| Continuing Masonic Education - Writings of John George P.M. |
Brother John George P.M. (Aaron 2006) produces writings that are both educational and whimsical. Brother John runs a discussion group for the Scottish Rite and graciously lends his Masonic expertise in helping to further the Masonic education of all that are interested.
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| John George P.M. |
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February 2009
As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. (Carl Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, 1962)
One of the first lessons we are taught in Masonry is that there are three Pillars that support the Lodge, denominated Wisdom, Strength and Beauty, “for it is necessary that there should be Wisdom to contrive, Strength to support and Beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings.
Brother Albert Pike, in the book Esoterica, edited by Brother Art DeHoyos, gives us an extensive essay on the symbolism of these pillars and their relationship to the Officers of the Lodge on the one hand, and the Lost Ancient Master’s Word on the other. I cannot discuss his reasoning at length in this limited space, but he argues very convincingly that these three Pillars are necessary attributes of the Great Architect of the Universe—all three of them. Remove Beauty, and you are left with Wisdom and Strength alone: The attributes of the God of a Universe without humanity.
This has a further connection with the letters of the Name, and with the ability of the Three Grand Masters to transmit certain essential information.
I direct you to the book…it is currently in the Nelson Bledsoe Memorial Scottish Rite Library, or will be when I return it.
March 2009
An Old Parable with a New Twist
Don’t stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before.
The King of Aquitaine received the gift of an elephant from the Sultan of Baghdad. Not having ever seen such a thing before, he sent some of his advisors to investigate it. Now, it happens that these seven wise men were all blind. Accordingly, they proceeded to investigate this novelty by sense of touch.
We all know the story: How each one, touching a different part of the elephant, thought he had encountered the whole, and interpreted his experience accordingly, with the one who felt the tusk saying, “The elephant is like a spear”, the one who felt his side, “a wall”, and so forth.
But the seventh remained aloof, and touched no part of the beast, but instead listened to the reports of the others, and reached his own conclusions. Though not himself blind, he chose not to accompany his brethren, thinking himself above such.
And after the other six advisors had made report, he gave his evaluation: “Verily, O king, there is no Elephant. Obviously my colleagues have each touched a spear, and a wall, and a fan, and so forth. But such is their gullibility and dependence on the testimony of their senses that they have assumed that each of these parts is of a whole, rather than ordinary separate objects. Nay, O King, this “Elephant” is obviously a fairy tale meant to frighten children into obedience, and not a thing for sophisticated adults such as ourselves.
Then the King laughed and went to visit the elephant himself.
April 2009
SCOTTISH RITE STUDY GROUP REPORT
Well folks, it looks like the Scottish Rite Study Group is off to a good start. We have now had two meetings, the number of attendees is increasing, and we are currently studying the degrees of the Lodge of Perfection.
For those of you who just tuned in, the Valley of Tucson is hosting a new Scottish Rite Degrees study group, meeting at 7:00 PM on first Thursdays at the Cathedral downtown, hosted by Yours Truly.
Our first meeting was in November, we had the second meeting last week as of this writing, and our next will take place on Thursday 5th February (the first Thursday in January is New Year’s Day, I decided to observe the holiday and not hold class).
The format is currently somewhat free-form; the emphasis is on the new Master Builder Program, using the new Monitor by Ill∴ Bro∴ Arturo DeHoyos, with such supplemental material as may seem relevant, like A Bridge to Light, Coil’s, etc.; the overall pattern is to work through the test-questions as a group, with such discussion as may be germane.
Of course, the discussion can and, in my opinion, should (within reason!) digress; since the Scottish Rite Degrees are meant to be a lesson on Life, then any topic relevant to Life is potentially on-topic. This last (December) meeting, for example, there was some talk of Tolkien and the Masonic lessons (even if he had not known them as such) in The Lord of the Rings.
So, I encourage all Brethren who would like to expand on the knowledge the received in the Reunions they have attended or assisted with to come on down some First Thursday at 7:00 PM as share in the light.
June 2009
Freemasonry Defined (by Ambrose Bierce, in his Devil’s Dictionary)
FREEMASONS, n. An order …, which, originating in the reign of Charles II, among working artisans of London, has been joined successively by the dead of past centuries in unbroken retrogression until now it embraces all the generations of man on the hither side of Adam and is drumming up distinguished recruits among the pre-Creational inhabitants of Chaos and Formless Void. The order was founded at different times by Charlemagne, Julius Caesar, Cyrus, Solomon, Zoroaster, Confucious, Thothmes, and Buddha. Its emblems and symbols have been found in the Catacombs of Paris and Rome, on the stones of the Parthenon and the Chinese Great Wall, among the temples of Karnak and Palmyra and in the Egyptian Pyramids — always by a Freemason.
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