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Post by sniffles on Feb 17, 2008 4:30:34 GMT
Why do Lady Masons call each other "Brother?"
I just noticed that? Is it offensive to call a Lady Mason a Sister?
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Post by whistler on Feb 17, 2008 6:55:58 GMT
Why do Lady Masons call each other "Brother?" I just noticed that? Is it offensive to call a Lady Mason a Sister? In some Co-masonry Lodges you get both "Brothers" and "Sisters" Ours it is just Brothers - not a big deal it is just tradition and simpler. We do use He She etc when we use pronouns. I like just using the word Brothers because it reminds us we are all the same in Freemasonry - Boys and Girls - OK you may say why choose Brothers perhaps "B" comes before "S" For our ladies it simply is not an issue being referred to as Bro., and we fellows just don't think anything strange when we refer to the lady sitting in the columns as Bro..
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Post by lauderdale on Feb 17, 2008 9:27:17 GMT
Same here. In my LDH Lodges one of them uses Sister for Female Brethren although some women members do prefer to be called Brother, the others use Brother for all Genders which is what I personally prefer.
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Tamrin
Member
Nosce te ipsum
Posts: 3,586
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Post by Tamrin on Feb 17, 2008 9:34:32 GMT
Why do Lady Masons call each other "Brother?" For the same reason men, unrelated by family, call each other "Brother."
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Post by corab on Feb 17, 2008 19:35:13 GMT
Why do Lady Masons call each other "Brother?" Same reason you call the members of your lodge Brother -- they're masons. Depends on the individual. I am not a lady mason but a co-mason, and I find it somewhat irritating to be called Sister, but I understand it can feel unnatural for others to call me Brother when I am so obviously not a man. Nevertheless, to my mind "Brother" in the masonic context is a title of honour; a title first used when the Candidate has taken his/her Obligation: "Rise, duly Obligated Brother among Freemasons". I have earnt the right to be addressed by that title; gender does not come into that. If we are all on the level, and if, as in my Order, men and women are admitted on equal footing, then the distinctions which we in our mortal bodies and possessed of our limited senses recognise, have clearly no relevance to freemasonry. As Bro:. Steve says, our motherlodge did several years ago decide to address its female members as Sister. It is a continental practice introduced into our lodge by virtue of it having, at one time, a rather international character. It stands alone it this practice -- in all our other lodges all members are addressed as Brother. S&F, Cora
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Post by devoutfreemason on Feb 17, 2008 20:09:30 GMT
FYI: IN the English language there is officially NO FEMININE represented. They came later as courtesy.
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Tamrin
Member
Nosce te ipsum
Posts: 3,586
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Post by Tamrin on Feb 17, 2008 20:53:32 GMT
Until recently, the use of ‘masculine’ terms to encompass both genders has been a general rule in English. Thus, while "fraternity" has a masculine root, the "medical fraternity" includes both men and women.
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Post by maat on Feb 18, 2008 0:26:37 GMT
We have the choice in our Lodge, but we all chose Bro - Fatherhood of God, Brotherhood of Man(kind).
Thus the term Brother, is not a sex definition, it denotes a special relationship.
Maat
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Post by Ziggy on Feb 22, 2008 5:23:15 GMT
I believe that Sigmund Freud sums it up best. "Penis Envy".
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Post by corab on Feb 22, 2008 12:28:33 GMT
I believe that Sigmund Freud sums it up best. "Penis Envy". Well, there is much to be envied. The ability to pee upstanding, preferrably in public places, for example.
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Post by penfold on Feb 22, 2008 12:40:47 GMT
Ladies - don't feel left out - you too can pee standing up with P-Mate
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Post by gipsyrose on Feb 22, 2008 13:08:19 GMT
As I have said previously, in my lodge we call each other brother, though I have a personal preference to be called sister.
As a teenager of the 1970s, who grew up hearing our language assume my gender under the term he, and God always called father, I have spent many years consciously using language that is gender inclusive or gender neutral. Despite hearing others sense of neutrality about the use of brother, I do not find the word gender neutral and so for preference like to use both sister and brother. For me this is emphasised in my experience of my biological family, where I value my sister as much my brothers.
Interestingly I do not like the phrase lady masons, as I call myself a freemason, which I find to be a very gender neutral turn of phrase.
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Post by lauderdale on Feb 22, 2008 13:11:48 GMT
Believe me, Bro Cora that is a much over-rated capability. Do it in public and one can be charged with Indecent Exposure, no matter how urgent the need.
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Post by corab on Feb 26, 2008 8:16:06 GMT
FYI: IN the English language there is officially NO FEMININE represented. They came later as courtesy. I never knew this. I love etymology and linguistics, in an armature sense. Now I'm wondering when and where from the word "Sister" came, and what it originally meant. "Sastra" in sanskrit means something like a book, or collection of writings or scriptures? I would imagine it's of Saxon origin. German "Schwester", Dutch "zuster".
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Post by maat on Feb 26, 2008 22:04:30 GMT
I believe that Sigmund Freud sums it up best. "Penis Envy". And we all know how balanced he was... Actually, now that you have me thinking about penis envy I have to ask the question... do you blokes 'really' believe that that is the best part about you? Maat
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imakegarb
Member
One wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie
Posts: 3,573
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Post by imakegarb on Feb 27, 2008 0:34:38 GMT
I believe that Sigmund Freud sums it up best. "Penis Envy". And we all know how balanced he was... He had two, right? Ummmmmmmm . . . I'll be under the table
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Post by cezarek on Feb 27, 2008 19:18:06 GMT
I never knew this. I love etymology and linguistics, in an armature sense. Now I'm wondering when and where from the word "Sister" came, and what it originally meant. "Sastra" in sanskrit means something like a book, or collection of writings or scriptures? I would imagine it's of Saxon origin. German "Schwester", Dutch "zuster". In the country where I live the language is highly gender based, more than most others in Europe. In the lodge we use Brother and Sister, however the Officers' titles stay in the masculine form, if only to avoid confusion. There's a femalecraft lodge here though, who feminise some of the Officers' titles, using, for example, Worshipful Mistress. When men attend their meetings as guests, it takes all of a few seconds to adjust. By the way, I suspect the word 'sister' has indo-european origins, not just Saxon, because in the Slavonic languages it's similar. In Polish 'Siostr', and something similar in Russian.
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Post by maat on Feb 28, 2008 4:49:39 GMT
I think i'm on to something. Let go - and find out Dear Sniffy - Your preoccupation with things and events below the waistline probably indicates that your base chakras are currently the major ruling influence in your life right now. And thats alright. However if one wishes to enlighten one's self, one must make some effort to lift raise one's Self, one's life energy to the Crown chakra. Hence the lamb skin (purity) apron over the nether regions. Conserve the fuel. If offered whisky/bourbon/whatever, would you settle for cordial? Having said all that I can well imagine that the Creation of physical life would be tied up with such symbolism as suggested. Maat
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imakegarb
Member
One wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie
Posts: 3,573
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Post by imakegarb on Feb 28, 2008 4:56:01 GMT
Personally Maat I have Vaginal Envy. I have this theory: The ancient pagan Traid of gods and goddess was based on the Vagina, because the Vag is three separate things - the reproductive organ (vaginal canal); the orgasmic organ... and the piss organ. Then the patriarchs came and made the Trinity - the big Three In One in the sky, which is a penis, because its all three (reproductive, orgasmic, and piss) organ in one spear chucking package. I think i'm on to something. Nothing new. In the East, it's referred to as "lingum" and "yoni" but it amounts to the same thing. Trouble is, you have to be an adult to seriously study this stuff. Many of us just . . . aren't. And so this becomes suppressed. The ancients had a far more mature attitude about it. Pity many modern folks don't. Albert Pike writes about it in a few places, including his "Morals and Dogma". And includes illustrations: From Albert Pike's "Book of Words" He goes on like that a while. Pike isn't the only Masonic esoteric writer to ponder these things. Carl Claudy, in his Entered Apprentice Handbook, did as well: So, not new. And, again, pondering this require maturity. You have to get past the blush factor. And the Beavis and Butthead giggle fest. If you can't, then the above is wasted on you. But if you can, a whole world of understanding becomes available.
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Post by maat on Feb 28, 2008 6:26:03 GMT
Your top illustrations are actually not phallic symbols but towers/antennae built to improve crops.
The two towers, which are common I believe in Ireland and West Coast of UK (?) have been demonstrated to have the ability to channel natural earth/sky energies into the ground which enhances quantity and quality of crops. Hence the reason why you will find no doors at ground level and no evidence of ladders to higher level apertures.
Stone circles are capable of doing the same thing.
I have constructed mini versions for my own gardens in the past (using paramagnetic stone) and the results are quite amazing. Even my disbelieving husband was gobsmacked.
Maat
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