Selected Extracts from
the First Series...
Volumes One - Five
Short Talk No. 37 - Mystic Tie
"Finally, only a Freemason can understand the more solemn
expression of Brotherhood which may come to him as he visits the
bedside of a dying Brother, who in his feeble, speechless
condition responds to sympathetic ministrations with a certain
pressure of the hand, as if they were about to say to each other
"It is about time to say farewell my Brother".
That my dear and precious Brethren - is what The Mystic Tie is
all about!"
Short Talk No. 7 - What I Have Learned From Freemasonry
"Over the years and through the many happy experiences that I
have had in Freemasonry I find that a conviction has grown in my
mind that the warm heart of Freemasonry, the source of its great
power, is friendship and brotherly love. Here we have something
that is unique, something that exists between men of goodwill.
This is friendship without any mercenary motive - we use the
strange phrase "disinterested friendship"- friendship that has
no motive, other than friendship for its own sake.
The shared experiences that unite men from all walks of life and
every age. These things do indeed form a silver cord running
from heart to heart that unites us into one sacred band or
society of friends and brothers.
To fill every human relation with the spirit of friendship! Is
there anything better that the wisest and best of men can do?"
Short Talk No. 24 - Globes
"The Celestial and Terrestrial Globes atop of the Pillars as
depicted on the Second Degree Tracing Board, frequently arouse
the curiosity of new Fellowcrafts
It is true that their existence is described in Tracing Board
explanation. We are informed that the Pillars in the porch of
King Solomon's Temple are further adorned with two spherical
balls on which were delineated maps of the celestial and
terrestrial globes.
What is quite extraordinary is of course the fact that in the
time of King Solomon when his Temple was completed in about 960
BC - there was no such thing as a terrestrial globe - all the
experts on this subject considered the world to be flat!
Most Masonic researchers over the ages are now agreed that there
were no such globes atop the Pillars in the Porchway or entrance
of King Solomon's Temple.
This naturally raises a few important questions!"
Short Talk No. 42 - Freemasons Candles
"In every Craft Lodge there are three Lesser Lights
symbolized by three candles.
To many it seems regrettable that some Lodges are willing to use
electric light bulbs as a substitute for the real thing - the
old fashioned burning tapers.
True, the electric light is clean and convenient. It is very
easy to turn on or off. But the electric light is but a symbol
of a symbol. Sadly symbols grow thin when they in turn are
symbolized.
Editors Note: Can you imagine the
setting? - A "candlelight supper" at your favourite restaurant.
To be escorted to the table to find that situated between the
place settings is a table lamp without its shade!
Upon being asked for an explanation the Head Waiter - sniffs and
replies, "Well you see Sir - in this day and age it saves us the
trouble of having to buy and then light a candle!"
Short Talk No. 50 - A Layman Looks at Freemasonry
"I have told you of but a few things we laymen think about
you, there are probably many more points that could have been
mentioned.
Time is fleeting however, so I will package some of them
together, in six general observations:
Masons are respected honourable men.
Masonry stands for serious things pleasing to God.
I have never known a Mason knowingly reveal any part of the
secret rites, or knowingly discuss them with non-Masons.
A Masonic Lodge is a good thing in a Community.
When a Mason gives his word you can depend on it.
The lessons of Masonry come from the Bible.
A popular Hymn exclaims:
'How Great Thou Art' in reference to The Deity.
From one man to another, from me to you, who observe the
principals and the ancient ideals I think Masons observe -
I say: "How Great Thou Art - my Brothers"
Selected Extracts from the Second
Series...
Volumes Six - Ten
Short Talk No. 72 - Sublime - The Master Mason
"In the third ceremony in Craft masonry, a brother is raised
to the 'Sublime Degree of a Master Mason'. It is indeed a
'Sublime' Degree, which, as a full member of the Craft, a Mason
may study for years without exhausting it.
Any interpretation in this article must necessarily be a hint
only. Yet a hint may stimulate a Mason to reflect upon it
himself, and to study it more thoroughly in the future.
In the First and Second Degrees, the candidate was surrounded by
the symbols of architecture, nature and science. In the Third
Degree a different order of symbolism is found, cast in the
language of the soul - it is life, tragedy and triumph. To
recognise this is the first step in interpretation."
Short Talk No. 76 - A White Table Meeting
"The objective of a 'white table' is to stimulate an interest
in Freemasonry from wives, family and friends and to dispel
fears and misconceptions that prevent suitable candidates from
seeking membership of the Order.
Planning arrangements are crucial, and a satisfactory outcome
depends on the quality and quantity of initial research and
planning. Responsibility for planning should not be left to one
individual - it is a matter of teamwork.
Past Masters and officers should be well experienced to
contribute to creative ideas, carry out research, e.g., history
of the Lodge etc, and meetings should take place with the
planning team to establish a sensible and practical format."
Short Talk No. 79 - The Entered Apprentice
"The builders of the Middle Ages we call 'Operative Masons'
because they were builders in the literal sense, hewing stone
from the quarries, dressing to shape, and laying into walls and
creating some of the most remarkable structures the world has
ever seen.
As a modern Entered Apprentice Freemason you are a beginner in
what we call 'Speculative Masonry'. This means that we do not
build in stone - we build in the hearts and minds of men 'a
system of morality'."
Short Talk No. 92 - The Fellowcraft
"When the 'Operative Mason' came to the end of his
Apprenticeship, and his record was good and had proved his
proficiency under test, he was formally released from his bond
and became known as 'A Fellow of the Craft'. The term that
Freemasons, as 'Speculative Masons' use of 'Fellowcraft' is
actually a shortening of the expression, and a Freemason is
termed a Fellowcraft after having passed to the Second Degree.
During the ceremony the Fellowcraft assumes its Obligations and
is subsequently registered in the records of the Lodge as such,
and can now sit in either a Lodge of Entered Apprentices or a
Fellowcraft Lodge.
Because the Fellowcraft lies between the Entered Apprentice and
the Master Mason Degree, he must not fall into the error of
considering it a halfway station, a mere transition from one to
the other. On the contrary, it has the same completeness, the
same importance and definite purpose as each of the others.
Unless the Fellowcraft clearly understand its teachings, he will
not obtain a full understand of the secrets and mysteries of the
Craft."
Short Talk No. 99 - Own Free Will and Accord
"Own free will and accord" is a phrase that every Freemason
knows. It is one of a number of expressions used in ritual that
is to all intent and purposes, universal throughout the
English-speaking Masonic world. When this phrase is thoughtfully
considered, immediate questions arise:
- Why is "free will" alone not
enough?
- Why "accord" alone is not enough?
- Why does Freemasonry use "free will and accord" as the
necessary phrase by which an Initiate describes his motive in
asking to become a member?"
Click
here to go to the
Ordering Page
Click here for suggestions on How to Use the Short Talks
[Top of Page]