GRAND HONORS  AN EXPLANATION -RW Bro. Russ Fisher – Beacon #190   The sign we know as “GRAND HONORS” in Alberta actually consists of a combination of four signs originating from four different sources: Ancient and primitive methods of expressing joy and appreciation. Ancient methods of giving or receiving a toast. Medieval heraldry. The working…

Why is Freemasonry so Secret in Britain?  By Mike Martin, July 2001.   “So why do you belong to that secret society?” is a question I get asked once in a while. When I reply “which “secret society” is that then?” You get the “you know, the Masons” accompanied by twitching and “over the shoulder”…

Masculinity as Craft by Wor. Bro. David L. Riley This article was originally created for Amicable Lodge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. January 25, 2017       “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.” ― Gloria Steinem   It is common for Freemasons to be asked why the Craft…

by Midnight Freemasons Founder Todd E. Creason, 33° (image link) The Illustrious Brother Ernest Borgnine, 33° and Frank Sinatra fight in “From Here To Eternity” (1953) We’ve all seen that scene in a movie. Some army sergeant challenges his superior officer by saying “if you weren’t wearing that hat, I’d teach you a lesson.” Of…

The Trowel – a Lost Symbol? – W Bro Steve Lourey   The trowel is a beautiful Masonic symbol which seems to be somewhat lost in English Freemasonry. We read in the Book of Amos, “Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in…

A reminder that one word in the English language that can be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb and preposition.         UP                          This two-letter word  in English has more meanings than any other  two-letter word, and that word is ‘UP.’  It is listed in  the dictionary as an [adv.], [prep.], [adj.], [n]  or [v].       …

This story isn’t ours, but nevertheless it is a good one! A farmer had an old blind horse which had outlived his usefulness. One day he fell into an old well. The farmer looked in and saw him standing deep in the water. There seemed to be no way to get him out, and as…

Written and Presented by James Musgrave, GLNS   My Brothers, why is the delivery of ritual by memory so important in Freemasonry? Memory work is a key component of everything we do, starting with the ritual we learn as Entered Apprentices.  From that point onward, committing ritual to memory is an integral part of our…

W:. B :. Andrew Hammer, PM Alexandria-Washington Lodge No 22   The growing popularity of the idea of ‘observant’ Masonry has found brethren in all corners of the Craft asking the question of what exactly an observant Lodge is, and how they might go about increasing Masonic observance in their own Lodges. This document offers eight basic measures…

When a new initiate enters the lodge at his initiation, he has an ancient artifact about him. This artifact that binds him is the cable tow and it binds him to his new life; for his cable tow connects him to the obligation he will take in the ceremony. As long as he never lets…