CLC - Master Mason - 05.30.17

Table of Contents

Section I: Purpose of Elements of Raising..4 Reception ...................................5 Circumambulation .........................6 Obligation...................................7 Raising.......................................8 Your Raising - Overarching Lessons......9 Taking Your Raising as a Whole, Its Overarching Lessons.....................10 Section II: Interpretation of Symbols and Tools ............................................................ 11 Trowel .....................................13 Cement ....................................14 Hiram Abiff ...............................16 Sanctum Sanctorum .....................17 Fellow Craft Workmen ..................18 Traveling in Foreign Countries.........19 Setting Maul ..............................20 High Twelve/Low Twelve...............21 The Sprig of Acacia ......................22 The Lion Tribe of Judah ................23 Hiram Abiff................................15

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The Lost Word............................25 The Three Grand Masters...............26 Marble Monument........................27 Hieroglyphical Emblems ................28 Section III: Exemplary Behavior of these Symbols and Tools ..................................... 31 Consensus .................................33 Fidelity ....................................34 Duty........................................35 Honor ......................................36 Wisdom....................................37 Mentoring .................................38 Photography Credits.....................39 The Lost Word............................24

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Section I: Purpose of Elements of Raising

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R ECEPTION

You learned in the Entered Apprentice Degree that the circle drawn using the compass establishes the boundary line of your conduct beyond which you should not pass. The compass therefore points out the duty of self- control. Upon your admission into a Lodge of Master Masons, you learned more about the compass. Within its

points and therefore within each circle it draws, there are the principle tenets of Masonry: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. If the breast of the individual Mason is also filled with Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, he cannot materially err.

Click here to see the related article “History and Development of the Masonic Ritual"

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C IRCUMAMBULATION The Entered Apprentice Degree is about youth, and the Fellow Craft Degree about maturity. The Master Mason Degree directs our attention to mortality. During our symbolic journey or circumambulation of this degree, Ecclesiastes reminds us to be ever mindful of the end of the journey. The reading encourages us to make life plans now so that at the end of the journey we may look back at life’s work completed with credit to ourselves and benefit to others.

Click here to see the related article “Edinburgh Register House Manuscript of 1696"

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O BLIGATION On becoming a Master Mason, you become a full member of the Lodge and therefore your final obligation sets forth the duties of that new status, greatly expanding your obligations from the prior two degrees. It reminds you of the larger work you undertake as a Master Mason both inside and outside of the Lodge.

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R AISING At the end of the conferral, you were “raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason.” The term “raised” refers to your experience of being physically lifted when you took part in the portrayal of a tragedy which Masonic tradition places at King Solomon’s Temple when it was nearing completion.

Click here to see the related article “The Legend of the Third Degree"

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Y OUR R AISING - O VERARCHING L ESSONS

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T AKING Y OUR R AISING AS A W HOLE , I TS O VERARCHING L ESSONS

The Second Section of the Master Mason Degree is a profoundly meaningful experience. It can be understood on many levels, and you are encouraged to witness its conferral again and again during your Masonic career to deepen your understanding. We take from life’s experiences what we need, and as our needs change so do the rewards we gain from

witnessing a degree over and over throughout our Masonic careers. The lessons of the Second Section are not just limited to a Mason’s fidelity to duty and honor. What was your initial reaction to the degree? As you have been working on your proficiency and this course, how has your understanding of the degree deepened? How will your understanding change how you think of yourself, how you treat others and thus how it can help make you a better man and a better Mason?

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Section II: Interpretation of Symbols and Tools

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T ROWEL The trowel is a thin, flat, pointed metal tool for applying and shaping mortar, as in bricklaying. The Apprentices hew the stone from the rock face and begin to shape it with the common gavel according to the architect’s plan. The Fellow Crafts evaluate the Apprentices’ work by means of the square, set the stone and verify its proper position with the level and plumb. But the Master Mason alone, having examined all of this work and proven the stone true and trusty, secures it permanently in place by spreading, with the trowel, the cement that irrevocably binds the stones together.

As an operative Master Mason uses the trowel to spread the cement which unites all parts of the building into one common mass, you must now spread the cement of affection and kindness which unites all people, of whatever race, color or creed, whithersoever dispersed over the globe, into one companionship of brotherly love and affection.

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C EMENT The cement which binds the stones into a physical structure is said to symbolize the attraction which binds each of us as living stones in the super- structure which is human society. The attraction is brotherly love, and therefore among Masons no contention should ever exist but that noble contention, or emulation, of who best can work and best agree. We may each have a view of how things should be done. However, brotherly love requires mutual respect for differing views and a willingness to find the common ground: what unites rather than what divides. We should always be looking for what is best for the group, whether in lodge, in our family, among friends or in the community. We resolve our differences through consensus.

Click here to see the related article “Working tools from Emulation Ritual"

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HIRAM ABIFF

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H IRAM A BIFF

From the Bible and ancient historian Flavius Josephus, we learn that the two bronze pillars at the entrance to King Solomon’s Temple were fabricated by Hiram Abiff, a skilled artificer and the son of a widow of the Tribe of Naphtali. He was also responsible for the other

mechanical works about the Temple. As he worked in brass, he was in the line of smiths going back to Tubal Cain, the first artificer in metals. Hiram was sent to King Solomon by Hiram, the King of Tyre. The word Abiff is variously translated, but can mean “his father,” and the name is often explained as “Hiram, my father.” In a certain sense, he could be regarded as the father of the workmen on the Temple, their primary supervisor and the chief architect of the work. Hiram in another sense may be regarded as the philosophical father of speculative Masonry, whose morality, determination of character in keeping his obligations, and his unflagging loyalty to his fellow Masons we strive to emulate.

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S ANCTUM S ANCTORUM

The phrase Sanctum Sanctorum is Latin for Holy of Holies which refers to the holiest place in the Temple. After the dedication of the Temple, it housed little more than the two tablets of the Ten Commandments inside the Ark of Covenant and was entered only on Yom Kippur by the High Priest to pray to God on behalf of the Jewish people. During the construction of the Temple, Masonic tradition has it as the meeting place of Master Masons. It was also where our Grand Master Hiram Abiff repaired daily to inspect the work, pray for guidance and thereafter draw designs upon his trestleboard whereby the craft might pursue their labors. It can symbolize the place of refuge within us where we retreat to clear our minds for the wisdom of the Great Architect.

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F ELLOW C RAFT W ORKMEN The Fellow Craft workmen have not been fully tested as you have now been, and fifteen of them were tempted. Some resisted, and some did not. Temptations come to all of us because of our imperfection nature. Temptation is not inherently bad, but giving into it sometimes can be. How can you resist bad temptation? Identifying a temptation which is inherently bad before you act on it is the first step. Then, reflect on your Masonic tools and the personal conduct which each encourages. Remember also the help that can come from talking to a brother. Every Master Mason has been tested as you have now been. It is a shared experience which produces a bond among us like few others in life.

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T RAVELING IN F OREIGN C OUNTRIES

Our most ambitious operative forbearers aspired to be master stonemasons, engineers and architects, positions possessing those secrets of geometry and the Master’s Word which together entitled them to practice the Operative Art wherever work was available, even in foreign countries. Today, we can

practice the art of Speculative Masonry without traveling to a foreign country, but we preserve this important concept for its symbolism. The ability to travel in foreign countries means that we have the aptitude and training to make our own decisions coupled with the intellectual freedom to think what we want and to express those thoughts. To assure these rights for ourselves, we must safeguard them for others also and use them for the betterment of society.

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S ETTING M AUL

The setting maul is a hammer consisting of a mass of wood, either globular or barrel shaped, with a handle for one or two-hand use, depending on the size of the instrument. It was used by operative masons to set polished stones firmly into a wall without damage to their surface finish. As a symbol, it signifies that tools employed for beneficial purposes can also be tools of

destruction when in the hands of a ruffian worker. The setting maul, because of its size and hardness, has been portrayed in mythology and elsewhere as a symbol of destruction. The setting maul, of course, is notorious in Masonry as the instrument by which Grand Master Hiram Abiff was slain.

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H IGH T WELVE /L OW T WELVE

The High twelve corresponds to noon, with the sun at its zenith on the meridian at any particular latitude, while low twelve denotes midnight, the blackest time of the night from which point it begins to become lighter with the rotation of the earth towards the east and the rising of the sun. High Twelve signifies the time to move from labor

to refreshment. It reminds us of the importance of setting aside our usual vocations to devote time to the relief of a distressed worthy brother and time for refreshment and repose.

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T HE S PRIG OF A CACIA

The Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees with over 1,300 species found worldwide, mostly in dry climates, such as southern California and the Middle East. It is sometimes known as Cassia. Because it is a hardy evergreen, the Acacia signified immortality to both the

Jews and Egyptians. Ancient Hebrew people traditionally planted a sprig of Acacia at the head of a grave to mark its location and to show their belief in an afterlife. Today, a sprig of Acacia is an important element and symbol used at a Masonic Funeral Service. It affirms a future existence and reminds us that there is an imperishable part within us which will never die.

Click here to see the related article “Sprig of Acacia"

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T HE L ION T RIBE OF J UDAH The lion is an ancient symbol of royalty, power, strength and courage. Because of its great flowing mane, the male lion was also associated with the sun, an ancient symbol for the Divine. The lion was also the sign, or symbol, on the banner of the Tribe of Judah, because this was the royal tribe of the Hebrew nation from which its kings and princes were chosen. All the kings of Judah were called the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” and this appellation was, therefore, one of the more important titles of Solomon as king of Israel. Jesus has also been called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah which adds the connotation of immortality and afterlife to this symbol. For Speculative Masons, the strength and courage of the lion should fortify us in facing difficult decisions and in protecting the secrets of our craft from improper disclosure. We venerate the lion symbolically when formally greeting another Master Mason.

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THE LOST WORD

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T HE L OST W ORD The search for “that which was lost” is not for a particular word. It is allegorical, and Scripture gives us a clue. In Genesis, we learn that creation occurred when God uttered the word Light, a word Masons use when referring to knowledge or enlightenment. Knowledge of Truth is the ultimate Light, and it is this search which is at the center of our aspirations as Masons. In our craft lodges, there is one substitute for the true Word, which you were taught along with the proper form of its utterance between Master Masons when appropriate. However, the search for the true Word, the revelation of Truth, is unique to each Mason. Each must follow his particular and unique pathway to a greater understanding of himself, the craft, the world and his purpose within it.

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T HE T HREE G RAND M ASTERS The Three Grand Masters mentioned in our ritual concerning the building of the Temple are Solomon, king of Israel; Hiram, king of Tyre; and Hiram Abiff, the widow’s son. The secrets known only to them are not revealed in our craft lodges, but these secrets are themselves a symbol. They can symbolize Divine Truth, known to God but not fully revealed to Man until he shall have completed his spiritual temple and traveled to that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.

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M ARBLE M ONUMENT As Ecclesiastes reminds us to be ever mindful of the end of the journey as we make choices along the way, the marble monument symbolizes the record we hope will remain after our departure of a life well spent.

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HIEROGLYPHICAL EMBLEMS

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H IEROGLYPHICAL E MBLEMS A hieroglyphical emblem is a picture allegorically suggesting some moral truth. Nine hieroglyphical emblems for Master Masons are identified and explained in the Monitor. There are four other emblems which are esoteric and therefore unwritten. They were explained to you during the lecture. Among other meanings, they refer to your own mortality.

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Click here to see the related article “Hieroglyphical emblems"

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Section III: Exemplary Behavior of these Symbols and Tools

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C ONSENSUS A When you received the trowel, you learned that Master Masons are judged on “who best can work and best agree.” Does this mean that we cannot each have our own opinion? No. Freemasonry encourages freedom of thought and helps train us to make our own, individual decisions which are good for us yet are also good for those around us. The agreement which the trowel encourages is Consensus. Just as we accept a brother as an equal, we respect him no less when his opinion differs from ours. Because we assume that every brother wants what is best for the group, the group finds a solution meeting the needs of the greatest number, and those members who may be disappointed with the solution are willing to accept it for the good of the group.

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F IDELITY You have experienced in a very real way a very tragic consequence when Fidelity allowed you no avenue of escape. Fidelity is faithful devotion to duty. The obligations you have taken as you progressed through the degrees are by their nature promises of faithful devotion to duty, and thus they are themselves symbols of Fidelity. They contain the same basic promises which Masons have made in the past and will make in the future. You are a beneficiary of their promises just as you are now a beneficiary of theirs. Fidelity is therefore more than a faithful devotion to duty. It is a faithful devotion to each brother with whom you share these promises. Brotherhood expects no less

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D UTY Duty is the conduct expected from your obligations. Those obligations you took during your degrees are clearly covered. Others may not be so clear. Learning to subdue your passions and improve yourself in Masonry was not covered in any obligation but is an inherent obligation of a Mason. There is conduct expected of you under our California Masonic Code. There may be other Masonic duties of which you are not now aware, just as there are many laws in society which create duties of which you are not aware. We cannot know every expectation but we do know an expectation which underlies all Masonic duties: we meet on the level, act by the plumb, and part upon the square.

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H ONOR Honor is the respect we earn by what we have done. Doing good and being better earns respect. Fidelity earns respect. Masonic symbols are associated with a wide range of conduct characteristic of the person we strive to become as we progress in this craft, and this progress can earn respect also. But, respect and therefore honor involve more than what others think of us. It includes what we think of ourselves. Do we think that we have done the best we can? Are we defeated by the failings we perceive in ourselves and give up, or are we reassured when we realize that everyone can come up short periodically, rebound from mistakes and try again to do good and be better?

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W ISDOM Wisdom can mean the ability to choose the soundest course of action. It is therefore related to prudence but is more than knowledge. It includes but is more than knowing facts. It is an understanding of how those facts work together. It is said that wisdom comes with age because we need both the facts and experience with how things interrelate in order to choose the soundest course of action. Wisdom therefore can come with experience, and Freemasonry is about experience. It is about the experience of a degree, about portraying a character experiencing a tragic fate, about study and contemplation and about trying to do good and be better. It is also about sharing as a group what benefits the fraternity brings, and what questions it raises for each of us. If obtaining more wisdom is a goal of your Masonic journey, then continuing your involvement in the Masonic experience must remain a priority.

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M ENTORING

In the third degree charge, you learned that you are now authorized to help train your less informed brothers. In a fraternity where we treat our brothers as equals, including other Master Masons, Fellow Crafts and Entered Apprentices, this help is best offered through Mentoring.

A good mentor does not tell another brother the answer but helps him find the answer. A good mentor criticizes constructively. He is a good listener and trusted confidant. He is empathetic. He does not have to have it his way. He is willing to help when called upon, and he sometimes will volunteer in a thoughtful way when a brother has gone awry and doesn’t realize it. Good mentoring strengthens brotherhood.

Click here to see the related article “Rights and Responsibilities of a Master Mason"

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P HOTOGRAPHY C REDITS

1. Page 7: Photography by Dick Hixon.

2. Pages 8, 11, 22, 33: Photography by Adam Kendall.

3. Page 32: Image from http://vintageprintable.com.

All other images courtesy of the collection of the Henry W. Coil Library & Museum of Freemasonry. Artifact photography and digital reproduction by Adam Kendall.

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