The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

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110The Lost Keythe clothing. The Mosaic Pavement is made up of alternatesquares of black and white. Neither of these is a primary color.Black is the negation of all color and symbolizes the negative.White is the synthesis of all color and typifies the positive. If wetake the masculine life or body as positive and the feminine asnegative and the Blazing Star as representing the Spirit itselfposted in and drawing its means of development and growth fromits alternate positive and negative or male and female embodimentswe have the meaning originally intended to be conveyed bythis symbolism in the belief of the present writer. If thisexplanation be the true one it corresponds and harmonizes exactlywith the meaning of the Pillars just given. To reject it because wedo not believe the things it teaches is just as illogical as for a manto say that because he, himself, does not believe in the story of Isisand Osiris that no one ever, did so believe and the Egyptiansculptures must have been intended to portray something else.THE CABLE TOW313. This symbol has also eluded the grasp of the Masonic scholar.The Cable Tow must have meant something quite particular,something not at all such as the physical control of the candidate.As we can see when we come to examine it.314. The Cable Tow was not a symbol peculiar to the peoples wholived upon the borders of the Mediterranean Sea alone. It wasused wherever the Mysteries were practiced and that was all overthe world or very nearly so. It always makes the problem of“placing” a symbol much easier if we will only take it quietly,without prejudice, and see what peculiarities it has. Applying thismethod to the Cable Tow we find that there are two hard and fastrequirements about it. It must be a three stranded rope and itmust be fastened in three different places. That it was ever at anytime used as a means of controlling the candidate seems rather far-
Chapter XI. 111fetched, since the symbol has come down from very ancient timesand, in those early days, the brethren were much more deliberateabout their candidates and initiations than we are today. Also, if itwere merely a rope to hold a possibly fractious candidate, it violatesthe symbolic nature of the entire ceremonial, which is uniformlysymbolic all through. The advocate of the explanation that it wasa means of control must also explain how it came to be souniversally used and why the three strands and the three locations.If it were to control the candidate one would think that oneparticular location would be found the best and the rope would befastened there in every initiation. Also, why the three strands?Why would not a two-stranded rope or a braided rope be just aswell? These questions must be met and satisfactorily answeredbefore we can consider the matter settled. If the Cable Tow issymbolic in two Degrees why should it not be symbolic in all theDegrees?315. To go back over what we know of the matter. The Cable Towmust always be of three strands (or of three triple strands), fastenedin three places and loosed by the initiation. The only thing whichanswers to these requirements in every respect is the (usually)invisible cord which binds the spirit to the body, which is composedof three strands and each strand is rooted in a differentplace. This cord binds the spirit to the physical body until it isloosed by death (or by a real initiation into the higher mysteries)and it is the same thing as the “silver cord” of Ecclesiastes whichhas been erroneously explained as referring to the spinal marrow.This is the explanation given by the great Esoteric Schools and isthe only explanation which fits every requirement of the case. Forthose who do not believe that anything can exist which theycannot see with the physical eye, any other explanation which theyprefer will probably suit them better, even though it violate one orall of the principles of symbolic interpretation and fail completely
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First published 1927 e.v.by Harry M
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CONTENTSSECTIONSPAGEQuestions on th
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2The Lost Key25. What is the symbol
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4The Lost Key80. What are the Worki
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6The Lost Keyother details with whi
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8The Lost Key6. So the Flag is an A
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10The Lost Key17. Suppose that a ma
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12The Lost Key24. Now that we have
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14The Lost Keymeaning. Let us quote
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16The Lost Keyordinary, uninstructe
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18The Lost Keyof religion and is th
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20The Lost Keysupposed to have gain
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22The Lost Keythe intelligence? The
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24The Lost Keyexcept PREJUDICE? The
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26The Lost Keytreatise, he will be
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28The Lost Keythe activities or the
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30The Lost KeyHANDS—Symbolize dir
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32The Lost Keyand knowledge is of a
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34The Lost KeyTHE OBLONG SQUARE93.
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36The Lost Key101. There are other
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38The Lost Keynature, the mind, etc
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40The Lost Keyhis love for sports.
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42The Lost Key121. Bending the knee
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44The Lost Keythe members of the pa
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46The Lost Key135. All outgoing cur
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48The Lost KeyMasonic membership. U
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50The Lost Keydefinite enough to se
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52The Lost KeyCosmos. It is very im
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54The Lost Keyone which falls the m
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56The Lost Key167. Beginning at the
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58The Lost Keyby Christ Himself but
Page 64 and 65: 60The Lost Keyrealize that the vari
Page 66 and 67: 62The Lost Key184. Now, since we ar
Page 68 and 69: 64The Lost Keyservice and help woul
Page 70 and 71: CHAPTER SIXThe Working Tools199. In
Page 72 and 73: 68The Lost Keyyour imagination and
Page 74 and 75: 70The Lost KeyGavelSquareChisel2209
Page 76 and 77: 72The Lost Keylet down from above.
Page 78 and 79: 74The Lost Keyobservation. The form
Page 80 and 81: 76The Lost KeyTHE SECOND DEGREE228.
Page 82 and 83: 78The Lost Keybody firmly fixed in
Page 84 and 85: 80The Lost Keythe present day and o
Page 86 and 87: 82The Lost Key246. The meaning of t
Page 88 and 89: 84The Lost Keythe symbology to suit
Page 90 and 91: 86The Lost Key257. The first Sectio
Page 92 and 93: 88The Lost Keyunknown meaning, so m
Page 94 and 95: 90The Lost Keythe penalties of law
Page 96 and 97: CHAPTER NINEThe Method of Teaching
Page 98 and 99: 94The Lost Keysymbolism is understo
Page 100 and 101: 96The Lost Keya tremendous effect e
Page 102 and 103: 98The Lost Keyof the clothing was n
Page 104 and 105: 100The Lost Keythis intuition had b
Page 106 and 107: 102The Lost Key292. This is the tea
Page 108 and 109: 104The Lost KeyOUGHT to mean. There
Page 110 and 111: 106The Lost Keyhe is to progress, t
Page 112 and 113: 108The Lost Keyheld by the ancient
Page 116 and 117: 112The Lost Keyto meet the peculiar
Page 118 and 119: 114The Lost Key320. The Lost Word,
Page 120: SectionAllegory . . . . . . . . . .
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The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

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