The Initiatic Secret

In keeping with my recent articles on the importance of Ritual in Forming a Mason, the following discusses the Initiatic Secret, which the Ritual is KEY in presenting to the faithful heart.

There are many secrets in the world in which we live, which holds true in Freemasonry. The initiatic secret, however, is a peculiar one. The secret is the key concept of any initiatory society, being quite different from any other kind of secret which can be encountered in every organization.

The word Secret stems from Latin se-cernere, to set apart and aside at the same time; “initiatic” – and also “initiatory, initiate” – derives from the Latin verb in-ire, to go into, in depth. The expression, therefore, alludes to something which the searcher comes across walking the inner path and then grasps in his deepest soul. The true secrets of Freemasonry are personal, and are different for every man, and for this reason, the secret is truly ineffable and cannot be communicated, even willingly.

This is why Br. René Guénon wrote:

In fact this secret is of such a nature that words cannot express it

and why, Br. Giovanni Giacomo Casanova wrote:

Those who become Freemasons only for the sake of finding out the secret of the order, run a very great risk of growing old under the trowel without ever realizing their purpose. Yet there is a secret, but it is so inviolable that it has never been confided or whispered to anyone. Those who stop at the outward crust of things imagine that the secret consists in words, in signs, or that the main point of it is to be found only in reaching the highest degree. This is a mistaken view: the man who guesses the secret of Freemasonry, and to know it you must guess it, reaches that point only through long attendance in the lodges, through deep thinking, comparison, and deduction.(1)

He would not trust that secret to his best friend in Freemasonry, because he is aware that if his friend has not found it out, he could not make any use of it after it had been whispered in his ear. No, he keeps his peace, and the secret remains a secret.

It can seem contradictory to hold out that Freemasonry can teach the secrets, while at the same time noting that we cannot communicate them. This is part of the mystery of the initiatic method, one that uses rites and symbols to suggest and lead, rather than express, in the ordinary sense of the word.

Properly speaking, what is transmitted by initiation is not the secret itself, since this is incommunicable, but the spiritual influence that the rites vehicle and that makes possible the interior work by means of which, with the symbols as base and support, each one will attain that secret and penetrate it more or less completely, more or less profoundly, according to the measure of his own possibilities of comprehension and realization.(2)

The initiatic secret is a method of spiritual improvement, which stems from a hard inner work aimed to transform the initiate, that is to make him go beyond his present form in order to achieve a new one: it refuses religious dogmas and pushes initiates toward a perfection’s status, which, even if unattained, nevertheless will be considered a rule for their actions.

Freemasonry is an initiatic society, one whose rituals and mystic rites are as much about wakening the inner spiritual man as about improving the moral, mortal, material man. This is why the symbol of the Square and Compass are at once silent, and voluable. The Square symbolizes the material and the mortal sphere, while the Compass symbolizes the Spiritual, and when thus combined, demonstrates the combination and ascention of the man from animal to spiritual being, demonstrating elements of BOTH. It is balance.

Initiation, undertaken in the proper mindset, with a man properly prepared, both in his mind and in his heart, will set a man on the first step of a spiritual awakening. This spiritual awakening is different from the one proffered by religion, which is about the rightful worship of the deity from the creature to his creator, while the initiatic process is about improving the inner man, that he might seek an awakening of the spirit, and thus become a balanced creature, at once mortal and spiritual.

This spiritual awakening is, after all, what the initiatic experience is all about. We are told in the ritual, ask and it shall be given, seek and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened to you. This is as plain and open as initiatory rites get for a man.

Yet, it is up to the man to seek. The degrees only prepare a man, open his eyes so he can see the door. It is up to the candidate to walk the path. Since the secrets of freemasonry cannot be communicated, the man must undertake the search and do the work. Nothing worth having comes easily.

A further consequence is that such a secret cannot be betrayed, because profanes are outside the initiatory world so void of any means – rites and symbols – to do any inner work.

Freemasonry is not a secret society, even if it has a “closed” character. This does not hinge upon a reason of prudence – even if in the past times persecutions justified it – but rather to avoid the danger of degeneration, by admitting profanes who are not fully qualified to grasp the secret. These men will remain profanes with the apron, and soon or later they will “waste the chain”, because they are reluctant to walk the inner path.

Rene Guenon writes:

As for the fact that these organizations are ‘closed’, that is, that they do not admit everyone indiscriminately, this is explained simply by the first condition of initiation described above, the necessity of possessing certain particular ‘qualifications’ lacking which no real benefit can be derived from attachment to such an organization. Moreover, when an initiatic organization becomes too ‘open’ and insufficiently strict in this respect, it runs the risk of degenerating through the incomprehension of those whom it thus thoughtlessly admits, who, especially when they become the majority, do not fail to introduce all sorts of profane opinions and to divert its activity toward goals that have nothing in common with the initiatic domain, as one sees only too often in what still remains of this kind of organization in the Western world today. Mediocre minds despise and hate what they cannot understand.(3)

People should not confuse the initiatic secret with the prohibition to reveal grips, tokens and signs. They cannot be disclosed for two reasons. The first consists in that, that they are symbols like any other and therefore are to be meditated and internalized. They are means to elaborate the initiatic secret and therefore man has to treat them with due reverence and seriousness.

The second reason is the silence’s pedagogic role. The ‘discipline of the secret’ constitutes a sort of ‘training’ or exercise that is part of the method of these organizations—and this can be seen in a way as an attenuated and restricted form of the ‘discipline of silence’ that was used in certain ancient esoteric schools, particularly among the Pythagoreans. Disciplina secreti or disciplina arcani, as it was also called in the Church of the first centuries, something that certain enemies of the ‘secret’ seem to forget; but it should be noted that in Latin the word disciplina usually signifies ‘teaching’(4), which is its etymological meaning, and even, by derivation, ‘science’ or ‘doctrine’.

To keep a secret thus enhances character.

References:

1. Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, Memoirs, Volume 2a, Paris, p. 33
2. R. Guénon, “The Initiatic secret”, in Perspectives on Inititiation, Sophia Perennis, p. 85
3. R. Guénon, ibidem, p.86
4. From Latin discere, to learn. Discipline is the means to learn

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular Masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Membership “Decline”

There are those that claim that Regular Freemasonry’s membership is in a freefall decline. Those of us that are regular masons have denied that, and noted that the decline is due, primarily, to the passing of our older brothers as the Great Architect of the Universe calls them to that lodge which never closes.

The Grand Lodge of California has seen the decline slow, and begin, in fact, to reverse itself as we continue the upward trend in degree conferrals which started over seven years ago. For example, in the fiscal year:

2006 our lodges conferred 4,260 degrees, 1,840 Entered Apprentices, 1,223 Fellowcrafts, and 1,197 Masters.

2007 our lodges conferred 4,405 degrees, 1,951 Entered Apprentices, 1,236 Fellowcrafts, and 1,218 Masters.

As a matter of note, 2007 had more entered apprentices initiated than any other year since 1988, and more total degrees since 1991. In 2007 alone, we received 1,968 petitions for membership.

The membership is growing again, with more and more petitions and more and more masters being raised. Its great to see, and puts the lie to the predictions (actually hopes) of those opposed to regular Masonry and their claims of doom and gloom for Freemasonry.

Why is the fraternity growing?

Well, the honest answer to that has little to do with the Fraternity’s efforts per se. The change is due to a perfect storm of public awareness, offering the candidates what they are seeking, giving them value for their time, a younger membership, and filling the vacancy in their hearts that our modern society is creating.

Public Awareness

Due to movies like National Treasure, magazine articles like Inside the Masons in News and World Report, episodes of The Discovery Channel Conspiracies and Myths and The Secret of Freemasonry, books like Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, Brad Meltzer’s Book of Fate and numerous articles and press articles, Freemasonry has attracted a lot of attention. Men are looking for meaning in their lives, and they are seeing Freemasonry for the first time, and in it, are seeing the answer to their need.

Society is increasingly void and vacuous of morality, of a sense of right and wrong. Freemasonry is offering what it always has… a Peculiar system of morality, taught by allegory and illustrated by symbols. Freemasonry offers something greater, something timeless and valuable, and as a result, men are flocking to the craft.

Offering them what they seek

One item that can be missed in the numbers offered above is the number of Entered Apprentices that are coming back for their Fellowcraft degree, and the number of Fellowcrafts that are being raised as master masons. This has always been an issue, as we have always seemed to initiate 8 for every 5 that come back for their Fellowcraft degree. The Grand Lodge has looked for the reason for this, and I suspect the reason is disappointment.

We will always have men disappointed in what they find, due to inaccurate expectations. I know a man in Oregon that joined the fraternity, expecting to see child sacrifice, black magic and a secret cabal bent on taking over the world. Needless to say, he did not find it, and never came back for his Fellowcraft.

Time is valuable

There are some, I am sure, who were not impressed with the level of knowledge they found in their lodge, nor in the quality of their degrees. It would be foolish to assume otherwise. There are a hundred reasons a man does not come back for his Fellowcraft, or Master Mason degree, but they all pretty much boil down to a lack of value for their time.

In Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, one of the issues he raises is that men are busy, they have endless distractions available to them in the time they have left over from work and commuting. The time a man spends with anything is an investment, and most want a return for their investment, and if they don’t see one, seek something else.

Freemasonry promises a timeless ritual, fellowship, morality, philosophy and knowledge. We all know that they find most of this, though sometimes not enough. The Grand Lodge of California has created a Masonic Formation process, one that teaches the lodges how to give the candidates what they are seeking, to form them into masons.

The lodge membership is getting younger

Another change that we are seeing in the lodges is a declining average age. Historically, since the formation of the Grand Lodge of California, the average age of joining has been 45… for over 150 years. Today, the average age of new masons is approaching the mid 30’s. This is due, in part, to lowering the minimum age for joining from 21 to 18, and the other reasons noted above.

Today, they are finding the craft to be younger, more vibrant, more responsive. Its no longer an old man’s coffee club, not that it ever was… however, there was a time not so long ago that a young man, knocking at our doors, found himself in the company of his grandfather and great grandfather, and its always difficult for a young man to see someone fifty years his senior as a brother and fellow.

Today, many lodges are visibly becoming younger, and with a younger lodge comes greater vibrancy and activity, and like a reverse “Catch-22”, the lodge cycles up into greater and greater life and excitement as more and more young men join. This is also in part what is happening in California.

Finding what is missing from society

Another reason for the change is that young men are finding society to be… uncaring, cold, and solitary. Some see a lack of moral value, and a lack of perceived value in the individual. We have a president who recently received oral sex in the Oval Office and claimed it wasn’t sex. We have politicians of every stripe saying and doing whatever they think they need to do to get them elected. We see our leaders being arrested, indicted, and resigning their offices and high stations in disgrace.

These young men want guidance, they want a firm line, they want tradition, history and fraternity, things that society is not offering them. They see these movies, read the books and articles, and come to the doors of our ancient and honorable craft seeking that which society is not offering them.

It would be nice if the Grand Lodge could take credit for all the positive changes. Truthfully, the Grand Lodge has been responsive to the needs of the members all along and has a concerned and dedicated staff that has served the craft well. Our Grand Masters have been good masons who have carefully tended to the current and future needs of the craft, and our Grand Secretary, V.W. John Cooper has been a visionary who has worked tirelessly for the benefit of the craft.

Freemasonry is on the correct path in California.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Masonic Formation

I am fortunate to be a member of Moreno Valley #804, where I am welcomed every time I show up as if I were the prodigal son... and where we greet every brother that crosses the threshold as the prodigal son returned. I mention this as, since returning from the Hot Sands of Saudi Arabia, I have been privileged to attend a number of degrees.

I mention this because since I have been gone, the master, Wr. John Cover Spear, has instituted what I think is an awesome bit of masonic education for the candidate, and I want to share it with you... because I think it is a great idea.

First, a little background. In California lodges, the installed master sits as Master in the degree work only for the third degree conferrals and stated (business) meetings. In the First Degree, the Junior Warden sits as master and confers the degree upon the candidate. In the Second Degree, the Senior Warden confers the degree upon the candidate.

In both these cases, the master is present, and usually sits as the Junior in the first and the Senior in the second, but that is not ritual, just tradition. I mention this because it will help explain what follows.

After the ceremonials of the degree are completed and the candidate is seated among the brethren, the master rises (in the first and second degrees) and asks the master for permission to meet the candidate west of the altar. As a side note, in California ritual, the altar is equidistant between the Master and Senior Warden and the Junior Warden and the North.

West of the Altar, the Master shows the candidate the step, due guard and sign, the grip, the word, and explains the various officers duties and masonic terms that are used in the degree. He does this in plain speech, in his own words, slowly, making sure he explains it to the candidate.

He does this in each degree excepting the third degree. After the third degree is conferred, he steps down from the east and makes the same type of explanations to the candidate just before closing.

You can see the light come on in the candidate's eyes as he makes this explanation and shows the candidate the things he was told in the ritual. These lessons take no more than five minutes, and have made a lasting impression on the candidate, not only of the material being presented, but in the friendliness and brotherhood in which it is offered.

We all know that the candidates are often overwhelmed with the ritual, the movements, the material they are being presented... heck, as masons, we have all been there. I still remember vividly how it felt to kneel at that altar and take my obligations, and have seen hundreds of degrees conferred since then and have seen the deer in the headlights look on most candidates.

Wr. Cover Spear demonstrates a care, concern, and brotherly love for the candidates, while imparting information all candidates have questions about after the degree. More, in doing so, he sets the tone for the lodge, for the degrees, and for the brotherly relationship between us all.

I was impressed when I first saw Wr. Cover Spear first do this, and since then, I have been more impressed at the effect it has, not only for the candidate, but for the lodge. I am a member of the Masonic Formation Task Force... and I am proud to say that Wr. Cover Spear doesn't just confer degrees in the lodge, he forms masons. Its awesome to be a part of that... even a small part on the right hand of the Senior Warden...

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.