The Lost Key: An Explanation of Masonic Symbols

78The Lost Keybody firmly fixed in his mind he win then see the principle whichruns through all the changes and alterations of the candidate’spositions on the floor of the Lodge. The reason for them all willbe clear and plain. In this square which has to be formed beforethe Altar can be approached, for instance. It was appropriate that,in the First Degree, the negative or receptive side of the personalityshould be made prominent, because the candidate is a learner only.In the Second Degree, which is supposed to be some years after thereception of the First Degree, the candidate has had ample time,not only to put the lessons in scientific morality into practice but tohave effected considerable changes in his character itself. Hencethe putting of the positive or active side of the personality intoprominence is not unreasonable.235. The position of the Apron is altered to symbolize the fact thatthe spirit (triangle of the Apron) has now, by means of the instructionin the moral law given to the candidate in the First Degreeand upon which he has been conducting his life, extended itsinfluence down into the square of the lower nature and is workingthere in a conscious and scientific manner to redeem that lowernature or rather the Lower Self, from its bondage to the materialand the carnal.236. The Masonic student should note with care the progressivenature of the clothing and of the shoes, the progressive nature ofthe positions of the candidate at the Altar and the progressivenature of the relative positions of the Great Lights. Owing toobvious reasons it is impossible to write all these things out asplainly as one could wish. But since you, who read these lines,have not only gone through the Degrees yourself but have watchedperhaps hundreds of candidates go through them as well, youshould have so vivid a memory of the rituals that you can easilyunderstand that which is “written between the lines.”