The Square and the Circle

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Steven O'Donnell

Having re-read the recent additions to this superior platform of Masonic insightfulness, and failing to resist the urge to inject a more than casual comment on what very much appears to be the Dichotomy of the Craft, nervously I throw my hat into the ring.

In the blue corner, we have ‘Green Bean Masonry’ with all its trimmings, traditions, dinner clubs, and its connection to the material plane, and in the other blue corner, we have ‘Symbolic Masonry’ with all its teachings, philosophy, observance and its connection to the spiritual plane.

Without the need to quote words from the great teachers of Light nor require to don the cap of the likes of Euclid, but rather to look at this dichotomy from a place of Harmony and the Natural Laws that surround us on every plane. We are taught "no thing" is singular outside of the All. From the mind of the All, a duality is formed and the coming together of that duality in perfect harmony creates that which is to manifest into being. That creation is the result of consciousness. Perfect creation requires a balance of male and female energies.

Consider this duality to be that of what appears to be a ‘Happening’ in the blue corner of the Craft. Two schools of thought trying to occupy the same space at the same time whilst understanding that one without the other is indeed a "no thing." 

With that being said, let us consider one of these dualistic circles of thought and boundless energy being bound to the title of ‘Green Bean Masonry’ and the other circle of thought and boundless energy being bound to the title of ‘Symbolic Masonry’. You see where I’m going with this?

Without faith in the true beauty of creation, and that the coming together of a duality in harmony, proportion, and ratio, which naturally births all intent into creation, all is lost. These two spheres of boundless energy will forever bounce about the blue corner, coming together in a way that is not harmonious and destined to endlessly repel from one another.

The mighty yet mysterious Vesica Pisces is a worthy vehicle to work on such a dichotomy, the ‘Vessel of the Fish’ is constructed as we know, by two circles of exact proportion (we’ll call them ‘aspects’ for this consideration) coming together in perfect harmony and proportion to create a third ‘aspect’.

This ‘third aspect’ or rather, the space known as the Vesica Pisces, the Fish Bladder, the Mandorla, call it what you will if you’ll excuse the simplicity, in Sanskrit means “Yoni”. Translate Yoni back and you get “Holy passage”. A Holy passage proportioned to the ratio of 265:153, or 153 for short. A sacred number in Pythagorism, which some attest to be the secret behind the parable of the 153 fish in Scripture. A passage for the soul to the material world, a ‘Holy’ soul that manifests itself into the material world.

Knowing that this ‘third aspect’ of 265:153 or the root of 3 (√3) defines three-dimensional space, it also defines the space within a cube by the measurement of the length of the diagonal of a cube, or dare I say a perfect ashlar.

In Scripture, Jesus after his resurrection helped his followers with their nights ‘fishing’. His followers hadn’t caught anything all night, but with the help of Jesus, just before dawn, they caught exactly 153 fish. A Scriptural riddle incorporating 153 subtly wants to tell us that a dualistic property of Jesus, namely a property labeled Mary or ‘The Sea’ alludes to the feminine aspect of duality and that it played a very important role in the resurrection of the Christ.

This duality of Jesus meaning ‘The Sea’, translated into Greek, becomes η αγδαληνή and also holds a numerical value of 153. What we have is a telling of a duality coming together in perfect harmony, proportion, and ratio to resurrect I AM that which has been born into being from perfection.

Your point being? I hear you say.

Well, let us scale the proportion down if I may and consider the Craft to be a singularity bound to the title of ‘Wisdom.'

Also, consider if you will, a duality being that of ‘Green Bean Masonry’ bound to the titles of ‘Male and Strength’, and ‘Symbolic Masonry’ bound to the titles of ‘Female and Beauty’. One without the other is a "no thing" creating disharmony within the singularity. Scripture teaches us the backlash of the singularity appearing to favor one brother over the other, how those very first brothers in Eden travailed, and the dichotomy fated on all mankind. Creation may travail in pain but it cannot escape its destiny. One can only imagine how good and how pleasant it would be today if those two brothers dwelt together in perfect harmony. In perfect Brotherly Love.

Understanding that a Bricklayer and a Poet have different skills but together they can create a thing of magnificent perfection, and that coming together with a desire to build that thing of magnificence for the betterment of all mankind, is by its very nature profound.

We are taught that inner work is to better ourselves and we are given the tools to do so, Bricklayers build square things, Poets build in circles. When will we realize that we are one and the same pouring forth from a singularity and treat each other with equal passion? Are we not taught that bettering ourselves, in turn, betters our Lodges and therefore betters the Craft as a whole?

Know thyself and respect your Mother.

~SO

Bro Steven O’Donnell is a Master Mason of Lodge St Duthus No 82 Tain, in the Highlands of Scotland.
He brings Fraternal Greetings and Eternal Blessings to all who kneel at the Altar. Peace be upon those who haven’t, may you live forever. Above all, he brings Love.

The Longview

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

There is a small town in southern Champaign County, Illinois named Longview. Longview has less than 200 residents and is a traditional Midwestern farm town. Most of the business have closed and now all that is left is a United States Post Office and some service business.

What intrigues me most about Longview is the name of the town itself. The name originates from the long view of the open Illinois prairie landscape.

But I often think about Longview as more than just this small Midwestern town. It is also a way to consider the work that is and needs to be done in Freemasonry. We often get stuck in the rut of discussions on topics such as declining membership, the costs of dues and building issues. These are important areas of concern, but are often the cause for taking our eyes off the ball of the more fundamental and needed changes for the future continued success of Freemasonry. I always advocate taking the Longview.

What does taking the Longview mean? Here are some of my thoughts:

• Freemasonry is built one brother at a time. 
• Understand that whatever challenges we are having today, they are not insurmountable. 
• Have crucial conversations with other brothers within the lodge about what you would like to be as an organization in the future. 
• Develop a written plan on how you can get there. 
• Celebrate success. If you raise a new Master Mason it is a cause for celebration for him personally and the lodge as a whole! 
• Become visible as an organization within the community. 
• Offer a reason for members to come to your events. 
• Education is a core element of a successful lodge. 
• We are a fraternity to help grow the individual man. While charity is important, it is not the primary mission of Freemasonry. 
• Have some fun! 

There are of course many other ideas, but the key element I want to emphasize is the Longview. Change may not come instantly. Having the patience, persistence and perseverance will pay huge dividends for a success future.

Enjoy the Longview!

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters. You can contact him at gknott63@gmail.com