Fictitious Wages Bro.

There have been Cowan’s and eavesdropper with malicious intentions that are spreading fictitious stories about the wages that can be obtained through membership into Freemasonry. frankly, that if you join the freemasons, you’ll become rich and powerful… this is false, in more ways then one.

Firstly, The Masonic labors are a labor of love. He who seeks to draw wages in gold, silver or in our case American currency will be disappointed. Simply said, we work hard and long to become better men because we love to do it. A Mason does Not get paid to be a mason. In fact, He has to pay dues to be a member of the fraternity.  This also includes the work a mason does inside and out of lodge.

The wages of a mason are earned and paid in the dealings with one another. The payment a masons receives from his charitable deeds is the pleasure of doing good deed amongst his brethren.

Sympathy that begets sympathy, kindness begets kindness, helpfulness begets helpfulness, and these are the wages of a mason. Those deeds of sympathy, kindness and helpfulness are repaid in full when and if the brother master mason is in need.

-W.B. Benjamin Franklin

Many of these rumors and lies are spread through people that are trying to commit fraudulent scams to trick men into giving them their money with the promise of riches. The growth and wisdom gained through years of membership are the riches that a mason receives upon membership. This is far more valuable then gold and silver.

 –The Freemasonry Squared Team

If They only Knew...

The Freemasonry Squared Team has seen both in lodge and online a division between veteran and millennial masons. This segregation of elder master masons who are hesitant to change and updating old masonic techniques and young men that don't understand why a particular tradition has its purpose and reason. Lose the labels!

We also noticed those same veteran masons leaving blue lodge. Or past masters that serve their time in the East, then take an extended leave from the fraternity.

There's a huge resource that the fraternity in some cases are ignoring. These veteran masons has a wealth of knowledge about life, the Craft and its lessons. We must preserve the reasons that these great men choose to attend lodge every week. The other is the young smart and motivated men that are ready to dive into a master masons work. Ready to listen and take note from these abundant stories.

But what can we do to break down these barriers?

Young masons take heed! Ask your veteran brethren about their time, stories and Masonic adventures.  Ask the questions about ritual, precepts and life. These men, more often then not are willing and able to teach and give life to their learned lessons. Heck, they probably want to do so but are just waiting for a young man to take interest. Remember, a wise man learns from his mistakes but a wiser man learns from others mistakes.

Veteran masons, I admonish you to look at another prospective. See and take notice to the desire and passion when it lives in the eyes and heart of a young brother. Feed and nourish his will. This is the type of brother we want amongst our mystic circles. Be patient as he is still learning his Craft but with the right mentor he might be our next Grand Master.

Get to know your brothers! Don't let their age keep you from have purposeful conversation. Don't just show up to lodge only to leave immediately after its closing. We are strong master masons but in unity there's strength.

-The Freemasonry Squared Team
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Selflessly

Throughout out lives we've be continously taught that we must strive to get things. The materialistic theology of helping others only if they have the means of returning the favor.  Feeding a primordial beast thats only motivation is to consume and keep the flames of desire potent. Even I. Newton's 3rd Law instructs that, "for every actions there is an equal and or opposite reaction". Thus, we stumble through life trying to paint an individualized master piece of what we imagine success looks like. Taking ques from our mother and father, celebrities, business men, etc.

What is truely the goal?

As it stands, the societal definition of success is the accumulation of materials, whether it be cars, clothes, real Estate or money. Even in business, the C.E.O. isn't measured successful until he's managed to bring up profitability and sustainability through their bottom line.

Lets look further into desire. When you want something, it could be described as a hole that's manifested itself inside you. This hole, gently ignites your thoughts and at times, your actions. What happens when you obtain the desired object of affection?  Generally, the hole is satisfied for the time being. That is until... until the hole is born a new but with the next desired material. This is typically cyclic in nature.

This is why Charity is so important!

Freemasonry teaches the tenant of Charity but why? Let's return to the analogy above. Through selfless acts of charity, the flame and hole of narcissism and desire are still in full force but with this difference.  If I was to make dinner for our brother's, knowing that their favorite is steak. I take on the role of giver to my brothers. Yet, something mysterious happens, as the brethren tear into their steak and pay wages for the meal, the hole begins to fill up. At that moment, the brethren reverse the role becoming  the givers of their affinities and thankfulness, which has the power to extinguish the flame of desire.

That's not all, when the hole is fill by materialism, the hole is reestablished by the desire for the next object of affection.  The only way to subdue the hole is by striving to obtain the desired material.  But when the hole is filled with the good will and appreciation of your charitable deeds. The Master mason all but needs to recall to time at which his heart was warmed by the work done in the name of charity. With every recollection, the master can bring back these thoughts and feelings induced.

Freemasonry has begotten a place in which you can do so very easily. The only catch is the Masons intention.  The G.A.O.T.U. in all his beauty ensured deceit would not be tolerated. The will of this is determined by the intend for the charitable act. This means, if the master masons does the charitable act out of the goodness of his heart. He will be paid his wages in unlimited wealth and if the person does so out of any desire to obtain wages then he will have tarnished the act.

Imagine being able to extinguish desire with memory, becoming a better man while doing it and knowing your satisfied with the happiness of service. For thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

(This has been a summary of a full paper written by -Bro. Tom Collians & The Freemasonry Squared Team)

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How NOT to debate like a Freemason

How NOT to debate like a Freemason!

A gem in the Tucson, AZ Scottish Rite Cathedral

Within the confines of Tucson, Arizona's, Historic Scottish Rite Cathedral is a grand project that W.B. Dr. Rex R. Hutchens, 33°, G.C., Author of, "A Bridge to Light" available at The Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction Book Store has been working diligently to bring into fruition.  The Egyptian Lodge room literally left The Freemasonry Squared Team speechless at its attention to detail and beauty. The Cathedral itself has been in renovation of the time spand of the last few years with the help of Arizona's Most Worshipful Grand Master J. Michael Atchley,  his wonderful wife Pam and all of the brethren that have put in the man hours to bring the inside of the Cathedral the face lift it needed to mirror the beauty of its exterior. There's no doubt the Bro. Hutchens, 33°, G.C., will post or publish his own commentary on the Egyptian Lodge room some day.  Until then, we'll marvel at its amazing craftsmanship. 

-The Freemasonry Squared Team (all photographs were taken by and are the ownership of Freemasonry Squared)

To find out more about the Historic Tucson, AZ Scottish Rite Cathedral visit:

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Dissertatio medica de Psyche et alchimia spiritualium

Upon my first impressions of the most Ancient science and practices; I was taken back by the plethora of books, manuscripts, prestigious philosophers and fanciful claims masked in allegory and written with the up most caution; so that the precious material that lay within its contents would not be brought to the surface by the layman but only by the most dedicated pupils of the Great Work. I must admittedly confess that when first reviewing allegorical equations like the flame of existence, the water of femininity or change, the air or conciseness of our microcosm, and the daughter of both Fire and water that is Earth. At first glance this meant very little then the literal meanings that the example alluded to by suggestion. Little did I know that I was about to embark through the Darkness like the Hermit of the Major Arcana in search of wisdom, communion and marriage.  I soon became very aware that this was not a subject for the slightly curious or dabblers. Without a firm grasp of multiple subjects, the disciple would never truly discover the blessing that flows through the cosmos in the great River of Collective consciousness, to use a C. G. Jung analogy. This dissertation is not to attempt to obtain admittance in the Mystery Schools but to shed Light on my understanding and thesis of what is to be accomplished.

                This has been constructed under the premise that the reader himself has also been enchanted with self-discovery so I will not waste time giving definitions and detail explanations throughout but only when necessary for clarification. To my Masonic affiliations I must give the Highest Regard; for if I had not been drawn to the steps of Masonry I might not have found The Acacia in all its glory and its intellectual flame that assists in igniting one’s own lantern for discovery.

Nous communes us; the Supreme Goodness, for the qualities of the Supreme Good are the only divine power that is duly qualified to be described as Good. Spoke the word of The Absolute; originating from the fire of Divinity. Nous is the All; the All was before darkness but came from darkness and gave birth to offspring. The Vessel that is capable of the Senses: Audio and Visual, one must contemplate those which are perceived by and come to know, that is the Word of the Absolute. Nous is all that is good, the sire, the Begetter. The Word and Nous are not Independent for their Union is Life, the wisdom to extinguish isolation, the Purpose. The unprincipled are warned for the Absolute is the Gatekeeper and those who are dishonorable will not be omitted and that Microcosm will then cease to exist. For the more Empirical and scientific minded the literature of Mr. Carl Gustav Jung is most appropriate when describing the participants psyche. From birth we are subject to the external phenomena and worldly stimulants. That collection begins to form what is known as the Mask or Personality that governs of the unconscious.  The Unconscious being the administrator of task, such as breathing, blood circulation and other bodily functions that are definitely being managed but we are not always fully aware of in our wakened consciousness the means.  More paradoxical solutions like, where did our consciousness and unconscious spark from; I cannot begin to explain without crossing into religious theology which is not my intent. Moving on, the mysteries are the collection of events and realm from which they dwell that can be both beneficial and otherwise is referred to as the Anima or the events that have created red flag warnings that now mold your psyche and the actions that follow when presented with a similar situation. If a practitioner can attempt to confront these demons of one’s past and dissolve the personality he can partake from his true self. This has been a practice or the purpose of Psychology and the studies of Mr. C. G. Jung and Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical psychology. The Diagram is a depiction of what was just described shortly but not by any means to its extent.  I will leave with a gift and thus is given; from above fire descended through the Abyss of darkness, under earth to the watery substance that darkness became.  From this watery substance infused with Fire, the Word was begotten; All of which consumed by Air and circumscribed by Ether.  No beginning but without end, yet the beginning. Truth is founded in the seal of solemn.

This has been a collective debriefing of some of my research Frater. R.L.M.E.
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With Reverence

Divine Lord,

Great Architect of the Universe

O, Absolute, Sing to me, and

Through me Your Will Be Done

Sustain for me

The Wisdom of the various-minded soul,

Who after given all, and

Not recognizing Your gifts and grace

Have wandered hopelessly

In the wilderness of nothingness

While my heart, have

Ached in agony to redeem The Self

To bring me closer to You.

Make the Light live through me and those around me

In all its many blessings

In me, You live and breath

This I pray

So Mote It Be

By: Bro. Tom Collians
(Inspired by the T.E Lawrence translation of Homer's Odyssey, Invocation of the Muse)
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Give me purpose

There’s been numerous articles about brother masons falling absent and new masons completing there ascent to master mason but then fading off into the distance hardly to been seen again. Why is this reoccurring issue happening? The F.S. Team visited various lodges, some of which having  great retention and others less then optimistic. There were a few things that stood out amongst the lodges that are flourishing and we want to share them with our brother lodges!

1.       When a candidate is accomplishing the necessary requirements to ensure he has two master masons that he has become closely acquainted with to sign their petition, remember that the anticipation of initiation is literally oozing from his pours.  That being said, what are the brothers of the lodge doing to get to know this brother? We know you’ve heard this before but frankly, shaking a man’s hand and discovering his name only to forget it 3 mins. Later is not getting to know him. Ask questions, if need be, have the lodge discuss and put together a repertoire of questions to ask that probe his intentions, expectations and desires for his masonic life. Have intellectual discussions or focused discussions on the work that will be necessary to be part of and imperative to the lodge. Inform and reaffirm that this is a life long fraternal membership. Give a reason to come to lodge for a purpose.

2.       To our veteran brethren, we know you’ve put the work in, the years in and the time in but new candidates, E.A.-M.M., all look up to you and as such your character and actions are being watching, calculated and mirrored. This means, that when officers feel that they don’t need to assist the stewards wash the dishes or never help clean the lodge or show up for events. Every action that the veteran master masons does is a banner as to who you can act when you’re an officer or been around a while. They’ve taken the step to become a better man but look to leadership and mentorship when needed. The lodge should at all times be an educational institution. This also builds value, reasons and purpose to return to lodge.

3.       Take a good look at your candidate education program… don’t have one? Get one.  The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Mason in Arizona (azmasons.org) has made mandatory and  provided a masonic educational packet for both the mentor and candidate. If the mentor was to blindly follow the directions, it would still provide ammunition to think and reflect on the degrees and their lessons. This does a few things:

a.       Make the candidate think for himself about the degree.

b.      Make the mentor think for himself about the degrees.

c.       Remind both that there are plenty of things that can be studied far after you have been raised to the sublime degree of master mason.

Train your members how to be a mentor and let them see first hand the works of a good mentor, an internship of sorts. It’s our purpose to create good masons and ignite the gentle flame of interest, curiosity and inspiration. This will give them a reason to come back to lodge.

4.       Give them a Job! After the master mason has been found proficient in his master mason catechism, simply ask how he can assist the lodge.  He can begin his ascent into the lodge line of officers, join one of the many lodge committee’s, be in charge of the library audit etc… the point is that we must give our brethren something to do, give them a purpose and job within the lodge. If you don’t then why are they showing up? The minuets only strike awe the first time hearing them. That’s not to say that they’re not an important administrative tool for the fraternity but we must give purpose.

5.       DO NOT approbate bare minimum! Every state is sovereign and have their rules and regulations as to the bare minimum requirements needed to reach par regarding a candidate’s proficiency. Let me be candid… If you proceed to give bare minimum then you will procure bare minimum. Obviously, the Worshipful Master of the lodge has the discretion to make exception when he deems necessary but this should only be done on a case by case basis. Teach, memorize and make it tradition to learn the full catechism. We preach that, “you get what you put into the fraternity”. The same is said to the amount of effort administered to the potential and voted candidates.

Try these techniques and if you do, do them whole heartedly. They will give purpose to your lodge and its members. Experiment to see what works best for the dynamic of your lodge.  There will also be men that will leave once they find out that membership must be earned and is not handed out to just  anyone who knocks on the door of masonry but we’re not looking for potential members that don’t have the ambition to work anyways. We are a fraternity of workmen, doing the work of a mason everyday, day in and day out. If you’ve found something that works, we’d love to hear it. You can comment below or Facebook us at facebook.com/freemasonrysquared you can also find us on Google+, or even on YouTube just search Freemasonry Squared!

The Hermit and a Masonic Interpretation

I ‘am a Freemason, and as such, I do not take it lightly. I study diligently, am heavily involved in my Blue Lodge and extend my cable tow across a variety of organizations that have similar interest.  In my studies, I’ve been introduce to our late beloved bro. Arthur Edward Waite, Author of, “ A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry” (1921) and his interruption of “The Hermit”. The Hermit is 1 of the 21 Major Arcana of most Tarot Decks you’ll see. For the Esoteric Mason, the Great Work engulfs and is adapted into the very fabric of each individual decision made. Like the Hermit depicted in the Tarot, He is aloof. The Hermit wandering in the vast nothingness of life, while keeping steadfast the Light that he has earned through his time vested in the Craft.  When I would decipher the glyph for myself, I would take the same analogy as mentioned above.

While attending the Sons of Voltaire night at my blue lodge; which acts as an informal educational night for any subject of interest. An elder Mason, a man that I hope to mirror in his ability to brighten a room with jokes and demeanor, decided to give a presentation on the ethical behavior of a master mason. It wasn’t long before it hit me like a ton of bricks. What happens to the Hermit when his light is blown out or faded from time to time? As most have seen in their tenure in the fraternity, even the best and most active masons have bouts of anger, selfishness and masonic short comings. Blue lodge is a place that the Hermit or master mason can come and relight is lantern. Masonic degrees, educational nights and purposeful conversation within your lodge allow those to bring back their focus and mission. Freemasonry boasts of worldwide brotherhood and thus lodge locations.  The responsibility and right of master mason is to travel and travel well but why? So that, no matter high or low, far or wide your proximity to your mother lodges. You can rest easy knowing that there is a blue lodge somewhere yonder. A lodge is a place where you can reignite your Light no matter if on vacation or on a business trip. Without your Light you may find your way off the masonic path.

If you’re a master mason that hasn’t been to lodge lately, I admonish to visit and remember why you became a member to begin with because a current dues card may make you a member but it’s the work (not just your own) that make you a Freemason. Remember, it was the elder brothers character which made me pay such close attention to his words.

-The Freemasonry Squared Team

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