Brother Pike was an avid occultist but his idea for Masonry was to make it available to everybody. So he watered down some of the teachings and worked only on the simbolic part of the Order and emphasizing more on the fraternal and charitable aspect.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being fraternal or being charitable. But that is something that comes naturally when walking the path of the Initiates or the Adepts. When I say initiates I don't mean the process for becoming a member of an organization, I'm talking about the person who walks the "Middle Path".
Example: Manly P Hall.
Brother Pike left us a great work and within his work are clues about the deepest occult knowledge of the Order but to reach it we have to stop looking at the symbol and look at the operative part, the Craft.
I agree, there is a difference between Masons who are just members of a Lodge, and Masons who have become true Initiates. Plenty of men have reached the very pinnacles of Freemasonry, without ever understanding Freemasonry.
But, such is the human condition, and I presume exactly the same in all organizational endeavors.
I strongly agree. We do well to study the words and works of Brother Pike. But many find that study to be daunting. I hope that with The Daily Pike, we can make it palatable by taking him in single small pieces.
I think it interesting the trinity of Lights on traditional tracing boards -- the Sun, the Moon, and the Glory (or All-Seeing Eye or Blazing Star), the last of which represents Deity.
This reminds me of the Sumerian Trinity of Sun, Moon, and Venus ...
The Trinity is our Craft's most profound, most ancient, and repeated symbol. I think that if we are going to encourage new Masons to study our symbolism, the study of the Trinity is a superb place for them to begin.
Yes, but at a deeper level than theological Trinitarianism.
In the West, it seems to correlate best with Kabballah (World of emanation, etc.) ... G-dhead refers to the unseen, the ineffable, the "Son" is Logos ("Word") referring the physical existence, and "Spirit" (Pneuma, "breath") is the intermediate state between the physical and non-physical aspects of both cosmos and being.
I wrote about this years ago from a more Eastern perspective ... having trouble finding it online, but it correlates Shen, Chi, and Jeng as equivalents to better understand Pneumatology.
That is true. The first step is to teach it at a theological level, then we can dive into the deeper layers of it.
Many people think religion is wrong, but do not understand that religion is the first step into the mysteries.
At the moment, Kabbalah is the most closest texts we have to study this. The Bible as the main VSL is important because of this. Older texts are lost in time and some of the surviving copies are scarce and may not be 100% trustful requiring a deep tough process to understand.
Isaiah 19:25 says:
whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, amd Assyria the work of my hands, amd Israel mine inheritance."
Brother, I very much look forward to things slowing down after the move so I can attend Lodge with you again soon. I have had a few curiosities related to this line of thought that I would very much enjoy your take on. I appreciate the light that you and Brother Pike have shed on this matter, and look forward to catching up as time permits.
I look forward to seeing you when your move is done, and my own schedule slows down a touch too! Alas, it is my busy time at work right now, so attending Lodge has become temporally difficult for me.
Brother Pike was an avid occultist but his idea for Masonry was to make it available to everybody. So he watered down some of the teachings and worked only on the simbolic part of the Order and emphasizing more on the fraternal and charitable aspect.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being fraternal or being charitable. But that is something that comes naturally when walking the path of the Initiates or the Adepts. When I say initiates I don't mean the process for becoming a member of an organization, I'm talking about the person who walks the "Middle Path".
Example: Manly P Hall.
Brother Pike left us a great work and within his work are clues about the deepest occult knowledge of the Order but to reach it we have to stop looking at the symbol and look at the operative part, the Craft.
I agree, there is a difference between Masons who are just members of a Lodge, and Masons who have become true Initiates. Plenty of men have reached the very pinnacles of Freemasonry, without ever understanding Freemasonry.
But, such is the human condition, and I presume exactly the same in all organizational endeavors.
An invaluable truth Brother. Brother Pike was wise beyond his years. He shared knowledge that remains timeless. All would Masons benefit from him.
I strongly agree. We do well to study the words and works of Brother Pike. But many find that study to be daunting. I hope that with The Daily Pike, we can make it palatable by taking him in single small pieces.
I think it interesting the trinity of Lights on traditional tracing boards -- the Sun, the Moon, and the Glory (or All-Seeing Eye or Blazing Star), the last of which represents Deity.
This reminds me of the Sumerian Trinity of Sun, Moon, and Venus ...
The Trinity is our Craft's most profound, most ancient, and repeated symbol. I think that if we are going to encourage new Masons to study our symbolism, the study of the Trinity is a superb place for them to begin.
Yes, but at a deeper level than theological Trinitarianism.
In the West, it seems to correlate best with Kabballah (World of emanation, etc.) ... G-dhead refers to the unseen, the ineffable, the "Son" is Logos ("Word") referring the physical existence, and "Spirit" (Pneuma, "breath") is the intermediate state between the physical and non-physical aspects of both cosmos and being.
I wrote about this years ago from a more Eastern perspective ... having trouble finding it online, but it correlates Shen, Chi, and Jeng as equivalents to better understand Pneumatology.
Agreed. My comments re: the Trinity were not specifically directed towards the Christian Trinity.
That is true. The first step is to teach it at a theological level, then we can dive into the deeper layers of it.
Many people think religion is wrong, but do not understand that religion is the first step into the mysteries.
At the moment, Kabbalah is the most closest texts we have to study this. The Bible as the main VSL is important because of this. Older texts are lost in time and some of the surviving copies are scarce and may not be 100% trustful requiring a deep tough process to understand.
Isaiah 19:25 says:
whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, amd Assyria the work of my hands, amd Israel mine inheritance."
The path has been traced already.
Thank you for this Brother! I appreciate it.
Brother, I very much look forward to things slowing down after the move so I can attend Lodge with you again soon. I have had a few curiosities related to this line of thought that I would very much enjoy your take on. I appreciate the light that you and Brother Pike have shed on this matter, and look forward to catching up as time permits.
I look forward to seeing you when your move is done, and my own schedule slows down a touch too! Alas, it is my busy time at work right now, so attending Lodge has become temporally difficult for me.