A Perspective on Freemasonry @stjohns63 - Tumblr Blog

How do I become a Freemason?

I have recently been asked this question a fair bit. I will set out what I think to be a good answer that will apply generally throughout the world (but not in all cases, as Freemasonry can be slightly different in various jurisdictions). 1) Be sure you want to be a Freemason, and that you want to be one for the right reasons. Learn what Freemasonry is REALLY about. Separate the innumerable myths and lies from what is the more likely truth. The best way to do that is to read what Freemasons write, not what others write. The good news is that there are many Masonic websites and books. Read one of my earlier posts for a good list. The basic thing that you should know is whether you want to serve society, and benefit personally from that, or whether you think Freemasonry is going to be all about you. If you think the latter, maybe this is not for you, as at it's core Freemasonry is really about service to others, Freemason and non-Freemason alike. 2) There is an age requirement. Normally, this is 21. If you are younger, there are youth organizations affiliated with Freemasonry, like DeMolay. 3) One of Freemasonry's slogans is "Making good men better". That means that we are really not looking to reform anybody (perhaps unfortunately). So, if you have a criminal record, you likely will not be an acceptable member. 4) Another slogan is: "To be one, ask one". This reflects our belief that our fraternity is a transformative engine (good men better), but this can only be done by those who desire it fully. Freemasonry is a way of life. Freemasons may not invite, ask or coerce you. 5) Belief in the Supreme Being. Freemasonry is secular with respect to any particular Religious dogma, but in general (not true for something Grand Orient), we require you profess a belief in the Supreme Being. You can be a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or agnostic, you just can't be an atheist. 6) Now that you've read up on it, and have met the criteria above, you want to contact a Lodge. In general, you want to join a Lodge that is one of the major Grand Lodges at a Country or State level. It is fairly easy to find these via their websites. These GL's are typically for men only. There are also major women's and coed Masonic orders, but they are not as widely available. Once you have chosen an "order" and a Grand Lodge, you now want to make contact with your local Lodge. This is generally found on the GL Website, and many of them have their own websites, such as my own Lodge, St. Johns Lodge no. 63, Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario http://www.stjohns63.com. 7) once you've made contact, you will be able to complete the process. It's not automatic. You WILL be evaluated for compatibility. This amounts to your moral stature, ethical outlook, demeanor, reasons for joining etc. It's not automatic. Good Luck!

Since civilization began, we as a species have worked to evolve a framework of government but more importantly, law, that allows us to live together, underpinned by a foundation of shared concepts of morality, integrity and fairness. We have sought to justify this system to those that might not immediately recognize its value to their own self interest by linking it to the will of the an overarching motivating force of the universe (name your deity). But at the most fundamental level, this framework and its viability is YOUR protection against the unmitigated desires of those who think they have the power (any combination of physical, economic, and/or political) such that they can impose their self interest over you and yours, to your detriment, if not otherwise restrained by law.

Realize the truth of this, for at this moment, at the height of this evolution, we are backpedaling from a world where in many places we have achieved a an almost ideal version of the framework. Despite the fact the framework protects them as well, for power always shifts, special interests seek to break these system and replace them with something that unilaterally favours the assailant. Unbelievably short sighted, because in the end history is replete with the fall of the powerful, and song of madame guillotine echoes in history as the most graphic example of the all too common fate of those who seek to embody rather than serve law: violent end.

But they are attacking, and seem to be succeeding. The nations that have reached the pinnacle to date of these concepts are seeing their systems attacked and eroded by powerful interests and if those interests win, the framework will be lost. The result is a repeating cycle of autocracy and reactive anarchy. This is evident throughout history, and is readily visible in many situations around the world. For example, “falling out of a window” is a black humour euphemism for extrajudicial repercussions that are too common in one of the most visible examples of a place where impartial law and order is replaced by autocratic rule. The “pusher” will one day be “pushed”, and so it goes without a viable framework of justice, law and government that enshrines everybody’s rights equally, beyond and against any momentary power shifts that suddenly usurp any current advantage one might enjoy.

The key to this is to respect and support the process of law, impartiality, morality and integrity, even if your opinion of what is better differs from one you are opposed to. Let the framework be the arbiter, and support it, because the alternative is a regressive model that can ultimately implode into irretrievable chaos, on a planet of 8 Billion people. There is nowhere that a ship of pilgrims can escape to. Indeed nobody has ever escaped. You can only stand, defend and build for the future. Understand the stakes, and see clearly those who are trying to destroy our civilized framework for their benefit and your detriment. They can only do it if you don’t stand against it.

I use #Freemasonry to promote this post because one of the basic fundamentals of the masonic philosophy and “movement”, if not the primary purpose, is the promotion of an idealistic framework for civilized society.

We teach our philosophies by way of symbols, parables and moral legends that depict this struggle. The central story we found our philosophical framework is a violent attack on a figure of moral authority and wisdom, that results in social chaos, and is ultimately dealt with over time via a very long process of lawful response and centuries of social recovery

Life is Work.

You can only reap the rewards of your life by doing the work. You can ride along on other people’s coattails and enjoy yourself, but inevitably you will hit that point where you will reap the rewards of your efforts. If there is no effort, there is no reward. This realization may not hit you until you are starting to become infirm, and understanding that you are mortal. It's never too late, but realistically the quality of your efforts will suffer the longer you put them off.

Freemasonry is the exact same. You get out of it what you put into it. Honestly, it is a great deal of work, but being a freemason should be an integral part of your overall life’s work: A commitment to service your fellow human beings and a search for understanding of the nature of reality that will pay great dividends when you least expect it, and when you need it most.

"Mathematics is not the language of the universe. Geometry is the language of the universe. It is not as if the universe writes equations. The universe is organized with ratio relations. The universe is organized with relations of geometry. And from there, we invented symbols to describe that geometry, which we call mathematics."

Nassim Haramein

In reality, we exist in barely “channeled” entropy (if we are lucky). There is no control, it can leap off the tracks at any moment. This is the fundamental nature of the paradigm of material being. Buying into the illusion of control is irreconcilable with happiness and peace of mind. Go with the flow … and be unsurprised that it will inevitably get rough. Let that be your baseline of expectation and happiness.

“You need to put Kairos into the chaos of your Chronos” tip of the hat to @russell33614224

Thank you to @culturaltutor for this explanation of “Kairos” vs. “Chronos”

Essentially, in masonic teaching, the admonishment of the 24 inch gauge in the working tools of an Entered Apprentice.

@culturaltutor:

“The Ancient Greeks had two words for time:

1. Chronos = sequential, quantitative time

2. Kairos = fluctuating, qualitative time

Here's why you need to understand kairos...

Chronos refers to time as we usually mean it: a sequence of equal parts.

There are twenty four hours in a day, and each hour is the same length of time.

It's what a clock measures, basically.

Kairos refers to the way in which certain moments are more important or influential than others.

A clock can't measure that, but it's undeniable that some times are much more significant than others.

Think about the twenty fours in your average day.

Are they all spent equally? Do they all present equal opportunities? Of course not.

Many of them simply disappear. You look at the clock and two hours have passed while you were watching TV or chatting.

While other moments in your day are much more noticeable.

Those ones where time seems to pass slower, or where - if you do the right thing - there can be significant consequences, for good or for bad.

This is what kairos refers to: those important moments, which are *not* equal to other, less critical moments.

An obvious example is something like the birth of one's child, an exam, getting married, or a job interview.

But kairos doesn't just refer to those life-altering, memorable occasions.

It's about the fluctuation of events and circumstances which create opportunities.

Kairos measures the *importance* of a particular moment in time, rather than its duration.

Try thinking about your day in terms of kairos, not chronos.

Which moments are the most important? Which moments are the most useful? Which moments give you an opportunity to do something consequential?

Focus on them. Use them when they arrive.

But remember: kairos is ever-changing, because events and circumstances and people are ever-changing.

You can't control it, just like you can't control chronos time.

But you can *act*. You can take the opportunities to which kairos draws your attention.

A very familiar feeling to all of us is when, after an argument or debate or conversation, you suddenly realise what you *should* have said, but didn't.

That moment when you had the chance to say *just the right thing*? That's kairos.

Everybody knows that not all minutes, hours, days, or moments are equal. Kairos puts a name to that fundamental truth.

As Lenin said: in some decades nothing happens, and in some weeks a whole decade happens.”

https://twitter.com/culturaltutor/status/1558551902505279489?s=21&t=AovXDkXzah3bsIbBwID6dQ

The thing about Freemasonry is that you achieve and receive according to the effort that you put in. It is like a buffet, you pick what you want, it is all presented to you, but you are not forced to choose. You get what you elect to pursue.

You can pick the level of a simple fraternity or service club. Fine. Camaraderie and community service wrapped around a framework of deeper philosophical instruction which is enjoyable if not slightly puzzling and seemingly archaic. At a minimum, this is a common, unifying structure that aligns and distinguishes the masonic from the civitan or lions club. Superficially, it has the ring of discipline, respect, morality and tradition. Operating at this level is enough for some, indeed the majority.

But underneath is the beating heart and true meaning of freemasonry … the equivalent of a philosophical fusion reaction waiting to be plucked from the platonic ether. The superficial structure comprises only clues and signposts to what must be a personal path of discovery and inquiry. Without this journey of inquiry, which only you can walk, the framework will remain slightly puzzling, pleasing and mildly archaic. Walk it, and you will explore the ancient search for Truth, the nature and reason of existence.

Freemasonry is the syncretic heir of many ancient and more modern occult (hidden)/esoteric (inner) philosophies that are tools to help this journey. But you must lift up the cover and investigate, of your own free will and volition. The only responsibility of the Lodge is to present the menu and maintain the kitchen. You are both the chef, the creator… and the customer of the experience you desire.

vinayuniverse

Inspirational

You get out of it what you put into it

We are fragments of the whole … the All. Seek to see the whole picture. Identify with the All. Don’t settle for the fragment. A fragment is relatively meaningless on its own.

Freemasonry is a reflection of this principle, a lodge is a living metaphor of it. Cohesion and contribution of the parts yields the more perfect experience, and enhances realization and understanding.

This is why we say you get out of it what you put into it. It is the same at every level of existence

“You are an information flow node in the field.” – Nassim Haramein

Art by Rich Jarvis

What is Masonic Truth?

As an Apprentice you learned to answer the ritual question "What are the three grand principles on which Freemasonry is founded?" and you replied "Brotherly love, Relief, and Truth." But what does that answer mean?

We all think we know what Brotherly love is. It is the warm feeling of fellowship and goodwill we get when we take part in the rituals of our own lodge, the comradeship we share when we dine together after the meeting.

We also understand the simple meaning of Relief, the giving of alms and support of those in need. But do we understand Truth.

And what is the real nature of Masonic Truth? As a fellowcraft you are encouraged to used the tools of the seven liberal arts and the study of the hidden mysteries of nature and science to help you learn to recognise Truth when it presents itself.

Our ritual teaches us that as Freemasons we are taking part in a search for Truth, but is Masonic Truth different from common or garden truth? And will understanding how it differs tell you something about Freemasonry and yourself?

Masonic Truth must be more than the straightforward conformity with fact or reality that constitutes scientific truth, or even the legal definition of the true or actual state of a matter. So, what might it be? Masonic Truth is something which is discovered through practising the rituals of the Craft and those rituals allow a freedom of interpretation which makes room for each individual to have a different concept of Masonic Truth. But to gain this insight implies that you must learn the ritual so thoroughly that neither you, nor any other lodge members, are worrying about the right word in the right order. Your ritual should be learned so thoroughly that that you can deliver it like an artist singing a well-rehearsed song. The words should be automatic, but the feeling and intonation will make their delivery sublime. That way the emotions and feelings that the ritual is meant to evoke can work its magic on the rest of the lodge and help each brother perceive the deeper mysteries it is meant to illuminate.

Each brother may well be like one of that mythical group of blind men each feeling different parts of an elephant and describing it variously as a tree-truck, a snake, or a hard pointed spike, depending on whether they were feeling the leg, the truck or the tusks. What they feel and what that feeling causes the ritual words to invoke in their mind will be different each time for each brother. And this, of course, means that there might be no absolute Masonic Truth. It soon becomes clear that the Masonic quest for Truth is a state of mind that can accommodate a great deal of uncertainty.

Life is always uncertain and once we understand that we live in a state of uncertainty we ought to be ready to admit it both to ourselves and to others. As physicist Richard Feynman said. ‘It is of great value to realize that we do not know the answers to difficult questions. This attitude of mind – this attitude of uncertainty- is vital to the scientist and it is this attitude of mind which the student of science must acquire’. This open and questioning attitude to Truth is what a Fellowcraft Freemason is trying to acquire. Once a scientist develops this attitude to scientific truth they can never again retreat into certainty. The same is true for a Fellowcraft.

Therefore, Masonic truth is different from Religious truth. Religion demands a certainty of belief that directly conflicts with the change and growth inherent in the Masonic experience of Truth which flows from perception of the ritual. Masonic Truth is much nearer the vision of Truth sought by quantum physics. A physicist’s key philosophy of science is that accepted knowledge is only the best guess they can make at this time. A new fact can change their view. A scientist lives in a state of perpetual uncertainty. Impartial observations decides the validity of a scientific assertion, but there are no absolute truths, you can only fail to disprove an hypothesis, never show it to be absolutely true.

Freemasonry works in a similar way and although you may experience an insight about yourself, through contemplation or the working of ritual, it is something which only exists within you and is almost impossible to convey accurately to anybody else. Religion deals with questions such as 'would it be right to do this thing?’, which are outside the competence of science, but not of Freemasonry, but then it makes pronouncements that cannot be questioned. Freemasonry exposes you to the emotions, arguments and an interaction with key events in human experience, but it does not proscribe how you must understand or use this insight. That is why it is Free, you decide how to apply its Truth to yourself.

To develop an idea, it must first engage your heart. You must be inspired. To reason it through, to understand and apply it you must question, analyse and doubt. Where do you seek for a source of strength and courage to persevere in this daunting search for Truth? Traditionally religion provided such inspiration, while science's role was to provide the working tools to understand and share insights. But in modern society this accommodation is seriously weakened.

When religion demands a certainty of belief it directly conflicts with the inherent uncertainty, which is an essential part of science and so it might not reveal Truth. When religion ventures into questions of ‘how does this work?’ then its certainty becomes its weakness, which the doubting uncertainty of science exposes and calls into question. Freemasonry moderates these two approaches. It provides a science of the human spirit to guide the seeker towards insights which make sense, using the techniques of ritual and symbolism, and it sets its teachings within an ethical framework which does not rely on superstition to enforce it.

Masonic Truth is a truth which stirs your heart, while still making sense in your head. It is a truth you want to believe in, as well as one you can reason my way to accepting.

The Lodge trains you in experiencing and thinking about truth, it provides a forum to share truth, it offers opportunities to demonstrate truth and chances to work together to provide group experiences of truth. In this way regular participation in ritual can help you internalise truth, so that you can make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge.

It is, however, for you to decide what constitutes your Masonic Truth. As a fellowcraft it is a subject to focus your regular meditation upon and then contribute your own thoughts on the matter during the ritual lectures.

Note from me. I thought I wrote this. I agree with it all. Some of it reads like it came right off my pen, other bits don’t quite sound like something I remember writing. So… sorry there is no attribution if there should be. But it goes with my note on masonic relief. If I figure out it wasn’t me and I find out who it was I will attribute.

Masonic Relief. Altruistic example of humanity in Homo Duplex mode.

The second of the three great masonic principles is masonic relief. This certainly derives directly from Brotherly Love, in that relief of a Brother (or anyone else for that matter) more often than not entails a certain amount of imposition on the relief giver. Given this imposition, assured relief is generally initiated by “Love”. Perhaps it is natural friendship and love, cultivated through intimate knowledge of the person receiving succour. Perhaps it is love of duty and rightness of the action which fuels the action. Perhaps it is both. Either way is a correct path.

”Correct path”, for in relief we see the inner wisdom of Brotherly love. We see the Darwinian genius of the human race, one of the fundamental reasons that we are the most successful species that this planet has ever spawned. Acting as a team, as a group, as a tribe; strength in numbers is the key to how we humans time and time again have overcome the odds to survive, and to thrive. We either live as Brothers or die as fools.

The human race is a very dual mode species (“homo duplex” Emile Durkheim). The student of Darwin extols the survival of the fittest as the rule which defines humans as naturally selfish and always moving to sate their own desires for self-preservation and advancement. This is a state that we may naturally tend to in day to day living. On the other hand, although Emile Durkheim extolled the socially driven imperative of altruistic action in human beings, when we witness human beings in a disaster situation when we are all thrown in the same pot of danger, the natural group state of humanity comes out. The emergency situation shows that truly we are a group oriented species. Almost everyone helps each other automatically. We do need to consciously think about this, however, in day to day living mode, therefore we quickly fall back in to bad habits, and those habits can become entrenched into the very fabric of society in oligarchic hierarchical behavior.

For Freemasons, this call has often been tremendously relevant. Our role has traditionally been the social revolutionary, resisting against spiritual, philosophical, material and cultural oppression in many ages against an entrenched foe, the established hierarchy of the day. It may not seem so at this time, but this role has been deadly serious in the past, whether it has been against religious inquisition, tyrannical monarchies, Nazis, fascists, or oligarchs, we have fought these all and won. Not because we did it as individuals, and not because we shirked from discomfort and danger.

But these things have been done for all of society, not from a selfish desire for advancement. Indeed, our ranks have often come from those who benefit from the status quo. The hand proffered then is to those who don’t benefit from the status quo, seemingly against our own interests. But again, the logic of human behaviour and the lessons of the past are that the needs of the many outweigh those of the few, therefore this seemingly altruism is really self serving, at least for future generations. It is an absolute truth that the pendulum of good fortune swings without fail and the wise know that “what goes around comes around”. This is expressed quite clearly by two masonic pearls of wisdom directly from the Work:

* “ .... today we may tread in the flowery meads of prosperity; tomorrow we may totter on the uneven paths of weakness, temptation and adversity; while then our feet tread on this Mosaic Pavement let our ideas recur to the original which we copy; let us act as the dictates of right reason prompt us, cultivate harmony, practise charity, and live in peace with all men.“ and

* “... he who is placed on the lowest spoke of fortune’s wheel is justly entitled to our regard, because the time will most assuredly come, and the best and wisest know not how soon, when all distinctions, save those of goodness and virtue shall cease, and death, the leveler of all human greatness, shall reduce us all to the same level.”.

In a very brief summarization of what I have scarcely covered here:

* Love and collaboration are equally part of human nature as self preservation

* Human’s can easily shift between either mode, and shift into group preservation in the face of extreme danger

* Wisdom shows application of love and collaboration in the form of relief is a rule that should be followed even in times of subtle, social danger (social evolution has created a bifurcated society), or non-personal danger (you are in the privileged part of society), because:

* Fate can quickly turn against you or your descendants

* Fate WILL ultimately turn against you or your descendants

* Social mechanisms must teach the wisdom discussed above to lower the trigger threshold of Human Duplex from individual to group mode

* Freemasonry is a primary institution for teaching this wisdom:

* masonic relief is the embodiment of the immediate altruistic practice of charity to others in need (when you seemingly are not)

* Being a freemason is a more obvious voluntary grouping of people to expand this reflexive giving

* Freemasonry as an institution practices social relief at the society level to combat hierarchical bifurcation and oppression

In anticipation of lodges opening in this jurisdiction, I have brushed up the openings and closings in the 1st 3 Craft degrees. After an almost 2 year pause, it is refreshing to contemplate the meaning in the words. A reminder for Freemasons that the secret is hiding in plain sight.

“I live on Earth at present, and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing — a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process – an integral function of the universe.” - Buckminster Fuller

“You are a mechanism of creation.” – Nassim Haramein

I like the term agent

Platonic morality vs. Celebration of diversity.

In Freemasonry we focus on the concept of the Platonic Truth, that there exists a universal ideal of which every manifestation you experience, whether physical, mental or social, is but a shadow reverberation of the Truth. Plato eloquently expressed this with geometric solids hence the easy translation to masonic philosophy.

Moral Truth, which highly influence social interaction, like geometric/physical laws enable the physical world to exist, are fundamental ideas and norms which allow society to progress and work. These are the fundamental norms, like honesty, integrity, mercy, charity, loyalty etc.

Although we build our lives around these pillars, they are adorned with other things which complement them to give us the dazzling beauty of our social experience. Just as buildings must allow the laws of physics, once you get to the building facade, innovation and variety is key to beautifying our lives. So it is with society. We must build our interactions on the core moral Truths, but we must also celebrate diversity and variation, otherwise our existence would be very dull and gray.

"always recollect that the strength of the Order does not lie in the number of its Lodges or in the increasing roll of its members; but that it lies in the spirit by which those members are animated, and which lives and breathes in those Lodges"

MW Grand Master ~ 4th March 1874

Attribution: @WYFreemasons on Twitter

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