Beginning of Enlightenment

By being brought across the border from darkness to light, you establish a speculative boundry between the

"End of Ignorance"

and

"Beginning of Enlightenment."

"And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons."

- Genesis 3:7

Feast of St. John the Evangelist

December 27th

Feast of St. John the Evangelist

Any questions?

Master or Manager?

Managers rush their newest employees through stagnant and repetitive training programs in order to produce mindless workers.

Masters take their time to train their apprentices to become masters of their craft.

Are we Masters, or Managers?

Master and Manager

If you replace "Master" with "Manager" you will begin to see a more accurate depiction of Freemasonic titles.

Magic Shower

The magic warm flowing waters from this fountain have a thought expanding and meditative property.

Either that, or it's the only time you have to relax during the day to think.

Religion & Politics

Religion & Politics

"I believe the media has perpetuated this culture.  As Masons, we need to first free ourselves from it, and then set the example for humanity to follow."

- M.W. John D. May

Religion and Politics

Should we reexamine our thoughts on what religion and politics are perceived to be?

Should the Bible be removed from our Masonic Lodges because some see it as a symbol of religion?

Should we preclude current events taking place within our communities that affect our lives, because they seem political in nature?

I'm in charge!

Trying to enforce rules when the situation doesn't apply, usually results in a temper-tantrum with the enforcer yelling:

"I'm in charge!"

and the accused yelling:

"You're not the boss of me!"

See, Hear, and Speak no Evil

Freemasonry is an organization that prides itself on further education.

Why then, does it seem, that Freemasons tend to go out of their way, just to avoid it?

Alice

As Alice fell down the rabbit hole, she chose to ignore the preliminary work that was all around her, and would help her understand where she was going.

Table of Contents

One of the best kept secrets of Masonry, is that every brother has taken the time to memorize a "table of contents" to books they have never opened.

Gospel, Cool Story Bro!

Gospel

From the old English "God" or "Good,"

and the old English "Spel" or "Story"

In other words...  Cool Story Bro!

Read about Masonry

Love to read about Masonry?

What are your favorite books on the subject, and why?

Craft vs. Organization

One of the most difficult aspects of the

Organization of Freemasonry

is having the

Craft of Masonry

defined by people who haven't done any research into it, what-so-ever.

House of Misunderstanding

Do you ever feel like your "House not made with hands" is being built with misunderstanding?

The Butler Did It!

Knowing the answer without understanding the

"How?" or the "Why?"

will just leave you with more questions.

Should

Ah!  Here it is!

Should

It's an ancient word used to ascribe blame to a situation instead of learning from it.

i.e. "I should have..."

Craft of Masonry

"Freemasonry changed your life, you say?"

"No, I did."

"How?"

"Through the Craft of Masonry."

Knock and it shall be opened

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

- Matthew 7:7-8

Superfluity

Does a hobby qualify as a superfluity?

Superfluity

Late Middle English:

from Old French superfluite,

from late Latin superfluitas,

from Latin superfluus meaning 'running over'

Baiting and Fishing

Baiting and fishing are things to do with your brothers.

Not to your brothers.

Crossed Arms Prayer

If the crossing of symbols denotes "to guard,"

then the crossing of arms must denote a safe and guarded place to deposit prayers.

For more information about this painting, go to:

http://www.helenamasons.org/lewis.htm

Crossed Swords?

If the crossing of symbols denotes "to guard."

Why, then, is the Tyler's jewel not crossed swords?

Wages or Pudding

"If you don't do your work, you can't have any wages!

HOW can you have any wages, if you don't do the work!?"

The Wall

We don't want no education

We don't have no thought control

Just dark sarcasm in the Lodge Room

Masters leave them craftsmen alone

Hey!  Masters!  Leave them craftsmen alone!

All in all it's just another ashlar in the wall.

All in all you're just another ashlar in the wall.

Preconceived Idea

How prepared are you to discover a challenge and change your preconceived ideas?

Arch of the Sun Allegory

Can you see the allegory?

Planetary Seasonal Allegory

Can you see the allegory?

Seasonal Allegory

Can you see the allegory?

Ignorance is Bliss?

What say you?

"I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."

"And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."

- Ecclesiastes 1:16-18

Alchemy

"Alchemy was really a secret school of philosophy, teaching the same truths as Masonry once taught, only employing the terminology of the chemist and refiner of metals instead of that of the builder."

- Frank C. Higgins

The Beginning of Masonry

Remembering 9-11

"Freemasonry teaches acceptance of views that are different than your own and has for ages been a place where people with some differences in religious belief can come together and work for a common good. If anything, we are an organization hell-bent on preventing atrocities like 9/11, so please remember that next time you hear someone spouting some nonsense about how we’re “behind” some evil event."

- Bro. Robert Marshall

Past Master of Waco Lodge 92

Third option?

For Discussion:

What if there were a third option?

What would it be for?

Would it be a good or bad idea?

Offended?

If you ever find yourself feeling offended, first look back at what was said, and how it was said to you, before you make up your mind.

Can you come up with a better way to understand each other, without taking offense?

Boundaries

If the point in the circle is you,

and the circle itself is your boundaries,

then what do the two parallel / perpendicular lines represent?

Steamroller

The Working Tools are symbolically applicable to bettering your life.

But make sure you also apply them to the Organization of Freemasonry...

...otherwise you may get steamrolled into forgetting why you came here to begin with.

Secrets

The real secrets of Masonry are found within the craft...

...not within the organization.

Blue Brick

Don't be afraid of being different.

Even when you are different, you can still fit in and be supportive.

Black Ball

This is normally done to protect the lodge.  We must learn how to respect this decision.

What can be done to make sure this doesn't happen for the wrong reasons?

Burning Tapirs

"Well, once I lit them on fire, I couldn't get them to stay in a triangular form..."

Masonic Labor - Benjamin Franklin

“Masonic labor is purely a labor of love. He who seeks to draw Masonic wages in gold and silver will be disappointed. The wages of a Mason are in the dealings with one another; sympathy begets sympathy, kindness begets kindness, helpfulness begets helpfulness, and these are the wages of a Mason.”

- Benjamin Franklin

Schedule and Engagements

If you are having a hard time remembering your schedule and engagements...

...I know a great way to help you with that!

Masonic Discussion

The best way to start a Masonic discussion.

Moral Dilemma Ahead

Can you name an instance when a moral decision interfered with a legal one?

Vice Versa?

Kronk's Spinach Puffs

Taking the moral "high road" can be difficult at times.

Especially when she insults your spinach puffs!

Morgan Affair

The Morgan Affair damaged Masonry in the United States in more ways than we realize.

What effects came from this?  And what have we lost as a fraternity because of this event, and the Baltimore Convention?

St. John the Almoner

Our Entered Apprentice Lodges are dedicated to the Holy Saints John.

One is St. John the Baptist, and the other is St. John the Evangelist.

Is there another St. John?

Skating Away - Tull

"Well, do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?

Or that everybody's on the stage, and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?

Skating away on the thin ice of the New Day."

- Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull

Warchild (1974)

Sense of Entitlement

Using standard Entered Apprentice work, we have successfully removed that nagging "Sense of Entitlement."

You're going to feel like a new man.

Biblical Zodiac?

"As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle."

- Ezekiel 1:10

Aquarius, Leo, Taurus, and Scorpio