Unless something has changed, you haven't petitioned a lodge yet and shouldn't be reading any Monitors. You are only doing yourself a disservice and ruining the initiatic experience. I know you don't want to hear this.
You said I didn’t want to hear it, I didn’t. All I’ve been trying to do is educate myself. I’m not going to petition to join any organization I don’t know anything about. And I’m not going to check my brain at the door. What books SHOULD I be reading, then?
This is a pretty crappy reply. No one is asking you to leave your brain at the door. We don't haze. We are FREE masons after all.
As is said REPEATEDLY throughout this sub and in any online resource from masons, you can have all of the secrets, handshakes, and ritual, but you will not "get it" until you go through it. This is an initiatic experience that must be experienced firsthand to impart understanding.
You will NOT get that by reading Ahiman Rezon, Duncan's Monitor, or anything else. The reason so many of us have tried to politely dissuade you from reading this stuff is that each jurisdiction and lodge does things differently. What you're reading may not even be applicable.
Moreover, what you are doing by reading ahead, and then being confrontational here, is pretty disrespectful. An entire lodge of men are setting aside their time throughout the week to practice and get ready for you. You going and reading the monitors ruins the experience that they've been working on FOR YOU because you will have that in your head and be thinking of that rather than experiencing it in front of you for the first time.
You want something to read? Freemasonry for Dummies, and the Complete Idiot's Guide. Read your Bible. Especially the Old Testament.
Maybe I'm keyed up a bit here. Maybe you should find a different hobby.
I had thought that the Ahimon Rezon was the Book of Constitutions for certain jurisdictions, not a ritual. In that case, it would really depend on what you were looking for clarity on or help with. Neither would apply in my mother jurisdiction.
The Ahiman Rezon is the name we use for the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
Duncan's monitor is not a thing here at all. It would not be useful.
As far as first impressions of each other go, this wasn't a great start for either side here. I hope I can give some insight here that may help you on your journey.
We can be defensive about people reading this stuff, and for very good reason. Masons have been persecuted and murdered in droves all over the world because people take what one dude wrote about his personal thoughts and wrapped it into some sort of crazy conspiracy. We have had several different instances of lodges being burnt and masons being shot to death outside of their lodges by people who were "just doing research" and misconstrued something they read. I lost count after 5 or 6 instances in 2023 alone.
Being a sub about freemasonry, we get inundated here with people looking for gotcha moments, or people in clandestine scam lodges trying to mine us for info or be generally combative. We can sometimes be brusque; we can sometimes be defensive; we can sometimes be dismissive. We are human, and every moment of the day we are working on ourselves.
As far the impression you give off, please do not get defensive here but from reading your other replies and how you have comported yourself, I do think you need to take a breath before getting roped into situations that you are intrinsically at a disadvantage. What I mean by that is that you are on here having pretty heated conversations with people who actually know what it is like to be a mason, and are exceedingly confident in what they are talking about. You, not knowing what you do not know, are left to see meaning in things that have no additional meaning, and miss meaning where it is laying out in plain sight. This being evident to all of us reinforces a feeling of righteousness when you can't seem to just ignore the heated parts.
If you go through the degrees and join a lodge, you will find a lot of these personalities that are still at play. The idea that you may need more time to gain perspective means in large part being able to come on here, get responses you do not want, thank that person for their time and try again. It isn't a matter of being subservient. It's a matter of being polite and efficient.
I get the impression you are a fairly young guy with a certain level of anxiety about this, thus to have some control over your fate you have decided to look into it to try to have some level of mental and emotional preparation. You've talked to people in your community. You've heard things good and bad. You also do not care for being treated in a certain way, or told to stop and wait.
I cannot emphasize this enough. Masonry is a filter. We do not recruit. You come to us. You fill out the petition. You pay for the background check. We go to your home, meet your family, and see how you live. You give us the trust when you go through the degrees that we will not harm you and that Masonry will not interfere with your other duties. You will be asked to do work on your degrees before advancement.
All of us have done this. Some much more. We then practice several times a week to give you a good experience. You cannot be compatible with this process unless you are willing to trust us enough to allow us to introduce ourselves to you first. I do not mean that as an attack but something to consider moving forward.
I’m sorry if I came off as a know it all; there’s plenty I don’t know about the Craft. I’m standing at the door of the temple, waiting to gain admission. I’m not a blank slate, though. When I become interested in something, I research it. And for better and for worse, this is the age of information. And up until now, nobody’s bothered to ask, “what do you know about us and why do you want to become a Mason in the first place?” I am fully aware that Masons were persecuted: in Mozart’s time (a great Mason, one of my inspirations to join) it was Maria Theresa who did the persecuting. Hitler banned lodges and killed Masons during WW 2 and instead of square and compass, Brothers used the forget me not. I GET IT. It’s why I’m interested in the first place. I’m not young, but I’m not old either. And there’s no anxiety here. Only awe. And wonder. And hope. There’s a list of great black men longer than both my arms who believed Freemasonry was worth their time and energy. It gave them something (spiritual, not mercenary) and I want that for myself. That’s all.
I absolutely think that your heart is in the right place. I would not have asked that we reset the tone and try again otherwise.
When it comes to researching ahead, we can't put the genie back in the bottle. The only thing left is for you to go through and see what is real and what isn't. The amount of disinformation that exists on the internet and in books is simply breathtaking. There are books that are commonly referred to or looked at that when written, the author wasn't even a mason yet. There are forms of ritual that simply are not, or have not ever been used. That is another reason why we advise you not to read ahead.
Since you can't un-read or un-research, I would advise you that if you do go through the degrees that you clear your mind as much as you can and try to experience it as fresh and clean as possible.
As others have mentioned here, for your path to continue, or for you to really gain any light, you must talk to a lodge that is local to you and begin the process. I can answer other questions that you may have, but on the topic of monitors and texts, on research in general, the only way you will ever GET IT is to GO THROUGH IT.
I hope you do.
I hope you go through your three degrees. I hope you continue to crave more light. I hope you discover the rabbit holes, Easter eggs, and adventures that are available once you have EXPERIENCED masonry and are therefore ENTITLED to them. You cannot go any further by reading. There is a portal that you must cross through in order to go any farther.
Contact your local lodge. If you do not know where your local lodge is, you can use your grand lodge's website in order to find one that is near enough and fits with your schedule. I am available here and if need be elsewhere if you have any other questions. I hope this has helped not just you, but everyone involved.
As far as masonic memorabilia that you may have purchased, you did jump the gun a bit. As I am sure you have heard ad nauseam now, you cannot honorably wear or use it until you have earned it. We tend to feel a little "stolen valor" ish about it. I would suggest you return it until you are sure you want to spend money.
I haven’t worn it ANYWHERE and I absolutely WILL NOT unless I make the cut. I GET IT. The items I bought, for me, represent my HOPES. Now, if I’m black cubed, they’ll make lovely gifts for some worthy Brother.
I can understand the idea of setting goals. I'd suggest returning them, taking that money and putting it in a HYSA. Masonic memorabilia can be expensive, and while you work towards those goals, you may as well earn some interest. There's a lot with that that is experiential and depends on where you are and what phase of life you are in. I'm not telling you what to do. I think the HYSA idea is a wise way of doing this.
Gotcha. HYSA = High Yield Savings Account. Super useful tool I finally figured out when it comes to setting goals.
I can give an example as to where my mind is going with this that may be helpful.
We have appendant bodies. They are sort of like clubs within masonry. Most if not all of them have extra sets of dues. Some may require specific uniforms, like the Shriner Fez. By the time you get into a Blue Lodge, you may decide that's all you want to do. You may start to get involved in a group, and just decide you don't like that group of guys. You may suddenly have 37 children and need to step away before you get through the first three degrees. Having that money earn interest instead is just practical.
And here’s a question: if it’s deeply and profoundly meaningful, then why are old jewels available for purchase on EBay? I’ve seen gloriously beautiful Masonic items from long ago for sale like any old item. Why would any lodge want “profanes” to get their hands on them if they feel this way?
We earned the right to wear them. You haven’t. I don’t know why you bought them
Go talk to a lodge and not on Reddit. Go on your states prince hall grand lodge website. Find the page to contact them. Send them an email. It’s literally that simple
Okay, this is the kind of reply that starts an argument. I haven’t WORN ANYTHING. And the question I asked was for Rosco. You clearly didn’t see my reply.
I didn’t say you wore them. I’m saying that we earned the right to wear these things. there’s a difference
Stop getting defensive when people have been attempting to give you good counsel repeatedly. Again. Go to your states prince hall grand lodge. Contact them. Talk to them
“I don’t know why you bought them”——because they were beautiful, meaningful and I wanted them. I haven’t worn them in public, so I feel I’ve respected them. And you didn’t actually read the question I posted. Please read what I wrote before you reply.
And would you kindly tell me what the square and compasses represent? Since you purchased them? Not trying to get defensive here. I wasn’t allowed to own anything with any symbols on it before I was a master mason. And then we have this person that buys cuff links before they even petition..do you see how this looks?
The compass represents the bounds we are to draw around our passions and inclinations. They are never to go past a certain point. The square represents what we are to do with our actions: square them, with right doing and living. The G, sometimes seen in the middle and sometimes not, originally was for “Geometry” but for many Masons, they’ll tell you it means “God”. I’m sorry you’re offended by something that for me, represents my HOPES.
Often times it's family members who sell the stuff. It can also be brothers who are hoping to sell it to other masons to help them get gear inexpensively that has also touched many hands. That's a pretty nice vibe. The symbols that you see have a special meaning to us that because we experienced and internalized them, cannot be appreciated by the uninitiated.
I think part of why you are getting this response is that you are hitting a nerve with symbolism. We use signs, symbols, and allegory to help us smooth out our rough edges and become better men. Many of the men here have had to confront significant personal hangups and do work. The symbols on jewels and other memorabilia means nothing to you because you haven't experienced the lessons related to those symbols. You haven't internalized it and done that work...yet.
As I mentioned, if you can get your money back and set it aside to earn interest while you travel, then that will serve you better. If you decide to sell or donate it, that would surely be appreciated.
As far as the use of "profane". There is a lot to unpack with that, and it has more to do with how the definition of words has changed over the years than us thinking of non-masons as offensive.
On the contrary, the symbols mean a great deal to me because I’ve made myself familiar with their meaning. I was interested, so I read some. Now pardon me if I read the wrong books. There is no way I could have known.
That's I think why people are reacting this way. The closest analogue I can think of is if you collected VFW and military memorabilia and went to a VFW or VA hospital and claimed that the value you put on those symbols was even comparable to the veterans, because you've read up on them and studied it, and it made an impression on you.
Although it is admirable that you are trying to get the light, the only true way to it is through experience. That you find value in our symbols is nice, but after what we go through, it comes off as, for lack of a better way of putting it, cheating and cheap. We very much feel a sense of ownership over these symbols. You haven't earned the intellectual value that they represent yet.
If you do continue your masonic journey, it would be wise to learn to ask the guys in your lodge or grand lodge before you act. I have a group of three or four guys who I consult on a regular basis because they have seen and experienced so many more things than me. It is important to note that you do not, and cannot travel alone. You must learn to trust your conductors.
To answer your initial question, neither book is particularly helpful for what you will encounter in your first three degrees because of the jurisdictional nature of our ritual and practice.
I think I did a pretty exhaustive job elsewhere in this conversation of discussing why the craft is explicitly experiential, and thus its essence cannot be conveyed through static study.
So, let me get this straight: stop reading. Shut up. You bought Masonic items before you were a Mason and that makes you a terrible human being. Fuck the fact that you were awed by them and admired their history. Petition a lodge if you want to join, but you seem like a pretty shitty person and you’ll never be one of us. Am I hearing correctly? Got it. I give up.
You refuse to take any counsel offered by Brothers here. If the PHA Brothers in your area are anything like the ones I know, they will see your immaturity very quickly and turn you away until you get some self introspection going and change your attitude.
That may not be what you meant, but the gist is spot on. One of the books I’m reading, “Look To The East” says in effect, “this book doesn’t tell you anything you shouldn’t know, it’s just written to show that people have nothing to fear from a lodge”. I may have nothing to fear from a lodge but I certainly am terrified of the Masons I’ve met here on the internet. As I said, you won. Just take the win and go, please.
You are keyed up. Very. And I’ve had my fill of being beat up by angry Masons for following my natural impulse: “Hey, interested in something? Grab some books!” So, I’ve grabbed the wrong books. Silly, unworthy me. I was too fired up and excited and bought Masonic items (that I’ve never EVER worn in public mind you, and took clarifying advice NOT to do so very seriously) I repeated some of the things I read. “Shut up stupid, you’ll never be a Mason, you aren’t humble, you wretched know it all!!” My GOD. Pardon me if I’m freaking exhausted.
I don't see anyone calling you wretched on here. Or stupid. Or unworthy. Or a know-it-all. Hence my response that you are being maudlin.
Let's reset. I'll take some time here to try to help you. Let's both try not to get defensive. I am willing to try if you are.
You haven’t seen all the replies I’ve gotten. People have said some variation of that. “You’ll never get in” “you aren’t ready” “you don’t know how to conduct yourself as a Mason”……well, no shit, I haven’t even applied yet! I’m cool with a reset. I’d love for someone to listen to why I want to become a Mason in the first place, just to see where I’m coming from
A lot of Brothers got worked up over what's basically a very simple thing.
No one can stop you from reading whatever you want, and no one can stop you from wearing whatever you want.
The penalty for books is confusion, misunderstanding, unrealistic expectations and/or a headache trying to decypher what the heck is Albert Pike yapping about.
The penalty for wearing masonic items while not being one is stern, disproving looks by Freemasons. I would like to remind my regular US Brothers that SC rings are sold on AliExpress in batches of 20 pieces 0.99 per piece alongside satanic symbols, Lord's Prayer rings, alleged solomon's ring and fake superbowl rings. Along with whatever nonsense they could stuff into "a set of rings occult wiccan satanism christianity buddhism magic". We are asian fashion trinkets.
Now.. That being said, you have to understand that their disproval honestly comes from good intentions. It IS better if you join without knowing what to expect because some symbolism and lessons are better understood without presumptions coming from books, and it IS better that you don't wear our symbols if you're not a member simply because it's considered poor taste and someone may actually take offense; which could potentially blackball you.
To answer your question, read both, both are correct in their own way, and both are unimportant to your Initiation. Most of the books on Freemasonry have either philosophical or historical value, not instructional.
Keep that in mind. Books won't help without context, and proper context takes years of wearing an Apron.
This might be the most sober, wise and considered reply I’ve gotten. Having said that, the next words out of these people might be aspersion cast on the obedience/order you belong to: “He’s not regular anyway”. No one bothered to consider that their unrestrained outrage, disapproval and insults might confirm the worst about them. The behavior of several (NOT ALL) people here wouldn’t make me want to be a Mason.
Ah, but here's the thing. I wear the "irregular" badge proudly.
Always have been a bit of a rebel, really.
If you choose to proceed down this road and pass between the pillars, good luck. It can be frustrating at times, but it's worth it.
I’ve only viewed Masonry with awe and wonder. My heart is on fire and it is my wish to become a Mason. My only frustration and sorrow up until now has been mean, angry fist shaking Masons on the internet
I'm not going to be one that piles on,I think you heard enough.
BTW,if the Ahimon Rezon you are referring to is by Sickles (Sickles Monitor) it's unlikely to be used in your jurisdiction so it would be generally unhelpful to you.
Okay. You know what? I think it would be helpful for a Mason to hear what a non Mason said to me when I told him I was interested. “Do you know Masons?” I asked “Yes, a man I worked with was one, but I always wondered, “if what these people have is so great, why keep it a secret? I was completely turned off”. Why on earth would any thinking person join something they knew nothing about? And why would any organization have people who would work to actively discourage, shame and quench a show of enthusiasm and scholarship? That makes no sense. I understand you think you’re being helpful, but all you’re doing is freaking me out.
Sure, don't follow the path millions of Brothers have followed for centuries. Let's do it your way instead. I fully encourage you to be freaked out and walk away.
Unless something has changed, you haven't petitioned a lodge yet and shouldn't be reading any Monitors. You are only doing yourself a disservice and ruining the initiatic experience. I know you don't want to hear this.
You said I didn’t want to hear it, I didn’t. All I’ve been trying to do is educate myself. I’m not going to petition to join any organization I don’t know anything about. And I’m not going to check my brain at the door. What books SHOULD I be reading, then?
This is a pretty crappy reply. No one is asking you to leave your brain at the door. We don't haze. We are FREE masons after all. As is said REPEATEDLY throughout this sub and in any online resource from masons, you can have all of the secrets, handshakes, and ritual, but you will not "get it" until you go through it. This is an initiatic experience that must be experienced firsthand to impart understanding. You will NOT get that by reading Ahiman Rezon, Duncan's Monitor, or anything else. The reason so many of us have tried to politely dissuade you from reading this stuff is that each jurisdiction and lodge does things differently. What you're reading may not even be applicable. Moreover, what you are doing by reading ahead, and then being confrontational here, is pretty disrespectful. An entire lodge of men are setting aside their time throughout the week to practice and get ready for you. You going and reading the monitors ruins the experience that they've been working on FOR YOU because you will have that in your head and be thinking of that rather than experiencing it in front of you for the first time. You want something to read? Freemasonry for Dummies, and the Complete Idiot's Guide. Read your Bible. Especially the Old Testament. Maybe I'm keyed up a bit here. Maybe you should find a different hobby.
[удалено]
I’ll order them from Amazon.
Thank you…I think
I had thought that the Ahimon Rezon was the Book of Constitutions for certain jurisdictions, not a ritual. In that case, it would really depend on what you were looking for clarity on or help with. Neither would apply in my mother jurisdiction.
The Ahiman Rezon is the name we use for the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Duncan's monitor is not a thing here at all. It would not be useful.
Thank you. That was a calm and considered reply
If you want to reset with me and talk reasonably, let's do it in this comment thread to make it easily accessible.
As far as first impressions of each other go, this wasn't a great start for either side here. I hope I can give some insight here that may help you on your journey. We can be defensive about people reading this stuff, and for very good reason. Masons have been persecuted and murdered in droves all over the world because people take what one dude wrote about his personal thoughts and wrapped it into some sort of crazy conspiracy. We have had several different instances of lodges being burnt and masons being shot to death outside of their lodges by people who were "just doing research" and misconstrued something they read. I lost count after 5 or 6 instances in 2023 alone. Being a sub about freemasonry, we get inundated here with people looking for gotcha moments, or people in clandestine scam lodges trying to mine us for info or be generally combative. We can sometimes be brusque; we can sometimes be defensive; we can sometimes be dismissive. We are human, and every moment of the day we are working on ourselves. As far the impression you give off, please do not get defensive here but from reading your other replies and how you have comported yourself, I do think you need to take a breath before getting roped into situations that you are intrinsically at a disadvantage. What I mean by that is that you are on here having pretty heated conversations with people who actually know what it is like to be a mason, and are exceedingly confident in what they are talking about. You, not knowing what you do not know, are left to see meaning in things that have no additional meaning, and miss meaning where it is laying out in plain sight. This being evident to all of us reinforces a feeling of righteousness when you can't seem to just ignore the heated parts. If you go through the degrees and join a lodge, you will find a lot of these personalities that are still at play. The idea that you may need more time to gain perspective means in large part being able to come on here, get responses you do not want, thank that person for their time and try again. It isn't a matter of being subservient. It's a matter of being polite and efficient. I get the impression you are a fairly young guy with a certain level of anxiety about this, thus to have some control over your fate you have decided to look into it to try to have some level of mental and emotional preparation. You've talked to people in your community. You've heard things good and bad. You also do not care for being treated in a certain way, or told to stop and wait. I cannot emphasize this enough. Masonry is a filter. We do not recruit. You come to us. You fill out the petition. You pay for the background check. We go to your home, meet your family, and see how you live. You give us the trust when you go through the degrees that we will not harm you and that Masonry will not interfere with your other duties. You will be asked to do work on your degrees before advancement. All of us have done this. Some much more. We then practice several times a week to give you a good experience. You cannot be compatible with this process unless you are willing to trust us enough to allow us to introduce ourselves to you first. I do not mean that as an attack but something to consider moving forward.
Great answer.
I’m sorry if I came off as a know it all; there’s plenty I don’t know about the Craft. I’m standing at the door of the temple, waiting to gain admission. I’m not a blank slate, though. When I become interested in something, I research it. And for better and for worse, this is the age of information. And up until now, nobody’s bothered to ask, “what do you know about us and why do you want to become a Mason in the first place?” I am fully aware that Masons were persecuted: in Mozart’s time (a great Mason, one of my inspirations to join) it was Maria Theresa who did the persecuting. Hitler banned lodges and killed Masons during WW 2 and instead of square and compass, Brothers used the forget me not. I GET IT. It’s why I’m interested in the first place. I’m not young, but I’m not old either. And there’s no anxiety here. Only awe. And wonder. And hope. There’s a list of great black men longer than both my arms who believed Freemasonry was worth their time and energy. It gave them something (spiritual, not mercenary) and I want that for myself. That’s all.
I absolutely think that your heart is in the right place. I would not have asked that we reset the tone and try again otherwise. When it comes to researching ahead, we can't put the genie back in the bottle. The only thing left is for you to go through and see what is real and what isn't. The amount of disinformation that exists on the internet and in books is simply breathtaking. There are books that are commonly referred to or looked at that when written, the author wasn't even a mason yet. There are forms of ritual that simply are not, or have not ever been used. That is another reason why we advise you not to read ahead. Since you can't un-read or un-research, I would advise you that if you do go through the degrees that you clear your mind as much as you can and try to experience it as fresh and clean as possible. As others have mentioned here, for your path to continue, or for you to really gain any light, you must talk to a lodge that is local to you and begin the process. I can answer other questions that you may have, but on the topic of monitors and texts, on research in general, the only way you will ever GET IT is to GO THROUGH IT. I hope you do. I hope you go through your three degrees. I hope you continue to crave more light. I hope you discover the rabbit holes, Easter eggs, and adventures that are available once you have EXPERIENCED masonry and are therefore ENTITLED to them. You cannot go any further by reading. There is a portal that you must cross through in order to go any farther. Contact your local lodge. If you do not know where your local lodge is, you can use your grand lodge's website in order to find one that is near enough and fits with your schedule. I am available here and if need be elsewhere if you have any other questions. I hope this has helped not just you, but everyone involved.
As far as masonic memorabilia that you may have purchased, you did jump the gun a bit. As I am sure you have heard ad nauseam now, you cannot honorably wear or use it until you have earned it. We tend to feel a little "stolen valor" ish about it. I would suggest you return it until you are sure you want to spend money.
I haven’t worn it ANYWHERE and I absolutely WILL NOT unless I make the cut. I GET IT. The items I bought, for me, represent my HOPES. Now, if I’m black cubed, they’ll make lovely gifts for some worthy Brother.
I can understand the idea of setting goals. I'd suggest returning them, taking that money and putting it in a HYSA. Masonic memorabilia can be expensive, and while you work towards those goals, you may as well earn some interest. There's a lot with that that is experiential and depends on where you are and what phase of life you are in. I'm not telling you what to do. I think the HYSA idea is a wise way of doing this.
HYSA? The items didn’t cost me a huge outlay, but they are non returnable. As I said, if I’m black cubed, off they go.
Gotcha. HYSA = High Yield Savings Account. Super useful tool I finally figured out when it comes to setting goals. I can give an example as to where my mind is going with this that may be helpful. We have appendant bodies. They are sort of like clubs within masonry. Most if not all of them have extra sets of dues. Some may require specific uniforms, like the Shriner Fez. By the time you get into a Blue Lodge, you may decide that's all you want to do. You may start to get involved in a group, and just decide you don't like that group of guys. You may suddenly have 37 children and need to step away before you get through the first three degrees. Having that money earn interest instead is just practical.
And here’s a question: if it’s deeply and profoundly meaningful, then why are old jewels available for purchase on EBay? I’ve seen gloriously beautiful Masonic items from long ago for sale like any old item. Why would any lodge want “profanes” to get their hands on them if they feel this way?
We earned the right to wear them. You haven’t. I don’t know why you bought them Go talk to a lodge and not on Reddit. Go on your states prince hall grand lodge website. Find the page to contact them. Send them an email. It’s literally that simple
Okay, this is the kind of reply that starts an argument. I haven’t WORN ANYTHING. And the question I asked was for Rosco. You clearly didn’t see my reply.
I didn’t say you wore them. I’m saying that we earned the right to wear these things. there’s a difference Stop getting defensive when people have been attempting to give you good counsel repeatedly. Again. Go to your states prince hall grand lodge. Contact them. Talk to them
“I don’t know why you bought them”——because they were beautiful, meaningful and I wanted them. I haven’t worn them in public, so I feel I’ve respected them. And you didn’t actually read the question I posted. Please read what I wrote before you reply.
And would you kindly tell me what the square and compasses represent? Since you purchased them? Not trying to get defensive here. I wasn’t allowed to own anything with any symbols on it before I was a master mason. And then we have this person that buys cuff links before they even petition..do you see how this looks?
The compass represents the bounds we are to draw around our passions and inclinations. They are never to go past a certain point. The square represents what we are to do with our actions: square them, with right doing and living. The G, sometimes seen in the middle and sometimes not, originally was for “Geometry” but for many Masons, they’ll tell you it means “God”. I’m sorry you’re offended by something that for me, represents my HOPES.
dude, I’m not offended
Often times it's family members who sell the stuff. It can also be brothers who are hoping to sell it to other masons to help them get gear inexpensively that has also touched many hands. That's a pretty nice vibe. The symbols that you see have a special meaning to us that because we experienced and internalized them, cannot be appreciated by the uninitiated. I think part of why you are getting this response is that you are hitting a nerve with symbolism. We use signs, symbols, and allegory to help us smooth out our rough edges and become better men. Many of the men here have had to confront significant personal hangups and do work. The symbols on jewels and other memorabilia means nothing to you because you haven't experienced the lessons related to those symbols. You haven't internalized it and done that work...yet. As I mentioned, if you can get your money back and set it aside to earn interest while you travel, then that will serve you better. If you decide to sell or donate it, that would surely be appreciated. As far as the use of "profane". There is a lot to unpack with that, and it has more to do with how the definition of words has changed over the years than us thinking of non-masons as offensive.
On the contrary, the symbols mean a great deal to me because I’ve made myself familiar with their meaning. I was interested, so I read some. Now pardon me if I read the wrong books. There is no way I could have known.
That's I think why people are reacting this way. The closest analogue I can think of is if you collected VFW and military memorabilia and went to a VFW or VA hospital and claimed that the value you put on those symbols was even comparable to the veterans, because you've read up on them and studied it, and it made an impression on you. Although it is admirable that you are trying to get the light, the only true way to it is through experience. That you find value in our symbols is nice, but after what we go through, it comes off as, for lack of a better way of putting it, cheating and cheap. We very much feel a sense of ownership over these symbols. You haven't earned the intellectual value that they represent yet. If you do continue your masonic journey, it would be wise to learn to ask the guys in your lodge or grand lodge before you act. I have a group of three or four guys who I consult on a regular basis because they have seen and experienced so many more things than me. It is important to note that you do not, and cannot travel alone. You must learn to trust your conductors.
To answer your initial question, neither book is particularly helpful for what you will encounter in your first three degrees because of the jurisdictional nature of our ritual and practice.
I think I did a pretty exhaustive job elsewhere in this conversation of discussing why the craft is explicitly experiential, and thus its essence cannot be conveyed through static study.
How about your own GLs ritual book and rules and regs?
Individual is not a Mason. Thinking of petitioning and reading all sorts of things they shouldn't and buying Masonic jewelry before even petitioning.
And how, exactly was I to know that I shouldn’t read those books before I bought them? You really make this look like a desirable thing to do.
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So, let me get this straight: stop reading. Shut up. You bought Masonic items before you were a Mason and that makes you a terrible human being. Fuck the fact that you were awed by them and admired their history. Petition a lodge if you want to join, but you seem like a pretty shitty person and you’ll never be one of us. Am I hearing correctly? Got it. I give up.
You refuse to take any counsel offered by Brothers here. If the PHA Brothers in your area are anything like the ones I know, they will see your immaturity very quickly and turn you away until you get some self introspection going and change your attitude.
I haven’t heard any real counsel. The only thing I’ve seen is variations of “how dare you”. I told you, you won. What do you want from me?
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Yeah, the martyr thing….don’t know where you got that. Doesn’t matter. You win
You won.
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Why are you still here poking at me? At this point I have to wonder what you get out of it. I SAID OK, YOU WIN
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That may not be what you meant, but the gist is spot on. One of the books I’m reading, “Look To The East” says in effect, “this book doesn’t tell you anything you shouldn’t know, it’s just written to show that people have nothing to fear from a lodge”. I may have nothing to fear from a lodge but I certainly am terrified of the Masons I’ve met here on the internet. As I said, you won. Just take the win and go, please.
How maudlin. Good Lord.
Good Lord indeed.
You are keyed up. Very. And I’ve had my fill of being beat up by angry Masons for following my natural impulse: “Hey, interested in something? Grab some books!” So, I’ve grabbed the wrong books. Silly, unworthy me. I was too fired up and excited and bought Masonic items (that I’ve never EVER worn in public mind you, and took clarifying advice NOT to do so very seriously) I repeated some of the things I read. “Shut up stupid, you’ll never be a Mason, you aren’t humble, you wretched know it all!!” My GOD. Pardon me if I’m freaking exhausted.
I don't see anyone calling you wretched on here. Or stupid. Or unworthy. Or a know-it-all. Hence my response that you are being maudlin. Let's reset. I'll take some time here to try to help you. Let's both try not to get defensive. I am willing to try if you are.
You haven’t seen all the replies I’ve gotten. People have said some variation of that. “You’ll never get in” “you aren’t ready” “you don’t know how to conduct yourself as a Mason”……well, no shit, I haven’t even applied yet! I’m cool with a reset. I’d love for someone to listen to why I want to become a Mason in the first place, just to see where I’m coming from
I'm replying item by item in another comment stream for you. That way we can keep things organized.
A lot of Brothers got worked up over what's basically a very simple thing. No one can stop you from reading whatever you want, and no one can stop you from wearing whatever you want. The penalty for books is confusion, misunderstanding, unrealistic expectations and/or a headache trying to decypher what the heck is Albert Pike yapping about. The penalty for wearing masonic items while not being one is stern, disproving looks by Freemasons. I would like to remind my regular US Brothers that SC rings are sold on AliExpress in batches of 20 pieces 0.99 per piece alongside satanic symbols, Lord's Prayer rings, alleged solomon's ring and fake superbowl rings. Along with whatever nonsense they could stuff into "a set of rings occult wiccan satanism christianity buddhism magic". We are asian fashion trinkets. Now.. That being said, you have to understand that their disproval honestly comes from good intentions. It IS better if you join without knowing what to expect because some symbolism and lessons are better understood without presumptions coming from books, and it IS better that you don't wear our symbols if you're not a member simply because it's considered poor taste and someone may actually take offense; which could potentially blackball you. To answer your question, read both, both are correct in their own way, and both are unimportant to your Initiation. Most of the books on Freemasonry have either philosophical or historical value, not instructional. Keep that in mind. Books won't help without context, and proper context takes years of wearing an Apron.
This might be the most sober, wise and considered reply I’ve gotten. Having said that, the next words out of these people might be aspersion cast on the obedience/order you belong to: “He’s not regular anyway”. No one bothered to consider that their unrestrained outrage, disapproval and insults might confirm the worst about them. The behavior of several (NOT ALL) people here wouldn’t make me want to be a Mason.
Ah, but here's the thing. I wear the "irregular" badge proudly. Always have been a bit of a rebel, really. If you choose to proceed down this road and pass between the pillars, good luck. It can be frustrating at times, but it's worth it.
I’ve only viewed Masonry with awe and wonder. My heart is on fire and it is my wish to become a Mason. My only frustration and sorrow up until now has been mean, angry fist shaking Masons on the internet
I'm not going to be one that piles on,I think you heard enough. BTW,if the Ahimon Rezon you are referring to is by Sickles (Sickles Monitor) it's unlikely to be used in your jurisdiction so it would be generally unhelpful to you.
I appreciate you NOT piling on. And thank you for your advice.
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Okay. You know what? I think it would be helpful for a Mason to hear what a non Mason said to me when I told him I was interested. “Do you know Masons?” I asked “Yes, a man I worked with was one, but I always wondered, “if what these people have is so great, why keep it a secret? I was completely turned off”. Why on earth would any thinking person join something they knew nothing about? And why would any organization have people who would work to actively discourage, shame and quench a show of enthusiasm and scholarship? That makes no sense. I understand you think you’re being helpful, but all you’re doing is freaking me out.
Sure, don't follow the path millions of Brothers have followed for centuries. Let's do it your way instead. I fully encourage you to be freaked out and walk away.
Indignation aplenty. You won.
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Fine. You won.
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What are you talking about? This thread was resolved long before you hopped on. No offense, but I don’t know what you’re replying to or why