Sorting things out a little more

Tuesday I had my Fellowcraft lectures, and this time I received a copy to take home. Most of my questions were cleared up; the historical information was interesting and in some ways, quite personal.

Again -- just for me -- almost all the officers came and participated in the lecture reading. The three lectures were each divided in four sections and assigned to a different officer to read.

Interesting bits:
Even though the Papal Bull threatening Masons with ex-communication was issued in 1738, Masonry became popular in Mexico. Don Miguel Hildago was a Mason, and a priest who started the revolution against Spain. My family and I lived in San Miguel de Allende, near Delores Hildago, for about six months in 2005. I was commuting to Houston at the time. Other Mexican heros -- Benito Juarez, Porfirio Diaz -- were Masons.

A brief discussion of the Morgan affair and its affect on Masonry was reviewed.

A very brief discussion of the Masons and the Mormons -- 1500 Mormon Masons were expelled with Brigham Young. I wonder why... was it polygamy? Several jokes about being ... upright ... come to mind.

Next was some completely unfamiliar information about how the Michigan Grand Lodge works, and the Masonic Home -- a continuing care retirement community.

Finally, symbolism. After the lecture I asked about the columns, steps threes, twos, and told them how this was confusing.

Basically the two pillares are completely separate from the three pillars, which are also separate from the orders of architecture.

The square representing virtue, the plumb representing righteousness I did absorb. I didn't get that the level was equality. duh.

The three-five-seven stairs -- the three and the five in this case correspond to lodge officers also. Three principle officers, five officers to open a lodge in the Fellowcraft Degree.

Five also represents five senses (emphasized in the original lecture), five orders of archetcture (although two were de-emphasized), and Geometry is the fifth science.

Seven represents the liberal arts and sciences. So far.

The winding part of the stairway is to represent that you don't know what's around the next corner nad it takes courage to face the unknown.

Finally, the double meaning of the "G" -- for both Geometry and God -- not necessarily in that order -- was revealed.

My mentor has been Vern, who's our SW and was known to me indirectly through the gun club. While we disagree on many issues, we get along quite well. Saturday I'll have a different mentor, Tim. Tim and I get along quite well, despite having very different political views (he's very conservative; I'm ... well, I'm from Berkeley). He's agreed to be my mentor Saturday, and in fact is driving.