Split Masons

I imagine more now than past times has been so many Masons on if there is any secret within the craft or not. I see so many Masons and news articles stating nothing more than actions or philantrophy and some rituals with funny garb. However in the core of these rituals I see great possibility of opening up concepts larger than would some may learn by the study of the TAlmud over many years. I feel this tends to be lost if not just blind to layman who join for reasons of other. I can't say MAsonry is the only outlet possible for this behaviour and gains for understand but the most orgainized I would imagine.

I am curious how many Masons and non Masons feel about this. Do you think there is a great core to the rituals that amore so inner sect or select few only truly understand?

Furthermore do you think these deep concepts should be approached? I have read that in Kabbalah a student doesn't recieve a teacher until he or she is ready. However another old Jewish saying goes like this; On the holy day when 4 of the holiest Rabbis entered the Tabernacle to call on God's secret name the results varied; One went mad, One died, One became a heretic and the last came in peace and left in peace. Some of you who have taken a closer study and/or actions should understand what I am getting at.

What do you think?

Well from a Christian theological viewpoint the old testament of the bible insofar as the actual rabbinical/priestly rituals go, none of that is of importance save for studying for historical knowledge, because if you are Christian you believe that when Jesus died on the cross there was an earthquake that tore the veil in the Holy of Holies in the temple, which signified that we don't need a priest to intercede with us to be in conversation or prayer with God, that through Jesus death no other sacrifices or rituals were needed, and through his death all of mankind that choses to believe has direct access to God.

I don't know how well this answers your question, I can only speak from my own perspective and worldview, Cug or Masonic Light would probably be great ones to answer any of the more arcane/esoteric questions that you have about Freemasonry.

Originally posted by diedagaincraftsmen


I am curious how many Masons and non Masons feel about this. Do you think there is a great core to the rituals that amore so inner sect or select few only truly understand?

Yes, I do.

Furthermore do you think these deep concepts should be approached?

My answer is absolutely yes.

I have read that in Kabbalah a student doesn't recieve a teacher until he or she is ready.

I agree with this also. In Masonry, at least theoretical, a man must be pure in thought and deed before he can be initiated. Traditionally, all applicants for membership were scrutinzed in depth to make sure that, as our ritual states, his "intentions are honorable and his motives are pure".

Naturally, the ideal doesn't always measure up to reality, and over the years most Masons have lost interest in the esoteric meanings of the fraternity anyway.

But, things are possibly changing. More and more young men are now joining the fraternity, and for the right reasons. Freemasonry is possibly on the brink of a great renaissance. The majority of our newer members that I've spoken to about it are interested in the esoteric lore of Masonry; they are disgusted by the rampant materialism of profane society, and its produce-and-consume lifestyle. They furthermore feel alienated from traditional religion. These were the conditions of the early Masons, and they changed the world. Perhaps one day, we can change the world again.

I was actually having a great discussion last night at Lodge about that exact subject. He was a French Mason, much more seasoned than myself, who is also very involved in American Masonry.

He was saying, and I wholeheartedly agree, that Masonry needs to get back to it's "core."

Nowhere in life do you see such a totality of ideological pursuits, ranging from Fraternity to Spirituality to Morality to Truth (Truth in the Pursuit of Knowledge, not simply truth for truth's sake,) etc. Masonry at it's core brings together like minded individuals who are interested in the esoteric subjects and the greater truths and mysteries of life.

Unfortunately, many Brethren lose site of what Masonry is really about. The search for these core truths as you state is and should be the pursuit of all proper Masons. Anyone can get together for a nice meal or go out for a beer with their friends, it is the other aspects of Masonry that lure people such as myself to spend so much free time studying it and other related subjects.

The Brother I was speaking to this past evening took that one step further which you might find interesting. In that Masonry serves to strip away the BS from the world's universal religions (by that I mean in a general sense Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism). Not in a bad way if you follow me though, the purpose of this is to get at the core of the spirituality of these religions. In my personal beliefs, once you strip away all the BS of dogma, religious decrees (fatwas etc.) you begin to see that their really isn't much at all separating all these religions.

Stemming from that is why religion and politics are the two topics that are off-limits in lodge. Sure we all discuss it in a philosophical sense, but these two subjects are the root of ever conflict in history from the inter-personal to the global. Stripping the BS away from ones various religious beliefs and REALLY taking a close hard look at the love and tolerance that form the core structure of all major religions is a noble pursuit worthy of everyone, not just Masons.

(Generally speaking, we just tend to look a bit harder than some.)

Within the teachings of all spiritual movements there is always more than one meaning for the lessons contained.

Lets look at the one of the Eleusian Mysteries. Persephone, while picking flowers in a meadow, was said to be taken to the underworld every winter by Pluto and forced to be his queen. Ceres struck a deal with Pluto that he could keep her half the year only if see was allowed to return to the upper world for the other half.

That is the basic myth, although watered down. Withen this story there are at least three levels of interpretation.

First is the obvious outer shell that most people accept. They believe in an acutual personality of the charachters; these would be the people who worship statues of Pluto and Persephone, bring sacrafices to them in hopes the gods will be kind to them.

Second is the intiated concept of the myth representing physical phenomenon. It is related as an allegory. The people at this level of insight see Pluto and Persephone not as actual people but metaphores for the seasonal processes.

Third is the enlightened initiate. This group sees the myth not as actual people, not as seasonal processes, but as tangible metaphor for the human soul. Here Pluto represents the bodily intellegence of Man. His rape of Persephone is symbolic of the divine nature being assulted and defiled by the animal soul as that divine spark is dragged into the world of the gross material realm. It also related that one day the soul shall "rise again" to the heavenly realms, thus ensuring man's immortality.

All this is just from looking at one myth in one mystery school. I would say that if you get to looking at the stories of any given culture, you will find the same multiplicity of meanings.