Monday, September 1, 2014

THE COACHES COACH: Speculation on the Letter “G”


Good Day My Fellow Travelers,

Here's an article published in September 2014 based upon my previous work, "The Coaches Coach" Videos 1 & 2 that might be of interest to you. 

Fraternally and Sincerely,

Bro. John S. Nagy
 
 
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 The Coaches Coach: Speculation on the Letter “G”

To get a firmer Grasp for what takes place when Brothers help to Build Builders and not just membership in the Freemasonic Fraternity, I share an example with you.  This example reflects one of the paradigms that shifts and helps men to understand better what is required to Build Builders.  It has to do with a Mason’s ability to see beyond things that can and do mislead others.  The example that is offered has to do with the Letter “G” found in the center of the overlapping Square and Compasses.

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There has been much Speculation on this Letter “G.”  Some say it stands for “Geometry”, others say it’s symbolic for “God”, a select few say it represents the Greek letter “Gamma” (which looks like a square “'”) and still others say it represents the “Grand Geometrician of the Universe”.  This addition to these Speculations is not intended to add any confusion.  It is intended to bring some much needed clarity and insight for those Brothers who desire more from Freemasonry.

It should be evident that there are problems with all these Speculations, mostly due to all the different languages one can find from one jurisdiction to another. Discussions of these problems can be found in abundance elsewhere, so they shall not be covered here.

What is offered though is an uncommon Speculation as to what the Symbol actually represents and it is inclusive of that which has already been discussed.  This Speculation comes from an out-of-the-box thought that fits well the mold that Masonic Training encourages its members to undertake.  To Grasp it requires you to step out of the box of preconceived notions though.  It also requires that you look past the actual symbol itself and not associate it with anything that you might typically assign to it.  It furthermore requires that you see the source that projects the image of this Symbol upon the cave wall.  Adhering to all these requirements shall hopefully prepare you for what is shared in this simple example and beyond.

The Symbol at the Center of the Square and Compasses Represents "Structure".  It is Structure that conveys the only possible link between any Symbolic Conveyance and the Objective World.

This Speculation is best supported and encapsulated by the following quote attributed to the late Polish-American Philosopher and Scientist, Alfred Korzybski:

“If words are not things, or maps are not the actual territory, then, obviously, the only possible link between the objective world and the linguistic world is found in structure, and structure alone.”

Just as in Language, it is Structure that makes Masonry what it is.  It doesn’t matter what tongue that it is spoken in, what culture that renders it or which Masons employ it.  The Structure of Masonry is unique and, to those Raised within it, Recognizable in the Dark as well as in the Light.

And it is that very Structure that both conceals and reveals the Code that spells out what’s required to Build even the most uneducated into Builders.

The current Freemasonic Structure of the three Degrees employed throughout most of the United States preserves the Code which spells out what Masons must do to Build themselves. Unfortunately, it does not require that this Code be Executed.  Current Degree preservation efforts only assure that the Code remains intact enough for each generation to rediscover it, should they take the time to Examine it.  It is up to the Coaches & Mentors of each generation to help those Freemasons who come through the Three Degrees and hear this Code to Step beyond Preserving it and into actually Applying it toward Building the Builders of this and future generations.  Until each new Freemason Discovers this Structure, it remains concealed and assumed lost.

All this is Alluded to by the Letter “G”.  Whether you want to believe it represents either the Geometry or the Geometrician involved, the common thread is the Structure hidden within both.   
 
Can you find It?

For Further Light: