Friday, September 4, 2020

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.




2 comments:

AndyF said...

That is very insightful and helpful. I never looked at it like that before but the way you explained it, it makes perfect sense. The stair lecture is long and by that point in the degree the candidate is tired and rapidly approaching information overload.

Thank you Coach, I will think more on this subject and make sure that I reach the composite column stage. Sometimes I think I'm there and other times, I realize I have a lot to work on. My ashlar is much smoother than when I started this journey but far from ready to be fit into that heavenly structure, but I will keep working on it as long as the good Lord allows me to draw a breath.

Coach John S Nagy said...

You're most welcome Brother AndyF!

It's a delight to know it makes sense to you and the Light is helpful.

Thanks for letting me know.