THE SYMBOLS OF THE SECOND DEGREE.

by Wor.Bro.Ernest H. Shackleton, Templars Lodge 4302.

"The connection which exists between the symbols and the train of
thoughts which they generate, is as perceptible in a moral point of view as
that which exists between a man's conduct and his motives, or between
cause and effect." 

CHARLES SCOTT.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom
which God ordained before the world unto our glory. 

1. COR. 2.

To make daily progress in knowledge and virtue is our constant duty, and
expressly required by our general laws.  

AHI REZ

The material world is boundless and immense, the masonic world is
illimitable in its dominions.  The mind of the cultivated Mason is directed to
the study of the visible universe, and may survey the bright fields of
astronomy and investigate the laws of the planetary system.  

CHARLES SCOTT.

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His
handiwork.  They call upon us to translate their actions into our language
and copy their obedience in our lives, that so we may, both by word and
deed, glorify with them, the Creator of the Universe." 

BISHOP HORNE.

The mysteries of Freemasonry exist in its signs, words, symbols, rites and
ceremonies, which have an allegorical, hidden, secret, spiritual, mystical
meaning. They contain deep doctrines as well as strange facts, doctrines
which are holy mysteries, and facts which have left an indelible impression
upon all time, and produced the mightiest results, doctrines and facts,
whose mystical sense will never be revealed until we are raised to a higher
state of existence.

Our Degrees are like triangular prisms, that must be set in a due light and
posture, before they can represent that great variety of spiritual mysteries
contained in them.

It would be wise in us to think often of the necessity of preparation to be
advanced in light and knowledge.  Let it be deeply impressed on our minds
and strictly observed.

He took the golden compasses, prepared
In God's eternal store to circumscribe
The Universe and all created things.

MILTON.

All things being are in mystery;  we expound mysteries by mysteries
And yet the secret of them all is one in simple grandeur.

TUPPER.



Freemasonry is an ancient science, but allegory and symbolism which
respectively veil and illustrate its tenets are older still, being as old as the
world itself.

As Freemasons we go to the Great Light of Freemasons for instruction, and
there we find the record of the Elohim placing in the midst of the Garden
of Eden a tree, the symbol of that which was forbidden, and after our first
parents had fallen, setting forth their punishment in allegorical language. 
Sacred history is full of promises, teachings and prophecies veiled in
allegory and illustrated by symbols - the Bow in the Clouds, the Twin Pillars
of Fire and Cloud - so important to a Fellow Craft - the prophecies of Isaiah
foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem and allegorically the Gospel Prophet
proclaims the coming of the Saviour.

The use of Masonic Allegory and symbolism is to excite the imagination
and to express more clearly than can be done by any other means the
important truths of morality.

In our day we have symbols - our National Flag - the symbol of the Union
of the Race, the Unknown Warrior's Grave - the symbol of our National
Sorrow, the engagement ring - a pledge of faithfulness and the wedding
ring of constancy, the figure surmounting the Dome of the Central Criminal
Court of justice, the Symbol found over the President's Seat in the
Admiralty Court - to mention only a very few.

So on his Initiation our newly made Brother was invested with a pure and
spotless Lambskin apron indicative of the purity of life and action towards
which he is all his life to strive.

The 1st Degree representing the entry of all men into mortal existence by
preparation and discipline - the special objective of the 2nd Degree
becomes possible - namely contemplation and enlightenment.  The striving
by work and development of his faculties until he realises that he will
connect with and ultimately terminate in the Divine.

Looked at in this light the 2nd Degree is by no means so uninteresting as
a superficial examination of it has often lead Brethren to suppose.  It
symbolises a long course of personal development, requiring deep study
and an ever-growing knowledge of the mental and physical sides of his
natures. He has been instructed to build by his own efforts an edifice which
is himself - to lead a new life - in this Degree he adopts the golden counsel
of a quest followed in the hidden mysteries of Nature and Science.

Having received "Light" around him he is now to illumine the darkness
within - it is for this purpose he was taught how to calm his mind, to free
it from all vain and unbecoming thoughts - to knock off all superfluous
knobs and excrescences - to concentrate and to contemplate.

In one of the old schools of thought it is called the "Focus Degree."

In Strength - only - will he establish.

You remember, Brethren, how we left our Brother on the lower steps of the
Temple having the Badge of an E.A. Freemason upon him, knowing of the
L.H. pillar - symbol of Space and Creation - now he will progress to the
Lodge of the Fellowcrafts.

Having come through the Ceremony of Initiation he is ready to be tested
as a Candidate for Passing - a ceremony less dramatic which sacramentally
signifies advancement in the Tri-gradal orders of the Craft.

The 1st Degree having to do with his material and active life the 2nd
directed to his intellectual awakening so that the understanding may be
ultimately crowned with wisdom. This is the "Silent Degree" to be in marked
contrast to the other two.

In the olden times three Temples were used, one for each Ceremony - over
the door of the 2nd Temple were five stars, inside the Sq. L. and P.r.

Passing means a Midway or Transitional phase of Life - the first phase in
the olden times being "Darkness of natural reason" and the second 

"Illumination of the Mind"

and the third

"Light of the Spirit."

You have heard how it is that we emphasise the distribution of Spiritual
Force and how we secure the idea of ascending to higher levels by
progressively opening up from one degree to another and exposing in each
a "Tracing Board." So in this Degree it is the I.P.M. who finally seals the
opening by placing the Sq. and Cs.

The W.M. still represents the "Rising Sun" coming from the "E." In the Indian
ritual he is Brahma, the Creator and Rising Sun. In Egyptian he is Horus -
Originator - Original Father.  SPIRIT.

The S.W. - setting Sun. Shiva - the destroyer - or TRANSMUTER for ever -
whose caste mark is a Horizontal Line, the S.W.'s jewel.  The J.W. the Sun
at the Meridian - the sunny side, he is Vishnu the Preserver during Life -
and is associated with Water and Corn - whose caste mark is a
Perpendicular Line mentioned in the olden days as representing Falling
Rain - the jewel of the J.W.

The upright Line - rectitude - which pulls to right and left the presses and
represses of Life - it being our duty to keep this line perfectly erect.

The co-operation of these three principal officers must act together in all
degrees if any progress is to take place in our work.

In the earliest of the nature and sun cults they represented the three
agricultural seasons.

The S. and J.D.s are still the messengers, and the I.G. under the control of
the J.W. the connecting link with the outer Guard.  The world of the SPIRIT
(the Lodge) with the outside material world.

So we are in the world of the Spirit on a higher plane where the intellectual
faculties are to be paramount - and these seven officers will carry the
Candidate up on to this level working together to that end.

Who Comes Here? A Brother who has taken the first step in Masonry, out
of the darkness towards the Light, from dim instinct into dawning insight,
from the chaos of the senses into the ordered beauty of moral law; spiritual
relations, and righteous purpose; a seeker who has found in the Lodge the
ground plan of a Temple, vast and slowly rising, whereon he would be a
builder, making his life a living stone, shaped and polished by the Master
of all good work; an Apprentice in the knowledge of God and the service
of man, who fain would be a just and upright man.

What Came You Here To Do? To discover myself, and how to rule and use
the strange powers within my nature; to improve myself in the art of
Masonry, by which the Rough Ashlar of youth is wrought into the Perfect
Ashlar of manhood, noble and true; to learn to live with love and care upon
the Level, by the Plumb and Square; to master my passions; and win the
high promise of a character established in strength and wisdom; to find the
meaning of my life and its fulfilment in a Beloved Community, a Brother and
Builder, faithful, fearless and free.

What Do You Most Desire? To walk in the light, to know the truth, to live in
the glory of an illumined world; to ascend the Winding Stair of knowledge
to wider outlooks and the great freedoms of the mind; to be taught the
liberal arts and the seven sciences of man, and how to play Divine Music
on the harp of the senses; to enter the chambers of Imagery where the
symbols of God hallow our mortal life, casting over its neering days and
fleeting hours an august memory and an eternal hope - to find balm for my
sorrow and solace for my seven solitudes.

Enter And Fear No Evil! The Lodge is the House of Light, its centre an Altar,
its roof the sky, reflecting on earth the law and rhythm of the heavens. 
Here Nature and Revelation unite, and law and love are joined, giving us
a gleam of white light to guide us in the dim country of the world.  Here
gather men seeking the good life, keepers of old and simple symbols, and
a wisdom tried by time and found to be true.  Follow, and thou shalt find
what thou art ready and worthy to know, if thou hast humility to learn and
valour to make adventure.

An Apprentice in his search for Light must start from the North with the
Easter sun in the East and travel by way of the South to the West and back
into darkness.  He again comes to the North in the East and passes
through the same course again and again in his development.  Obstacles
are met by the Candidate in his progress, so similar that they seem
identical.  The little occurrences of life may seem unimportant but they
determine whether we will be permitted to advance.  The Candidate must
have been well and worthily qualified.

Advancing By Regular Steps On The Square.  According to the old books
and pictures the black and white chequered pavement when laid in a
church or cathedral symbolised the eternity of the world, in contrast to
which a man, as he walked across the earth, was very humble and very
transient.  The midway is the Fellow Craft period of life, when the soul
passes through the ordeal of its Second Degree.  In an old tradition "When
one finds himself among eighty thousand Fellowcrafts, a bearer of burdens
or a hewer in the mountains, it is little wonder if he despairs of his old
hopes and his old ideals."

Nevertheless, it is then if ever that a man becomes a man, worthy in the
eyes of God to be entrusted with responsibilities, for, as the beautiful lesson
of our Fellowcraft Degree has it, there is a Middle Chamber to be entered
after one has climbed the wearisome winding stairs.  The wages are not
what one expected in youth, but they are better, if one has been a faithful
worker, courage, endurance, fidelity, patience, these are the rewards in
which, after they are once gained, a man finds more happiness than in
wreaths or garlands, this is what a Fellowcraft should know, the need, the
nature, and the purpose of education, the sum total of the influences that
bridge this gap between helplessness and maturity is education, the
conscious shaping of the processes of growth, the purposive direction of
experience towards the end of a fully developed manhood that is the grand
end and goal of every Mason who must needs be "enflamed with the study
of learning and the admiration of virtue, stirred with the highest hopes."

It is with certain satisfaction and joy that we find these signs or symbols
which point out the right road to travel and mark our moral and spiritual
progress - much the same as the signs along the road marked out on the
pilgrims' progress in olden times.

A hieroglyphic moral system taught in ancient times by emblems and
allegorical figures and having the four great ideas - a belief in one God, a
life after death, a symbolical idea of building a glorious spiritual Temple,
and the task of seeking after something which was lost.

For our work in times borders on eternity.  To study the sublime doctrine
taught in the olden times by the virtuous and the great and to learn to walk
in their shining footsteps.  Such is he about to do.

He has to pass the test of the questions - a review of his first entry - Where,
How, When, What, and the Perfect p .... s of his entrance.

Of. At and On.

In the olden days he was required to repeat his obligation and to answer
as many as 70 questions.

In an old ritual the Master in opening a Lodge asks of the J.W. "How do
you demonstrate the proof of your being a F. to others?"

Our Brother knows of the L.H. Pillar of "Space and Creation" and has now
passed between the two, learning of the R.H. Pillar of "Time and
Regeneration" on to the "Path of Life."

The construction of these two pillars you know so well from the Tracing
Board and the description of them in the talk on the Ceremony of Initiation,
being the signs of

"Establishing for Ever."
 
No mortal who passes this way but goes through them, we can be happy
that we know of them and can appreciate the Landmarks of our Order and
the meaning of progression in company with a great Brotherhood.

These two Pillars have been described by one writer on our Craft as being
emblems of our own bodies and the description of the records being stored
in their hollow centres - likened to the rolls of the record of our own lives
bearing in the flying past the results of our experiences, our good deeds
and our misdeeds - the accumulation of which make for a happy, clear,
conscious and joyful life if we obey the laws of our Divine Creator.  A lovely
link with the final degree and the second of the working tools applicable
thereto.

Are they not also the twin pulls of our earthly struggle - that perpetual pull
of conscious endeavour to do right and not be swayed by wrong.  The
great twin guiding bars between which we steer our course?

In the beautiful papyrus of Ani, the original of which is in the British
Museum, we find at the entrance of the Temple, two pillars dedicated to
Horus and Set, the Gods of alternating Light and Darkness, and bearing
two spheres representing the terrestrial and celestial globes, of earth and
heaven.  These pillars were placed at the Gateway of the Higher World, the
one being called "TAT," which means in Egyptian "Strength" and the other
"TATTU," which means "The Place of Establishing for Ever." According to
the old Egyptian rites, these Temples were simply the earthly counterpart
of Amenti, or Heaven, and the Gates of Tattu led to the immortal region
where the Soul is established for ever "as a dweller among the great ones
in Heaven," the teaching and ceremonies but illustrating the trails to which
the spirit is subject until the journey to the "throne of Glory" is
accomplished.

You remember they were cast on the Clay Ground between Succoth and
Zeredetha, where the casting was carried out - it is about 35 miles N.E. of
Jerusalem.  The clay there is of great tenacity, peculiarly fitted for making
moulds.

He is entrusted and this is the First Keynote of the Degree - a word - a
token - an emblem.

The word S.......  h, a Hebrew one, signifying

"Sprouting Forth."

Applicable to a Brother at this stage in his Masonic career - new life
germinating in him.  It has also the meaning of an E. of C. or a F. of W. In
the olden days the S.W.'s Chair was adorned with a Sheaf of Corn - we see
it sometimes in the Carving on his Chair.

In the Eleusinian Mysteries an E. of C. was shewn to the Candidate and
Osiris was the Corn God.  In Mexico the God Quetzacoatl - the Preserver
- wears an E. of C. in his hair, is (in their ritual) wounded near a F. of W.
and makes the Sign of a F.C.

As you know Brethren this is the word which the Gileadites, by order of
Jephthah, required the Ephraimites to pronounce on attempting to cross
the river Jordan, as the word signifies a stream of water it is probable that
this meaning suggested it as an appropriate test word on that occasion.

In Passing through the Porchway in the olden days he was told that this
word "enabled him unerringly to distinguish a Bro. from a Stranger."

Ears of C. were always buried with the dead in the Egyptian rituals of the
Dead - symbolising Eternity - as they never die - I believe some ears of
corn were taken from the jars filled with corn in Tukhanhaman's Tomb and
were planted and gave more ears, were of a strong variety, large and of
very good stock.

Corn in the Indian ritual is said to be a "Sacred Plant," it never dies,
however cut down and, and always reasserts itself and comes again more
vigorously than ever.

The Gr... the Highest Hills and Lowest Valleys are symbolised in these gs.
and this is the First V. - he has passed the Mount of Initiation.

The E. of C. to a Candidate is a symbol of his own growth nourished by the
living waters of knowledge from above.  The righteous Man is as a tree
planted by the waterside. Psalm 1. Finally Full C. in the E. is exhibited in
gold embroidery on Full Dress Collars of a G.L. Officer as an emblem that
what was once sown in them as bare grain, has ripened to full knowledge.

When in Consecrating a Lodge the Consecrating Officer scatters C. to the
four corners of it, he is emulating in small, the cosmic activity of the Great
Sower who continually goes forth sowing souls in space like unto grain.

He is prepared and as the 1st D. was associated with the head and with
actions now it is the left side, which is called the Passive and Heart side -
this being called many years ago: the "Heart Degree."

In Operative times an apprentice was bound for seven years, during which
he was to learn the first things about his Craft.  After that period he usually
sought to become a F.C. He had then to give evidence as to how well he
had occupied his time as an apprentice by preparing some piece of
practical workmanship which was called an Essay.  If this met with approval
he was allowed to proceed.  In many of our old buildings these Essay
Pieces are to be seen, a beautiful column here, or a piece of lovely tracery
in the cornice work or round a window.

If this met with approval and passed all the tests he was allowed to
proceed.

In the Netherland ritual the Ceremony is much more elaborate than ours. 
The Candidate enters the Lodge veiled, and halfway through the Ceremony
the veil is lifted and his attention is drawn to the Flaming Star and the
Letter.  He is asked if he has now attained sufficient self-knowledge.  He
has to make five journeys - the first with the Chisel and Common Gavel,
second with Compasses and Ruler, third with Ruler and Level, fourth with
Ruler and Sq., and finally on the fifth with no tool.  The Catechism consists
of 28 questions and then the S. and Wd. are given.

The L. arm is to be supported in the angle of a Sq.

The Lodge has ascended from the Material to the Spiritual and he enters
on the Sq. and asks for advancement.

In Ireland the C.T. is wound round the C.'s N... in the 1st Degree three
times, in the 2nd twice, and in 3rd once - a gradual freeing from "darkness
of understanding."

The K.s of the 2nd Degree indicate symbolically that the Physical work is
complete and that the F.C. has still two planes to conquer.  He is now to
make his Astral body into a perfect instrument for the Higher emotion of the
final Degree.

Remembering that he originally came to the Lodge, urged to do so "humbly
soliciting," he is now "recommended" having the assistance of the Sq. and
the Benefit of the P.G. and P.W.

In the first Prayer "Vouchsafe Thine Aid," in the second "Supplicate the
Continuance of Thine Aid," in the 1st "Begun in Thy Name," in the 2nd
"Carried on to Thy Glory" - Progression.

Our prayers - begun, - continued, - and ended in Thee - make it clear, as
they are intended so to do, that the process of becoming a M.M. is a
WORK not merely a ceremony.

It is appropriate that the J.W. representing as he once did the E.A. Degree,
should examine him as to his proof in the Degree and when he has passed
his Gate he should then proceed to the S.W. in charge of a F.C. Lodge and
there he has to gain admittance, having passed through an E.A. Lodge, in
to the F.C. Lodge, by giving the P.W. which will let him through that Gate
and he is then presented to the W.M. as a Candidate ready to be Passed
- he then passes along the N. and enters the L. of a F.C. We now have the
Perambulations as before in the "Course of the Sun" in which he
demonstrates to the Brethren that he is ready.

And finally makes his way to the East - having learned to walk on the L. he
comes to the Central Feature of the Degree - "The W....... S......." full of
symbolic meaning, twofold in character, and vested with divine and human
significance.  The various steps of the different flights are typical of divine
attributes, of elemental expressions of Divine Creation and of the various
forms of Life on which that Creative power has manifested itself, they also
symbolise the various human faculties, the senses, wherewith knowledge
is built up, and of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.  The cardinal idea of this
Degree is essentially progress towards the knowledge, the deeper
understanding - of Himself.

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.

The Sq., Justice and Morality.

In this Degree having in mind the increased knowledge of our Bro. it is said
that one Arm represents "Independence" that great quality in virtue of which
we assert and develop our own individuality and contribute our quota to the
welfare of the community, the personality by which we stand four square
against the world - the other arm representing our relations with our fellows,
being members one of another - cogs in the great social wheel serving the
common good and contributing to the social whole help and relief.  These
instincts acting alone would spell ruin in human life but joined together on
the Sq. the individualistic and the social - well-balanced - produce
perfection - a perfect citizen.  This is the Law of the Square in the Spiritual
World.

The Level - is the symbol of Equality - on which all men naturally stand in
the sight of T.G.G.O.T.U. advancing alike towards the end subject to the
same temptations, dangers and woes - partakers of the same hopes and
fears.  In some rituals as "That vast Level of Time on which all men are
travelling to its limits in Eternity" - and it teaches Humility.

The P. R... is used to construct a Temple free from danger of failing - this
can only be done by just, upright conduct and is the symbol of Rectitude
- integrity.

The ancients seem soon to have discovered the principle of gravitation and
the line of gravity in the plumb line.  And, the Sun's outline provided them
with the symbol of the Eternal.  It is round the tools of this Degree that the
theory of Freemasonry is to some extent built - they are the everlasting
tests - the triangle - the Sign of the Divine - of the Trinity.  There is the
Square at the base of the 3, 4 - 5 triangle, and from it the circle -
sometimes found alone but more often with the formative square - all these
signs and symbols were found at the most unlikely places and found to
originate in all the far-distant ages of the world's history, from a common
ideal and for a common purpose.  They also speak the common language
of Human Religion and of Human Dependence upon the LAW of the
ALMIGHTY LORD.  The Square also is, among the emblems, most
startlingly in evidence.  It is referred to, as the principle of Law by which all
life should be regulated, and is evidenced by the picture language of every
race - which has built up anything at all.

To "Live by the Square" meant, at all times, that the law of uprights and
perpendiculars alone could guide the art of mankind, whether in regard to
the operative Craft or to that of the building of Man.

The Square Stone formed the Altar. The tools and symbols of the Fellow
Craft Mason are applied to the speculative field.  The V.O.T.S.L. abounds
with instances, in which the symbology of the Builder's Art is used for the
expression of thoughts affecting the life and character of mankind.

The Prophet Isaiah - "Behold I lay in Zion, for a foundation stone, a tried
stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation.  Judgment also will I lay
to the line, and righteousness to the plummet." Amos says "The Lord stood
upon a wall made by the plumbline, with a plumbline in His hand." In the
later Books we find St. Paul saying "We know that when our earthly house
of this tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not
made with hands, eternal in the Heaven." St. Peter - "Ye also, as living
stones, are built up into a spiritual house." In the Book of Revelation we
have the Masonic figure of speech "The City lieth four-square and the
length is as large as the breadth." From the writing of different ages, and
from statements from differing places, and by different types of man, the
ancient manner had become the common mode of speech, the Operative
and Speculative at that time when these words were used, have no different
meaning to-day.  The concept of Man, was, and had been for a great
length of time, geometrical in manner.  The thought of man, was in terms
of geometric science.  They spoke of living by the Sq., of being right,
upright, true and they put these symbols in their Temples and formed these
very Temples with those tools.

In the old Egyptian Ritual of the Dead, amulets were placed with the body
of the deceased as a protection on the journey into the unknown and as
proof of the fact that he had been possessed of virtues during his life, thus
we find the Square placed on the breast, symbol of piety and virtue and the
Plummet to secure justice and moderation for the deceased in his coming
trials.

They are mentioned in the Book of the Dead, and appear to have been
used from the earliest times. These have been found buried with the
deceased Pharaoh: and how much they reveal to us.  Miniature pillars -
signifying

"Firmness, stability and preservation." The 155 ch. orders them to be made
of gold.  The Square, symbolising protection; Stairs with five steps, the idea
of raising to Heaven; the Plummet to secure justice and moderation for the
deceased.

The Comacines, with their Masters and Wardens, their Grandmaster, their
grips and signs and passwords, the aprons and interwoven triangles, the
Sq., Arch, Compasses, Plumbline, carry on the F.C. work to later times.

He is instructed in the seven gifts of the Spirit:-
Wisdom
Understanding
Counsel
Ghostly Strength
Knowledge
True Godliness

and Holy Fear

of the seven Corporeal works of Mercy and is reminded of the seven
deadly sins: Pride, Envy, Avarice, Gluttony, Lust, Anger and Sloth.

The seven periods of Creation.  The five Orders of Architecture and the five
Senses.

Freemasonry is the science of "Attainment" of Supreme knowledge and the
form of our Lodge being a parallelepipedon measuring from the surface of
the earth to the Centre and even as high as the Heavens the F.C. is
expected and instructed to spend the time before the next step he will take
in learning Geometry, which is the study of the six Great Periods of
Creation, of the elements and materials of Creation, the primordial
substance out of which we human beings have been created.

The First instance of His Supreme Power was made manifest by
commanding LIGHT.  Calling light "Day," and darkness "Night."

The Second Period was employed in laying the Foundation of the Heavens
called the Firmament, designed to keep the waters within the Clouds and
those beneath them asunder.

The Third Period, the waters were commanded to retreat and dry land
appeared, called Earth, the mighty waters being called "Seas," the earth
being barren was clothed with grass, flowers, trees and shrubs.

In the Fourth Period the Sun and the Moon were created.  The Sun to rule
the Day and the Moon to govern the Night.  They were ordained for signs,
for seasons, for days and for years.  The Stars bespangled the Sky.

In the Fifth Period the fish, the whales inhabited the waters and the birds
filled the air and the melodious notes of their songs were heard.

In the Sixth Period the beasts of the field, the reptiles were created.  And
when in this period all was ready, animals and birds and fishes, with
abundance of food for them, Man was created out of the Dust of the Earth,
combining in him everything that was excellent, throughout the whole
Creation, formed after immediate Image of God, thereby intimating to him
that integrity and uprightness should ever influence him to adore his
Creator who had so liberally bestowed on him the faculty of speech, and
endued him with that noble instinct called Reason.

He learns of the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Astronomy stands confessedly the most exalted and sublime science that
has ever been cultivated by man.  The noble science may justly be said to
comprehend the whole of the other six as by Grammar we correctly
express the substance of our observations; by RHETORIC we forcibly
impress the Truths therein contained; by LOGIC we proceed to
demonstrate those Truths; by ARITHMETIC we make our calculations; by
GEOMETRY we measure the magnitude and distances of those vast orbs,
and finally we cannot but subscribe to the harmony of the whole, while
there is not the least discord to be found in any of its parts.

In the Second Section of the Second Lecture of the Fellow Craft Degree we
find these words:-

"Before the Almighty was pleased to call this vast whole into existence, the
elements and materials of Creation lay blended without form or distinction;
darkness was over the great deep and the Spirit of God moved o'er the
face of the waters."

The Symbol of the "Sea" or turbulent waters is retained in this Degree, and
the Candidate is counselled to "Steer the barque of life over the rough sea
of passion without quitting the helm of rectitude."

It is here that reference is had to a mysterious "Border" which in the past
had a very definite meaning, it was of a Cosmic or Astronomical character
as it refers us to the planets which in their revolutions form a beautiful
border or skirtwork round the Sun, the Great Circle of the Zodiac, the
Foundation of Time, hence we have in our Ritual still the allusion to the
Sun, the Stars and the Canopy of Heaven.

The Universe, Time, and Man.  The word "Zodiac" means "Circle of Life"
and is said to be the oldest Bible of Humanity.  In the very ancient times
this Degree was known in some of the Mysteries as "The Degree of the
Zodiac."

In the dim and distant ages, man in worshipping the Supreme Being, was
accustomed to perform his devotional exercises in the open air, and under
the extended arch of Heaven, to worship Him by whose omnipotent hand
the Pillars of the Earth were founded, and the Arch of Heaven was spread.
As time went on and a more intimate acquaintance with the symmetry,
beauty and glory of the works of the G.G.O.T.U. manifestedly discoverable
in the great fabric of the Universe grew, man became desirous of imitating
in their measure the workmanship of so, Great a Master and erected
buildings wherein were displayed features, signs and symbols of that great
outer world.

So, Brethren, the Zodiac is the especial study of this Degree, and is, in the
deepest philosophical sense, a sacred glyph or emblem illustrating by
hieroglyphical, arithmetical and geometrical symbols the evolution of both
Man and the Universe.

Distances are so great that it is only by the exercise of the mind's power of
reasoning and the eye's power of observation that we can realise in some
measure the immensity of the Universe.  All the stars down to the tiniest
speck are bound each to each, and to this minute speck of earth in some
sort of relationship which we know exists and the secret of which we seek
to penetrate. So vast are the spaces that light from some of these
far-distant stars is still coming down to us but though it started when the
world began has not yet reached us.

The Zodiac is a belt of 16 degrees wide, extending round the sky and
having in its middle line the Great Circle (The Ecliptic) along which the Sun
appears to travel during the year.

The marking off in the sky of the Zodiac, and the division of the belt into
twelve equal parts, each named after a leading constellation in it, was the
beginning of astronomy. This division is very old, and was known to the
Babylonians nearly 5,000 years ago.

The visible Heavens are the Symbol of this Great Universal principle of life
towards which all aspirations, all poetry and philosophy point as their
highest goal. Being the emblem of the Universal Spiritual and Eternal Spirit. 
The Heavens declare the Glory of God, the firmament showeth His
handiwork, day after day uttereth speech, night after night sheweth
knowledge.  How true to our Brother these words are meant to be.

In the oldest of our Institutions this great belt is said to symbolise

Universalisation.

Just as the Heavens cover the Universe so will Masonry cover the Earth in
a great Brotherhood.

The Great Geometrician of the U. having no material form, exists, pervading
all space, the Creator of all things, Governor of all Animate and Inanimate
Nature, the Fountain of Wisdom, Whose Greatness, Perfection and Glory
is incomprehensible and Whose loving-kindness and tender mercies are
over all His other works.

In some districts in the older Operative days the F.C.s were known as the
Geometric Masons, and in those days the Candidate was taught the theory
of the 3, 4 and 5 rods.  The old name for the 2nd Degree was that of "THE
3, 4, 5."

Upon a right use of these rods depended many a jealously guarded secret
still preserved by the Guilds.

Plutarch says in Egypt the Three Rods were dedicated to Isis, Osiris and
Horus and each had a special colour: black, red and blue.

By placing these rods together you get a right-angled triangle with sides
3-4-5 and the contents of which measure 6.

Vitruvius, a Roman Architect in possession of the secrets, wrote a treatise
on Architecture about 25 B.C. dedicated to Augustus Caesar. In Ch. II Book
IX he says Pythagoras demonstrated the method of forming a right-angle
by rods, and he then goes on to show how the square, which is described
upon the sides subtending the right-angle, is equal to the square described
upon the sides which contain the right-angle - and in his words - when
Pythagoras discovered this property, convinced that the muses had
assisted him in the discovery, he evinced his gratitude to them by sacrifice.

Let us here recall the Steps of the 1st which are 9, 12 and 15, and let us
consider the significance of these numbers.  First developing them by
squaring them.  Then balance them by adding the squares of the first two
together when the sum will be found equal to the square of 15.  We have
here one of the most guarded secrets of the olden times.

Brethren, we now come to the climax to which the Degree has been
progressing.  The W.M. asks a question of the J.W.: What have you been
enabled to discover in this Degree? And the answer is "The S...... S......
Where? In the C... of the B....... To Whom does it allude? To G..
T.G.G.O.T.U.

So our Brother F.C. is enabled to discover in the M..... C...... the vital and
immortal principal, the Lord of Life which is found in the Centre of each of
us.

By this is meant that the Bro. has in reality advanced to the 2nd Degree in
Self-development, has discerned that G.. is not outside him but within and
overshadowing his own building, and that the rays of Heaven will fill all the
corners of his Being with Divine Wisdom.

'Tis when the S... S.... is discovered that we hear those lovely words
"Brethren - let us remember that where-ever we are, whatever we do ..... His
All-seeing Eye beholds us."

The S.. S... gives us a fuller conception of G.. than the symbol of the
previous Degree, just as the idea of the G.G. transcends that of the G.A. in
the 1st Degree.

The Dormer window is symbolical of the Light entering into the Temple of
Man (how aptly was chosen the name of our own Circle) that Knowledge
entering into him so that seeing and hearing may be blended in him and
his inner eye of the Heart may instantly perceive. As Moses has said "I see
Thy word O God."

Our Bro. is a good way on the Path to become the Risen Master of the final
Degree, the inevitable destiny to become perfected.

He becomes

"A Dweller on the Threshold."

Is this not a wonderful experience, sublime in its simplicity, great in its
teaching and glorious to behold? In this short Ceremony the great things
of Life have been touched upon, a course set which will bring a thoughtful
Brother much happiness in discovering the terms of the duties he owes to
God, to Himself and to his neighbour.  To render himself a fit and proper
Candidate for that which is to come and a life-long task elevating in its
teaching, serene in its contemplation.

So. Brethren, "In the meanwhile let us conduct ourselves in our several
stations with honour to the Craft and credit to ourselves

Happy have we met 
Happy have we been 
Happy may we part 
and Happy meet again "

leaving our Brother on the Path which will bring him to the "Great Light" into
the "Hall of Wisdom."

S.M.I.B.