Exposing Freemasons & 33 - Geometry,Astrology, or Devil Worship?

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli

 

The Presiding officer is in the East. The entrance of the Lodge is in the West. Thus you will hear us talk about guarding our West Gate. Thanks for trying though.

Are you sure about that?

THE FORM AND ORIENTATION OF THE LODGE
CHAPTER XVI
part II - Symbolism and the Teachings of Freemasonry
THE SQUARE AND COMPASSES
W. M. Don Falconer PM, PDGDC
www.themasonictrowel.com...

The east-west orientation of the tabernacle and the temple, with the only entrance in the east, reflects the fact that from time immemorial human beings have associated the east with the source of life and the light of knowledge. This veneration of the east originated in primitive society, probably because of the mystery then associated with the daily rising of the sun after the darkness of the night. Even in ancient times the sun was known to germinate plant life and to ripen the seed and fruits of nature. Hence the sun came to be regarded as a symbol of the commencement of a new cycle of life. This is reflected in the reverence held for the east in the Egyptian rites and other Ancient Mysteries, in which the sun was regarded as a manifestation of God. In those Mysteries the place where the sun rose was esteemed as the birthplace of God. Many of the earliest Christian churches, especially those in the eastern countries, were oriented east west and had the entrance in the east like King Solomon’s temple. It also was the custom of the early Christians, when praying in public, to turn towards the east because, as Saint Augustine said:

"The east is the most honourable part of the world, being the region of light whence the glorious sun rises."

In operative freemasonry the symbolic lodge was oriented on an east west axis. The entrance to the lodge was at the eastern end and the master was seated in the west. This arrangement was in allusion to King Solomon's temple at Jerusalem, which had a single entrance in the east, flanked by two columns. In his lectures on Signs and Symbols, the Rev Dr George Oliver supported the customs adopted in operative lodges when he said:

"The principal entrance to the lodge room ought to face the east, because the east is a place of light both physical and moral; and therefore the Brethren have access to the lodge by that entrance, as a symbol of mental illumination."

Notwithstanding the historical precedents, the orientation of Christian churches was reversed from about the end of the first century of Christianity. Throughout the great period of cathedral building in Europe and Britain, pains were taken to orient Christian churches and cathedrals on an east-west axis, with the entrance at the western end and the sanctuary and main altar at the eastern end. With this arrangement worshippers facing the altar during prayer were facing the east. This was in accordance with an injunction in the Apostolic Constitutions that required the designers to "let the church be of an oblong form, directed to the East". In cruciform buildings the transept also was placed towards the eastern end, thus forming a Latin cross. Although the Apostolic Constitutions are usually attributed to Saint Clement, who died in about 101, this assumption probably is incorrect. Nevertheless Saint Clement was the first of the Apostolic Fathers and the second or third successor of Saint Peter in the See of Rome.

Although speculative craft freemasonry closely follows most of the symbolic precedents established by the ancient Israelites and adopted in lodges of operative freemasons, the orientation of speculative lodges is the reverse of their operative counterparts, so that the entrance is in the west and the master is seated in the east. It is not known when this reversal took place, but it probably was in deference to established religious practices in Europe and Britain during the formative days of modern speculative craft freemasonry. It is probable that the early speculative ritualists in England adopted ecclesiastical practice in the orientation of their lodges, because they had not been operative freemasons and were not familiar with the orientation of operative lodges. Most of the early English ritualists were acquainted with the Cabalists and their teachings, which also might have influenced them with regard to orientation. An essential doctrine of one school of the Cabalists ignores the orientation of the tabernacle and the temple and says that:

"His Majesty . . . . sits on a throne in the east, as the actual representative of God."

Whatever may have been the reason for the change, this reversal of the orientation causes confusion concerning the position of the pillars at the entrance to King Solomon's temple and also reverses the symbolic direction in which the winding stairs are

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli

 

The Presiding officer is in the East. The entrance of the Lodge is in the West. Thus you will hear us talk about guarding our West Gate. Thanks for trying though.

I hear you talking alright . . .

Originally posted by FriedBabelBroccoli
I hear you talking alright . . .

Every lodge in my jurisdiction has its entrance in the West and the Master in the East, it is part of the ritual and can not be changed. The excerpt you quoted was English and could be the reason why it is different than United States orientation.

reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli

You hear me speaking truth and fact. Prove what I said wrong...I'll wait.

By lying you are turning your back on God.

Originally posted by KSigMason
reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli

 

You hear me speaking truth and fact. Prove what I said wrong...I'll wait.

By lying you are turning your back on God.

You face east when you are entering the temple, yes your entrance may be on the western end, however the point was that it is reversed from tradition.

Tradition being Solomon's temple which has has the entrance in the East and those entering heading west.

By your interpretation you may bee correct however it is merely word play to try and confuse the truth which I posted above.

Stop lying to yourself, the masonic temple is an inversion of the original which is a tenant of what many would call satanism.

Or you can prove the good W. M. Don Falconer PM, PDGDC a liar.

Go ahead lets hear it . . .

reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli

Interpret it as you will, but we're not turning our back on God.

reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli


This is from your own quote:

Although speculative craft freemasonry closely follows most of the symbolic precedents established by the ancient Israelites and adopted in lodges of operative freemasons, the orientation of speculative lodges is the reverse of their operative counterparts, so that the entrance is in the west and the master is seated in the east.

Which is exactly what the Masons here have been telling you.

Originally posted by Masonic Light
reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli

 

This is from your own quote:

Although speculative craft freemasonry closely follows most of the symbolic precedents established by the ancient Israelites and adopted in lodges of operative freemasons, the orientation of speculative lodges is the reverse of their operative counterparts, so that the entrance is in the west and the master is seated in the east.

Which is exactly what the Masons here have been telling you.

You seem to have missed the point that is is reversed from tradition, I merely pointed out the direction one is facing when they enter the lodges.

Word play all you like the fact remains it is reversed and you enter facing East as opposed to West.

Or are you implying that there is a dichotomy between speculative lodges and their operative counterparts?

Originally posted by FriedBabelBroccoli


You seem to have missed the point that is is reversed from tradition, I merely pointed out the direction one is facing when they enter the lodges.

Sorry, I thought you were arguing that Lodges have the presiding officer in the west, and entrance in the east.

Word play all you like the fact remains it is reversed and you enter facing East as opposed to West.

I wouldn't consider it "reversed", since Freemasonry is not Jewish. Yes, it is the opposite of the Jewish arrangement of the their temple and tabernacle, but to say it is "reversed" would imply that it is somehow connected to the Jewish religion, which it isn't.

reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli


We don't work with rocks either. Does that make us evil?

Originally posted by network dude
reply to post by FriedBabelBroccoli

 

We don't work with rocks either. Does that make us evil?

Are you citing Peter the Roman here?

Or is it quite literally not working with rocks? What about woods?

How hairy does one need to be to guard the western gate?

Originally posted by FriedBabelBroccoli
How hairy does one need to be to guard the western gate?

Not that hairy. I'm not.

Originally posted by JesuitGarlic
That his 'evil twin' actually threw him out of Heaven (which we know is arch-angel Michael which is just another name for Jesus

Stopped reading right here.

Here is another lecture by the late David Flynn which is primarily about the 2012 phenomena and goes into detail how much of Freemasonry is based on astrology (most world religions use it heavily as well).

A few lines are dedicated to depicting that Gemini (directly above Sirius) is aligned along a prime meridian which then allows the constellation Virgo (the Virgin) to fit neatly over North America (USA).

The book The Secret Architecture of Our Nation's Capital : The Masons and the Building of Washington, D.C. goes categorically through the construction of national monuments and how they all seem to be dedicated to the Virgin/Virgo. Overall an illuminating piece when placed next to other bodies about Freemasonry.



Peace

Originally posted by FriedBabelBroccoli
...which is primarily about the 2012 phenomena and goes into detail how much of Freemasonry is based on astrology...

There is nothing in Masonic ritual or symbolism that deals with astrology, let alone 2012. That is like saying Masonry dealt with the Y2K nonsense as well.

Originally posted by AugustusMasonicus

Originally posted by FriedBabelBroccoli
...which is primarily about the 2012 phenomena and goes into detail how much of Freemasonry is based on astrology...

There is nothing in Masonic ritual or symbolism that deals with astrology, let alone 2012. That is like saying Masonry dealt with the Y2K nonsense as well.

Well now you are blatantly lying, unless you mean the masons merely use the zodiac as a clock.

I never said that masonry had anything to do with 2012 did I?

David Ovason was a Freemason himself and quite clearly depicted the connection between masons and astrological knowledge in the placing of their cornerstones.

LoL perhaps the astrology is not used in masonic rituals but it is clearly of importance when identifying the dates on which actions are to be taken.

I am loosing serious respect for the masons as your misdirections seem more and more feeble as the days pass. Laughable if it weren't so sad.

Many masons I have encountered are only skin deep and thin skinned enough their moros shows.

Paz

Originally posted by FriedBabelBroccoli
Well now you are blatantly lying, unless you mean the masons merely use the zodiac as a clock.

If I am lying then it will be easy for you to post the part(s) of the ritual or symbolism that deal with astrology.

Originally posted by FriedBabelBroccoli
David Ovason was a Freemason himself and quite clearly depicted the connection between masons and astrological knowledge in the placing of their cornerstones.

Are you sure you aren't confusing operative masons with speculative masons again?

As I said before, we don't lay brick.

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus

Every Lodge is a Temple, and as a whole, and in its details symbolic. The Universe itself supplied man with the model for the first temples reared to the Divinity. The arrangement of the Temple of Solomon, the symbolic ornaments which formed its chief decorations, and the dress of the High-Priest, all had reference to the order of the Universe, as then understood. The Temple contained many emblems of the seasons—the sun, the moon, the planets, the constellations Ursa Major and Minor, the zodiac, the elements, and the other parts of the world. It is the Master of this Lodge, of the Universe, Hermes, of whom Khu_ru_m is the representative, that is one of the lights of the Lodge.

Morals & Dogma, Ch. I, p 7

Within the Temple, all the arrangements were mystically and symbolically connected with the same system. The vault or ceiling, starred like the firmament, was supported by twelve columns, representing the twelve months of the year. The border that ran around the columns represented the zodiac, and one of the twelve celestial signs was appropriated to each column. The brazen sea was supported by twelve oxen, three looking to each cardinal point of the compass.

And so in our day every Masonic Lodge represents the Universe. Each extends, we are told, from the rising to the setting sun, from the South to the North, from the surface of the Earth to the Heavens, and from the same to the centre of the globe. In it are represented the sun, moon, and stars; three great torches in the East, West, and South, forming a triangle, give it light; and, like the Delta or Triangle suspended in the East, and inclosing the Ineffable Name, indicate, by the mathematical equality of the angles and sides, the beautiful and harmonious proportions which govern in the aggregate and details of the Universe; while those sides and angles represent, by their number, three, the Trinity of Power, Wisdom, and Harmony, which presided at the building of this marvellous work, These three great lights also represent the great mystery of the three principles, of creation, dissolution or destruction, and reproduction or regeneration, consecrated by all creeds in their numerous Trinities.

Morals & Dogma, Ch. XIII, pp 209-210

A good Mason is one that can look upon death, and see its face with the same countenance with which he hears its story; that can endure all the labors of his life with his soul supporting his body, that can equally despise riches when he hath them and when he hath them not; that is, not sadder if they are in his neighbor's exchequer, nor more lifted up if they shine around about his own walls; one that is not moved with good fortune coming to him, nor going from him; that can look upon another man's lands with equanimity and pleasure, as if they were his own; and yet look upon his own, and use them too, just as if they were another man's; that neither spends his goods prodigally and foolishly, nor yet keeps them avariciously and like a miser; that weighs not benefits by weight and number, but by the mind and circumstances of him who confers them; that never thinks his charity expensive, if a worthy person be the receiver; that does nothing for opinion's sake, but everything for conscience, being as careful of his thoughts as of his acting in markets and theatres, and in as much awe of himself as of a whole assembly; that is, bountiful and cheerful to his friends, and charitable and apt to forgive his enemies; that loves his country, consults its honor, and obeys its laws, and desires and endeavors nothing more than that he may do his duty and honor God. And such a Mason may reckon his life to be the life of a man, and compute his months, not by the course of the sun, but by the zodiac and circle of his virtues.

Morals & Dogma, Ch. XIV, pp 219-220

(then read all of Ch. XXV…)

reply to post by AlbertPike


Brother Albert, you are describing the Scottish Rite Temple, which is not the form that most American and English Temples and Lodge-rooms take and that is why they aren't familiar with these symbols described in M&D.