Post by middlepillar on Nov 30, 2004 22:44:14 GMT
The last chapter of Ecclesiastes is chapter 12. It is a literary masterpiece and is a perfect selection for that part of the 3rd degree in which it is used.
I must add that only about 1 Lodge in 6 I visit use this piece and I am not going to give away any part of the ceremony or at what point it is used. I have in my possesion an esoteric interpretation by W.Bro Rev F.A.Shade and I would like to share it with everyone.
Ecclesiastes Ch 12 v 1-7;
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleaseur in them.
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain.
In the days when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened.
And the doors shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low.
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree will flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the whell broken at the cistern.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Comment
The verses are a most illuminating description of the physical body of a man suffering from the disabilities and the infirmaties of old age. They commence with an injunction to man to remember and to practise in his youth the duties he owes to his creator, which duties are taught in the first two degrees. Then the verse describes the approach of old age, when man loses the desire and faculty to enjoy the material pleasures of life and lacks the strength to give effect to the many lessons of life, as his body - described metaphorically as his house - is useless.
The keepers of the house, represent the shoulders, arms and hands, being to the body what guards and keepers are to a palace.
Shall tremble. In extreme old age man's limbs become paralysed and consequently tremble; for this reason he loses the power to defend himself.
The strong men shall bow them selves. The strong men are the legs that become bent as old age advances; man then walks with difficulty. Also, the back becomes hunched in old age and he walks with a stoop.
The grinders shall cease because they are few. The teeth which previously groung the food have now fallen out, and chewing the food is therefore extremely difficult.
Those that look out of the windows be darkened. The windows are obviously the eyes which, as time advances in old age, become dimmer and dimmer. Ultimately the eyes lose the faculty of sight.
The doors shall be shut - grinding is low. The doors are the lips, the streets are the mouth because it is the path or avenue through which food passes into the stomach, while the sound of the grinding is the feeble voice. It is evident that, having lost his teeth the old man cannot chew his food but noisily mumbles it with his lips closed to prevent any particles from falling out.
And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird. Noise does not disturb the young, but even the slightest sound will annoy old age, as steady nerves are absent. So great is wakefullness prevalent in the infirm that even the twittering of a bird will disturb sleep.
And all the daughters of music shall be brought low. The daughters of music are the ears. The voice becomes tremulous and feeble and the hearing difficult. Also, the ability to hear the upper vibrations in sound is lost.
They shall be afraid of that which is high Youth obtains enjoyment from scaling heights, but the aged dread doing so and regard height with alarm.
And fear shall be in the way. The old are filled with apprehensions of imaginary danger which they have neither the sight to avoid nor the strength to overcome. They are, therefore, full of fear whenever they venture out into the street.
The almond tree shall flourish. The almond tree commences to bloom in late Autumn and becomes a mass of white blossom in Winter. In the Winter of life the hair of the old similarly whitens and the head decomes frosted and crowned with a silvery crest.
The grasshopper shall be a burden. To feeble old age, the lightest thing, even a grasshopper or a locust, is an oppresive burden.
And desire shall fail. When youth has completely departed all appetites and desires cease. In ancient times it was a sacred duty 'to increase and multiply', and it was considered the greatest of misfortunes for either sex to become sterile.
Man goeth to his long home. The grave is naturally the last house, shelter and resting place for the material body.
The mourners go about the streets. It was an Eastern custom to employ mourners to make public lamentations in the streets for the dead. Actually, the passage alludes to the rattles in the throat, the mouth and throat being regarded as the street or road of the food, and the rattles were called the mourners because they are certain precursors of death.
The silver cord be loosed. Two explanations have been given to this phrase. One is that it is the string of the tongue. The other, and probably the more correct one, is taht it is the resplndent white cord- the spinal cord - which passes down the entire length of the backbone and which is liable in old age to be relaxed and weakened. There is another explanation, that the silver cord refers to the superphysical connection between the soul and the body, and which is often seen by clairvoyants and by those who are going through a near-death-experience.
The golden bowl be broken. By reason of its yellow colour, the brain is termed the golden bowl. In old age, the brain becomes unable to function and can therefore be regarded as broken.
The pitcher be broken at the fountain. The pitcher is the great vein that carries the blood to the right auricle of the heart, here described as the fountain.
The wheel broken at the cistern. The wheel is the aorta or great artery that receives its blood from the left ventricle of the heart or cistern and distributes it throughout the body. These last two expressions - breaking the pitcher and of the wheel- allude to the stoppage of the circulation of the blood, the last step in the decay, which is immediately followed by death. After death, "then shall the Spirit return to God who gave it."
I must add that only about 1 Lodge in 6 I visit use this piece and I am not going to give away any part of the ceremony or at what point it is used. I have in my possesion an esoteric interpretation by W.Bro Rev F.A.Shade and I would like to share it with everyone.
Ecclesiastes Ch 12 v 1-7;
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleaseur in them.
While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain.
In the days when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened.
And the doors shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low.
Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree will flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets.
Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the whell broken at the cistern.
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Comment
The verses are a most illuminating description of the physical body of a man suffering from the disabilities and the infirmaties of old age. They commence with an injunction to man to remember and to practise in his youth the duties he owes to his creator, which duties are taught in the first two degrees. Then the verse describes the approach of old age, when man loses the desire and faculty to enjoy the material pleasures of life and lacks the strength to give effect to the many lessons of life, as his body - described metaphorically as his house - is useless.
The keepers of the house, represent the shoulders, arms and hands, being to the body what guards and keepers are to a palace.
Shall tremble. In extreme old age man's limbs become paralysed and consequently tremble; for this reason he loses the power to defend himself.
The strong men shall bow them selves. The strong men are the legs that become bent as old age advances; man then walks with difficulty. Also, the back becomes hunched in old age and he walks with a stoop.
The grinders shall cease because they are few. The teeth which previously groung the food have now fallen out, and chewing the food is therefore extremely difficult.
Those that look out of the windows be darkened. The windows are obviously the eyes which, as time advances in old age, become dimmer and dimmer. Ultimately the eyes lose the faculty of sight.
The doors shall be shut - grinding is low. The doors are the lips, the streets are the mouth because it is the path or avenue through which food passes into the stomach, while the sound of the grinding is the feeble voice. It is evident that, having lost his teeth the old man cannot chew his food but noisily mumbles it with his lips closed to prevent any particles from falling out.
And he shall rise up at the voice of the bird. Noise does not disturb the young, but even the slightest sound will annoy old age, as steady nerves are absent. So great is wakefullness prevalent in the infirm that even the twittering of a bird will disturb sleep.
And all the daughters of music shall be brought low. The daughters of music are the ears. The voice becomes tremulous and feeble and the hearing difficult. Also, the ability to hear the upper vibrations in sound is lost.
They shall be afraid of that which is high Youth obtains enjoyment from scaling heights, but the aged dread doing so and regard height with alarm.
And fear shall be in the way. The old are filled with apprehensions of imaginary danger which they have neither the sight to avoid nor the strength to overcome. They are, therefore, full of fear whenever they venture out into the street.
The almond tree shall flourish. The almond tree commences to bloom in late Autumn and becomes a mass of white blossom in Winter. In the Winter of life the hair of the old similarly whitens and the head decomes frosted and crowned with a silvery crest.
The grasshopper shall be a burden. To feeble old age, the lightest thing, even a grasshopper or a locust, is an oppresive burden.
And desire shall fail. When youth has completely departed all appetites and desires cease. In ancient times it was a sacred duty 'to increase and multiply', and it was considered the greatest of misfortunes for either sex to become sterile.
Man goeth to his long home. The grave is naturally the last house, shelter and resting place for the material body.
The mourners go about the streets. It was an Eastern custom to employ mourners to make public lamentations in the streets for the dead. Actually, the passage alludes to the rattles in the throat, the mouth and throat being regarded as the street or road of the food, and the rattles were called the mourners because they are certain precursors of death.
The silver cord be loosed. Two explanations have been given to this phrase. One is that it is the string of the tongue. The other, and probably the more correct one, is taht it is the resplndent white cord- the spinal cord - which passes down the entire length of the backbone and which is liable in old age to be relaxed and weakened. There is another explanation, that the silver cord refers to the superphysical connection between the soul and the body, and which is often seen by clairvoyants and by those who are going through a near-death-experience.
The golden bowl be broken. By reason of its yellow colour, the brain is termed the golden bowl. In old age, the brain becomes unable to function and can therefore be regarded as broken.
The pitcher be broken at the fountain. The pitcher is the great vein that carries the blood to the right auricle of the heart, here described as the fountain.
The wheel broken at the cistern. The wheel is the aorta or great artery that receives its blood from the left ventricle of the heart or cistern and distributes it throughout the body. These last two expressions - breaking the pitcher and of the wheel- allude to the stoppage of the circulation of the blood, the last step in the decay, which is immediately followed by death. After death, "then shall the Spirit return to God who gave it."