A Past Master's Thoughts

  It is kind of a running joke in my Lodge that it is not a meeting if I don’t say anything. I did my best to subdue my passions, sit on my hands, and shut up. But I will admit I failed. Tonight's meeting at my Home Lodge had the theme of “What is your inheritance?” The setting up of the Temple was beautiful. The way the Master started with “Let there be light,” and he took a candle and lit the officers' candles. Very impressive. Later in the meeting for Masonic Education, the Past Masters of my Lodge told their stories. We learned about the History and so forth of the Lodge.   How it came to be, and how they preserved the building, even the remodeling of the building. Honestly, they covered a lot of what I was going to mention. After everything was said and done, I asked to speak. The one common thread I heard from all the stories shared tonight can be summed up in one simple word.   Sacrifice. I talked to the Lodge and told them that yes, we live in very dark ...

I am a very firm believer that what we learn in the Lodge should be taken outside of the Lodge. In fact, we have no choice but to do that very thing. Why? Because it is who we are. We will shine our “light” into a darkened world as we understand it. That is an interesting point, “as we understand it”. For a very long time, I have posted my thoughts and ideas regarding Masonry, spirituality, and my connection with my fellow man…As I understood it. Wow, how I may have missed the point, sadly. All of us are at different places within our journey. I know I have not reached my final destination. How do I know that? I am still recycling air. I also know some see things differently than I do. But let me be 110% honest. I do not care who you are. I do not care about your spirituality. I do not care about your ethnic background. I do not care about your social standing. I do not care about your economic standing. I do not care about who you love. What I do care about is your integrity.  How...

The happenings in the National News over the last couple of days have lit my fuse. As is normal, I am very vocal and opinionated about most things. I was about that, too. The degrading of people based on their race is uncalled for, on any level. I do not want this post to turn political. I think it is more of a moral issue—one of integrity and character. Some would disagree with me, and I 110% see where they are coming from. So, I raised my voice, spoke up, sent letters to my elected officials stating my displeasure, and went on. I woke up this morning and had my coffee and stick like normal and remembered a movie I have watched a few times, The Ghosts of Mississippi. I am not really sure why it came to mind, but it did.  So off to Dr. Google to do a bit of research. The truth is, outside of the movie, I knew nothing about Medgar Wiley Evers. I knew we was unalived (Facebook algorithm). I knew who did it and a bit about the trials that took many years to bring the man to jus...

What came you here to do? That question has three specific answers. All are very interesting in some conversations I have had with Masons and Non-Masons alike. A while back, I spoke to an Elder Priestess in my Spiritual Tradition, and she talked about being “Lost in the Mysteries”. When a person has so much “tunnel vision” that they lose focus on their goal. Can that happen within Masonry? Of course it can. Is it possible that we spend so much time being “Masonic” that we lose sight of what Masonry is all about? Do we lose sight of that very question? What came you here to do? Have I lost sight of myself? Maybe I have. Maybe I need to look at my shadow self and evaluate myself and my journey? My favorite card in the Tarot is The Hermit. That struggle for growth and the quest for your inner being. The card shows a wise man standing on a mountain top holding a lantern of light. Is that light held for others or for you first? This is a very important question. When we climb that...

I spent the weekend doing spiritual work for my personal spiritual tradition. There were several things that happened that were a comedy or errors. I learned a few things I will not and can not go into here.  While Masonry is an oath-bound Tradition, so is my spiritual practice. While I was out of town, there were a few discussions about a post and people being “children of God”.  I want to share my thoughts on this for a moment. No, I am not a Christian, and I have not been shy about that at all. However, I do my best to honor all people of all faiths. Why? Well, that answer is pretty simple.  I see the GAOTU as the Great All That Is.  In other words, God.  Now I see God as a very generic term that can only be defined by the person and their relationship with the Divine. It is so very personal, and should be. I see the Divine as a single entity in balance between both Masculine and Feminine forms. Why? It takes both positive and negative energy to bring a...

I am tired. Getting worn out, really. Slick as a set of retread tires. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand? Today is National Holocaust Day. One single day, when we remember not just our Jewish Brothers that suffered ethnic cleansing and eradication. The Holocaust touched Soviets, Jehovah's Witnesses, Gays, and Freemasons, etc., according to the Holocaust Museum.  Basicly if you did not fit the “mold,” you were an outsider. I am not saying this to take away from our Jewish Brothers who suffered greatly at the hands of a madman. But the root cause is hatred and fear. Fear and hatred still exist, sadly. Just today, I made a comment on a post and someone “jumped my case.” I went and looked at his Facebook profile and images. I saw an image of a “madman” from the 1930s with the initial...