A Brother Asks: Masonic Maps

 
 
A Brother Asks: Freemasonic Ritual is overwhelming!  I have no idea where to begin my studies.  How can we better come to understand what it communicates? 

My Response: It can best be understood by breaking each of them down into smaller chunks to identify what is actually communicated by each of their symbols, phrases and allusions.  It is only after one does this that one can begin to see the big picture and what Ritual actually offers to all those who experience and use them to better one's self.  Until one takes the time to do this, Ritual remains a blur and one's actions continue unfocused upon what truly needs to be done with each.

He Continues: Can you provide an outline or map?
 
My Response:  I sure can and have already done so many times. 

Let's review them here.
 
The Apprentice Map

The Entered Apprentice Degree Ritual provides a roadmap for Inward Travels. It provides a guide to the inner Terrain that, when Traveled, enables a man to know his true self and true nature -- The Creature that is himself.

The Work it directs him toward is Foundational to his Learning. In this respect, it is a roadmap for Preparation for Learning.

It is focused upon the physical man, and what he must know about the Creature -- The Self!

Sadly, few men follow the map that they are offered.
 
The Fellow Map

The Fellow Craft Degree Ritual provides a roadmap for Outward Travels. It provided... a guide to the outer Terrain that, when Traveled, enables a man to know the Universe -- the Whole of Creation.

The Work it directs him toward is Structural and sets the stage of his Actual True Learning. In this respect, it is a roadmap for Learning How to Learn. 

It is focused upon the mental man and what he must know about Creation -- The Universe!

Sadly, even fewer men follow the map that they are offered.
 
The Master Map

The Master Mason Degree Ritual provides a roadmap for Eternal Travels. It provided a guide to the spiritual Terrain that, when Traveled, enables a man to know the Word -- the Creator.

The Work it directs him toward is his Actual Learning and Teaching. In this respect, it is a roadmap to Further Cultivation of the Heart and Mind, Inner and Outer Travel and Employment of Cunning Craftsmanship also known as "Beauty!" 

It is focused upon the spiritual man and what he must know about the Creator -- The Word! 
 
Sadly, it is rare men who follows the map that they are offered.

Each map offers opportunity to Perfect one's self.  It is only opportunity though.  One must do the Work to obtain Betterment.

F&S,
 
Brother John S Nagy

PS - For extensive Masonic Map Reading Course Materials, please investigate "The Building Better Builders Series" of Uncommon Books and Videos.  You will not be disappointed.


 

A Brother Asks... Freemasonry's Secrets?

 

 

A Brother Asks:  What's Freemasonry's Secret?

My Response: Gosh! Where do I start, there are so many!  NOT!!!!  BUT, every last one of those that could be considered a secret is actually a Road Map! 

Let's review some of those "secrets" here:

• One Secret is that it provides Road Maps to Better Recognitions.
• Another Secret is that it provides Road Maps to Better Understandings.
• A Third Secret is that it provides Road Maps to Better Comprehensions.
• A Fourth Secret is that it provides Road Maps to Better Skills.
• A Fifth Secret is that it provides Road Maps to a Better Beings.
• A Sixth Secret is that it provides Road Maps to Better Interactions.
• A Seventh Secret is that it provides Road Maps to Better Relationships.
• An Eighth Secret is that it provides Road Maps to a Better Lives.
• A Ninth Secret is that it provides Road Maps for individuals to Carry within their Minds.
• A Tenth Secret is that it provides Road Maps for individuals to Carry within their Hearts.
• A Eleventh is so few who are offered these Road Maps actually Understand them.
• A Twelfth is that even fewer who have these Road Maps actually Follow them.

These are but a few of the countless "Secrets"  of Freemasonry -- ROAD MAPS ALL!!!  Of course, when you want to know the Secrets of Masonry, follow Freemasonry's Road Maps and Travel the Terrain of Life.

An Important Understanding to Note:  Freemasonic secrets are not Masonic secrets and it's folly to think them the same. There are major differences. The former have very little to do with Masonry and everything to do with Recognizing who belongs to and with what Organization. The latter have everything to do with the Properly Prepared heart, mind and soul of a Builder. Members of the former are not necessarily Builders. Masons however recognize other Builders in the Light as well as in the Dark, and even when they are not a member of an Organization of Freemasons.

The Acid Tests to Determine a Freemasonic Secret or Masonic Secret are simple:

• Freemasonic Secrets require little to no Transformational Preparation to receive and know; you merely receive them as a course of Craft Ritual Participation. When you know them, they shall Empower you to do nothing more than participate in Organizational Activities or to Recognize another member.  Likewise, Unaccompanied Travel, Work, Earn, Support and Contribution cannot occur at any level.  Knowing them binds you to those who provided them to you and you shall be restrained accordingly.  You are not Free as a result of having them.

• Masonic Secrets remain unknown to all untrained hearts, minds and souls; no matter how you may try to convey them, they remain hidden from you and do so in plain sight.  When you know them, you are Empowered to Recognize, Understand and Work with God's Creations and receive Just Compensations.  Likewise, Unaccompanied Travel, Work, Compensation, Support and Contribution occurs and does so Masterfully. Knowing them frees you and you shall be unrestrained accordingly.   You are Free as a result of them having you.

F&S,

 

Brother John S Nagy

 

PS - When you want to Recognize and Understand these Road Maps Better and then learn how to apply them in your live, check out some of these books when you can.

 

 

A Brother Asks... Making Good Men Better

 

A Brother Asks: How does mastering ritual make good men better?

Response: It doesn't. It no more makes good men better than mastering any other map.

 

It is only by recognizing, understanding and applying it toward the territory it represents that you become better, and only if you do so with the intent and methods of betterment. Otherwise, it just sits on the bookshelf of your mind, collecting dust, being eaten by the mind's silverfish or worse, rotting.

Pointing to it, pulling it out and waving it in the faces of others, or worse, boasting about how well you have preserved it without using it to travel within its alluded to territory, is the ultimate insult to its creation.

Ritual Mastery does not make you Better; Suitably and Appropriately Applying it toward your life does.

IN OTHER WORDS: There Is No Transformation for The Better Without Work That Transforms for The Better! Mastering Ritual is only Installing the Map, but is it not the Work that Occurs to Follow It!!

 

F&S,

 

Brother John S. Nagy

 

 

The Roadmap Talk - What Candidates Should be Told Repeatedly!

When you accurately describe the land you wish to Travel, you are better able to Navigate within it, through it or around it.

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

For some time now I have described Freemasonic Ritual as “Roadmaps for Personal Transformation”.  Describing Ritual in this way has enabled me and quite a few other Brothers to delve into what these rituals point toward.  This view better enabled us to use these Maps for the ends to which we entered the Society.  Perhaps it’s time to describe Freemasonry as a whole so that members overall shall be enabled to both Better themselves and the organization. Let’s start with future members.

From the view of incoming Candidates, the operation of the Fraternity is that which is assumed to be styled after Medieval Stoneworkers guilds, especially when it comes to what is conveyed as the hierarchy of the Organization at the Lodge level.  They are led to believe that this is how the Stoneworkers’ Lodges were set up and how they did their business.   The Lexicon is present throughout the Lodge as both verbal and symbolic cues, especially while at Labor.  They are from the very beginning immersed in a World that is foreign to them and filled with mystery and confusion.

With time comes clarity, but it is a clarity wrought towards the reality of the play put before them and without an anchor, they are swept away by the Performance.  If they are like the majority, they too shall never make the leap to comprehend fully the truth that is being offered them through allusion. 

The Future

So little is shared with Candidates about what they truly should expect beyond experiencing the Degree Performances and perhaps doing rudimentary Proficiencies. 

This is a statement that I share with Brothers who have just gone through any one of the Symbolic Lodge Degrees.  Feel free to share it as you want, as you can and with proper attributions:

 The Roadmap Talk

Congratulations my Brother.  What you have just experienced is a Roadmap of Masonic Progression provided to you by your loving Brothers.  It is one of Three Roadmaps that you experience within the Symbolic Lodge Educational system.  Each Roadmap provides you directions to make yourself a Better man. 

Your Brothers shall Coach and Mentor you toward becoming Proficient in remembering each of these Roadmaps.  They shall also help you to install them within your head and hopefully within your heart. 

I caution you earnestly though to remember always that the work you do installing each Map is not the Work that makes you a Better man.  That Work is performed by you when you take each map out, Recognize it for what it is, Understand the Work toward which it points you and then Apply it by Travelling the Territory it represents doing the Work required of you. 

Keep in mind always that no Map is a Territory.  Should you merely memorize these Maps without following them, you shall be no Better off than had you not bothered to memorize them at all. Should you want to be a Better man, you must do the Work that each Degree directs you toward.  Your Brothers should know this well and you can hopefully rely upon them to assist you in doing just that.  If they can’t, find Brothers who can. 

Once you have Traveled these Territories, Learned well their varying Terrains, and Established the Strengths that each are intended to bring forth within you, your Word shall open up your world in ways you cannot begin to imagine. 

One final word of caution, Maps are not Substitutes for the real thing.  Should you merely memorize these Maps, accept them as real and Travel not the Territories they direct you toward, you shall bar yourself from the world they are supposed to offer you.  

[pause]

Once again, I congratulate you and wish you well in all your Travels.
 

            – Brother John S Nagy

For Further Light:

 

 

The Source of this material comes directly from Chapter XXI in the book The Craft Unmasked: The uncommon Origin of Freemasonry and its Practice.  Feel free to use "The Roadmap Talk" with proper attributions.

 

For a more comprehensive overview of the masonic road map, and other important aspects of what it take s to complete The Temple, check out the book "The Craft Mastered!  Completing the Temple, the Fellow Craft Dream"