Any man of any faith that reads the Gospels of the Christian faith will agree that many of the lessons that Jesus taught were excellent reflections on morality. He was a revolutionary figure that portrayed God as a fatherly figure, leveled himself with the poor, taught men to love their neighbors, and is remembered […]
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Bro. Terence Satchell – The Banks of the Euphrates
Terence became a Mason after discovering its intriguing role in American history and its deep tradition of symbolic instruction. The Banks of the Euphrates is intended to provide opinion papers and fictional Masonic narratives geared to enhance the reader’s Masonic experience.
Two Schools of Masonic Thought: Part 1-Collectivism
Robert Frost once wrote “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both.” This opening line to his poem “The Road Not Taken” accurately describes the decision that Masons have continually had to make about how their fraternity operates. One road leads to Masonic collectivism and the other leads to […]
Continue readingThe Portrayal of the Capitular Arch
An important part of the capitular degrees is the completion of an arch found in King Solomon’s Temple. In the Mark Master and Most Excellent Master degrees, the discovery of the keystone as well as putting it at the apex of the arch constitutes a large part of the ceremonies of those degrees. However, the […]
Continue readingThe Best of the Middle Chamber Online
In a cooperative effort with Phoenixmasonry, the best articles from my work on The Middle Chamber are now available online. This compilation is called Freemasonic Fables and can be found at Phoenixmasonry. Executive Director Frederic L. Milliken says this about the website’s new feature: Phoenixmasonry is pleased to announce the publication of “Freemasonic Fables” by […]
Continue readingThe Rite of Purification
The other morning, I was enjoying my daily shaving ritual. As I lathered the shaving soap with my badger hair brush and spread the rich, white lather over my jaw, I thought about how my morning shave had become a daily routine of renewal and purification. When I took my razor in hand and removed […]
Continue readingNon-Masonic Education
A hot topic in the on-line Masonic community is lodge education. Many ideas are presented for educational subjects or how to implement educational programs. Most of this discussion is limited to Masonic topics such as Masonic symbolism or history. There is no shortage of information on these subjects available through the Internet or in hard […]
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The Chronicles of Philosophus
At that time in the land of Gebal, the builders would gather at high twelve on the day before the Sabbath. They would meet in the temple to discuss the work of the craftsmen and to study the ancient arts. The master builders filled the higher offices, with the craftsmen joining them on the floor. […]
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The Checkered Flooring
The mosaic pavement of the lodge is discussed in the lecture of the first degree. This is commonly described as the checkered carpet which covers the floor of the lodge. The lecture says that the mosaic pavement “is a representation of the ground floor of King Solomon’s Temple” and is “emblematic of human life, checkered […]
Continue readingThe Banks of the Euphrates
Welcome to my column, The Banks of the Euphrates. You may recognize the title from a location mentioned during the Holy Royal Arch degree. During the journey which the candidates of that degree are required to take, they find themselves along the River Euphrates. While the river doesn’t play a prominent role in the degree, […]
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