event of the journey itself, as carried on through the trajectory of the physical and spiritual worlds, can only occur in the context of the social world whereby learning is a social process made possible only through the application of the five senses. That is to say, while ultimately the core principles are internalized, they can only be realized and put into effect through external application. Also, their effective internalization depends on their actual physical realization and application as the journey of the Fellowcraft is not 10

11 solely academic. Kristopher Stevens has identified this in part as the middle path, or the path of equilibrium whereby we recognize that this degree is about looking and acting outwards, it is about the application of the Craft to the world in which we live and the social relations through which we live and function. Indeed we might consider the utility or potential of Freemasonry as a parademic system and a moral philosophy; a philosophy and system by which we might make sense of and address contemporary challenges whether they are ethical, environmental, economical, social, spiritual or other to seek the middle path between beginnings and ends, between the sunrise and sunset, between earth and heaven, the finite and infinite. In any event, the meaning of Masonry is both a systemic, moral and personal question. To conclude, the intent of this paper has been to engage some of the more dominant symbolisms of the second degree in an effort to situate these landmarks along the Fellowcraft s journey both in his degree and his journey in life. I have attempted to indicate how these two journeys are intertwined and inseparable while being simultaneously accompanied by a journey which traverses along both a spiritual and material dimension. Any such holistic journey, if we might conceive of all of these threads as one overarching journey, must find its bearings in accordance with identifiable and recognizable Ancient Landmarks by which we might evaluate our progress and perhaps recognize our Brethren. Ancient Landmarks which define the ties that bind us, which are intrinsic and irreplaceable as infinitely enmeshed in the fabric of our Craft and as brilliantly articulated and undeniably evidenced in the Geometric designs of all life by virtue of the Grand Geometrician of the Universe. Inevitably and necessarily, I think we may have passed some of these Ancient Landmarks in the relatively short journey of this 11

12 particular paper, however, to finally conclude this particular chapter, the Sun is at its Meridian and the journey must continue - always. Thank you all. 12