The Hidden Life In Freemasonry - USA
The Hidden Life in FreemasonrybyC. W. Leadbeater 33 THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSEADYAR, MADRAS, INDIA1926Second Edition,Plate 0.
FOREWORDIT is once more my privilege to usher into the world, for the helping of thethoughtful, another volume of the series on the hidden side of things written byBishop Charles W. Leadbeater. True Mason that he is, he is ever trying to spread theLight which he has received, so that it may chase away the darkness of Chaos. Tolook for the Light, to see the Light, to follow the Light, were duties familiar to allEgyptian Masons, though the darkness in that Ancient Land never approached thedensity which shrouds the West today.This book will be welcomed by all Freemasons who feel the beauty of their ancientRite, and desire to add knowledge to their zeal. The inner History of Masonry is leftaside for the present, and the apprentice is led by a trustworthy guide through thelabyrinth which protects the central Shrine from careless and idle inquirers. Placesthat were obscure become illuminated; dark allusions are changed to crystal clarity;walls which seem solid melt away; confidence replaces doubt; glimpses of the goalare caught through rifts in the clouds; and the earth-born mists vanish before the raysof the rising sun. Instead of fragments of half-understood traditions, confused anduninterpreted, we find in our hands a splendid science and a reservoir of powerwhich we can use for the uplifting of the world. We no longer ask: “What is theGreat Work? We see “that it is nothing less than a concerted effort to carry out theduty that is laid upon us, as those who possess the Light, to spread that Light abroadthrough the World, and actually to become fellow-labourers with T.G.A.O.T.U. inHis great Plan for the evolution of our Brn”.The detailed explanations of the ceremonies are profoundly interesting andilluminative, and I commend them very heartily to all true Freemasons. Our V .·.·. I.·.·. Brother has added a heavy debt of gratitude by this book to the many we alreadyowe him. Let us be honest debtors.AdyarANNIE BESANTDecember 25, 1925
AUTHOR’S PREFACETHE Masonic fellowship differs from all other societies in that candidates formembership have to join it blindfold, and cannot receive much information about ituntil they actually enter its ranks. Even then the majority of Masons usually obtainonly the most general idea of the meaning of its ceremonies, and seldom penetratefurther than an elementary moral interpretation of its principal symbols. In this bookit is my object, while preserving due secrecy upon those matters which must be keptsecret, to explain something of the deeper meaning and purpose of Freemasonry, inthe hope of arousing among the Brn. a more profound reverence for that of whichthey are the custodians and a fuller understanding of the mysteries of the Craft.Although the book is primarily intended for the instruction of members of the CoMasonic Order, whose desire, as is expressed in their ritual, is to pour the waters ofesoteric knowledge into the Masonic vessels, I hope nevertheless that it may appealto a wider circle, and may perhaps be of use to some of those many Brn. in themasculine Craft who are seeking for a deeper interpretation of Masonic symbolismthan is given in the majority of their Lodges, showing them that in the ritual whichthey know and love so well are enshrined splendid ideals and deep spiritualteachings which are of the most absorbing interest to the student of the inner side oflife.Before we can gain this fuller understanding we must have at least some slightacquaintance with certain facts concerning the world in which we live - a world onlyhalf of which we see or understand. Indeed, undignified as the statement sounds, it isquite true that our position resembles very closely that of a caterpillar feeding upon aleaf, whose vision and perception extend but very little beyond the leaf upon whichhe crawls. How difficult it would be for such a caterpillar to transcend hislimitations, to take a wider view, to understand that his leaf is part of a huge treewith millions of such leaves, a tree with a life of its own - a life outlasting athousand generations of lives such as his; and that tree in turn only a unit in a vastforest of dimensions incalculable to his tiny brain! And if by some unusualdevelopment one caterpillar did catch a glimpse of the great world around him andtried to explain his vision to his fellows, how those other caterpillars woulddisbelieve and ridicule him, how they would adjure him to waste no time on suchunprofitable imaginings, but to realize that the one purpose of life is to find a goodposition on succulent leaf, and to assimilate as much of it as he can!When later on he becomes a butterfly, his view widens, and he comes into touchwith a beauty, a glory and a poetry in life of which he had no conception before. It isthe same world, and yet so different, merely because he can see more of it, and moveabout in it in a new way. Every caterpillar is a potential butterfly; and we have theadvantage over these creatures in that we can anticipate the butterfly stage, and solearn much more about our world, come much nearer to the truth, enjoy life muchmore, and do much more good. We should study the hidden side of every-day life,for in that way we shall get so much more out of it. The same truth applies to higherthings - to religion, for example. Religion has always spoken to mankind of unseenthings above - not only far away in the future, but close around us here and now. Our
life and what we can make of it largely depend upon how real these unseen thingsare to us. Whatever we do, we should think always of the unseen consequences ofour action. Some of us know how useful that knowledge has been to us in ourChurch Services; and it is just the same in freemasonry.Though this vast inner world is unseen by most of us, it is not therefore invisible. AsI wrote in The Science of the Sacraments:There are within man faculties of the soul which, if developed, will enable him toperceive this inner world, so that it will become possible for him to explore and tostudy it precisely as man has explored and studied that part of the world which iswithin the reach of all. These faculties are the heritage of the whole human race;they will unfold within every one of us as our evolution progresses; but men who arewilling to devote themselves to the effort map gain them in advance of the rest, justas a blacksmith’s apprentice, specializing in the use of certain muscles, may attain(so far as they are concerned) a development much greater than that of other youthsof his age. There are men who have these powers in working order, and are able bytheir use to obtain a vast amount of most interesting information about the worldwhich most of us as yet cannot see. Let it be clearly understood that there isnothing fanciful or unnatural about such sight. It is simply an extension of facultieswith which we are all familiar, and to develop it is to make oneself sensitive tovibrations more rapid than those to which our physical senses are normally trained torespond.* (*Op. cit., pp. 9, 10.)It is by the use of those perfectly natural but super-normal faculties that much of theinformation given in this book has been obtained. Anyone who, having developedsuch sight, watches a Masonic ceremony, will see that a very great deal more isbeing done than is expressed in the mere words of the ritual, beautiful and dignifiedas they often are. Of course, I fully understand that all this may well seemfantastically impossible to those who have not studied the subject at first-hand; I canbut affirm that this is a clear and definite reality to me, and that by long and carefulresearch, extending over more than forty years, I am absolutely certain of theexistence and reliability of this method of investigation.It is no new discovery, for it was known to the wise men of old; but, like so muchelse of the ancient wisdom, it has been forgotten during the darkness of the earlyMiddle Ages, and its value is only gradually being rediscovered; so to many itappears unfamiliar and incredible. We have only to remember how utterlyinconceivable the wireless telegraph, the telephone, the aeroplane or even theautomobile would have seemed to our great-grandfathers, in order to realize that weshould be foolish to reject an idea merely because we have never heard of it before.Only a few years ago the powers of research put at our disposal by the invention anddevelopment of the spectroscope were as far beyond popular thought as those ofclairvoyance are now. That by it we could discover the chemical constitution andmeasure the movements of stars thousands of millions of miles away might well
have been regarded as the baseless fabric of a dream. May not other discoveries beimpending?Men of high scientific attainments, such as Sir Oliver Lodge, Sir William Crookes,Professor Lombroso, M. Camille Flammarion and the late Professor Myers, whohave taken the trouble to inquire into this matter of inner sight, have convincedthemselves that this faculty exists; so if there be those among the Brn. to whom thisclaim seems ridiculous, I would ask them notwithstanding to read on and seewhether the knowledge obtained by a means which is strange to them does notnevertheless supply for obscure or incomprehensible points in our ritual an explanation which commends itself to their reason and common sense. That which givesthem a better grasp of the meaning underlying the mysteries of our Craft, andthereby increases their veneration and love for it, cannot be unworthy or absurd. Anystudent who wishes to know more of this fascinating subject may be referred to alittle book entitled Clairvoyance, which I wrote some years ago.I should like strongly to recommend for the perusal of my Brn. Of the Craft twobooks by Wor. Bro. W. L. Wilmhurst - The Meaning of Masonry and The MasonicInitiation; I have myself read them with great delight and profit, and have gatheredmany gems from their pages.[Note: While this paragraph is missing in First Edition, in Second Edition it isindicated as part of First Edition.]I desire to offer my heartiest thanks to the Rev. Herbrand Williams, M.C., B.A., forhis kindness in placing at my disposal his vast stores of Masonic erudition, and formany arduous months of patient and painstaking research; also to the Rev. E.Warner and Mrs. M. R. St. John for the careful drawing of the illustrations, and toProfessor Ernest Wood for his untiring assistance and cooperation in everydepartment of the work, without which the production of the book would not havebeen possible.C. W. L.Second EditionIn this second edition a few trifling corrections have been made, and some additionalinformation has been given with regard to certain higher degrees.C. W. L.
CONTENTSForewordAuthor's PrefaceCHAPTER IINTRODUCTORYPersonal Experience. Egyptian Evidences. Preservation of Rituals and Symbols. TheEgyptian Outlook. The Hidden Work. The Egyptian Race. The Grand Lodges. TheOrdinary Lodges. The History of Masonry.CHAPTER IITHE LODGEForm and Extension. Orientation. The Celestial Canopy. The Altar. Pedestals andColumns. Orders of Architecture. Meaning of the Three Columns. The Pillars of thePorchway.CHAPTER IIITHE FITTINGS OF THE LODGEThe Ornaments. The Mosaic Pavement. The Indented Border. The Blazing Star. TheFurniture. The Movable Jewels. The Immovable Jewels.CHAPTER IVPRELIMINARY CEREMONIESThe Co-Masonic Ritual. The Procession. The Apron. The Ceremony of Censing.Lighting the Candles.CHAPTER VTHE OPENING OF THE LODGEThe Brethren Assist. Tyling the Lodge. The E.A. S . n. The Officers. The Duties.The Opening. The E.A. K s.
CHAPTER VIINITIATIONThe Candidate. Divisions of the Ceremony. Preparation of the Candidate. The InnerPreparation. The Three Symbolical Journeys. The O . The E . I L s. The S and P Examination and Investiture. The Working Tools. Egyptian Interpretationof the Working Tools.(Second Edition: The Working Tools, and the Egyptian Interpretation of Them.CHAPTER VIITHE SECOND DEGREEThe Questions. The Preparation. The Inner Preparation. The Opening. The E.A.'sLast Work. The Five Stages. The Five Steps. The O. The Working Tools. Closingthe Lodge.CHAPTER VIIITHE THIRD DEGREEThe Opening of the Lodge. The C The Preparation. The Internal Preparation.Entering the Lodge. The Seven Steps. The O The Etheric Forces. Hiram Abiff.Death and Resurrection. The Star. The Raising of Humanity. Fire, Sun and Moon.The Villains.The Inscription.(Second Edition: Our Master H. A. instead of Hiram Abiff.)CHAPTER IXTHE HIGHER DEGREESThe Masonic Plane. The Ceremony of Installation. The Mark Degree. The HolyRoyal Arch. Still Higher. The Rose Croix. Black Masonry. White Masonry. How toUse the Powers. Our Relation with Angels.
CHAPTER X - (CHAPTER IX in First Edition)TWO WONDERFUL RITUALSThe Workings in Egypt. The Form of the Temple of Amen-Ra. The Building of theTemple of Amen-Ra. The Unveiling of the Hidden Light. The Offerings. TheDescent of Osiris. The Distribution of the Sacrament. The Re-union of Osiris. TheShining of the Light. The Pledge and the Blessing. The Ceremony of the HolyAngels. The Lodge and Officers. The Triangle of Adepts. The Arrival of the Angels.The Building of the Temple of the Angels. The Ceremony in the Temple. The Effectof the Festival.CHAPTER XI - (CHAPTER X in First Edition)CLOSING THE LODGEThe Greetings. Preparation for Closing. The Closing.
PLATES0.The Masonic Temple (Coloured)I.An Egyptian Apron (Coloured)II.(a) An Egyptian Initiation(b) Osiris on the SquareIII.The Plan of the LodgeIV.The Three Columns(a) Doric(b) Ionic(c) CorinthianV.Ruins of a Greek TempleVI.A Pillar of the PorchwayVII.The ChapiterVIII.The Arrow of Ra (Coloured)IX.The ChakrasX.The Second PortalXI.The Temple of the Angels (Coloured)
CHAPTER IINTRODUCTORYPERSONAL EXPERIENCE1.THE origins of Freemasonry are lost in the mists of antiquity.Last century there were many who thought that it could be traced nofurther back than the mediaeval guilds of operative masons, though someregarded these in turn as relics of the Roman Collegia. There may still besome who know no better than that, but all students of the AncientMysteries who are also Freemasons are aware that it is along that line thatwe find our true philosophical ancestry; for there is much in ourceremonies and teachings which could have had no significance for themere operative mason, though when examined by the light of theknowledge received in the Mysteries it is seen to be pregnant withmeaning. Many Masonic writers claim various degrees of antiquity for theCraft, some assigning its foundation to King Solomon, and one at leastboldly stating that its wisdom is all that now remains of the divineknowledge which Adam possessed before his fall. There is, however,plenty of evidence less mythical than that, and to that evidence I happen tobe able to contribute a fragment of personal experience of a rather unusualkind.2.By devoting some years to the effort and many more years topractice, I have been able to develop certain psychic faculties of the kindmentioned in the Foreword, which, among other things, enable me toremember the previous existences through which I have passed. The ideaof pre-existence may be new to some of my readers.* (*Those who wishto learn more about this most fascinating subject should readReincarnation, by the V .·.·. Ills .·.·. Bro .·. A. Besant, and the chapter onReincarnation in my Textbook of Theosophy.) I do not propose now toadvance arguments in its favour, though they exist in abundance, butsimply to state that for me, as for many others, it is a fact of personalexperience. The only one of those previous lives of mine with which weare here concerned was lived some four thousand years before Christ inthe country which we now call Egypt.3.When I was initiated into Freemasonry in this life, my first sightof the Lodge was a great and pleasant surprise, for I found that I wasperfectly familiar with all its arrangements, and that they were identicalwith those which I had known six thousand years ago in the Mysteries ofEgypt. I am quite aware that this is a startling statement; I can only saythat it is literally true. No mistake is possible; coincidence will not serveas an explanation. The placing of the three chief officers is unusual; thesymbols are significant and distinctive, and their combination is peculiar;
yet they all belonged to ancient Egypt, and I knew them well there.Almost all the ceremonies are unchanged; there are only a few differencesin minor points. The s ps taken, the k s given - all have a symbolicalmeaning which I distinctly remember.
4.EGYPTIAN EVIDENCES5.Knowing these facts to be so from my own experience, I set towork to collect ordinary physical-plane corroborative evidence for themfrom such books as were within my reach, and found even more than I hadhoped. The explanation of the First Degree t b begins by remarkingthat the usages and customs among Freemasons have ever borne a nearaffinity to those of the ancient Egyptians, but does not furnish us with anyillustrations of the points of similarity. These are to be found in Bro.Churchward’s most illuminative books, Signs and Symbols of PrimordialMan and The Arcana of Freemasonry, also in The Arcane Schools, byBro. John Yarker, and Freemasonry and the Ancient Gods, by Bro. J. S.M. Ward. I will proceed to summarize, with grateful acknowledgment, theinformation derived from these volumes. Masons of various degrees willbe able to select from it the features which remind them of their ownceremonies.6.Some interesting illustrations have been collected from the wallpictures of ancient Egypt, and from vignettes on various papyri, chieflyfrom The Book of the Dead, of which there are many recensions. It is clearfrom these sources that the formation of the temple in Egypt was7.Figure 18.9.a double square, and in the centre were three cubes standing oneupon another, forming an altar* (*Churchward, The Arcana of
Freemasonry, p. 43.) upon which were laid their Volumes of the SacredLore - not the same as our own, of course, for ours had not yet beenwritten. Those cubes represented the three Aspects or Persons of theTrinity - Osiris, Isis and Horus - as may be seen from the signs engravedon them (see Fig. 1) which, however, is copied not from an Egyptian altar,but from an illustration in Mr. Evans’ book on Crete; but at a later periodwe find only a double cube.10.There were two pillars at the entrance to the temple, and on themwere squares representing earth and heaven.* (*Ibid., p. 44.) One of thembore a name which signified “in strength” while the name of the othersignified “to establish”.* (*Ibid., p. 121.) This gateway was regarded asleading to the higher world of Amenti, the world where the soul wasblended with immortal spirit, and thereafter established for ever; so thiswas the figure of stability. At the entrance of the Lodge there were alwaystwo guards armed with knives; the outer was called the Watcher, the innerwas known as the Herald.* (*Ibid., p. 47.) The candidate was divested ofmost of his clothing, and entered with a c t and h w He wasled to the door of the temple, and there asked who he was. He replied thathe was Shu, the “suppliant” or “kneeler,” coming in a state of darkness toseek for Light. The door was an equilateral triangle of stone, which turnedon a pivot on its own centre.11.As the candidate entered he trod on the square, and, in so doing, itwas supposed that he was treading on, and leaving, the lower quaternaryor personality of man, in order to develop the higher triad, the ego or soul.(In modern Masonry the same idea is expressed in the First Lecture, whereit is stated that a Mason comes to the Lodge “to learn to rule and subduehis passions, and to make further progress in Masonry”.) He wasconducted through long passages, and led roun
secret, to explain something of the deeper meaning and purpose of Freemasonry, in the hope of arousing among the Brn. a more profound reverence for that of which they are the custodians and a fuller understanding of the mysteries of the Craft. Although the book is primarily intended for the instruction of members of the Co-
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Freemasonry The Freemasonry transnational network, which is rooted in Britain, appeared in various parts of the world, especially in the East, apparently as an independent liberal movement. Maneki Lymzhi Hatria, and Indian Freemasonry, at the time of Nasir al-Din Shah, founded the Freemasonry in Iran. His close colleagues in this campaign were
Freemasonry’s self-image, and that numerous artists were Masons. is centrality of ! the arts to the history of Freemasonry, and, conversely, Freemasonry’s significance for . Iran, and Haiti show. Figure 0.5 Louis Fabricius Dubourg and Jacob Folkema, Les Free-Massons, two-page engravi
