The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

More documents

Recommendations

Info

42The Lost Key121. Bending the knee has always been held as symbolic of submissionto the will or authority of the one to whom or before whom theknee is bent. The Master of the Lodge symbolizes the Higher Selfof the candidate, that Higher Self which has impelled him to seekfor this wisdom and instruction and so, to the will of this HigherSelf, he bends the receptive aspect of his lower mind, at the structureof idealism, imaginary if you will but none the less real, andthis receptive aspect of his lower mind he has stripped of its coveringof prejudice. His mind is open, ready to receive instruction, readyto be taught the great truths which he has come here to learn.122. His body is erect. The body symbolizes the mind and the mindis erect, alert, attentive. There is no slavish submission of the mindto some one else. The Altar is his own desire for better things andhe approached it of his own free will and accord. The Master is hisown Higher Self and at this Altar which he himself has erected inhis own inner nature he is ready to submit the desires of his LowerSelf to the Will and Wisdom of his Higher Self. But he is only acandidate, only a learner. Hence it is the receptive side of hisLower Self which he bends in token of submission. He is here tolearn. He has not yet had any time to put his lessons into practice,hence his right foot and his right leg are in the conditions whichare familiar to every Mason.123. Yet, the right leg is in a certain position. This is to symbolizehis promise to himself, to his own Higher Self, a promise made atthe Altar of his own desire for a higher and a purer 1ife, a promisethat when the teachings which he is about to receive shall flowinto action they shall do so “on the square.” He is promising thathis future actions shall be square and right and true for the mindgoverns the actions and if the outgoing or active powers of hislower mind be on the square it must follow, as a matter of course,that his actions must also be on the square.
CHAPTER FOURThe Great Lights124. The three Great Lights of Masonry constitute one of the fewsymbolisms which have been explained with a considerable degreeof accuracy in the existing volumes on “Masonic Symbolism” andso it will not be necessary to devote so much space to them aswould otherwise have been the case. But, for the benefit of thosereaders who have not already made a study of the Symbolism, themeaning of these Symbols will be considered briefly.THE HOLY BIBLE125. This Great Light, as we might have expected, is used on theAltars of Masonry as a symbol. Everything in Masonry is symbolicand the Holy Bible symbolizes the Divine Law. If any should hereobject and say that it IS the Divine Law that point may well beconceded. But the use of anything as a symbol does not in theleast imply a denial of the thing. It so happens that the Bible is ofsuch shape and size that it can easily be used on the Altar “as is.”Hence it is used to symbolize the Divine Law or, if you prefer toput it that way, to symbolize itself. Nevertheless, its presence onthe Altar is symbolic.126. In a Mohammedan Lodge the Koran would be used and thesymbology would be just as correct. In Lodges consisting of adherentsto other faiths the particular volume of the Law which theyreverence would be the appropriate symbol to use. The writings ofConfucius for the Chinese or the Zend-Avesta or whatever book43
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 14 and 15: 10The Lost Key17. Suppose that a ma
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 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
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 114 and 115:
110The Lost Keythe clothing. The Mo
Page 116 and 117:
112The Lost Keyto meet the peculiar
Page 118 and 119:
114The Lost Key320. The Lost Word,
Page 120:
SectionAllegory . . . . . . . . . .
show all

The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?