The Ashlar Progression

 

 

Okay, this one's for my Speculative Brothers and should be filed under: What most Speculative Masons should know that supports them in realizing what Freemasonry has to offer.

Brothers, please take note! This is the Progression that an Ashlar takes when being advanced in Operative Masonry with relevant linked information to assist you in understanding the basis for each step along the path.  

I hope that you can make the metaphorical connections as to how this should be overlaid upon your Speculative Work.

1) Aggregate -> 

    Earth Bound Stone

2) Freestone -> 

    A piece of Superior/Excellent Aggregate that has been freed from its bound condition for the purposes of being Worked upon. (This is not just an freed stone!)

3) Bastard Ashlar ->

    An unclaimed Hewn Freestone (as in: one that cannot Claim a Father) eventually used for the surface facade of buildings due to its thin nature (where one of its three dimensions is less than 2 inches in thickness.)

4) Rough Ashlar - > 

    A Claimed but unWorked Ashlar (as in: one that Claims a Father) where all of its three dimensions is greater than 2 inches in thickness.

5) Common Ashlar -> 

    A Worked Rough Ashlar that not quite Perfect

6) Perfect Ashlar -> 

    A Common Ashlar that has become Suitable for the Builder's Use (not to be confused with one of those imaginary Flawless Ashlars. It will likely have flaws chosen specifically by the Builder to add desired Characteristics to what He is Building, but shall contain no flaw that will weaken the Integrity of the overall Structure.

7) Raised Ashlar -> 

    A Perfected Ashlar that has been Raised

8) Positioned Ashlar -> 

    A Raised Ashlar Properly Placed

9) Cemented Ashlar -> 

    A Properly Placed Ashlar that helps make up a Unified Mass; a part of that House not made by Hand.

10) Perpend Ashlar -> 

    A Connecting Stone used to connect the inner and outer walls (a.k.a. Bond-Stone, Tie-Stone) 

 When you overlay this offered path upon the implied Speculative process, you get the following:

1) Aggregate -> 

    The Profane Masses

2) Freestone -> 

    A Potential Mason

3) Bastard Ashlar -> 

    A person with no potential as a legitimate member

4) Rough Ashlar - > 

    A Pre-mason or an Apprentice who has yet to begin his Work. Not to be confused with a Master Mason who claims to be an Apprentice and Rough Ashlar still.

5) Common Ashlar -> 

    An Apprentice who is Working upon his Ashlar but has yet to Perfect it.

6) Perfect Ashlar -> 

    An Apprentice that has completed his Apprentice Work and is now suitable for passing to the Fellow Craft Work.

7) Raised Ashlar -> 

    A  Fellow Craft Mason who has completed his study of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences.

8) Positioned Ashlar -> 

    A Raised Fellow Craft Masons who is Properly Placed within the House not made with hands that is the Fraternity.

9) Cemented Ashlar -> 

    A Master Mason who has become a part of the Fraternal mass and is now a full member of the Craft Lodge.

10) Perpend Ashlar -> 

    A Master Mason who has integrated into his life all the lessons he has been provided along the Masonic path and is who assists others to do the same.

-- Coach John S Nagy 

 

 

 

A Brother Asks: Orders of Architecture

A Brother Asks: Coach, Would you tell me how the columns figure into our Masonic journey?

Coach: I sure can.

Brother: Great!  Please do!

Coach: The first thing you must realize is what each column actually denotes allegorically.

Brother: Allegorically?  You mean the columns are standing in symbolically for a quality that a Brother must embrace Masonicly?

Coach: Exactly!

Brother: Wow!  I had never considered that approach before.

Coach: Many don’t.  Yet, they first are presented in a symbolic lodge and you’d think that most members would. I mean, it is a symbolic lodge.

Brother: True enough. Let’s start with the Tuscan.

Coach: No.  Let’s start with the Doric.

Brother: Why the Doric?                                                                 

Coach: Great question. What do you know about the symbolism of the Doric as it relates to the officers of the lodge?

Brother: I know that the three principle officers are denoted by the Ionic, Doric and Corinthian columns.

Coach: Meaning?

Brother: The Worshipful Master, Senior and Junior Wardens respectively.

Coach: Great! So which officer is the Doric?

Brother: The Senior Warden.

Coach: Correct.  And what quality does the Senior Warden represent?

Brother: Strength.

Coach: Agreed. Using this understanding, what do the Ionic and Corinthian columns represent?

Brother: The remaining officers respectively, and by default, the qualities of Wisdom and Beauty too.

Coach: Yes.  So, you’re telling me that the Ionic, Doric and Corinthian columns represent Wisdom, Strength and Beauty?

Brother: No. Ritual is telling us this through our ritual lectures.

Coach: Indeed! 

Brother: How does this play into our Masonic journey?

Coach: Let’s overlay these qualities.

Brother: Okay.

Coach: The Doric column represents any Brother who demonstrates that he has worked sufficiently upon his Strength.

Brother: You mean sufficiently doing the Work pointed toward by the apprentice ritual to bring Order to the Chaos of his heart?

Coach: Precisely!

Brother: That makes perfect sense.  What about the Ionic column?

Coach: The Ionic column represents any Brother who demonstrates that he has Worked sufficiently upon his Wisdom.

Brother: You mean sufficiently doing the Work pointed toward by the fellow craft ritual to bring Order to the Chaos of his mind?

Coach: Yes. 

Brother: I like that! What about the Corinthian column?

Coach:  The Corinthian column represents any Brother who demonstrates that he has Worked sufficiently upon his Beauty?

Brother: Beauty?  How is that possible?  How do we work upon our appearance?

Coach: It’s symbolic my Brother.  And it means that a Brother has applied what he has learned within the first two degrees to create a recognizable masterpiece of Beauty.

Brother: You mean sufficiently doing the Work pointed toward by the master ritual to bring Order to the Chaos of his spirit?

Coach: Indeed!  You’re getting the hang of this symbolic stuff.

Brother: Thanks… your coaching helps a lot.

Coach: So does your ability to grasp the allegorical elements and apply them.

Brother:  Thanks... so, what about the Tuscan?  What does it represent?

Coach: The Tuscan is the plainest and simplest of all the columns presented to them within the staircase lecture. 

Brother: Okay…

Coach: When this is to symbolize any quality assigned to a member, it is to denote any Brother who demonstrates that he has yet to Work upon any aspect of his Wisdom, Strength or Beauty.

Brother: So, they have yet to do any of the Work pointed toward by the first three degrees?

Coach: Exactly!  They may have done the memorization work, but they have not applied anything that they have memorized toward their lives.

Brother: So, they are rough ashlars?

Coach: Yes, they have yet to even take up their Working Tools and applied them toward their Ashlars.

Brother: So, they are members, but they have yet to truly to anything other than fit in.

Coach: Sadly, I have to say yes.

Brother: What about the Composite column?  How does that apply to our Masonic journey?

Coach: The Composite column is any Masterful Mason.

Brother: As in?

Coach: As in any Brother who demonstrates that he has Worked sufficiently upon his Wisdom, Strength and Beauty to create a masterpiece, most especially of himself.

Brother: You mean the Work that is pointed toward by the three symbolic degrees?

Coach:  Yes! Furthermore, he has integrated this Work fully and suitably into his being and everyday manner such that they all are present and they all agree.

Brother: Wow!  That’s a lot to take in?

Coach: Yes, and the sad aspect of this whole thing is that its hidden within plain sight and most members do not see it.

A Brother Asks: Time Between Degrees

Brother: Coach, I have a quick question for you.
Coach: Sure, fire away.

Brother: What’s your thought on the time spent as an Apprentice?
Coach: Why do you ask?

 Brother: I’ve noticed some (if not most) lodges allow their Apprentices to be passed and raised within a very short time (3 meetings in each degree), where some, like my own, you must spend a minimum of nine meetings (not including your communications where you are entered or passed.) and only when the Master deems you fit may you be passed or raised. Any thoughts?
Coach: I have a bunch.

Brother: Great! Please share them.
Coach:  Most of today's USA criteria for progression fitness are so inconsequential that time between Degrees is a joke. 

Brother: Why do you say this?
Coach: As long as the current lodge system policies prevent Apprentices from attending Lodge Business Meetings, and, more importantly, continuously sabotages all efforts for Apprentices to actually DO the Work that the Apprentice Degree points them toward because the are so focused upon having candidates focus strictly upon getting their next degree, the time that they spend between degrees is absolutely irrelevant. It makes no difference whatsoever to the average Brother going through.

Brother:  I believe the candidate e needs to understand what he’s memorizing and not just memorizing it.  

Coach: I agree!

Brother: It might take only 9 days for one Brother to get through his proficiencies while, in my case, it took me 4 months. So I think it all depends on the person.
Coach: True, but this is just the memorization work.  It is NOT the Work that the degrees point toward.

Brother: Don’t you think as long as a Brother gets the meaning out of his degree it’s time to move them on?
Coach:  That's the problem my Brother. Almost everyone who goes through the degrees has no clue what they actually mean. They are only filled with the Hose of Ritual, not the Wisdom of the Craft!  And that’s just for starters. Far fewer come away from the experience understanding the Work that each Degree asks them to do. Even fewer are motivated to actually do this Work and even fewer than that are willing to communicate this understanding to each successive generation.

Brother:  That is very true coach the work is getting lost.
Coach: So, in response to your original question… If a lodge continues to have progression based upon proficiencies that require memorization without understanding, the time in between degrees is inconsequential.