PHILIP J. HARRIS esq JP
Lodge St. John No. 280, Grand Lodge of Scotland
Lodge of Living Stones No. 4957, UGLE
Internet Lodge No. 9659, UGLE
We as initiates, are entitled to understand all the symbols, allegory and the more hidden links to the secrets of the MM. This presentation is to explain the Symbol of the Sun in our ceremonies.
To understand the nature of this lecture we need to understand the terms. It is an Esoteric lecture and means for the initiated. Only those initiated into the Craft are capable to understand. If you have been initiated and do not understand please start again and learn your degree and the keys to understanding.
We have been introduced to some of the ‘keys’ at each step of our masonic journey, but our greatest pleasure is coming to see for ourselves the “meaning of Freemasonry”. Only with an open mind, using our education, experience and insight can we unlock the many wonderful truths of our Order.
In the following we will see the pointers of the passage of the Sun in each degree. By using simple illustrations. The Solar system is used in an allegorical sense to enlighten us all to the greater working of the Craft.
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Our objectives today are here:
The cycle of the Sun the degrees and their locations
Finding you have a Centre
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The first step is “in my heart WM”. We come to this place of our hearts desire for many reasons but chiefly we want to know, we want knowledge, we want to understand and be involved. Our hearts, if truly called, will keep us here against all adversity and maintain our interest as it starts to provide answers to us, imparts knowledge and fulfils our need. We start from our heart and eventually find the knowledge we seek is within our hearts all the time.
From the Entrance in the West, we travel through the degrees picking up information, tools to work with, advice on how to behave with our brethren and the popular world and promise to keep what we learn (our masonic secrets) to ourselves. What we learn is for the initiates only not the profane or the scoffers but those who are prepared to learn, and grow in knowledge and understanding.
Here I want to bring out some points you may have overlooked: The Sun during our ceremonies, the necessary studies we should engage in, and the path to the further steps we have open to us.
Whilst there is much to learn, we have some pointers. I am going to outline to you the Sun in Freemasonry, what it shows us and its relationship to our Temple. That Temple we call a Lodge and is a metaphor for yourself. Therefore, consider this as an explanation of you and the Sun, what it teaches us and the value of its presence.
From the rising of the Sun, you are born into light of day. That Great Light, that lesser light or great luminary of nature. Our journey begins at the Sunrise and ends in the eternal, having passed through the Sunsetting.
As when you were born you began to die, so it is with your initiation into masonry you begin to prepare for your eventual end. “It teaches us how to die”.
Some of you will have faith and understand that hope is there. Masonry is no different in that it gives you that glimmering light in the East when darkness seems to prevail. That bright and morning star gives light and a promise.
Our preparation is to work on our rough ashlar of our life, make our contribution to life, improve self and that our building will “live respected and die regretted”. Like any edifice built it will remain as a testimony for a long time of work well done and a life well lived. We will return to this ashlar later.
You were placed in the NE corner. Many believe this to be a lesson in Charity, cash handouts, a new jewel, a certificate but it is more than that. It is the first lesson in empathy, not to feel for but feel with your brethren and the greater world. It should be the word Agape, to love the unlovable, to love freely and without measure. Obviously, this is more than the common belief of the NE corner ritual. It is real concept and proposes empathy for all.
Work on empathy and sharing not giving. The VSL (Bible) speaks clearly on this point. “Let your giving be in secret” Matt 6: 1-14 Such empathy must never be an ego boost it must be one of humility, meekness and silence.
During your preparation for your solemn oath, you were to take three irregular steps of 9, 12, and 15 inches. Here you are pointed to being yourself irregular. Consider now the NE. The place where the Sun rises on the longest day. You are now casting a shadow diagonally across the Temple to the SW.
Christian Churches once had an alignment with the Sun rise on the day of the patron saint of the church towards the East. This aligned the church building with the day between the NE and SW according to the festival of the saint.
You are admitted into the greater light of the Solstice or Midsummer, and symbolically Masonic Light. Your journey begins. You are open now to full masonic light. The longest day of the year.
In the second degree you were placed in the SE of the Lodge for its Charge. Here you are aware of the five steps, as of a spiral staircase leading upwards to the Middle Chamber of the Temple of Solomon.
A Spiral Staircase that does not look forward but outward. You have a strait path that is hard to find as in the nautical term not a straight path which means onward directly. It is one that is not easy to navigate.
As a Fellowcraft you are worthy of your wages and are a skilled man and worker.
Here the Sun rises on the shortest day. Your shadow casts across to the NW crossing the shadow previously described.
You have now made four square angles, or four parts of a Circle. “An angle of 90 degrees or the fourth part of a circle”. A division of you, or your Temple. You will now see that this is you in four parts.
You are raised in the East and your shadow passes East to West as on the Equinox. Equality and bisection of yourself. Here you might understand more and consider yourself between the black and the white squares of our mortal existence.
Now you are taught to study yourself. It is worthy of you to be versed in the “liberal arts and sciences”, and the “more hidden mysteries of nature and science”. But the study of self is much more onerous. You have the tools and advice and the support of a Master, but it is here you must look within to that heart that bought you to this Place.
The 7 steps you have taken in getting here are coupled with the 5 and 3 of the former degrees. Add them together and consider the number you have. The number corresponds with the rebellious Fellowcrafts of which twelve recanted. But three met with judgement. Their Ego’s bought them to destruction. Here is another lesson to learn.
The shadow divides the temple in two. But still crosses the centre previously marked by shadows of the previous degrees. What is it pointing to but the Centre? You will have heard of this Centre first mentioned in the 2nd degree. What is it and why is it important to a Freemason is about to be made clear. The Centre is the place where our Altars should be placed.
You are at the Centre when raised and the lesson to be learnt is that you are never going to be perfect, you are not blameless, nor are you more than any man, you are destitute. With this in mind you will be able to develop Peace, Love, Piety, Joy, Kindness, Gentleness, Self-control, and so bring credit to yourself and blessings to your fellow man. But faith is not faith without trial.
Those of you who are familiar with the Excellent master’s degree, or the Passing of the Veils will understand the challenge you have to face to measure your study of self. Are you beyond evil? Are you free of rebellion? Have you forgiven all others in seeking your own forgiveness? Has the “Vital and Immortal Principle” within you taken you that step into truth or are you still deceiving yourself? The hardest trial you can face is forgiving freely and absolutely. If you want to continue the journey of the Sun and beyond surrender and be at Peace, Love your brethren, bring blessings down on others. “Live respected and die regretted”.
Most Lodges have a G within a Star or Ouroboros (Snake swallowing its own tail) at the Centre over the Alter of the VSL, and Square and Compasses. It symbolises eternity, geometry, the Creator, and your perfect place of harmony with all things.
Having found the first vestiges of our Centre we can now recall the words formally presented to us. “The Centre from which no master mason can materially err”. “That vital and immortal principle” within each of us.
You have circumambulated the Temple within you, a progressive walk spiraling into the Centre, through all quadrants and finding the “point within the Circle”, That from which no Master Mason can materially err.
It is well to recall the lesson of the sword to your naked left breast. “Go slowly, do not rush into this as it can be fatal, you can miss some key teaching and lose the pathway you are now placed on.
A quadrant of the Circle with its apex at the Centre, your Centre. In this your Temple you have four quadrants to walk in.
The West, the body, rational, reasoning, material and closed to learning more than is needed or of perceived value. The mechanical person who lives in order and the physical world.
The East, the great space of spirituality and cosmic consciousness. The Eternity and the whole truth. To live with one’s life in the discipline of the Spirit. So heavenly minded to the neglect of the self and the world.
The South, the soul of man, seeking knowledge, learning, growing in the more hidden mysteries of nature and science, the liberal arts. The differential between man and the whole of creation, a culture, art, literature, science, and philosophy.
The North, that place of night and darkness, ignorance and selfishness, our base origin and the ego we should leave outside of our personal temple defeated and overcome. To live in a closed narrow world.
Note we have a clockwise path as if following the Sun in our circumambulations during our ceremonies. This path is the spiral leading us to the Centre. A strait path that means not easy to find, not a straight path as in a line but winding and steadily getting closer to the Centre.
As when entered on the point of a sword or trowel the warning is to take it slowly, learn steadily and progress one step at a time. It is a progressive science, do not linger too long on a step but keep moving upwards. You may realise that you have stalled in your progress of learning. You may see others have held back from the second step. But a Master Mason must make a daily advancement in masonic knowledge. Press on and find that balance within yourself.
I have spoken about Body, Soul and Spirit as defined in the VSL (bible). But let us understand that the four quadrants are the whole man. These are used in Freemasonry to help us understand by allegory our Centre. “That point within a Circle from which a Master Mason cannot err”. (Note here it does not mention anyone other than the Master Mason. We are all Master Masons).
The Centre of balance, order, awareness and full view of the macro and micro, as above so below. Within and Without.
At this point we are harmonious, in balance with the four quadrants and at peace with ourselves. We should now know who we are. Not any Pooh-bah, Colonel Blimp, or Major whatnot. But a Master Mason on the path to knowledge, understanding the world, seeking that which was lost, bringing in those prepared in their hearts, and tolerant of others, and showing empathy to others.
“To live respected and die regretted”.
Now to look again at the Sun rise of the Equinox. As a brother to be raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason we are now in the East. The Sun rising casts the shadow to our eventual destiny.
The Temple is divided equally between the North and the South. Darkness and full Noon time light. This is reminiscent of the squared pavement you stand on. Our path is equally one step in the dark and one in the light. A Chequered existence of life, the human condition evident, we manage through the trials, disappointments, accept the inevitable, change what we can, do right by all and live an exemplary life, be strong and run the race.
If we do not believe in a Superior Being or an Ordering Principle of Creation, Freemasonry has nothing to offer us. Here we see that the life of man is understood. No one is perfect, we are transgressors, capable of evil deeds but we learn to obtain forgiveness in forgiving others. We are all on this chequered floor and all equal before the Centre.
In the first degree, if you heard the explanation of the tracing board, you will have heard that the Temple (you) are universal and so large to be part of it all from the beginning to the end.
Your Centre holds that “vital and immortal principle” mentioned in the 3rd degree. The square, circle, and triangle will be known to some of you. Within it is your Centre and what it means is this: –
Your Ashlar was square and regular. The Circle is universal and eternal. The Triangle is commonly representative of the Deity/Creator/Ordering Principle of the Universe. That Prophetic, Patriarchal and Regal being we call the GAOTU. Not that these things share a Centre.
