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Brother Allatt from Daily Masonic Progress included a question in his post yesterday. I’m hopeful that you’ll discuss answers to that question with me today.
I hope that you don’t find the question overly simplistic, or not worth your time.
As for me, I have always found it fascinating. And, it is a question that I have struggled to answer for myself, for all the years that I’ve been a Mason. I contemplate it often, but a satisfactory answer still eludes me.
Before answering that question, we have to answer first this question: what is not Freemasonry?
Freemasonry is not about the old stonemasons guilds or the roman collegia fabrorum. That is just the way the Ancient Freemasons hide the knowledge of the building of the Human Temple.
Freemasons did not built the pyramids, they were there, but they were doing their real job.
To answer the question.
Freemasonry in the core is a mortuary rite. Developed for the sole purpose of rebuilding the Human Soul. So it can continue his work on the Spiritual Realm.
Freemason travel from East to West and back (the are various ways to say it nowadays, but this is how I learned it). That means traveling from life (east) to death (west) and back again to life or to the Light. From our old life to a new life, but to get to that new life, death has to be experienced.
This mortuary rite is as ancient as Egypt itself. It comes from the Priests of Ptah. Ptah is the egyptian god of craftmen and artisan. But his main work is not related to construction. According the myth he created the world. But his Priests are mortuary priests. They were called the Ker Hebs.
I will leave it here. And will gladly answer more questions later. Blessings to all my BB.
Well said. In Washington state monitorial ritual for the Entered Apprentice, we inform the candidate that Freemasonry is a course of moral and philosophical instruction. I agree with you that it's purpose is to rebuild the soul.
We are the men who, with effort and understanding, are free from the bondage of the physical world. Builders of the tower of babel. United, regardless of language, race,or creed. Which in allegory builds up the earth-born, reaching to the heaven-born, and transcend as the god-born.
The great Hermerinus that was Sonne unto Guz and Guz was Sonn unto Ham which was son unto Noah, the Second Sonne Hermerinus was called Hermes the father of Wisdome, and he found the two pillars of Stone, and the Sciences written therein he taught, and at the buildinge of the Tower of Babilon was called Nembroth. Nemrod was a Mason and loved well the Craft, and it is said by the Masters of the Stone yt when the City of Nineve and other Cityes should be builded Nembroth the King of Babilon sent their Sixty Masons, att the desire of the King of Nineve his Couzen and when they went forth he gave them a charge on this manner viz-That they should be true, and to love one another ; and that they should serve truely the lord for his payment that he might have worship by sending of them unto him, and other things he gave them in Charge and this was the first time that the Masons had any charge of their Craft..."
“The Old Constitutions of the Masons MS” (1722)
"It so pleased God Almighty, that the Great Hermarmes, whose Son Lunie was, who was the Son of Sem, who was the Son of Noah. The said Hermarmes was afterwards called Hermes, the Father of Lunie, he found one of the two Pillars of Stone. He found these Sciences written thereon, and taught them to other Men. And at the Tower of Babylon, Masonry was much made on; for the King of Babylon, who was Nemorth3, was a Mason, and serv’d the Science; and when the City of Ninevah, and other Cities of the East, should be built, Nemorth sent thither Threescore Masons, at the Desire of the King of Ninevah; and when they went forth, he gave them a Charge after this manner, That they should be true one to another, and love one another, that he might have Worship by them in sending them to his Cozen the King. He also gave them Charge concerning their Science; and then it was the first time that any Mason had Charge of his Work."
“Slade Minor Degree” (1754)
Quest. When did Free Masonry begin?
Answ. About one hundred and fifty-four years after Noah’s Flood, at the Building of Babel’s Tower.
Q. Who was the Grand Master there?
A. Nimrod, called by Masons Belus.*
* Nimrod, which signifies a Rebel in the Jewish and Chaldean Languages, was the name given him by the Holy Family, and by Moses; but among his friends in Chaldea he was called Belus, which signifies Lord; and afterwards was worshipped as a God by many Nations, under the Name Bel, Baal, and became the Bacchus of the Antients, or Bar-Chus, the son of Chus.
“The Constitutions of the Free-Masons” (1723)
"NOAH, and his three Sons, JAPHET, SHEM, and HAM, all Masons true, brought with them over the Flood the Traditions and the Arts of the Ante-deluvians, and amply communicated them to their growing Offsprings ; for about 101 Yeas after the Flood, we find a vast Numbers of 'em, if not the whole Race of Noah, in the Vale of Shinar, employ'd in building a City and large Tower, in order to make to themselves a Name, and to prevent their Dispersion. And tho' they carry'd on the Work to a monstrous Height, and by their Vanity provok'd God to confuse their Devices, by confounding their Speech, which occasion'd their Dispersion ; yet their Skill in Masonry is not the less to be celebrated, having spent above 53 Years in that prodigious Work, and upon their Dispersision carry'd the mighty Knowledge with them into distant Parts, where they found the good use of it in the Settlement of their Kingdoms, Commonwealth, and Dynasties. And tho' afterwards it was lost in most Parts of the Earth, it was especially preserv'd in Shinar and Assyria, where NIMROD,* the Founder of that Monarchy, after the Dispersion, built many splendid Cities, as Ereck, Accad, and Calnehm in SHINAR; from whence afterwards he went forth into ASSYRIA, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calej, and Rhsin."
There is no single answer, because there are so many different forms of FM, and also because every Brother is seeking different things in FM. But what we all have in common is a set of symbols revolving around stone masonry (including a specific attire), a ritual revolving around the legend of Hiram, and a belief that living a moral life is important. If you have that, it’s FM. The rest is « jurisdictional » as you say in the US.
Undoubtedly you are correct, each Brother seeks something different within our Ancient Craft, and as a result will tend to define it differently. That's what makes a common definition so difficult I think.
But, if we can get a new Mason into a Lodge that shares his vision of Freemasonry, we will have a profound impact upon him, and those around him.
That is something my Jurisdiction has failed at in the past, but is working to improve. Making sure that a candidate's interests match the interests of the Lodge he petitions.
A system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols. And so it is. Our symbols are explained and illustrated. Our core understanding of these symbols are learned via a Master / Apprenticeship system. The 3rd Degree is an allegory. If one keeps their head out of the clouds it is fairly easy to understand. The point is continuously made that if a man adheres to our moral teachings he will end up a better man. But certainly not more than a man.
I have to admit I find the "more than a man a Manson" line absolutely abhorrent and reeking of hubris.
Nov 3, 2023·edited Nov 3, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
A fraternity built to provide individuals with the tools to improve oneself while surrounding them with individuals looking to do to the same while in an environment conducive to spiritual growth.
The closest I've come to answering this question for myself is an answer our Bro. Pike gave, that Freemasonry is the great peace society of the world.
I base this on the goal of Freemasonry, which is to unite all good men of the world into a common band or brotherhood. Removing all artificial divisions and conflicts. Religion, race, nationality, ideology, Freemasonry seeks to dissolve them all.
Our Craft hasn't of course always lived up to its ideals, but that is because as a human institution it is flawed, yet the ideals remain.
Complicating all of this of course is the fact that Freemasonry's scope is so vast. It is different things to different Masons. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that, properly looked at and utilized, this vast diversity of endeavors is a feature and not a flaw. But it does make the Craft awfully difficult to define.
Is it still Freemasonry when you run a candidate through a series of degrees without any explanation and then have him attend meetings that, other than some opening and closing ritual, otherwise take on the characteristics of any other business meeting?
I think Freemasonry is a verb, not a noun. And as such, cannot be put into practice solely by going through the degrees or even reading books. Not only should we study it but we should actively discuss it and practice it. Where? At lodge. A lodge that doesn’t foster this is doing everyone a disservice. And because this word can take on so many interpretations, it’s why I split it into two:
1. freemasonry with a little ‘f’ is how we run the lodge. The group needs to be run well in order to create an excellent experience.
2. Freemasonry with a capital ‘F’ is the vast content. Symbols, meaning, all the books written on the topic.
You need both the delivery system and the content. And we need brothers who can participate in both of these areas to truly practice WHAT it is.
Before answering that question, we have to answer first this question: what is not Freemasonry?
Freemasonry is not about the old stonemasons guilds or the roman collegia fabrorum. That is just the way the Ancient Freemasons hide the knowledge of the building of the Human Temple.
Freemasons did not built the pyramids, they were there, but they were doing their real job.
To answer the question.
Freemasonry in the core is a mortuary rite. Developed for the sole purpose of rebuilding the Human Soul. So it can continue his work on the Spiritual Realm.
Freemason travel from East to West and back (the are various ways to say it nowadays, but this is how I learned it). That means traveling from life (east) to death (west) and back again to life or to the Light. From our old life to a new life, but to get to that new life, death has to be experienced.
This mortuary rite is as ancient as Egypt itself. It comes from the Priests of Ptah. Ptah is the egyptian god of craftmen and artisan. But his main work is not related to construction. According the myth he created the world. But his Priests are mortuary priests. They were called the Ker Hebs.
I will leave it here. And will gladly answer more questions later. Blessings to all my BB.
Well said. In Washington state monitorial ritual for the Entered Apprentice, we inform the candidate that Freemasonry is a course of moral and philosophical instruction. I agree with you that it's purpose is to rebuild the soul.
Related to this, one of our Masonic Brothers has just published a book that looks to be quite fascinating:
https://www.innertraditions.com/books/theurgy-theory-and-practice
We are the men who, with effort and understanding, are free from the bondage of the physical world. Builders of the tower of babel. United, regardless of language, race,or creed. Which in allegory builds up the earth-born, reaching to the heaven-born, and transcend as the god-born.
Where did you get your information regarding the “builders of the Tower of Babel”
Thanks for asking. To name a few references;
“Lodge of Hope MS” (About A.D. 1680)
The great Hermerinus that was Sonne unto Guz and Guz was Sonn unto Ham which was son unto Noah, the Second Sonne Hermerinus was called Hermes the father of Wisdome, and he found the two pillars of Stone, and the Sciences written therein he taught, and at the buildinge of the Tower of Babilon was called Nembroth. Nemrod was a Mason and loved well the Craft, and it is said by the Masters of the Stone yt when the City of Nineve and other Cityes should be builded Nembroth the King of Babilon sent their Sixty Masons, att the desire of the King of Nineve his Couzen and when they went forth he gave them a charge on this manner viz-That they should be true, and to love one another ; and that they should serve truely the lord for his payment that he might have worship by sending of them unto him, and other things he gave them in Charge and this was the first time that the Masons had any charge of their Craft..."
“The Old Constitutions of the Masons MS” (1722)
"It so pleased God Almighty, that the Great Hermarmes, whose Son Lunie was, who was the Son of Sem, who was the Son of Noah. The said Hermarmes was afterwards called Hermes, the Father of Lunie, he found one of the two Pillars of Stone. He found these Sciences written thereon, and taught them to other Men. And at the Tower of Babylon, Masonry was much made on; for the King of Babylon, who was Nemorth3, was a Mason, and serv’d the Science; and when the City of Ninevah, and other Cities of the East, should be built, Nemorth sent thither Threescore Masons, at the Desire of the King of Ninevah; and when they went forth, he gave them a Charge after this manner, That they should be true one to another, and love one another, that he might have Worship by them in sending them to his Cozen the King. He also gave them Charge concerning their Science; and then it was the first time that any Mason had Charge of his Work."
“Slade Minor Degree” (1754)
Quest. When did Free Masonry begin?
Answ. About one hundred and fifty-four years after Noah’s Flood, at the Building of Babel’s Tower.
Q. Who was the Grand Master there?
A. Nimrod, called by Masons Belus.*
* Nimrod, which signifies a Rebel in the Jewish and Chaldean Languages, was the name given him by the Holy Family, and by Moses; but among his friends in Chaldea he was called Belus, which signifies Lord; and afterwards was worshipped as a God by many Nations, under the Name Bel, Baal, and became the Bacchus of the Antients, or Bar-Chus, the son of Chus.
“The Constitutions of the Free-Masons” (1723)
"NOAH, and his three Sons, JAPHET, SHEM, and HAM, all Masons true, brought with them over the Flood the Traditions and the Arts of the Ante-deluvians, and amply communicated them to their growing Offsprings ; for about 101 Yeas after the Flood, we find a vast Numbers of 'em, if not the whole Race of Noah, in the Vale of Shinar, employ'd in building a City and large Tower, in order to make to themselves a Name, and to prevent their Dispersion. And tho' they carry'd on the Work to a monstrous Height, and by their Vanity provok'd God to confuse their Devices, by confounding their Speech, which occasion'd their Dispersion ; yet their Skill in Masonry is not the less to be celebrated, having spent above 53 Years in that prodigious Work, and upon their Dispersision carry'd the mighty Knowledge with them into distant Parts, where they found the good use of it in the Settlement of their Kingdoms, Commonwealth, and Dynasties. And tho' afterwards it was lost in most Parts of the Earth, it was especially preserv'd in Shinar and Assyria, where NIMROD,* the Founder of that Monarchy, after the Dispersion, built many splendid Cities, as Ereck, Accad, and Calnehm in SHINAR; from whence afterwards he went forth into ASSYRIA, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calej, and Rhsin."
Here is an article i wrote further discribing Nimrod and the Tower of Babel:
https://truthprevails.life/topics/f/nimrod-the-first-grand-master-of-free-masonry#af04c0a1-9c42-4c63-a2f6-98a8744c60e4
There is no single answer, because there are so many different forms of FM, and also because every Brother is seeking different things in FM. But what we all have in common is a set of symbols revolving around stone masonry (including a specific attire), a ritual revolving around the legend of Hiram, and a belief that living a moral life is important. If you have that, it’s FM. The rest is « jurisdictional » as you say in the US.
Undoubtedly you are correct, each Brother seeks something different within our Ancient Craft, and as a result will tend to define it differently. That's what makes a common definition so difficult I think.
But, if we can get a new Mason into a Lodge that shares his vision of Freemasonry, we will have a profound impact upon him, and those around him.
That is something my Jurisdiction has failed at in the past, but is working to improve. Making sure that a candidate's interests match the interests of the Lodge he petitions.
A system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols. And so it is. Our symbols are explained and illustrated. Our core understanding of these symbols are learned via a Master / Apprenticeship system. The 3rd Degree is an allegory. If one keeps their head out of the clouds it is fairly easy to understand. The point is continuously made that if a man adheres to our moral teachings he will end up a better man. But certainly not more than a man.
I have to admit I find the "more than a man a Manson" line absolutely abhorrent and reeking of hubris.
In his post that inspired this discussion, Bro. Allatt broke that definitional phrase down to show the meaning he finds within it:
https://brotherallatt.substack.com/p/a-peculiar-system-of-morality
A fraternity built to provide individuals with the tools to improve oneself while surrounding them with individuals looking to do to the same while in an environment conducive to spiritual growth.
The closest I've come to answering this question for myself is an answer our Bro. Pike gave, that Freemasonry is the great peace society of the world.
I base this on the goal of Freemasonry, which is to unite all good men of the world into a common band or brotherhood. Removing all artificial divisions and conflicts. Religion, race, nationality, ideology, Freemasonry seeks to dissolve them all.
Our Craft hasn't of course always lived up to its ideals, but that is because as a human institution it is flawed, yet the ideals remain.
Complicating all of this of course is the fact that Freemasonry's scope is so vast. It is different things to different Masons. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that, properly looked at and utilized, this vast diversity of endeavors is a feature and not a flaw. But it does make the Craft awfully difficult to define.
Great question, indeed.
Is it still Freemasonry when you run a candidate through a series of degrees without any explanation and then have him attend meetings that, other than some opening and closing ritual, otherwise take on the characteristics of any other business meeting?
I think Freemasonry is a verb, not a noun. And as such, cannot be put into practice solely by going through the degrees or even reading books. Not only should we study it but we should actively discuss it and practice it. Where? At lodge. A lodge that doesn’t foster this is doing everyone a disservice. And because this word can take on so many interpretations, it’s why I split it into two:
1. freemasonry with a little ‘f’ is how we run the lodge. The group needs to be run well in order to create an excellent experience.
2. Freemasonry with a capital ‘F’ is the vast content. Symbols, meaning, all the books written on the topic.
You need both the delivery system and the content. And we need brothers who can participate in both of these areas to truly practice WHAT it is.
Thank you for explaining the way you make the split. That's an excellent way to look at it!