Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM - TupeloMason

Patriot Guard Riders - Honor, Dignity, Respect - Interview with a Ride Captain, Starr Marshall - Video

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 09:55:00 +0000

David Olson does an interview with Patriot Guard Ride Captain, Starr Marshall.

Patriot Guard Riders Mission Statement The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America's freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.

We don't care what you ride, what your political views are, or whether you're a "hawk" or a "dove". It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you're from or what your income is. You don't even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect. Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives.

1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.

2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters.

We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.

Additional missions include:

*Support to wounded and injured service members
*Support for the families of service members
*Visits and activities at the VA Medical Centers and Minnesota State Veterans Homes
*Welcome Home and Deployment Send-off Missions
*Honor Missions for Veterans as requested by families

The MN Patriot Guard is a 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and acts in support of the national Patriot Guard Riders Organization.

http://www.patriotguard.org/
http://www.mnpatriotguard.org/

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The Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) - "They Ride with Respect" - Video

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 10:19:00 +0000

The Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South is a local chapter and part of a national nonprofit organization, know as the Patriot Guard Riders. Their national membership numbers have been estimated by some at nearing 500,000 and is rapidly growing.

This group composed of men and women, veterans and nonveterans, motorcycleist, and nonmotorcycleist, alike, have all banded together to support our nations Military, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, and their families to ensure that their service is not only appreciated, respected, and admired, but to also pay honor and tribute to their selfless service and sacrifice.

The PGR does this by notification through an elaborate process by which members of the PGR nation wide are notified of the death and immediate plans put into place to perfectly orchestrate a rally of its brotherhood to the site of the funeral, upon the request of the family. This is done for every request, for every person, that meets the above criteria, both past and present.

The PGR provides a motorcycle escort and U.S. flagline as a symbol of respect for our fallen. If you are interested in becoming part of this highly respected organization, to assist them in fullfilling this honored duty, the only thing required is a patriotic heart and an earnest desire for Duty, Honor, and Country. No money is required, just a desire to make sure our nations hero's are not forgotten.

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM recognizes the importance of this organization because we have many Masons in our brotherhood that are Veterans and are also members of the PGR. Our lodge of Freemasons recogzizes that the very principals that we hold in high regard and live by in our fraternity are exibited by the PGR as well.

Music is from http://www.af.mil/library/band/bagpipes.asp

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Patriot Guard Riders - Who are they? - Video

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:49:00 +0000

The Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South

You may have already seen them, they are patriotic citizens, that give of their own time to honor, and support all of America's military veterans. The Patriot Guard Riders, PGR as they are referred to, is not a motorcycle club. In fact, you don't have to ride a motorcycle to be a member. It's free to join and made up of all volunteers.

They have two (2) basic missions;

First, to honor and at the request of their family serve as escorts for our fallen heroes to their final rest. They serve as a shield against those who would disrupt and dishonor those who have fallen in service to our country.

Secondly, the PRG supports Help On The Homefront. (HOTH) This effort is to help active veterans and their families. For example, they help in building, repairing, adapting housing for disabled Vets needs.

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM
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Masonic Membership Information - Video

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:03:00 +0000

Below you will find a video produced by Indiana Freemasons on YouTube and hosted by the Grand Lodge of Mississippi on their YouTube Channel. You can access this video directly through Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM on YouTube via our channel, TupeloMason... HERE!

Indiana Freemasons:
Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest fraternity. It is comprised of adult men (18+) of good character from every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion, who believe in a Supreme Being. Its body of knowledge and system of ethics is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to improve himself while being devoted to his family, faith, country, and fraternity.

Hope you enjoy!

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM
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The Bee Hive & The Stock of Knowledge

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:49:00 +0000

In 1874 a new Masonic magazine began publication in San Francisco. The Craftsman's opening article bears these very strong words:

The day is past when the ignorant Mason can shine. The time has come when more is demanded of a 'bright' Mason than the knowledge of the Ritual. The Mason who claims to be 'well posted' must read; he must inform himself of the origin, the history, the philosophy, the laws and literature of our art, or he is a drone on our hive, and only valued for the dollars and cents he pays into the treasury of his lodge. Knowledge makes prosperity, and prosperity freedom; and he who has not these three qualifications is not a fit Craftsman, and can not be used on the building of that Temple Masonry intends to erect.

A statement like this reminds us that the Bee Hive, like the other monitorial symbols of the third degree, holds very serious and somber connotations—even a hint of warning.
We are quick to remember that "The Bee Hive is an emblem of industry, and recommends the practice of that virtue of all created beings, from the highest seraph in heaven, to the lowest reptile of the dust." But this symbol is no mere reminder to "keep busy," as so many desire interpret it. Our ritual is clear:

Thus was man formed for social and active life, the noblest part of the work of God; and he that will so demean himself as not to be endeavoring to add to the common stock of knowledge and understanding, may be deemed a drone in the hive of nature, a useless member of society, and unworthy of our protection as Masons.

Each Mason knows that he has certain obligations to every "worthy brother." While it is popular to equate worthiness with obediance to society's legal standards, this is nothing more than the same ever-shifting standard of the non-Masonic world. The ritual itself has something else to teach us. It refers to unworthiness exactly twice: first, in reference to one who refuses to comform to the initiatic process, and later to anyone who demeans himself through intellectual laziness.

The harshness of the Craft's teaching that drones are "unworthy of our protection as Masons" is based on a fact of nature: when fall arrives or resources are scarce, drones are expelled from the hive by the worker bees in order to conserve food. Drones do not build the hive, nor do they make honey. A drone's only real purpose is to mate with the queen bee, which is fatal to him. That means that any drones still in the hive as winter closes in are the ones who never mated. They are physically pushed out, banished from the protection, warmth and honey of the hive. The authors of our lectures chose a harsh reality to explain to us that Freemasonry is no mere destination to be passively enjoyed. It is something that must be continually maintained through mindful endeavor and ever-increasing knowledge. Neglect of this task can make us worthless to the Craft, little more than liabilities to our Order's noble mission, however contentedly we dine and toast.

What is required instead? Good bees and strong hives. A 1724 exposé on Freemasonry (actually written by Bro. Jonathan Swift) tells us that

A Bee has in all Ages and Nations been the Grand Hierogliphick of Masonry, because it excells all other living Creatures in the Contrivance and Commodiousness of its Habitation or Combe... What Modern Masons call a Lodge was for the above Reasons by Antiquity call'd a hive of Free-Masons, and for the same Reasons when a Dissention happens in a Lodge the going off and forming another Lodge is to this Day call'd swarming.

So the Bee Hive is actually one of the oldest Masonic symbols. Its use within the early lodges is further evidenced by the last few whimsical lines of a Masonic song penned in 1762 by Christopher Smart, the "bedlam poet":

Then fill up the Glass and be funny,
Attend to due Method and Form;
The Bee that can make the most Honey,
Is fairly the Flow'r of the Swarm.

And so it is that we have a choice of destinies. While being a mere drone does not mean physical death for us Freemasons, it does lead to a deadened awareness, intellectual poverty and ultimately failure to fulfill our Masonic potential and sworn duties. It is up to us whether our hearty festivities will be those of a merely empty and oblivious contentment, or celebrations of real wisdom gained. Those lodges that "make the most honey" will enjoy the sweetest delicacy of all: more light.

Shawn Eyer, P∴M∴March 9, 2007

from John Daye's The Parliament of Bees, 1641

[...H]ighest of all in rank, we must place that industry which is devoted to the acquisition of knowledge. This every one may combine with that necessary for his support; and every one is elevated to a higher position by every increase of knowledge that he makes. Even manual labour is best performed by men of intelligence; but knowledge leads to far better results than this, and as the mind is expanded by it, new sources of delight are opened, which never cease to flow. (Chalmers L. Paton, Freemasonry: Its Symbolism, Religious Nature and Law of Perfection, 1873, p. 184)

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM
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SFC Billy A. Sutton, US Army - Honor Guard: Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:32:00 +0000

Any Motorcyclst in the area that would be interested in participating with the Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South to escourt the body of a local U.S. Army soldier, SFC Billy A. Sutton, from the Tupelo Regional Airport to Holand Funeral home are requested to report to the airport at 0830 tomorrow morning to await the return of his body from overseas. There will also be an organized escourt of his body following the funeral on Saturday to the graveside in Verona, Ms. Members of Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM and Woodmen of the World will be joining the PGR of the Mid South to honor this fallen soldier. Contact information is listed below for those interested.

For more details, please read:

SFC BILLY A. SUTTON, 42, from Mooreville, MS died Monday, February 6th of natural causes while serving in Afghanistan with the 223rd Engineer Battalion of the MS Army National Guard. The family has requested the PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS participate in his services.

STAGING FOR ARRIVAL: Wednesday, February 15th at 8:30 AM, SFC Sutton is scheduled to arrive at TUPELO AVIATION UNLIM...ITED (FBO); 105 Lemons Drive, Tupelo 38801, the PGR will stage on the East side of Lemons Drive, across the street from the FBO and participate in the escort to HOLLAND FUNERAL DIRECTORS, a distance of less than 2 miles. MSG DAVID SPENCER will ride CITIZEN SOLDIER III and lead this escort.

VISITATION: The PGR will provide a US Flag line for visitation Friday, February 17th from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM at HOLLAND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; 5281 Cliff Gookin Blvd.; Tupelo, 38801. Everyone who would like to honor SFC Sutton is invited to participate with us in the flag line.

STAGING FOR FUNERAL SERVICES: Saturday, February 18th at 9:00 AM at the funeral home, the PGR will provide a US Flag line for visitation until the beginning of funeral services at 11:00 AM. Everyone who would like to honor SFC Sutton is invited to participate with us in the flag line.

ESCORT TO CEMETERY: Immediately following the funeral services, the PGR will escort SFC Sutton to LEE MEMORIAL PARK; Hwy 145 South; Verona 38877 and provide a US Flag line for graveside services with full military honors.

Please join us as we STAND FOR ONE WHO STOOD FOR US ! Both escort distances are less than 5 miles, large, US Flags securely on motorcycles are encouraged.

Bill's friend, DENNIS HEAVENER is Honorary RC for this Mission and will be the last motorcycle in both escorts.

Jim Henley, NE MS PRC 662.275.0901
Don McKibben, NW MS PRC 662.509.0500

Jim Henely, Commander - NE Ms Patriot Guard Riders

Don McKibben, Commander - NW Ms Patriot Guard Rides

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM
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Bro Christopher Michael Reid - Named "Mason of the Year"

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:54:00 +0000

On behalf of Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM, we would like to congratulate Bro Christopher Michael Reid for being named as "Mason of the Year" by the Grand Lodge of Mississippi.

Chris has been instrumental in the success of numerous projects over the years and has dedicated his life to promoting Freemasonry in Mississippi and serving as an example of a true "Mason" to people everywhere.

This honor which has been bestowed upon him symbolizes everything that Freemasonry stands for and a truly deserving brother has now entered into the ranks of all those brethren that were recognized before him.

Thank you Chris for your service, loyalty, and dedication to the fraternity and your passion for the craft.

Bro Christopher Michael Reid - "Mason of the Year"

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM
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Albert Pike - Education

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:28:00 +0000

Albert Pike
Albert Pike
Born	December 29, 1809 Boston, Massachusetts
Died	April 2, 1891 (aged 81) Washington, D.C.
Place of burial	Oak Hill Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861 - 1862
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Albert Pike (December 29, 1809–April 2, 1891) was an attorney, Confederate officer, writer, and Freemason. Pike is the only Confederatemilitary officer or figure to be honored with an outdoor statue in Washington, D.C. (in Judiciary Square).

Pike was born in Boston, Massachusetts, son of Ben and Sarah (Andrews) Pike, and spent his childhood in Byfield and Newburyport, Massachusetts. His colonial ancestors included John Pike (1613-1688/1689), the founder of Woodbridge, New Jersey.^[1] He attended school in Newburyport and Framingham until he was 15. In August 1825, he passed entrance exams at Harvard University, though when the college requested payment of tuition fees for the first two years which he had successfully challenged by examination, he chose not to attend. He began a program of self-education, later becoming a schoolteacher in Gloucester, North Bedford, Fairhaven and Newburyport.^[2]

[edit]Biography

In 1831, Pike left Massachusetts to travel west, first stopping in St. Louis and later moving on to Independence, Missouri. In Independence, he joined an expedition to Taos, New Mexico, hunting and trading. During the excursion his horse broke and ran, forcing Pike to walk the remaining 500 miles to Taos. After this he joined a trapping expedition to the Llano Estacado in New Mexico and Texas. Trapping was minimal and, after traveling about 1300 miles (650 on foot), he finally arrived at Fort Smith, Arkansas.^[3]

Settling in Arkansas in 1833, he taught school and wrote a series of articles for the Little Rock Arkansas Advocate under the pen name of "Casca."^[4] The articles were popular enough that he was asked to join the staff of the newspaper. Later, after marrying Mary Ann Hamilton, he purchased part of the newspaper with the dowry. By 1835, he was the Advocate's sole owner.^[3] Under Pike's administration the Advocate promoted the viewpoint of the Whig party in a politically volatile and divided Arkansas.^[4]

He then began to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1837, selling the Advocate the same year. He was the first reporter for the Arkansas supreme court and also wrote a book (published anonymously), titled The Arkansas Form Book, which was a guidebook for lawyers.^{[citation needed]} Additionally, Pike wrote on several legal subjects and continued producing poetry, a hobby he had begun in his youth in Massachusetts. His poems were highly regarded in his day, but are now mostly forgotten.^[3] Several volumes of his works were self-published posthumously by his daughter. In 1859, he received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Harvard,^[3]^[5]

Pike died in Washington, D.C., aged 81, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery (against his wishes—he had left instructions for his body to be cremated).^[3] In 1944, his remains were moved to theHouse of the Temple, headquarters of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite.

[edit]Military career

Statue at Judiciary Square, Washington, D.C.

When the Mexican-American War started, Pike joined the cavalry and was commissioned as a troop commander, serving in the Battle of Buena Vista.^[3] He and his commander, John Selden Roane, had several differences of opinion. This situation led finally to an "inconclusive" duel between Pike and Roane on July 29, 1847 near Fort Smith, Arkansas.^[6] Although several shots were fired in the duel, nobody was injured, and the two were persuaded by their seconds to discontinue it.^{[citation needed]}

After the war, Pike returned to the practice of law, moving to New Orleans for a time beginning in 1853.^{[citation needed]} He wrote another book, Maxims of the Roman Law and some of the Ancient French Law, as Expounded and Applied in Doctrine and Jurisprudence.^{[citation needed]} Although unpublished, this book increased his reputation among his associates in law. He returned to Arkansas in 1857, gaining some amount of prominence in the legal field and becoming an advocate of slavery, although retaining his affiliation with the Whig party. When that party dissolved, he became a member of the Know-Nothing party. Before the Civil War he was firmly against secession, but when the war started he nevertheless took the side of the Confederacy.^[3] At the Southern Commercial Convention of 1854, Pike said the South should remain in the Union and seek equality with the North, but if the South "were forced into an inferior status, she would be better out of the Union than in it."^[7]

He also made several contacts among the Native American tribes in the area, at one point negotiating an $800,000 settlement between the Creeks and other tribes and the federal government. This relationship was to influence the course of his Civil War service.^[3] At the beginning of the war, Pike was appointed as Confederate envoy to the Native Americans. In this capacity he negotiated several treaties, one of the most important being with Cherokee chief John Ross, which was concluded in 1861.^[3]

Pike was commissioned as a brigadier general on November 22, 1861, and given a command in the Indian Territory.^[3] With Gen. Ben McCulloch, Pike trained three Confederate regiments of Indian cavalry, most of whom belonged to the "civilized tribes", whose loyalty to the Confederacy was variable. Although initially victorious at the Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) in March, Pike's unit was defeated later in a counterattack, after falling into disarray.^[3] Also, as in the previous war, Pike came into conflict with his superior officers, at one point drafting a letter to Jefferson Davis complaining about his direct superior.^{[citation needed]}

After Pea Ridge, Pike was faced with charges that his troops had scalped soldiers in the field. Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman also charged Pike with mishandling of money and material, ordering his arrest.^[8] Both these charges were later found to be considerably lacking in evidence; nevertheless Pike, facing arrest, escaped into the hills of Arkansas, sending his resignation from the Confederate Army on July 12.^[8] He was at length arrested on November 3 under charges of insubordination and treason, and held briefly in Warren, Texas, but his resignation was accepted on November 11 and he was allowed to return to Arkansas.^[3]^[8]

[edit]Freemasonry

Part of a series of articles on
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He first joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1840 then had in the interim joined a Masonic Lodge and become extremely active in the affairs of the organization, being elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite's Southern Jurisdiction in 1859.^[6] He remained Sovereign Grand Commander for the remainder of his life (a total of thirty-two years), devoting a large amount of his time to developing the rituals of the order.^[9] Notably, he published a book called Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in 1871, of which there were several subsequent editions.

Pike is still regarded in America as an eminent^[10] and influential^[11] Freemason.

Morals and Dogma (1871)

Pike in Masonic regalia

Portrait by Mathew Brady

[edit]Poetry

As a young man, Pike wrote poetry which he continued to do for the rest of his life. At 23, he published his first poem, “Hymns to the Gods.” Later work was printed in literary journals like Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine and local newspapers. His first collection of poetry, Prose Sketches and Poems Written in the Western Country, appeared in 1834. He later gathered many of his poems and republished them in Hymns to the Gods and Other Poems (1872). After his death these appeared again in Gen. Albert Pike’s Poems (1900) and Lyrics and Love Songs (1916).^[12]

[edit]Selected works

Pike, Albert (1997). Book of the Words. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-161-1.

Pike, Albert (1997). Indo-Aryan Deities and Worship as Contained in the Rig-Veda. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-183-2.

Pike, Albert (1997). Lectures of the Arya. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-182-4.

Pike, Albert (2004). The Meaning of Masonry. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-4179-1101-8.

Pike, Albert (2002). Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry. City: Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 0-7661-2615-3.

Pike, Albert (2004). Morals and Dogma of the First Three Degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Freemasonry. City: Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN 1-4179-1108-5.

Pike, Albert (2001). The Point Within the Circle. City: Holmes Pub Grou Llc. ISBN 1-55818-305-1.

Pike, Albert (1997). Reprints of Old Rituals. City: Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 1-56459-983-3.

[edit]See also

	United States Army portal
	American Civil War portal

List of American Civil War generals

Treaty with Choctaws and Chickasaws

[edit]

Note: Please read " Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education", which explains and describes the purpose of this series of topics. This post does not make a statement "for" the following content and does not make claim that it has a direct relation to Freemasonry. It is for educational purposes only! All credit given to for content obtained from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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Morals and Dogma - Education

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:37:00 +0000

Part of a series of articles on
Freemasonry

Core Articles

Freemasonry · Grand Lodge · Masonic Lodge · Masonic Lodge Officers · Grand Master · Prince Hall Freemasonry · Regular Masonic jurisdictions · Continental Freemasonry

History

History of Freemasonry · Liberté chérie ·Masonic manuscripts

[show] Masonic Bodies

[show] Views of Masonry

[show] People and Places

[show] Other related articles

Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, or simply Morals and Dogma, is a book of esoteric philosophy published by the Supreme Council, Thirty Third Degree, of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction of the United States. It was compiled by Albert Pike, was first published in 1872, and was regularly reprinted thereafter until 1969. An upgraded official reprint was released in 2011, with the benefit of annotations by Arturo de Hoyos, 33°, G∴C∴, the Scottish Rite’s Grand Archivist and Grand Historian.

[edit]Contents

The Double Headed Eagle emblem of the Scottish Rite, from the cover of Morals and Dogma.

Morals and Dogma has been described as “a collection of thirty-two essays which provide a philosophical rationale for the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. The lectures provided a backdrop for the degrees by giving lessons in comparative religion, history,and philosophy."

The original printing had 861 pages of text, while a 218-page Digest-Index was added by Trevanion W. Hugo, 33°, G∴C∴, in 1909. Its thirty-two chapters discuss the philosophical symbolism of a degree of Scottish RiteFreemasonry in extensive detail. In Pike’s original Preface, he noted:

“

In preparing this work, the Grand Commander has been about equally Author and Compiler; since he has extracted quite half of its contents from the works of the best writers and most philosophic or eloquent thinkers. Perhaps it would have been better and more acceptable if he had extracted more and written less.

”

He continued:

“

Everyone is entirely free to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may seem to him to be untrue or unsound.

”

Though it discusses the minutiae of Masonic ritual at length, it is written so as not to reveal the Masonic secrets. Ritual motions and objects are named and elaborated upon, but not described. In his allocution of 1947, Pike's successor, Grand Commander John Henry Cowles, noted that some Masonic publications had used large extracts from the text, which practice he sought to curtail by adding the following words to the title page: 'Esoteric Book, for Scottish Rite use only; to be Returned upon Withdrawal or Death of Recipient' (Transactions of the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J. (1947), p. 38). Although Morals and Dogma is an esoteric book, it was not a secret one; Pike's original preface was clear that any Mason could own the book, but only Scottish Rite Masons would be encouraged to own one.

A copy of Morals and Dogma was given to every new member of the Southern Jurisdiction from the early 1900s until 1969 (although some local Scottish Rite bodies offered copies through the mid 1970s), when it was deemed "too advanced to be helpful to the new Scottish Rite member."^{[citation needed]} In 1974 it was initially replaced by Clausen's Commentaries on Morals and Dogma, written byHenry Clausen, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, which in 1988 was itself replaced by A Bridge To Light, by Rex Hutchens, 33°, G∴C∴, which book continues to be given to initiates into the Scottish Rite in the Southern Jurisdiction. With the release of the authorized edition of 2011, Morals and Dogma is once more being given to new Scottish Rite Masons in the Southern Jurisdiction, and all restrictions on sales to the general public have been removed.

During Pike’s lifetime the Northern Jurisdiction based many of their degrees upon Pike’s rituals, although they subsequently revised them many times, and never presented initiates with Morals and Dogma, nor any of the subsequent commentaries.

[edit]Authorized Republication History

After 1969 the copyright of Morals and Dogma was not renewed; and, like many out-of-copyright works, it was reprinted many times by various publishers. However, in August 2011 the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J., announced that a new, authorized edition had been published. Titled Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma: Annotated Edition, the work was prepared by Arturo de Hoyos, 33°, G∴C∴, K.Y.C.H., the Scottish Rite’s Grand Archivist and Grand Historian. The text is reprinted in full, with about 4000 scholarly notes on difficult passages, touching on historical, religious, and philosophical issues. The new edition is augmented by subject headings, and illustrations from the original books Pike used, new paragraph numbers, and corrections based upon original texts.

[edit]External links

The Degrees or Orders of the Knights Templar - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:16:00 +0000

The Degree of Knight of the Temple (Order of the Temple)

The original medieval Order of Knights Templar was established after the First Crusade, and existed from approximately 1118 to 1312. There is no known historical evidence to link the medieval Knights Templar and Masonic Templarism, nor do the Masonic Knights Templar organizations claim any such direct link to the original medieval Templar organization.^[4] Though it has been said that its affiliation with Masonry is based on texts that indicate persecuted Templars found refuge within the safety of Freemasonry, the order itself states that "there is no proof of direct connection between the ancient order and the modern order known today as the Knights Templar."^[5] The official motto of the Knights Templar is In Hoc Signo Vinces, the rendition in Latin of the Greek phrase "εν τούτῳ νίκα", en toutōi nika, meaning "in this [sign] you will conquer".

The Knight Templar degree is associated with elaborate regalia (costume) the precise detail of which varies between nations. The ritual draws upon the traditions of medieval Knights Templar, using them to impart moral instruction consistent with the biblical teachings of the Christian tradition.

[edit]The Degree of Knight of Malta (Order of Malta)

The Maltese Cross, symbol of the Order of Malta.

This degree is universally associated with the Masonic Knights Templar. In the York Rite system it is conferred before the Templar Degree; in the 'stand-alone' tradition it is conferred subsequently to the Templar Degree. It is known by varying degrees of formality as the Order of Malta, or the Order of Knights of Malta, or the Ancient and Masonic Order of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes, and Malta. In practice this last and fullest version of the name tends to be reserved to letterheads, rituals, and formal documents.

The ceremony for conferring the degree (which is always worked in full) contains a mixture of masonic tradition, historical accounts of the Order of St John, moral teaching, and the communication of modes of recognition between members. A series of banners is employed in the ceremony, each representing one of the great battles of the historic medieval Order of St John, whose story is the basis of the moral teachings of the degree.

[edit]The Degree of Knight of St Paul (Order of St Paul)

Two downward pointing swords insaltire, symbol of the Order of St Paul.

This degree is conferred as a prerequisite to becoming a Knight of Malta, in both the York Rite and independent 'stand-alone' versions of Knight Templar Freemasonry. The "Preliminary Declarations" of the Order of Malta ritual in England state of a candidate for the Order of Malta: "He must also have received the Degree of Knight of St Paul, including the Mediterranean Pass". The exact status of the 'Mediterranean Pass' has at times led to confusion as to whether this is the 'stub' of a separate degree. The English ritual book clarified this in its 1989 edition (and subsequent editions) by stating: "The Mediterranean Pass is one of the secrets of the Degree of Knight of St Paul".^[6]

This degree is close to being a true 'side degree', in that a small group (usually three) of members of the degree take the candidate "to one side" (i.e. apart on his own) and simply communicate the secrets of the degree to him, without actually working the ceremonial ritual of the degree. The only respect in which the degree fails to meet the definition of a true 'side degree' is that a Chapter of the Order is formally opened and closed by the presiding officer, on either side of the secrets being communicated.

[edit]The Illustrious Order of the Red Cross (Order of the Red Cross)

Unique to the York Rite, the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross continues or reverts to the period of the Royal Arch Degree when the Israelites were returning from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Zerubbabel, their leader prevails upon King Darius to restore the Holy Vessels to the new Temple. They had been carried away by the Babylonian armies when the first Temple was destroyed. In presenting his plea before the King, the companion gives a powerful testimony to the almighty force of Truth.

The ritual places the candidate in the role of Zerubbabel and follows him through his journey to King Darius and his role in the Immemorial Discussion, as found in the apocryphal book, 1 Esdras. The purpose is to bridge the gap between Royal Arch Masonry, and the Chivalric Orders as well the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Illustrious Order of the Red Cross teaches the lessons of the triumph of truth.

This Order is often considered a compressed version of the Order of Knight Masons.

It should not be confused with the Masonic Order known as the Red Cross of Constantine.

[edit]Templar traditions

Induction day 2009

Despite Freemasonry's general disclaimer that no one Masonic organization claims a direct heritage to the medieval Knights Templar, certain degrees and orders are obviously patterned after the medieval Order. These are best described as "commemorative orders" or degrees. Nevertheless, in spite of the fraternity's official disclaimers, some Masons, non-Masons and even anti-Masons insist that certain Masonic rites or degrees originally had direct Templar influence.

American Masonic youth organizations such as the Order of DeMolay for young men are named after the last Grand Master Templar Jacques de Molay who was executed in the final suppression of the Templar order in the early 14th century.
The Knight of Rose-Croix Degree in the "Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite", and honorary Orders like the Royal Order of Scotland are interpreted as evidence of a historical Templar-Masonic connection, though there is no factual basis for this belief.
Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh has been suggested to be strong link between the Knights Templar and Freemasons due to reliefs combining Templar and Freemason symbolism. Rosslyn Chapel was indeed founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness.^[7]
Legends in certain degrees pertain to the involvement of Knights Under the command of Sir John De Bermingham, First and Last Earl of Louth aiding the excommunicated 14th Century Scottish King Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn; however this is based on 18th century romance and is not supported by any evidence. This story is the basis for the degrees in the Royal Order of Scotland an invitational Masonic honorary organization.
Templar connections have also been suggested through the Earls of Rosslyn (St. Clair, or Sinclair) a family with well documented connections with Scottish Freemasonry, one being a Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
Many other old and new organizations are called "Knights Templar". However, organizations like the Order of the Solar Temple, Militi Templi Scotia,or theSovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem are in no way related to Masonic Knights Templar, and share no relationship in either history, hierarchy, nor ritual.

Follow our blog! Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM - TupeloMason

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:46:00 +0000

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Legal Disclaimer - Terms of Use

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From time to time, it becomes necessary to remind the guest, subscribers, and users of this blog, Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM - TupeloMason, about our Legal Disclaimer - Terms of Use.

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Knights Templar - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:03:00 +0000

A cross and crown laid upon a cross pattée inscribed with "In Hoc Signo Vinces" resting upon downward pointing swords insaltire is often used to represent the Knights Templar.
(The various symbols used allude to the orders of the body, though the cross and crown is often used alone as well.)

This article is part of or related to the Knights Templar series
Knights Templar History of the Knights Templar Knights Templar legends Knights Templar Seal Grand Masters of the Knights Templar Knights Templar in England Knights Templar in Scotland List of Knights Templar List of Knights Templar sites Modern associations Knights Templar (Freemasonry)

Part of a series of articles on Freemasonry

This page is about a Masonic organization. For the medieval Knights Templar, see Knights Templar. See also Knights Templar and popular culture.

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The Knights Templar is an international philanthropic chivalric order affiliated with Freemasonry. Unlike the initial degrees conferred in a Masonic Lodge, which only require a belief in a Supreme Being regardless of religious affiliation, the Knights Templar is one of several additional Masonic Orders in which membership is open only to Freemasons who profess a belief in the Christian religion. The full title of this Order is The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta. The word "United" in this title indicates that more than one historical tradition and more than one actual Order are jointly controlled within this system. The individual Orders 'united' within this system are principally the Knights of the Temple (Knights Templar), the Knights of Malta, the Knights of St Paul, and only within the York Rite, the Knights of the Red Cross. The Order derives its name from the historical Knights Templar. One theory of the origins of Freemasonry claims direct descent from the historical Knights Templar through its final fourteenth-century members who took refuge in Scotland, or other countries where the Templar suppression was not enforced. Although the theory may not be dismissed, it is usually deprecated on grounds of lack of evidence by both masonic authorities^[1] and historians.^[2]

Administration

Knights Templar can exist either as part of the York Rite or as an independent organization. Though the York Rite and the independent versions share many similarities there are key differences which are described below.

[edit]Knights Templar as a part of the York Rite

Main article: York Rite

A Knights Templar commandery is traditionally the final body that a member joins in the York Rite after the chapter of Royal Arch Masons and a council of Royal & Select Masters. Some jurisdictions, however, allow members to skip over membership in a council. A local Knights Templar commandery operates under a state-level Grand Commandery, however American commanderies also operate under The Grand Encampment of the United States. This is unique among American Masonic bodies, as most report to the state level alone.

While a chapter bestows the Royal Arch degrees, and a council bestows the Cryptic degrees, a Knights Templar commandery bestows three orders and one passing order onto its members. This is opposed to the standard degree system found elsewhere in Freemasonry, and they are the only ones not to deal with the Hiramic Legend.^[3] The York Rite orders are:

The Illustrious Order of the Red Cross
The Passing Order of St. Paul, (or Mediterranean Pass)
The Order of the Knights of Malta (or simply Order of Malta)
The Order of the Temple

[edit]Knights Templar as an Independent Body

The Cross pattée, symbol of the Order of the Temple in the independent body and Illustrious Order of the Red Cross.

Outside the York Rite, membership is by invitation only. Candidates are required to be Master Masons, and Royal Arch Masons, and to sign a declaration that they profess the Doctrine of the Holy and Undivided Trinity. In some Australian States, the requirement of being a Royal Arch Mason no longer applies.

Local bodies of Knights Templar are known as Preceptories; local bodies of Knights of St Paul are known as Chapters; local bodies of Knights of Malta are known as Priories; all operate under a Grand or Great Priory, often with an intermediate level of Provincial Priories. Although some jurisdictions maintain a separate Great Priory of the Temple and Great Priory of Malta (as, for example, in England), the Grand Master and other officers of both Great Priories hold simultaneous equal office in both bodies. Three degrees are administered in this system:

The Degree of Knight Templar (Order of the Temple)
The Degree of Knight of St. Paul (incorporating the Mediterranean Pass)

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The "Virtual Lodge" - Modern Uses of Social Networking to Promote Freemasonry (repost)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:59:00 +0000

Originally Posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Social Networking has become a modern way of life, by providing a "Virtual Lodge" whereby brethren of Freemasonry can communicate and fellowship together outside the physical lodge. Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM has taken a proactive and innovative approach to this by iniating an inclusive variety of social networking media because we understand that no two people are alike and prefer the use of different forums. It is our hope that by making these available, it will make it easier than ever before for our brethren to enjoy the benefits of this great fraternity. Mason or not, you are invited to visit these sites and join in the conversations with us. Please feel free to provide feedback as we are constantly looking for new ways and ideas to help make this service even better! Now my brethren, although your attendance and participation is completely optional, it is however, encouraged.

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Masonic Blue Lodge - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:56:00 +0000

A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry. Every new Lodge must be warranted or chartered by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only in enforcing the published Constitution of the jurisdiction. By exception the three surviving lodges that formed the world's first known Grand Lodge in London (today called the United Grand Lodge of England) have the unique privilege to operate astime immemorial i.e. without such warrant; only one other lodge operates without a warrant - this is the Grand Stewards' Lodge in London, although it is not also entitled to the "time immemorial" title.^[1] A Freemason is generally entitled to visit any Lodge, in any jurisdiction (i.e. under any Grand Lodge) in amity with his own. In some jurisdictions this privilege is restricted to Master Masons (that is, Freemasons who have attained the Order's third degree). He is first usually required to check, and certify, the regularity of the relationship of the Lodge - and be able to satisfy that Lodge of his regularity of membership. Freemasons gather together as a Lodge to work the three basic Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason.

Freemasons meet as a Lodge not in a Lodge, although Masonic premises may be called Lodges, as well as Temples ("of Philosophy and the Arts"). In many countries Masonic Centre or Hall has now replaced these terms to avoid arousing prejudice and suspicion. Several different Lodges, or other Masonic organisations, often use the same premises at different times.

Blue Lodges, Craft Lodges or Ancient Craft Lodges refer to the lodges that work the first three Masonic degrees, rather than the appendant Masonic orders such as York Rite and Scottish Rite. The term "Craft Lodge" is used in Great Britain. The Blue Lodge is said to refer to the traditional colour of regalia in Lodges derived from English or Irish Freemasonry. Although the term was originally frowned upon, it has gained widespread and mainstream usage in America in recent times.^[2]

Research Lodges have the purpose of furthering Masonic scholarship. Quatuor Coronati Lodge is an example of a Research Lodge; it has a strictly limited membership and receives visitors and papers from all over the world. Many jurisdictions have well-established Research Lodges, which usually meet less frequently than Blue Lodges and do not confer degrees.

In Great Britain, a Lodge of Instruction may be associated with a Lodge, but is not constituted separately. The Lodge of Instruction provides the Officers and those who wish to become Officers an opportunity to rehearse ritual under the guidance of an experienced brother; there may also be lectures around the ritual and the symbolism in the lodge within a Lodge of Instruction, in order to develop the knowledge and understanding of the membership.

In some jurisdictions in the United States, the Lodge of Instruction serves as a warranted lodge for candidate instruction in other aspects of Freemasonry besides ritual rehearsal, as well as hosting a speaker on topics both Masonic and non-Masonic.

In Great Britain, the term Mother Lodge is used to identify the particular Lodge where the individual was first "made a Mason" (i.e. received his Entered Apprentice degree). 'Mother Lodge' may also refer to a Lodge which sponsors the creation of a new Lodge, the Daughter Lodge, to be warranted under the jurisdiction of the same Grand Lodge; specific procedures pertaining to this vary throughout history and in different jurisdictions. Lodge Mother Kilwinning No 0 in the Grand Lodge of Scotland is known as the Mother Lodge of Scotland, having been referred to in the Schaw Statutes of 1598 and 1599, and having itself warranted other Lodges at a time when it did not subscribe to a Grand Lodge.

[edit]Organization

Main article: Regular Masonic jurisdictions

Lodges are governed by national, state or provincial authorities, usually called Grand Lodges or Grand Orients, whose published constitutions define the structure of freemasonry under their authority, and which appoint Grand Officers from their senior masons. Provincial Grand Lodges (which in England generally correspond to historic counties) exercise an intermediate authority, and also appoint Provincial Grand Officers.

Different Grand Lodges and their regions show subtleties of tradition and variation in the degrees and practice; for example under the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Mark Degree (which is unrecognised by the United Grand Lodge of England, but has a separate Mark Grand Lodge) is integrated into "The Craft" as a completion of the second degree. In any case, Grand Lodges have limited jurisdiction over their member Lodges, and where there is no prescribed ritual Lodges may thus have considerable freedom of practice. Despite these minor differences, fraternal relations exist between Lodges of corresponding degrees under different Grand Lodges.

[edit]Membership

After a Lodge elects or approves a candidate in accordance with the requirements of its Grand Lodge, it will decide whether to give the candidate each degree in order. Generally speaking those who have only received the Entered Apprentice degree are considered Freemasons, but hold limited privileges until they attain the Master Mason degree; under UGLE only a Master Mason will receive a Grand Lodge certificate, which may be demanded by any other Lodge he wishes to visit.

Master Masons are considered full lifetime members of the Lodge where they received their degrees, unless they are "dropped from the rolls" due to violations such as non-payment of dues, or if they resign, usually for personal reasons or to join another Lodge in those jurisdictions where multiple membership is not permitted. A Mason may be expelled from his Lodge and Freemasonry in general if convicted of particularly serious violations of Civil or Masonic law.

A Master Mason "in good standing" (i.e. whose dues are current and who is not subject to Masonic investigation or discipline) may join another regular Lodge; he need not take his degrees again, but may be expected to serve the new Lodge in office.

If a Master Mason is dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues, under most circumstances he may be immediately reinstated in good standing simply by paying his current dues as well as any back dues owed, although in many jurisdictions there is a requirement to ballot for re-admission.

Many Grand Lodges permit Master Masons to be "plural affiliates," or members of more than one Lodge simultaneously. In some jurisdictions plural affiliates are prohibited from serving as an elected officer of more than one Lodge at any given time.

These rules are different for Freemasons of the Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft Degrees. In some Grand Lodges an Entered Apprentice or Fellowcraft may not receive a demit, but may join another Lodge with the intent of earning the Master Mason Degree with the consent of his original Lodge.

[edit]Officers

Main article: Masonic Lodge Officers

The names, roles and numbers of Lodge officers vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In most cases, there is an equivalent office in the Grand Lodge of the given jurisdiction, with the addition of the prefix 'Grand' to the title in question.

There are certain 'progressive' offices through which members move by a process of effective promotion, but also other more permanent offices, usually held by experienced members.

[edit]

Part of a series of articles on
Freemasonry

Core Articles

Freemasonry · Grand Lodge · Masonic Lodge · Masonic Lodge Officers · Grand Master · Prince Hall Freemasonry · Regular Masonic jurisdictions · Continental Freemasonry

History

History of Freemasonry · Liberté chérie ·Masonic manuscripts

[show] Masonic Bodies

[show] Views of Masonry

[show] People and Places

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194th Ms Grand Lodge Annual Session (tentative program)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:43:00 +0000

Feel free to print and share!

194th Ms Grand Lodge Annual Session (tentative program)

The Grand Lodge of Mississippi (Facebook)

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Masonic Links for Lodges... Add Yours!

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Below you will find links to a list of all U.S. Grand Lodges, International Grand Lodges, and F&AM Masonic Lodges in Mississippi.

The purpose is to make the task of locating a specific lodge easy and then to redirect you to that specific site. Although these list are detailed, we were unable to locate hot links for every lodge listed. If you have any information on a specific lodge(s), especially an updated URL, know of a site that exist for any of the content listed, or know of one that was overlooked all togther, please send an email to the webmaster or simply list the name of the correction, along with the hyper link to the URL in the comments section below the post.

If you have a link to a site maintained by your individual masonic lodge(s) that you would like made known to our subscribers, please feel to include as well.

Please, no links to advertisements where "goods" or "services" are sold. We are looking for links to Masonic Lodges, Masonic Blogs, Masonic Forums, Masonic Social Networking sites (i.e. facebook, twitter, etc.), only!

All sites will be pre-screened and any links that do not comply with this request will be removed.

Thank you,

TupeloMason

Masonic Grand Lodge Jurisdictions - Ancient and Free & Accepted Masonry - United States

Masonic International Grand Lodges - Ancient and Free & Accepted Masonry

Masonic Lodges - Mississippi - Free & Accepted Masonry

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Martinism - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:47:00 +0000

Martinism is a form of mystical and esoteric Christianity concerned with the fall of the first man, his state of material privation from his divine source, and the process of his return, called 'Reintegration' or illumination.

The Martinist Seal.

As a mystical tradition, it was first transmitted through a masonic high-degree system established around 1740 in France by Martinez de Pasqually, and later propagated in different forms by his two students Louis Claude de Saint-Martin and Jean-Baptiste Willermoz.

The definition Martinism is a collective term used to describe both this particular doctrine, as well as the teachings of the reorganized 'Martinist Order' founded in 1886 by Augustin Chaboseau and Gerard Encausse (aka Papus).

It was not used at the tradition's inception in the 18th century.

This confusing disambiguation has been a problem since the late 18th century, where the term Martinism already was used interchangeably between the teachings of Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin and Martinez de Pasqually, and the works of the first being attributed to the latter.^[1]

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Reading Masons and Masons Who Do Not Read

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:28:00 +0000

Albert G. Mackey 32°
(published in 1875 and again in The Master Mason - October 1924)

I suppose there are more Masons who are ignorant of all the principles of freemasonry than there are men of any other class who are chargeable with the like ignorance of their own profession. There is not a watchmaker who does not know something about the elements of horology, nor is there a blacksmith who is altogether unacquainted with the properties of red-hot iron. Ascending to the higher walks of science, we would be much astonished to meet with a lawyer who was ignorant of the elements of jurisprudence, or a physician who had never read a treatise on pathology, or a clergyman who knew nothing whatever of theology.

Nevertheless, nothing is more common than to encounter Freemasons who are in utter darkness as to every thing that relates to Freemasonry. They are ignorant of its history - they know not whether it is a mushroom production of today, or whether it goes back to remote ages for its origin. They have no comprehension of the esoteric meaning of its symbols or its ceremonies, and are hardly at home in its modes of recognition. And yet nothing is more common than to find such socialists in the possession of high degrees and sometimes honored with elevated affairs in the Order, present at the meetings of lodges and chapters, intermeddling with the proceedings, taking an active part in all discussions and pertinaciously maintaining heterodox opinions in opposition to the judgment of brethren of far greater knowledge.

Why, it may well be asked, should such things be? Why, in Masonry alone, should there be so much ignorance and so much presumption? If I ask a cobbler to make me a pair of boots, he tells me that he only mends and patches, and that he has not learned the higher branches of his craft, and then he honestly declines the offered job. If I request a watchmaker to construct a mainspring for my chronometer, he answers that he cannot do it, that he has never learned how to make mainsprings, which belongs to a higher branch of the business, but that if I will bring him a spring ready made, he will insert it in my timepiece, because that he knows how to do. If I go to an artist with an order to paint me a historical picture, he will tell me that it is beyond his capacity, that he has never studied nor practiced the compotation of details, but has confined himself to the painting of portraits. Were he dishonest and presumptuous he would take my order and instead of a picture give me a daub. It is the Freemason alone who wants this modesty. He is too apt to think that the obligation not only makes him a Mason, but a learned Mason at the same time. He too often imagines that the mystical ceremonies which induct him into the Order are all that are necessary to make him cognizant of its principles. There are some Christian sects who believe that the water of baptism at once washes away all sin, past and prospective. So there are some Masons who think that the mere act of initiation is at once followed by an influx of all Masonic knowledge. They need no further study or research. All that they require to know has already been received by a sort of intuitive process.

The great body of Masons may be divided into three classes. The first consists of those who made their application for initiation not from a desire for knowledge, but from some accidental motive, not always honorable. Such men have been led to seek reception either because it was likely, in their opinion, to facilitate their business operations, or to advance their political prospects, or in some other way to personally benefit them. In the commencement of a war, hundreds flock to the lodges in the hope of obtaining the "mystic sign," which will be of service in the hour of danger. Their object having been attained, or having failed to attain it, these men become indifferent and, in time, fall into the rank of the non-affiliates. Of such Masons there is no hope. They are dead trees having no promise of fruit. Let them pass as utterly worthless, and incapable of improvement.

There is a second class consisting of men who are the moral and Masonic antipodes of the first. These make their application for admission, being prompted, as the ritual requires, "by a favorable opinion conceived of the Institution, and a desire of knowledge." As soon as they are initiated, they see in the ceremonies through which they have passed a philosophical meaning worthy of the trouble of inquiry. They devote themselves to this inquiry. They obtain Masonic books, they read Masonic periodicals, and they converse with well-informed brethren. They make themselves acquainted with the history of the Association. They investigate its origin and its ultimate design. They explore the hidden sense of its symbols and they acquire the interpretation. Such Masons are always useful and honorable members of the Order, and very frequently they become its shining lights. Their lamp burns for the enlightenment of others, and to them the Institution is indebted for whatever of an elevated position it has attained. For them, this article is not written.

But between these two classes, just described, there is an intermediate one; not as bad as the first, but far below the second, which, unfortunately, comprises the body of the Fraternity.

This third class consists of Masons who joined the Society with unobjectionable motives, and with, perhaps the best intentions. But they have failed to carry these intentions into effect.

They have made a grievous mistake. They have supposed that initiation was all that was requisite to make them Masons, and that any further study was entirely unnecessary. Hence, they never read a Masonic book. Bring to their notice the productions of the most celebrated Masonic authors, and their remark is that they have no time to read-the claims of business are overwhelming. Show them a Masonic journal of recognized reputation, and ask them to subscribe. Their answer is that they cannot afford it, the times are hard and money is scarce.

And yet, there is no want of Masonic ambition in many of these men. But their ambition is not in the right direction. They have no thirst for knowledge, but they have a very great thirst for office or for degrees. They cannot afford money or time for the purchase or perusal of Masonic books, but they have enough of both to expend on the acquisition of Masonic degrees.

It is astonishing with what avidity some Masons who do not understand the simplest rudiments of their art, and who have utterly failed to comprehend the scope and meaning of primary, symbolic Masonry, grasp at the empty honors of the high degrees. The Master Mason who knows very little, if anything, of the Apprentice's degree longs to be a Knight Templar. He knows nothing, and never expects to know anything, of the history of Templarism, or how and why these old crusaders became incorporated with the Masonic brotherhood. The height of his ambition is to wear the Templar cross upon his breast. If he has entered the Scottish Rite, the Lodge of Perfection will not content him, although it supplies material for months of study. He would fain rise higher in the scale of rank, and if by persevering efforts he can attain the summit of the Rite and be invested with the Thirty-third degree, little cares he for any knowledge of the organization of the Rite or the sublime lessons that it teaches. He has reached the height of his ambition and is permitted to wear the double-headed eagle.

Such Masons are distinguished not by the amount of knowledge that they possess, but by the number of the jewels that they wear. They will give fifty dollars for a decoration, but not fifty cents for a book.

These men do great injury to Masonry. They have been called its drones. But they are more than that. They are the wasps, the deadly enemy of the industrious bees. They set a bad example to the younger Masons - they discourage the growth of Masonic literature - they drive intellectual men, who would be willing to cultivate Masonic science, into other fields of labor - they depress the energies of our writers - and they debase the character of Speculative Masonry as a branch of mental and moral philosophy. When outsiders see men holding high rank and office in the Order who are almost as ignorant as themselves of the principles of Freemasonry, and who, if asked, would say they looked upon it only as a social institution, these outsiders very naturally conclude that there cannot be anything of great value in a system whose highest positions are held by men who profess to have no knowledge of its higher development.

It must not be supposed that every Mason is expected to be a learned Mason, or that every man who is initiated is required to devote himself to the study of Masonic science and literature. Such an expectation would be foolish and unreasonable. All men are not equally competent to grasp and retain the same amount of knowledge. Order, says Pope-Order is heaven's first law and this confess, some are, and must be, greater than the rest, richer, wiser.

All that I contend for is that when a candidate enters the fold of Masonry he should feel that there is something in it better than its mere grips and signs, and that he should endeavor with all his ability to attain some knowledge of that better thing. He should not seek advancement to higher degrees until he knew something of the lower, nor grasp at office, unless he had previously fulfilled with some reputation for Masonic knowledge, the duties of a private station. I once knew a brother whose greed for office led him to pass through all the grades from Warden of his lodge to Grand Master of the jurisdiction, and who during that whole period had never read a Masonic book nor attempted to comprehend the meaning of a single symbol. For the year of his Mastership he always found it convenient to have an excuse for absence from the lodge on the nights when degrees were to be conferred. Yet, by his personal and social influences, he had succeeded in elevating himself in rank above all those who were above him in Masonic knowledge. They were really far above him, for they all knew something, and he knew nothing. Had he remained in the background, none could have complained. But, being where he was, and seeking himself the position, he had no right to be ignorant. It was his presumption that constituted his offense.

A more striking example is the following: A few years ago while editing a Masonic periodical; I received a letter from the Grand Lecturer of a certain Grand Lodge who had been a subscriber, but who desired to discontinue his subscription. In assigning his reason, he said (a copy of the letter is now before me), "although the work contains much valuable information, I shall have no time to read, as I shall devote the whole of the present year to teaching." I cannot but imagine what a teacher such a man must have been, and what pupils he must have instructed.

This article is longer than I intended it to be. But I feel the importance of the subject. There are in the United States more than four hundred thousand affiliated Masons. How many of these are readers? One-half - or even one-tenth? If only one-fourth of the men who are in the Order would read a little about it, and not depend for all they know of it on their visits to their lodges, they would entertain more elevated notions of its character. Through their sympathy scholars would be encouraged to discuss its principles and to give to the public the results of their thoughts, and good Masonic magazines would enjoy a prosperous existence.

Now, because there are so few Masons that read, Masonic books hardly do more than pay the publishers the expense of printing, while the authors get nothing; and Masonic journals are being year after year carried off into the literary Academia, where the corpses of defunct periodicals are deposited; and, worst of all, Masonry endures depressing blows.

The Mason, who reads, however little, is it only the pages of the monthly magazine to which he subscribes, will entertain higher views of the Institution and enjoy new delights in the possession of these views. The Masons who do not read will know nothing of the interior beauties of Speculative Masonry, but will be content to suppose it to be something like Odd Fellowship, or the Order of the Knights of Pythias - only, perhaps, a little older. Such a Mason must be an indifferent one. He has laid no foundation for zeal.

If this indifference, instead of being checked, becomes more widely spread, the result is too apparent. Freemasonry must step down from the elevated position which she has been struggling, through the efforts of her scholars, to maintain, and our lodges, instead of becoming resorts for speculative and philosophical thought, will deteriorate into social clubs or mere benefit societies. With so many rivals in that field, her struggle for a prosperous life will be a hard one.

The ultimate success of Masonry depends on the intelligence of her disciples.

Note: Please read " Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education", which explains and describes the purpose of this series of topics. This post does not make a statement "for" the following content and does not make claim that it has a direct relation to Freemasonry.

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Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education (Repost)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Originally Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Throughout the new year of 2012, we will be introducing pieces on various topics involving not only Freemasonry but subjects or terms that have in some way been linked to it. Through much research, it has become evident that Freemasonry has, at one time or another, been associated with people, groups, and subjects that upon thorough examination, actually may or may not, prove to be a historical part of Freemasonry. In fact, it may actually be the other way around.

Because Freemasonry has always been held in high regards, it would appear that operating under the vast umbrella of Freemasonry may have actually enabled those people or ideas they promoted, to become blindly accepted or adopted by Masons who may have been earnestly searching for knowledge, without first researching the origins of those teachings.

The goal is to simply, first look at and explore some of those terms and their definitions, that may have been associated with Freemasonry and then to later, dig deeper into those topics, in order to arrive at your own conclusion through education, based off fact, not the claim of association. We will attempt to take specific parts of this content as dispel the mythical relationships that have been made with regard to Freemasonry. The intent is not to spark controversy, but enable unity among our brethren.

Over the last year, we mainly concentrated on current news, upcoming events and "Blue Lodge" topics, and although this will still be a priority, there is an apparent need for content that will provide education, spur participation, positively promote the ancient craft of freemasonry, preserve it's principals, enlighten fellow brethren and reach a wider audience. These post will be easily identifiable as they will be followed by the word: -Education and -Education (definition). Proper citations, credit, and external links (if available), will be given for all work provided to ensure those responsible for the work receive proper credit.

Each of these post will contain the following "note", which will alert the potential reader of our intent and ensure that there is no unwanted association between the topic being discussed and Freemasonry.

Note: Please read " Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education", which explains and describes the purpose of this series of topics. This post does not make a statement "for" the following content and does not make claim that it has a direct relation to Freemasonry.

Please keep in mind that the purpose of this is solely informative and in no way dictates, makes a statement "for" or "against" the individual topics, nor represents a specific stance that Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318, the author(s), or the Grand Lodge of Mississippi takes on any subject. Keep in mind that knowledge (education) and truth is the only goal and one way to gain both is through discussion and examination amongst fellow brethren.

By reading any post within this blog or participating in any discussions, you acknowledge the full legal disclaimer of this blog.

We hope that 2012 will be a fun and exciting year for Masonry. Your personal support, involvement, and contribution to this blog will directly determine the success or failure when we reflect on our accomplishments at the close of 2012.

Please remember that there is a place for comments following each post and you are encouraged to participate, keeping within good taste and the guidelines found in the disclaimer. Also, there is a "share" button found near the comments section that will automatically link the blog post to your favorite social media network. Please utilize the tools that have been provided.

Most importantly, make this blog, "your blog" by contributing. If you have ideas on subjects you would like to see covered, personal writings or research of your own, or content worthy of discussion, please send an email to the webmaster. Please keep in mind that although every attempt will be made to host your submissions, due to our main priority always being that of preservation of the craft, and the protection of the true principals of Freemasonry, all content will be screened and not all will be used. If your submission is from another source or not of your own origin, please include the authors name and any links to their content so that proper credit can be given. If it is a personal work, please include any information you wish to be attached.

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Esoteric - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:58:00 +0000

Esotericism

(Redirected from Esoteric)
"Arcane" and "Esoteric" redirect here. For other uses, see Arcane (disambiguation) and Esoteric (disambiguation).

Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs,[1] that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest.[2] The term derives from the Greek ἐσωτερικός (esôterikos), a compound of ἔσω (esô): "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward", mystic. Its antonym is "exoteric".

The term can also refer to the academic study of esoteric religious movements and philosophies, or more generally of alternative or marginalized religious movements or philosophies whose proponents distinguish their beliefs, practices, and experiences from mainstream institutionalized traditions.[3]

Examples of esoteric religious movements and philosophies include Alchemy, Astrology, Anthroposophy, early Christian mysticism [4], Magic, Mesmerism, Rosicrucianism, Swedenborgianism,Spiritualism, the Christian Theosophy of Jacob Böhme and his followers, and the Theosophical currents associated with Helena Blavatsky and her followers. There are competing views regarding the common traits uniting these currents, not all of which involve "inwardness", mystery, occultism or secrecy as a crucial trait.

Note: Please read " Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education", which explains and describes the purpose of this series of topics. This post does not make a statement "for" the following content and does not make claim that it has a direct relation to Freemasonry. It is for educational purposes only! All credit given to for content obtained from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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Rosicrucianism - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:33:00 +0000

(Redirected from Rosicrucian)

The Temple of the Rose Cross, Teophilus Schweighardt Constantiens, 1618.

Part of a series of articles on

Rosicrucianism is a philosophical secret society, said to have been founded in late medieval Germany by Christian Rosenkreuz. It holds a doctrine or theology "built on esoteric truths of the ancient past", which, "concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm."[1] Rosicrucianism is symbolized by the Rosy Cross.

Between 1607 and 1616, two anonymous manifestos were published, first in Germany and later throughout Europe.[2] These were Fama Fraternitatis RC (The Fame of the Brotherhood of RC) and Confessio Fraternitatis (The Confession of the Brotherhood of RC). The influence of these documents, presenting a "most laudable Order" of mystic-philosopher-doctors and promoting a "Universal Reformation of Mankind", gave rise to an enthusiasm called by its historian Dame Frances Yates the "Rosicrucian Enlightenment".[3]

Rosicrucianism was more closely associated with Protestantism than Roman Catholicism and in particular, was most closely associated withLutheranism.[4] According to historian David Stevenson, it was also influential to Freemasonry as it was emerging in Scotland.[4] In later centuries, many esoteric societies have claimed to derive their doctrines, in whole or in part, from the original Rosicrucians. Several modern societies, which date the beginning of the Order to earlier centuries, have been formed for the study of Rosicrucianism and allied subjects.

READ MORE: Rosicrucianism

Hermeticism

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Hermes Trismegistus · Thoth ·Poimandres

Hermetica
Corpus Hermeticum · Kybalion

Three Parts of the Wisdom of the Whole Universe
Alchemy · Astrology · Theurgy

Influence and Influences

Hermetic Movements
Rosicrucianism

Orders
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ·Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor ·Hermetic Brotherhood of Light

Topics in Hermetism
Qabalah Occult and divinatory tarot

Hermetists and Hermeticists
John Dee . Aleister Crowley · Israel Regardie
Thābit ibn Qurra · Paracelsus
Giordano Bruno · Samuel MacGregor Mathers · William Westcott
Franz Bardon

Note: Please read " Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education", which explains and describes the purpose of this series of topics. This post does not make a statement "for" the following content and does not make claim that it has a direct relation to Freemasonry. It is for educational purposes only! All credit given to for content obtained from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Tupelo Masonic Lodge No. 318 F&AM
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Hermetic Qabalah - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:10:00 +0000

This article is about traditional Hermetic Qabalah. For other Kabbalistic traditions see Kabbalah, Christian Kabbalah, and Practical Kabbalah

Part of a series of articles on Hermeticism
Hermetic Religion Hermeticism Mythology Hermes Trismegistus · Thoth ·Poimandres Hermetica Corpus Hermeticum · Kybalion Three Parts of the Wisdom of the Whole Universe Alchemy · Astrology · Theurgy Influence and Influences Hermetic Movements Rosicrucianism Orders Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ·Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor ·Hermetic Brotherhood of Light Topics in Hermetism Qabalah Occult and divinatory tarotHermetists and Hermeticists John Dee . Aleister Crowley · Israel Regardie Thābit ibn Qurra · Paracelsus Giordano Bruno · Samuel MacGregor Mathers · William Westcott Franz Bardon
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Part of a series of articles on

Hermeticism

Hermetic Religion
Hermeticism

Mythology
Hermes Trismegistus · Thoth ·Poimandres

Hermetica
Corpus Hermeticum · Kybalion

Three Parts of the Wisdom of the Whole Universe
Alchemy · Astrology · Theurgy

Influence and Influences

Hermetic Movements
Rosicrucianism

Orders
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ·Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor ·Hermetic Brotherhood of Light

Topics in Hermetism
Qabalah Occult and divinatory tarotHermetists and Hermeticists
John Dee . Aleister Crowley · Israel Regardie
Thābit ibn Qurra · Paracelsus
Giordano Bruno · Samuel MacGregor Mathers · William Westcott
Franz Bardon

Hermetic Qabalah (From the Hebrew קַבָּלָה "reception", usually transliterated with a 'Q' rather than a 'K' or a 'C', to distinguish it from Jewish Kabbalah andChristian Cabbalah respectively) is a Western esoteric and mystical tradition. It is the underlying philosophy and framework for magical societies such as theGolden Dawn, Thelemic orders, mystical societies such as the Builders of the Adytum and the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, and is a precursor to theNeopagan, Wiccan and New Age movements.^[1] The Hermetic Qabalah is the basis for Qliphothic Qabala as studied by left hand path orders, such as theTyphonian Order.

Hermetic Qabalah draws on a great many influences, most notably: Jewish Kabbalah, Western astrology, Alchemy, pagan religions, especially Egyptian and Greco-Roman (the latter being from which the term "Hermetic" is derived), neoplatonism, gnosticism, the Enochian system of angelic magic of John Dee andEdward Kelley, hermeticism, rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, tantra and the symbolism of the tarot. Hermetic Qabalah differs from the Jewish form in being a more admittedly syncretic system, however it shares many concepts with Jewish Kabbalah.

Shriners - Education (definition)

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:23:00 +0000

Logo of the Shriners of North America

The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is anappendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States. In 2010, the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, as well as Shriners North America, changed its name to Shriners International, now covering nearly 200 temples (chapters) across North America, South America, Europe and Southeast Asia. ^[1] The organization is best known for the Shriners Hospitals for Children it administers and the red fezzes that members wear. The organization is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.^[2] Shriners International describes itself as a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. There are approximately 340,000 members from 194 temples (chapters) in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Republic of Panama, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Europe and Australia. On July 6, 2011, Shriners International commissioned Emirat Shriners of Heidelberg, Germany, as its 194th temple, and took the first steps toward forming a new temple in Mindanao, Philippines. ^[3]

[hide]

THE BEEHIVE: A MIGRATION OF MYTH

noreply@blogger.com (TupeloMason) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:54:00 +0000

Bro. P.D. Newman, 32°

Tupelo Lodge, No. 318

Valley of Corinth, Orient of MS

The flies seek filth: the bees seek honey.

I shun the habits of the flies, and follow that of the bees.[1]

Throughout a Mason’s career, he is confronted with a multitude of different symbols and allegories in numerous different Degrees and Rites. Among the many symbols presented to the attention of the Candidate upon his being Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason is that of the beehive. This, he is told, “is an emblem of industry, and recommends the practice of that virtue to all created beings[2]…” But, as we shall see, legends surrounding the symbol of the beehive, as well as its cognates such as honey and the bee itself, are not only numerous throughout history but are also widespread among a number of diverse cultures.

In describing the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, France, during its occupation by the emperor Napoleon, historian Benjamin Winkles observes that “[t]he throne occupied the whole breadth of the nave of the church, and was ascended by twenty-four steps, covered with carpets, the pattern of which was strewn with bees. On the steps were placed benches for the marshals, ministers, and officers of the household, covered with blue velvet, embroidered with golden bees. The emperor’s seat on the throne was elevated under a canopy of crimson velvet, embroidered with golden bees.” Commenting on this fact, Manly P. Hall adds in his The Secret Teachings of All Ages that “[a]t one time the bee was the emblem of the French kings. The rulers of France wore robes embroidered with bees, and the canopies of their thrones were decorated with gigantic figures of these insects.” He tells us further that “[t]he bee was used as a symbol of royalty by the immortal Charlemagne, and it is probable that the fleur-de-lis, or lily of France, is merely a conventionalized bee and not a flower.”[3]

The ancient Greeks called bees the Birds of the Muses and held that Zeus, the King of the Gods, was raised by the nymph Melissa who fed him on a steady diet of honey as opposed to milk. The name Melissa literally means honey bee, and was bestowed upon all of the nymphs who took part in nursing the deity. In other areas surrounding the Mediterranean, it was believed that bees were produced magically and spontaneously from the carcasses of rotting bulls. In his poem Fasti, Ovid recounts the story of Aristaeus from the Geoponica, an ancient book of agricultural folklore, which tells of a young shepherd who, after witnessing the total destruction of his hives, asks of a local wizard how he might recover his loss. “Kill a heifer” the wizard tells him, “and bury its carcass in the earth. The buried heifer will give the thing thou seekest of me.” Ovid goes on to assure his reader that “[t]he shepherd did [the wizard’s] bidding: swarms of bees hive out of the putrid beef...”

A similar motif can be found in the literature of the ancient Hebrews regarding the Biblical Samson. In chapter 14 of The Book of Judges we learn of Samson’s violent run in with a “young lion” which Samson impressively “rent[…]as he would have rent a kid.” Coming across the carcass at a later date, as we are told in verse 8 of the chapter of the same, Samson “turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of [it].” Thus, while the decomposing animal may have changed from a heifer to that of a lion, we see that the curious association of bees and honey with a rotting carcass is by no means unique to the shores of the Mediterranean.

Another example can be found in Angelo de Gubernatis’ exhaustive Zoological Mythology. Quoting from the works of Porphyrios, Gubernatis says that “the moon was also called a bee….[A]s the moon is the culminating point of the constellation of the bull[1], it is believed that bees are born in the bull’s carcass. Hence the name of bougeneis[2] given by the ancients to bees.” Gubernatis goes on to point out that “[s]ometimes, instead of the lunar bull we find the solar lion[3]; and the lion in connection with bees occurred in the mysteries of Mithras.”

In the words of Albert Pike, Mithras is “[t]he Sun, the Archimagus, that noblest and most powerful agent of divine power…” The Mysteries of Mithras were celebrated in Rome from the first to the fourth centuries and entailed, like Masonry, the progressive ascent of a hierarchical ladder of initiation[4]. Archaeologist Franz Valery-Marie Cumont explains in his The Mysteries of Mithra that upon reaching a certain level of attainment, the initiate of the mysteries then came to be known as a ‘Lion,’ at which point, Cumont says, “honey was poured on his hands and applied to his tongue, as was the case with new-born children.”

Thomas D. Worrel, in his talk The Symbolism of the Beehive and the Bee which he delivered to Mill Valley Masonic Lodge in 2000, observed that “[i]n Hindu myth and iconography, the bee surmounting a triangle is a symbol of Shiva. Sometimes we see a blue bee on the forehead of Krishna, as the avatar of Vishnu. Kama, the god of love, like Cupid has a bow and arrows, and the bow string is made up of bees. In the yogic doctrine, where each chakra emits a different sound in meditation, the lowest chakra (muldhahara) emits a hum likened in the writings to a bumblebee. Note that the first chakra represents our strongest bond to the material world and Eros or Cupid in Greek philosophy is the natural impelling force towards sensual objects.” Turning again to the work of Manly P. Hall, we read the following: “In India the god Prana – the personification of the universal life force – is sometimes shown surrounded by a circle of bees.” He later asserts that “[b]ecause of its importance in pollenizing flowers, the bee is the accepted symbol of the generative power.”

The mystique of the honey bee has often led to its description as being an insect of otherworldly virtues. The ancient Egyptians, for example, believed that bees originated from a tear in the eye of the sun god. Similarly, the Christian mystic Hildegard von Bingen says in her monumental Physica, one of the earliest works on medicine in the West, that “[t]he honey bee is from the heat of the sun.” Manly P. Hall tells us that “[t]he bee is sacred to the goddess Venus [which], according to mystics, it is one of several forms of life which came to earth from the planet Venus millions of years ago,” and to quote once again from Angelo de Gubernatis, ”[t]he souls of the dead were supposed to come down from the moon upon the earth in the form of bees.”

Lastly, in his Curiosities of Literature, Isaac D’Isreali recounts a story from the Jewish Talmud regarding the mysterious Queen Sheba who, “attracted by the splendor of his reputation, visited [Solomon] at his own court; there, one day to exercise the sagacity of the monarch, Sheba presented herself at the foot of the throne; in each hand she held a wreath; the one was composed of natural, and the other of artificial flowers. Art, in the labor if the mimetic wreath, has exquisitely imitated the lively hues of nature; so that at the distance it was held by the queen for the inspection of the king, it was deemed impossible for him to decide, which wreath was the production of nature, and which the work of art.” Following a moment of admitted perplexity, Solomon, “[o]bserving a cluster of bees hovering about a window,[…]commanded that it should be opened: it was opened; the bees rushed into the court, and alighted immediately on one of the wreaths, while not a single one fixed on the other.” Solomon also happens to be the alleged author of the Old Testament Book of Proverbs, wherein we are cryptically told that “wisdom is like honey...”

Thus we see the emphasis that has come to be laid upon the beehive and its cognate symbols, bees and honey, throughout history and across cultures. Given the extraordinary characteristics attributed to these remarkable insects, it is no surprise that the beehive has also been a persistent and integral icon within the symbolism of the Craft. It is hoped that, whether these diligent creatures speak something to us of our own sense of industry, royalty, immortality or wisdom, they will speak nevertheless. For, the buzz of the hive resounds ever within the heart of every Master Mason, and the utterances thereof, if he but lend an ear to its incessant hum, shall be to him as honey from the comb, both rich and sweet.

[1] Hindu monastic vow

[2] For a consideration of the concept of the drone as it is understood in Masonry, refer to Bro. Shawn Eyer’s The Beehive & the Stock of Knowledge.

[3] This theory was first popularized by Hargrave Jennings in his enigmatic yet influential The Rosicrucians: Their Rites and Mysteries.

[1] Taurus, the sign in which the moon is exalted according to classical astrology

[2] meaning ‘bull-born’

[3] Leo, which in classical astrology is ruled by the sun

[4] The similarities between Freemasonry and the Mithraic Mysteries were explored by William Wynn Westcott in his paper Resemblances in Freemasonry to Mithra.

REFERENCES

Berube, Conrad. The Bee-Riddled Carcass

Cumont, Franz Valery-Marie. The Mysteries of Mithra

De Gubernatis, Angelo. Zoological Mythology

D’Israeli, Isaac. Curiosities of Literature

Duncan’s Ritual of Freemasonry

Eyer, Shawn. The Beehive & the Stock of Knowledge

Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages

http://beelore.com/

Jennings, Hargrave. The Rosicrucians: Their Rites and Mysteries

Ovid. Fasti

Pike, Albert. Morals and Dogma: Annotated Edition

Prabhavananda, Swami. How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali

Ransome, Hilda M. The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore

The Holy Bible: Master Mason Edition

Von Bingen, Hildegard. Physica

Winkles, Benjamin. French Cathedrals

Worrel, Thomas D. The Symbolism of the Beehive and the Bee

This article can be found in the upcoming Feb 2012 issue of "The Working Tools Masonic Magazine", where this content was originally published.

Note: Please read " Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education", which explains and describes the purpose of this series of topics. This post does not make a statement "for" the following content and does not make claim that it has a direct relation to Freemasonry. It is for educational purposes only!

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The Bee Hive & The Stock of Knowledge

SFC Billy A. Sutton, US Army - Honor Guard: Patriot Guard Riders of the Mid South

Bro Christopher Michael Reid - Named "Mason of the Year"

Albert Pike - Education

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Morals and Dogma - Education

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Originally Posted: Wednesday, October 26, 2011

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Masonic Links for Lodges... Add Yours!

Below you will find links to a list of all U.S. Grand Lodges, International Grand Lodges, and F&AM Masonic Lodges in Mississippi.

Martinism - Education (definition)

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Reading Masons and Masons Who Do Not Read

Albert G. Mackey 32° (published in 1875 and again in The Master Mason - October 1924)

Blog Participation Requested - Announcement - Education (Repost)

Originally Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Esoteric - Education (definition)

Rosicrucianism - Education (definition)

Hermetic Qabalah - Education (definition)

Shriners - Education (definition)

Contents

THE BEEHIVE: A MIGRATION OF MYTH

Albert G. Mackey 32°
(published in 1875 and again in The Master Mason - October 1924)