The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

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10The Lost Key17. Suppose that a man from Mars stood on the street andwatched the Flag go by. Would he uriderstand the lessons inhistory and other things which are taught by the Flag? He wouldnot. They must be taught verbally, first. After that, the lessons arerepeated instantaneously every time one sees a Flag. But if the onewho sees the Flag has never been taught the lessons in the historyand composition of the country he cannot understand the symbolicmeanings of the Flag nor would he know that the Stars and Stripesare placed there to teach something and are not merely ornamentsof some chance design.18. The value of a Symbol is that it repeats instantly somePREVIOUSLY LEARNED LESSON. But the lesson must have beenlearned beforehand for few symbols are so very simple that they canbe understood without some previous knowledge or instruction.19. The Mason who does not understand the symbolism of theThree Degrees is in the same position as the man from Mars wouldbe with regard to the lessons of the Flag. The Mason sees therituals gone through and the symbols shown, but they meannothing to him and so he misses the lessons which they teach. TheMason misses these lessons because the original VERBAL EXPLANA-TIONS which accompanied the symbo1s have been lost to Masonry.20. The restoration of this teaching is the purpose of this presentvolume. Owing to the fact that Masonry is a Progressive Sciencethe teaching of the Three Degrees forms one continuous and interlockingwhole. One symbol follows and depends upon another andsymbolism melts into symbolism in such a way that they constituteone homogeneous and self-proving entity. Therefore, although thereader may not feel entirely confident at the outset that thepresent explanation can possibly be the true one which has been solong sought, he will find, when he has reached the end of thevolume and quietly thinks the matter over, that the explanation is
Chapter I. 11SELF-PROVING. Any wrong explanation would infallibly act muchas the proverbial monkey wrench thrown into the well known cogwheels.21. At the present time these explanations are lost to Masonry.But, as Masonry is a System of Morality or a system of ethical instruction,and as the lessons involved are wrapped up in allegoriesand symbols which are, at present, not understood, the restoring ofthese explanations to Masonry constitutes the greatest servicewhich can be rendered to the great Fraternity. It will change thedry husks of the Rituals which are, at present, only suspected ofharboring a concealed teaching, into living, breathing, vital anddramatic lessons in right living and right thinking which will makethe Masonic Fraternity the greatest moral force in the world. Itwill restore the soul of Masonry to the body of the Rituals and sowill be an actual resurrection, like the Drama of the Third Degree.22. If this be true, and the present writer firmly believes that it is,then this volume, should it accomplish the task set for it, will be ofinestimable value not only to Masonry but also to humanity atlarge. The study of the real meaning of the Masonic Symbolismwill not be merely the gratifying of curiosity on your part but it willmark a new era in your life and will give you a new viewpoint fromwhich to regard the Craft and those great souls who, in the dimages of the past, devised this wonderful system of instruction.23. In this present volume the writer hopes to show that theprevailing subconscious impression which so many Masons have isnot mistaken. There IS a Philosophy of Masonry. There IS aHidden Teaching. There IS a Golden Thread. There is a depth ofwonderful wisdom hidden within these various ritualistic husksand, when you realize the beauty and the vital life within them,your love for Masonry will be increased ten-fold, no, I should say athousand-fold.
Page 2 and 3: First published 1927 e.v.by Harry M
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTSSECTIONSPAGEQuestions on th
Page 6 and 7: 2The Lost Key25. What is the symbol
Page 8 and 9: 4The Lost Key80. What are the Worki
Page 10 and 11: 6The Lost Keyother details with whi
Page 12 and 13: 8The Lost Key6. So the Flag is an A
Page 16 and 17: 12The Lost Key24. Now that we have
Page 18 and 19: 14The Lost Keymeaning. Let us quote
Page 20 and 21: 16The Lost Keyordinary, uninstructe
Page 22 and 23: 18The Lost Keyof religion and is th
Page 24 and 25: 20The Lost Keysupposed to have gain
Page 26 and 27: 22The Lost Keythe intelligence? The
Page 28 and 29: 24The Lost Keyexcept PREJUDICE? The
Page 30 and 31: 26The Lost Keytreatise, he will be
Page 32 and 33: 28The Lost Keythe activities or the
Page 34 and 35: 30The Lost KeyHANDS—Symbolize dir
Page 36 and 37: 32The Lost Keyand knowledge is of a
Page 38 and 39: 34The Lost KeyTHE OBLONG SQUARE93.
Page 40 and 41: 36The Lost Key101. There are other
Page 42 and 43: 38The Lost Keynature, the mind, etc
Page 44 and 45: 40The Lost Keyhis love for sports.
Page 46 and 47: 42The Lost Key121. Bending the knee
Page 48 and 49: 44The Lost Keythe members of the pa
Page 50 and 51: 46The Lost Key135. All outgoing cur
Page 52 and 53: 48The Lost KeyMasonic membership. U
Page 54 and 55: 50The Lost Keydefinite enough to se
Page 56 and 57: 52The Lost KeyCosmos. It is very im
Page 58 and 59: 54The Lost Keyone which falls the m
Page 60 and 61: 56The Lost Key167. Beginning at the
Page 62 and 63: 58The Lost Keyby Christ Himself but
Page 64 and 65:
60The Lost Keyrealize that the vari
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62The Lost Key184. Now, since we ar
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64The Lost Keyservice and help woul
Page 70 and 71:
CHAPTER SIXThe Working Tools199. In
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68The Lost Keyyour imagination and
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70The Lost KeyGavelSquareChisel2209
Page 76 and 77:
72The Lost Keylet down from above.
Page 78 and 79:
74The Lost Keyobservation. The form
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76The Lost KeyTHE SECOND DEGREE228.
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78The Lost Keybody firmly fixed in
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80The Lost Keythe present day and o
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82The Lost Key246. The meaning of t
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84The Lost Keythe symbology to suit
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86The Lost Key257. The first Sectio
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88The Lost Keyunknown meaning, so m
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90The Lost Keythe penalties of law
Page 96 and 97:
CHAPTER NINEThe Method of Teaching
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94The Lost Keysymbolism is understo
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96The Lost Keya tremendous effect e
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98The Lost Keyof the clothing was n
Page 104 and 105:
100The Lost Keythis intuition had b
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102The Lost Key292. This is the tea
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104The Lost KeyOUGHT to mean. There
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106The Lost Keyhe is to progress, t
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108The Lost Keyheld by the ancient
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110The Lost Keythe clothing. The Mo
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112The Lost Keyto meet the peculiar
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114The Lost Key320. The Lost Word,
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SectionAllegory . . . . . . . . . .
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The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

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