Tours Travel

Secrets of the Freemasons

The construction of Rosslyn Chapel, located north of Edinburgh in Scotland, was started around 1446 by William Sinclair, who was reputed to have been a Knight Templar who was probably involved in the war in the Holy Land. Although none of these facts has been confirmed, the chapel he built is full of stone images that, seen as a whole, leave the clear impression that the place is religious. However, it is definitely not a Christian site and does not easily fit into any current known religious motif. It is, in a word, unique revealing evidence that the architect was heavily involved with the initiatory mysteries.

One of the stone images carved inside the chapel symbolizes a Green Man, who in certain religious studies has been associated with so-called pagan religions. After carefully studying those images, it seems more likely that the Green Man is consistent with a more Masonic interpretation of Deity than any other religion or philosophy. The representation is clearly that of a man’s head with leafy vines that grow from the inside and spread out through the mouth and travel upward in dense bushy vegetation.

While the figure could certainly symbolize the endless cycle of seasons and regeneration commonly found in other clearly defined pagan symbols, its origin is Greek and Roman. For them, the Green Man represented the full flowering of education and thus inspired those who contemplated the pursuit of knowledge. Later, the Green Man found his way into Christian symbolism where he represented the immortality of the spirit and the resurrection of Jesus. Regardless of whether the Green Man represents Jesus linking Heaven to Earth, or the more simplistic quest for knowledge, it is undeniable that he also represents the growth of man’s spirit.

Art is a seed of man’s spirituality, because from a simple sentence in a masterpiece of literature, or from a line drawn in a painting, messages and ideas flow that those who read or observe can interpret for their respective personal improvement. It is the basis for the regeneration of humanity, or the transmutation from a state of ignorance to a state of knowledge, just as the ancient alchemists transformed tin into gold. Thus, the Green Man symbolizes the wisdom that man acquires from the knowledge that he has acquired as a direct result of his growth in spiritual matters beginning with the mustard seed, or the smallest particle of spiritual knowledge that is imparted to him.

It is fair to ask at this point what art a Freemason should explore. Should it be an examination of the da Vinci painting The Last Supper, which sparked so much interest in recent exciting books and movies about the legend surrounding the ancient Knights Templar? Is it the total and complete absorption of all the literary works written by Albert Pike? Or is it expected to absorb other types of art and discern the messages about God from those? While the answer that all art is important to the growth of man is inaccurate, it is the truthful answer.

TO The Secret of the Freemasons It is that the affinity for the search for knowledge has never been solely because it benefits the learner, but because it ultimately benefits those with whom the learner comes into contact. Masonic writers who have explored both the science and philosophy of alchemy have also provided us with insight into how the Green Man represents the benefit of one man’s knowledge for the welfare of another. Freemasonry has consistently embraced the belief that the Supreme Architect of the Universe manifests through human growth – the impulse that moves from within a human being into a manifestation of action. There is no greater miracle than that produced by the tiny mustard seed, which when planted on Earth produces a bush thousands of times its size. The Holy Bible contains a parable that uses the little mustard seed to illustrate an important spiritual truth about the power of faith. In Freemasonry, the Art teaches that the Supreme Architect manifests himself through an infinity of forms that is implanted in the dark material earth. One of those forms is art, which Masons are taught to understand and create.

Scholars around the world are currently engaged in a concerted effort to identify the historical beginnings of Freemasonry. They do so by following several avenues that promise empirical certainty once fully analyzed. However, since Freemasonry includes a diverse number of disciplines, it is not at all likely that the true origins will be discovered without a thorough evaluation of the symbolism that Freemasonry has selected over the centuries to impart wise and serious truths. A famous Masonic writer has gone further and stated that the origins of Freemasonry will never be traced, because that origin is veiled by a superphysical mystery. Whether or not we know the full truth about the origin of Freemasonry, one can begin the endeavor by pulling that veil aside and studying the various symbols of the Craft, as well as the various works of art created from the depths of the soul. and the spirit of man. .

There are essentially two methods by which man can grow: observing nature or creating and appreciating art. The true artist models his work according to the laws of nature, either adopting everything that nature has revealed or assimilating as much of what exists in nature as necessary to complete the design proposed by the artist. It is from such designs that humanity learns the place of humanity in the Magnus Opus of all works of art – the grand design of the Supreme Architect of the Universe.

The art of deciphering the secrets of the Freemasons and the symbols Freemasons use can be used to unlock the unsuspected wisdom likely originally possessed by those who lent those symbols to the fraternity. Old books with wrong pages, as well as a host of secret alphabets used throughout the ages, must be included in the deciphering effort. Because subtle methods were often used to hide divine truths from the uninitiated. As a specific example, consider the literary works of Shakespeare, which some believe were actually the works of Sir Francis Bacon: that renowned Rosicrucian and Freemason, said to have been the legitimate son of Elizabeth I; dedicated to the charitable work of the Office; and in desperate need of “political cover” to avoid detection as the author of writings as politically inflammatory as those found in several of Shakespeare’s plays. What is the truth? Can it be determined by studying the artwork itself? Is it worth knowing? The answers to those questions can only come to those who take the time to explore the works and decide for themselves.

The Green Man symbolism also teaches us that growth is experiential, that is, it can only be experienced to fully understand it. The same is true of the “secrets” of Freemasonry. Those “secrets”, like understanding what growth means, cannot be revealed even if someone actually chooses to sit down and explain them to the whole world. Like death, Freemasonry can only be “experienced” and therefore the “secrets” remain hidden from all who choose to never enjoy the experience. That is what happens with our Green Man, because it is from his mouth that vegetation grows and around his head the resulting busy growth intertwines. Grow, experiment and become wise.

And you?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *