The Point of the Lost Word

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Ken JP Stuczynski 

I was extremely gratified when I was introduced to the Lost Word in the completion of my Degrees. Whereas it might seem like unfulfilled suspense to some, it was a palpable representation of a concept I recognized from my own spiritual journeys long before I was a Mason.

"The way that can be told is not the Way."

Absolute Truth lay beyond both senses and conceptualization, in the realm of the Mystical. To give something a name is to kill it, or at least separate its reality from our knowledge of it. This linguistic mirage becomes a label, a placeholder, or "substitute" for the real thing at best. In a world of fingers pointing to the moon, we cannot help but err to fixate on the fingers, not the moon.

It's also why some faith traditions do not give G-d a name or even spell that word out fully. When Moses was asked who he shall say sent him, the Answer became a sacred acronym, the tetragrammaton. And yet, regardless of such answers that may be given in other degree systems, it is still a placeholder. It is a few steps forward toward an infinitely distant horizon. (I have to admit, the pretense of a definitive answer for the Lost Word in further rituals disappoints me, as it takes away the purpose I suggest here.)

This is why I have said you could not impart the secrets of Freemasonry even if you wanted to. They are not in the words and grips themselves. Knowing them does not make you a Mason. They are like a key to a door you do not know, and yet can pass simply by knocking, as it will be opened onto you. It is the Gateless Gate.

So how can a secret society impart such a secret to life, the universe, and everything? I have heard ritual wonderfully described as using inadequate words and symbols to show and say what cannot be shown or said. Our whole craft is a language designed to transcend not just operative, literal interpretations, but even themselves. The objects in our rooms and hands draw us beyond "this crude matter" to a thought-form. That much is easy, though many may not have an awareness of even that at first. But perhaps if we let go a little, it can be realized as an ungraspable truth. In a moment of timelessness and everywhere-ness, we catch a glimpse of light, not as seer and subject, but as an object — the Light itself.

And so we cannot be given the True Word, less we kill it, or worse yet, deceive ourselves to think we know, missing the transformation of true Knowing. We give ourselves titles and certificates and other accolades, all of which point to things that may or may not exist. We corporal beings are distracted by such things or derailed altogether.

Even the anchor of ritual, meant to steady oneself against moral relativity and nihilistic libertine-ness, can sink us under the water. A disciple of John was once admonished, "Scripture is like the messenger sent by the Rabbi; do not mistaken the messenger for the Rabbi." Such it is with ritual. Like a name or even a conceptualization, it does not exist for its own sake.

The loss of the Word is about the fall of Adam, and the search for it,  the desire for redemption. It is the perfect ashlar we expend tremendous effort to become, even aware it can only be completed by transcending that horizon, that Level of Time through the profundity of mortal transformation. If we possess the Real Word, even a glimpse of it, our Perfect Ashlar awaits us.

If we get caught up in the idea, the concept, the knowledge, and intellectual prowess we achieve and are not willing to let go of it in favor of the Real Word, we are like those who reach the other shore but refuse to get out of the boat once its usefulness passes. And yet these are the things of this World. These are the tools we must work with because they are the things we CAN work with.

So when does one receive the Real World? Perhaps this is neither the time nor place, and the trials of being human are nothing more than the impetuousness of those who can't bear to wait until their Temple is finished. Perhaps that is the nature of suffering, and Masonry leads us out of it, to that Mystery which cannot be told.

~JP

Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org, he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a “Masonic Feminist”.

As a masonic speaker throughout New York State, he has also given presentations at town hall meetings regarding the use of technology in the Craft. His numerous Empire State Mason articles have been republished in Arizona and New Jersey. To aid in his outreach on these topics, he authored “Webmastering the Craft: Fraternity in a Digital World”, available worldwide in softcover and eBook.

Having lifelong interests far and wide across philosophy, world religions, and all the natural sciences, his degree is in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics and a minor In Psychology. He has written articles and essays on the topics of science and religion, culture and politics, business and economics, technology and futurism, as well as various aspects of social psychology. Usually, with interdisciplinary contexts, many of these focus on the ideals of intellectual honesty and tolerance in all forms. Having edited and contributed to Books of Transactions by the Western New York Lodge of Research of which he is a member, he plans to formally publish some of his larger works, starting with the upcoming book, “Contemplations on Astronomy”, and a special Masonic edition will contain his “Astronomical Tour of the Lodge”.

He runs his primary business, Kentropolis Internet, from home where he lives with his wife and plenty of pets. In addition to various community service projects, he teaches Tai Chi to veterans at the VA Recovery Center. He is also an independent interfaith minister with hospital chaplain credentials who does weddings, funerals, memorials, and other services. His personal project is the “Earth 2 Mouth” program which connects farms, volunteers, and soup kitchens. He also enjoys carpentry and keeps bees with his daughter at an organic farm in East Otto, NY."

Don't Fake It Until You Make It

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson

Recently I was asked to watch a video for school. It was a twenty-minute TED Talk featuring Dr. Amy Cudder. Her specialty? Non-verbal body mechanics and their effect on others and ourselves. There was a lot in her talk in regards to what our body language tells others. However, that wasn't what this talk was about.

Her team of experts asked a question--Does our body language have an effect on our own minds? In short, the answer is yes. For instance, holding a pencil in your mouth, imitates a smiling face. The mere use of those muscles in this way for two minutes floods the brain with chemicals that elicit happy feelings.

Yep--Want to feel happy? Hold a pencil in your mouth for two minutes. But more importantly, they found that certain "power poses" like sitting openly, upright and bold for periods of just two minutes resulted in a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol. This means more control and less stress--a critical psychological factor in the world's top leaders of companies.

All this was certainly interesting, but what caught my eye/ear more than anything else was her message about practicing these things to give yourself a confident edge. For instance, before a job interview, most people sit hunched over and staring at their phones. This is the opposite of a "power pose" and leads to reduced testosterone and an increase in cortisol. This put's you in a place that gives you significantly less of an edge in your interview.

If we practice these "power poses," these small tricks--there could be significant changes to your psyche, and the result could mean a more successful life.

How does this relate to the Craft? Well, indeed, you could put this into practice in leadership. But more than that, Dr. Cuddy's message was that you don't have to "Fake it until you make it." You can instead, "Fake it until you become it." Let me explain. For her studies, they attempted to get people with low self-esteem to change it by trying these "power poses." But not to just temporarily increase the self-esteem--to fake it for the current situation. A permanent change--a life-changing one.

In Freemasonry, we consistently remind ourselves of the virtues and values we hold dear. Prudence, Temperance, Justice, Fortitude, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Even if we aren't great at practicing these virtues, talking about them--pretending we're good at them...over time might result in the effect we're looking for.

As we consistently expose ourselves to these tenets, we necessarily change the way our behaviors are exhibited. We talk more about prudent action, we become more circumspect in our decision making. If we converse about Justice, our thoughts and actions become more equitable to our fellows. If we speak of Temperance often enough, we might avoid that extra drink at the office party. If we keep the idea of Fortitude in our minds, we begin to overcome adversity and stand for the right things.

To sum all this up, it seems like what Dr. Cuddy offers to the profane world is something we've been doing for a long time. I do like her twist on the saying--"Fake it until we become it." Because it gives us hope that we will, in fact, become better people.

Finally, I wish to direct anyone who wishes to view her TED Talk to do so. And also, anyone who thinks they've made the transition already to read Ill. Bro. Brian Pettice's latest work by clicking HERE. As for me, I'm still working on it.

Signed,
A Big Ol' Faker
~RHJ

The Real Secrets of Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Matthew Taheri

I imagine that it would be no shock to you if I were to say that a significant percentage of the profane population believes that we do, or at one point, have ruled the world. It has been suggested by those with no Masonic affiliation that we keep and hold vast secret knowledge required to rule and govern the blind populous of the nation.

As much as it pains me to tell you, I’m not sitting in my palatial estate, watching my loyal scribe dictate these notes. We do not rule the world. Quite frankly, I don’t even rule my household, my newborn does. This, however, does not mean there are no powerful secrets kept among the Brethren in Freemasonry.

In a previous article, I’ve spoken to the intent behind our secrecy. I’ve discussed my belief that we, in part, keep secrets in order to teach codified lessons in a particular format. I’ve also acknowledged that some secrets are kept as to modes of recognition, that we may know a Freemason when we come across one. But beyond this, I still feel that there are ever more critical secrets that we keep, that make us who we are not just as Masons, but as Brothers.

I ask you, what are the secrets of Freemasonry?

Recently in an online discussion amongst Brethren, I had an opportunity to show off my fancy new Square and Compasses decal on my Jeep. I remarked as to how comforting it was being able to upload a picture of the entire rear end of the Jeep without blurring out my license plate. Similarly, I know I could post a picture of my newborn without subjecting her to lewdness.

In this increasingly profane world, the confidence kept amongst Brethren has never been more critical--more valuable. This confidence is the real wage we are paid for our labors.

My Brothers have learned and will continue to learn my greatest strengths and my greatest weaknesses because I feel able to be open and honest with them. I have no feat of mistreatment. I could never be so genuine with a group of individuals who might monetize or utilize these faults for their purposes. We are obligated to both give and receive wise counsel. Still, without the ability to present ourselves as we are, facilitated by secrecy amongst ourselves, we would never have the opportunity to do so.

One last example: I know of a Brother who’s Boss is a member of the Lodge. Imagine the turmoil this could impose if you couldn’t depend on secrecy; if you had to fear revelation! If my Boss petitions the Lodge, and I know him to be unsound, I feel safe in presenting a disfavorable recommendation. I also know that I can speak to my faults amongst my Brethren without having to hear about them over coffee at the office the following morning. Where else on this Earth could you behave similarly?

This secrecy breeds trust and understanding. You know me better for my comfort. I know that if I can trust you with my insecurities, I can trust you with my belongings. Outside of this Lodge room, you can find my laptop, my wallet, and my car keys. I wouldn’t leave those unattended in just any place.

All of this is to illustrate a straightforward fact: The greatest secrets we keep aren’t the ones we withhold from the world; they are the ones we hold for one another.

~MT

Brother Matthew Taheri was Raised in Paumanok (pronounced Paw-mih-knock) Port Washington Lodge No. 855 in Port Washington, New York. He has since relocated to Hillsborough No. 25 in beautiful Tampa, Florida where he enjoys spending time with his Brethren, tiki culture, laying out on the beach, and visiting Walt Disney World with disturbing frequency. Brother Taheri feels that familial edification is what differentiates Freemasonry from other very respectable organizations.

Preparedness as Masonic Duty

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Randy Sanders

"Brother …, are all present Freemasons? Brother ..., you will retire with … and prepare the candidate..., Before being brought to…"

Sound familiar? Review your charges and reflect upon your obligations with preparedness in mind. Every step in every degree has some form of preparation. Every lodge opens with the preparation of the physical lodge and preparation of the members before the business of the craft might commence. Freemasonry admonishes us to live upright and improve upon ourselves, and as Masons, we are reminded to read, study, and memorize ritual. If we prepare the space, if we develop the members, and if we apply that to our lives, as Masons, we have a duty to be duly and truly prepared and not just for the ceremony.

On Wednesday, March 3, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus designated COVID-19 as a pandemic. That is, the spread of the virus breached international borders infecting humanity at a rapid rate.

Preparation being a duty of Freemasons, we see from ritual the lessons of diligent preparation as GMHA worked on his trestle board daily and with devotion to Deity. Let us apply that physically to ourselves, our family, our work, and our community. How do we take care of ourselves, family, work, and community during a time of continuous angst and stress? Again, we return to our Masonic lessons of waiting for a time of patience, of reflecting upon our situation and being prepared for what unknowns lie ahead.

Place the oxygen mask on yourself first, then assist the others around you. An honest assessment of your own personal well being begins this exercise, and I like to use backpacking as my personal go-to for this type of assessment. Am I prepared and in condition to take care of myself? How do I get to that condition? How can I work with others to get to that condition if not completely self-sufficient? In this circumstance, what does self-sufficient entail? If I am honest in this personal assessment, I reinforce my capacity to help my family and others.

A hiker understands the minimum requirements for self-sufficiency, such as food, water, shelter, and medicine. In my backpack, I prepare with a variety of individual first aid options along with signaling ability should I find myself in trouble. For our family, we take that to the next level expanding this to a few lists of items used weekly and monthly. For most, a quick inventory of our medicine cabinet becomes the first step in sufficiently noting needed purchases. I prefer to look at four weeks; most disaster preparedness guides go with two weeks.

After our personal and family's medical needs are assessed and covered, let us shift focus on food, water, and shelter. My southern upbringing included always having a stocked pantry from which to pull ingredients and cook. For this pandemic, I added extra of the same. Panic purchases in the stores make this sometimes entertaining, sometimes dangerous, and I recommend taking a deep breath before we enter the mass wave of humanity fighting over canned sardines that nobody will eat. In other words, avoid every temptation to fill the cart with anything other than what you usually eat or your family enjoys.

Shelter in this particular crisis is much lower on the list as basic services remain intact.

While the American Red Cross website and many others update a pretty good essential list of what to stock for disaster preparedness, I recommend www dot ready dot gov/kit and the overall website as a starting point. The best advice I ever received was to prepare. Prepare a plan, prepare my family by working through the plan, and prepare with practicing the plan.

Randy recommends this website from the US Government for prep kits. 

https://www.ready.gov/kit

~RS

Bro. Randy Sanders lives near St. Louis and is active in Missouri and Oklahoma Freemasonry. He is Co-Librarian of the Valley of St. Louis, MO., Clerk of the Academy of Reflection based out of the Valley of Guthrie, OK., Lodge Education Officer of 2 Blue Lodges, and develops and delivers Masonic education across the region in blue lodges, AASR SMJ, and York Rite AMD. Randy works in IT/Telecom, mentors IT and business professionals, and also teaches Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and is an NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer. Randy and his wife raise Great Pyrenees dogs, enjoy gourmet cooking classes, and travel internationally. He has been involved in search and rescue, community response, and disaster mitigation for over three decades. He served as Logistics Section Chief on a federal disaster team and deployed to the Oklahoma City Murrah Building bombing and St. Thomas, USVI, for Hurricane Marilyn, among many others.

The Dreaded Announcements

By Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

It was a wonderful degree, with the work being near perfect. The candidate was very impressed and was processing mentally the experience he had just came through. The Master of the lodge thanks the brethren for coming and assisting to bring the brother to light. Then it happens….

The Master now says, “its’ time for the dreaded announcements.” For the next ten to fifteen minutes, brethren stand up and announce dates for the next degree, pancake breakfasts, blood drives, about a door that is squeaking, etc.

After a recent degree, I wondered what impression this left on the newly raised brother. After all, this night was supposed to be about him. Is this his first indication of things to come in Freemasonry; reading of the minutes and paying of the bills?

Let me be transparent and admit, I freely chime in and announce when the next High Twelve meeting is or when the Scouts are having a fish fry.

But maybe it is time to put our focus back on why we assembled to begin with; the newly initiated, passed, or raised brother.

But how are people supposed to know what is going if you don’t have the announcements? Here are some suggestions:

•  Printed list - this might seem like an old fashioned way of conducting business, but having a list of upcoming events that could be handed out at the degree would be very useful.

• Develop an email list - this is a quick way to distribute information to brethren who wish to receive it. But keep it simple, don’t use an attachment such as .pdf file for a flyer. Just put the message in the email itself. Most people are reading email on their smart phones and viewing an attachment on a phone is a hassle.

• Facebook – many lodges have FB pages now as do some masonic districts, Grand Lodges, etc.

•  Area calendar – I have developed a Google calendar that shares when lodges in my area are having stated meetings, degrees, events, etc.

•  Call-em-all – the Grand Lodge of Illinois has set up a means whereby lodges can use this very efficient system to send messages to their members either via phone or text.

•  Come to the monthly stated meetings – what better way to know what is going on, than to actually come and participate at a lodge meeting.

Let’s return our focus at degree work on why we assembled to begin with, our new brother.

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.

In Thy Name

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. Juan de la Cruz

In order for an organization to thrive, its core mission must be clearly stated and understood by all of its members. This mission should be compelling enough that all who labor towards its fruition are invested and willing to give of themselves beyond the minimum standards expected of their employment.

Freemasonry finds itself in the peculiar conundrum that those who labor for it are under a vaguely understood contract, compounded by the fact that the compensation for these labors is rarely monetary and that the appreciation for the value of Masonic wages requires an intrinsic recognition, the rights and privileges of those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Thankfully, and by the Grace of the Great Architect, these faculties can be cultivated.

The application of the tools we are given is all that is needed to earn Masonic wages! There is a problem however; the explanation of the tools we are given is explicit with regards to what the tools are used for, yet is only implicit in the manner in which the tools are to be applied. This has long provided me a source of contemplation, and has also been the genesis for an entirely new vision of what the craft represents to me. That being said, I offer the following in the spirit that what I believe (at present) to be the truth (from my perspective, mind you) and my intention herein is to elicit discourse and the development of better understanding of the answer to the greater question: why do we do what we do?

Allow me to posit the following: the answer to the above question regarding what is in essence the “mission” of the craft of freemasonry is revealed in the Chaplain’s opening prayer: we gather in the name of the Great Architect of the Universe that we may reflect the order and beauty which rule forever before the throne of the Almighty.

Verily, since this is the only stated purpose given for our assembly, I believe it is also the very strength and support of Freemasonry, the “mission”, as it were. Let us entertain the preceding assumption is correct and that indeed the reason we gather in the name of the Almighty is to do His bidding. What then are the ramifications of this realization? The list is long, and worthy of great conversation and fellowship. Indeed, this is a dialogue that has proven worthy of the efforts of numerous scholars and has been the consuming passion of many a brother in our long chain of union. Surely the benefits to such a philosophy extend beyond the present limits of my appreciation, but of the myriad benefits I can identify I find there emerge general categories which I will attempt to encompass in this limited forum and my even more restricted attention span... I like shiny things… I digress…

The first and perhaps greatest benefit is that we approach our lodge as a temple, erected to Him and dedicated to the Saints John (we’ll explore an explanation of these in a future article). A temple built by and consisting of the very ashlars and ornaments we each represent, and bound by the cement of our brotherly love for each other, the relief we offer one another, and the truth we share. This approach at once demands the utmost reverence and offers the greatest impetus for jubilation. The lodge is not an object outside of its members but is a body comprised OF them. The lodge then, like the self, is an extension of our being, a tangible metaphor for our place in the Grand Design the Master has drawn upon the trestle board.

The natural extension of this first benefit I described is a sense of direction. Let us examine the metaphor of a seagoing vessel. A ship without the benefit of a destination is a useless contraption, afloat and adrift or at best circling the ocean without the safe harborage of port. Though by simply having the faith to set sail into the unknown one is assured an adventure, full of discovery and ripe with the possibility of new insight, it is also replete with peril, and amongst the few with the resolve to undertake expeditions into spiritual climes unknown, fewer still have survived the abyss to benefit from the undertaking. The safe passages have been mapped, the destinations delineated, and the tools of navigation have been handed to us.

So, how then do we sail? What will we need in order to increase the chances of our success? How will we measure our success?


We sail with the understanding that the Great Architect is at once the destination and the guide of our journey, and that the Master of the Lodge is the captain of the vessel, he trains his sextant on the North Star if you will, what the G suspended in the East represents. He tests his observations against the charts in the Volume of Sacred Law, he conveys the necessary corrections of navigation to the crew, and verifies that the commands have been duly executed. The first officers coordinate the efforts of the crew, and the sailors – collectively – serve the captain and the ship they sail on (their very lifeline) with freedom, fervency and zeal. Our success is measured by the progress we make and the riches of the ports we stop at, testament and acknowledgement of a proper course. As a result of our labor, we nourish our bodies with the fruits of foreign lands and repose in the memories of the most exotic, bizarre and wondrous of vistas.

The captain and his crew are offered no guarantee of safety, and similarly neither is the Worshipful Master or the lodge he serves. The journey is dangerous; there will be unforeseen obstacles and inclement weather. Some lodges will have lost sight of the North Star which guides them and will veer so far from course they will find themselves adrift in the doldrums, doomed to stagnate and ultimately sink in obscurity. The success of our voyage will depend on the diligence of its crew and an understanding of our responsibility. We don’t expect of the Master some wizardry or artificial bravado, what we expect is careful and studious observation of the Guiding Principles and the unerring landmarks. We don’t expect perfection of ourselves but similarly we are entrusted with diligent attention to the details and nuances of sailing.

Our lodge, by whatever metaphor you employ – and admittedly I’ve employed many herein – is an organization composed of individuals with the common goal of serving One Master and which assembles in His name to obtain the necessary instructions to pursue our labors and earn our wages. As long as we remain vigilant of our course and steadfast in our navigation, we will succeed and reach the goal we set out to achieve. I humbly request that you contemplate what assembling in the name of, and serving the Great Architect, looks and feels like, and really look forward to sharing the insights you glean… the wages of a mason!  


~JdlC



Bro. de la Cruz is the Junior Warden of Sotoyome Curtis 123, Healdsburg, CA. He is also a 32nd degree Scottish Rite member as well as a Royal Arch Mason. He is a father of two, husband and resident of Windsor, CA.