Freemasons are part of an ancient tradition with rituals and symbols all their own. As a Mason, you can earn degrees, join esoteric and social organizations, and become privy to the language and abbreviations specific to Freemasonry.
Freemason Blue Lodge Degrees
The local Blue Lodge is the place where you and your Freemason neighbors begin your Masonic careers. A Blue Lodge is a lodge of Freemasons that confers the first three degrees:
You can join other Masonic organizations to earn further degrees.
Groups Affiliated with Freemasons
Freemasons are generally a social bunch who want more and more people to join in their love for their rituals. The mid-1800s saw the addition of more groups joining the Masonic family, including groups for female relatives of Masons, as well as their children.
Called appendant bodies, some of these groups developed to confer more-involved, Masonic-style degrees. Others satisfied the desire for military-style drill teams. Still others were created to allow wives and children to take part in the lodge experience. The following list lays out the groups for adults affiliated with Freemasonry:
Youth Groups Affiliated with Freemasonry
Freemasons encourage young people to become involved in their rituals. Over the years Freemasons have started several groups for young people. You need to have a Masonic connection to join the Order of DeMolay or Job’s Daughters, but a girl of any race, creed, or religion can join the International Order of the Rainbow. Masonic youth groups are in the following list:
Officers of a Typical Freemason Lodge
Freemasonry is full of ritual, and for rituals you need people to be responsible for the various activities associated with the ritual and for the lodge in general. And what would any lodge be without a leader? The following list shows the officer positions available in a typical lodge:
The Lost Symbol: Truth or Fiction?
Dan Brown’s book, The Lost Symbol, invites much curiosity — and speculation — about a brotherhood of secrets and symbols. So, what’s the truth behind the storytelling? Here are a few facts revealed:
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Chamber Of Reflection MeaningA Glossary of Masonic Terms
Freemasons have their own lingo, like many organizations. They give special meaning to some common words and have terms you won’t hear anywhere but in a Masonic lodge. The following list is a glossary of sorts for some common Masonic phrases:
Some of the symbols used in the Masonic Chamber of Reflection.
Commonest in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the French Rite, and related jurisdictions, including Co-Masonry, the Chamber of Reflection is a small darkened room adjoining the Lodge room. It is a sombre place of meditation and reflection for candidates for initiation into Freemasonry, and is sometimes used in higher degrees.[1] There is no specific list of contents, but it may contain either literally or in representation, such objects or images as a skull, a sickle or scythe, an hourglass, bread and water, sulphur, salt and a cockerel (symbolising mercury), a lantern or candle, or the acronym 'V.I.T.R.I.O.L.' (see explanation below) Other texts or aphorisms may be written on the wall.
Origins[edit]
Little is known about the precise origins of the Chamber of Reflection. Rab gedung paud 1 lantai 12. There is some consensus that it first appeared in France around 1750, and the Hermetic nature of its symbolism indicates the direct or indirect influence of the Rosicrucians. Author and occultist Robert Ambelain goes as far as suggesting that the Rosicrucians deliberately infiltrated Masonic lodges in order to spread their ideas. Rosicrucian degrees appeared in some French rites during the second half of the eighteenth century (see main article Rosicrucianism). The form of the chamber has hardly changed since then, with minor variations across jurisdictions.[2][3]
Function[edit]
Before the ceremony of initiation, the candidate is placed for a time in the Chamber of Reflection, in order to meditate and consider how Freemasonry is about to change his life. He is given a series of questions to answer. Typically, he is asked his duties to God, his fellow men, and himself. In some lodges he is also asked to make a will. At the end of this time, he is led to the Temple for initiation.[1][4]
Symbolism[edit]
Although the impact of the chamber's furniture must of necessity be personal, the symbolism relates to hermetic and alchemical correspondences. The chamber itself is symbolic of a cave, introducing the candidate to the alchemical element of earth. (He will meet the others in the temple.) The skull (often with crossed bones) is an obvious symbol of mortality, and coupled with the hourglass, points to the brevity of mortal existence. Bread and water indicate simplicity. The rooster symbolises the alchemical principle of mercury, which partnered with the salt and sulphur, symbolise faith, hope and charity. 'V.I.T.R.I.O.L.' or vitriol (sulphuric acid) is interpreted as 'visita interiora terrae, rectificandoque, invenies occultum lapidem', or 'visit the interior of the earth, and purifying it, you will find the hidden stone.' This is another way of saying 'look within yourself for the truth'.[5]
References[edit]
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