New Page 1
[The author W.Bro.Kirk Mac
Nulty is a Masonic Scholar and had delivered this lecture at Cornerstone Society
Summer Conference, held on 7 th June 2003, at the Grand Temple, in Freemasons
Hall, London. The lecture was delivered once again at the Conference “And There
was Light” held on 8 th November 2003 at Tapton Hall, Sheffield. The
learned author has highlighted that
speculative Masonry dates from the end of the Renaissance and that Freemasonry
is actually a codification of the Philosophical thoughts that were at the core
of the Renaissance, which was more than just an explosion of art and a revival
of interest in the Classical world and its thought and to mark the
emergence of hermeticism and the Kabbalah. He has urged us to regard earthly
experiences as reflections of celestial events – "as above, so below", to turn
within and seek to experience the presence of an indwelling Deity and has
demonstrated that the symbolism of the tracing boards, reflects those
principles. This lecture has been oft quoted by several learned Masonic scholars
all over the world. Please read on …]
A Philosophical Background
For Masonic Symbolism
by
W.Bro. Kirk MacNulty
Introduction
Perhaps the title of this paper may seem a little strange. Each of us, as we
contemplate the symbols of Freemasonry and seek to apply them in our lives,
comes to understand them in a context, which certainly has some philosophical
dimension. In this way, each Mason develops his own understanding of the Craft’s
symbolism and his own Masonic philosophy. Such a personal interpretation seems
to me to be appropriate, desirable and even necessary, if one is to receive the
greatest benefit from membership in the Order. It also seems to me, that an
understanding of the underlying intentions of those Brethren, who devised our
ritual might be of real benefit to each Mason, as he internalizes the Craft’s
symbols. Sadly, there is no authoritative information to provide such an
understanding, but it is certainly possible for us to know, what the
intellectual
community was thinking at the time Freemasonry came into being. That seems to be
a likely frame of reference for starting to understand the intentions of our
founders.
“Speculative Masonry”, in the sense that we understand the term today, seems to
appear first in the early-to-mid-seventeenth century. This is the period that
marks the end of the Renaissance in England and Northern Europe, and it is to
the Renaissance that we will turn for our frame of reference. We will start by
stating (very briefly) the fundamental philosophical principles that comprised
the essence of Renaissance thought. Then we will look at Freemasonry and suggest
that: (1) those principles are reflected in the symbolic structure of the Order
and (2) our Masonic symbolic structure may well have been developed to
communicate those principles. I must say that in the time available we will be
unable to consider all the symbols of Freemasonry, but we will seek to
cover those which provide the framework of the symbolism. I must preface my
remarks by stating specifically and unequivocally that the ideas presented are
my own. They do not represent the attitudes or teachings of The United Grand
Lodge of England or of any Private Lodge. If I fail to identify an idea as my
opinion, it is simply to prevent clumsy repetition of "It seems to me......".
The
Renaissance is usually thought of as an explosion of art. It was certainly that;
but it was very much more. Its philosophy was based on Judeo-Christian
monotheism; but it was also characterized by a revival of interest in the
Classical world and its thought (in particular the Greek and Roman
civilizations) and by a strong neo-Platonic influence. Medieval scholars had
been interested in classical philosophy from the point of view of reconciling it
to Christian doctrine. Renaissance scholars were interested in classical
philosophy for what it said about man, himself. These Renaissance philosophers
incorporated a good many Greek (particularly neo-Platonic) and Jewish mystical
ideas into their orthodox Christian thought. The first of these influences came
principally from a body of writing called the Hermetica which originated
in Alexandria sometime near the start of the Christian era. The Hermetica
seems to be a form of early Egyptian philosophy with a heavy overlay of
Hellenized Judaism and Christian thought and it has been shown to have had
substantial influence on the formation of early Christian doctrines.(Hermetica
-
trans. Scott, W.Boston, Shambhala, 1993) pp. 14-5) The second of these
influences came from Kabbalah, the mystical tradition of Judaism, which was
dispersed throughout the Mediterranean basin by the expulsion of the Jews from
Spain in 1492. (Yates, Frances A.,The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan
Age -London, RKP, 1979- Introduction p1) Dame Francis A. Yates has called
this fusion of Classical and Jewish philosophy the "Hermetic/ Kabbalistic
Tradition" After these two influences had been interpreted in the context of
orthodox Christian doctrine, the Hermetic/Kabbalistic Tradition was fundamental
to the philosophy of the early Renaissance. While it was subsequently repudiated
by Counter-Reformation writers, it remained the essential core of Renaissance
thought. Thus, I think the metaphysics of the Renaissance represents as close to
a "general" statement of Western Metaphysics as we are likely to find. As we
have said, Speculative Masonry dates from the end of the Renaissance, and it
seems to me that Freemasonry is actually a codification of this thought that was
at the core of the Renaissance.
Four fundamental ideas seem to characterize this Renaissance philosophical view:
First, was Neo-Platonism. The Deity was considered to be without limit. Rather
than thinking of the Deity as a creator - which must necessarily be separate
from its creation and is, in that respect, limited - the Neo-Platonist
understands the Deity to have projected Itself into existence as
the entire universe. This results in a view of all existence as a single,
tightly integrated unity centered on the Deity. A particularly straightforward
statement of this view comes from the Hermetica "...for God contains all
things, and there is nothing that is not in God, and nothing which God is not.
Nay, I would rather say, not that God contains all things, but that, to
speak the full truth, God is all things." (Hermetica ,
trans. Scott, W., (Boston, Shambhala, 1993), LIBELLVS IX, p. 185) This Hermetic
statement of Neo-Platonism is not surprising, since The Hermetica comes from
Alexandria at the time when that philosophy was emerging. Second, earthly
experiences were considered to reflect events in the heavenly realms; the
succinct statement of this idea is, "As above; so below." This epigram is a
consequence of the integrated view of the world described above. In a universe
regarded as a single, consistent, and Divine Entity, there must be a
correspondence between that which occurs in the higher psychological/spiritual
levels and that which occurs at the lower (earthly) ones. (Hermetica, the
Emerald Tablet) This idea also includes the principle of the “Macrocosm and
the Microcosm”, the concept that the Universe, the Macrocosm, and Man, the
Microcosm, are both created, formed and made “in the image of God”; and that the
same set of laws operate in the experience of both. Third, the universe consists
of four levels; Elemental, Celestial, Super-Celestial and Divine; and on each of
these levels there are opposite or contrasting agencies, which are held in
balance. Fourth, knowledge of the "higher", or more subtle, aspects of the
Universe was thought to be available only by personal experience (i.e. by one's
own revelation); certainly not by logical argument, nor, ultimately, by faith in
the authority of another's revelation. (Hermetica, the Emerald Tablet)
This idea of “interior work”, of turning within and seeking to
experience the presence of an indwelling Deity, is as old as human civilization.
It recurs periodically throughout the world’s history in various cultural idioms
and has been referred to as “the perennial philosophy”.( Huxley, Aldous; The
Perennial Philosophy -Chatto & Windus, London, 1946) I will suggest that
the Masonic symbolism, as represented on the Tracing Boards, reflects these
principles and the Hermetic / Kabbalistic idiom from which they are derived. It
is in that sense that I suggest Freemasonry to be a codification of the
philosophical essence of the Renaissance.
The First Degree Tracing Board.
Viewed in the context we are considering, the First Degree is an introduction to
the metaphysical principles associated with the interior work. Consider the
First Degree Tracing Board. This drawing, which seems at first glance to be a
heterogeneous collection of Masonic objects, is actually a coherent picture. It
is, indeed, a representation of God, the Universe, and Everything. It is also a
picture of a human being standing in a landscape. Neither of these images is
immediately obvious; but I hope I can argue convincingly that they are, at
least, reasonable interpretations of the data.
Ornaments
The
central ideas fundamental to Renaissance thought were Neo-Platonism, the unity
of all being and the consequent omnipresence of the Deity. For me, these ideas
are represented on the First Degree Board by a group of three symbols that are
called, collectively, the "Ornaments of the Lodge". The fact that the Masons who
formulated our symbolism gathered these three objects into a single group seems
to require that we consider them together and in relationship to each other. The
Ornaments of the Lodge are the "Blazing Star or Glory, the Chequered Pavement,
and the Indented, Tessellated Border" ( Colin Dyer, Symbolism in Craft
Freemasonry -Lewis, Shepperton, 1983;p.113) and I will suggest that they are
all intended to refer to the Deity. The Blazing Star or Glory is found in the
center of the picture. We can be sure that it is not a representation of what
today’s astronomers would call a "stellar object." Stellar objects (stars) are
to be found with the Moon in the upper left of the picture. In fact, the Blazing
Star or Glory is a straightforward heraldic representation of the Deity. You
will see the Deity represented there in the same manner in the obverse of the
Great Seal of the United States . The Blazing Star or Glory, shown on the First
Degree Board in the Heavens, represents the Deity as It is, in all Its
Glory, as It projects Itself into existence. The Chequered Pavement represents
the Deity as It is perceived to be at the opposite pole of consciousness,
here on Earth in ordinary life. The light and dark squares represent paired
opposites, a mixture of mercy and justice, reward and punishment, passion and
analysis, vengeance and loving kindness. The squares also represent the human
experience of life, light and dark, good and evil, ease and difficulty. But that
is only how it is perceived . The squares are not the symbol; the
Pavement is the symbol. The light and dark squares fit together with
exact nicety to form the Pavement, a single thing, a unity. The whole is
surrounded by the Tessellated Border which binds the drawing into a single
symbol. In this representation on the Tracing Board, the Border binds not simply
the squares of the Pavement, but the entire picture, into a unity. The Tassels
can be thought of as representing the Divine agency that operates throughout the
whole.
Columns
Except in the case of the Glory, which stands alone, the symbols of duality
occur throughout the Board: from the black and white squares at the bottom to
the Sun and Moon, an ancient symbol for the paired opposites of masculine and
feminine, at the top. In the central area of the Board duality is represented by
two of the three columns; but here, as we rise from the fixed duality of the
elemental existence in the physical world, the third column introduces a new
idea. The striking thing about these columns is that each is of a different
Order of Architecture. In Masonic symbolism they are assigned names: Wisdom to
the Ionic Column in the middle, Strength to the Doric Column on the left, and
Beauty to the Corinthian Column on the right. ( Dyer, C.; op. cit .;
p.72) How shall we interpret these Columns and their names? As we have seen,
one of the principal components of Renaissance thought was Kabbalah, and in
particular, it was the Sephardi Kabbalah which spread throughout the
Mediterranean area with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. During the
Renaissance several very significant books were written on the subject of
Kabbalah.(Reuchlin, op cit. and Agrippa, H. C. De Occulta Philosophia,
(Antwerp, 1531) ed Donald Tyson--reprint Llewellyn, St. Paul, 1993) One of
the principal diagrams used by Kabbalists to communicate their ideas is the
"Tree of Life" (For an accessible introduction to Kabbalah see Halevi, Zev ben
Shimon, Adam and the Kabbalistic Tree -Bristol,Gateway, 1974) The column
on the right is called the "Column of Mercy" and is the active column. That on
the left is called the "Column of Severity" and is the constraining column. The
central column is called the "Column of Consciousness"; it is the column of
equilibrium with the role of keeping the other two in balance. When the Tree is
used to represent a model of the Universe, groups of ideas such as revelation,
expansive growth, and passion are associated with the right (active) column.
Groups of ideas such as principled understanding, disciplined restraint, and
classification / analysis are associated with the left (constraining) column.
Ideas and agencies relating to consciousness that keeps the active and
constraining forces in balance are found on the central column. The three
columns all terminate in (depend upon) Divinity at the top of the central
column. Look again at the columns on the First Degree Tracing Board .The
Corinthian Pillar of Beauty is on the right, and in our lectures it is
associated with vigour, expansion and growth.( Lectures of the Three Degrees in
Craft Masonry--Ian Allan Regalia, 1997 ;p.128) The Doric Pillar of Strength is
on the left, and its elegant simplicity suggests such things as discipline,
restraint, and stability. The Ionic Pillar of Wisdom is in the middle. The Ionic
Order is an intermediate between the other two - not so simple as the Doric,
less ornate than the Corinthian. The Three Pillars, like the Tree of Life, speak
of a universe in which expansive and constraining forces are held in balance by
a coordinating agency.
Four Worlds
The
Universe as it was perceived by the Renaissance philosophers consisted of "four
worlds. "This word is chosen carefully. They conceived of the Universe as
a highly integrated unity; they perceived it -as incarnate humans do- as
having this hierarchical structure” The Hermetica describes such a division with
each of the four worlds associated with one of the "elements."( Hermetica
, trans. W. Scott (Boston, Shambhala, 1985) Stobaeus, Excerpt XXIV, p 495)
Kabbalah has the same division as the figure on the right indicates.( Halevi, op
cit. p.28-- Renaissance literature is not uniform in this respect. Such a
hierarchy is generally present, but some authors describe "three worlds" and
seem to lump Divinity and spirit together). They are the "elemental" or
physical world of the body, the "celestial" world of the psyche or soul, the "supercelestial"
world of spirit, and the Divine world. We can see that these same levels are
represented on the First Degree Board. The four levels are more obvious if we
remember that the symbol is taken from a time when the universe was considered
to be geocentric with earth at the center and heaven beyond the stars. The
Pavement represents the "elemental", physical world, the central part of the
Board including the columns and most of the symbols, represents the "celestial"
world of the psyche or soul, the Heavens represent the "supercelestial" world of
the spirit, and the Glory, as we have seen, represents the Divinity. Thus far we
have considered how this picture can be understood as a representation of the
structure of the universe as it was conceived by the intellectual community in
the Renaissance. That is the "landscape." Where is the man?
The Man
Remember that one of the ideas fundamental to Renaissance thought was the
concept of a Macrocosm (seen as the universe as a whole) and a corresponding
Microcosm (seen as the human individual). The idea is that the universe and
human beings are structured using the same principles, both having been made "in
the image of God"; and that in the course of events there is always a
correspondence between activity in the greater and lesser worlds. This is a
necessary consequence of the Neo-Platonic principle of "Oneness." We have
seen that in the Hermetica, "As above, so below," sums up this idea; and it was
stated in detail in England in the early 17th century by Robert Fludd in his
History of the Two Worlds ( Fludd, R., Utriusque Cosmi, Historia
--Oppenheim, De Bry, 1617-9)
.
Thus far we have avoided speaking of one of the principal features of the Board,
the Ladder. On the First Degree Board it extends from the Scripture open on the
Pedestal to the Glory that represents the Deity; and in the Masonic symbolism,
it is said to be Jacob's Ladder. We will consider the ladder together with
another symbol, the Point-within-a-Circle-Bounded-by-Two- Parallel-Lines, which
can be seen on the face of the Pedestal that supports the Scripture. Why should
we consider these two symbols together? Look at the Frontispiece from Masonic
Miscellanies. As in many early Masonic drawings the Ladder and the Circle
bounded by Parallel Lines appear together as if they have some connection.
Consider the Two Parallel Lines first. They, like the Doric and Corinthian
columns, represent paired opposites, active and passive qualities. Why are they
opposites? Because in Masonic symbolism they are said to represent Moses, the
Prophet and Solomon, the Lawgiver. In earlier Workings, before the symbolic
structure was de-Christianized, the lines are associated with the Saints John. (
Dyer, C.; op.cit .;pp.98-9) Since the Baptist's Day is Midsummer, and
the Evangelist's Day is Midwinter, we see substantially the same idea. The
ladder with its "three principal rounds", Faith, Hope, and Charity, rises
between the two parallels to the “Blazing Star or Glory”. Now, when we look at
this Point-within-a-Circle-Bounded-by-Two-Parallel-Lines together with the
Ladder and its three levels, we see a pattern very similar to the three columns.
There are three verticals, two of which relate to active and constraining
functions while the third, the Ladder, reaches to the heavens and provides the
means by which we hope to ascend thereto.( ibid;pp.94-5) The ladder,
which I think of as a representation of individual consciousness, has "three
principal rounds" or levels, represented by Faith, Hope and Charity, which
correspond to the three lower levels of the four-level Universe, we observed
earlier. Both the Macrocosmic "Landscape" and the Microcosmic "Man" share the
same source, the fourth level of Divinity, represented by the Blazing Star, or
Glory, from which they both emerge. Taken together the Ladder and the
Point-within-a-Circle-Bounded-by-Two-Parallel-Lines represent the human
individual, made "in the image of God," according to the same principles on
which the Universe is based.
East West Direction
There is one more idea upon which we should touch before we leave the First
Degree Board. A Mason is sometimes called "a travelling man," and one of the
Masonic catechisms gives us a little insight into this seldom used epithet. "Q.
- Did you ever Travel? A. - My forefathers did. Q.-Where did they travel? A.-
Due East and West. Q.- What was the object of their travels? A.-They traveled
East in search of instruction, and West to propagate the knowledge they had
gained." ( Lectures of the Three Degrees in Craft Masonry;--Ian Allan Regalia,
1997-p.107) Notice the cardinal points of the compass on the Border of the First
Degree Tracing Board .They define the East West direction as it is to be
understood in terms of Masonic Symbolism, and in doing so they make some comment
about the nature of the journey, which the new Mason apprentices himself to
undertake. That journey from West to East is represented, symbolically, by the
progress through the Masonic Degrees; and it is, in fact, the ascent up Jacob's
Ladder, one of the "Principal Rounds" for each Degree. Indeed, from the point of
view from which we are speaking, the “East - West Dimension” as shown on the
Tracing Boards is the dimension of consciousness- ordinary consciousness of the
physical world at the West and consciousness of the Divine Presence at the East.
As we have seen, the notion of a "mystical ascent" was part and parcel of the
Hermetic / Kabbalistic Tradition. It is a devotional exercise, conducted in the
context of the religious belief of each individual, during which the individual
rises through the worlds of the soul and the spirit and at last finds himself
experiencing the presence of the Deity. Reuchlin describes such an ascent in
De Arte Kabbalistica (Reuchlin, J. op. cit. Book Three p.277-219),
where the result is achieved by means of contemplation of the Divine Name
and Seventy Two verses selected from the Psalms; another can be found in the
Hermetica, which is an example of a seven level ascent in an astrological
idiom.( Hermetica , trans.,. Scott, W.--Boston, Shambhala, 1993, LIBELLVS
I, p.129) Some of these ascents are deeply Christian in their character. In
De Occulta Philosophia, Agrippa "rises through the three worlds, the
elemental world, the celestial world, the super celestial world , where he is
in contact with angels, where the Trinity is proved, ...the Hebrew names of God
are listed, though the Name of Jesus is now the most powerful of all Names.(
Yates, Frances A., The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age ,
(London, RKP, 1979) p.63) As he starts on the interior journey the Mason is
inexperienced; and he must depend upon his interior guidance, that is, he must practise
the first of the Cardinal Virtues, Faith. Let us look now at how these ideas are
represented in the Second Degree. We will find that the Second Degree Tracing
Board is a detailed drawing of a part of the First. Of what part? Of the man
who was standing in the landscape.
The Second Degree Tracing Board
As
the First Degree was a presentation of the metaphysical principles associated
with the interior work, so the Second Degree focuses on the work to be done by
the individual in the course of Masonic Labour. Consider the Second Degree
Tracing Board. The first thing that stands out about the Second Degree Board is
that it is an illustration of an interior. This is in marked contrast to the
previous Board that seems to be an exterior. Moreover, the drawing is designed
in such a way as to suggest that the Mason who embarks on the Second Degree
comes from the outdoors and enters the building for that purpose. But entering
this building is an idea that takes some understanding. Notice the “sun”. It is
inside the building; and it is a very unusual structure that has the sun shining
inside. I think that the luminary is not the physical sun; rather it is the
Blazing Star or Glory that we have seen at the top of the Ladder on the First
Degree Board. Indeed, the representation suggests that in spite of the
beautifully detailed art work, this is not a picture of a physical structure.
This is a representation of one’s self; it is “The Temple” in the context of the
teaching in the Western version of the Great Light,“.ye are the Temple..”. The
ear of corn by the fall of water suggests a situation of natural maturation and
fruition that enables the individual to initiate this process of interior
ascent.
Columns and Stairs
The
next striking thing to observe about this Board is the fact that here (once
again) we have two columns (also, as we will see, representing opposites) with a
ladder (it has become a staircase) between them. This is another reason for
thinking that this is a detailed drawing of the "person" we saw in the Tracing
Board of the First Degree. What all this suggests is that the individual who
embarks on the Labour of the Second Degree, having learned the general
philosophical lessons in the First, is about to undertake some interior journey.
The idea certainly fits with the Renaissance view that, as we have seen,
considered the approach to the Deity to be an interior journey, an ascent in
consciousness through the worlds of the soul and spirit. The Masonic Lectures
assign characteristics to the two pillars which indicate that they represent
paired opposites. First, they are said to be a memorial of the Pillar of Cloud
and the Pillar of Fire that guided the Children of Israel (by day and night,
respectively) during the Exodus; and second, on their tops they have
representations of the Celestial and Terrestrial Spheres ( Emulation Ritual-
Lewis Masonic .c 1980-p 143-4) Like Jacob's Ladder on the First Degree Board,
the Staircase forms the central column of this "three pillar model." The Mason
is expected to "climb" this symbolic staircase in the course of his life as he
does symbolically during the ritual and the Masonic symbolism sets out a
curriculum for him that will facilitate that ascent. This particular drawing
shows fifteen steps, as do all of the Second Degree Boards drawn by Harris that
I have seen. Personally, I am inclined to think that a picture of fifteen steps
is an innovation. Earlier Tracing Boards and Masonic Diagrams show the staircase
with only seven steps. For example, a seven step staircase shown in the
Frontispiece to Masonic Miscellanies is typical. I do not suggest that these
early diagrams omit any of the material related to the fifteen steps with which
contemporary Masons are familiar. Rather, the Masonic Lectures suggest that
there really are only seven steps, with the three included in the five, and the
five included in the seven.( Emulation Ritual --Lewis Masonic, c. 1980- p. 147)
As we have seen, the literature of the Renaissance is replete with mystical
ascents, and it seems to me, that the Staircase outlines seven stages through
which one must pass on such an interior journey. Masonic Lectures relating to
the Staircase associate a good deal of information with each of the various
steps. Specifically, the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences are related to the
seven steps and the Five Classical Orders of Architecture are related to the top
five.( Emulation Ritual—Lewis Masonic. 1980-pp. 147-8) These subjects comprised
the formal educational curriculum of the Renaissance, and there is a large body
of literature associated with each. The intent of that curriculum was certainly
to teach the metaphysics to which we have referred above and to give the student
an orientation toward the sort of contemplative intellectual work we are
discussing. If we consider the Staircase to be a representation of levels of
consciousness through which the individual must ascend, we can see that the
symbol refers the Mason to information about each step, or level of
consciousness, through which he must pass along the way. The Masonic explanation
of the Staircase also associates the seven Officers of the Lodge with the seven
steps and three principal characters from Masonry's traditional history with the
three highest steps. (ibid) That association assists in the understanding of
progress through the positions of the Officers of the Lodge and in the
interpretation of some Masonic Legends. It is worth noting that the bottom of
the Staircase is guarded by the Junior Warden who will demand a password before
one is allowed to ascend. The story associated with this word (Emulation
Ritual-Lewis Masonic, c. 1980- p. 145-6) assures us that, if one attempts to
climb the interior stairs of his own consciousness without the appropriate
motive and without having done the necessary preparatory work outlined in the
First Degree, he will be in serious trouble. It is a note of caution to those
who may wish to put this interpretation of Masonic symbolism into
practice for themselves.
Middle Chamber
The
Staircase leads to a room called the Middle Chamber where Masons were said to go
to receive their wages. In this room he also has access to the Perfect Ashlar. A
Perfect Ashlar is a building stone that has been completed and is ready to be
placed in the building. It is found in the Middle Chamber "for the experienced
Craftsmen to try and adjust their jewels (tools) on.( Lectures of the Three
Degrees in Craft Masonry;(Ian Allan Regalia, 1997);p.72) We don't want to devote
a great deal of space to working tools, but Masons will recognize that the
Fellowcraft's tools are tools of measurement and testing, that all measure
against absolute criteria, that two of them measure against criteria which are
opposite one another, while the third defines the relationship between the other
two. Given an environment in which paired opposites are held in balance by a
coordinating agency, those tools seem to me to be a functional model of
morality. Tools of morality, together with the Perfect Ashlar, a standard
against which to calibrate them (i.e. conscience), all found in an interior
Middle Chamber (within the Mason's own being) seem to me to be a pregnant idea.
All this happens in the place where one "receives his wages"; that is, where he
gets what he deserves. The fact that all this takes place within one's own
being is worth thinking about. In the Middle Chamber, an interior room
(interior to the Mason himself), the individual is able to see the “Letter G”, a
representation of the Deity. (Dyer, C.; op. cit .;p.p. 84-90) While this
is not the Divine Presence, it is an indication of progress in the interior
work; and the Mason perceiving it may enjoy the second of the Cardinal Virtues,
Hope. Lastly, notice the gallery above the door to the Middle Chamber. There
seems to be no purpose for it in the picture, but it is light blue - the color
associated with the world of the spirit. I suggest that the gallery is there to
represent that spiritual level; and in this way, this picture of “the Temple
that we are” reflects the four-level structure which we have seen before.
The Third Degree Tracing Board
The Coffin
In
this Third Degree Tracing Board , the image of the Coffin probably does not
refer to physical death. During the Renaissance (as in most periods of Christian
history prior to the Enlightenment), there was a good deal of discussion among
the intelligentsia about the nature of the biblical story of "the Fall of man"
and its effect. (Reuchlin, J. op cit. Book One, pp. 70-3) To them "the
Fall" seems to have referred to some event by which human beings, who were at
one time conscious of the Divine Presence, lost that consciousness. One of
their conclusions was that ordinary human life, as it we live it on a day-to-day
basis (that is, after the Fall) is "like death ( For a good presentation of this
concept, as well as an introduction to the Art of Music as it was understood in
the context of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences, see Streich, Hildamare,
Music, Alchemy and Psychology in Atalanta Fugiens of Michael Maier. This
essay can be found in Maier, M. Atalanta Fug iens, trans. / ed. Godwin,
J. Grand Rapids, MI, Phanes, 1992) p80.) when compared to human potential and to
a life lived in the conscious awareness of the presence of God. It seems to me
that one interpretation of the Tracing Board is that the grave suggests such a
"death" to be our present state. The plant growing at the head of the grave
suggests first, that we are like vegetables when compared to our potential; and
second, that there is a spark of life which can be encouraged to grow. In this
sense the plant refers to the possibility of regaining our original Divine
connection that was lost with the “expulsion from Eden”.
King Solomon’s Porch
The
view of the Temple shows "King Solomon's Porch" which is said to be the entrance
to the "Holy of Holies." In the picture the veil is drawn back a little offering
a glimpse into that chamber where the Deity was said to reside. This suggests a
second interpretation of the Tracing Board, that, at the end of the journey from
West to East, some process analogous to death enables the individual to
experience the Divine Presence. W. L. Wilmshurst has described the Master
Mason’s Degree as follows “Hence, the third degree is that of mystical death, of
which bodily death is taken as figurative..... In all the Mystery-systems of
the past will be found this degree of mystical death as an outstanding and
essential feature prior to the final stage of perfection or regeneration. (Wilmshurst,
W. L.; quoted in Dyer, C. op. cit .; p.p. 138-9) I think that this refers
neither to a physical resurrection after physical death nor to a nonphysical
life after physical death; both of which are the concerns of religion. The thing
that dies is one’s concept of “one’s self” as an independent, separate being.
That concept of one’s self must die, because it is an illusion; an independent,
separate person cannot exist, if there be a Divine Being that is without limit.
Certainly, the posture into which the Master Mason is raised suggests an
intimate “oneness” with some higher aspect of one’s being - I think it is one’s
Spirit; and it is that oneness, that expanded awareness, which enables one to
experience the Divine Presence. After this process has occurred, the Mason
following this path lives once more at his full potential in which state he is
conscious of the Divine Presence and the universal flow of Divine Love. It seems
to me that this symbolic death refers to a psychological/spiritual process which
can occur within any devout individual who seeks it earnestly, and I believe it
to be the purpose and duty of Freemasonry to encourage this experience. After
all we claim to be Freemasons and this is that Truth, the knowing of
which "make(s) you free."
Points of the Compass
We
saw earlier that Masons traveled "Due East and West". "They travelled East in
search of instruction, and West to propagate the knowledge they had gained," as
the Lecture in the First Degree has it. Notice that on this Board the cardinal
points of the compass have been reversed and West is now at the top where East
is on the First Degree Board. This suggests that the Master Mason (Master in
fact, not simply Master in titular rank), the individual who is represented by
the symbolism depicted here, has changed his orientation and started his
Westward journey. It is a journey during which the Master Mason allows the
Divine Love that he has experienced to flow through him to all with whom he
interacts. It also involves the teaching and charitable nurturing of those who
are following the interior ascent - with all the obligations that sort of thing
implies. In doing so he practices the third of the Cardinal Virtues, Charity.
Conclusion
This is an unusual interpretation of the symbols of Freemasonry; but not, I
think, an unrealistic one. While there is no physical data linking the Craft to
the Hermetic or Kabbalistic Tradition of the Renaissance, it certainly seems
reasonable to think that the Masons who founded our order were in tune with the
intellectual frame of reference of their time. From my own point of view, the
use of this interpretation integrates the symbolic structure into a much richer
system of instruction. One which has proven to be of immense value.
[
We have added the images to assist the viewers to follow the article with
reference to the Tree of Life and the three tracing boards- Webmaster]
Tree of life
Tracing Board of I degree
Tracing Board of II degree
Tracing Board of III degree
|
