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Post by zz-Midlander on Jul 31, 2005 6:33:39 GMT
Yesterday I was idly browsing through UGLE's 'Directory of Lodges and Chapters'; when I noticed for the first time that certain Lodges have their meeting days either:
'Before full moon', 'nearest full moon' or 'after full moon'.
What has the moon got to do with it?
I know there are some who view Freemasonry essentially as a Solar cult - 'veiled in allegory' as it were - although possibly not by too many UGLE Brn; or is there a simple explanation that is escaping me?
Do some Chapters have this proviso before their meetings as well?
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Post by taylorsman on Jul 31, 2005 6:53:07 GMT
This is a hang over from olden times and whilst some many find it delightfully quaint I personally would find it a pain in the a***. It's bad enough some Masonic Bodies which have the formula "The fifth Friday in the month whenever one occurs" and some of those associated with the older Universites have Meetings scheduled for "The second Tuesday of Hillary Term" or some such system. Accordingly, such a convoluted Lunar Formula would be a total nuisance as far as I am concerned. I assume it is derived from Ecclesiastical practice , just look at the complicated Lunar basis on which the date of Easter is determined each year using "Golden Numbers" "Dominicals", "Epacts" etc, and is why it floats about from March to April each year instead of being sensibly fixed at the second Sunday in April.
As far as I am concerned I greatly prefer Lodges etc to have a nice straightforward calender such as "The second Saturday of March, June, September and December" each and every year making it far easier to fiull in one's diary and plan attendances etc without having to consult an Almanac or an Ephemeris.
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Post by mrmason on Jul 31, 2005 6:57:51 GMT
As far as I was aware, certainly in Scotland, having meetings just before, on, or just after a full moon was to assist the brethren who had to walk home, particularly country brethren. The moon provided the light for them to see where they were going. However with the invention of street lighting, etc, many Lodges did away with the "moon" thing and just put in dates. I'm not sure if there are any left in Scotland who still use "moon" in their dates, I do know there are some in Ireland though.
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on Jul 31, 2005 7:00:32 GMT
As far as I am concerned I greatly prefer Lodges etc to have a nice straightforward calender such as "The second Saturday of March, June, September and December" each and every year making it far easier to fiull in one's diary and plan attendances etc without having to consult an Almanac or an Ephemeris. So we do in Italy
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Post by zz-Midlander on Jul 31, 2005 7:08:19 GMT
Thanks for the quick answers chaps! Have to agree with T.M - yes it would be a pain working out when your meetings would be!!
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Post by taylorsman on Jul 31, 2005 7:18:06 GMT
Yes, as a former Lodge Secretary I can well imagine all the problems this would cause each year, especially if the Temple one met at was busy and the Lodge (or equivalent) could not be accomodated on that day because of a clash with another body.
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Post by JulesTheBit on Jul 31, 2005 7:45:57 GMT
Yes, as a former Lodge Secretary I can well imagine all the problems this would cause each year, especially if the Temple one met at was busy and the Lodge (or equivalent) could not be accomodated on that day because of a clash with another body. Meetings on "the 5th....." do have the advantage that lodge rooms at Masonic centres are very easy to get on those days because so few Lodges want them. It just means you have to accept some slight complications with the calendar. It's handy if you're consecrating a new Lodge, chapter, chapel or whatever. Those who are esoterically inclined might still like to meet on a lunar cycle or at equinoxes. JS
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Post by taylorsman on Jul 31, 2005 7:56:09 GMT
I agree that there is certainly an Esoteric "Flavour" to "On the day of the Full Moon", but for more practical reasons this is a lot of bother.
I believe some Scots Lodges do meet near the Solstices as these are the Feasts of St John and our Scots Brethren have maintained the "St John's Masonry" connection alas now missing for the most part in England, the Royal Order of Scotland being the exception.
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Post by hollandr on Jul 31, 2005 8:06:43 GMT
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on Jul 31, 2005 9:57:05 GMT
Hi Russell,
what is IPM?
In any case, the ascending moon is associated with mind, the descending one with genitalia and sex.
The aureole of the saints, in Christian iconography, represents the full moon, thus meaning that the saint's mind has worked at the utmost.
I don't think moon is a dead planetoid; in the Universe all is energy and therefore life, Of course, at different levels.
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Post by hollandr on Jul 31, 2005 10:05:00 GMT
Immediate Past Master - sits on LH of Master in our lodges prompting and advising as required
R
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on Jul 31, 2005 10:11:10 GMT
Thanks.
In our lodges the "Past" sits on the right of the WM, or GM
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Post by hollandr on Jul 31, 2005 10:19:24 GMT
>The aureole of the saints, in Christian iconography, represents the full moon
I am surprised at that. I have seen a text purporting to show that crosses and various concentric circles in the depicted aureoles of saints indicate their different status spiritually.
If the aureole were just a simple depiction I expect it would represent the Sun rather than the female presence of the Moon.
But I doubt that it is simple. Some of these fellows had nothing better to do in the dark winter months than discover or invent status arrangements for saints and church fathers.
Cheers
Russell
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on Jul 31, 2005 10:52:00 GMT
The interpretation of that book is possible.
I would exclude the association with the Sun, which is generally associated to heart.
Finally, yes there were many people that had nothing better to do and so invented fanciful theories, but in the Church is always existed a deep esoteric knowledge. Even now, but it is "asleep".
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jmd
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Post by jmd on Jul 31, 2005 11:03:18 GMT
There is one Lodge in the Melbourne area that also meets on the closest Friday to the Full Moon, and that for stated practical reasons (easier to see where the carriage was going before the days of street lights).
I have only but very rarely visited (it is quite a way - and the last time was in the early 1990s), but do recall with fondness how we entered the temple when it was getting quite dark, and left, after the South, with relatively bright light of the Moon close to its zenith.
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Post by hollandr on Jul 31, 2005 11:11:09 GMT
Giovanni
I guess ultimately we need to devise experiments to test these propositions otherwise we are doomed to be speculative masons forever
Cheers
Russell
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Post by a on Jul 31, 2005 11:13:10 GMT
in the Church is always existed a deep esoteric knowledge. Even now, but it is "asleep". Asleep, just as reflected from what I can tell, in large swathes of Freemasonry. And indeed in humanity as a whole. Though awakenings do appear to be happening. Hopefully as more and more naturally awake, it will lead to a restoration of Maat, and not self-destruction. Hopefully the tools (Freemasonry, Martial Arts, etc) that are available in society to help people on their personal journies are up to the challenge. Giovanni Why do you think that this knowledge within the Church is asleep?
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on Jul 31, 2005 12:51:04 GMT
in the Church is always existed a deep esoteric knowledge. Even now, but it is "asleep". Giovanni Why do you think that this knowledge within the Church is asleep? It was a political choice. Under the pressure of socialism and communism, the Church was worried about the social problems. Now, things are slowly changing.
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giovanni
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Post by giovanni on Jul 31, 2005 15:49:08 GMT
Giovanni I guess ultimately we need to devise experiments to test these propositions otherwise we are doomed to be speculative masons forever Cheers Russell Russell, we devise such experiments, but in my Rite only. I don't think that they could be well undestood in the Lodge by the youngsters.
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ruffashlar
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Post by ruffashlar on Jul 31, 2005 17:27:14 GMT
So, the IPM is the moon to the sun of the Worshipful Master: the lesser light to his greater.
BTW, lodges which met only or chiefly on nights of the full moon were for this reason called Moon Lodges.
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