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Originally posted by Stewart Lewis
Anyone care to discuss the frequency in which modern day masons use symbolism in architechture? Is this mode of communication still used between members?
Evolution of the cornerstone ceremony
The Masonic cornerstone ceremony, like most complex customs, has evolved over years of use. It is easy for the romantic to imagine King Solomon using our current rituals to lay the cornerstone of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, but such was not the case. The Masonic cornerstone ceremony first appeared in the middle 1700s and in less than a century had finished evolving, except for minor grammatical changes. The procedure, at least as used in America, can be traced fairly well through its entire evolution, though Grand Lodges differ on the exact details of their cornerstone ceremonies.
THE FIRST RECORDED MASONIC CEREMONY. “The earliest record of a formal and official Masonic ceremony is that of the laying of the Foundation Stone of the New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh by the Earl of Cromarty, Grand Master of Scottish Masons, on August 2, 1738.” The description of the event was written sixty-six years later in 1804 by Alexander Lawrie in his History of free Masonry. Lawrie describes a simple, almost primitive ceremony.
“When the company came to the ground, the Grand Master, and his brethren of the free and accepted Masons, surrounded the plan of the foundation hand in hand: and the Grand Master-Mason. along with the press [representatives] of the Managers of the Royal Infirmary, having come to the east corner of the foundation where the stone was to be laid, placed the same in its bed; and after the Right Honorable the Lord Provost had laid a medal under it each in their turns gave three strokes upon the stone with an iron mallet, which was succeeded by three clarions of the trumpet, three huzzas, and three claps of the hands.”
Masonic Calendar
ANNO BENEFACIO: (A.B.) Latin for "In the Year of the Blessing." Used by the Order of High Priesthood for dating their documents. (1930 added to the current date.)
ANNO DEPOSITIONIS: (A.Dep.) Latin for "In the Year of the Deposit. "The Cryptic Masonic date designation. (Add 1000 to the current date.)
ANNO DOMINI: (A.D.) Latin for "Year of our Lord."
ANNO INVENTIONIS: (A.I.) Latin meaning "In the Year of Discovery." The Royal Arch date designation. (Add 530 to the current date.)
ANNO LUCIS: (A.L.) Latin meaning "In the Year of Light, "the date used by Ancient Craft Masonry. (Add 4000 to the current date.)
ANNO MUNDI: (A.M.) Latin meaning "In the Year of the World." The date used by the Scottish Rite. (Add 3760 to the current year until September; if after September, add 3761)
ANNO ORDINIS: (A.0.) Latin, thin meaning "In the Year of the Order." The date used by the Knights Templar. (Subtract 1118 from the current date)
Originally posted by benevolent tyrant
[snippity snip snip]....Some people were raised to think that Catholics aren't even Christian! (Just as some might have been raised to think that Masonry is anti-Christian).
Originally posted by Stewart Lewis
Anyone care to discuss the frequency in which modern day masons use symbolism in architechture?
Is this mode of communication still used between members?
Originally posted by gottago
I'd just like to ask those members if you could explain briefly why you became a mason and do you consider freemasonry a secret society? If so, what purpose does the secrecy serve?
And if anyone has in-depth knowledge of the Mormon religion, do you consider it based on masonry?
Originally posted by gottago
I'd just like to ask those members if you could explain briefly why you became a mason and do you consider freemasonry a secret society? If so, what purpose does the secrecy serve?
I am curious.
Have any of you read The Book of Hiram?
And if so, what did you think?
Originally posted by Masonic Light
We do not consider Freemasonry a secret society. We consider it a fraternity which, like all fraternities, has its own peculiar and traditional secrets. These "secrets" have no meaning for non-Masons, but are important for those in the fraternity as it links them with the past and with tradition.
The actual Mormon religion is not based on Masonry. However, their Temple rituals certainly ARE based on Masonic ceremonies. It was an obvious plagiarism.
Originally posted by Stewart Lewis
Wu, please tell me of anything you find that would be valuable to such a project as we read through "Book of Hiram".