Post by a on May 7, 2006 13:43:57 GMT
Ingo
Clearly I only have an external perspective. Though I would suggest that there is a lot of fraternal help in advancing of the type you desribe, assuming that I understand you correctly.
I can only put it down to the initiations that I have experienced, though none of which have happened in a fraternal environment.
The first of which that I am aware of happened in the great Pyramid of Giza, as I passed through the "kings" chamber as a tourist about 15 years ago now. I say that this was an initiation due to two factors. Firstly the feeling of "having been there before" which sent me on to, secondly and more significantly, a decade long period of research and reflection, which ultimately brought me back to the Masonic door.
The most recent of which was rather different, it lasted about a year - last year, pretty much the whole of my fortieth year. There was no one earth shattering moment but taking the year as a whole I clearly took steps and on reflction it was, to me anyway, a year long initiation.
And here is the funniest of things - I have never felt outside of Freemasonry. I do feel that too many Freemasons are letting me and themselves down, though I accept that this is a very hard feeling to understand or rationalise. Believe me when I say that I have stewed my noodle over this for many years, for it is at first glance a daft thing to feel. But this is why I believe (and remember that I do believe in reincarnation) that I was probably within the system in previous lifetimes. But when all is said and done Freemasory feels like - as I have explained before - a father and child relationship. As the father aspect of this, I don't feel outside. I want Freemasonry to flourish. Again I realise how unbelievable such feelings sound, but that is how I feel.
Having spent years trying to fathom these feelings out I now just accept them.
I hope that makes some sense.
Clearly I only have an external perspective. Though I would suggest that there is a lot of fraternal help in advancing of the type you desribe, assuming that I understand you correctly.
I can only put it down to the initiations that I have experienced, though none of which have happened in a fraternal environment.
The first of which that I am aware of happened in the great Pyramid of Giza, as I passed through the "kings" chamber as a tourist about 15 years ago now. I say that this was an initiation due to two factors. Firstly the feeling of "having been there before" which sent me on to, secondly and more significantly, a decade long period of research and reflection, which ultimately brought me back to the Masonic door.
The most recent of which was rather different, it lasted about a year - last year, pretty much the whole of my fortieth year. There was no one earth shattering moment but taking the year as a whole I clearly took steps and on reflction it was, to me anyway, a year long initiation.
And here is the funniest of things - I have never felt outside of Freemasonry. I do feel that too many Freemasons are letting me and themselves down, though I accept that this is a very hard feeling to understand or rationalise. Believe me when I say that I have stewed my noodle over this for many years, for it is at first glance a daft thing to feel. But this is why I believe (and remember that I do believe in reincarnation) that I was probably within the system in previous lifetimes. But when all is said and done Freemasory feels like - as I have explained before - a father and child relationship. As the father aspect of this, I don't feel outside. I want Freemasonry to flourish. Again I realise how unbelievable such feelings sound, but that is how I feel.
Having spent years trying to fathom these feelings out I now just accept them.
I hope that makes some sense.