BIRTH AND LIFE

(SYMBOLISM FOR 2nd DEGREE PART IV)

By study, by ruling his life, by entering into the interpretation of our hidden

mysteries, by establishing strength in knowledge and by an increasing

belief in the Stability of our philosophy so that he will be enabled to pass

into sovereignty of the greatest Kingdom ever swayed by mortal hands - the

Mastery of Himself.

"The Door of the Middle Chamber was in the right side of the House, and

they went up with winding stairs into the Middle Chamber." 1 Kings, Ch. vi,

v. 8.

3 5 or 7 or more.

He is obligated, silence secrets power and wisdom, so now he has to vain

himself to understand and discipline both his head and his heart. The

R...... g B ... s of the Air in Scriptural terms signify the invisible evil battling

to enter and gnaw at the goodness of man in his spirit, so he is to keep

himself protected by faith from the attacks of the insidous.

The Penalty as again a most ancient one of the East, deeply feared by the

oldest races. In the Ritual of the Dead - when the deceased is passing his

various trials - it is rather significant that we find that among the prayers

said for him are these - "Let not my tongue be torn out," and "Let not my

breast be laid open and my heart be torn away from me," expressing

perhaps two of the fears he had encountered in life as penalties which

might be executed upon him in certain events.

The position of the Sq. and Cs. are altered to indicate to him that spiritual

principle is coming into activity within him and that he is now midway in

Masonry.

Immediately the Obligation is sealed our Secrets are shared.

He takes the 2nd S... the second of the 3 Taus - our signs are acts of

Worship and promises.

The Sign of F. implies not merely fidelity to his oath but obedience to the

Rules of the G.G.O.T.U. by which we can hope to be preserved only if we

conform to those Rules laid down by HIM for our preservation.

The H...... S.... is said in our Ritual to be the sign of Perseverance just as

of old when Shiva - the God Preserver - used it. The older rituals give it as

the sign of Prayer. Perseverance in Prayer. The word............

MAN - plus - GOD.

In the 1st "A Prince and Ruler." Material.

In the 2nd "An Assistant High Priest." Spiritual.

For God's House is Man and the Building of Man from Quarry state of

unconditioned Nature into strongly individualised living Stone, perfect in all

its parts and redounding in honour to the Builder, is the whole aim of our

great Craft.
So the S. of the Fellow Craft suggests he endeavours to examine and lay

bare his heart, to cast away impurities from it, standing like Joshua, praying

that the light of day may be extended to him until he has accomplished the

over-throw of his own inward enemies and removed every obstacle to his

further progress, so that he stands ready with confidence for that last and

greatest trial by which he can enter into the great consolations and make

acquaintance with the supreme realities of existence.

This sign is found among the Pathans, Dervishes, Brahmans of India, the

Central African Tribesmen - The Amsu - a form of Risen God, Horus in

Ancient Egypt is generally represented as having this sign, he is known as

"He who lifteth up his arm." This God is the spirit of the Sprouting Corn.

He passes the repeated trials to make sure that as he treads the path, his

steps are true and the sign of progress is sure.

In the Egyptian rituals are the words:-

"I come from between the Pillars, I have trodden the narrow way of the Sq.

and balanced Good and Evil in myself."

He is invested with the Badge of the Fellow Craft Freemason. Still the white

Lambskin of Innocence but with two Blue Rosettes, one on each of the

lower corners, indicating that the Spiritual has now descended and is taking

charge of the lower sign which is Man. The triangle lowered to signify that

advance - spirit and body working together with understanding. One old
ritual says "This downpouring of the Triangle typifies the flow of the Spirit

into the Square of Man."

The Two Rosettes are hieroglyphics of LIGHT, Wisdom - forming the Base,

incomplete at present - when complete the Triangle of the Spirit will be

evident.

In an ancient interpretation of the Symbolical Language of the V.O.T.S.L.

the Triangle of Force as applied to the G.G.O.T.U. is His infinite knowledge.

His watchful providence. His omnipresence. The eyes of the Spirit.

And to Man the Understanding, the eyes of the Mind. A friendly counsellor.

The whole man. Human Designs. Eyes of Man. Here we see that eyes as

applied to T.G.G.O.T.U. denote three things, as applied to Man four things,

the two perfect figures, the triangle and the square. Three and four together

make the seven.

So a F.C.'s Apron is of a threefold nature, indicating the ascension of

Matter, the penetration of Mind and the diffusion of the Spiritual Forces.

1st Degree Birth

2nd Degree Life.

The Rose symbol is one that pertains to the Quest for God, from the

beginning of the Path. The Cathedral Builders carved the rose symbol on

the stonework with exquisite perfection.

Our ritual recognising the fact that as he advances he will become more

conscious of the difficulties of the task before him, we find he is taught to

persist with Fortitude, Prudence, Temperance and Justice. These are the

Four Cardinal Virtues which added to the Three Theological Virtues of the

1st Degree Faith, Hope, and Charity make the seven.

This quartet are indeed beautiful in their choice - it was the code taught to

the Athenian youth centuries ago, before the Christian era, which has stood

for more than 25 centuries as a vital code.

It is somewhere written that "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly

upward" and Fortitude is needed to strengthen and encourage us amidst

our trials.

He is now likened unto the Perfect Ashlar of the Fellow Craft, found on the

Pedestal of the S.W. suspended by the Line of Life to the G.G.O.T.U. The

Rough Ashlar (the E.A.) was in a reasonably advanced state of preparation,

rough square, but only received if it is believed that he is capable of

perfecting the work begun in the 1st Degree.

In some Lodges the Perfect Ashlar is superimposed on the Rough forming

a Double Cube.

He will receive his "Wages" which he will learn to accept without scruple or

diffidence knowing that he is justly entitled to them. Having reached the

top of the W..... S..... which represents progress of learning, so that he

eventually succeeds in passing the Wardens and obtains a reward for his
labours, in like manner all honest work, all noble endeavour must surely be

certain of recognition in the end. The Staircase is winding - the end cannot

be seen from the beginning - his wages are said to include happiness,

peace in mind and clear conscience.

He is placed in the S.E. f.... in the f.... of a Sq. and maybe the Perfect

Ashlar is placed in the R. angle of his F...

He is expected to extend his researches.

The W...... T..Is are now presented - in the 1st Degree they were tools of

ACTION, the Rough Ashlar state is deemed to have given way to the

condition symbolised by the Perfect Cube so in this Degree they are tools

of testing, trying, adjusting and proving.