Sometimes it is said we have no secrets. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Brother Cliff Porter wrote that “Masonry is a transformative art. It can be extraordinary in a man’s life. It’s speculative and alchemical and all those things. What I take offense to is the fact that sometimes it is said we have no secrets, or that what can be known about us can be Googled. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
Brothers are seeking eternal truths, learning ancient mysteries.
The practice of alchemy is the ancient art that sought to turn lead into gold. You might think of alchemy as pseudo-science. But it’s also been used through the centuries as a metaphor of personal transformation.
The process of removing impurities to elevate the “subject matter” to something greater, and more special, and more potent, is very much what we also do within Freemasonry. Take good men, and make them grow into something more special.
Initiates go through a ritual that’s meant to be intense and startling, but first there is a warning;
“If you persevere you will overcome your own darkness and begin on your journey towards enlightenment. But if your soul is fearful, do not proceed.”
If and when we truly understand the teachings of freemasonry, the secrets will then be unraveled to the true seeker.
Now more than any other time before, we need to pray to the most High to continue to preserve and protect our honorable fraternity.[:]