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Archives for November 2010

Hard Ball Masonic Politics Imparts Grief

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Grand Lodge of West VirginiaOnce again West Virginia is in the spotlight of Masonic news and as usual it’s all bad.  This Grand Lodge is the only US GL to expel a Junior Past Master for his policies while in office. That foolish act has resulted in a civil court case that will start on 12/6/2010.

In the meantime West Virginia has pulled recognition from Ohio because it gave the expelled Frank Haas a new Masonic home. Because of that withdrawal of recognition West Virginia has refused to perform a Masonic funeral for an Ohio Brother who died in their state.

The West Virginia website, Masonic Crusade (archive page), reports:

Masonic Brother denied WV Funeral

Brethren a most tragic event has happened. A brother who resided and passed in West Virginia but a member of an Ohio lodge was denied a Masonic funeral by Randy Martin. It was all done in the name of the edict passed by Greg Riley.  The unnamed brother (out of respect for the family) was a well respected and accomplished mason. Irregardless of that fact,  even had he been a simple member of the craft he deserved better. We have we sank to a level lower than I expected of Grand Lodge.

I am told the brother’s family had a team of brethren travel from Ohio to respect his last wishes, but no West Virginia masons were allowed to participate. This barring of West Virginia participants was apparently done by order of the Grand Master of West Virginia. The Grand Lodge of Ohio would have allowed West Virginia participants, in much the same way that the edict severing relations was not reciprocated by Ohio. West Virginia masons are still quite welcome in Ohio lodges as long as they don’t mind risking their membership….

Lastly, lest the fanboys of Grand Lodge point out that there was a masonic funeral held, understand that if there had been some sort of “Masonic Police” the Grand Lodge of West Virginia would not have allowed the funeral to happen here.

The Judge in the Haas case has already made preliminary rulings that indicate West Virginia is in for a hard time and that this trial may lead to precedents being established that drastically change Fremasonry’s methods of governance. Knowing all that the Grand Lodge of West Virginia just one week before the trial has decided to play hard ball in what has to be one of the worst examples of public relations in the history of American Freemasonry.

When will this insanity stop?

Save the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica

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It is true without lies, certain and most true;
That which is below is as that which is above,
and that which is above is as that which is below,
to accomplish the miracle of the one thing.
It is true without lies, certain and most true;
That which is below is as that which is above,
and that which is above is as that which is below,
to accomplish the miracle of the one thing.
Tabula Smaragdina

One of the most extensive collections of esoteric work is in jeopardy of being dispersed into the hands of private collectors.

The Ritman Library, known as the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica comes from the private collection of books by businessmen Joost R. Ritman who turned his private collection of manuscripts and printed works in the field of Hermeticism into a library of the Hermetic tradition, to show the interrelatedness between the various collecting areas and their relevance for the present day study.

Today, the renowed Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica (BPH) is in grave danger because of a financial conflict with Ritman, and the Friesland Bank.

An online petition has been started to save the library, which you can sign here, and chronicles the dissolution of the library, saying:

It is widely known that the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica in Amsterdam, was in great danger in the 1990s, when the ING bank took possession of the collection and threatened to sell it. Fortunately, the Dutch government intervened: the BPH was put on the list of protected Dutch heritage, and the State eventually acquired over 40% of it. The books remained at the same physical location, integrated with the rest of the collection, and the government would eventually acquire all of it.

The manuscript was likely written for one of the leading aristocratic families of Medieval France (circa 1315-23) and is now expected to sell for $2.49 to $3.23 million.

As part of this process, there were great plans for further expansion. Largely due to the financial crisis and a change of government this was taking somewhat longer than originally anticipated, but nobody doubted that the library was safe.

Last week this turned out to be incorrect. An extremely valuable medieval manuscript owned by the BPH (The Grail of Rochefoucauld – the oldest known Arthur Manuscript) was put on sale at Sotheby’s, and this triggered a reaction from the Friesland Bank, which took possession of the library, that had apparently been brought in as collateral, in order to get back a 15 million euro loan from mr Ritman.

At present the BPH is closed, and intense negotiations are going on behind closed doors. It is impossible at this moment to predict the outcome, but there is no doubt that the situation is extremely serious. There is a very real possibility that the Friesland bank will try to sell at least 60% of the library that is still owned by Mr. Ritman, and nobody knows what implications this will have for the rest of the collection and the BPH as a whole, including its staff. The brand-new government of the Netherlands has announced a program of radical financial cuts in the culture section and elsewhere, which makes a renewed intervention from that side highly unlikely.

It continues saying:

If the Ritman library would go down, this would mean an enormous blow to international scholarship in hermetic studies. The damage would be irreversible. By signing this petition you express your concern, and ask the Dutch government and the Friesland bank to do their utmost to ensure that the collection will be saved and will remain available for the international scholarly community.

What you can do.

Its a challenge to say what one can do in such an situation, but there are some things one can do to express their concern.

  1. Sign the petition to save the Library.
  2. Send an email/letter to Friesland Bank in protest of the sale and dissolution of the work. You can send to: Headquarters
    Friesland Bank Postbus 1 Friesland Bank PO Box 1
    8900 AA Leeuwarden 8900 AA Leeuwarden
  3. Call the Friesland Bank Press Officer
    at Pers Press
    Press Officer
    Persvoorlichter Press Officer
    Saskia Toor Saskia Toor
    (058) 299 44 23 (058) 299 44 23
    06 51 50 56 00 06 51 50 56 00
    Send them a message at their Friesland Bank contact page here
    or call them at +31 58 2994499
  4. Encourage your academic institution to join the growing list of Professors and Academic institutions in support of the study of the Hermetic tradition and the preservation of the library.  You can see a list of those who have already signed the petition here.
  5. Also, if there is consideration of private investment in the library, contact me and we can organize a mission to help preserve the collection.  Email me at masonictraveler@gmail.com

The library itself can be found on line at Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica.

You can see by their Guide the bredth and work of the collection.

In the colelction of work, you one can study and explore the depth of Hermetic study, which the library has divided into the following principal collecting areas:
Hermetica
Alchemy
Mysticism
Rosicrucians
Gnosis & Western Esotericism

I HERMETICA
This collecting area contains works attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, other neo-Platonic works, patristic testimonies to the Christian reception of Hermes and works testifying to the influence of the Hermetica from the Early Middle Ages through to the present day. Placed at the beginning is a general section with relevant historical studies.

Works range from antiquity to modern day.

II ALCHEMY
The general section at the beginning contains a great number of art historical works and plate books on the subject of alchemy and its symbols. There are also specialized periodicals in the field of alchemy available, such as Ambix and Chrysopoeia (both complete).

A number of source texts and secondary works from Greek, Oriental, Arabic and Jewish, to Midieval and Western Alchemy.

III MYSTICISM
The BPH particularly collects medieval and later Western mystics having a demonstrable affinity with Hermetic thought, amongst whom Meister Eckhart, Suso and Tauler.

From early mysticism to mystical spiritualism through the centuries, the Library has a wide collection of works to research from, including a selection on Sufism.

IV ROSICRUCIANS
The Rosicrucian Manifestoes (Fama fraternitatis, Confessio fraternitatis and Chymische Hochzeit) were printed in addition to the original 17th-century editions, the BPH holds several modern editions, ranging from facsimile editions to annotated text editions, and various translations, amongst which Spanish, English and French.

The BPH collection spans work from the original Manifestos to more modern workings of the S.R.I.A, Max Heindel’s Fellowship, A.M.O.R.C., O.T.O./O.R.A., and other relevant developments.

V GNOSIS & WESTERN ESOTERICISM

This principal collecting area includes various currents in addition to Hermetism, Alchemy,
Mysticism and Rosicrucians which express a spirituality mainly manifesting itself outside the confines of the institutionalized religions. At the same time they feed and reinforce the core of the collection.

This branch of the collelction includes works of comparative religion, egyptology, pre-Christian cults, Early Christian practice, the Nag Hammadi Library both pre and post materials, Gnostic both past and present, Manichaeism, Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Non-Western philosophy religious traditions, Esotericism, Grail, Catharism, Kabbalah, Judaica, Qumran, Freemasonry, the Templars, and Christianity.

Needless to say, the collection is both extensive and necissary for modern study of the Hermetic Tradition.

The ‘Way of Gnosis’ or the ‘Way of Hermes’ leads to this ultimate goal: the experience of divine reality, which cannot be learnt, but can only be personally experienced (gnosis). Therefore, if one has knowledge, he is from above. If he is called, he hears, he answers, and he turns to him who is calling him, and ascends to him. And he knows, in what manner he is called.  Having knowledge, he does the will of the one who called him, he wishes to be pleasing to him, he receives rest. Each one’s name comes to him. He who is to have knowledge in this manner knows where he comes from and knows where he is going.

From: The Gospel of Truth by the gnostic Valentinus,one of the texts found at Nag Hammadi

Take a minute and sign the petition, and if you are passionate about the library, take the extra step and send a note to save the collection.

The Masonic New World Order Has Secret Headquarters At The Denver Airport

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Denver International Airport_terminalThe masons are really going to take over the world!  Oh there is no doubt for you see there are Masonic symbols everywhere, many in the strange artwork that adorns the airport walls.  And underneath the airport there is a maze of underground corridors containing secret bunkers.  Here in this remote airport shielded from nuclear attack and impervious to illegal entry is buried the archives and the offices of those few in the Masonic order that have risen to top security clearance and who make the plans to destroy nations and have ready made plans to pick up the pieces in a New World Order.

Formerly at – KWGN, Channel 2, Denver has the story behind the story:

DENVER — Denver International Airport is where thousands of conspiracy theories have taken off.

Suspicion surrounds the airport’s remote location and massive size.

Many believe DIA’s underground tunnels are secret bunkers built for 2012 Apocalypse and they question the strange murals that seem to depict the end of the world, and the Masonic plaque in the terminal that appears to be dedicated to a new world order, with its inscription that says “New World Airport Commission.”

The strange signs and symbols are the topic of TV shows, including “Conspiracy Theory,” starring Jesse Ventura.

But now DIA is debunking the conspiracy theories, by allowing FOX31 News cameras into areas no TV crew has been before.

Deep inside DIA’s dark tunnels where conspiracy theories are born. DIA’s Jeff Green says the airport staff has heard the rumors about secret bunkers, underground concentration camps, even a hiding place for aliens.

But Green says the actual reason the tunnels were built, were to house miles and miles of underground tracks for an automated baggage system that was supposed to be “state-of-the-art” but never worked. That’s why the tunnels are now used by thousands of baggage handlers who speed through the underground maze delivering luggage from one place to another.

Green admits it is an underground city of sorts. But he says there are no secret bunkers. When asked if he had shown us everything underground, Green said, “I’m showing you…everything…that I can find…that I know is here.”

And as for the “strange” and sometimes “scary” art, DIA art director Matt Chasansky says one mural depicts the destruction of the environment, another: the horrors of war, but right next to them are murals depicting a peaceful future. He says the murals are not meant to be viewed separately, but as a continuing story.

Chasansky says the Masonic plaque marks the spot where a time capsule is buried. When asked why the Masons were allowed to bury artifacts in an international airport, Chasansky replied, “I wasn’t there for the discussion about why that happened, but that happens in a lot of buildings because the tradition of the Masons is –as people who make buildings.”

He also said, the “New World Airport Commission,” was an advisory committee made up of local businesses that was formed while DIA was being built.

But for many conspiracy theorists, DIA’s explanation will land on deaf ears. They will always believe DIA is part of a government cover up. And nothing DIA officials say –will change that.

Freemasonry is a threat to Mormonism

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The Backyard Professor takes on the assertion that the Mormon church is threatened by Freemasonry.

He points out some very good points in the discussion.  It does lend itself to an assumption that Mormonism is true branch of Christianity.  I wonder how the same argument would be approached from a traditional Christian point of view.  Does Mormonism then take on the vestments of Masonry if it is not seen as a revealed truth to Joseph Smith?

Michael Brea and the demon

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The NY Daily News ran a wider story in the Friday edition of the paper in which the Ugly Betty bit actor confessed and described his role in the murder of his mother earlier in the week.

Of the event, Brea is reported as saying he had descended into a world filled with Masonic symbolism and black magic, that began Sunday (11/21). While asleep, he says, God came to him over his bed and reached an arm into him saying “…today is your last day” to which Brea asked if he coudl say goodbye to his family.

It turns out that Brea, had recently petitioned a Harlem Prince Hall Masonic lodge a week earlier. In that intersection, Brea claims to of encountered a man who, Brea claims, was attempting to put a curse upon him by attempting to put an item into his [Brea’s] hand, saying “It was a Freemason pin. I wouldn’t touch it”

(As a side note, Prince Hall, like Regular Mainstream Masonry, seldom comments on events like this, as it is perceived as a negative on the Fraternity)

The experience, Brea claimed, felt like being Neo from the Matrix, and lead to some sort of episode in which the interview says Brea was hearing voices and feeling powerful.

The weapon that he used to slay his mother was stolen from the Masonic Lodge, with Brea insisting that it was a past family heirloom handed down by his father.

the day of the murder, Brea had arranged candles and votive cards about himself along with the sword. Believing his mother was conducting a black magic ritual, he says he heard her speak in a “different voice” saying “She had the voice of the demon.” when he attacked her with the sword thinking she was a demon.

The attack went from room to room and continued while police arrived at the door.

Brea saying “I didn’t want to kill her right away. I wanted to give her time to get right with God,”

“I was slashing my mom and I heard the police knocking on the door yelling, ‘Michael, open up, Michael, open up,’ but I knew they wouldn’t open the door and stop me because the spirits were protecting me,” he said.

“I just kept cutting her. No one could stop me. I was doing the work of God,”

The Daily News story reports that Brea “…stood amid the carnage with the sword in one hand and a Masonic Bible in the other.”

At the end of the piece, it quoted Brea as saying

“Grand Architect of the Universe means God,” he said, referring to an expression neighbors said he shouted as he was being removed from the bloody scene. “I was praising God. To you it might sound silly, but in my culture demons are very real.”

Read the full story, and be mindful, there are some gruesome crime scene photos included.

West Virginia Court Rules That It Has The Power To Force Freemasonry To Follow Its Own Rules

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From The West Virginia Masonic Website, “Masonic Crusade”, comes this breaking news that will disperse heartburn if not fear across Mainstream Freemasonry

MWB Frank Haas will be in court on Monday 12/6/10.

The Judge has apparently ruled in a pre-trial hearing the following:

1. The Grand Master did not have the authority to expel a member based on the Laws of Masonry (West Virginia Lawbook).
2. The State of West Virginia has the authority to rule and force a private organization to follow its own rules.
3. The Grand Lodge had filed a motion to NOT allow any discussions regarding race. Their argument was that race was not pertinent to the case. She denied it and my understanding is that she indicated that it IS pertinent to the case.

grand lodge of west virginiaAs the Beehive has pointed out previously,  Grand Lodges that have incorporated (and most if not all have), now are no longer purely private organizations but they have entered the civil world and are now subject to civil authority and to the rules of incorporation of their state. They no longer can violate the Civil Rights of their members.  They can no longer get away with injustice with impunity. Civil courts will rule upon their practices because they have removed themselves from the exclusive private world into the public sphere.  This they did of their own free will and accord and now it is time to pay the piper.

This could have far reaching effects for the high profile cases of Derek Gordon in Arkansas and Mike McCabe in New Jersey and many other Freemasons across the nation who have been treated unjustly by their Grand Lodges.

Stand by. Freemason Information will keep you abreast of this story as it develops further.

Michael Brea and the “Masonic” Sword

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Its been reported that Michael Brea, a some time actor on the ABC program Ugly Betty, used a Masonic Sword, like this one from Amazon, to fatally stab his 55 year old mother, Yannick Brea,  while shouting bible verses and yelling repent and “…architect of the universe…”

A type of Masonic Sword

From the NY Post

An actor who had a part in “Ugly Betty” repeatedly stabbed and killed his mother with a Freemason ceremonial sword after a bizarre religious diatribe this morning, cops said.

…”I heard a shriek and a woman yelling ‘help me’,” Vernal Bent said. “We called 911 and we kept hearing screams and then we didn’t hear them any more. Michael was chanting Biblical phrases and kept calling for Moses, Jerusalem and the ‘architect of the universe’.”

Without a doubt Brea was acting on his own and in a deranged fashion.  Masonry in no way suggests or condones this practice or activity, and despite his use of weapon and any words uttered, it is in no way a Masonic act.

 

Brother George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

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George WashingtonWhereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

Masonic Founding Fathers.

Masonic Weekly Digest: 11/19/2010

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RECENT MASONIC NEWS:

Historic gavel recovered after replica made
Kawartha Media Group – ON, Canada – Nov 12th

New elevator rises to historic occasion at Anoka Masonic Lodge
Coon Rapids Herald – Anoka, MN, USA – Nov 13th

Masons honour 70-year member
The Kingston Whig-Standard – ON, Canada – Nov 15th

Historic lodge restoration starting soon
Times-Georgian – GA, USA – Nov 16th

Walk dubbed a success
NorthJersey.com (press release) – NJ, USA – Nov 17th

Moses Paul Masons Lodge observes Veterans Day
Foster’s Daily Democrat – Dover, NH, USA – Nov 18th

Duterte declares November 15-20 as Masons Week
Sun.Star – Philippines – Nov 18th

Freemasons from Ellesmere Lodge in Runcorn donate £1000 to 1st Battalion the …
Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News – UK – Nov 18th

NOTICES:

Web site – Ohio Grand Lodge Library courtesy of Bridgeport Lodge #181
http://www.freemason.com/library/

And you can access my latest column (non-Masonic related) at:

http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO SEND ME YOUR NEWS LINKS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

All the Best,
Tim Bryce, PM, MPS, MMBBFMN
timb001@phmainstreet.com
Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
“A Foot Soldier for Freemasonry”

P.S. – Check out my book, “The Freethinking Freemason”

Answer To Puzler #8: Point Within a Circle

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1) The point within a circle has a very specific masonic meaning. Is there any biblical or historical reference to this ancient symbol that should be known by us today?

2) We all know that masonically, the parallel lines represent the Holy Saints John, but why are lodges dedicated to the memory of them today? Were there ever lodges dedicated to the memory of any other figures?

Some depictions show a “B” on the outer left side of the left vertical line for John the Baptist and an “E” on the outer right side of the right  vertical line.  The V.S.L. (Volume of Sacred Law) resides above the circle.

Masonic interpretation

  1. Point = The Individual Brother.
  2. Circle= The boundary line of his duty to God and to man, beyond which a man should not allow his passions, prejudices or interests to betray him.
  3. Parallel Lines=Holy Sts. John

This symbol has Modern and Ancient interpretations:

Modern Christian Interpretation:

The following excerpt is from the book, Facts, Fables and Fantasies of Freemasonry, 1968, 5th Edition, 1993, by Rt. Ex. William Adrian Brown, Missouri Lodge of Research.

The Point Within a Circle denotes St. John the Baptist, whose “day” is June 24th and St. John the Evangelist, whose “day” is December 27th.  They are the 2 Patron Saints of Masonry.  While many Master Masons are aware of the celebration of these 2 days, few realize why it is cause for celebration within their lodge.

The Lodge of St. John was the primitive Mother Lodge, held in Jerusalem and dedicated to St. John, the Baptist and then to St. John the Evangelist and finally to both.  It is called the Lodge of the Holy Saints John of Jerusalem and from this lodge all other lodges descended.”

End of excerpt from Facts, Fables and Fantasies of Freemasonry.

The Saints John: Little is known about either of the Saints John in the Masonic sense.  What we do know is that:

St. John the Baptist: St. John the Baptist was a stern and morally just man.  He was a direct descendant from Ishmael’s bloodline.  (Ishmael was Abraham’s eldest son, born by his servant, Hagar.)  John’s mother, Elizabeth was a relative of Mary, (Jesus’ mother) and both John and Jesus were contemporaries (born about the same time).

John the Baptist baptized Jesus and proclaimed Him the “Lamb of God”.  John the Baptist is probably best known for his survivalist instincts, (as we read of his living off of locusts and honey) and for his zealous virtue in keeping God’s laws.

St. John the Evangelist: St. John the Evangelist is said to be the disciple whom Jesus loved.  St. John the Evangelist is also known as John the Apostle.  He is probably best known as a teacher of knowledge, the author of the Gospel book of John, the book of Revelation in the New Testament and later wrote the 3 Epistles in the Bible called John 1, John 2 and John 3.

He was the only one of the 12 disciples who did not forsake Jesus at the hour of his death.  He is remembered as a gentle teacher of brotherly love and was the last surviving apostle, and believed to have died at a very old age (90+), circa 101 A.D. at Ephesus, Turkey, which is about halfway between Jerusalem and Rome.  At a later date, a church was built over his tomb and subsequently, a beautiful Moslem Mosque.

There is no historical evidence that either of the Saints John were ever members of the Craft of stonemasons, but because of their righteous lives and their strength of character, both of these Godly men have been adopted as the 2 Patron Saints of Masonry. Originally, lodges were dedicated to God…

Ancient/Historical Interpretation:

Summer and Winter Solstices: In ancient times, festivals were held on these 2 days because they represent the days of the Summer and Winter Solstices, which illustrate cycles of life.  Today, our Summer Solstice is June 21st and our Winter Solstice is December 21st.  These 2 festivals celebrated the times of both the first fruits in the Spring and the Fall harvest. (I have an entire email dedicated to this topic alone, which I will send out as a supplement to this answer if you request it, Bro. Johnson and Bro. Mauldin have already requested this information…through their enlightening first answers and even more challenging questions. Thanks Brothers.)

These symbols originate from ancient civilizations, long before even King Solomon’s day…brought forward generation by generation via inculcation (teaching) and by the ancient monuments found to be inscribed with these symbols which Egyptologists, geologists and other scholars study in their attempts to understand Man’s history.

Point Within A Circle in Egypt: The 2 vertical lines on either side of the Point Within a Circle symbol date back before Solomon. (who lived nearly 1,000 years before John the Baptist was born.)  On early Egyptian monuments have been found the Alpha and Omega, (the symbol of God as the beginning and the end…or, therefore eternal), in the center of the circle bordered by 2 upright, perpendicular parallel serpents. For some, the science and philosophy behind Masonic symbolism is viewed as Freemasonry’s secrets, mysteries, or as a form of secret cultism known only to Freemason scholars.  However, this is not true.  For those who study attempting to find “Light”, the science and philosophy behind Masonic symbolism can be found in Man’s history.  Masonic ritual, too, imitates these proud and ancient religious traditions. For those who seek more Masonic Light about the Point Within A Circle, please check out the reference below, for a more in depth explanation of this ancient symbol. Bro. Albert Mackey, The Symbolism of Freemasonry:  Illustrating and Explaining Its Science and Philosophy, Its Legends, Myths and Symbols. In order to truly understanding the ancient wisdom this masonic symbol represents, we have to go back to the Middle chamber where we learned about the 7 liberal arts and sciences. Putting this symbol to use in everyday life requires that you use:

Logic:              the 3rd of the 7 Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Geometry:        the 5th of the 7 Liberal Arts and Sciences
Astronomy:      the 7th of the 7 Liberal Arts and Science

 

(There’s that pesky 3,5,7 again!)

3) What does it mean to “square the circle”? How does one use the following formula to “square the circle”? a2+b2=c2

 

We now come to the last of the puzzlers

47th Problem of Euclid

How To Square Your Square

“In any right triangle, the sum of the squares of the two sides is equal to the square of the hypotenuse.”  (the hypotenuse of a right triangle…which is the longest “leg”…or the 5 side of the 3:4:5:). The Right Triangle, below, shows the sides of 3, 4 and 5.  The angle created between the 3 (side) and the 4 (side) is the Right angle of the square. A little later, when we begin to build it, (with sticks and string), you will place your sticks at the 3 corners of this Right triangle.

PWC, gold symbol, circle with dot
point within a circle

The essence of the Pythagorean Theorem (also called the 47th Problem of Euclid) is about the importance of establishing an architecturally true (correct) foundation based on use of the square. Why is this so important to speculative Masons who only have a symbolic square and not the actual square (the tool) of an operative Mason? The 47th Problem of Euclid is the mathematical equation (the knowledge) that allows a Master Mason to “Square his square when it gets out of square.” So you should be able to now see the connection between these two symbols…you can (mathematically) square the circle, but  I was asking a more exoteric question. I was looking for you to see these symbols for what they are, references for us to use to guide our everyday decisions. These two powerful masonic symbols should help you make better decisions, and improve yourself, through constant trying “by the square” to ensure you are a living perpendicular, that does not overstep your societal boundaries, as represented by the point within the circle.

So Mote It Be