Knowledge Files » Symbolism

The Symbolism of Freemasonry or Mystic Masonry

Vigilant — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:29:26 +0000

This Great Secret, this Master’s Word, was know to and preserved in the Mysteries of Antiquity, and is embodied and preserved in the traditions and symbols of Masonry today. This fact has been stated repeatedly in the body of this little book, the real purpose of which was to set students, and particularly masonic students, to searching for the real secret. It is the reward of study and devotion, and has never been obtained on any other terms. It has never been conferred in the ritualistic degrees of the lodge, and never will or can be. It is the establishment of understanding in the soul of man between that higher self in him, and the More, and the Beyond self from which he draws his life, and from which his intuitions spring. This is real Initiation: Becoming: At-one-ment.” “There are thousands of Masons, who realize that Masonry contains and implies far more than appears in the ritual and ceremonies of the Lodge. There is a very widespread and growing interest in this direction, and it is this that Mystic Masonry, above all else, is designed to foster, encourage, and help.”

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I. Principles of Education and Ethics
CHAPTER II. The Genius of Freemasonry
CHAPTER III. The Genius of Freemasonry (continued)
CHAPTER IV. The Secret Doctrine
CHAPTER V. The Secret Doctrine (continued)
CHAPTER VI. The Secret Doctrine (continued) The Seven-fold Nature of Man.
CHAPTER VII. The Sign of the Master
CHAPTER VIII. The Great Lodge
CHAPTER IX. An Outline of Symbolism
CHAPTER X. Conclusion
Illustrations

The Origin of Masonic Ritual & Tradition as Manifested by the Geometrical Design and Symbolism of The Great Pyramid

Vigilant — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:50:57 +0000

Complete title:

The Origin of Masonic Ritual & Tradition as Manifested by the Geometrical Design and Symbolism of The Great Pyramid, The Everlasting Pillar or Temple of Witness to the Most High: A Lecture

This rare book documents a lecture given by William Rowbottom in Masonic Lodges in Great Britain between 1850 and 1880 regarding the ancient meaning of the symbolism found in the Great Pyramid.

“According to Professor Smyth there are three keys required for the opening of the Great Pyramid, viz., the key of pure mathematics, the key of applied mathematics, and the key of positive human history – past, present, and future – as found in the Old and New Testaments; and in the use of them “there is no twisting, no forcing needed, (…) and least of all, is any alteration of them required for this particular purpose”. The use of these keys, however, and the understanding of the results obtained thereby, require in themselves almost a special education and an acquaintance with subjects which are beyond the range of the great majority of people, who therefore fail to see the intimate connection which exists between them. This special knowledge is placed within the reach of every Freemason, who is led by regular steps to observe and adore the distinctive attributes of the Deity in the three degrees. He is thus entrusted with a master key which opens the arcana of knowledge, and gives him the means on testing the theories advances from time to time in connection with the Sacred and Royal Art.”

The Occult Anatomy of Man

Vigilant — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:28:25 +0000

An enlightening interpretation of the symbolism of the mysteries of the human body.

“In Scripture we are told that God made man in his own image. It is so stated not only in the Christian Bible, but also in the holy writings of nearly all enlightened people. The Jewish patriarchs thought that human body was the microcosm, or the little cosmos, made in the image of the macrocosm, or the great cosmos. The analogy between the finite and the infinite is said to be one of the keys by aid of which the secrets of Holy Writ are unlocked.“

“Amond certain Cabalistic writers the Holy Land is mapped out on the human body, and the various cities are shown as centers of consciousness in man. There is a wonderful study here for those who will investigate deeply and sincerely the ancient Mysteries. We cannot hope to cover all the ground, but if you can gain from this booklet a key to the situation we hope you will pursue the line of thought until you have made it all-inclusive and opened at least on seal of the Book of Divine Revelation”.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I – The Human Body in Symbolism

II – The Three Worlds

III- The Spinal Column

4- The Infernal Worlds

5- Occult Embryology

Addendum: Occult Masonry

The Hierophant or Gleanings from the Past

Vigilant — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:03:31 +0000

The full title of the book is: The Hierophant or Gleanings from the Past Being and Exposition of Biblical Astronomy and the Symbolism and Mysteries on Which Were Founded All Ancient Religions and Secret Societies. Also an Explanation of the Dark Sayings and Allegories which Abound in the Pagan, Jewish and Christian Bibles. Also, The Real Sense of the Doctrines and Observances of the Modern Christian Churches.

“Without making any pretence to literary talent, I have in the following pages attempted to gather and arrange the fragmentary remains of a world-wide system of worship and belief which has been perpetuated under different names in the various systems of religion and continues to
give laws to the modern christian as well as the pagan world.”

INDEX
INTRODUCTION.
Object of the book, page 13—Universality of star -worship,
15—Basis of all religions and secret societies, 16—
Similarity of Jewish and heathen worship, 18—Antiquity
and supposed origin of Egypt, 1 9—Origin of the Priesthood,
22—Origin of Lent, 25—Jesus of Nazareth, 26.

CHAPTER I
The religious element in man, p. 28—Age of thought,
31—The Bible, 34—Destruction of ancient and modern
literature, 37—Reasons for running counter to the opinions
of the age, 39.

CHAPTER II
Introduction of religious forms, 43—Planet worship,
45—Saturn, Jupiter, Brahm, 45—Dives and Lazarus, 47
Sun travel, 50—Zodiac, 52—”War in heaven, 53—Moses
and the Jews, 54—Jewish sects, 55—Canonization of
Saints, 57—Symbol language, 58—Phallum worship, 63
— Correspondence, 65.

CHAPTER III.
Common origin of all religions, 67—The talent of the
world anciently absorbed by astronomy and astrology,
70—Origin of unlucky days and seasons, 71—War in
heaven, “7 2—Devil born, 73—Hell discovered, 74—Bottomless
pit, 74—Lake of fire, 75—Devil slain, 77—The
Old Serpent, 80—Origin of plays and secret societies, 84—
• Oriental style, 85—Witchcraft, 87.

CHAPTER IV.
Amours of the gods, 89—Trinity of evils, 90—Constellations,
96—Baal worship, 98—Indian star worship, 99
Ceremonies of Indians and Hebrews identical, 102—Jonal
among our western Indians, 102—Devil in China, 105—
The Cross among the Aztecs, 106.

CHAPTER V.
Osiris, Isis and Typlion, 107—Pyramids, 114 —System
of gradual Divinities,’ 118—Difference between Moses and
the Egyptians, 110—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob always
pagans, 120.
CHAPTER VI.
Circumcision, 125—Circle, 126r-Druids, 126—Celtic
temples, 127—Hall of Odin, 128—Masonry, 123—Names
of God, 128—Trinity, 132—Creation, 137.

CHAPTER VII
Origin of Man, 142—Garden of Eden and the fall, 144
— Mysteries in the Bible, 151—Oriental style, 152—Most
ancient names of God, 156
CHAPTER YIII.
Cherubim, 161—Satan to be restored, 166—Jacob’s
blessing, 168—Joseph’s coat, 168—Mistakes in Jewish
encampment, 174—White throne, 177.
CHAPTER IX.
David’s intrigues, 180—Samson, 182—Baalim. 186—
Phaeton, 187—Change of the names of the Patriarchs,
189—Abraham sacrificing Isaac, 190.

CHAPTER X.
Serpent symbol, 191—The two Sauls, 195—The Devil
202.
CHAPTER XL
Fallen spirits. 203—War in heaven, 213—The Apocalypse,
215—The mystical number seven, 215—The perfect
number twelve, 218—Seven churches, 219—The two
Covenants, 221—Theology of the Magi, 224—The Woman
clothed with the Sun, 225.
CHAPTER XIL
The Sun and Moon stand still, 227—Elijah translated,
228—Jonah and the whale, 230—Christmas, 231—Epiphany,
232—Phallum worship, 232—Assumption, 234—Nativity,
234.

The History of Initiation

Vigilant — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:14:20 +0000

In Twelve Lectures Comprising a Detailed Account of the Rites and Ceremonies, Doctrines and Discipline of all the Secret and Mysterious Institutions of the Ancient World. Contents: General Introduction; History of Initiation in Hindostan; Philosophy of the Eastern Mysteries; Initiation in Persia; History of Initiation in Greece; Ceremonies of Initiation into the Mysteries of Bacchus; Places of Initiation into the Celtic Mysteries; Ceremonies of Initiation in Britain; Symbols and Doctrines of the Druids; History of Initiation into the Gothic Mysteries; Doctrines and Morality; History of Initiation in America; Corollary.

“The excellent Preston says, with much justice, ” Many are deluded by the vague supposition, that our mysteries are merely nominal ; that the practices established amongst us are frivolous ; and that our ceremonies may be adopted or waived at pleasure. On this false basis we find too many of the Brethren hurrying through all the degrees of the Order, without adverting to the propriety of one step they pursue, or possessing a single qualification to entitle them to advancement. Passing through the usual formalities, they consider themselves authorized to rank as Masters of the Art, solicit and accept offices, and even assume the government of the Lodge, equally unacquainted with the rules of the Institution that they pretend to support, and the nature of the trust which they are bound to perform. The consequence is obvious; anarchy and confusion ensue, and the substance is lost in the shadow. Hence men, who are eminent for ability, rank, and fortune, frequently view the honours of Masonry with indifference ; and, when their patronage is solicited, either accept office with reluctance, or reject them with disdain.”

Table of Contents

General Introduction

History of Initiation in Hindostan

Philosophy of the Eastern Mysteries

Initiation in Persia

History of Initiation in Greece

Ceremonies of Initiation Into the Mysteries of Bacchus

Places of Initiation into the Celtic Mysteries

Ceremonies of Initiation in Britain

Symbols and Doctrines of the Druids

History of Initiation into the Gothic Mysteries

Doctrines and Morality

History of Initiation in America

The Apocalypse Unsealed

Vigilant — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:59:33 +0000

The purpose of this book is to show that the Apocalypse is a manual of spiritual development and not, as conventionally interpreted, a cryptic history or prophecy. In the following pages the reader will find the complete solution of the Apocalyptic enigma, with ample proof of the correctness of that solution. As the subject dealt with in the work is, however, familiar to only a comparatively few special students of the sacred science, which to the many has ever been a sealed book, the exposition here given is put in the form of an elementary treatise. If it were written for the few, it would have been expanded to great bulk; but as it is intended for the many, the author has kept within the limits of a small volume, avoiding everything mystical, scholastic and controversial, using plain, concise language, and employing technical terms only when they are required by the nature of the subject.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Chapter I – The key of the Gnosis
Chapter II – The path of power
Chapter III – The riddles of „Revelation“
Chapter IV – The drama of self-conquest

The Lost Keys of Masonry

Vigilant — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:26:48 +0000

The steady demand and increasing popularity of this volume, of which eighteen thousand copies have been printed since it first appeared a few years ago, have brought the present revised and rearranged edition into being. The text can be read with profit by both new and old Mason, for within its pages lies an interpretation of Masonic symbolism which supplements the monitorial instruction usually given in the lodges. The leading Masonic scholars of all times have agreed that the symbols of the Fraternity are susceptible of the most profound interpretation and thus reveal to the truly initiated certain secrets concerning the spiritual realities of life. Freemasonry is therefore more than a mere social organization a few centuries old, and can be regarded as a perpetuation of the philosophical mysteries and initiations of the ancients. This is in keeping with the inner tradition of the Craft, a heritage from pre-Revival days.

The present volume will appeal to the thoughtful Mason as an inspiring work, for it satisfies the yearning for further light and leads the initiate to that Sanctum Sanctorum where the mysteries are revealed. The book is a contribution to Masonic idealism, revealing the profounder aspects of our ancient and gentle Fraternity – those unique and distinctive features which have proved a constant inspiration through the centuries.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter I – The Eternal Quest
Chapter II – The Candidate
Chapter III – The Entered Apprentice
Chapter IV – The Fellow Craft
Chapter V – The Master Mason
Chapter VI – The Qualifications of a True Mason
Epilogue

Morals and Dogma

Vigilant — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:17:42 +0000

The book is composed of Pike’s ruminations and essays on the Degrees of the Scottish Rite, from the 1st to the 32nd. It is intended as a guidebook for people entering the Scottish Rite, and explains Pike’s understanding of the symbolism and allegory in the degrees he wrote. However, it is a truly imposing tome. There are 861 pages of text and a 218 page index; the book itself is over two inches thick. There are thirty-two chapters, each discussing the philosophical symbolism of a degree of Freemasonry in extensive detail. In the Preface to the 1950 Edition, the editors wrote about Pike thus:

“In preparing this work, the Grand Commander has been about equally Author and Compiler; since he has extracted quite half of its contents from the works of the best writers and most philosophic or eloquent thinkers. Perhaps it would have been better and more acceptable if he had extracted more and written less.”

SHORT BIOGRAPHY
TITLES OF DEGREES
1º – Apprentice
2º – Fellow-craft
3º – Master
4º – Secret Master
5º – Perfect Master
6º – Intimate Secretary
7º – Provost and Judge
8º – Intendant of the Building
9º – Elu of the Nine
10º – Elu of the Fifteen
11º – Elu of the Twelve
12º – Master Architect
13º – Royal Arch of Solomon
14º – Perfect Elu
15º – Knight of the East
16º – Prince of Jerusalem
17º – Knight of the East and West
18º – Knight Rose Croix
19º – Pontiff
20º – Master of the Symbolic Lodge
21º – Noachite or Prussian Knight
22º – Knight of the Royal Axe or Prince of Libanus
23º – Chief of the Tabernacle
24º – Prince of the Tabernacle
25º – Knight of the Brazen Serpent
26º – Prince of Mercy
27º – Knight Commander of the Temple
28º – Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept ( Part 1 )
28º – Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept ( Part 2 )
28º – Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept ( Part 3 )
28º – Knight of the Sun or Prince Adept ( Part 4 )
30º – Knight Kadosh
31º – Inspector Inquistor
32º – Master of the Royal Secret

The Secret Teachings of All Ages

Vigilant — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:23:42 +0000

In 1928, a 20-something Renaissance man named Manly Hall self-published a vast encyclopedia of the occult, believing that “modern” ideas of progress and materialism were displacing more important and ancient modes of knowledge. Hall’s text has become a classic reference, dizzying in its breadth: various chapters explore Rosicrucianism, Kabbalah, alchemy, cryptology, Tarot, pyramids, the Zodiac, Pythagorean philosophy, Masonry and gemology, among other topics. This affordably priced edition would be vastly improved by a new foreword, placing the work in some kind of historical and critical context and introducing readers to the basic contours of Hall’s sweeping corpus. Instead, we have a disciple’s adulatory 1975 foreword, which merely parrots the same themes of mystery and esoterica that are espoused in the book. Readers who are unfamiliar with Hall’s work will be at a loss in ferreting out which chapters have stood the test of time and which have been vigorously debunked (like the one on Islam, which actually uses novelist Washington Irving as a primary source on the prophet Muhammad). However, they will also marvel at the sheer scope of Hall’s research and imagination, and at J. Augustus Knapp’s famous illustrations.

PREFACE 11
INTRODUCTION 17
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES
WHICH HAVE INFLUENCED MODERN MASONIC SYMBOLISM 42
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES, PART II 55
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES AND SECRET SOCIETIES, PART III 68
ATLANTIS AND THE GODS OF ANTIQUITY 80
THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THOTH HERMES TRISMEGISTUS 93
THE INITIATION OF THE PYRAMID 107
ISIS, THE VIRGIN OF THE WORLD 119
THE SUN, A UNIVERSAL DEITY 132
THE ZODIAC AND ITS SIGNS 146
THE BEMBINE TABLE OF ISIS 160
WONDERS OF ANTIQUITY 175
THE LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY OF PYTHAGORAS 188
PYTHAGOREAN MATHEMATICS 201
THE HUMAN BODY IN SYMBOLISM 215
THE HIRAMIC LEGEND 227
THE PYTHAGOREAN THEORY OF MUSIC AND COLOR 240
FISHES, INSECTS, ANIMALS, REPTILES, AND BIRDS 253
THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES
FISHES, INSECTS, ANIMALS, REPTILES, AND BIRDS, PART II 267
FLOWERS, PLANTS, FRUITS, AND TREES 281
STONES, METALS, AND GEMS 293
CEREMONIAL MAGIC AND SORCERY 306
THE ELEMENTS AND THEIR INHABITANTS 319.
HERMETIC PHARMACOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND THERAPEUTICS 333
THE QABBALAH, THE SECRET DOCTRINE OF ISRAEL 346
FUNDAMENTALS OF QABBALISTIC COSMOGONY AIN SOPH 360
THE TREE OF THE SEPHIROTH 372
QABBALISTIC KEYS TO THE CREATION OF MAN 382
AN ANALYSIS OF THE TAROT CARDS 394
THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS 409
THE FRATERNITY OF THE ROSE CROSS 422
ROSICRUCIAN DOCTRINES AND TENETS 436
FIFTEEN ROSICRUCIAN AND QABBALISTIC DIAGRAMS 450
ALCHEMY AND ITS EXPONENTS 466
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ALCHEMY 480
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ALCHEMY, PART II 494
THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES
THE HERMETIC AND ALCHEMICAL FIGURES
OF CLAUDIUS DE DOMINICO CELENTANO VALLIS NOVI 508
THE CHEMICAL MARRIAGE 537
BACON, SHAKSPEARE, AND THE ROSICRUCIANS 550
THE CRYPTOGRAM AS A FACTOR IN SYMBOLIC PHILOSOPHY 562
FREEMASONIC SYMBOLISM 576
MYSTIC CHRISTIANITY 589
THE CROSS AND THE CRUCIFIXION 601
THE MYSTERY OF THE APOCALYPSE 616
THE FAITH OF ISLAM 627
AMERICAN INDIAN SYMBOLISM 639
THE MYSTERIES AND THEIR EMISSARIES 651
CONCLUSION 663
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 674