A Brother Asks: A Place of Darkness

 

A Brother Asks: Could you give us some information on the place of the North in masonry? 

Coach: Sure.  It's claimed that, because King Solomon's temple was situated north of the Tropic of Cancer, no light rays were able to show through any opening on its north facing side.  Due to this fact of nature, a tradition arose among many Jurisdictions that honors this location in its Lodge rooms as a "Place of Darkness" where no light
shines.

That's about all that is revealed directly through Freemasonic Symbolic Lodge Rituals and Lectures.*

Brother: Some lodges have a station in the North; some don't. Some past masters like sitting in that station. Like it's a place of honor.  

Coach: There's typically a station or chair in the North in many Lodges.  However, it is most atypical in many jurisdictions to have anyone sit in it, unless there is an actual shortage of chairs and the person sitting in it who is so well-liked that the usual tradition of it being kept vacant is overlooked - I have seen this quite a few times while traveling around the country visiting a wide verity of Lodges.  In many jurisdictions it is frowned upon for anyone to sit in that chair if there are other chairs available.  Yet, I have seen well-liked Brothers sit in the chair with a facetious grin while getting an affirming murmur from the other attending Brothers.

Brother: What is the North's proper role in a lodge?

Coach: To represent a "Place of Darkness."

That being said, that "Place of Darkness" is given a symbolic and honorable place within the Lodge room, It represents for all Brothers the symbolic places that they as Apprentices must go to  Complete their Apprentice Work - not physically, but internally.  They should know that when they do not travel there, and they do not seek and properly address what is in their dark places, it will be absolutely impossible for them to Complete their Apprentice Work.

Additional to this, It also represents the unknown and what we as Masons must willingly face who desire further Light in those places where it is most lacking. 

And more especially when we KNOW a dark place exists that NEEDS a Light bearer!

 

* Esoteric related Light related to religious and mythological information on "North" can be found in numerous articles on this subject and within Bro. Mackey's Encyclopedia under "North."

A Brother Asks: TOP TEN QUESTION MASTER MASONS CAN ANSWER?

 

A Brother Asks: Hey, Coach!  I just got raised and want to continue exploring ritual.  What are some of the questions that Master Masons ought to be able to answer?

Coach:  First off, congratulations on your recent Raising!  Secondly, Great Question, Bro.!  It means you're still seeking further Light  and are not settling on just wearing the Master Mason title - Kudos! 

In light of your question, here are but a few of the many questions that Master Masons should be able to to answer fully had they actually done the Work of the first and second degrees and thought through what was offered to them by the third degree experience.

As you continue your quest, you'll hopefully be able to answer them for yourself.

--------------

THE TOP TEN QUESTION 
MASTER MASONS CAN ANSWER
(WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DID
WHAT THE FIRST TWO DEGREES
TOLD THEM TO DO!)

Question #10: What does the term, “The Work that Makes Good Men Better” mean?

Question #9: How and why does being a Ruffian keep him from knowing The Master's Word, and why can no one ever provide understanding of The Master's Word to a Ruffian?

Question #8: To what does the term, "The Temple of Solomon" refer in the Development of Master Masons?

Question #7: How does one Complete one's Temple?

Question #6: What is a Spiritual Building, how does it differ from the Completed Temple, and which one is required to build the other?

Question #5: What are the Secrets of a Master Mason, how are they brought forth, and how do they differ from The Master's Word? 

Question #4: What do the Secrets of a Master Mason have to do with understanding The Master's Word?

Question #3: What is our Masonic Purpose and where can one find that purpose within the first Craft Lodge Degree?

Question #2: What does the Master's Word have to do with our Masonic Purpose?

Question #1: Where do we find The Master's Word and how does one prepare oneself to understand it?

---------------

On a lighter note, you can find your answers to these and other questions by either doing the actual Work that the first two degrees direct you to do and then applying what you built toward what was offered to you by the third degree experience.  Complementing this course of action, reading good books on the subjects, or attending the next Building Better Builders Workshops to understand what that Work actually is can greatly enhance your efforts. 

Brother: Coach! What is this Building Better Builders Workshop that you refer to?

Coach: Ah!  Another Great Question!

This Workshop is a special program that was developed specifically for the planned for Grand Lodge of Florida's OFFICER'S TRAINING PROGRAM and was put together in early 2023 by the request of a member of the Florida Grand Line.

It was designed to Facilitate a Better Understanding of What is Hidden in Plain Sight, How to Access It, and How to Apply It in Lodge and in Life.

Brother: What can I expect if I attended it?

Coach: Here's what you can expect by attending!

RITUAL 101:
Understanding & Communicating Its Importance
to Member Interest, Recruitment, & Retention

Understanding Ritual is crucial to understanding the purpose of our Masonic involvement.  Those members who have in-depth understanding of Ritual, its meaning, and its purpose in “making good men better” are positioned as both organizational examples and well-springs for members who want to strengthen themselves and to maximize their participation in organizational fellowship, ceremony, and beyond. 

The BBB Workshops focus upon applications of Critical thinking & analysis, the Socratic Method, and the Trivium to Ritual to support Masonic pursuits, membership recruiting & member retention.

It includes, but is not be limited to, the following areas of focus:

1) Interpretation Basics and Improvement
2) Esotericism - Organizational & Personal
3) Realizing Masonic Perfection in an Imperfect World
4) The 11 EA Working Tools (Yes, ELEVEN!!!!)
5) The Actual Master's Word and not some mis-undestood Substitute!
6) Completing Your Temple & Beyond

All that is offered to the attendees is intended to help them recognize, understand, and be able to explain the answers to these ten questions, and much more.

Brother: WOW!  That's a lot!

Coach: Yes, and you'll be able to answer those question that all Master Masons should be able to answer.

Brother:  When is the next one planned?

Coach: The next BBB Workshop is occurring in Temple TX on August 26, 2023.

Hidden in Plain Sight or It's a Hiram Life for Me!

 

 

 Hidden in Plain Sight...  

or It's a Hiram Life for Me!
--------------------------

This is a statement and question pair 

too often put forth by Brothers who refuse to do the Work: 

• We're still looking for an explanation
  as to what you mean. 
  
  
• Why aren't you giving us the answer
  we demand from you?

Here's were I usually reply:

 

"When you examine the flow of thought
throughout the offered information,
you're more likely to come to see a pattern
within that flow that will make it clearer to you, as in: 

 

the explanation is
'already before you hidden in plain sight'

 

You must seek it for it to become clear to you."

They'll respond Jubalonicly,
"Coach, why don't you just TELL ME?!"
or something to that effect.

I'll respond with something like,
"I Can't, Won't, Shan't give you something
that you must give and thus obtain yourself".

They'll retort that they don't want to be one of my disciples,
they just want a straight answer
and I'll reply 

"I've been straight with you all along. 
You simply don't want to do
the Work required to understand.
You will not get it
because you refuse to think it through.
Which is the ONLY way you'll understand.
...and BTW - There's no need to attack me with lies. 

I don't have any disciples nor do I want any."

Ultimately we end in a stalemate or worse,
they attack me personally,
because they simple refuse to invest themselves
in being any way other than their current state
and want to be distracted from that by focusing upon me.
 

Does this sound even vaguely familiar to anyone else?

 

Has anyone ever thought to ask:

Why didn't the Ruffians simply complete the Temple? 

 

I mean, we do know it was actually completed, 

at least twice!

 

 

 

A Brother Asks... Completing the Apprentice Work...

A Brother Asks: How do you know when you have completed the Apprentice Work?

My Response: Out of all the topics that are messed up in the minds of far too many Brothers, this is one of the top ten. 

Background: There exists a huge swath of members who are of the mentality that, because one can never ever be "flawless", one can never not be an Apprentice.  This is a misleading conclusion that is wrought by the wrongful application of a non-freemasonic religious doctrine that they have brought with them when they joined and applied upon the existing dogma of the Fraternity. 

Apprentice Work is about Laying a Foundation.  It is about Preparing to Build (Learn!).  It is not about being flawless and it never was!  It is about Building a Strong Foundation of Maturity. 

How do you know when you have completed the Work of the first Degree? Great question! Let's go through the list (in no particular order):

1. Proactive - You have Trained yourself to be Self-Initiating.  You do not wait for others to Prompt you toward taking actions that you know need to be taken. 
2. Vision - You have Developed and Embraced a Clear Vision as to what you need to do to Mature. 
3. Improvement - You know what Betterment means to you and for you.  You have focused your Energies upon bringing this about and do so without excuse.
4. Importance - You know what's Important to you and what is not.
5. Choices & Decisions - You make Better, and more importantly, More Mature Choices & Decisions because you know what is Important and what is not.
6. Priorities - You focus upon things that are important. You do not participate long or frequently in any activities that are unimportant.
7. Self-Knowledge - You are not in denial about who you truly are and what you do.  You know yourself very well and because you do, you come to know others very well too, sometimes even better than they know themselves.
8. Values - You know what you Value, what you don't Value and why.  You do not profess or claim false values.
9. Morality - You know your Morals and can express them clearly and succinctly.  What's more, you know where you are immoral, the consequences of that immorality and willingly embrace the liabilities involved and without excuse.
10. Standards - You have Established Specific Standards to which you make every effort to live authentically and without excuse.
11. Time Management - You use time more effectively first and then you use time more efficiently.
12. Divestment - You have become skilled in both...
1) Identifying Superfluities & Vices; and
2) Successfully Divesting yourself of them once identified.
13. Investment - You make every effort to practice Virtues and you have Integrated them into your daily manners.
14. Circumscription - You know what your Passions are and you Employ Successful Methods that keep them Circumscribed.
15. Subduing - You know what your Desires are and Employ Successful Methods that keep them Subdued.
16. Boundaries - You Successfully both Establish and Maintain your Boundaries as needed and appropriate to those with which you deal.
17. Integrity - You know where you have Integrity and where you lack Integrity.
18. Civility - You Integrate your knowledge, morality, awareness and skill sets effectively and considerately into all your daily dealings.
19. Responsibility - You Embrace Responsibility for what you know you need to be doing to Mature and Maintain Maturity.
20. Accountability - You...
1. Stand By;
2. Willingly Embrace; and
3. Have Trained yourself not to Outrun by Excuse 

          ...Authentic Liabilities wrought by your Choices and Decisions.

Will you do all this flawlessly? Probably not. But that was never truly the goal. The Goal was to...

1. Lay the Foundation, and
2. Put these Activities on Auto-Pilot 

...so that you can Continue to Mature in other directions!

Here's an Apprentice Work Acid Test:  If you want to know if Brothers are either doing or have done the Apprentice Work, just go through the above list and evaluate their Progress.  Are they still struggling on any of these items?  It should become evident to you by their manner, self-knowledge and personal discipline whether they are doing or have done the work. 

However, I tend to use a short cut acid test.  I get them involved in a conversation about whether they are still Apprentices.  The moment they drift into the "We're all Apprentices" territory, it's pretty clear to me that they are and very likely have no clue what the actual Apprentice Work is and what it is Intended to Do for those who do it.  With such persons, discussing or using such an assessment list at all would be an unnecessary act.

F&S,

Brother John S. Nagy'

 

For Further Light:

 

 

The Craft Perfected!