|
From The East... ...a compilation of the monthly trestleboard
messages (2005 on). |
|
November/December
2005 - Mount Moriah * October 2005 - Reiki
* September 2005 – Jehovah
* June 2005 – The Essenes * May 2005 – The Tectractys * April 2005 – Urim and Thummim * March 2005 – Geometric Symbols Used By Pythagoras
* February 2005 – Pythagoras
and the Philosophy of Numbers * January 2005 - Dowland Manuscript (Part 1)
November/December
2005 – Mount Moriah
Brethren:
Mount Moriah is the site on
which the Temple of Solomon was built. It is symbolically known as the ground
floor of the lodge. Thus, the lodge rests on holy ground. The sacred sight once belonged to Ornan the
Jebusite, who used it as his threshing floor before selling it to David for 50
shekels of silver.
The ground
floor of the lodge is remembered for three great occurrences, known as “the
three grand offerings of masonry.” It
was here that Abraham showed his faith in offering up his beloved son Isaac
(the first grand offering), that David made peace and burnt offerings to
appease the wrath of God (second grand offering), and that King Solomon
dedicated the magnificent Temple to the service of Jehovah (third grand
offering).
Fraternally,
Joseph P
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
October 2005 – ReiKi
Brethren:
About 6
months ago, I came across a book about a hands on healing method known as
ReiKi. Rei is Japanese for “universe”. Ki which means “life force”. So in essence, ReiKi is the channeling of
the life force of the universe. This
energy-based healing method was brought into the mainstream in the 1800’s by
one Dr. Mikao Usui, who rediscovered the practice after searching for the
ability to heal by touch, as inspired by New Testament accounts of Christ’s
healing abilities.
Dr. Usui
searched far and wide and learned many forms of healing such as Qui Gong and
acupuncture. Although effective, Usui found other forms of healing very
tiring. Usui became a Catholic priest,
and in an effort to more closely emulate Christ, he went to the top of a mountain
to fast and pray for 21 days. On the 21st day, Usui felt a blinding light come
into his being, which knocked him unconscious. When he awoke, he noticed his
hands were extremely hot. It was then that Usui felt he had received the gift
of healing.
Usui
healed many people. A woman named Dr. Takata was designated as his successor,
and she passed this gift onto her successor. This amazing gift has been a
closely guarded secret under the pretense that to receive something so valuable
there must be a powerful exchange in return. Traditionally, the fee has been in
excess of $10,000 to become privy to these secrets.
I
myself wanted to possess this healing ability but did not have the resources to
pay the fee. Eventually, I came in contact with a teacher who attuned me to the
master teacher level for $200. Healings can be done hands on and remotely from
my living room in NY. I can even remotely heal someone in China. How does this
work? The life force has an intelligence
of its own, and will go wherever there is suffering, be it mental, emotional,
physical or spiritual. The ReiKi will go where you need it and will benefit all
those who are willing to receive it, whether they believe it will help them or
not. The healer is merely a channel for this energy, which flows from his hands
placed over the 7 main chakras. I am truly blessed to have this ability
awakened in me and would be happy to share this gift with anyone who asks.
Fraternally,
Joseph P
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
September 2005 – Jehovah
Brethren:
Jehovah, the ineffable name of God, is made up of four Hebrew
letters and is known as the Tetragrammaton.
It is derived from the verb havah meaning “to be”, and contains
the present, past, and future forms of the verb designating God as “I am that I
am”. The name was first revealed to Moses when God appeared in the form of the
burning bush, saying “This is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all
generations” (Exodus 3:15). In ancient times, it was unlawful to pronounce this
name except on one sacred occasion, the Day of Atonement, when it was whispered
by the high priest in the Holy of Holies, as trumpets and cymbals blared to
prevent anyone from hearing the true pronunciation.
It is believed by many Judaic scholars that the name Jehovah
possesses limitless powers. It is said
that he who pronounces it shakes heaven and earth and inspires the very angel’s
with astonishment and terror, and that there is a sovereign authority in this
name that governs the world by its power. Other names and surnames of the Deity
are ranged about it like officers and soldiers about their sovereigns and
generals - from this king-name, they
receive their orders and obey.
The extremely limited use of the name caused the true
pronunciation to be lost which is believed by The Grand, Elect, Perfect and
Sublime Masons to only have been in the possession of Enoch, Jacob & Moses.
Fraternally,
Joseph P
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
June 2005 – The Essenes
Brethren:
The Essenes were a Jewish
sect believed to be descendants of the Freemasons of the Temple. The Essenes
were divided into two classes: 1) the speculatives, devoted to a life of
contemplation; and 2) the operatives, engaged in various handicrafts.
The fruits of their labors were deposited into one common stock
for the benefit of all brothers. They lived apart from the rest of the world.
Their doctrines were entirely esoteric and symbolic in character. They admitted
no women. They were viewed as equals who "met on the level", giving
precedence only to virtue. Charity was extended to poor and distressed
brothers. They adopted special signs and other modes of recognition.
Their order was made up of three degrees. An applicant's character was scrutinized before
admission, and upon a satisfactory report of a committee, he was presented with
a girdle, a hatchet, and a white garment. At that point, the applicant was
under a state of probation for a period of one year, during which he followed
their customs but was excluded from meetings. If, after one year, he was found
worthy, he was advanced to the second degree, and partook in the waters of
purification, though he was still not permitted to dwell amongst the fully
initiated until two further years of probation passed, at the end of which he
was at initiated to the third degree. For the third degree he took a solemn
oath, which, according to the author Josephus, included promises to exercise
piety towards God and justice toward men, to hate the wicked and assist the
good, to show fidelity towards all men, to obey those in a position of
authority, to show kindness to inferiors, to love the truth, to reprove
falsehoods, to avert thievery and unlawful gains, to keep no secrets from their
brothers but to keep the doctrines of the order secret and communicate them in
no way other than the way in which they received them, and to preserve the
books belonging to the sect and the names of the Angels on which they were to
be instructed.
According to Philo of Alexandria, when they listened to the secret
instructions of their teachers, they stood with their right hand on the breast
slightly below the chin with their left hand placed along their side, the same
position attributed to Venus by Macrobius when deploring the death of Adonis,
and in the rites celebrated at Tyre when King Solomon fetched Hiram a widow’s
son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father a man of Tyre.
Fraternally,
Joseph P
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
May 2005 – The Tectractys
Brethren:
The basic
principles of Pythagorean cosmology are contained in Pythagoras's great
mystical symbol the Tectractys. In this symbol, geometry, numbers and
harmonics are represented. Its ordering of ten points in the shape of an equilateral
triangle provide the numerical ratios of the musical consonant intervals: 2:1
of the octave, 3:2 of the fifth, and 4:3 of the fourth.
The
single point on top represents the first world of unity. The two points on the
second line signify the mathematical line that can be drawn between them, and
represent the second world of duality. The three points on the third line
signify the minimal surface of the triangle, representing the harmonizing third
world. The four points on the bottom line represent the minimal solid
composed of four equilateral triangles, which symbolize the fourth world of
manifest solids. The sum of all the points of the dots equals ten.
Fraternally
yours,
Joseph P
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
April 2005 – Urim and Thummim
Brethren:
There
are several references in the Holy Bible to Urim and Thummim, which are sacred
lots kept in the breastplate of the High Priest. The Hebrew words Aurim and
Thummim signify “Light and Truth”. Only the High Priest was allowed to consult
them, using them as aids in decision-making regarding extremely important
matters.
The
Egyptian judges wore breast-plates having inscribed upon them two figures: one
of the Sun God Ra, symbolizing
physical and intellectual light; and the other of the Goddess Thm, standing for truth and justice. In
Hebrew, duality is expressed by the plural form of the noun. The Hebrew word
for sun or light is Aur, and the word for truth is Thme. The plurals of these
words are Aurim and Thmim, and they appear in the following passage: “And thou
shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they
shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall
bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD
continually” Exodus 28:30. Note the connection between the Israelites and the
Egyptians. Moses was raised as the Pharaoh’s son, being taught in all of the
hidden mystery teachings available.
Jesus Christ also lived in Egypt, as did John the Baptist, where both of
their families fled after Herod’s decree.
It was a similar decree that caused Moses to be placed in a papyrus
basket amongst the reeds of the Nile. It was believed by the Egyptians that
boats of papyrus would safe guard passengers from the predators of the
Nile.
Fraternally
yours,
Joseph P.
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
March 2005 – Geometric Symbols Used By
Pythagoras
Brethren:
Pythagoras
was born at Samos, about 568 B.C. He visited
Chaldea and Egypt, and obtained from local priests knowledge of their mysteries
and symbolic writings. He was believed to have been instructed in the sacred
things of the Hebrews by the prophet Ezekiel.
On his
return to Europe, he settled in Crotona of Magna Grecia, and founded his
school. His pupils were hand selected, based on their virtue and capacity to
learn. The symbols adopted for his secret instruction were derived from
geometry. The right angle was an emblem of morality and justice. The equilateral
triangle was a symbol of God - the essence of Light and Truth. The square, like
the tetractys, referred to the Divine mind. The cube was the symbol of the mind
of man, after it had been purified by piety and acts of devotion, and thus
prepared for mingling with the celestial gods. The point within a circle, and
the dodecahedron (figure of twelve sides), were symbols of the universe. The
triple triangle was an emblem of health. The letter Y represented the course of
human life, in which there are two diverging paths: one of virtue, leading to
happiness, and the other of vice, leading to misery. In short, Pythagoras
appears to have extracted from the various sects all that was good, and
rejected all that was bad. Thereby fitting his mind as a living stone for
that spiritual building - "that house not made with hands eternal in the
heavens."
Fraternally
yours,
Joseph P.
Aiello
Worshipful Master
February 2005 – Pythagoras and the Philosophy of Numbers
Brethren:
The
mystical meaning and divine virtue of numbers formed an important part of the
philosophy of Pythagoras. Pythagoras brought his doctrines on this subject from
Egypt, where he had long resided. He believed that the creation of the
world was produced by the harmonious combination of numbers, and that they had
existed before the world.
According
to Pythagoras, numbers are of two kinds: intellectual and scientific. The
intellectual number exists in the divine mind as the basis of universal
order, and the link that binds all. The scientific number is the generative
cause of multiplicity, which proceeds from and is the result of unity. Scientific numbers are even or odd. Even
numbers are said to be female, and odd numbers male; even numbers admit of
division or generation, odds do not. Odd numbers, however, are the most
perfect.
Pythagoras
ascribed a character and quality to each number. One, the Monad, represented
the central fire, or God, without beginning or end; the point within the circle,
love, concord, piety, and friendship, because it is indivisible. It was the
symbol of identity, equality, existence, and universal preservation and
harmony. Two was unlucky and denoted darkness and the evil principle. Three
referred to harmony, friendship, peace, concord and temperance, and was so
highly esteemed that they called this number "perfect harmony."
Four was a divine number; it referred to Deity. The Pythagoreans called it
Tetractys, and used it as a solemn oath. Five denoted light, nature, and
marriage - the latter because it was made up of the female 2 and the male 3.
The triple triangle, which is a figure of five lines uniting into five points,
was among the Pythagoreans an emblem of health. Six was also an emblem of
health, and it was also the symbol of justice, because it was the first perfect
number. Seven was highly esteemed, and called a venerable number, because it
referred to the creation of the world. Eight was esteemed as the first cube
(2x2x2) and signified friendship, prudence, counsel, and justice. It designated
the primitive law of nature, which supposes all men to be equal. Nine was
called teleios, or perfect finish. Ten
was denominated heaven, because it was the perfection and consummation of all
things, and was constituted by the union of One, the Monad or active principle,
Two, the dual or passive principle, Three, the triad or world proceeding from
their union, and Four, the sacred Tetractys, thus 1+2+3+4=10.
Fraternally,
Joseph P
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
January 2005 – Dowland Manuscript (Part 1)
Brethren:
In 1815, a Mr. James Dowland came into possession of a
document believed to have originated in the mid 1500's. Referred to as the
Dowland Manuscript, it describes how and what manner Masonry had begun. The
manuscript states: "For there be Seven liberal sciences, of which the
seven it is one of them…And the fifth is called Geometry; and that teacheth
meet and measure of earth and of all other things; of the which science is
called Masonry."
It then goes on to say that before Noah's flood, there was
a man called Lamech (see Genesis 4) who had two wives: Ada and Sella. Ada bore
Lamech two sons named Jabell and Tuball. Sella bore a son named Tuball Cain and
a daughter named Naamah. The manuscript states that these children founded
the beginning of all the sciences of the world. Jabell founded the science of
Geometry. Tuball founded music, and the “song of tongue and harp and organ”.
Tuball Cain founded “smithcraft of gold, silver, copper, iron and steele”.
Naamah founded the craft of weaving. Fearing that God would take vengeance for
sin by “fire or water”, the four siblings recorded their sciences on two
pillars of stone, so that they would be found after the flood. One pillar
was marble, which would not burn with fire; the other was brick, which would
not drown in water.
After the flood, a descendant of Noah named Hermarynes (or
Harmes, the father of wise men) found one of the two pillars, and imparted the
sciences written on it to other men. The manuscript described how the science
of Masonry was used in the making of the tower of Babylon, and how King Nimrod,
himself a mason, sent over three score masons to construct the city of Nineveh,
with the charge that they be true to each other, and serve their lord truly for
their pay, “so that the master may have worship and all that long to
him”.
To be
continued next month.
Fraternally
yours,
Joseph P.
Aiello
Worshipful
Master
