"Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou artwork gone up: he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as an outdated lion; who shall rouse him up?"
Gen. 49:9
Within the tribal benediction pronounced upon Judah and the tribe of which he was the founder, the time period lion's whelp symbolized energy. Due to this fact, the logo on the banner of the Tribe of Judah was a lion. The identical symbolism is present in Masonic ritual and has loved a number of philosophical and theological interpretations.
To our Christian brethren, the phrase "Lion of the Tribe of Judah" refers back to the Messiah, who is alleged to have introduced mild and immortality into the world. To our Jewish brethren, Judah was the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob and represents the fourth level mentioned in historic Freemasonry. Each Kings David and Solomon are additionally mentioned to have descended from the Tribe of Judah. Nevertheless, there's a extra historic utilization of the lion's paw which will have software to the Masonic mysteries.
Candidates who efficiently handed the Mithraic initiations had been known as Lions and had been marked upon their foreheads with the Egyptian cross, or ankh. All through the complete Mithraic ritual references had been manufactured from Mithra because the Solar God, who got here to earth to supply himself as a sacrifice for man and by his dying giving males life everlasting. After initiation, the candidate was hailed as one who had risen from the grave and was permitted to study the key Persian mysteries that originated with Zarathustra.
Though popularized by the Romans and the assumption that not less than one Roman Emperor was initiated into the order, the Rites of Mithra was of Persian origin and later migrated into Southern Europe. "Mithra" is the Zend-Avesta title for the solar and he/she dwelled inside that orb. Mithra was each female and male and, as a deity, represented the "female precept." That phrase has been extra not too long ago popularized within the work of fiction by Dan Brown entitled The Da Vinci Code. Nevertheless, versus representing the Holy Grail, as did Mary Magdalene in Brown's work, the feminine facet of Mithra represented Nature whereas the male facet represented the solar that bathed Nature in order that natural world would develop. With this understanding it's simpler to additionally perceive the connection between Freemasonry and the Rites of Mithra.
In a Masonic symbolism ebook, Masons are taught that sacred Pythagorean geometry connects man to nature by educating him about its most hid recesses; how issues in nature are related; and that numberless worlds encompass mankind which the Nice Architect of the Universe has related via the legal guidelines of nature. It's accurately acknowledged survey of nature first induced man to review symmetry and order which led to the invention of each helpful artwork. Freemasonry additionally teaches that the Supreme Intelligence pervades all nature and which is additional described within the ebook of Revelation because the Sea of Glass.
The Masonic Symbolism Guide Rites of Mithra additionally gave Freemasonry the symbolism of the lesser lights, i.e., the solar, moon and Mercury (later changed with Grasp of the lodge). That symbolism is meant to clarify the pure order of hierarchical authority - because the solar guidelines the day and the moon governs the evening, so ought to the Worshipful Grasp, with equal regularity, rule and govern the lodge. But, even with such pervasive proof of the Mithraic influences on Freemasonry, what's the significance of the grip of the lion's paw?
These initiated into the Mithraic mysteries handed via three necessary levels. Within the first diploma, the candidate was taught about his personal religious nature which have to be manifested via disciplined conduct. Within the second diploma, the candidate was instructed that he represented the mediator between good and evil, mild and darkness and was despatched right into a darkish pit to wage battle towards the beasts of lust. Lastly, within the third diploma, he was supplied a cape with designs of the zodiac, together with the signal of Leo, which represented a lion. The candidate is alleged to have risen from the grave by the facility generated from the solar's affect on Leo - or the robust grip of the lion's paw. In that different Mithraic symbolisms are present in Masonic symbolism, the likelihood that this symbolism additionally originated from these rites can't be ignored. But, even so, what's the symbolic significance to Masons?
Mithra derived from the teachings of Zarathrustra which taught that good and evil existed on the earth side-by-side. Masons are taught by considered one of its "ornaments" that human existence is checkered with good and evil. Actual life experiences show that to be so - the battle between good and evil was vividly on show in the course of the Second World Struggle, in addition to in the course of the course of different well-known conflicts. The Rites of Mithra additionally educate that finally good will prevail over evil, as symbolized by the power of the solar rising every day within the east. It's mentioned that that nice orb is enabled to rise due to the energy of the Leo residing in its orbit - the grip of the lion's paw!
As Freemasons go via the three levels essential to lastly obtain the standing of Grasp Mason, they turn out to be starkly conscious that the Craft calls for of them a participation in workouts meant to make them morally straight - good troopers for the reason for good within the battle between good and evil, mild and darkness. Symbolically rising from the tomb of transgression, the candidate is ultimately acknowledged as being sufficiently ready to exemplify goodness to the remainder of the world. Whether or not or not he makes nearly as good use of these instruments as have Grasp Masons in ages previous is strictly as much as the person candidate. He could select goodness or evil, mild or darkness; and in so doing both creates the temple whereby the Supreme Architect of the Universe will reside, or the tomb into which evil will finally be forged.
The Freemason who is aware of why he was raised won't ever, by no means, by no means die. He was not raised by falsehood and chicanery - he was raised by the grip of the lion's paw.
No comments:
Write comments