What, the curious Freemason asks, has the Yggdrasil to do with Freemasonry? In the first instance, it is a symbol of something, and we Freemasons enjoy a good romp through symbol dissection. Second, Freemasons have their own tree, and it is interesting the symbolism that coincides and collides when we look at the two motifs. The Tree of Freemasonry is the acacia (Western), or in Latin, Acacia Vera or vachellia tortilis. The tree is an evergreen tree, common in warmer climates, and is found in Africa, the Middle East, and other temperate climates. The tree’s wood is used to build weapons and furniture, and its resin is used in incense and perfumes. Biblically, it is referred to as the shittah tree and was the wood Moses used to build the Ark of the Covenant and it was used in the construction of the Tabernacle. While it has many practical uses, I see there is one reason it is such a symbol of immortality: it is an evergreen.
Category: Freemasons, Universal Co-MasonryTags: Acacia, Acacia Vera, Africa, Anthropology, Ark of the Covenant, Asgard, Ash Tree, Ashvattha, Bodhi Tree, Co-Freemasonry, Co-Masonry, Co-Masons, communication, Dragon, Eternal, Evergreen, Freemason, Freemasonry, Freemasons, Gods, Hero, Hu, Humanity, Jötunheim, Mason, Masonry, Masons, Middle East, Midgard, Moses, Myths, Níðhöggr, Neil Gaiman, Niflheim, Norse Mythology, Old Norse, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, Snakes, Tabernacle, The Bible, The Grand Lodge of Ohio, Tree of Life, Trees, Universal Life, Women, World Tree, Yggdrasill
What do Dharma and Freemasonry have in common? Dharma is, according to the ancient Sanskrit, “to hold, to maintain, to preserve.” In the early Vedas and other ancient Hindu texts, Dharma referred to the cosmic law that created the ordered universe from chaos. According to theosophy, Dharma [from the verbal root dhṛ to bear, support] means equity, justice, conduct, duty; right religion, philosophy, and science; the law per se; the rules of society, caste, and stage of life. This definition of Dharma ties immediately to what we know is the goal of Freemasonry: Ordo ab Chao – Order from Chaos.
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Do Freemasons have the “luxury of anger”? The longer one stays on the path of Freemasonry the less we have the luxury of anger or hatred, nor the privilege of animosity or of fear of any kind. The Mason learns that the divisions of people, of whatever kind they might be, are meaningless and unnecessary, and that we Freemasons are dedicated to the eradication of division and strife. Our personal quarrels and piques do not matter one whit to our work as Freemasons.
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THE Flaming Sword, more popular in literature than perhaps in actual use or fact, seems to be symbolically related to several key concepts, all appropriate to the office of the Tyler, or guardian of the Temple entrance. It may represent that only those that hold Truth or Wisdom may enter holy places or stand in the presence of that Truth.
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What is evil? Evil is division, and Good is unification. This is not at the base physical level but at the level of humanity where the human form is irrelevant – the higher concept that we are a part of a natural world, far more vast than we know. When we divide ourselves from this, we create chaos, ignorance, suffering, and separateness. Freemasonry delves into this moral dilemma, not only in symbol and allegory but also in ritual.
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WOR. Bro. David Lettelier was a life-long Mason. Born March 21st, 1959, his was a life spent in service to the expansion of the Craft he loved so dearly. A Past Master of Northside Lodge No. 283, in St. Petersburg, Florida and member of numerous appendant bodies, Bro. David lived and breathed for Freemasonry.
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He that hath ears to hear – let him hear – and he that hath eyes to see – let him look! When he has both listened and looked, and understood the truth behind the 47th problem he will see a new meaning to the reception of a Fellowcraft, understand better that a square teaches morality, and comprehend why the “angle of 90 degrees, or the fourth part of a circle” is dedicated to the Master!
Category: Freemasons, Universal Co-MasonryTags: Co-Freemasonry, Co-Masonry, Euclid, Freemasonry, Geometry, Mason, Masonry, Mathematics, Pythagoras, Pythagoreans
Selected aphorisms from “The Book of the Lodge” by George Oliver (1782-1867)
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Let’s lift the idea of Freemasonry as being purely masculine, and look the world of Hermetic principles and gender. Where does the Feminine find itself within Freemasonry?
Category: Freemasons, Universal Co-MasonryTags: Alchemy, Ancient Mysteries, Brotherhood, Brothers, Co-Freemasonry, Co-Mason, Co-Masonry, Equality, Feminine, Fraternity, Freemasonry, Freemasons, God, Humanity, Light, Mason, masonic, Masonry, Masons, Meaning of Masonry, Ritual, Spirituality, Symbolic, Symbolism, Symbols, Symbols of Freemasonry, Tolerance, Truth, Universal Co-Masonry, Wisdom, Women
In Freemasonry, it explained that the “extent of a Lodge” covers the whole of existence, rising to the heavens, to the depths of the earth, east and west to each horizon, and north and south the same. This is the width, breadth, and depth… Continue Reading “The Edge of The Universe”
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