Promoting the Fraternity across the World
THE MASONIC LADDER AND THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING by Bro. William Steve Burkle KT, 32°, KCRBE Alpha Lodge No. 116, Grand Lodge of New Jersey Philo Lodge No. 243, South River, New Jersey Scioto Lodge No. 6, Chillicothe, Ohio. This paper examines the esoteric symbolism of the Masonic Ladder and will develop the thesis that … Read more
The body of Freemasonry is comprised of many types of individuals whose Masonic pursuits vary according to that individual’s personality and interests. Freemasonry has been very aptly been compared to a complex tapestry composed of many colourful overlapping individual threads which taken as a whole form a larger picture.
Freemasonry may even be considered complementary to Islam as its principles only go to reinforce a Muslim brother’s own faith; contrary to the misconceptions widely held among my Muslim brethren from various sects. The distrust perhaps arises from the fact that masonic symbols are derived from segments of the Old Testament such as the Temple of King Solomon
We would offer as a starting point a commonly held view that the arrangements with major impact on human existence are those of the state, family and market with a fourth “civil society” being the totality of other institutions. These groupings are not fixed. Rather, they should be understood as tectonic plates vitalised by human energy, continuously shaping and forming themselves, and similarly reshaping and re-forming each other.It is to “civil society” that we must turn to find Freemasonry
As Masons, we are all introduced during our ritual lectures to the Masonic symbol of the Point Within a Circle, and instructed in its’ allusion. The most interesting thing to me during my own such introduction was that the figure representing this symbol contained not only a point within a circle, but also two straight vertical lines touching the sides of the circle. It was explained during the ensuing lecture that these lines represented the two Holy Saints John, namely John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist. This struck me as peculiar to say the least, and I have been trying to figure out this peculiarity ever since.
