Illustrious Order of The Three Ruffians

The Craftsman

2010-12-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

Can we brothers better our natures? Can we brothers improve ourselves in Freemasonry?

There are a good many self help systems out there. You can find 'Unlimited Power' through Tony Robbins. You can learn the 'Power of Intention' under the tutelage of Dr. Wayne Dyer. You could try manifesting and attracting your wealth, security and happiness via 'The Laws of Attraction.' Perhaps Kevin Trudeau has that 'Natural Cure' you've been looking for? Learn to see with 'The Teachings of Don Juan' by Carlos Castaneda. Allow Eckhart Tolle to show you 'A New Earth,' or Norman Vincent Peale to guide you with 'The Power of Positive Thinking.'

Religions are something like self help systems as well. Perhaps you can find your personal answer in one of them. Christianity sacrifices the ego. Judaism is an enlightened path. Islam submits man's will to a Higher Authority. Hinduism contains a rare beauty of ideas. Buddhism harnesses desires through compassion.

Are the answers there?

It really doesnt matter if there are answers in the myriad self help tomes and systems available to the general public. And here is not the place for religious discussions; beliefs all too subjective to the believers.

What Freemasons really want to know is whether or not Freemasonry actually 'can' help a man improve himself. Many Freemasons even want to know exactly how it can. Most Masons are seekers on the path. They have followed that first step with many after. But they want to know...in the end...where that path is leading them.

Does the Masonic Path...do those steps up the ladder lead to the York Rite?; perhaps the Scottish Rite and Albert Pike's opus 'Morals and Dogma of the Scottish Rite?; or is it into those halls of fellowship and frivolity found in the Mystic Shrine?

I have followed the Path from its beginning in the Blue Lodge and continued my journey through each of these Masonic 'systems'. And so like Alice moving through the dreaming depths of Wonderland I have met brothers and friends along my travels and faced dangers, challenges and even an enemy or two.

We men who seek to learn to improve ourselves in Freemasonry must begin with the belief that Masonry is a system of ideas, symbols and even instructions. But we must go fearless onto that Path and begin first at the side of the Angel of Faith. Soon enough we will have Hope. And if we toil long enough...and learn well enough...perhaps we shall rectify ourselves at that higher plane where alone waits the Angel of Charity...Love.

If you are indeed a Freemason then you should already be aware that atop that stairway to heaven is the Light. And before that Light is the Angel of Charity...the Angel of Love. This is a symbol...the most profound of Masonic symbols. The author Ram Dass recently released his third book in his trilogy of enlightened works entitled 'Be Love Now.' Love is a state of Being he insists. It is the key to the true mastery of the self and the revelation of the infinite Light. Call that what you will.

Where have we many Masons misplaced our Brotherly Love? I have still found waiting daggers in the hands of Brothers. Men set foot on the Path and lose their way...discouraged because the Light is unclear to them for all the secrets we keep...even from ourselves. Unworthy men have set foot on that same True Path. These men did not come to that place to learn to improve themselves...these men only came to empower themselves. These men are brothers but to themselves.

Worthy Brothers, discarded Ruffians, keep your heads along the way...and Pay Attention! It is true that you will find what you are looking for. Certainly we Masons are all looking for brothers in the Order...friends...family. But Do Not take that first step of Freemasonry and shame yourself and your Order along the Path because you are content that Masonry is a means to a social end...or empowerment in business or something else.

Freemasonry is a Light in the Darkness. But so long have men clouded the way with their own preconceptions, desires and prejudices that you will likely find the Path a perilous one...with little reward for your undertaking.

If you are daring you will cast aside your preconceptions, remove the hoodwink and cable tow to stand at last on the edge of a yawning precipice. Your world, the self you were, lies behind you. The Angel of Faith awaits you and you must walk where the ground is uncertain...where the familiar is no more.

There are many answers for the true seeker in Freemasonry. How many Masons, too afraid, cast aside the teaching in 'Morals and Dogma'? How many Masons know the Order's teachings save the Lodge procedures and degree rituals?

So many brothers have I spoken with who were yet lost along the way and simply disgusted because they have learned to improve themselves only in fellowship. There is more...much more. But most either do not know, pay attention or dare to look into or apply those most relevant of Masonic teachings.

To learn to improve yourself in Freemasonry is not simply a call to learn the motions of the Order. It is an Oath to apply the teachings of the Order...teachings obscured because many Masons are afraid to face that most fearful of all things...themselves.

Wait in the chamber of reflection and look well at what you see. Mortal man, alone and weak enough before the tides of time and fate. The other Angel waiting...Death.

Are we not all rough ashlar, so like an unfinished cast out corner stone? Each day we live, our character is revealed as that coarseness is chipped away. What is the Image of the Man we will each find inside once we are finished? Man in the Image of God?...or simply so obscured by passions, jealousies, hatreds and small mindedness that what remains is too awful to look upon?

Masonry is artistry. It is a profession with tools and labors. And we are each the Craftsmen of our own likeness. In its teachings and through its admonishments, our works - and that final 'self portrait' - is often tried by that Great Architect. Only a worthy work...only an Image revealed at last beneath the ashlar to be as beautiful as the Original can stand before the Light.

Take up your work not without care then. Safeguard your tools and learn your Master's teachings well.

To make a Good Man a Better Man...is a Craft.

From Darkness to Light

2010-03-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Many new Freemasons today complain that Freemasonry does not live up to the hype or its potential or to those supposed 'secrets' it is alledged to impart. Following their 3rd Degree initiation, a number of men feel they have simply joined a social order governed by antiquated and repetitive rituals along with weathered allegories, dogmas and moral platitudes. In short, men enter the lodge with hopes of learning something they couldnt learn anywhere else...and find they could have simply Googled it all...and saved themselves the time and the dues.

What's going on? And why arent the bodies of Freemasonry, particularly the Grand Lodges, paying more attention to this?

The problem lies in the true Lost Word of Freemasonry. Most Freemasons simply lack the knowledge of their own Order or resist its implications after they have labored to study it. How many men have read 'Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite'? How many men have poured over the massive Masonic libraries or the wisdom of the Lodge of Research?

I daresay very few indeed. If they had...they might realize that such wisdom, though perhaps readily accessible, cannot be simply processed with a keystroke query on an internet search engine.

Long ago, Freemasonry represented something of a quest. Great men of learning cast their very lives upon the shores of this quest and many of these men died to protect what they had learned against brutal despots and tyrannies. Today, most Masons all but flee from even the very idea of what they slander as 'esoteric' Masonry. For these men, it is enough that Freemasonry is a social order; a charitable institution; and, for many more, something of an honorable addendum to their own cherished religious beliefs.

This quote might surprise these men then...

"The purpose of Freemasonry is not charity nor is it a fraternal society. These are but attributes which have developed. The real purpose of Masonry is the eternal search for truth, the truth about God, and the immortality of the soul. The various degrees represent the different levels through which the human mind passes while moving from ignorance to knowledge. The collecting of all the symbols and mysteries throughout the ages is but man's search for the divine truth. As we say in our ritual, 'from darkness to light.'"

- Rt. Ex. William Adrian Brown (Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Virginia), 'Facts, Fables and Fantasies of Freemasonry.' Missouri Lodge of Research. 1968.

There are certain facts about Freemasonry that cannot be dismissed or denied. While academics and Masonic scholars argue incessantly as to Masonry's origins, one glaring reality stands steadfast under the aegis of the Light...Masonry is an esoteric society.

Indeed, as men utter the proficiencies and repeat the myriad of rituals of the Lodge and the Rites, how can it escape the reason of so many of them that Masonry has a purpose? It has a doctrine. And it does, after all, possess secrets for the worthy.

Quite to the contrary of many of the modern religious pundits influences upon the image of todays, and especially American, Freemasonry, Masonic teachings as they are presented in rituals and degrees owe their estimable beginnings to the ancient philosophical mystery schools; teachings of Jewish mystics and Kabbalists; neoplatonic idealists and renaissance thinkers; eastern and asian religions; and even world myth.

Within the Rites, the philosophies of Masonry seem to exist as a distillation of the ancient mystery teachings of those 'esoteric' societies that coexisted with the mainstream reigning theocracies of the day. And in those days, that 'dark age' of religion over reason, those very philosophies were anathema and forced into secrecy. Is it really so very different today? In some lodges one might be fearful to ask for any book but the Bible to be placed upon the altar though it is Freemasonry's primary dictum that it is open to those of all religious creeds. Perhaps the age is still a bit dark?

Albert Pike, the great Masonic writer, composed a virtual opus of Freemasonry in his 'Morals and Dogma'. But as much of it was a philosophical treatise on comparative religion, mystical studies and 'esoteric' sciences, this book is now casually passed off among the brothers as dense, obscure, difficult and simply archaic...as in outdated for our more modern understanding of Masonry.

Modern understanding? Just who are we kidding here? Those ritual characters of Masonry are not modern men at all. These stories and truths are ancient. Solomon? Hiram Abif? With their inclusion, these are specifically Jewish stories. And are they understood at all? How many Masons are aware, for instance, that the name Solomon derives from 'Sol' and 'Amun' ... both names for the Sun...as in Amun Ra. How many others realize the deep connection between Egyptian and Jewish mysticism? Maybe those of you familiar with the Scottish Rite degrees will recognize a bit of what I am mentioning here. But do you understand what it means to teach you?

At its heart, Masonry is philosophy. But it is also an arrow in flight. It has an aim. It possesses a purpose. This purpose of Freemasonry remains the purpose of the Egyptian priests, the Jewish mystics, the Buddhist teachers, the gnostic seekers, the pythagorean sages, the Greek philosophers, the sufis, the alchemists, the Rosicrucians...and the scientists.

Truth. Knowledge. These are well and fine. But truth without purpose and knowledge without aim are lackluster Promethian gifts from the sacred garden...gifts that have no need of an angel with a flaming sword to guard the gates. The first Tiler.

The aim of Masonry is to raise a man from darkness to light...from death to life. Knowledge alone does not suffice. A man must walk the way laid out before him.

Freemasonry is a map for those with 'ears to hear ... and eyes to see'. It is a revealing of the human condition, the meaning all men seek with their lives and the guideposts of those who have gone ahead of them.

To that end, where is Freemasonry leading us? Stories; Myths; Rituals; Histories; Methodologies? Masonry leads its seekers to the Light that lies beyond truth or knowledge in a passive state, though very few will reach so far.

All too many Freemasons endlessly repeat rituals they dare not deem to understand. These men content themselves with the darkness and the mere possibility of light beyond. They content themselves with their religions and stupify themselves with the fear that Masonry may indeed possess that forbidden fruit. Many fundamentalists, Masonic or otherwise, fear a certain 'craftiness' in the Craft and are wary of a serpent in Masonry's tree of knowledge.

And so, generation after generation, the 'Craft' erodes and devolves to better suit the comfortable beliefs of the men of the times. It is more palatable to some as an innocuous social fraternity...or a charity. God help the man who questions the blazing star.

The Center. The Light. The Great Architect. It is only a concept and certainly no idol. It is as blank as the white page, as bright as the suns rays. And virtually no man, Mason or otherwise, comprehends its mysteries.

Behold a man lost in the desert. If a stairway should descend from the very heavens above should he fear it? Should he study it? Or should he ascend upon its steps to what lies beyond? For is not the stairway alone a grace...and an invitation?

And so Freemasonry is an invitation. We are invited to understand ourselves, our place in the cosmos, our equality as men and, most importantly, our relation to nature and the Divine. The degrees themselves are metaphors and allegories whose teaching, like the parables of a spiritual teacher, can be revealed and yet kept secret for those who are truly prepared to understand them. They are acts of submission and of sacrifice. They are the stairs to be climbed. They are the path to be followed.

What one will find outside of his own search is simply interpretation. When a man resolves himself to the Center he will not find his own reflection there but the reflection of every other man so resolved. For the Light is the face of all men who at last recognize that Universal Point, that steadfast and unwavering foundation that all living men are raised upon.

Ruffian Resolution 2010

2010-01-02T04:09:00.000-08:00

Fraternal Greetings and Happy New Year to all Fellow Ruffians!

Now that it is Officially 2010, it is time for us to look at ourselves 'squarely' in the mirror and take some stock of what we find there.

Are we as tolerant as Masonry urges us to be? Are we dutiful? Are we supportive of our Brothers? Do we endeavor to learn more about our Order and do we dare to look within and learn more about ourselves?

Indeed Brothers, I recommend that our Ruffian Manifesto must include a New Years Resolution to climb the stairway, walk the sands and travel to the East each and every day. It is not enough that we endeavor to "Make a Good Man a Better Man" because it is not a goal so much as an ongoing process.

This year remember to 'Be that Better Man', for your God, your Family, your Brothers...and Yourself.

Tend to the Light my Brothers. See that it shines Brightly in you.

SMIB
Brother Free

...

Unity First! 21st Century Freemasonry.

2009-10-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 21st Century Freemasonry. Allow me to offer you a few of the details according to the statistics offered by Shrine International (PGM Jeff Sowder).

- There are approximately 1.7 Million Master Masons in the United States as of this year.
- Of those Master Masons, about 10 Percent are Active.
- The Average Age of these Masons is 70 years old.
- There are more members over the age of 80 than under 50.
- There are more Masons over the age of 90 than under 30.

Additionally, over the last 3 years the Annual Revenues for Shrine International's programs, including items budgeted towards the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children, have fallen in Half. The earnings have dropped from about 8.5 billion dollars to 3.5. This isnt good news for the Shrine. This isnt good news for Freemansonry. And this certainly isnt good news for the thousands of children in the Shriner's Hospitals if this is not immediately improved.

The plummeting revenues are not just evident in the Shrines. All across the country, lodges are feeling the economic downturn as it erodes replenishment funds, activities funds and endowments to charitable organizations.

Freemasonry must put its internal differences aside. We must return to the roots of our order and embrace the Brotherhood itself foregoing individual conflicts and differences between the affiliated bodies of the Order. We brothers must consider the big picture which is the survival of the Fraternity into the uncertain future, the modern direction it must take in order to do so, and the significant charitable works that the Craft offers those who are less fortunate.

We are a Brotherhood of men bearing the responsibilities or our Obligations! We cannot let our brothers down and we dare not forget our children's and community charities! We must forge a stronger Unity within our Fraternity and between all branches be they the Lodge, the Scottish Rite, the York Rite or the Shrine.

This season the Shrine Imperial Session opened with the Imperial Potentate's message of 'Unity First,' embracing the idea of strengthening the bond between the Masonic blue lodge and the Shrine. The effort is directed at membership, retention and value to the members.

Toward this end, Shrine International has created a wonderful new program and has taken time to offer solutions to these challenges. Much of this can be found on the new website for Shrine Nobles at http://www.shrinersvillage.com or for aspirant Nobles at http://beashrinernow.com. There are a great many Tools to be found on these sites particularly on the Shriners Village site. One of the many proposals calls for the implementation of a Masonic Unity Council in each area bringing Masons of all branches together.

Membership and retention are problems for all forms of Freemasonry and most of the problems arise as new members are not properly educated or enjoined into lodge activities. It takes Action to make a good man a better man. It takes Action to empower all of those memorized words. It takes Action to make a difference to a brother, to a family, to a community, and to the Fraternity.

Therefore, if you are a Master Mason then you should consider becoming a Shriner or joining the Scottish Rite or York Rite. And if you joined because you wanted to be involved in something other than your local lodge then you should go back to lodge...approach the Light in work and study with brothers and fellows both.

The stakes of the times are too high. We must work together, Masons all. We need better Masonic education in lodges; it's ridiculous when Master Masons learn more about Masonry from popular books, movies and television specials than from the lodge itself! Lodges and branches must offer more membership activities, greater levels of personal involvement and endeavor to greater community outreach.

Presently, members of my own lodge, Gate of the Temple #422, and my Shrine, Abou Ben Adhem, are looking into new ways to work together, to put Unity First and take Action where it is needed. We are working on a Membership Committee what will work with our new candidates and hopefully aid to fulfill their earnest expectations from the temple and the lodge.

As always, the Craft is in your capable hands. It's time to reach out and lead your brothers into the Light and future of Freemasonry.

Fall FellowRuffianShip!

2009-10-20T02:39:00.001-07:00

Greetings Ruffians!

It's time to get geared up again now that Fall is upon us. There are more than spooks and goblins afoot this October. A lot of lodges are hosting special events. The Scottish Rite Reunion is on its way and Shriners across the country are preparing to welcome in new candidates.

Boy do we have a lot to do and even more to talk about Ruffians! Dont forget to find us on Myspace and Facebook if you havent added us already. You will find a great many Fellow Ruffians such as yourselves. And that's what its all about...

FellowRuffianShip!

The Glass Utopia

2009-06-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

What kind of a real difference can any one man, or any one organization make today? If you look closely...if you really examine the underpinnings of our modern society, then you see a veritable bedrock of institutions, ideologies and human behaviors. Whether it is the monetary system that forces men to labor under the menace of debt, or it is the social substructure of familial and peer expectations, men are chained to an established order. And it is an order that is failing them.

More than half the world is in poverty. The plenty of many is stolen by the the few. Backs break over thankless labors. Hatred of race, creed, nation abounds. Immorality spreads like a disease and we raise false corporate idols in lieu of sharing our wealth amongst brothers. The planet gasps for breath and chafes under nuclear firestorms.

From birth, we are systematically defined by our instilled patterns, knowledge, beliefs and conditionings. Our parents, our peers, our churches, our schools, and our work...all become a part of who we think we are, or should be. On a larger scale, most of us hold fast to our nations and to those governing laws that we assent to. But are we happy? Do we feel safe?

Liberty. Equality. Fraternity. These are not dead old words. This is not a stale call that once rang out and now only serves to invoke our sense of tradition. These are the words of revolution. And their meaning and their intent endure as much today as they will in a thousand years should man be not free, equal or one with his fellows.

There is a great deal wrong with our modern society, our national ethics and what we call our 'civilized' world. Money and profit are too often the masters and now every nation cries out in debt and despair for there is too much corruption in the mix with this system. And it is the people who suffer for it.

Yet money is not the root of all evil. More to the point is human nature itself. We compete for mates, for resources and for shelter or land. It is in our nature to survive. Even a cursory glance at nature will reveal the fighting stags or the territorial male lions and the dire results should they cross paths.

One solution is to expand the availability of resources to all. After all, the world is prosperous beyond measure. There is an abundance of food and natural energy. And in the hands of a small percentage of corporations and the rich there is enough money to see to it that all men have enough. Still, whatever would compel men to resist greed, profiteering and power for the good of his brothers?

Liberty. Equality. Fraternity. No idle words.

Can one man or one organization make a difference in a Country or in the World? Surely, we as Freemasons can support the needs of our families and work to support the needs of our communities. But are we still revolutionaries at heart...capable of carrying out the dictates of our many oaths and obligations?

Indeed, why are other 'movements' leading the way today for the betterment of mankind or social change while Freemasons content themselves to pass their degrees and see their friends at lodge now and then. Freemasonry is an already established network of like minded thinkers...men who know values, who believe in ethics and who believe in the rights and freedoms of all men. And of those underlying savage natural behaviors and passions? Masons seek to subdue them, to master and civilize those intemperant throwbacks that now threaten the vine from the very root.

We live in an emergent, interdependent world. Change is the great inherent truth. Any 'movement' can be a sweeping arc of action, an interminable force taking hold in hearts and minds. Where do we stow our Masonic principles if not the heart...if not the mind?

I believe one man can make a difference. I recall Abraham Lincoln, Alexander the Great. And I believe that an organization of such men can change the world. America alone owes a debt to such thinking. But it cannot end here or now. The revolution of hearts and minds must continue. It is fragile if not well carried and useless if left forgotten to old tomes and attics of memories.

The Peace in the Storm

2009-05-14T03:48:00.000-07:00

"What is the secret of the Grail? Who does it serve?"

This is the great question of the Grail Quest undertaken by that knavish Knight Parsival. It was he who pursued that greatest of treasures; and ultimately, it was he who achieved it. Of course, the journey seemed a lifetime and perilous beyond measure. More than once this earnest fool reached the Grail and failed...only to be tried and tested yet again.

Who are we? We arrive marooned on this island Earth. If we are a part of something larger we dont know exactly what that something is. And so we we are convinced by others to be a part of something or we simply choose 'something' for ourselves.

Are we the result of instinct...patterning? Or are we created for a higher purpose? Maybe it is will alone that carries us forward...but to where? It is blind will?

I find it spectacularly interesting that most of us can actually be clearly defined. If you are a Democrat, for instance, then try convincing a Republican to see it your way. While a religious person awaits the pearly gates...a scientist spends years looking through them to the stars.

We live in different worlds. And each of us sees the world that we share from a unique perspective. But the terrors that await us outside the womb fashion us from clay to sculpture. Soon, we are defined and contoured into an image that serves the setting well and that pleases our sense of safety and conformity with our perceptions.

How could the Third Reich exist? Who in their right minds could commit such unspeakable acts and atrocities such as the Holocaust? Is this just another sense of identity?

Mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote of 'The Heroes Journey' in which the personal ego is defined through typified and universal human experience. We are each on that journey. Our soul is reaching, growing; perhaps, it is a part of a greater Soul. But who's image are we made in? Is man truly made in the 'image of God?'

If we begin a seed...with a Plan...then are we simply doomed to become a citizen of the Garden? More importantly, what becomes of us when the Garden is changing and the Plan must change or perish? Does that explain the Third Reich?

I have found that the more I have lost, then the more defined I have become to others. It seems that the Universe likes to paint on an empty canvas. I have been oft accused and affronted by good friends and fellows. I am still empty. I have been suspected and judged. And yet, I am still an empty canvas. When one has lost what I have, there is simply very little to cling to and very little reason to do it. I have lost the Plan.

It is very easy then for others to see their own Plans in me. We project, reflect or reject it seems.

And so I look around a little at all of Don Genaro's ghosts on his 'Journey to Ixtlan.' Everywhere around me I see busy, busy people. So many of us are running to and fro, following the Plan. We have things to do. We have reasons to do them. And we only have so much time to get them done.

These are things that were being done before we were born and that will be done well after we are long dead.

Can't we escape all of this and rewrite our destinies; remake our Plan? Of course, it is conditioned and all real change is painful at first. We either make the decision to 'let go' or destiny decides for us and we lose something we identify with.

Take away all of the identification and what is that personal ego left with?

Who is your favorite team? All of them. What is your favorite color? All of them. Who of them do you love? All of them.

Acceptance. This is a perspective. Think...Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Depression and finally...Acceptance. These are the emotional states of loss. And at last, when the clinging is over with ...we indeed 'come as a little child' and Accept things as they are.

Of course...what warrior wins any battles 'turning the other cheek?' Would we build cities if we simply Accepted the world without them?

Why not? Certainly we must Accept the necessity and inevitability of change. So we go on about our business changing things as things change us. But we must be Aware of this process. Our 'self' must be the eye in the center...the peace in the storm. Too close to the edge and we are simply swept away...we are debris and not conscience.

Parsival became a humble man. At long last he lived to serve the World. In so doing he found the Grail within his grasp...as it had always been.

"What is the secret of the Grail? Who does it serve?"

"You Lord. For You and the Land are One."

My Journey to the Temple

2009-05-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

I recently returned from a journey where I witnessed wondrous things. I labored in the quarries and learned the importance of purposeful labor, of being true to myself, of taking responsibility for my labors and giving credit where due. I traveled to the East where I learned to obey in order that I might rule. I rejoiced with my brethren at the completion of King Solomon's Temple and wondered at its splendor and beauty. I earned wages, paid homage, assumed obligations, acquired knowledge, and received more Light. I grieved for King Solomon and the destruction of his magnificent Temple; I wept for the Israelites in their captivity and rejoiced in their liberation. I labored in the rebuilding of the Temple and at long last I knelt with my brethren and received the lost Word.

I journeyed back in time and walked arm in arm with the Builder; I learned the blessing of being useful, the importance of preservation and the reward of patience. I descended beneath the Temple where I stood witness to the execution of Ahishar and understood the necessity of constant watchfulness. I saw the chosen working in silence to prepare and ensure that which has value for future generations. I shuddered as King Zedekiah learned the answer to his own riddle of Jeremiah, and I recognized the lessons of loyalty and fidelity.

I journeyed on to Babylon whereupon debate ensued. Which is stronger the King did ask - wine, woman, or king? "Truth," I cried, "is stronger than all," and for this was granted freedom. My pilgrimage was far from done. I needed a Mediterranean Pass and for this I turned to Malta. When at last I arrived on gleaming shores my journey had only begun. For seven years I prepared as pilgrim, warrior, and penitent. And then, at long last, myself deemed worthy, my journey at its end and another to begin, I knelt and was risen a Knight of the Temple.

I could not begin to describe the journey to becoming a Knight Templar. The lessons, symbols, steps, signs, words are all still very fresh and elusive as if in a dream you want to keep dreaming until it all makes sense. The ritual is beautiful and impressive and provocative and intriguing. This is a journey worth taking and one which I sincerely recommend.

Fraternally yours,

Lightheaded1

The 'Rite' Stuff

2009-03-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

"Masonic Light, like the light of day at the close of the long night in far northern climes, must come, not all in one flash, but by slow and imperceptible degrees."

- Albert Pike

Follow the story of a scientist who, as a man in his fifties, had found his life frequented with unhappiness and the meaning of it lost among a lifetime of struggle and failure. All manner of gloom and despair was visited upon him and his body cried out with terrible and blinding headaches.

At his wits end, and determined to make a positive change for himself, the scientist decided to perform an experiment...with himself as its subject. For one month, he would strive to control his thoughts. If his mind turned to the past, he would only concentrate on the brightest and happiest of his memories. In considering the present, he would dismiss the undesirable and favor the opportunities at hand. And when thinking of the future, he would expect only the fruition of his endeavors and ambitions.

After only eight days passing, he began to feel a quickening of his spirit and a virtual transformation of his health. His headaches were no more. As he progressed through such success, the world seemed no longer at odds with him. He was elected to a prestigious position as the President of a great scientific society.

And all of this...because he changed his mind. He altered his perspective.

Of all of the many works, rituals, traditions and degrees of Freemasonry, the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite tasks a man with approaching the Light through an inner journey of personal reflection like none other. Through its series of degrees leading to the 32 and final destination of the journey, a mason travels the labyrinth of his mind and spirit, facing inner Ruffians and ready mercies.

The degrees of the Scottish Rite are not so unlike the modern depth psychology of Carl Jung or Freud's psychoanalysis. What is very interesting indeed is that the Rite itself predates such current psychological systems, by centuries. The Rite is Victor Frankl's reframing in 'Man's Search for Meaning.' It is William James's 'altering of one's life ... through altering one's mind.'

And finally, it is the Heroes Journey of the great mythologist Joseph Campbell, fraught with joy, sorrow, life's breadth, becoming, and death.

Historically, the Scottish Rite evolved as the Rite of Perfection over 200 years ago on the Continent of Europe. It is a respendent amalgam of the philosophical essence of a multitude of learned cultures throughout the ages past including India, Egypt, China, Chaldea, Assyria, Persia, Greece and Rome. Here are represented the timeless truths of antiquity distilled by the most brilliant minds of mankind such as Confucious, Socrates, Pythagoras and Plato.

Those seeking the wisdom of the Rite expand their knowledge of history, philosophy, religion, morality and tolerance and come to know well the treasures gained with focus and rarified discipline. These seekers are guided to reflection, study and personal discernment.

The value of the Scottish Rite is to help a man find self understanding; to reveal the Light within; and to clarify his true place within the greater Order of all things. Perhaps its most controversial feature, these teachings of Masonry deviate from the priest and the prophet. It draws much significance from the Kabbalah allowing that the fruits of the tree of life may be tasted if the soul is made ready for them. Indeed, as a mason examines his inner mental stratums and conditioned behaviors he finally recapitulates the Light within his soul and draws nearer to the Divine through gnosis...the personal knowing of God.

"What is needed first, therefore, is an increase of self understanding - a discovery of your inner selves and of your own essential natures." - Henry C. Clausen, 33* Past Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite.

This is the very maxim of the temple pilgrim. Millenia ago above the entrance to the Delphic Oracle at the Temple of Apollo (the Temple of the Sun/Light) the words read 'Know Thyself.' What is the worth of a man when his very soul is weighed upon the scale? This is a question to be answered through living and not at the moment of one's death. To know the sure path, one must first know where he has determined himself to go...he must discern to what end he has set his mind.

"A man should learn to watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Be a lamp unto your own feet; do not seek outside yourself." - The Buddha

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." - Jesus

The Scottish Rite recognizes man's innate inner capacities toward self actualization. Today, much of its teachings are sadly lost on the modern pilgrims who are determined to find their personal rewards easily won and without sacrifice of time or contemplation. It's wondrous teachings are displayed throughout the world in a series of theatrical displays. It is a worthy undertaking and yet but a profane gesture if the seekers content themselves with little more than the spectacle at hand. These displays serve to whet the appetites of those who wish to make that personal journey through the degrees. But each mason must apply the teachings in his own life and examine his own mind along the way.

And so we are all scientists of a sort. We explore and experiment with our lives as we live them. But there are those who have gone before us and who have well prepared our way. The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a well worn path, frequented and travelled by the most earnest of good men, becoming better men.

Enlightenment, the true goal of all worthy philosophies, and that too of Scottish Rite Freemasonry, comes about through a proper personal perspective and a revelation that affirms the inner Light with that yet Greater Light.

-- Much thanks to the Past Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Henry C. Clausen 33*, for his wonderful story about the scientist and his great many insights into Scottish Rite Freemasonry in his Commentaries on Morals and Dogma.

Through the Gate

2009-03-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

I remember vividly my first experiences with Masonic ritual. I recall donning strange clothing and waiting patiently in a small room before I would knock for the first time on the doors of Freemasonry.

I wore the traditional hoodwink and relied on the faithful guidance of men I would later come to know as brothers...and good friends. I walked in darkness aimlessly it seemed. I kneeled at an altar. And from there I beheld the Light from the darkness.

In time, I returned to this scene...twice actually. I participated in a series of ritual degrees that Presidents and even Kings have taken part in before me. I felt honored. I felt the excitement that mystery brings with it. And I felt the weight of centuries old tradition stirring in my neophyte blood. When I walked the steps of Hiram it was as though the All Seeing Eye of providence was indeed looking down on me...me alone, a Freemason.

I was 'Raised' a Master Mason having completed the three degrees of blue lodge Masonry individually. I am proud to say that the man who raised me, Brother Tim Couch KCCH, remains a friend who I still learn from and who embodies the teachings of Freemasonry as well as any man ever could. Tim has been there for me whenever I needed him. And he has offered me counsel and instruction whenever I asked or whenever I just needed it. As Tim says...he 'kept the Light burning.'

Becoming a Freemason is one of the best things that I have ever done. I have made many friends, a world of brothers, and I have finally found a place for my philosophical mind and my spiritual heart.

The Light is the Center in Masonry and in this world. And certainly there are many avenues and approaches to it. But times have changed for Freemasonry. A critical and growing concern among lodges is falling membership; loss of interest; and lack of respect for morals and age old traditions. Across the country, many lodges and districts are looking to swell the ranks through various forms of accelerated degree programs such as Missouri's 'Chance to Advance' program.

Options such as Chance to Advance, or C2A, allow men to complete two (and in some areas of the country, all three) degrees in one day. The setting is instructional and typically there are scores of candidates watching on the sidelines as a single candidate takes their place in the degrees, with explanations to follow. It is a rapid admission into an Order that once called for months, if not years, of proficiency and learning before advancement could be made.

There are many things that can be said about the C2A. There are pros and cons of course. It is perhaps a modern answer to modern problems of time, membership losses, and recruiting. I posed questions concerning the C2A and similar programs on the AIOTR Facebook Group Page for discussion. I received some excellent input from the Brothers...

Brother Tim Couch KCCH, the Brother who Raised me into the Craft, had this to say about it:

"IMHO the C2A is a working tool. Like any useful tool it is good for the purpose for which it was designed. And, like any tool the quality of the result lies more in the hands of the craftsman than in the tool.

The one day class is excellent for Masonic education, brotherly fellowship, and expediency. In some cases it is the first and best opportunity for candidates and Master Masons to witness proficient ritual. It allows candidates to observe Master Masons as a broader group than their home Lodge. However, it is not right for everyone. Some men need to physically experience the degrees in order to make the connection to the secrets within.

We need to do a better job of explaining both, the abbreviated degree track and the traditional route to the candidate. He needs to thoroughly understand what is available to him and be free to choose without influence or prejudice. Masonry teaches that each man is free to find his own way. So to say, "This way is better," is to restrict that freedom. Records show that the retention rate is about the same regardless of which degree track the candidate takes so the problem is not in the one day class concept.

The problem, as I see it, is with our lack of follow up. We bring them in for a full day of intensive Masonic education and then we say, "If you have any questions feel free to ask." They don't ask; we go about our business. We run them through the three degrees in Lodge without any real education or even explanation of what is happening. Some men will soldier on and discover what Masonry has to offer them, but others will simply shrug and look elsewhere for the fulfilment they seek. It's not a matter of how we bring them to Light. It's a matter of keeping the Light burning.

Education, communication, contact. It's a commitment but if we're not willing to make that commitment we shouldn't sign their petitions."

I wholeheartedly agree with Brother Couch. I have communicated with him in addition to his post on the discussion board and he added, "I agree that Masonry in its current form is proffered too easily. It cheapens the institution that we love. However, we also have to be pragmatic. An institution that withers and dies because it holds strictly to its ideals at the cost of membership is just as dead as one that becomes so diluted as to become useless. It's a fine line."

Well. I couldnt say that any better. Besides being a fine line...its a very good point as well. Thus it falls upon modern Freemasons to be both pragmatic in their approach to new members and responsible to their new fellow brothers.

It must be added that some lodges, my own included, are a bit overtaxed on their Masonic work load. C2A allows the lodge officers and the new candidates a way to lessen the burdens on their individual schedules. Considering the times we live in...this is indeed the C2A as a 'working' tool.

The greatest issue at stake is, I believe, that we usher in men who are sincere candidates into our Order. And, most importantly, that these men do not find our Order diminished in favor of expediency or pragmatic necessities. How then can we insure that our Craft continues to gain new and excited members who learn the same traditions, values and moral philosophies of Freemasonry? I think that we must do as Brother Tim Couch said...we must 'Keep the Light Burning.'

We Master Masons must be responsible to our Order, to those who knocked on the Masonic doors before us, and to those who seek admittance to our ancient and established traditions. It is up to each of us to see that our lodges provide the instruction that our faithful foundations demand. Brother Michael J Cockroft of Minerva Lodge #98 in Miamisburg, Ohio suggests assigning specific committees to the task of provoking thoughtful discourse and Masonic resource in lodge. I agree that this kind of direct Masonic education is a necessity at this time whether one passes through the Gate via the C2A or otherwise. Furthermore, I think that we must each take up the shepherds crook and guide our brothers into the future of our magnificent Fraternity.

Brothers. We must lead and teach by example. We must continually strive to be the 'better men' we hope to become.

However a man begins his Masonic journey we must remind him all the while that he has brothers to aid him along the way. I am reminded of a ritual myself, when in darkness I was guided by those steadfast hands of my Masonic stewards. I made my way to the Light...with help.

Hiram's Dust

2009-03-09T02:24:00.000-07:00

"I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: `My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away." — Percy Bysshe Shelley (The Complete Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley)

----

Time is a commodity for all of us in our modern society. Time translates into opportunity. It is opportunity for service; it is opportunity for work; and it is opportunity for rest....

Hmm...sound familiar?

Thus time holds the greatest of values. Still, we too often squander it and let the sands drift amiss. This is life crossing the divide in death by fractions. We journey our hours toward the end of all our opportunities. So what must be accomplished we must do now. Our service and our work is not a calling so much as a completion.

When we put ourselves in service to our Brothers, we serve the Light. When we put ourselves in service to our Diety, we serve the Light. When we put ourselves in service to our families, we serve the Light. When we put ourselves in service to our country...our community...we serve the Light. That is, we serve what is Greater than ourselves; that which must endure even though we as individuals will pass away as Hiram's dust.

The Hindu faith teaches that men are the realized expression of the essence of God. Christianity, Judaism and Islam profess that man was created in the 'image of God.' And Science informs us that humanity is a biological manifestation of forces and archetypes of nature connected at a quantum level. These ideas are not so different.

Our eyes are the eyes that see the suffering. Our hearts are the hearts that compel our compassion. Our minds are the minds that offer solutions for the wearied. And our hands are the hands that may comfort the fallen.

The very definition of an Angel, the original root of the word (angle), translates into 'messenger.' Angels took on the name of their deity and then a word denoting a description of their individual function. This was a case in many cultures of the past. It is most easily recognized in the Judeo Christian faith in Angelic names such as Michael (the Face of God), Uriel (the Light of God), Raphael (the Healing of God) and even Gabriel (the hero, or even body of God).

What do we Brothers represent? Do we simply represent our own wills, our own desires and our own passions?

As Freemasons we men are taught to 'learn to subdue' our passions. In fact, throughout our rituals and obligations we are cast into a singular image, and as the rough ashlar is perfected...so too are we. What is that image we strive toward? What is a perfect ashlar?

There is Life in this Universe and we are a part of it. To serve ourselves alone is to make a cancer of oneself and to only feed upon that greater whole we are all so truly invested in. Through our service to that which is Greater than ourselves and through our works, we become the face and the healing; and we become the body and, indeed, the Light.

We Freemasons know our working tools so well. But do we know that we are working tools as well?

Time will lead us all along a treacherous path. We will face first one Ruffian and then another. It is Death, the third Ruffian, who awaits us on that path. He will ask you for the sum of your works. But the worthy will have nothing to impart to him. For in the Master, the works are complete.

The Secret is not buried and it is nowhere Lost...for it is Realized.

...

Ruffians Join Facebook

2009-03-02T23:32:00.000-08:00

Greetings Ruffians.

The Ancient and Illustrious Order of the Three Ruffians is now on Facebook as well as Myspace. We recognize the powerful networking ability of both social sites and believe that such online groups may well represent the future of broad based Masonic lodges and communities.

Be sure to search for us on Facebook under 'The Ancient and Illustrious Order of the Three Ruffians' - or a derivation of such. And dont forget to find us on Myspace at
http://www.myspace.com/3ruffians

We look to expand Freemasonry into the future and make our Great Fraternity relevant in our lives and our communities! It requires involvement to do so! Join us now!

Howie Damron - The Masonic Ring

2009-03-02T01:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Howie Damron for supporting Freemasonry through song. If you would like to get ahold of Howie or just tell him that you like his stuff then email him...

Email: cdamron1@aol.com

3rd Prize for 3 Ruffians

2009-02-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to my fellow Ruffians of the Gate of the Temple Lodge #422 for taking 3rd Prize for Best Chili in the Annual Sertoma Chili Cookoff in Springfield, Missouri. It was our first time to enter the competition and I think we did pretty well against 78 other entries involved!

Masters Monta, and Jeremy did a wonderful job building a Masonic facade for our booth and, quite obviously, Monta and Bob managed to mix together some rather good Masonic chili. The recipe is a secret however...as are most things in Masonry.

It occurs to me that we took 3rd Place. After all, we are Ruffians!

With the help of David Caldwell, we put together this shindig in an effort to further expose our community to the values and the members of our Masonic lodge. We had the full support of the Missouri Grand Lodge and we're glad we could thank them with a trophy finish!

We Ruffians urge all Masonic Lodges to get involved in their community events. After all, you can't be in a position to aid your fellow brothers unless you walk side by side with them.

Which Way is Up?

2009-02-15T03:37:00.001-08:00

We live in confusing times. Things used to make perfect sense. The earth was flat. The sun revolved around the earth. God spoke from the top of a mountain and death alone was certain.

Then in the last couple of thousand years, we changed our tack. Suddenly, we were all sinful, flawed and fallen beings. A single male sacrifice on a cross solved that problem for a while, but then came Galileo, Copernicus and ... Darwin.

What were we left with then? It seemed that the more we peered into our universe, and the more that we learned about ourselves as humans, we just got smaller, more lost, vulnerable and more meaningless than ever.

All of this has fallen under the all too clinical description of 'existential angst.' We dont really know what that is either, because like everything else in the universe...we don't know much more than enough to slap on a description or a label.

There used to be tribes in Africa that simply didnt have a word for 'war' or 'murder.' They didnt know anything about the concept. Some of them still exist. There are those tribesmen who simply cannot think outside the idea of 'the people.' A man like that will sit in a doctor's office and tell the doctor that "We are sick. Can you help us?" A man like that cannot individuate himself from his tribe. It's pretty common in some parts, so much so that psychologists and doctors have to take it into consideration as they treat multicultural patients.

So here we are...the products of our environment. And we don't really understand a damn thing about it. So it's easier to minimize and individualize everything so that our paths from home to work to friends to lovers to community are well worn. We tap into all of our available Freudian ego defense mechanisms and make lives for ourselves. Cozy. Safe.

Each and every day I am in awe of the universe. It's big. I've seen the hubble pictures. I watched 'Cosmos' with Carl Sagan as a kid and I watch more than my share of the Discovery Channel. The rest I learned in school or I just picked up on the hood of my car with my highschool girlfriend as we gazed romantically into the stars.

But I'm not sure I buy it. Because the Universe is impossible.

You see, things dont just pop out of nothing. Unless its a Hollywood special effect, you cant just make something out of nothing at all. Try making a radio with nothing...a plasma screen...or an iPod. Hell...try making a sound. You still need a lot of something.

The more science goes crawling into its theories or the more religion goes plugging up the gaps, the less we really know about the Universe and the more we have simply 'decided' to know about it. Why? Because we're building something out of nothing.Sure I have my own theories on the Big Nothing. But thats not really what matters is it? That's a peculiar choice of words if you really think about it. What matters? Matter? Ahhh...Nothing.

Its clear that we're all a part of it. It's a big connected nothing that happens to be something if you look at it. And when you think of it that way then you have begun to think like a physicist working on M theory, non locality, or quantum entanglement. Or you just found yourself thinking like Alice...in Wonderland.

What do we do in the middle of this? Or the side? Or the bottom? Where are we!? By scientific reckoning, the Universe is Trillions of light years across...virtually infinite in every direction. You could start walking at the speed of light right now and live trillions of human lifetimes before you made it halfway to nowhere. That's impressive.

I've been living a human life myself thank you, and I have experienced an amazing array of things, everything from happiness to sadness, pain, death, love...

I'd like to think that it matters; that I matter. I guess we all want to shine in the sky and say 'here I am!' before that great night closes in and leaves, once more, only darkness.

In the midst of this labyrinthe of nothingness, people like to make themselves roadmaps. Some people call them egos. People want to know where the ground is. They want a center to their lives. We all avoid the desperate feeling that scuba divers get when you get all turned around deep down and don't know which direction the surface is anymore. Scuba divers have faith that their bouyancy will bring them up. People have faith that there indeed is a center.

Through the centuries, people have made idols to worship. The Sun. Various gods and goddesses. Nature. That's the Center we all yearn for. Yet human 'gravity' moves us to do very few things and it's very linear. We survive and we reproduce. We seek pleasure and we flee from pain. It's a rather binary existence in a world of dualities in the midst of an awesome singularity that we cannot possibly understand in terms of our humanity. And that singularity is the Center that we are trying to find.

In these modern times, both science and religion are tearing humanity apart. Spirituality has become a meaningless, almost taboo, word for the ignorant or the saps and the suckers. And science has glamourized the machine culture as it labels Mother Nature and strips the brain into gears. If you want to find Spirituality then you just have to read about it in a sacred book or, if you're a neurologist, then you just have to look at your grid and give a nice little pulse to the right spot. Voila!

The philosopher Kant supposed that humans could not know reality beyond their perception of reality. Hmmm. That's something to think about. How much can we perceive? And if we are each perceiving reality through our own personal 'lens' then what? Now...put that in perspective with the 'cultural' lens and you might see what Pepsi, Coke and Geiko are upto in their advertising.

Everywhere today I watch as people wear the 'right' clothes, drive the 'right' cars and work themselves to an early grave as they conform to the cultural standards as set by the media and their local peer groups. People look down on each other if they dont dress like they do or if they dont have as much money or drive what they drive. With religion falling apart and the mindless mechanizations of science, the Lost are simple minimizing their world in order to maximize their feeling of safety.

How far can this go? We have now begun to worship ourselves. We wear Prada. We drive BMW, Lexus and Mercedes. And we drink the ambrosia of Cristal. Look at how beautiful we are.

And yet...we are all just wandering around in a jungle seeking out, with the same natural gravity, the required survival and reproduction. We are still spinning around on a speck in space in the middle, or the side, or the bottom...of nowhere. What happens when 'You' die? Do you 'Go' to heaven? And if the universe simply takes you back by gobbling your atoms back in...then who were 'You' to begin with? You had better think about that if you're just the garden variety ego serving atheist with a Mercedes, a trophy wife and all of the other trapping you have surrounded yourself with to mask that horrible odor of 'Fear' that your gut is giving off.

The more we worship ourselves, our own egos, then the more afraid we obviously are.

Spirituality, to me at least, is about perspective. I think we are all the expression of something underlying...call it DNA, God, the Force....I dont care. But, whatever the archetypes, we are the result. We are the Myth made flesh. And perhaps, for our level at least, that is entirely enough.

Still, we must ponder morality and ethics...good and evil, in this topsy turvy house of mirrors. It used to make sense. When we thought that the earth was flat it was easy to say that heaven was 'Up' and that Hell, or the underworld, was 'Down.' This was a part of seeing, Kant might say 'perceiving,' the world from a Dualist perspective. And that's the problem I guess with Good and Evil...

When you really pay attention to the world, the Universe as it is-infinite in all directions, you cannot help but question. Heaven...Hell? Which Way is Up?

Within various psychological models, it is stressed that the so-called "hero's journey" leads us to a kind of communion with the Self...the greater Ego. It is the Center that is everywhere and we are tasked, like Hercules before us, to finally confront our fears and so divest ourselves of the pointless, soulless, trappings that divide us from our shared being.

It is a point of survival to drive the 'right' car or have the 'right' look to succeed, survive and so reproduce. But simply surviving in this way is pointless if we live without perspective. Is it a social perspective, a cultural perspective, a global perspective or just an individual perspective that matters? In other words...what is the 'right' lens of perception? Where is the meaning?

I know this much. People who savage themselves with being 'better' than the other guy are just working very hard to prove themselves to someone who they fear in some way...who they have empowered to be a judge.

Why don't we just let go? Why dont we let go of the fear and just go on with our surviving and reproducing without it? It seems that we can't of course. We moderns are not conditioned to accept ... we are conditioned to excel...to compete... to overcome our judges - those real or simply imagined.

I like what the Bhagavad Gita has to say about sacred actions and the 'right' way to be. In the Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna the archer that actions must be taken without attachment to personal ego. He also urges that Arjuna should always offer his works and rewards to God...to the Center. In that way Arjuna, or any man for that matter, may live from a more 'authentic' perspective. For it is certain that man was not the first something in the great big nothing. He is a form. He is a passing cloud driven by the winds.

Have we sold our souls to the lesser gods of Gucci, New Religion, and Affliction? Why isnt 'Your Name' on your shirt or handbag? Don't you know who You are in this big nothing?

Indeed...if you don't know 'Which Way is Up?' then Take a Look Around.

The Geometry of God

2009-01-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

'God is ever doing Geometry.' - Plato

'Form follows function.' - Louis Henri Sullivan

'If you want to make an apple pie from scratch...first you have to create the universe.' - Carl Sagan

The square and compass with the letter 'G' in the center is easily the most recognizable and universal symbol of Freemasonry. But even many Masons themselves do not readily understand its meaning. Indeed, Freemasonry is synonymous with mystical architecture, science, philosophy and allegory. Its lexicon of symbols, words and ritual elements serve to reveal (re-veil) deeper truths, thus obscuring those truths even when making them plainly obvious. So what is the truth revealed within the square and compass?

Long ago, men looked up to the stars and marvelled at the workings of the heavens. They feared the dying winter sun and they placated their gods of storms and earthquakes with virgin sacrifices and blood offerings. Of course, our ancestors could be written off simply as ignorant or superstitious. But this supernatural order of theirs was no more or less than a paradigm encompassing their own role in the natural order. They both recognized and unconsciously projected their own patterns of mind into the world about them. The mystical man is an innocent not yet divested of his own connection to nature. Man in the Garden walks with God.

In 585 BCE. Thales of Miletus posited that all things were made of a single substance (he assumed this substance was water). Importantly, he reasoned that the processes of change, or the principles of motion, might arise from within the substance itself.

Whether there are gods or natural forces at work behind the universal curtain, it is the question of will that has driven debates of God's design and man's personal consciousness. Who is behind the scene? Indeed, perhaps all any man can do is observe the effect of the forces (or gods?) for how can a man, as small as he is, look upon the face of God? And, as a man, could he recognize it if he saw it?

Whatever it is that drives the change in the cosmos must then be the very will of the universe. It is the initial cause, the archetype (blueprint) for what will come to be. Today, science seems to agree with Thales in that the universe is a singularity (perhaps not H2O). Still, it is the causal dynamic, the finger on the trigger, or the seed that proves elusive.

Following Thales and others of like mind, the Greek philosopher Pythagoras opened schools of study and learning. Pythagoras looked to mathematical congruence and geometric forms to uncover the Divine. The knowing of one thing would reveal the other. It was the Hermetic maxim...'As Above...So Below.' The macrocosm was revealed in the microcosm. Math was no less a philosophy or mystical approach than a hard science. It was also a very useful tool.

As every Master Mason should already know, the square and compass together represent the width, breadth and depth of all creation that may be so 'formed' or 'encompassed' by such as four corners and squares or circles and compasses. And there, in the center (though not always symbolized by a 'G' or a star), rests the will, the seed, the Light, the Supreme Being that is the mind within the form. Perhaps there is no true distinction between mind and form, between body and soul. And so, the square and compass is All.

The earliest philosphers came to understand geometry as sacred, for with these mathematical tools Order became apparent amidst the seeming chaos of nature. The face of God could be approached at last. This form of gnostic 'knowing' of the Divine was immediately anathema to early Church authorities. And because there was no clear separation of Church and State, these philosophies and sciences were demonized and considered heretical.

Ancient Freemasonry represented one form of philisophical preservation and inquiry. The Mystery Schools were just that, centers of learning. Men of reason were drawn to tenets of freedom, inquiry and a personal relationship with the Divine, free of the abuses of the times and the Inquisition of the Church.

The Square and Compass of Freemasonry represents the succinct ideology and the most sacred wisdom of the Order. The 'G' that sometimes stands for God also represents the natural order of Geometry. What or who that god is is not for me to say. For we all have our own distinct paradigms in which we find our own personal meaning and place. Perhaps it is All a Mind or just simply a mathematical Order. Respectfully, I dont see much of a difference either way.

Sacred math and geometry were not only for the Greek minds. Jewish scholars passed the oral and written traditions of the Kabbalah from generation to generation. Within the Kabbalah can be found the exposition of entire worlds from the simple interactions of numbers.

The Great Philosophy points to a Stairway to Heaven. Indeed the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, made of its ten primary sephiroth (each an Archetypal next step) is a kind of Jacob's Ladder for man to approach the Ineffable. For centuries, men sought to master those very steps whether it was their purpose to reach to God or to understand how the Universe came to be.

When one draws together these philosophies, one arrives at a concise and illuminating explanation for the creation and workings of the cosmos. A simple interaction of space and form beginning from the singularity of 1 leads to a progression of forms, solids, forces and dynamics. This principle remains sound even within biology as the single fertilized egg replicates in accordance to a precise set of parameters set forth by dna. Going back much further evolutionarily, we find the simplest of early forms...and finally single cells.

And so, perhaps, the Universe began most simply as an undivided whole. Now it is still one, just as the human body might be, but it is somehow more as well...revealed unto itself. For every passing moment it becomes more defined. It grows. Perhaps it learns. How much it knew in the beginning or started with may always evade even our most far reaching philosophies. Yet those philosophies are our eyes to see the invisible webs of order...the very Order at the center of the square and compass.

Best of Ruffians 08'!

2009-01-18T23:17:00.000-08:00

The Ancient and Illustrious Order of the Three Ruffians is honored that you have checked out what we have had to say and we all appreciate your support within the Fraternity. We hope that you continue with us along our journey...to the East!

Here are some of the most frequented Ruffian Posts from the last year...

April 2008,
"21st Century Freemason"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/04/21st-century-freemason.html

May 2008,
"McMorals and McDogma"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/05/mcmorals-and-mcdogma.html

May 2008,
"The Masonic Revolution"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/05/masonic-revolution.html

May 2008,
"Meet Our Tyler...Durden"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/05/meet-our-tylerdurden.html

June 2008,
"That All Men Are Created Equal"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/06/that-all-men-are-created-equal.html

June 2008,
"All Those Empty Chairs"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/06/all-those-empty-chairs.html

August 2008,
"The Towers"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/08/stage-is-set.html

September 2008,
"The Esoterica"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/09/esoterica.html

September 2008,
"The Esoterica-Part 2"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/09/esoterica-follow-up.html

October 2008,
"Speculative Wisdom"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/10/speculative-wisdom.html

November 2008,
"Here's to the Brothers!'
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/11/we-take-good-men-and-make-them-better.html

December 2008,
"The Treasure of Freemasonry"
http://www.3ruffians.com/2008/12/treasure-of-freemasonry.html

Check out some of these posts and thumb through our hallowed Archive for much more.

Thanks for being a part of the Ruffian Revolution!

'The Courtesies of Angels'

2009-01-17T22:34:00.000-08:00

Brother Tim Couch always has great things to say. He has a knack for words. But its the way Tim looks at things, at life, that I like. Writing in his own blog, www.straightupamerican.com Tim had this to say about the recent airliner crash in the Hudson...

"My wish for you today is that you recognize a miracle.

Every now and then something happens that leaves no doubt about the existence of divine intervention. We had a great example of it this past week. An airliner carrying a hundred and fifty-five people is knocked out of the sky by a flock of birds over a city of eight million people, and no one is seriously injured. How can anyone not see the miracle in that?

The news media keeps calling it a “story of luck and heroism.” Certainly, the flight crew are all heroes, but luck? Luck is drawing to a straight flush. Luck is not skirting skyscrapers and threading crowded airspace with a flying brick and then landing it in heavily trafficked waters without hitting anything. That is miraculous.

But then, if the Great Architect were going to intervene why didn’t he simply move the birds out of the way? He could’ve done that, but if he had it would’ve been just another uneventful flight. It would’ve still been a miracle, but we would not have noticed. Miracles happen every day all around us. We just don’t recognize them.

Every time we climb behind the wheel and hurl ourselves down the highway at high speeds but somehow arrive safely at our destination, it’s a miracle. Consider all the people on the road at the same time who have to do the right thing at the right instant in order for nothing to happen. Every time we cross a street, go for a walk, cross a room, turn over a rock, a miracle might have happened. We just don’t recognize it.

Miracles are happening all around us. Perhaps they are the courtesies of angels, and like most courtesies they are more readily given when they are appreciated. So keep an eye out for your miracles because I assure you they are there. Appreciate them. Be grateful. And, recognize that in a world of possibilities angels are doing miraculous things in your behalf."

Bro. Tim Couch http://straightupamerican.com/recognizing-miracles/

I for one know a little something about living by 'the courtesies of angels.' I wouldnt be here without them.

I think that we all need to pay attention in life. We need to wake up and recognize that indeed life itself is the greatest of miracles. We humans learn so fast and adapt so quickly that a lot of the finery is lost on us. We need to appreciate more. To borrow the cliche, we need to smell the roses.

It's all perspective. It's not how we look at things so much as how we 'see' them.

I remember reading Carlos Castaneda's book 'The Teachings of Don Juan' about his experiences with a Yaqui Indian shaman. Don Juan, the shaman, had to teach Castaneda how to 'See' all over again because, like all Westerners, Castaneda had 'learned' to see what he expected, what he wanted, and what he feared. But he missed what was there and he missed something much greater than that...he missed the bigger picture...and the personal metaphor.

'The Kingdom of Heaven is Within.' 'For those who have ears to hear and eyes to see...'
Both quotes from the Gospels.

And how true that all is. You can't miss the Angels if you have such eyes...if you watch the sunrise...and you 'See.'

That's not spiritualism. That's philosophy. That's a perspective.

Site Maintenance Completed

2009-01-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

Greetings Fellow Ruffians.

A few of you might have recently noticed that for the last week 3Ruffians.com wasnt showing up in your browser. Basically, I was running some maintenance and making some changes to the site, its domain redirection and the like. Things like that take a while for servers to process.

Everything should be in order and posts will resume as usual!

Happy New Year 2009.

2009-01-01T03:16:00.000-08:00

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away." --Unknown

"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching." --Satchel Paige

"You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing." --Michael Pritchard

"Life is a great big canvas; throw all the paint on it you can." --Danny Kaye

"He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much." --Bessie A. Stanley

"Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It's never too late to be who you might have been." --George Eliot

"You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough." --Joe E. Lewis

"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death." --James F. Byrnes

"Success is a journey, not a destination." --Arthur Ashe

Ruffian Masonic New Year's Resolutions.

2008-12-30T22:33:00.000-08:00

1. We resolve to agree once and for all on the Worshipful Masters hat. And that Stetson has to go.

2. We will memorize more than our grocery list this year.

3. We will finally remove the shag carpet from the Temple floor.

4. We will throw out the leftovers and leave the 'Mystery Meat' to the Elks Club.

5. As soon as we figure it out for ourselves, we will reveal the secrets behind Hanger 18.

6. We will apologize to our wives for mumbling incoherently to ourselves between degrees.

7. We will agree to 'Party Like its 1799.'

8. We will open and close each lodge meeting on the same day.

9. We will stop allowing the Tyler to bring a 'Wii' to the Outer Door.

10. As a Resolution of Health in the New Year we will add a period of rigorous calisthenics to our meetings and degrees.

The Treasure of Freemasonry

2008-12-30T02:48:00.000-08:00

We Masons know well of the rituals, the working tools, the degrees, our Obligation and the words and signs of our Order. We learn them through usage, study and repetition. But what do we know? Time and again, those outside of the Craft accuse us of being ignorant of our own Mysteries. Do they really know something that we do not? Have we stumbled on our Path to Light?

These days, following the publication of books such as 'The DaVinci Code,' it seems in vogue to delve into the mysteries and legends of our collective past. Many synthesize their own histories out of vacuous second hand accounts. And some others malign the Order and interpret its motives to be more sinister than magnanimous.

Time and again, as a Freemason, I am reminded of how open our Order has become to scrutiny. Freemasonry has become a favorite dramatic device and finds itself at work behind the scenes in movies, books, web articles, and the other portals of the popular imagination.

That sort of scrutiny leaves many wondering. On one hand, outsiders tell me they know more than I do about the 'truth' of Freemasonry. And, on the other hand, many Masons I know simply dont bother to learn the basis of the symbology of the Order and its teachings or, worse, they would rather avoid all of that in favor of the comradery and familiarity that Masonry offers them in the Lodge. As much as some may want to 'know,' others dont want to wonder. They are almost more comfortable not knowing.

Do we Masons really know where the Ark of the Covendant is or the Spear of Destiny for that matter? What of the Holy Grail? Are they but myths or are they really something more?

It might take volumes, even libraries, to expound upon each of these world mysteries. But what is really at question here is whether or not we Freemasons have preserved something of these secrets over the centuries or simply preserved folklore and legend that anyone with a computer might now uncover.

I do believe that we have.

It is my assertion that Freemasonry has protected and preserved some of the greatest mysteries and some of the most illustrious inheritances of mankind if for no other reason than through the Order's forbearance of lawless despotism and its tolerance of multiple disciplines and ideologies.

We Masons who have witnessed the degrees of the Scottish Rite and the bodies of the York Rite must certainly agree that there is a common philosophy at work. Masonry begins at King Solomon's Temple under the aegis of the wisest of Kings. Here we begin to learn of the value of such things as tolerance, of service to state and mankind and of the importance of personal mastery.

Still, where does all of this come from? More importantly, what does all of this mean? If we look closely and study as we are instructed as Fellowcrafts to do, then we find the guarded metaphysical philosophies of the East and many of the familiar caveats of the Greek Miracle. Like Many P. Hall we discover the Kabbalistic and Hermetic ideas of universal cosmology. And in so doing, we begin to understand the reasons to hide and keep secret knowledge that struck at the heel and heart of the Church of the Dark Ages. In those fevered and agonized minds full of fire and brimstone, knowledge was a fearful freedom and anathema.

What secrets has the Order preserved that are more important than those open minded philosophies of the enlightenment of the rennaisance? These secrets include arithmetic, geometry, the metaphysics and the hard natural sciences. Men of intellect and men who sought freedom from tyranny simply found one another in the Lodge.

What could you do with the Holy Grail in your cupboard or the Mercy Seat to rest on? Do you seek the power to turn lead to gold or some other promised magical reward?

The degrees of Freemasonry are meant to help us in uncovering our treasures within. They are thus aids to restoring the temple that was lost, that perspective of ours, and the treasures it affords. There is a secret in all of that if you really want to find it. It isnt at all subversive. It certainly isnt sinister. But you do have to want to find it.

Ignorance confounds the rewards of the Great Mystery. But there have been those who, through the centuries, have sought to understand. They imperiled themselves in times of darkness to preserve those ideas, philosophies, sciences and legends that might lead the free thinkers to the actualization of the human seed of consciousness and the unfettered awareness of self in relation to nature and God.

Anyone who is truly on that path knows something of Freemasonry.

The Light is strong. We must remember that the shadows it casts are cast by ourselves as we stand revealed before it. Blind we begin our search but we learn to trust our guides as we walk the light and the dark. Shall we simply cast them aside when they are no longer brothers, but words, signs and tokens?

In the end should we not all be Craftsmen of our own personal mysteries? Indeed we must know and reach a balance with the light and dark in our inner temple. 'For the Kingdom of Heaven is within.'

Freemasonry is a personal journey. It is a Path to Light and knowing. What treasure is greater than the Ark, or the Emerald Tablet, the sceptre of a King, or the mitre of a Bishop?

You are.

That Brotherhood Stuff

2008-12-08T02:05:00.000-08:00

A few of us Ruffians, myself included, spent much of our weekend at the Shrine Fall Ceremonial for Abou Ben Adhem Temple in Springfield, Missouri.

We had a great time.

If you're imagining a lot of guys sharing stories and jokes, drinking, and carrying on like theres some kind of party going on...then you're not far off! We Ruffians did a lot of all of that. But there were also new Candidates to prepare. There was instruction to attend to. And there was a lot of work going on in the background.

True to form, I made my way up and down the stairs...in and out of the rooms and slipped here and there fraternizing among the brothers. I like to get to know people. And I like to involve myself in whatever I can to keep myself busy.

During the two days I spent mixing it up with my fellow Nobles, I came to be impressed with something I found. There are a lot of good men in there!

I remember going through the rites of passage of the Shrine myself. It was quite a bit different from the Blue Lodge to be sure. But I understand and happen to agree with all of the many rites I have passed through in Masonry. A man must prove himself along the way as a Mason...to his Brothers...and, most importantly, to himself.

When I went through my Shrine initiations, I wasnt sure what to make of all of these guys giving me a hard time and testing my mettle. Frankly, I wasnt sure anyone there liked me at all! I was a Mason...but not a member of the Shrine then.

After I became a Noble things changed. I came to find the same Masons I had liked so much from the Lodge and the Rites before. It was another door opened to me in Freemasonry. And the guys seem to respect the fact that I had bothered to knock.

I came across something that one doesnt necessarily expect in this kind of event. In the midst of all of the fun and the craziness I happened to notice a lot of clear Masonic heads. Time after time, when situations arose, I witnessed men of good character standing together and seeing to it that, in the end, the Masonic thing was done.

There were a lot of guys with a great deal of compassion and Masonic worthiness watching over their Brothers. I saw them stand up against unmasonic conduct, defend the ideals of the Order and come to their Brothers aid when needed.

I found all of this very encouraging.

From everything I know, things havent been so smooth in some parts between the Blue Lodge and the Shrine. Many Masons are concerned that too many men are simply using the Blue Lodge as a gateway to the Shrine. Admittedly, I have been concerned about that as well. And yet, time and again when I attend Shrine events (at least in my area) I find that I am not simply cavorting with Shriners...but with Masons still.

I do not agree with those who would divide the bodies of Masonry. The Shrine is an important part of Freemasonry. It offers a place for Masons to gather together where they can stand at ease. They wont forget the Obligations and standards of the Order so long as there remain as many honorable Brothers as I know there to be in the rank and file. The Shrine offers so much to Masonry and serves so very well in its charitable contributions.

I would like to see all of the bodies of Masonry thrive. And it is up to every Brother to provide real honor and substance to the Order. Each Brother must stand tall among his Fellows wherever he finds them. If each man follows his Masonic Obligation he is part of the foundation. And if that man helps his Brothers follow it as well then he is a Builder.

We are Masons. We are Craftsmen of the Spirit. We are all indeed builders. Let us celebrate the bodies of Masonry together. Thus, together, we will keep the spirit of Freemasonry strong and never weaken that Light in our Temples.

I congratulate those Candidates who made it through their individual ordeals to call themselves Nobles. I'm sure you'll find the other Nobles, such as Masons, welcoming company. Becoming a man, building character and taking a good look inside are never easy things to do. But they are worth it.

It's all part of Brotherhood.

Here's to the brothers!

2008-11-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

“We take good men, and make them better.”

This is the creed of modern Freemasonry. Do we really make them better? Does Freemasonry really have that much of an effect? Is it possible to go thru the degrees, be raised on a one day class, maybe even join a handful of appended bodies, and simply be a better man? Or is it just a stepping stone? A beginning to what is a lifetime of education.

Tonight I had the privilege to spend the evening with four of my brothers, two of whom being my fellow founding Ruffians. One was a guy I had only seen at lodge, and one I met only for the first time. We didn’t do anything wild and crazy, like most men our age might have done, left alone and unsupervised. We simply indulged in the pleasurable company of each others insane stories, and our plots to leave our marks on this world.

We take good men and make them better. This saying came to mind as I drove home and I found myself thinking about what had just happened. For one of the first times ever in my life, I was able to sit around, with just the guys, share my thoughts and opinions, and listen to theirs, without having to climb on some soap box, or get defensive and get all upset. We were able to talk about religion, politics, women, and cigars and we even had a chance to play some poker, without anyone getting upset, or rowdy.

Good men. When I looked around the table tonight, watching the faces of the guys, as they tried to bluff their way through the game, I came to a realization. These men that I was sharing my evening with, the men that I gladly call brother, they are good men, and it is through Freemasonry that I have had this chance to meet them. It is through Freemasonry that any of us have ever met. One was a teacher, one a real estate agent, one a bartender, one I don’t even know about, and myself being in IT support. Where would you ever see such a combination? It is under the flag of Freemasonry, that you see men from all walks of life, come together, and unite for both brotherhood and fellowship.

WE make them better. Who are “we”? We are the fellow brothers that interact and befriend the newly made brother. We are the brothers that are there for you when you are alone in the darkness and need help being brought to Light. We are the brothers that help, aid, and assist you in becoming a better man. We are the brothers, that when you are walking down a wrong path, or are living a destructive life, are there to be a shoulder to lean on, even sometimes a crutch. It is the fellow brothers that are the ones that are making us better men. Freemasonry is a place where men who are good can come and associate themselves with other good men, and through this social intercourse become better.

Tonight as we left and said our goodnights, we all took the time to shake each others hand, and also, greet each other with a brotherly hug. Not because we are all mushy inside, but we all recognize that the time that we just spent together, was not just fun and games. We recognized that the time we just spent together was not just another night on the town. We recognized that what we had just done, was not only strengthen our bonds between each other, we had just also added something very important to each other’s lives. That was the gift of brotherhood. We had just participated in an age old event, which brought us all closer together, not just as Freemasons, but also as brothers. I have no doubt in my mind, that if I ever needed anything, I could call on one of these four guys, one of these better men, and they would be there.

Do we take good men, and make them better? Yes we do!

So here’s to you guys. All the Brother past and present, and especially to my brother Ruffians, I thank you, and I love you. ( as much as a brother can love a brother )

Not Just Your Dad's Freemasonry.

2008-11-10T01:27:00.000-08:00

Who does Freemasonry and all of its illustrious and profound Mysteries belong to? This is a question that needs answering once and for all.

First of all we must consider the forefathers and founders of Freemasonry. Perhaps, as some believe, these early Masons were Knights Templar, fleeing from the fires of King and Pope. Maybe they were only Rennaissance Guilds of stonemasons who chose to take a more speculative and philosophical view of their trade. Whatever the case, we Masons today owe a debt of gratitude to these men for creating the Fraternity that we adhere to as Brothers.

Certainly we must take into account men like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Pike, Estienne Morin, Florence and Fleming... for these such men changed the very face of Freemasonry. And so very many others who have come before...

Next, we must turn to the Master Masons of the present hour...all of us Brothers who are the living representation of Masonry as it is today. Is Freemasonry not in our hands? Are we Fellows not the bodies and minds of the Order...the very expressions of this sublime Craft?
Indeed we are. Each and every Master Mason is, by his Obligation, the embodiment of that Grandmaster...fated lost to the Three Ruffians. And just as that Grandmaster trancends the Ruffian injustices, so too does the Craft transcend the weathering of time...in each of us.

We Freemasons cannot fear and resist change. It is an axiom that change is the only constant in the Universe. Change is life. Therefore, the absolute resistance of change is death. We can only hope that young men, full of life and vigor, will pick up our Working Tools and apprentice our Craft. And we cannot deny that these men will be different than ourselves. The times will make them different...the culture and even their own experiences. Masonry too will have changed and what these men inherit from us will be unique in its own right.

We must not only then accept this change...new attitudes and perspectives on the Order. We must encourage them. Masonry can still retain its moral and spiritual center...its grand virtues and mysteries. The spendor will not differ, nor the Path to it's True Light. It will simply take on the 'dress of the times' and endure in the accoutrements of those who express its most modern design.

Freemasonry belongs to no single man. It is an Abiding Spirit that, unlike man, is not fettered by the bonds of mortality. Freemasonry belongs to each successive generation that weds it. And so in each generation it blossoms anew with renewed fragrance and aplomb.

For all of us today and to each generation hereafter...Masonry is ours.