My take on the Masonic Egregore
It's my blog, I get to comment on the topic too.
I've been learning about Sacraments as part of my formation, and they stress three things: Form, matter, and intent. If you have all three, you have a Sacrament.
I would think that it's similar for the Masonic ritual. Most of us have the matter (the physical props we need, rods, gavels, etc) and the form (the words and motions), but not many have the intent. Many don't even have the form! :-) I do think that if there's ONE spiritually focused brother on the floor, you'll starting to see that kind of energy. But that's hard when you have 8 participants in the ritual, and however many observers who are also not focused.
Someplace I HAVE seen that sort of energy: My lodge of research. Those gents seem to be focused correctly.
I do agree with Bros:. Lon and Eric, though, that the energy pushed into the Egregore in the past is still effective, if fading. The new brothers coming in, and valuing the morals and teachings we have, the rituals we perform, the cameradiere we foster, are adding to this power, revitalizing it.
One thing I think we need to do is quit focusing so much on our past. Yes, we need to understand history so as not to repeat it, but we can't DWELL there, and sometimes I think that is what people are trying to do.
Another thing we shouldn't do is try to become another Red Cross. Yes, we are engendered to do Charitable work, but perhaps we should leave that to the charities, and use Masonry to make the sort of men who'll give time and money to charities, rather than try to do it ourselves.
Course, these are my opinions. Probably a good thing I'm not Grand Master, as I'm still learning.
I've been learning about Sacraments as part of my formation, and they stress three things: Form, matter, and intent. If you have all three, you have a Sacrament.
I would think that it's similar for the Masonic ritual. Most of us have the matter (the physical props we need, rods, gavels, etc) and the form (the words and motions), but not many have the intent. Many don't even have the form! :-) I do think that if there's ONE spiritually focused brother on the floor, you'll starting to see that kind of energy. But that's hard when you have 8 participants in the ritual, and however many observers who are also not focused.
Someplace I HAVE seen that sort of energy: My lodge of research. Those gents seem to be focused correctly.
I do agree with Bros:. Lon and Eric, though, that the energy pushed into the Egregore in the past is still effective, if fading. The new brothers coming in, and valuing the morals and teachings we have, the rituals we perform, the cameradiere we foster, are adding to this power, revitalizing it.
One thing I think we need to do is quit focusing so much on our past. Yes, we need to understand history so as not to repeat it, but we can't DWELL there, and sometimes I think that is what people are trying to do.
Another thing we shouldn't do is try to become another Red Cross. Yes, we are engendered to do Charitable work, but perhaps we should leave that to the charities, and use Masonry to make the sort of men who'll give time and money to charities, rather than try to do it ourselves.
Course, these are my opinions. Probably a good thing I'm not Grand Master, as I'm still learning.
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