THE CEREMONY OF PASSING

By

W.Bro. R. A. L. Harland, P.M., Lodge No. 1679,

President of the Circle.


"The secrets of nature and the principles of intellectual truth
were then unveiled to your view."

(MASONIC RITUAL).

"For knowledge in effect is to know a thing as it is in itself and
not as it is reputed to be."

(KOMENSKY, "The Way of Light").

"Of existing things knowledge alone is permanent, and the truth
which is derived from wisdom."

(ORIGEN, "Contra Celsum")

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all
thy getting get undersanding."

(PROVERBS, chapter 4, verse 7).

We are to discuss in this Paper a ceremony which, because it is
less dramatic and spectacular than those of the First and Third
Degrees, is usually regarded by members of the Craft as a merely
formal interlude between the impressive episodes comprising the
Initiation and the awesome grandeur distinguishing the Raising
ceremonies.  This is, however, obviously the wrong method of
approach to an appreciation of the deeper purpose of our rites, and
in any consideration of the underlying meaning it must always be
borne in mind by students of the text of the ritual that all
Masonic truths are "veiled in allegory, and illustrated by
symbols." Moreover, if the introduction of a candidate to the
elementary knowledge of the Craft system, which is represented by
the teaching of the First Degree means anything to him, his
advancement to a higher grade should indeed signify progress in a
very real sense.  We may well ask, then, whether the fault in
assessing the value of the Second Degree lies rather in our own
lack of perception than in the ceremony itself.  It is often
overlooked that the ceremonial progress of the candidate through
the three Craft degrees implies also an intention on his part to
convert the significance of each degree into actual corresponding
advancement in the level of his spiritual attainment. Just as he
pledges himself in the Lodge to "steadily persevere" through the
prescribed rites, so likewise he tacitly undertakes to persevere in
the more vital task of reducing what those rites signify into facts
in his personal life.  In normal practice the candidate is
furnished in the brief time of a few months with a complete system
of instruction to which he is expected to conform in his future
life, but which may take him years of thought and effort to work
out in experience.  Such is the problem confronting the aspirant,
and such is the enigma of Masonic teaching.

Historians of the Craft have revealed that before the formation of
Grand Lodge in 1717 the Ceremony of Passing in the form in which we
now have it, and as a distinct rite, did not exist.  Research shows
that the compilation of the ceremony belongs to that confused and
obscure period known as the transition during which the ancient
science was adapted to the familiar tri-gradual system.  There is
no doubt, however, that the Ritual in common use to-day, with local
variations, has suffered from misunderstanding by the compilers,
while it contains errors of statement which not too well informed
Brethren have since made.  It is also the fact that at one time the
work now forming the degree of Mark Master Mason constituted part
of the Second Degree, as it still does in Scotland, being a side
branch or annexe to in much as the Royal Arch Degree is an
extension of the Third Degree. By the Act of Union between the two
Grand Lodges, the so-called Ancient and Modern, in 1813 it was
solemnly declared that "pure Antient Masonry" consisted of three
Degrees only, including the Holy Royal Arch of Jerusalem, the Mark
work being thus eliminated by the consent of both parties.  In the
year 1856 an attempt was made to restore the Mark into the Craft
Degrees, but it was ruled out by Grand Lodge on the grounds that to
admit the Mark would infringe the terms of the Act of Union and the
Constitutions which every Master of a Lodge is strictly pledged to
observe.  The merits of the Mark work are so high that the regrets
of many Brethren following the exclusion are not in the least
surprising, although the Degree remains under a separate
Constitution and is available to any Brother who desires to take
it. We draw from the secession of the Mark the conclusion that, in
the wisdom which in spite of great blundering on the part of human
instruments has guided and inspired the Craft since inception, it
was deemed advisable that one ceremony in the series should be
definitely less spectacular than the others; and this for two good
reasons.  Firstly, whilst dramatic ritual and spectacle have
immense value in their joint appeal to the imagination, and in
awakening the mind to the truths which they are intended to
express, there is nevertheless a risk of their becoming valued for
their own sake instead of for their significance.  This is the
inevitable risk attaching to all ritualism; the means too often
becomes the end.  Secondly, in the tri-gradual scheme of the Craft
the Second Degree has especially to do with the inner life, and
traces an experience of a purely subjective and psychological
character, one which it is difficult, or even impossible, to
dramatise.  We should, indeed, regard the Ceremony of Passing as
deliberately designed to stand in marked contrast with those of
Initiation and Raising, and the fault will be our own if we find it
lacking in interest.

The ceremony is entitled Passing because it relates to the midway
phase of experience through which every aspirant striving to
perfect himself must pass before he can qualify for the ultimate
degree of development to which the Craft system leads.  In the
First Degree the candidate begins his ceremonial journey "in a
state of darkness" on his entrance to a new life; the message in
this stage is addressed primarily to his exterior nature; and it
stresses the need of the "practice of moral and social virtue" as
a preliminary to the larger experience of the spiritual life.  This
discipline is presumed to have been undergone, and the time has
come when he is qualified for further advancement.  He is required
now to take an upward step in his evolution; to enter upon and
explore an upper chamber of his own being with a view to
controlling it, just as he is assumed to understand and restrain
his bodily nature; and on his journey onwards from the realm of the
senses to that of the spirit he must of necessity pass through an
intermediate region, that of the soul or mind, which is the halfway
house between the sensible and the spiritual.  The pilgrimage at
this time becomes an ascent by the traditional "winding staircase"
which is climbed by every candidate in the stage between aspiration
and raising.  This effort may seem arduous and the way gloomy, yet
glimpses of light will be met with and intimations of what is cast
off and left behind as he mounts higher in approaching the "middle
chamber," wherein he will be permitted in silence and meditation,
to contemplate "the hidden mysteries of nature and science" which
lead "even to the throne of God Himself," symbolised in the Lodge
by the "G" in the centre.  Were we true to our symbolism, and not
hampered in our work by the exigencies of space and expense, we
should refrain from the present practice of conferring the Second
Degree in the same room and on the same floor level as that in
which the First Degree was conducted.  We should go "upstairs" to
an "upper room," made ready as a Fellowcraft Lodge, and we should
"go up" to it as our Hebrew forebears did by a winding staircase
and there open the Lodge in the Second Degree and confer the grade. 
To-day in our Lodges since space necessitates our using the same
Temple for all our Degrees, we secure the idea of progressively
ascending to higher levels by ceremonially "opening up" from one
Degree to the other, and by exhibiting the appropriate Tracing
Board in each.

The Qualifications of the Candidate.

The candidate for the Second Degree is required to hold certain
qualifications, and, as in the former Degree, he must come to the
Lodge " properly prepared " and produce evidence of his fitness to
those assembled.  It is not generally understood that the candidate
in the Craft is not eligible for advancement, unless and until, he
"asks" for it.  At first sight this will appear to be a trifling
point, but is not so in fact, and our system does not provide for
such a contingency without adequate reason.  It is a law of life
that there cannot be any real progress unless there is a strong
inward desire for it; no growth of vegetation or faculty occurs in
Nature apart from an impelling urge towards larger self expression,
and who so desires an increase of Light in the Masonic meaning must
first be actuated by that urge in his own heart The axiom : "Ask,
and it shall be given you " (Matthew, chapter 7, verse 7) applies
to each of our Degrees, and it is Masonically improper to influence
a Brother to take a Degree; he must be left to ask for it
spontaneously.  Admittedly, this "asking" is usually a sheer
formality, but at least the rule is observed in form, although what
the ceremony actually contemplates is something much more than a
technical compliance with the requirement.  The candidate must
likewise demonstrate to those assembled that he has assimilated the
teaching already imparted, and for this the ritual provides formal
test questions, the answers to which are learned and repeated by
rote.  In some Lodges, however, the official test questions are
supplemented by others to ensure that the catechism is not
mechanical.  The test questions nevertheless contain allusions to
cryptic truths calling for prolonged study, and they refer to
matters involving far greater experience than is possible to a
candidate who has been admitted to the Craft only a month or two
previously.  Following the testing of knowledge and approval by the
Brethren comes one of the most illuminating episodes in the rite. 
Although only a preliminary to the ceremony, and too often regarded
as being of small moment, the act of entrusting the candidate with
the Passport sounds the key-note of the Degree and introduces a
whole range of new ideas.

Entrustment with the Passport.

The passport leading from the First to the Second Degree is full of
significance.  It consists of a P.G. and P.W., and is here
entrusted to the candidate as a reward for his labours in the First
Degree, and also for having successfully passed the knowledge test
to which he has been subjected. The explanation of the symbolic
P.W. is full of meaning; it is a word which in English signifies
"sprouting forth," and is a title accorded to the candidate
himself.  It implies that "new life" has germinated within him;
that he is already a changed man; and is, as it were, beginning to
show signs of growing spiritual. To a trained observer this
spiritual change is easily perceptible: "How do you know a Brother
by day?", asks a cryptic question in the Lectures, and the equally
subtle reply is: "By seeing him and observing the sign." But the
"sign" alluded to here is not the formal gesture of salute with
which we are familiar; it is the "outward and visible sign of the
inward and spiritual grace," one of the "true and proper signs by
which to know a Freemason," and it is a paradox that only those can
see it in others who display it in themselves.  Unwittingly, our
visage progressively models itself upon our states of
consciousness, and each man bears upon his face the description of
his body and soul.  There is another cryptic question in the same
Section of the Lectures which asks: "How do you know a Brother by
night?", and the answer is: "By receiving the T. and hearing the
W." (First Lecture; Seventh Section.) This answer will be
intelligible to all who know how real is that "mystic tie" which,
in spiritually advanced Brethren, binds them together in conscious
contact and communion.  The form of the T. or greeting cannot be
written about, except to say that it refers to the "Mount of
Initiation" and the rank to be achieved by the candidate.  In this
sense, the figuration of the P.G. is indicative of having ascended
the first hill and then descended into the valley before climbing
the next rise.

The association of the P.W. with "an ear of corn near a fall of
water" is of great significance.  Corn is the recognised symbol of
regenerated life and has been used in the Mystery systems from
remote antiquity.  In the Egyptian rituals the candidate, holding
"an ear of corn fertilised by the sacred water of the Nile,
declared "I am a germ of eternity," while at his death grains of
corn were buried with him as emblems of immortality.  The advanced
initiation rites, or the Greater Mysteries, at Eleusis were sacred
to Ceres and "an ear of corn" was presented to the candidate.  In
entrusting the candidate with the P.W. which is emblematically
"depicted in our Lodges" by "an ear of corn near a fall of water"
we are perpetuating a sacred practice of extreme age. Why, it may
be asked, was corn used in preference to any other plant as the
symbol of soul growth? The actual source of corn has always puzzled
botanists; it is never found, like other cereals, in the wild
state.  It is traditionally taught that this golden, graceful,
prolific, and needful plant was never a growth of this earth, but
was a gift of the Gods, who in the dawn of time transported it to
our world from another planet with the double purpose of providing
the staple food of humanity, and giving man an emblem of his own
soul.  So, too, with the human soul; like the corn it is not
indigenous to this timeworld but is a native of eternity, whence it
has become transported and sown as bare grain in the patch of earth
which constitutes the individual human body.  There, like the seed
of corn, it is subjected to the painful process of disintegration,
dying and rising again, but multiplied exceedingly as the result of
the trying experience.  The scriptures bear witness to the ancient
doctrine: "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
with him" (Psalm 126, verse 6).  When, then, in founding a Masonic
Lodge, the Consecrating Officer scatters corn to the four quarters,
he is performing a profoundly sacramental act for the instruction
of the Founders.  He is emulating in miniature the cosmic activity
of the Great Sower of the Universe who continually goes forth
sowing souls in space, like grain, which fall into natural bodies
that they may grow and finally be raised therefrom into spiritual
bodies.  This will likewise explain why in the Craft to-day, as in
the Ancient Mysteries, there is presented to the candidate at this
stage of his progress the "time immemorial" emblem.  The candidate
can now, so to speak, think of himself as a growing ear of wheat
destined to ripen in due time into abundant corn that will sustain
him, and haply, serve as the "bread of life" to others.

The Opening of the Fellowcraft Lodge.

Having retired from the Lodge the candidate is prepared by the
Tyler.  The preparation in this Degree is of the "right side" of
the body which is associated with the head, and active or
intellectual effort. Thus, "properly prepared," and with an emblem
proclaiming his right to advancement the candidate enters the Lodge
on his quest for a further accession of Light.  Meanwhile, the
assembled Brethren have reconstituted themselves into a Fellowcraft
Lodge by "opening" up the Lodge to the Second Degree.  This raising
of the Lodge from the First to the Second Degree implies a
corresponding uplift on the part of all those present. In the
Second Degree we are deemed to pass beyond the concrete things of
time and space into the more abstract world of mind, of ideas, and
of the soul.  The ceremonial Opening of the Lodge is on the
"Square"; a Working Tool which receives great prominence in the
Second Degree.  The actual Square in use is the equal armed, or
Norman, which is composed of two arms joined at right angles; one
arm being horizontal, the other vertical.  These two arms symbolise
the right relationship of body and soul when we are engaged in the
mystical work of the Second Degree.  The bodily energies,
represented by the horizontal arm, must subside into repose and
passivity; while, the higher faculties of the mind, denoted by the
vertical arm, become active in mental exercises and aspiration.  It
is for this reason that every Brother in the Lodge is required to
"prove" himself as a "Craftsman"; which means that he must
demonstrate by the prescribed ritual gesture that his outward and
inward energies stand in the order which is signified by the arms
of the Square.  Indeed, only when all present do prove themselves
to be united in this condition can the Lodge be declared "duly
opened, on the Square" by the Master.  We need hardly add that the
brief Ceremony of Opening the Lodge in the Second Degree must not
be treated as nothing more than a formality; it is the method by
which the stage is set the atmosphere created, and the minds of the
Brethren attuned for the next grade of advancement.

The Prayer of Dedication.

It cannot fail to be observed by students that the prayer in this
Degree has an intimate connection with the invocation on behalf of
the Lodge and candidate at the commencement of the Ceremony of
Initiation.  The system of spiritual instruction we know by the
name of Speculative Freemasonry places great value upon prayer, and
this is exemplified by the fact that the prayer in each Degree
contains a progressively constructive principle of spiritually
expanding growth.  In other words, just as the prayer in the First
Degree is a petition for aid in the dedication of a life in the
service of the Almighty Father, so likewise the prayer in the
Second Degree is a supplication for the continuance of grace that
the work begun may be wrought to good effect. It recognizes the
futility of any effort made by man unaided, and it invokes the
blessing of such spiritual endowment as shall perpetuate that which
has been sought.  The terms of this prayer make it quite clear that
the process of becoming a Mason is a "work," and not merely
participation in the ceremony; that this work undertaken "in Thy
Name" is a "sacred" work; and that it is therefore neither a social
compliment or a personal privilege.


The Perambulations of the Lodge.

Immediately following the prayer the candidate moves to perambulate
the Lodge, and this simple act is highly instructive.  There are,
of course, valid ceremonial requirements for the perambulations in
this Degree; firstly, the candidate must demonstrate to the Lodge
his status as an Apprentice; secondly, he must satisfy the Lodge
that he is entrusted with the Passport which qualifies him for
advancement; and thirdly, he must make his way to the East "by the
proper steps." Behind all of these, however, is the deeper reason
for the symbolic journeyings.  In the First Degree the
perambulations symbolise the wanderings of the candidate in the
benighted, or "state of darkness" through the various paths of the
"wilderness" of this life before he strikes the Path which will
ultimately lead him to the Light.  At this stage of his progress he
has found the right Path, but must resume his wanderings because
man of necessity keeps "moving" until he reaches his goal.  We may
say that men, like the stars in the firmament, move in their
courses towards the goal; although, unlike the stars, the ignorance
and self-will of men cause them to miss the way until circumstances
force them back on the track.  The perambulations in the Second
Degree, therefore, symbolise the willing forward motion of the
candidate under the imperative urge of the promptings of his own
heart.  We have a fine illustration of the quest for Light in the
famous Pilgrims' March from Tannhauser by Wagner, where the music
graphically portrays the resolute plod of weary feet, toiling
through dangers and difficulties, ever onwards to the distant goal.
Motion is inseparable from life; inertia spells death.

The perambulations in the First Degree led the candidate
symbolically to the gate of his spiritual home; his continued
progress now leads him to the foot of the winding hill :-

"Does the road wind uphill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.

Will the day's journey take the whole long day ?
From morn to night, my friend."

In this Degree the perambulations are commenced on the level floor
of the Lodge, which the candidate "squares," visiting each of the
four sides in turn ; at the end of the second circuit the movement
comes when his forward motion on the level ceases, and he is
instructed to advance "as though ascending" ; here linear motion
gives way to circular.  The advance is not only forward, but upward
in the form of a "winding stairway" : "And they went up with
winding stairs into the middle chamber" (1st Kings, chapter 6,
verse 8). There is a scientific justification for this episode. 
All motion is really circular, spiral, vertical (like the winding
stairs), and Nature knows no straight lines:-

"Line in Nature is not found;
Unit and Universe are round.
In vain produced, all rays return, 
Evil will bless and ice will burn."

To our ignorant perception the surface of the earth appears flat,
but continued motion upon it brings us back to our starting point,
and thus teaches us that it is round.  Beams of light, once thought
to be straight, are known to bend and become circular.  Strongly
concentrated thought and desire function spirally, like a corkscrew
boring a passage into the world of mind, which will explain why the
ancient emblem of thought energy is the horn of the Unicorn
projecting into space from the centre of the forehead of that
mythical animal.

The ascent of the "winding stairway" must, to all who have made
progress in the science, indicate the passing from a lower to a
higher plane.  It is a task claiming all the energies of mind and
desire, and this full-time occupation is dramatised by "five
steps," which are symbolical of five higher principles for our
attainment.  The nature of man is resolvable into seven principles,
corresponding with the seven Officers of the Lodge, and in this
Degree the lowest two are left out of account.  The two lowest
principles are the senses and the carnal reason, both of which are,
as it were, left behind and transcended in the Second Degree work,
whilst the higher, or psychic and spiritual, faculties come into
active function, and to each of these a "step" is allotted.  The
five-pointed star, or Pentagon, is the geometrical figure of the
five higher principles.  To learn to dissociate the five higher
principles from the two lower is the primary lesson of the Second
Degree; we do so, in a measure, when our bodies sleep and the mind
continues to function vividly, as it often does in dreams; and we
shall certainly have to do so at death, when the outer senses and
the lower reason drop away altogether.  It is, however, practicable
to do this now, and the work of the Second Degree includes the
training of the mind and the higher principles to function
consciously apart from the senses.

The Obligation of the Fellowcraft.

Secrecy is again enjoined in the Obligation of the Second Degree.
The implications contained in the Obligation involve the work which
we have to perform by disciplining ourselves so that we may with
safety penetrate "the hidden mysteries of nature and science." In
the deeper sense secrecy involves the art of concentration; the
indrawing of our powers instead of diffusing them recklessly ; and
the further conservation of energy for the purpose of upbuilding
and husbanding our forces. The old axiom: "Waste not, want not"
applies equally to inner energies as to outward goods.  In like
manner there must necessarily be discipline and training if the
"perfect freedom of inclination" which is granted is to be directed
to the growth of the soul.  Silence, then, secretes power and
wisdom; their secretion is itself a secret, and an incommunicable
mystery to be learned only by those who practice deep meditation
and observe silence. It is in the Obligation that we are warned
that much quiet thought is needed to shield the heart from any
extraneous and harmful influences.  This figuration also emphasises
that while proceeding in our search for "that which is lost," we
must not only seek diligently, but our search must be secret and
silent.  It is said in the ritual that: "In every Degree the
secrets of Freemasonry are to be kept separate and distinct," and
it may well be asked in what respect are the secrets of the First
Degree "separate and distinct" from those of the Second Degree? The
explanation is that the secrets of the First Degree have to do with
the head, that is, with the practical daily intelligence and the
performance of active duties.  In the Second Degree they are
different; they are the secrets of the heart, and of the soul or
intuitional and affectional side of our nature which is subjective
and passive. The candidate for self-knowledge has to train himself
to learn to understand and discipline both his head and his heart,
and to balance activity with contemplation.

The foregoing distinction between the things of the head and those
of the heart will account for the difference in the posture of the
candidate which is assumed by him when taking the Obligation in
each Degree.  The right side and limbs of the body is associated
with the head and the left side and limbs of the body with the
heart; both head and heart, although they are intimately related,
have their distinct functions and must be separately understood by
aspirants seeking for the knowledge of themselves.  It is well
known that wrong headedness is far more common than evil
heartedness and is responsible for far more of the mischief and
suffering in the world.  We are all too prone to form our judgments
of the actions of our fellow men by the carnal reason, rather than
consult the luminous intuitions of the heart.  In this connection
the penal provisions of the Obligation call for particular notice. 
The penalty of the First Degree is related to the head, while in
the Second Degree the penalty refers to the heart.  We are likewise
most strongly warned to protect the heart from the "attacks of the
insidious." Who or what are the insidious ? In the penal clause
there is a cryptic allusion to the heart being thrown to "the
ravenous birds of the air, or the more devouring beasts of the
field as prey," and lest this phrase shall be deemed to be
fantastic imagery, we will remind ourselves that it is taken from
the Old Testament where it occurs more than once.  These phrases
"ravenous birds of the air" and "devouring beasts of the field" are
scriptural terms for certain invisible entities which infest our
planetary atmosphere and find easy prey and nesting places in
hearts allowing them entrance: "I will give thee unto the ravenous
birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured"
(Ezekiel, chapter 39, verse 4). Classical literature abounds in
references to these "powers of the air" as the "harpies," "furies"
and "vultures," and to their tormenting power.  Modern psychology,
sceptical of the ancient science, speaks of them perhaps more
prosaically, as impulses and uprushes from the subconscious,
obsessions by alien wills, and as secondary personalities, the
unhappy victims of which are often placed in asylums for the
mentally afflicted.  It is because the dangers from the plane of
the mind are real that the Obligation expressly refers to them
before the ritual goes on to say in effect to the candidate: "You
are now permitted to extend your researches into the hidden
mysteries of nature and science." Indeed, until the aspirant does
possess a high standard of personal purity, virtue, and
understanding of the "difficulties and dangers" such research is
not "permitted," and in this matter the Craft is perpetuating a
principle uniformly insisted upon by teachers of wisdom throughout
the ages.  One of the greatest of the Teachers has declared "For
wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered
together" (Matthew, chapter 24, verse 28); implying that if the
human personality suffers itself to become passive it is but a
"carcase," liable to invasion by all manner of undesirable and evil
entities.  However, to the man of strong virtue and who is level
headed, who knows beforehand what he is to do and studies under a
competent teacher, there is no danger; he will act, and with
safety, upon the age-old enjoinder of the Mysteries To know; to
will; to dare; and to keep silent."

The Position of the Square and Compasses.

Following upon the Obligation, the attention of the candidate is
drawn to the altered position of the Square and Compasses; he is
told that he is now "midway in Freemasonry," but still inferior to
the grade he is hoped eventually to attain.  We would bring to the
notice of students that quite apart from the personal application
to the individual Mason, the change which is here indicated may be
viewed in a wider and cosmic sense.  We can apply the same progress
to humanity as a whole.  In the broad general outline of the
history of the race, it may be said that we have at last emerged
from the primitive "state of darkness," and taken the First Degree
of the life process; we are, so to speak, now "midway" in the plan
of world evolution.  Gradually,  the darkness overshadowing the
minds of men is being dissolved by the "Light which is from above";
slowly, but nevertheless surely, the two points of the Compasses of
the Grand Geometrician of the Universe are coming into sight and
overlaying the Square of human activities.  The signs of the times
proclaim that materialism is definitely on the way out; physical
science has disclosed that the apparently solid earth is in fact as
immaterial as the proverbial "moonshine," and is leading our
thoughts up the "winding stairway" of research and investigation to
the exploration of the "middle chamber" of space and being, the
existence of which it only recently denied.  Human consciousness is
expanding as the vistas open, and enlarged mental perceptions are
already beginning to manifest in art, literature, and music.  In
these circumstances, we cannot fail also to consider the conditions
of all the peoples of the world and their problems; many new
conceptions of social duty are now being put to the practical test. 
It is still very crude, imperfect, grotesque even, but it signifies
real progress, and the pains attending the adjustments are the
growing pains which are incident to birth upon a higher level.

The cosmic plan is being carried out to specification under the
superintendence of the Master Architect, and they who do not
execute the work in accordance therewith, will have to do it all
over again.  We, as Craftsmen, have obligated ourselves to act as
agents in implementing this plan, so helping to complete the divine
scheme which is fashioned to the designs of the Grand Geometrician. 
It is written concerning this scheme: "Thy Kingdom come; Thy will
be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew, chapter 6, verse
10); but the phrase now incorporated in the well-known Prayer
carries two meanings.  To pray that the will of God may "be done in
earth, as it is in heaven," is to pray, in alternative terms, for
the coming into time of the Kingdom of eternity.  The words,
however, do not refer solely to ultimate reality; they apply also
to human beings. So far as we are concerned, then, the Kingdom of
God can come only to the extent that the kingdom of natural man has
been superseded. The petition: "Thy Kingdom come," therefore, has
a necessary and unavoidable corollary, which is: "Our kingdom go";
signifying that the condition of complete illumination is not
possible without complete purgation.  This is easy to say, but
enormously hard to achieve; we are prone to become "fiends of
righteousness," as Blake so truly affirms.  The great problem, that
of finding the relationship between the world of eternity and the
world of time, is a paradox :-

"Oh wearisome condition of humanity!
Born under one law, to another bound
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity
Created sick, commanded to be sound."

-Greville.

We need grace in order to be able to live in such a way as to
qualify ourselves to receive grace.

The acquisition of spirituality is the chief problem of our human
life, but the definition of spirituality must be given in a much
more comprehensive form than that in which it is commonly known and
understood.  The spiritual quality and value of man are determined
not by nature, of any sort, but by the union of freedom and grace. 
It must be accepted that Spirit is not a constituent part of human
nature; it is, rather, the highest qualitative value.  The
attainment of high spirituality is liberation from the power of the
world and the social environment; it is, as it were, a break
through of the noumenal into the phenomenal.  In other words, the
growth of spirituality in man does not belong to the rhythmic
regularity of the evolutionary process.  It is a task, Masonically
speaking "work," and is the enigma set before man in relation to
life.  We are taught in Freemasonry that we ought to accept
responsibility not only for our own destiny and for the destiny of
those who are near to us, but likewise for the destiny of all men
and the world.  Spirituality is not coldly dispassionate, on the
contrary, it is a burning flame; in it a sense of emancipation and
severance from the undesirable elements of the world is combined
with taking a share in the work of the world.  It is in this sense
that in Freemasonry we acknowledge Brotherly Love to be a
Foundation principle, and that emphasis is placed on the command to
love God and to love our neighbour.  Love for our neighbour is love
for the multiple world, and to turn towards the One does not mean
to turn away from the many.  The difficulty is that spirituality,
like everything else in this world, is objectivised, and takes on
a formal and legal character; it becomes, in other words,
conventional, and is accommodated to prosaic social norms and
adapted to the so-called "average" man.  It would be a mistake to
conclude that the conflict between mysticism and legalism indicates
a lack of the social sense in man.  On the contrary, there is an
inward sense in which we are all interlinked with each other; man,
indeed, is a social being and can realise himself completely only
in society.  It is for this reason that the Craft system insists
upon the "practice of every moral and social virtue"; nevertheless,
the old maxim: "In the world but not of it" must guide the aspirant
in his progress.

The Entrustment with the Secrets of the Degree.

This portion of the ceremony is of deep allegorical meaning, the
interpretation of which must be individually applied.  It must be
clearly understood by the candidate that ritual alone may well
demonstrate, but can never clarify the underlying allegory.  The
final clarification of symbols is the result of continuous and
persistent study and effort.  The secrets of Freemasonry,
therefore, are not such merely to keep the popular world in outer
darkness; they are secrets because they convey that which can only
be communicated to the seeker who has learned to speak their
language: "If any man have an ear, let him hear" (Revelation,
chapter 13, verse 9).  To communicate secrets to those who are
unfit for their reception is a profanity, and in like manner the
penalties attaching to the violation of the rule, which in their
symbolism appear to refer solely to physical prospects of quite an
unpleasant nature, in fact allude to spiritual implications which
are hidden behind the veil of ritual and allegory.

The preliminary to the entrustment with the secrets of the Degree
is the "second regular step" and, as in the First Degree, it is
taken with perfect physical erectness, with the feet Masonically
quadrated.  The implication is that for real progress both physical
and moral rectitude must reflect each other, while the intuitions
of the heart must be checked and balanced with intellectual
perception.  In this Degree the candidate is instructed to take a
further step forward, but it is again a single step only.  The step
taken in the First Degree is deemed to cover the theoretical period
of seven years which is the time allotted for the discipline of the
body; the Second Degree step covers five more years which are
theoretically devoted to the control and illumination of the mind. 
Adding these two numbers together, seven plus five equals twelve,
we have the number which is always associated with extension and
development.  It is on this account that formerly the aspirant was
said to be mystically "twelve years old" on attaining a high degree
of mental illumination.

The entrustment with the secrets of the Degree also necessitates
the use of the sign.  The sign in this Degree is threefold in
character,  and it is probably the oldest sign in the world.  It is
said to refer primarily to the absolute need for  fidelity and
steady perseverance in the work, but it likewise illustrates the
universal principle peculiar to mental science.  Everything in
Nature tends to evolve from the horizontal to the vertical and
assume the "square" in form.  We may describe the process by saying
that the Compasses of the Grand Geometrician define the circular
area in which Nature is to work, which is termed the Wheel of
Creative Evolution; thereupon Nature will proceed to "lay levels
and to prove horizontals," and afterwards erect vertical lines at
right angles to them.  It is not until man emerges that the
"perpendicular" is achieved, and here the work of Nature is to
cease.  Nature has perseveringly built up the body of man to the
state of "erectness," thus providing him with a physical vehicle to
the limit of her powers; from this point onwards man is to continue
the building work with the same perseverance, and thereby promote
his advancement beyond the jurisdiction of Nature to spiritual
heights.  This sign provides the candidate with the first hint of
the "hidden mysteries of nature and science," to which his
attention will later be directed.  It must not be forgotten that
greater enlightenment not only means forward progress, but also the
obliteration of past misunderstood knowledge.  Nature still
conceals many secrets from us in astronomy, in biology, and in
other departments of life, but gradually yields them in proportion
as we become able to receive them.

Not until after the taking of the step and the use of the sign have
been disclosed is the ceremonial word of the Degree given to the
candidate.  Like the word of the First Degree, that now imparted is
biblical in origin, and it follows from the explanation that both
of the words are used in combination.  They are opposites, and the
use of them implies that the candidate himself is a blend of them
both; there are B. and J. present in him, and he is a combination
of dynamic energy and the opposed static inert principle.  It may
be said by way of more information that the body is the fulcrum;
the spirit needs the body to become effective in the work of
regeneration, and the body to become perfected must be suffused and
sublimated by the spirit.

The Testing by the Wardens.

The testing by the Wardens is symbolic of the testing we
experience, not only in the material side of our lives, but
mentally and spiritually.  They are a help to us in apprehending
the finality of things, which is reality; whence we come and
whither we go.  Therefore, following the entrustment with the
secrets of the Degree the candidate is bidden to resume his
"pilgrims march" ; in other words, he is sent round the Lodge to
the Wardens to be examined.  The examination is easy to pass; the
official examiners may indeed be lacking themselves; only the
candidate will ever know to what degree he is entitled to the
award.  This is strictly in accordance with the law of life that
every accession of knowledge, whether spiritual or otherwise, is
followed by a subsequent test of our worthiness to retain it.  The
process which we call "passing" may be likened to a sea voyage; the
candidate is warned to: "steer the barque of life o'er the rough
sea of passion without quitting the helm of rectitude"; while the
course is straight and the wind favourable the haven of calm waters
can only be reached by each candidate steering by the undeviating
line of conduct laid down for his pursuit.  There is another
allusion to the testing of our fortitude and courage in the ritual
reference to the payment of "wages" at this stage of progress. 
This subject is dramatically portrayed in the Mark Degree, where it
is dealt with much more fully.  Every aspirant, however, finds that
as soon as he wholeheartedly undertakes to promote the interests of
the tasks of spiritual development unexpected difficulties and
obstacles suddenly burst upon him.  These are the "wages" which he
must learn to receive "without scruple or diffidence," well
recognising himself to be "justly entitled to them," and with
complete confidence in the justice and integrity of the Employer
into whose service he has entered.  The study of spiritual science
often brings about that state of mind which the Psalmist speaks of
as: "At their wits' end" (Psalm 107, verse 27).  We are indeed
subjected to "repeated trials " which are not only quite unforseen,
but also distressing and disturbing ; we ask ourselves if we are
not being deceived by phantasy, whether the goal is attainable; and
whether it would not be better to take the easy way, memorise the
ritual, enjoy the social amenities, and forget the spiritual
implications.  Let all who waver be of good cheer; they may count
themselves among those who are privileged to serve their Brethren
and the Craft without thought of reward ; the labourers in this
field are always few and the work heavy, but the compensations are
great.

The Investiture with the Badge.

In all stately ceremonies some form of robing has a prominent
place.  The assumption of outward distinction has here to  be
interpreted in the light of spiritual advancement.  The changes in
the Apron are evidence of the progress of the candidate; an
activity of the Holy Spirit of God is presumed to have occurred,
and the candidate is therefore clothed with an emblem meant to
represent his present state, superior to that which he was, but far
inferior to that which he hopes to be.  Hence the alteration in the
position of the flap, and the increased decoration in the ornaments
of the symbol.  It will be noted that the decoration on the Apron
takes the form of the Immortal Rose, an esoteric emblem which has
been used in the East from the earliest of known times.  Moreover,
this Rose is a hieroglyph which is universal in whatever the
language, or race.  In the Middle Ages the pious Cathedral builders
of Europe wrought the Rose symbolism into carved stonework of most
exquisite perfection as their tribute to the honour and glory of
the Rose Queen of the world.  Hence, the Rose is the symbol of all
that pertains to the quest for God, from the beginning of the Path,
through initiation, to the Divine Union consummated at the end. 
Those experts who devised our clothing were symbolists of a high
order, and the blue Rosettes derive from the stream of Rosicrucian
influence which largely contributed to the formation of the Craft
in the seventeenth century.

The Charge in the South-East Corner of the Lodge.

After his symbolic robing in the West the candidate is placed in
the South-East corner of the Lodge to illustrate progress.  The
position of the candidate in this Degree therefore changes from the
North to the South, that is from right to left of the Lodge, and
again his feet are angulated. In both cases whether in the
North-East, or in the South-East, the candidate is literally
"squaring the Lodge," in the "foundation" position.  This signifies
that he is now ready to continue the symbolic ascent which is
pictured on the Tracing Board in each of the two Degree, and is
about to receive the Working Tools which will enable him to
undertake the work proposed.  In the consideration of Masonic and
Biblical localities, just as the North is the region of the
darkness, the locus of the unilluminated, so likewise the South is
the place of mental illumination.  The candidate is accordingly
enjoined to devote himself to the study of "such of the liberal
arts and sciences as may lie within the compass" of his personal
attainment.  These classical "arts and sciences," seven in number,
were called "liberal" because their exercise was deemed to have a
liberating effect upon the mind.  It is axiomatic that the aspirant
should have a sound mind in a sound body so as to ensure the
"harmony" of the work. This term "harmony" bears no relation to
vocal refrains; it means the harmonisation of the too often
discordant elements of our being.  The old name was Eirene, IRIS,
the Rainbow; the "bow set in the cloud" of our earthly organisms,
which remains obscured until by "fervency and zeal" it becomes
possible "that the rays of heaven may shed their benign influence";
and thereby enable our "coat of many colours" to shine forth in
order and harmony.  We need not to-day pursue the "liberal arts and
sciences" of the ancients; times have changed and in the process we
have had forced upon us intellectual and social conditions which
provide other means of achieving the same result.  Nevertheless, a
corresponding discipline is still necessary and any form of
exercise that promotes abstract thought and flexibility of
intellect is to be recommended; in brief, the active acquisition of
knowledge by reading and working upon theoretical problems must be
balanced by reflection and meditation. The two requirements which
are essential for any "progress in the science" are firstly, the
highly tense state of the physical body, demonstrated by
concentrated work both mental and physical; and secondly, the
completely relaxed physical state, exhibited in meditation and
contemplation.

We are likewise called upon to learn to "rule and subdue" our
"passions and prejudices," and in this task the advice of the
authorities is precisely the same as when dealing with the question
of distractons of the mind.  The passions, so long as they are
purely emotional, have attacking power, which we all experience,
but no staying power.  It is found that passions will yield only to
indirect action; in other words, we are healed of the pain of
passionate existence when we cease to enjoy the pleasure of
indulgence. To do this we must control what is known as reverie,
for where your interest is there also will be your reverie.  The
aspirant must renounce certain privileges of the worldly estate
which are not consistent with his dedications.

The Working Tools of the Second Degree.


As in the First Degree, the Working Tools appropriate to the work
of the Craftsman are now presented to the candidate.  It is the
duty of the Master to ensure that the significance of these Tools
is explained because they represent the keys of progress which in
all ages have been passed on from Master to novice. In the First
Degree the Tools are applied to the discipline and education of the
outward person; in the Second Degree they relate to the government
of the mind.  It will be noted that the Working Tools in this
Degree are associated with the Principal Officers of the Lodge, and
are emblematic of the function of these offices.  The emblem of the
Senior Warden signifies that the grade of Craftsman can only be
maintained by strictly conforming to the edict of the Tools
presented, and by realising that all souls stand upon an equality
before the Grand Geometrician, finally to be tested by the Level of
Divine perfection. Similarly, the emblem of the Junior Warden
illustrates that there is a vertical line of conduct prescribed for
the development of physical and mental life, of which the Plumb
Rule is the traditional symbol, and that by this means we may reach
the required Level of refinement.  With the presentation of the
Working Tools the Ceremony of Passing fittingly ends, leaving the
candidate to convert the moral implications into practical conduct
in the career of Fellowcraft which is open before him.

The Closing of the Lodge in the Second Degree.

The work of the Second Degree having been concluded, the Lodge is
closed down to the First Degree, but at this juncture a question is
asked the answer to which furnishes the key to the purpose of the
Degree.  It is addressed to the Junior Warden: "In this position
what have you discovered?", and the cryptic reply is: "The Sacred
Symbol." When this question is asked the Brethren are standing "to
order" with hand on heart, displaying the dual Signs of Fidelity
and Perseverance, and thus testify that they have been brought to
the vivid realisation that in the heart of each of us burns
invisibly the "blazing Star or glory in the Centre." We vouch that
we have discovered that the "Kingdom of God is within" ourselves. 
These considerations lead us to define that Faith, as understood
Masonically, is an impulse of God within us; the reaction in the
soul of a man who, knowingly or not, and however remotely, has
effected some contact with the Grand Geometrician of the Universe. 
It is therefore intimated that Faith is an energy, activated by God
and directed towards an ideal; it is also implicit in the
instruction of this Degree that the accomplishment of the ideal is
within the power of every candidate; fulfilment is irrespective of
academic ability or social rank and fortune.  There are two
qualifications only which are required of the Craftsman namely,
sincerity of motive, and the willingness of great humility; he
dedicates his future labour to the building of the Lord's House
which, as mystical Masons, we have pledged ourselves to build.  It
follows, however, that the work of the builder is in vain unless
the Ground Plan is laid in a personal relationship with the
Personality of Him in Whom the Craftsman has declared his faith:
"In strength will I establish this mine House to stand firm for
ever."

CHARGE

May PEACE, PLENTY, and UNANIMITY, ever subsist among Fellowcraft
Freemasons."

(Second Lecture,  Third  Section.)


BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Volume of the Sacred Law.

"The Ceremony of Passing" - W.L. Wilmshurst.
"The Key of Masonic Initiation" - P. T. Runton.
"The Rose Immortal" - A. Bothwell Gosse.
"The Lily of Light" - A. Bothwell Gosse.
"The Craft and the Royal Arch - W.H. Topley.
"The New Man" - Maurice Nicoll.
"The Unknown God" - F.J. Mayers.

(The author would here record his personal gratitude to the late W.
Bro. W. L. Wilmshurst, and make due acknowledgement to The Lodge of
Living Stones, No. 4957.)

"AFTERWORD"

In summarising this Paper on the Ceremony of the Passing, I would
remind students that our ritual directs attention to the importance
of the Fellowcraft Lodge for three reasons, as follows:-

On the Installation of a Brother into the high Office of Worshipful
Master, an obligation is required of him in respect of his duties. 
This vow of the Master Elect is made in the Fellowcraft Lodge.

2. It should likewise be remembered that the greatest of all
discoveries is made in the Fellowcraft Lodge; it is made by the
Junior Warden in that symbolic place to which every Freemason must
go for a similar disclosure; that is "into the middle chamber" of
his personal temple.

3. The most fundamental aspiration of all men, namely Immortality
is referred to for the first time in Freemasonry in the Fellowcraft
Lodge.

We should reflect upon the fact that formerly the First and Second
Degrees in Freemasonry were one. They now represent two stages of
consecration; in other words two-thirds of the tri-gradual
initiation. In the first stage, the sense nature an apparatus of
time, space, and outward physical life is dedicated to the service
of God.  This is mystically known as the "Baptism of Water", and
not until this is effected can the work of the Second Degree
commence.  In the second stage, the intellectual faculties which
apprehend the ideal as a conception and thereby involves the inner
life are similarly dedicated. This is traditionally known as the
preparation for the final step and is termed the "Baptism of Fire".
Each of these levels involves an active and passive aspect in the
aspirant. The active side implies present effort and future result;
the passive aspect connotes both witting and unwitting receptivity. 
It is for this reason that a period of time is presumed to have
elapsed between the conferment of Degrees, and the Candidate is
deemed to come "properly prepared", or fit and ready, a state which
is presumed as flowing from the passage of time.  This state of
readiness brings about the result "by their fruits ye shall know
them" (Matthew, Chapter 7, verse 16).  It is likewise for this
reason that in our Masonic system we acknowledge two opposed
positions, that of the Right and that of the Left; the two Pillars
are defined as corresponding with these situations.  Finally, two
qualifications and two only are required of the Craftsman, namely
sincerity of purpose and the willingness of humility, and these
being present in the aspirant a mechanism of advancement under and
through the guidance of God is at once conditioned.  This effort
brings about a visible manifestation of the intellectual faculties
in action and by the activity the intellect acquires wisdom which
is a vastly different thing to knowledge.  The work of the builder,
however, is in vain unless the ground plan is laid in conjunction
with the Grand Geometrician of the Universe in Whom the workman has
declared his faith.  Only by that in a communion can the hidden
mysteries be understood and a superstructure be erected.